《Mr. Ford Is Jealous》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The creaking sounds finally stopped. On this heavy night, a low voice gradually calmed down. A subtle rustling sound of the sheets could be heard as the man got up. As Ste Sealey looked at the scratch marks on his back, she felt a sudden impulse, and reflexively grabbed his wrist. "Could you stay here tonight?" Weston paused. Without turning back and letting her keep the view of his perfectly toned back, he buttoned up his shirt. Ste was anxious.Her fingers clenched at the already wrinkled sheets, further crumpling them.She held her breath as if to wait for his judgment. After a long while, she heard him say, "Okay." Ste breathed a sigh of relief.She even felt tears well up in her eyes. The man turned around.He was strikingly tall and had chiseled handsome features, and his deep eyes looked like the starry night sky. This man was her husband, Weston Ford. Sole heir of Ford Corporation, he was the youngest man to ever top the Fortune¡¯s List, and the most prestigious businessman around the globe.He was also a frequent guest at major banquets and events. A man as perfect as him belonged to her. Ste straightened up and looked him carefully in the eyes. "Can I help you change into a set of sleepwear?" She slowly touched his shirt cor, trying to probe for his permission.Weston¡¯s eyes darkened, but he didn¡¯t stop her. Although he seemed somewhat reluctant, he allowed her to unbutton his shirt. Ste quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling bittersweet on the inside. During their marriage, Weston was undoubtedly the perfect husband.He was wealthy and prestigious. When it came to his wife, he was meticulous and respectful. Sometimes, Ste wondered why he was interested in her in the first ce. Only, she didn¡¯t have time to ponder this problem¡­ Because she needed money badly, and this man was her only support. Weston was her only pir.So even if they were husband and wife, she was still careful around him and tried to gain his favor. However, Weston was good enough to her.He gave her the dignity of being his wife. Even if she was so average that she would be easily lost in a crowd, her identity as Mrs.Ford had given her space to breathe in this real world. Aside from the fact that he never spends the night with her, everything was great.It was exceptionally quiet tonight. This was the first time Weston was sleeping beside her, and he slept soundly. But Ste couldn¡¯t sleep.She kept wanting to reach out to touch his face. The man frowned and turned over to have his back face her.Her hand stopped midair. A momentter, she bitterly retracted her hand and closed her eyes to sleep. The next morning, Ste woke up very early to make Weston breakfast.She drew her hair up in a high ponytail, revealing her fair neck. Weston was greeted by such a sight when he woke up and entered the kitchen. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste turned around upon hearing the sounds and smiled at him. "You¡¯re up." Weston grunted in reply. "I made you breakfast.It¡¯ll be ready soon.Can you wait for me in the living room?" "Okay." Ste worked faster. In the living room, without anything to talk about, they ate their breakfast in silence.She had always been skillful in cooking. As she watched Weston slowly finish up the breakfast she prepared, she smiled in satisfaction. Weston had a great upbringing.He was dignified, elegant, and a sight to see even when he was eating. After he put down his cutlery, he nced at her and said, "There¡¯s something I want to tell you." "What is it?" Ste was about to clear the tes but paused and stood beside the table to look at him. The man¡¯s defined and slender finger tapped on the table briefly before handing her a divorce agreement. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Divorce? Ste couldn¡¯t describe how she felt when she saw the divorce agreement.She sat down and squeezed her hands at the hems of her shirt. "W-why?" She looked up, finally staring him straight in the eyes.She had never looked at him directly before even when they were making lovest night. There was always an imposing distance and iciness in his cold but charming eyes. Like an evesting iceberg, no one could ever gain his pity or love. Just like the staff in hispany, Ste was afraid of looking him in the eyes. However, divorce was a major issue.She wanted to know why he had suddenly decided to do this. Even if she didn¡¯t have the right to refuse, he could at least give her a reason¡­ "There¡¯s no reason." There was no emotion in his tone.He got up slowly and swept a nce at her, exuding an oppressing aura. "Sign it after you¡¯ve read through it." Ste¡¯s gaze fell to the divorce agreement. Instead of taking it, she hung her head, looking rather pale. There was a momentary silence in the air. Weston looked at her ghastly pale face, but still, she refused to speak up.He was then reminded ofst night.He had gripped her with overwhelming force and it was obvious that she felt ufortable. But her fingers had clenched onto the sheets tightly instead, despite looking so pale.She never made a sound even when she almost tore the sheets. They didn¡¯t close the windows, but the curtains were drawn. When a breeze fluttered the curtains and moonlight spilled over Ste¡¯s body, Weston wasn¡¯t sure if the moonlight was too pale, or if Ste was just too weakened. With this in mind, his gaze mellowed and his forehead rxed. "I will give you some time to get used to this.You can keep staying here for the time being." Even after the man had left, Ste was still shrunk back into her chair.She hugged her knees and stared at the divorce agreement.Her eyes felt dry. At least he was willing to give her some time to get used to things. It was merciful enough for an aloof man like him to not chase her out immediately¡­ so should she feel content instead? At the hospital¡­ Ste didn¡¯t have time to stay upset. Roger Sealey was in the midst of undergoing treatment. Ste stood outside his ward and watched the frail young man lying there.She felt hints of being exhausted, bitter, and slightly afraid.She held up her phone and pondered for a moment before calling Weston. Perhaps the divorce had given her determination and courage, she wanted Weston to keep her company since he was still her husband for now¡­ Would he do it? The busy tone was her answer. Ste leaned against the ice-cold wall helplessly. A silhouette strode past her, and an indignant female voice bellowed, "Weston Ford, I¡¯m at the hospital now.If you don¡¯t want anything to happen to the child in my stomach,e and see me now." Ste immediately straightened up.She thought she had heard it wrong. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston¡­ Ford? Her mind had been a swirl of emotions so she didn¡¯t hear anything else but the name clearly. Was it her husband, the Weston Ford? Ste looked up and immediately recognized the woman to be the recently popr celebrity, Guinevere Cohen. As Ste listened to the woman¡¯s capricious tone, her fists clenched slightly and bitterness filled her heart. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 As if she had sensed Ste¡¯s gaze, the woman stopped. Holding her phone in one hand, with delicate eyebrows and the mor of a pampered face, she quickly cast Ste a nce before talking softly on the phone, saying, "I¡¯ll wait for you at the hospital." Then, she hung up and extended a hand at Ste, smiling as she said, "Hi, I¡¯m Guinevere." Ste was stunned.She extended her hand out of confusion and said, "Hi, I¡¯m Ste¡­" Guinevere only took Ste¡¯s hand briefly before pulling away, frowning slightly. After seeing how harmless Ste looked, her lips rxed into a smile. "It seems like I¡¯ve misunderstood.When you were staring at me just now, I thought you were a fan who had recognized me and wanted my autograph." Upon hearing this, Ste felt her hand that had just shaken Guinevere¡¯s burn up. Her face flushed too. "I¡¯m sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t staring at you on purpose." She pursed her lips before telling the truth. "I overheard you talking on the phone and heard a familiar name¡­ I¡¯m sorry that I bothered you." Guinevere smiled generously and said that she didn¡¯t mind. "It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, then.I was talking to my fiance.He doesn¡¯t have many female friends, and I¡¯m acquainted with all of them, so he¡¯s probably not someone you know.You must have misheard." Ste nodded at this. Her gaze fell onto Guinevere¡¯s slightly protruding stomach and she lit up. "I must have heard it wrong." Guinevere was holding her sunsses in one hand and noticed Ste¡¯s gaze.She caressed her stomach and smiled. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "You probably guessed it, huh? I¡¯m pregnant.I think you¡¯ll be able to hear the official announcement of my good news soon." "Congrattions, Ms.Cohen." "Thank you¡­ But can you keep this a secret for me for now?" Guinevere seemed troubled and looked at her expectantly. Ste grunted a reply. "I won¡¯t tell anyone." As Ste watched Guinevere leave, she heaved a quiet sigh.She was actually acquainted with Guinevere. Being a renowned beauty, thetter had an excellent family background, academic achievements, and appearance.She was also Weston¡¯s ex-girlfriend and first love. Weston might not be aware, but Ste had gone to the same school as he did, though their social circles wereplete opposites.She could only ever watch him from afar, and had never imagined that she would one day marry him. Ste suddenly remembered how her rtionship with Weston had begun¡­ A few months ago, she was at the hospital apanying Roger for his chemotherapy. Just as she was worrying over the hospital fee, she saw a man in the corridor who seemed to be out there taking a breather.She had only wanted to find a secluded ce to cry for a bit, but her gaze met Weston¡¯s the instant she looked up. He was smoking a cigarette. Sparks twinkled at his fingertips and the rising white smoke further mystified his dark eyes. They were like the tranquil sea without any waves. Ste had a feeling she would never forget that sight. At that moment, she even forgot to cry. When Weston saw her, he had put out his cigarette and abruptly went over to her. When his shadow was looming over her, he asked in a deep voice, "Will you marry me? I can give you what you want." As if enchanted, she nodded. Maybe it was due to her crush on him, but she had never even asked him why he wanted to marry her.She feared that if she asked the question, this dream that never belonged to her would shatter immediately. Inside the ward, Roger seemed weak but was in good spirits. Ste was sitting by his bed, peeling an apple for him. When the knife was just about to cut her finger, Roger finally asked, "Sis, did you get into a fight with Brother-in-Law? You look absent-minded¡­" He was just about to reach over when he saw a familiar silhouette pass by his ward.He eximed happily, "Brother-in-Law!" Ste was stunned and the apple skin fell to the floor. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Roger had only met Weston once. On the day Ste and Weston got their marriage certificate, Weston had treated Roger to a meal. Weston had always maintained a gentleman¡¯s image in front of outsiders and his manners were impable, so Roger had a good impression of him. At that moment, Ste stared at Roger dazedly while holding her breath. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Why was Weston here? He didn¡¯t even answer her call earlier. Roger didn¡¯t notice Ste acting strange.He was waving at the door excitedly, calling out, "Brother-in- Law!" Yet, the man merely passed by without stopping. Finally, Roger put down his arm in confusion. "Sis, did Brother-in-Law get the wrong room?" Having said that, he was about to lift his nket and get out of bed. "He must have gone the wrong way.I¡¯ll go get him." Ste snapped back to her senses then. "Don¡¯t go!" Weston had just brought up divorce with her this morning, so he might not be here for her sake. Hence, they might get into a fight if Roger abruptly went over. Roger was very protective of Ste, but he would get impulsive due to his young age, and Ste didn¡¯t want him to cause trouble.She and Weston would be divorced soon, so she didn¡¯t want any trouble at this point in time.She had to at least ensure that Roger¡¯s medical fees were secured. Roger frowned at her. "Sis, tell me the truth.Did you get into a fight with Brother-in-Law?" Ste¡¯s eyes glinted. "Stop thinking too much.We¡¯re fine." Seeing that he was about to ask more, Ste quickly stood up. "I¡¯ll go and ask the doctor if there¡¯s anything we need to be mindful of.Stay here and rest well." "Sis!" Ste closed the door and sealed Roger¡¯s protests inside the ward.She gently breathed out a sigh. Just as she was about to turn away, she saw a man at the end of the corridor who she was all too familiar with, but also knew nothing about at the same time. Weston looked her way.His face looked gentle and dignified as always but showed no emotion. There was no warmth in his expression as he studied Ste, and after a moment, he came over. "Here to see Roger?" He came up to her and nced at the ward¡¯s tag. Ste grunted in reply. She became wary when she saw an examination sheet in his hand. "Why are you here, Mr.Ford?" She pointed to the piece of paper in his hand and asked, "Are you here for a checkup? Where do you feel unwell, Mr.Ford?" Mr.Ford¡­ ? Weston frowned slightly upon hearing this form of address. This was how Ste had addressed him when they first got their marriage certificate. After they started living together, she came over to ask him sheepishly, "Mr.Ford¡­ Could I not call you Mr.Ford? It sounds rather distant for a married couple to address each other this way." He wasn¡¯t the type to mind these minor details, so he answered her casually, "Do as you please." However, he had never expected to hear this form of addressing out of her lips after a few months had passed.Not used to her sudden change, he was somewhat shocked.He was just about to speak up when he remembered that he had brought up divorce with her.He gave up and smirked instead. "Don¡¯t you understand my body best?" Stunned, Ste only came to a realization when she saw the same intense look in his eyes he had shown in bedst night. "Mr.Ford¡­" When he saw the color of red creep up her cheeks, that inexplicable irritation he felt was slightly appeased.It was as if this was how she should be¡ªa little dazed, a little awkward, and easily embarrassed. She looked much better this way, to him at least. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Just as the atmosphere between them mellowed down, a woman¡¯s voice interrupted them. "Weston, why didn¡¯t you wait for me outside?" The sound of high heels clicking against the floor got closer until Guinevere¡¯s gorgeous face appeared before them. When she noticed the two of them, she slowed down and nced at Ste, feeling surprised. "Ms.Sealey, why are you here too? Did you need anything else?" She stood beside Weston naturally andtched onto his arm. Weston looked at her, frowning slightly, but he didn¡¯t push her away.He asked, "Do you know her?" Guinevere leaned against his arm affectionately and smiled. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. "We met just now.I even thought she was my fan." Ste felt as if she had been struck by lightning when she saw how rxed and intimate they were.She didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment there.She blinked and dug her nails into her palms. "Mr.Ford¡­" It was easy to tell that her voice was breaking.Confusion and hurt were visible in her eyes. For some reason, Weston felt inexplicably irritated seeing her like this. Guinevere didn¡¯t seem to notice how strange Ste was acting, and just went on to introduce Weston with a smile, "As you can guess, he¡¯s my fiance, and he¡¯s here to apany me for my prenatal care checkup." Ste¡¯s mind immediately went nk. Prenatal care checkup¡­ ? She looked at Guinevere¡¯s stomach, unable to control herself as her eyes reddened. "Your child belongs to¡­ Mr.Ford?" "Yeah." Guinevere nodded happily with a sweet expression. However, she suddenly realized something and stared at Ste in confusion. "You keep calling him Mr.Ford.Are you acquainted with my fiance?" Having said that, she turned to Weston curiously as if to ask him as well. Ste reflexively turned to Weston. A momentter, she heard him answer coldly, "I don¡¯t know her." ¡®I don¡¯t know her¡­¡¯ Ste took a step back. She was his wife. At least she still was right at this moment. But he had imed to not know her in front of another woman¡­ Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you¡¯d gained a female friend that I know nothing about!" She seemed to be joking and angry at the same time as she added, "If it were true, I would¡¯ve aborted your child six months ago!" Six months ago? Ste shuddered internally as she stared at Weston in disbelief. They only got married six months ago, and Guinevere seemed to be about five or six months into her pregnancy¡­ Weston didn¡¯t have time to consider Ste¡¯s feelings. His eyes widened when he heard Guinevere threaten him with an abortion again, and he admonished, "Nonsense!" Guinevere was frightened and frowned immediately. "Are you scolding me¡­" Upon hearing this, Weston¡¯s gaze softened and he said in aforting tone, "Don¡¯t throw a tantrum.It¡¯s bad for the baby." Guinevere sniffled, looking aggrieved. "I just wanted you to coax me.If I really wanted to abort the baby, I would¡¯ve done it six months ago instead of waiting until now."Having said that, she caressed her stomach and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God I wasn¡¯t impulsive back then¡­ Weston, you must be good to both of us." "Yeah." Ste seemed like an outsider as she stood there, watching her husband openly being intimate with another woman.She had never seen this side of Weston before, nor had she ever seen him so gentle and patient with a woman. As if a hole had been dug in her chest, all that was left was the wind whistling through.She felt cold and hurt. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Ste stared at Weston with reddened eyes.She was waiting for an exnation, waiting for him to talk to her. Weston nced at her, stopping only briefly before he retracted his gaze and showed no emotion. "Let¡¯s go," he said to Guinevere gently. Guinevere shrugged with a smile on her face. Then, she nced at Ste withpassion in her eyes. Stunned, Ste was rooted to the spot as she watched them leave. Tears welled up in her eyes, much to her disappointment. She had wanted to rush over and demand an exnation. But she couldn¡¯t move at all, as if roots had grown out of her feet. Guinevere was already six months pregnant¡­ But they had been married for six months too! So Weston had gotten Guinevere pregnant shortly after they got married. Was he still in touch with Guinevere during the time they were married as well? Did hee home and hug her after he had just hugged Guinevere? Did hee back and kiss her after he had just kissed Guinevere? Did he¡­ Ste¡¯s frame shuddered. She suddenly gagged at the possibility.She quickly covered her mouth, bent down slightly, and rushed to the washroom.Her thoughts cleared up a little after she sshed her face with cold water.She looked in the mirror to study her in and bare face. Other people must find her distasteful for looking so nd, right? Her heart gradually calmed and she breathed out slowly. Then, sheughed at herself. After the longest time, she finally regainedposure.She turned around only to meet a pair of dark eyes. Weston was standing at the entrance of the washroom since god knows when, staring right at her. His tall figure was blocking the light source, and with his handsome features shadowed under the light, he seemed all the more mysterious. What a charming face. Ste subconsciously held her breath. In just six months of their marriage, she had fallen deeply for this man, and this face deserved the most credit for it.It tempted her no matter from which angle she looked.But now, it was time to awaken from her dream. "You¡­" "Have you signed it?" They spoke almost at once, but the contents of their conversation differed greatly. Upon hearing Weston¡¯s question, Ste felt bitter at first before hanging her head to say, "I¡¯ll move out as soon as possible." "Okay." The man moved to lean against the frame of the door, studying her. "Lift your head up." Ste paused, confused as to why he had suddenly made this request. Weston was surprised that he didn¡¯t feel impatient with her slow response.He only felt a hint of annoyance.He repeated, "Lift your head up and look at me." Ste looked up at him. "Mr.Ford¡­" This form of address again. Weston frowned and his tone became much harsher than before, "Don¡¯t you have anything to ask me?" Ste¡¯s eyes wavered and then sheughed at herself. "You don¡¯t even know me, Mr.Ford, so what is there for me to ask?" She was using his earlier statement to counter him instead. Weston was baffled, but he quicklyposed himself. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Judging from his expression, it looked like nothing had happened at all. "I don¡¯t like tempers." Ste clenched her fists slowly and finally grew some courage. "Since you don¡¯t like me, why did you marry me?" Right after she said that, she suddenly felt queasy and turned around to gag. Weston stared at her. Then, as if realizing something, his expression fell. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Even with her back against him, Ste could sense his sharp gaze on her. After gagging for a bit, she realized something as well. Her period¡­ was a few dayste this month. After this thought was nted, it gradually grew out vines that enveloped her heart. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. What would her child with Weston be like¡­ ? "Ste," a man¡¯s deep voice called, sounding forceful and seemingly probing her. Ste shuddered before snapping out of her reverie.He was going to divorce her, and Guinevere was pregnant with his child too. So it didn¡¯t matter even if she was pregnant with his child. She even had a feeling that he would have her abort the baby without an ounce of hesitation¡­ She dared not turn around, afraid of meeting the man¡¯s eyes. Weston seemed impatient and stepped forward oppressively. "What¡¯s wrong?" Ste chuckled bitterly on the inside.By the time she turned around, she was wearing a nonchnt expression. "Oh, I might have caught a coldst night, so my stomach feels unwell¡­" There was a moment of silence after she said that.Her words seemed like a reminder, and they inadvertently rememberedst night. They both knew how passionate Weston wasst night. But he had brought up a divorce the next day. Since he had decided on a divorce, why did he¡­ The man¡¯s expression further darkened.His deep eyes studied her face, and his jaw tightened as the atmosphere around them somehow got tenser. After a moment, he massaged his temples and said, "Sign it quickly.I¡¯ll bear Roger¡¯s medical fees as compensation." Ste¡¯s gaze wavered.She was about to say something out of reflex. But when she looked at his distant and ice-cold expression, she merely nodded obediently and said, "Okay." Perhaps Weston was satisfied with her response, his gaze mellowed. "Be good." Ste¡¯s eyshes trembled, and she dug her nails into her palms. The pain helped her endure the tingling sensation in her nose, and she choked out the word, "Okay." *** Inside the ward, Roger was hesitant to speak after seeing Ste being so out of sorts. Once the time was up, Ste looked at her phone and stood up. "I¡¯ll be going now, Roger.I¡¯lle and visit you tomorrow." She had to go home and pack up. Weston had given her some time to move out, but he didn¡¯t mention how long. And before that¡­ she had something she needed to rify. Roger nodded. "Take care, Sis." "Okay." Roger pursed his lips at the sight of his sister¡¯s dispirited figure, and a dark glint shed in his eyes. *** At a pharmacy¡­ "Hi Miss, can I help you with anything?" "It¡¯s alright.I¡¯ll just take a look on my own¡­" Ste chose the pregnancy test kit she wanted from the fully stacked shelf and hurried away from the pharmacy with her purchase. After she left, a man in a ck baseball cap entered the pharmacy. After confirming what Ste had just purchased, he said respectfully on the phone, "Mr.Ford¡­ Ms.Sealey has just bought a pregnancy test kit¡­" *** The air inside the single VIP ward was silent. After seeing Weston hang up, Guinevere went up to him and hugged him from behind. "Weston, who was that woman just now?" She could actually tell that something was off, but she didn¡¯t expose them in hopes that Weston would exin to her.She had been doing a lot of thinking. For a man like Weston, she could only get closer to him by being proactive. If she ignored him, he would only be much more indifferent. Compared to insignificant restraint and pride, Guinevere preferred Weston. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 She had heard that Weston randomly married a woman to anger her, but she had never thought anything about it thus far. Weston grabbed her wrist and slowly pushed her away before making her sit beside him. "An unimportant person." Guinevere¡¯s eyes twinkled, and her lips curled up slightly. "I¡¯m very satisfied with your answer, so I¡¯m giving you a reward." Having said that, she leaned over, wanting to kiss him.Her red lips were supposedly alluring, but Weston frowned instead.He subtly evaded and caressed her hair. "You have something on your mouth." Guinevere was stunned.Shock shed in her eyes, and then she chuckled. "It¡¯s just lipstick¡­ Fine, I know that you¡¯re a germaphobe, so I¡¯ll give you your reward after I remove my makeup." Weston grunted in reply before moving away to get up.He picked up the suit jacket he had casually draped on the back of the sofa and said, "I have something to do.Rest well." Guinevere leaned into the sofa and gave him a half-hearted smile. "Where are you going?"This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. "I have something to do." She said yfully, "Something to do¡­ What is this ¡®something¡¯ that you can¡¯t tell me about?" Weston didn¡¯t answer, but instead just opened the door and left. The smile on the woman¡¯s face disappeared instantly, and she clenched her fists. Outside the ward. Right after Weston closed the door and turned around, he met a pair of eyes that were red with anger. Roger couldn¡¯t believe it. What did he just see? He was breathing heavily with the veins on his neck throbbing as he red at Weston. "Who was that woman?! How could you do this to my sister?!" After roaring out, he raised a fist and threw it forward. *** Ste returned to the mansion. The empty living room made her chest tighten.This ce would no longer be her home soon. After tidying up a bit, she went to the washroom with the pregnancy test kit.She read the instruction manual carefully, afraid of missing out on even a single word. The waiting for the results was probably the most agonizing period of her life. Before the stick showed either one or two lines, her phone suddenly rang. The ringtone she had set exclusively for Weston sounded rather abrupt in this enclosed space. Feeling shocked, Ste subconsciously hid the pregnancy test. After realizing it was just a phone call, she took a deep breath and answered the call out of irritation. "Mr.Ford¡­" "Hurry to the hospital now." His message was short and hurried but carried an indescribable sense of authority.He hung up right after saying that. "Mr.Ford, did something happen to you?" Ste was stunned. After she heard the dial tone, she suddenly became anxious. By the time she hurried to the hospital, Weston¡¯s assistant was waiting for her at the entrance. Upon seeing her, he led her to the room on the topmost floor. When Weston heard the sound of footsteps, he turned back into the room from the balcony and strode over to her. With an icy gaze, he asked, "Are you a Bombay blood type?" Bombay blood was also known as Dinosaur Blood because people with such blood type were rarer than pandas.Ste didn¡¯t know why he was asking, but she nodded. The next instant, she heard something that made her mind buzz. "Roger injured Gwen.She might lose the baby.She needs a blood transfusion right now." His assistant supplemented, "Ms.Cohen has the same blood type, but the hospital doesn¡¯t have this blood type in their storage as it is too rare." Ste gasped. Weston took a step forward. Staring down at her trembling body, he said resolutely, "If you don¡¯t want Roger to be put behind bars, you know what to do." Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Ste¡¯s throat tightened, unable to digest what he had just said. After a while, she said with great difficulty, "Roger doesn¡¯t even know Ms.Cohen.How could he possibly harm her¡­" "Weren¡¯t you the one who told him?" Weston interrupted her impatiently. Ste was stunned.She exined reflexively, "I didn¡¯t tell him anything!" She finally noticed that the man¡¯s face was injured too. There was a tiny bruise at the corner of his mouth, though it wasn¡¯t very obvious.It was probably Roger who had hit him. But that didn¡¯t affect the man¡¯s appearance at all.He looked just as exquisite, dignified, and daunting. Ste pursed her lips and took a deep breath, calming down all of a sudden. "Where is Roger? I want to see him." "He¡¯s fine for now.You can see him once Gwen is safe." He had deliberately mentioned ¡®for now" Ste clenched her fists to suppress her anxiety. "I want to see Roger or I refuse to donate blood¡­ The hospital wouldn¡¯t force me to donate blood if I don¡¯t want to, would they?" Weston¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at her forceful response as if to study her. Ste had always been submissive and epting with him, and had never been this forceful before.So rabbits do get angry when they¡¯re anxious. Weston snorted augh. "Give me a reason why you refuse." Ste¡¯s heart shuddered.She hade in a hurry so she didn¡¯t know the results of her pregnancy test¡­ If she was really pregnant, would a blood donation affect her baby? Her emotions were a mess, but she couldn¡¯t leave Roger be, much less go against Weston. She didn¡¯t have the power to. After a while, as if she was willing topromise, she said, "Mr.Ford, you must promise me that if I donate my blood to Ms.Cohen, you won¡¯t hold Roger ountable anymore." Weston merely stared straight at her without saying anything.She was clearly nervous and at a loss, but she still found an advantage to strike a deal with him. He suddenly lifted her chin and stared into her eyes.His gaze darkened as he said, "Sure." Then, he released her and instructed his assistant, "Take her there." Due to the urgency of the situation, they didn¡¯t have time to perform any tests. By the time Ste regained her senses, she had been pressed down onto a chair, and had a stic tube tied to her slender and fair arm while two indistinct veins appeared. "You¡¯re too skinny¡­" The nurse in charge of taking her blood frowned as she found it difficult to find Ste¡¯s veins. Ste looked down without saying anything. A tiny but sharp pain surged through her body and she quickly turned away.Her eyes slowly turned red.She feared needles a lot.She had trypanophobia since she was little. As a result, she would tremble every time she had to get an injection. She used to have people who would hug her and coax her in the past, allowing her to wail and be spoiled without having to restrain herself. But now¡­ "I didn¡¯t use that much force, so why are you shaking?" The nurse sounded flustered.She even started panicking after seeing how pale Ste¡¯s lips were. "You even shook the needle out, so we have to do it again¡­" Ste forced a nod. Paling as she stared at the needle that seemed like a beast to her, her mind began to swirl. In the next instant, her world suddenly turned dark as warmth spread around her eyes. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Weston went over to her and covered her eyes. "Don¡¯t look if you¡¯re afraid." Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Ste couldn¡¯t help but think about when she started harboring a misconception that Weston might like her? Perhaps it was due to moments like these and the insignificant little actions. The man would catch her off guard, mess up her feelings, and then retreat coldly, leaving her all alone. After her blood had been taken, Weston released her. "You can see Roger after Gwen¡¯s surgery is over." Ste¡¯s eyes widened before looking down and grunting a reply. "I got it." He always had this ability to lift her up one second, and then trample on her the next second. The nurse packed up her tools. "Press this cotton ball here for a few minutes.You¡¯ll be fine after the bleeding stops." Ste stood up upon hearing this and thanked her politely. Once the nurse was gone, Ste turned to Weston. "Mr.Ford, I¡¯ve packed up my things in the mansion.When do we go and get our divorce certification?" When he first mentioned the divorce, she had once fantasized about trying to save their marriage. But now that Guinevere had appeared, she only wanted to stay far away from him. Weston looked straight at her upon hearing what she said.He stared at her briefly before saying, "I¡¯ll get thewyer to inform you." Ste nodded. "Okay." She showed no reluctance at all as if she had fully epted this decision.She went past Weston, intending to leave. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened and abruptly called out to her. "I said, you can only see Roger after Gwen is safe." Ste stopped and pursed her lips before exining, "I¡¯m not going to see him." She had her back facing him and never turned around even as she spoke. Weston slipped his hand into his pants pocket and went up to her. "Where are you going?" As Ste felt him closing in and the sense of oppression grew, she suddenly rebelled. "I don¡¯t have to report that to you, do I, Mr.Ford?" Since they were getting a divorce, he had no right to control her anymore. Weston was stunned for a moment.He stared at her back before returning to his aloof self. "Do as you please." He walked past her and never looked at her again *** Ste didn¡¯t actually know where she could go. She only wanted to escape from Weston and his suffocating aura.She wandered the hospital mindlessly, thinking only about Roger. Weston had already promised he would pay for the remainder of Roger¡¯s medical bills, so Ste had no right to interrogate him even if he cheated during their marriage. Her feelings seemed insignificantpared to such real problems. With so much on her mind, Ste didn¡¯t see a man in a wheelchair up ahead. She had wandered onto a path in the rear garden, and when they passed each other, Ste identally knocked into the man¡¯s wheelchair as the path was too narrow. Bam! She regained her senses and immediately apologized. "I¡¯m sorry, did I hurt you?" "I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry." A clear and gentle voiceforted Ste¡¯s uneasiness. Sitting in the wheelchair was a handsome man with elegant features and a warm smile.He even looked worried as he looked at Ste. "You don¡¯t look so good.Are you feeling unwell?" Ste shook her head, but all of a sudden, the man¡¯s face began to blur and she was even seeing double. Her body began to sway. The aftereffects of her blood donation seemed to be taking effect and her world cked out as she fainted. By the time she woke up, she was lying in a ward. The man in the wheelchair was gone, and in his ce was Weston standing beside her. Ste felt dizzy and she propped herself up shakily. "What happened to me?" Her mind wasn¡¯t fully functioning so she didn¡¯t notice how dark Weston looked. When she finally regained her senses, she heard a low voice saying, "You¡¯re pregnant." This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. It was said in an affirmative tone. Weston ced a blood test report in front of her. "I had someone send a sample of your blood for examination after taking your blood." Ste stared straight at the report, her eyes widening, and she was unable to speak. With an enigmatic tone, the man repeated, "You¡¯re pregnant." Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 It was a bright sunny day and the curtains fluttered with the wind. The man who stood by the bed blocked most of the sunlight.His elongated shadow made him seem so much taller. Ste was covered by his shadow.She slowly clenched her nket as she regained her senses. "Pregnant¡­" She looked down as she mumbled.Her belly under the white nket showed no signs of protruding.But there was a human life inside.A glint slowly appeared in Ste¡¯s dark eyes.It had merely been her assumption, and she didn¡¯t have time to check the pregnancy test¡¯s result after hurrying here. But to think she was actually pregnant¡­ She couldn¡¯t conceal the joy on her face. Weston lit a cigarette and took a drag at it. "Are you happy about this?" Ste looked up at him upon hearing this. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The man¡¯s face was shrouded by the white smoke and his exquisite features were shaded by the light, making him look all the more stoic, dignified, and unattainable. The soft expression on her face gradually stiffened. "Mr.Ford¡­" Ste clenched at the bedsheet, getting nervous.She had forgotten that Weston was divorcing her and that Guinevere was pregnant with his child.She was only a tool used to relieve his loneliness when the two of them had a lovers¡¯ spat. How could he possibly tolerate her having this child? The man noticed the changes in her expression. With a cigarette in one hand and the other arm restingzily on the back of a chair, he flicked the cigarette ashes into an ashtray. "I¡¯m sorry." Just two words and nothing else. These words hinted that she should give up on the child. Ste shook her head, looking pale. "You don¡¯t have to be sorry¡­ We won¡¯t be rted at all after we divorce." Then, she looked up. "This child will have nothing to do with you either.I guarantee you that I won¡¯t appear before either of you after we divorce, okay?" Weston frowned. "You want to keep the child?" Ste¡¯s jaw tensed up and her gaze wavered. Before she could speak, the man snorted. "Putting aside the influence you would bring to the Ford family by having this child, you¡¯re having a hard enough time now just taking care of Roger.If you do have the child, how will you take care of it?" What he said was true.Ste didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment there, but she clenched her fists. "I will think of something on my own.I won¡¯t give you any trouble¡­" "You¡¯re giving yourself trouble." Weston put out the cigarette and stood up. "There¡¯s no need to give the two of us trouble over something that hasn¡¯t taken form yet, don¡¯t you agree?" Ste¡¯s lips turned pale as her nails dug into her palms.She didn¡¯t speak, and Weston didn¡¯t have the patience to wait. He simply grabbed his suit jacket and said, "Rest well.I¡¯ll make arrangements for everything else." Having said that, he left the ward. The door closed, and Ste closed her eyes. Even the buzzing noise ringing in her ears couldn¡¯tpare to what Weston had just said to her. To have called their child a ¡®thing¡¯ with such a cold tone. One part of her heart gradually died away and the expectation that shouldn¡¯t have existed was sucked out too, leaving nothing but cold emptiness. *** Ste was only allowed to see Roger the next day. Weston never came back to see her after he left, but he assigned someone to watch over her. Inside the ward, Roger was resting with his eyes closed. Hisplexion was far worsepared to several days ago, and there were a few obvious bruises on his face. Ste¡¯s heart ached.She closed the door gently and went over to sit down beside the bed.Her eyes reddened as she watched the youth¡¯s sleeping face.She said softly, "I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t protect you properly." They used to have a happy family, and Ste was once a renowned youngdy in theirmunity. On the day of hering of age ceremony, their parents were involved in a ne ident while they were rushing home¡­ It only took one night for them to fall from grace. These past few years, she and Roger experienced how heartless the world could be. Ste, who never had to worry about survival, and spent most of her time ying the piano and doing ballet, found it difficult to even pay her university fees. Later on when Roger fell ill, Ste finally knew how important the money she never used to care about would be. Roger frowned and woke up. "Sis¡­" He looked ufortable.He rubbed the point between his eyebrows and sat up with Ste¡¯s help. "How long have I been asleep¡­?" Then, he suddenly remembered something and grabbed Ste¡¯s arm. "Where is Weston? Where is he?!" Ste saw how furious he was, so she quicklyforted him, "Calm down.You just woke up¡­" "Sis!" Roger didn¡¯t want to hear this so he interrupted, "That man¡¯s keeping a celebrity as his mistress.He even got her pregnant!" He was utterly exasperated. "How could he do this to you?!" Ste¡¯s eyes darkened.She abruptly grabbed his shoulder and pressed him back down. "That has nothing to do with you.You just have to rest and wait for the doctor to schedule your surgery.You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else." Roger looked like a little enraged beast with his red eyes. When he saw how calm and exhausted Ste looked, he immediately deted as if he had been stabbed by a needle.He hugged her tightly. "Did he give you trouble¡­?" Ste sighed and patted him on the back. "I know you¡¯re angry, but you shouldn¡¯t have hit Guinevere." Guinevere was Weston¡¯s beloved. If Ste didn¡¯t have the same Bombay blood type that could save Guinevere, Weston wouldn¡¯t have forgiven Roger. Roger clenched his fists upon hearing this and his voice lowered down. "I didn¡¯t hit her¡­ I only wanted to hit Weston, but she came up and shielded him, so I identally hurt her¡­" Then, he asked, "Is her baby okay?" Before Ste could answer, Roger suddenly spat. "Even if she had a miscarriage, a third wheel like her who interferes in someone¡¯s marriage deserves it!" Ste¡¯s chest tightened.She released Roger and caressed his head, forcing out a smile. "It doesn¡¯t matter.You just have to go through with your treatment and stop making me worry, okay?" Roger noticed the exhaustion in her delicate face and he swallowed. Finally, he averted his gaze with reddened eyes, and said, "Okay.I got it." *** On the day Weston finally came to see her, Ste was standing on the balcony, staring dazedly at the high-rise buildings in the distance. Weston was weed by such a sight when he entered the room. A frail woman was standing by the window with her hands on the railings. The wind blew at her long hair, and she looked pale and weak. If the wind was a little stronger, it seemed as if it could blow her away. The man¡¯s pupils dted and he strode over, lifting the woman up without a second thought. Ste was startled. "What are you doing?" She felt herself being lifted into the air, and the next instant, she saw Weston¡¯s furious gaze. "Ste, are you trying to kill yourself?" Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Before Ste could even react, she was being carried back to her bed.She was stunned as she stared at the man¡¯s dark expression. "What are you nning to do¡­?" C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Weston pressed down on her shoulder.It was obvious that he was furious as he spoke ominously, "I should be asking you.What were you nning to do?" He mped down on her waist and was leaning so closely into her that they were only inches apart. Ste could feel his oppressing aura. After she understood his meaning, she found it oddly amusing and said darkly, "Let me go!" She struggled to pull her wrist away but the man¡¯s grip didn¡¯t budge. Ste¡¯s jaw tensed up and she abruptly raised her head to stare into his dark eyes.Her hands slowly balled into fists. "I was only enjoying the breeze.I wasn¡¯t trying tomit suicide, so rx." Weston still didn¡¯t let go. Instead, he stared at her quietly as if to distinguish if she was telling the truth. A momentter, he snorted augh and lifted her chin, warning her, "Indeed.You wouldn¡¯t try to seek death with Roger around." Then, he released her. Ste steadied herself and looked at him. "Don¡¯t worry, Mr.Ford.I wouldn¡¯t seek death just because of a divorce." She looked down, refusing to meet Weston¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t see what she was feeling.He suddenly changed the topic and looked at her faintly. "Have you thought about the issue with the child? A doctor will being over in the afternoon, so be mentally prepared." Ste¡¯s pupils dted at this.She looked up at him. "Why should I be mentally prepared?" "I thought you¡¯d already thought it through a few days ago?" "Is there no room for discussion¡­?" Ste subconsciously felt her stomach.Her voice was light and shaky. "No." Weston didn¡¯t hesitate at all. Before he left, he stood at the door and said one more thing to her, "After this is over, someone will come and pick you up for the divorce procedures." His voice remained in the air even after he left. Ste felt as if she could still hear the indifference and bone-chilling cruelty in his tone.She rxed her tightly clenched fists and saw red marks on her palms. Their marriage now seemed like a huge joke and dream, even more so than ever. And only she found it difficult to wake up from it. *** At the office, Guinevere was stunned when she saw the man return.She quickly smiled at the doctor and said, "Thank you, Doctor.I will take note of what you just told me¡­" Weston came up behind Guinevere and asked, "Is it over?" Guinevere stood up and naturallytched onto his arm. The man frowned discreetly as he stared at the part where their arms linked, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He turned around with annoyance in his eyes. "Let¡¯s go." Guinevere¡¯s expression darkened slightly, but she kept her smile on. "Okay." Inside the car, Guinevere seemed excited as she talked about the checkup incessantly. "Weston, the doctor said our baby is very healthy and it¡¯s growing well¡­" She leaned against his shoulder with a yearning look in her eyes. "I don¡¯t want to know if it¡¯s a boy or girl yet¡­ Do you prefer boys or girls?" Weston supported her shoulder and pushed her away. "Sit properly.We¡¯ll be departing soon." Guinevere¡¯s eyes twinkled and she asked hesitantly, "Weston, are you in a bad mood?" He had been out of sorts since just now. No, to be precise, he had been out of sorts since he divorced Ste.He was a very reserved man who didn¡¯t like disying his emotions. However, Guinevere was a woman who possessed extraordinary observation skills that all women had when it came to the man they loved.She pursed her lips. "Weston, are you thinking about Ste?" The man abruptly lifted his head, his gaze tensed up for a moment there. The veins on his temples were throbbing as if he was trying to suppress something. After a while, he forced out the words, "Don¡¯t mention her name." Guinevere wanted to say more but kept quiet when she saw how solemn he looked. She could only endure her turbulent emotions. "Alright, let¡¯s not mention her anymore.Weston, let¡¯s forget about the past and start over." Forget about the past and start over¡­ huh? Weston said nothing.He merely closed his eyes as his temples throbbed painfully.His emotions were a mess and too many images were shing through his mind. But they all stopped at the image of a crying face that was trying to stay strong¡­ Ste.She was pregnant. Weston suddenly reached up to unbutton his cor and loosen up his tie. Perhaps it was due to being in an enclosed space, but he found it hard to breathe for some reason. The child was an ident. It would only mess up their original n and pace for both him and Ste. But it seemed like she really wanted to keep the baby¡­ Weston¡¯s eyelids felt heavy and he massaged the point between his eyebrows. *** Golden Eve Apartment was located in a wealthy neighborhood far away from the city and was exceptionally quiet. The top two floors were where Weston frequently stayed. As he was constantly busy with work and frequently traveled abroad, he was here most of the time aside from being at the Ford family mansion and Stardust Mansion where Ste stayed. Before they got out of the car, after much consideration, Guinevere decided to give up on holding herself back. "Weston, I¡¯ve never been to your apartment before¡­ We¡¯ll be getting married soon, so can I go and take a look?" Weston did notice the hint and shyness in her eyes, but he had no intention ofplying. "You¡¯re pregnant so the apartment is very inconvenient for you.There are people to take care of you at the family mansion, so I¡¯ll get the driver to send you back." While it sounded like he was being considerate, Guinevere¡¯s expression immediately fell. She put on a straight face and said, "Alright, I understand." Weston knew he should say something tofort her, but he didn¡¯t do anything as he watched her get into the car and leave. As the car drove away, all he could hear after that was the sound of the engine. The streetlights in the area were warm, and Ste¡¯s image suddenly appeared before Weston. He turned around and a familiar steel gate seemed to manifest with Ste standing there, waiting for him toe home. After just an instant, that silhouette disappeared. Weston subconsciously stopped as a feeling of annoyance surfaced in his chest. *** His minimalistic living room only had basic furniture so it was quite spacious and vacant. Weston sat at the bar and took out a bottle of aged red wine given to him by a business partner from the wine cab.He propped his elbow on top of the cold counter and poured himself a full ss. Before he started drinking, a gentle and worried voice suddenly rang beside his ear, sounding rather fearful as the voice said, "Are you drinking? But it¡¯s veryte now.Drinking too much isn¡¯t good for your health¡­" Ste always sounded forgiving and ttering whenever she spoke to him. There were also traces of affection that she couldn¡¯t hide no matter how hard she tried. "If you must drink, could I make you some tea to help you sober up?" Weston closed his eyes and swallowed. For a moment there, he didn¡¯t realize it was just an auditory hallucination, so he uttered a word in response, "Sure¡­" He heard no reply after the longest time.His surroundings were so quiet that it was beginning to feel eerie.He abruptly opened his eyes and Ste was gone.He was alone. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Weston¡¯s words were still ringing in Ste¡¯s mind even after he had left.He was right. With her current circumstances, she couldn¡¯t afford to raise a child on top of caring for herself and Roger. It was probably her instincts that made her want to keep the child. After learning that there was another life inside her, Ste naturally built up some sort of connection with it. She looked down at her t stomach, feeling disappointed. "I¡¯m sorry that we¡¯re not fated to be together," she said softly. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She looked up and said, "Come in." In came a young female doctor wearing ck-framed sses.She was tall and slender, and her thin face made her look dispassionate, but she had on a friendly expression. "Are you feeling better?" Ste nodded. This was probably the doctor Weston had mentioned. "Are you here to perform a checkup?" "Yeah." The doctor went over to the balcony and pulled the curtains open. As the sunlight shone in, Ste closed her eyes out of reflex. The brightly lit room further entuated how pale she looked.The doctor sat down beside her. "My name is Zeta Taylor.You can just address me by my given name." Ste nodded. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Her obedience baffled Zeta, but then Zeta seemed to have understood why and went on to say, "Mr.Ford might have already told you, but you will be undergoing an abortion procedureter on.It¡¯s a simple process so you don¡¯t have to feel pressured." Ste clenched her fists so tightly that her fingers were turning white, but she forced herself to nod. "I understand." The woman watched her with clear eyes that were hiding behind her sses.She suddenly reached out and patted the back of Ste¡¯s hand. "It¡¯s alright.I know that you find this hard to ept, but technology is advancing really fast nowadays.Who knows, you might still be able to have a child one day¡­" Her words didn¡¯tfort Ste. Instead, Ste looked up at her, puzzled. "What do you mean by I might still be able to have a child one day¡­?" Zeta paused. "Didn¡¯t Mr.Ford tell you that your body isn¡¯t suited for an abortion, and that you might not be able to bear a child after this?" *** Ste felt like she was being shrouded by a shadow.No matter how dazzling the sunlight was outside, her body felt no warmth. Then, the sound of sturdy footsteps pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts.She didn¡¯t have to look up to know who was standing beside her. "You¡¯re here."Her voice sounded hoarse.She then looked up at Weston. "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you." When she had called Weston earlier, she heard Guinevere¡¯s sweet voiceining in the background and suddenly felt humiliated.She didn¡¯t want to keep seeing him either, for fear that others might assume she couldn¡¯t part with him.She only¡­ "The doctor says that I might not be able to bear a child anymore if I get an abortion.Did you know about this?" Perhaps her rage had reached a boiling point, she sounded very calm. "You called me all the way here because of this?" Weston frowned as he casually sat down on the sofa.The sunlight shone in. His features were further entuated under the shadows.He had such a good-looking face, but the man was so aloof and unapproachable. Ste stared straight at him. "Don¡¯t you think I have the right to know?" "You already know now." "But that¡¯s because someone else told me! If Dr.Taylor hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I might have already aborted the child¡­" Her voice was getting louder and finally, angrier. "I might not be able to get pregnant again for the rest of my life." The man stared at her indifferently. "So?" Ste took a deep breath as her body trembled slightly.She already figured that Weston wouldn¡¯t care, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so detached. Even a normal person would have feelings for a dog they had been raising¡­ Her eyes suddenly turned red. "Please let me be¡­" Ste¡¯s voice was shaking as she said, "I¡¯m begging you.I¡¯d already agreed to abort this child, but the doctor says I might not be able to get pregnant anymore¡­ I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re willing to pay for Roger¡¯s treatment, and I can slowly pay you back in the future¡­" "Why did you marry me if you didn¡¯t want me to get pregnant? This child might even be the only child I can ever have in this life¡­" With her current predicament, she didn¡¯t even have the mental capacity to ask Weston why he had involved her in a lovers¡¯ spat between him and another woman. Now that they had reconciled, he wanted her to leave the picture quietly without even telling her the reason and consequence. "Did you get my agreement when you used me as a tool to irritate Guinevere? You¡¯d never even exined things to me¡­" She shouldn¡¯t have brought this up, because now that she had, she found it incredibly amusing and aggrieving. "You don¡¯t have to assume that I must have this child so I can ckmail you.Don¡¯t worry.Once I get the divorce certification, I¡¯ll stay far away from you and never appear in front of you ever again.I won¡¯t bother you and Guinevere either." Had she known from the start that Weston was only marrying her for this reason, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to it. Nor would she have fallen for him because of his careless tenderness and care for her during their daily interactions¡­ Weston looked at her face and gave no response. After a while, he said enigmatically, "Are you crying?" He stared at Ste¡¯s face. What used to be an expressionless face that had been trying hard to contain all emotions after he brought up divorce was finally starting to show something different.She was crying in front of him again, and both her eyes and nose were red. Weston rarely saw Ste cry, aside from certain times, of course.Her crying face was actually quite alluring. Ste sniffled, refusing to meet the man¡¯s eyes. When the nails digging into her palms were threatening to draw blood, the man suddenly stood up and went over to her.He lifted a hand to caress her head. "You¡¯re quite clever, aren¡¯t you?" His low voice sounded from above her. Ste didn¡¯t understand what he meant, so she looked up at him. Tears were sparkling in her reddened eyes, and she looked so stubborn and weak. Weston suddenly leaned down and lifted her chin. His voice deepened as he looked at the tears in the corners of her eyes. "Did you think that your tactic of crying so pitifully will work on me?" Ste kept quiet and stared at him nervously Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 After a while, Ste heard him chuckle. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. A strong scent of cedar wafted over and she heard him say, "It is a little effective." Ste didn¡¯t think he would react this way.She stared up at him dazedly, unable to regain her senses. The tip of her nose was still red and her eyes were bloodshot.Her delicate and fair skin seemed so translucent in contrast. If it had been a few days earlier, Weston would have held her chin and kissed her. He never held back whenever he needed physical relief with Ste, but now, he was no longer in that position to do that. Weston leaned in closer and his dark gaze stared at the tear that was threatening to roll down. "I¡¯ll go soft on you this time.Don¡¯t give me any trouble, okay?" Ste nodded and answered hoarsely, "Okay." Weston¡¯s lips curled up but his smile had no warmth.He straightened up. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone and his suit jacket was casually draped on his arm.He saidzily, "This method does work, but I prefer your obedient side." "So, be good." *** Ste was discharged. There was nothing wrong with her health but because she had donated blood to Guinevere in the early stage of her pregnancy, she was weakened as a result.She had recovered considerably by now. Zeta met her at Roger¡¯s ward when she was patrolling the rooms and greeted her. "You look great.I presume you¡¯ve decided to keep the baby?" Roger had been lying on the bed obediently. But when he heard this, he abruptly turned to Ste and asked, "What baby?" Ste¡¯s lips were pursed tight and she didn¡¯t answer.The atmosphere became tense for a moment there. Zeta nced at Roger, then at Ste, before scratching her nose awkwardly. "His condition is stable, so I¡¯ll be going now." Then, she quickly left the ward. Before she closed the door, she looked at the siblings who seemed ready to jump at each other¡¯s throats and realized that she had said something wrong. She pped her mouth and mumbled to herself, "Why do I keep running my mouth¡­" Inside the ward, perhaps because the consecutive setbacks had helped Roger learn to stay calm, he solemnly asked Ste about it instead of flying into a rage. "A baby? Don¡¯t tell me it belongs to Weston." His hands had balled into fists under the nket, making the veins on his arms visible.He was originally skinny but further lost weight when he was ill, so even the shape of his bones was showing. Ste sat down beside his bed and looked at him calmly. "It¡¯s my child alone." "How can you have a baby on your own? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?!" Roger couldn¡¯t resist bellowing, "What does Weston mean by this? He doesn¡¯t want you and isn¡¯t willing to take responsibility, and now he wants you to bear his child?" Ste abruptly raised her voice and interrupted him, "I wanted to keep the child! He didn¡¯t want it, but I begged him to let me keep it¡­" "Why¡­?" Roger didn¡¯t understand. Ste looked at her stomach and said faintly, "I have a unique constitution.This might be the only child I can ever have." Roger felt the energy drain from his body.His eyes became bloodshot and he hammered a fist onto the bed in resignation. Ste also felt upset after seeing his reaction. Her nose tingled as her calm facade began to crack. "Roger, you can¡¯t tell anyone about this.You must keep it to yourself.This is my child alone, do you understand?" Roger took a deep breath and kept quiet as he shook badly. After a long while, he finally contained his hostility and said, "I understand¡­" *** After calming Roger¡¯s emotions, Ste nned to return to the mansion to pack up. She didn¡¯t know when Weston would send someone to pick her up to collect their divorce certification, so she must secure amodation before he kicked her out. As she passed by the hospital¡¯s rear garden, she saw a man in a wheelchair.He was rolling his wheelchair on the cobblestone path slowly. Ste subconsciously slowed down as memories surfaced in her mind. This seemed to be the man shest saw before fainting a few days ago.She felt a sense of familiarity just by looking at his back. When he heard footsteps behind him, the man in the wheelchair stopped. He turned around and his gaze met Ste¡¯s. Unlike the time she saw him before she fainted, Ste could now see the man¡¯s face clearly. Back then when she had only caught a quick nce, she remembered that he was good-looking, gentle, and had a warm smile. Now that she got to see him properly, he did indeed have outstanding features. It was easy to tell that he had a tall stature even if he was sitting in a wheelchair. However, he seemed rather thin and exuded an ethereal aura.He gave Ste a small smile. "It¡¯s you." With this, Ste was sure that he was the same man she had met that day.She took a step forward. "Hello.I haven¡¯t apologized for bumping into you that day, I¡¯m sorry." The man rolled his wheelchair toward her. "You already apologized when you bumped into me." His action of studying Ste was actually considered quite forward, but his ethereal aura helped to cover up the elements of disrespect.He didn¡¯t make her feel ufortable or oppressed at all. "But it was quite frightening indeed when you suddenly fainted in front of me." Ste was even more embarrassed upon hearing this. "I¡¯m sorry.I hadn¡¯t expected myself to faint either." She looked at him warily. "I didn¡¯t crush you, did you?" "I may be sitting in a wheelchair, but I won¡¯t be crushed by such a small frame like yours." By now, he was right in front of Ste. After observing her tone and demeanor as she spoke to him, he suddenly asked, "Don¡¯t you know me?" Ste was stunned.She searched her memory for information on this person but to no avail. "I¡¯m sorry, have we met somewhere before?" The man cradled his chin and said, "My name is Henry Moore." Henry Moore¡­ Ste was about to say she didn¡¯t recall hearing his name before when the man suddenly added, "Didn¡¯t Weston ever mention me to you?" Ste immediately clenched her fists.She willed herself to stay calm after the initial shock to say, "So you¡¯re his friend." Henry found the drastic change in her expression amusing. "He happened to see me when I was carrying you to the doctor.He looked very angry back then as if he didn¡¯t like me carrying you." "What? He didn¡¯t tell you about me after you woke up?" Ste frowned before answering faintly, "No." Henry chuckled. "Now that¡¯s interesting." "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving then.Thank you for that day." The man probably wasn¡¯t lying when he said he had carried her to the doctor. And since he didn¡¯t leave her be, Ste¡¯s tone mellowed down when she talked to him.However, he was still Weston¡¯s friend, so she didn¡¯t really want to say much to him.As she was leaving so suddenly, Henry grabbed her wrist out of reflex. "Are you in a rush?" Right after he said that, a deep and detached voice spoke up from behind them. "Don¡¯t tease her.She¡¯s not your type." Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The familiar voice pinned Ste to the spot.She looked to the source of the voice and found him standing near a flowerbed. There was a lush camphor tree beside him, and the sunlight that shone through the gaps between the emerald leaves leftyers of shadows on Weston¡¯s face. The weather in summer was balmy, but the atmosphere was always dark wherever this man was. It was as if uneasiness didn¡¯t exist in him. As Weston slowly made his way over, Ste had to admit that he had exceptional looks that would put anyone in a daze. Even the lines on his shoulders were perfect. His aura easily overwhelmed even if he would say nothing. After he came over, his gaze fell onto Henry¡¯s hand that was grabbing Ste¡¯s wrist, and his eyes darkened. "Have you gotten desperate after being in a wheelchair for so long and never met any womentely?" His faint voice resonated in the air.Ste could hear the mockery in his words and she abruptly flung away Henry¡¯s hand. "Weston!" She had tried to hold herself back but she couldn¡¯t conceal the rage in her voice.However, as if he couldn¡¯t sense her anger, Weston nced at her passively. "Hm?" Ste suddenly calmed down after seeing his nonchnt expression.She looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Looks like Mr.Ford understands his friend well." Her tone was light, neither humble nor arrogant, but it pricked. "Since Mr.Ford understands him well enough to know that he¡¯s not desperate enough to pick someone like me, this makes me curious.You¡¯re both friends, so why are Mr.Ford¡¯s standards so much lower than Mr.Moore¡¯s? Or has Mr.Ford always been this desperate?" Her tone was faint and didn¡¯t sound aggressive, but the sarcasm in her words was obvious.Henry was only staying next to her and Weston called him desperate. Then what about him prior to this? What he had done to Ste¡­ was far worsepared to this! Weston raised an eyebrow. "You seem to haveints about me." During their marriage, he had gotten used to Ste¡¯s meek personality and had rarely heard her speak with such sarcasm. Ste¡¯s gaze darkened and her lips curled up. "I wouldn¡¯t dare.Mr.Ford has provided me amodation and paid for Roger¡¯s medical bills.I¡¯m very grateful to him." Having said that, she took a step back. "I have something to attend to so I won¡¯t disturb you two.Goodbye." Weston was indifferent the entire time as if he didn¡¯t mind her leaving. Henry pushed his wheelchair around as he watched Ste leave.His lips curled up into a faint smile. "Looks like she¡¯s really just a toy to pass time.It¡¯s no wonder I¡¯ve never heard you mention her or take her out to meet us even after so long.And she¡¯s so easy to dismiss." "Gwen didn¡¯t disappoint me after all.She¡¯s really quick in defending her territory." Weston snorted. He was about to light a cigarette when he remembered that this was a hospital.So he gave up on the notion. "How long do you n to stay in this wheelchair?" "What¡¯s the hurry?" Henry looked rxed. "It¡¯s only for a few years.I¡¯ve gotten used to life in a wheelchair now." "Don¡¯t tell me that you n to stay crippled if she doesn¡¯te back." Weston¡¯s cold voice contained undisguised mockery. Henry¡¯s face immediately fell. The leisured look on his face was gone and a hint of hostility shed in his eyes. This seemingly ethereal man in a wheelchair possessed methods and cruelty that struck fear in the entire city of Ahn. Only Weston could openly take a jab at him on where it hurts. Henry stopped and regained his usual indifference.He looked at Weston. "There¡¯s something I wanted to ask you." "Spill." "You spoil and pamper Gwen so much, so why did you suddenly go off and marry another woman?" He paused for a moment and suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re nning to use her to irritate Gwen.Putting aside the fact that you¡¯re not the type of person to do something so childish, there are tons of other ways to irritate Gwen.Gwen is such a proud person so you can easily achieve the same effect by starting a scandal with some random celebrity.Why did you choose to marry this woman instead?" No response came for the longest time. When Henry thought Weston wouldn¡¯t answer him, Weston said, "The reason isn¡¯t important.It¡¯s all over now." *** The balmy weather easily put people on edge. As Ste walked, she felt a stinging pain in her chest when she recalled running into Weston at the hospital just now.She knew he didn¡¯t love her, and that he only cared for her when they were married because they were husband and wife. Now that he had decided on divorcing her, he obviously wouldn¡¯t be gentle toward her anymore. Especially not when he had someone else in his heart. Would she feel reluctant? Would she have agreed to marry him had she known that she was just a catalyst for his rtionship with Guinevere? If so, she might justpromise and marry him because of her financial problem, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t lose her heart in the process and fall for him. Because Weston had kept the truth from her, she came to assume that his care and tenderness toward her were real.She had ended up indulging in those fleeting affections. Now that she thought about it, it was all just a lie. It should¡¯ve been easy to hail a cab near the hospital around this time of the day, but perhaps Ste was having bad luck, she didn¡¯t manage to get one even after walking a long distance. She took a few more steps forward. A ck luxury car stopped beside her but she pretended not to see it and continued forward. The car followed beside her slowly, and then the window rolled down, revealing the side profile of the man¡¯s handsome and exquisite face. Weston looked at her impassively.His tone was as indifferent as usual. "Get in." Ste frowned. She rejected him, saying, "No need.I can get a cab myself." "Get in.Don¡¯t make me repeat myself." The man looked at her with no warmth in his gaze. His tone was cold but allowed no room for discussion.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Ste nced at him upon hearing this, ignoring the warning in his eyes.She pursed her lips, said nothing, and continued forward. Weston had one hand on the steering wheel while the other hand unbuttoned the cuff on his wrist out of annoyance. "There¡¯s arge-scale examination today, so all the cabs have gone to the west district.You won¡¯t be able to get a cab near here." Ste was baffled that he would actually exin to her. She paused and said, "It¡¯s alright, I can take the bus." Weston had run out of patience.He tapped his finger on the steering wheel before opening the door and getting out of the car.Then, he strode over to Ste and carried her up in a bridal style. Startled, Ste reflexively hugged his neck. After meeting the man¡¯s meaningful gaze, she regained her senses and pushed his shoulders out of irritation. "Put me down!" Weston ignored her protest.He simply tossed her into the passenger seat and leaned down to fasten her seat belt. There was only limited space in the car and their silhouettes were practically ovepping. Even their breaths were mingled. Ste stared at the handsome face that was only inches away and clenched her fists. "What are you doing?" "Like I said, don¡¯t make me repeat myself." The man supported himself by propping an arm on the back of her seat and looked down at her. "And like I said, I don¡¯t want to get into your car.I can walk on my own!" "You don¡¯t want to get into my car?" Weston suddenly gripped her face.His dark eyes scanned her expression before he snorted augh. "You¡¯ve even gotten into my bed before, so why are you afraid of getting into my car?" Ste¡¯s fist tightened as she felt the urge to raise her hand and p him. However, she remembered her predicament, so she merely clenched her fist tight and then let it slump to her side. "We¡¯ll be strangers after our divorce, so I don¡¯t want to have any excessive interaction with you." The man¡¯s eyes darkened and he suddenly tightened his grip. "If you didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me, why did you beg me with tears in your eyes to let you keep the baby?" Then, he looked down at Ste¡¯s stomach as his lips curled into a grin. There was no joy in his eyes, only ridicule. Ste¡¯s expression immediately fell.She bit her lip and endured. "Like I said¡­ This child belongs to me alone.It has nothing to do with you." Weston¡¯s slightly calloused fingertip caressed her lips.His eyes darkened after seeing the rows of red. "Tell me, how do you have a child alone, hm?" Ste red at him angrily. "You clearly know what I mean.I want to keep the child not because it has anything to do with you, but because it might be the only child I can ever have.I would¡¯ve kept it no matter who the father is¡­ Ouch!" She felt the force gripping her increase before she could finish her sentence. Ste noticed the raging hostility in Weston¡¯s eyes, threatening to drown her. But after a moment, they quickly stilled and showed no turbulence.She thought she was mistaken. Weston¡¯s thumb pressed down on her bottom lip, forcing her mouth to open slightly. "You look better when you¡¯re crying." Ste stared straight at him. They were too close together that his breaths reminded her of their intimate nights together. She didn¡¯t understand how someone who had ruthlessly used and abandoned her could nonchntly say this to her now? Ste¡¯s gaze gradually darkened and she turned her head away. "You¡¯ll be marrying Guinevere soon.Aren¡¯t you afraid that she might get upset that you¡¯ve carried your ex-wife into your car out here in public?" Right after she said that, she heard the manugh. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. "Not bad.You¡¯re even bringing Gwen into this." Weston studied her clear eyes. "What else do you have? Try me." Ste scoffed,ughing at herself in the process. "Don¡¯t you love it when women cry, Mr.Ford? Can¡¯t Ms.Cohenpare to my tears?" Weston¡¯s eyes on her gradually darkened.He released her with gging interest. "Don¡¯tpare yourself to her." Ste looked down. "Ms.Cohen is a great celebrity loved by all, so of course I can¡¯tpare to her.But since you love her so much, Mr.Ford, you shouldn¡¯t let an insignificant ex-wife like me be a thorn in her heart." Weston kept quiet.He didn¡¯t seem forced when he looked at her, and his eyes were calm as if he agreed with her. After a moment, he chuckled for some reason. When he finally backed away and went around the car to get in, Ste slowly turned her head back, breathing a sigh of relief. The car moved away. Ste frowned. "Where are you going?" Weston didn¡¯t answer.He stared at the road ahead and casually propped his hand on the steering wheel, revealing a metal watch on his wrist. "Stardust Mansion." Stardust Mansion was their marriage home.Their marriage was sudden and they didn¡¯t host a ceremony. Ste only had Roger as her rtive, so after they got their marriage certificate and had dinner with Roger, she officially became Mrs.Ford. The ce she used to call home was now just a name. Ste retracted her gaze. "Great.I just happened to need to head there to collect my luggage." Then, she would collect their divorce certificate with him, and this man shall disappear from her life. *** The mansion¡¯s district was quite far away from the city center. Stardust Mansion wasn¡¯t exactly huge, but it was well-positioned. The scenery and environment around it were top-notch, and it was a suitable residential location for newlyweds. A ck luxury car drove into the yard and stopped at the parking lot. The two entered the elevator. After opening the door, Ste subconsciously studied the decor of the house with mixed feelings. Weston didn¡¯t like having strangers at home. He was a detached and aloof man who preferred being meticulous at work, but alone in private. Although the mansion wasn¡¯t big, it had all the necessary facilities. It even had a garden and swimming pool, so keeping the house in order required a lot of work. Weston had arranged for a few housekeepers to be in charge of cleaning and cooking. However, Ste liked the feeling of being able to manage her house herself, so she frequently took charge instead. As a result, they didn¡¯t let the housekeepers live with them but only had theme over once in a while. For Weston, this was only a house, but for Ste, this was her home. There were traces of her in each corner of the house. Hanging on the porch was the seashell bell chime she made, and there were also plush couple indoor slippers that she had specifically picked out for them. Weston used to call them childish and refused to wear them, but after Ste begged him a few times, he stopped objecting. "Weston¡­" Ste stared at their shadows on the floor as she changed into her slippers. The man was standing behind her.He rarely came home after their marriage, but he had gotten used to this ce after living here with her for a while. Perhaps recalling how obedient and agreeable Ste was when they were together, Weston¡¯s gaze softened. There was even a hint of warmth. "Hm?" Then, he heard Ste ask, "When are we collecting our divorce certificate?" Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 They had only stayed at Stardust Mansion for about six months. But Ste had a feeling that she was all too familiar with each corner of the house.She even remembered whichyer of the wardrobe Weston¡¯s frequently used shirt was kept at, and which tie he liked to match it with. Habit was a scary thing. Ste had previously packed up her luggage, so it only took her less than ten minutes to leave the master bedroom with her luggage bag in tow. The man was seated casually on the living room sofa with an arm propped on the armrest.His ck shirt further darkened his expression. Weston had a freshly lit cigarette sandwiched between his fingers. The smoke in the air had yet to dissipate.He narrowed his eyes at Ste, then looked at her luggage bag. "You don¡¯t have to move out.I can give you this mansion." He recalled how he had pitied her for some reason just now. When Ste was changing into her slippers with her back facing him, he saw how skinny she was from the lines on her body.He only had one thought. ¡®This woman is too thin" He didn¡¯t remember how bony she felt when hest hugged her. Perhaps that atmosphere had deluded him into thinking she was still his meek wife who only had eyes for him, Weston subconsciously assumed Ste would say something intimate to him when she called his name. s, she merely asked, "When are we collecting our divorce certificate?" The cigarette suddenly burned Weston¡¯s finger, scalding him.He flicked the ashes away and shifted into another position, crossing his legs.His leisurely and proud appearance made him seem like a natural- born noble. "After all, we were once married." Ste shook her head and dragged her luggage bag over. "I have no use for this mansion.There¡¯s no need for me to stay in such a big ce by myself.If you¡¯re okay with it, Mr.Ford, can you give me the equivalent value in cash instead?" Weston¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing this.He looked at her. "You only want money?" Ste nodded. "I only need money right now.If you insist on giving me this mansion, I won¡¯t refuse, but I¡¯ll sell it instead." Then, she frowned. "But I don¡¯t have the contacts for such dealings, so I¡¯m afraid that I might get cheated when I sell the house.If you¡¯re willing to help me out on this, I¡¯d be less troubled." All expression was gone from his face. He finished his cigarette before saying, "I¡¯ll get my assistant to transfer the money into your ount in one transaction." Ste¡¯s gaze faltered slightly but she nodded. "Thank you, Mr.Ford." Weston stood up and went over to her.She wasn¡¯t exactly short, but she looked rather tiny in his presence. Ste usually dressed inly and rarely put on makeup.She only puts on light makeup sometimes for the sake of improving herplexion.But she had luscious ck hair that entuated how wless her fair skin was. Like warm jade, her skin was delicate, translucent, and delightful to the touch. Weston suddenly wanted to touch her face.But he didn¡¯t do anything.He just put out his cigarette and then reached for her luggage. Ste blocked his hand reflexively. "It¡¯s alright.I can manage." Weston retracted his hand. Without any emotion in his dark eyes, he looked at her. "Where are you staying now? I¡¯ll give you a ride." Ste¡¯s expression tensed up and she forced out a smile. "That¡¯s alright.I¡¯ll just take a cab." Seeing Weston stay quiet, out of fear that he might insist on sending her, Ste added, "Mr.Ford, it¡¯s best that we don¡¯t get involved with each other anymore unless necessary, especially for matters like giving me a ride.It may be a minor thing, but women care.Aren¡¯t you afraid that Ms.Cohen might be upset if she learns about this?" Since he was only using her as a tool to incite Guinevere, this marriage was just a lie.Or, she could call it a deal. After all, Weston had given her a huge sum of money when she needed it. Now that she had taken the money and tasted his body, she would bury her feelings within her so no one would find out. The best ending they could have was to be strangers again. He would eventually marry Guinevere, and for now, Ste still couldn¡¯t forget himpletely, so meeting him would only cause her grief. So, she would rather have nothing to do with this man anymore. Sure enough, she only had to mention Guinevere and Weston would keep quiet. Ste got into a cab and gave the driver a random location. After the car drove away, she looked at Stardust Mansion through the rearview mirror and her eyes finally turned red. That was the ce she used to call home. Her chest still hurt.It was especially whenever she saw Weston, for she would recall the fact that he had tricked her and then abandoned her. Ste ced her hand on her t stomach and closed her eyes. At least she had another family member now. *** Ste hadn¡¯t found a ce to stay yet, so she could only put her luggage at her workce at an office building for now.She had learned to y musical instruments and dance as a child, even winning many awards before.She could have gotten into a famous art school with her artistic skills, but her literature scores were just as impressive, so she had ended up attending another school instead. If her parents hadn¡¯t gotten into an ident, she might have still been the old happy Ste. For the sake of paying for Roger¡¯s medical bills, she started working in a piano shop as a piano teacher after she graduated. Ste was only a piano teacher at a piano shop at first. But then a colleague who nned to start her own business found out that Ste knew many instruments, and even knew how to dance, so she scouted Ste over. Yvonne Quirk had just finished teaching a ss when she saw Steing in with a luggage bag. "You¡¯re early today.Isn¡¯t your ss in the afternoon?" Yvonne went to the water dispenser to get some water, and the children around greeted her. Ste avoided them and ced her luggage bag at her workstation.She then came over with her insted mug. "I have no ce to put my stuff, so I¡¯m leaving it here for now.I¡¯ll take it away at night."Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne studied her upon hearing this. "Did something happen¡­?" Although they were only colleagues, they had a good rtionship. Perhaps due to the fact that Ste hadn¡¯t had a friend in a while, she would always tell Yvonne her troubles. Yvonne was a rich wife and her husband was a capable man. The woman was young and beautiful too, but she didn¡¯t like staying at home without doing anything. And so, she started teaching young children and eventually founded her own art school here in this office building, and got a few ssrooms to teach music and dance. Ste looked down and watched the hot water flow out. "I got a divorce." Yvonne choked on her water, and began to cough and splutter. She stared at Ste in shock. "Didn¡¯t you love your husband a lot? Why did you suddenly get a divorce¡­?" Ste smiled without saying anything. Yvonne understood at once. "He has someone else¡­?" Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 It wasn¡¯t until the hot water sttered onto her that Ste snapped back to her senses. After seeing the dispirited look on Ste¡¯s face, Yvonne understood it all.She didn¡¯t continue the subject but asked, "By the looks of it, you haven¡¯t found a ce to stay, have you?" Ste grunted a reply. "I¡¯ll stay at a nearby hotel for now and slowly search for a ce." Her sry as a trainer here was actually quite lucrative. Besides, Yvonne was also a generous person and offered Stemissions, so Ste had some savings. Yvonne knew many rich wives, and their children had wealthy family backgrounds. So the families who sent their children here to learn extra skills could obviously afford to spend. As a result, Ste had earned quite a bit in the past year. However, Roger¡¯s medical bills were a bottomless pit, so Ste had to live frugally. Although Weston had promised to bear Roger¡¯s medical bills, Ste was now with child.She had to work hard for their sake. Yvonne sighed and leaned against the water dispenser. "Just tell me if you have any troubles.I like you as a person, and we¡¯re also working together, so you don¡¯t have to hold back." Ste wiped the water spill on the table with a tissue and smiled. "I got it." Yvonne had a straightforward personality and gorgeous looks. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Though she might not seem friendly, she was a very loyal person. For this exact reason, Ste refused to give her trouble. Seeing as to how Ste refused to say more, Yvonne didn¡¯t force her.She then patted Ste¡¯s shoulder and left without saying anything. Then, Ste turned to the reddened patch on the back of her hand that was scalded by the hot water, and went into a daze. It felt like the pain was slowly coursing through her veins through her skin, and then spreading further into her bones.She sighed as her eyes turned bloodshot. As if there was a thorn stuck in her heart, the pain was excruciating whenever she thought about it. But she didn¡¯t have time to be upset.She even had to wait until work hours were over before she could have a good cry. *** At the Cohen family mansion, the two families were now closer than ever as a marriage was soon to happen. Weston¡¯s parents had yet to return from abroad. Since the Cohen family was very concerned about their marriage, Weston was mostly at the Cohen family mansion aside from his office.He stood on the balcony and rubbed the point between his eyebrows, feeling tired. The door to his room was pushed open. Assuming it was a servant, he asked, "What is it?" Guinevere¡¯s hand on the door frame tightened before she put on a smile. "Can¡¯t I see you without a reason?" They would be married soon and her stomach was getting bigger, but it was amusing that they were still sleeping in separate rooms. The Cohen family had been busy nning their marriage. Guinevere¡¯s mother assumed that they would be sleeping together, so when Weston mentioned wanting to sleep in the guest room instead, the expressions on Guinevere¡¯s parents¡¯ faces immediately faltered. Guinevere got annoyed by this and was peeved at Weston for a few days. s, it was Grandma Cohen who reasoned with Guinevere. "We have many people at home, and your aunts and uncles are watching.Since both of you aren¡¯t married yet, it makes sense to sleep in separate rooms.Moreover, Weston is still young and vigorous, but you¡¯re pregnant¡­" Then, she revealed a knowing smile and patted the back of Guinevere¡¯s hand. "What if you identally go overboard, and end up hurting the baby?" Guinevere blushed and lowered her head, but her mouth felt bitter. Grandma Cohen was only trying tofort her in the first half of her talk. They already had a child together before marriage, so it seemed amusing for them to be concerned about sharing a room before marriage. As for the second half of Grandma Cohen¡¯s talk¡­ Guinevere heaved a sigh. Looking at the strikingly tall figure standing on the balcony, the man could look proud and dignified even in a simple white shirt. With a face that was much more exquisite than popr male celebrities and such wless features, this man could easily draw everyone¡¯s attention even without his family background, wealth, skills, and capabilities. Guinevere took a deep breath as a sense of fear and impulse suddenly welled up in her heart. A momentter, she strode over and hugged his waist. "Weston¡­ We haven¡¯t done it since that night.I had too much to drink back then, so I don¡¯t remember what had happened.If it wasn¡¯t because I got pregnant, I would¡¯ve assumed it was just a dream¡­" Right after she said that, she felt the man stiffen as if he was repulsed by her contact.Her heart sank.She closed her eyes and tossed aside her dignity to mumble, "Weston, I¡¯m now six months in.The doctor says we can if we do it gently.I want¡­" "This isn¡¯t important," Weston interrupted her gently. He sounded kind and patient, but there was a hint of detachment in his tone. "Gwen, there¡¯s no need for you to bear excessive risk." His words sounded considerate, but they turned Guinevere¡¯s heart cold.She retracted her hands as sensibility returned to her. Then, she smiled at him. "You¡¯re right.We have a whole life ahead of us, so there¡¯s no need to rush." Despite saying that, her eyes were filled with a sense of reluctance. She had wanted to ask him if he was just as abstinent when he was with Ste. Had they¡­ done it during the time they were married? They must have¡­ Since he could do it with Ste, why couldn¡¯t he do it with her? *** After moving out of Stardust Mansion, Ste rented a two-room apartment near the art school. The ce wasn¡¯t big, and despite calling it a two-room apartment, it was really just a one-room apartment separated by a partition. The rent was cheap too. Although it was rather simple, at least she had a ce to stay now.She would rent a two-bedroom apartment after Roger gets discharged, but for now, she didn¡¯t need to livevishly.Her life had settled down, and Weston finally contacted her to officialize their divorce. At the Civil Affairs Bureau, Weston had yet to be there by the time Ste arrived. Their agreed time was 2 p.m.sharp, but Weston¡¯s ck Maybach only appeared at 2.15 p.m.It wasn¡¯t only Weston who got out of the car. There was also Guinevere who looked as stunning as always. Her stomach was much more obvious now, and she even staggered as she got out of the car. Weston carefully supported her. His actions proved just how protective he was of her, and the patient expression on his face was something Ste had never seen before. "Sorry, did you wait long?" Guinevere slowly walked over to her and smiled. "We could have been on time, but we were dyed slightly because of me¡­" Ste nced at them indifferently and nodded. "Let¡¯s get to business." Weston¡¯s gaze fell on her face. When he didn¡¯t see any expression, he averted his gaze and followed her into the Civil Affairs Bureau without saying anything. They only got a marriage certificate when they got married. Now that they were getting a divorce, the procedure was just as simple. There wasn¡¯t even any excessive interaction between them. Ste then realized that the original divorce certificate was now red in color. However, green seemed to be a better fit for what she was feeling right now. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Ste said nothing to Weston at all during the whole process of obtaining their divorce certificate. Guinevere was waiting outside. When she saw Westone out, she immediately went over andtched onto his arm. "Did everything go smoothly?" Being a man of few words, Weston only grunted a reply, but it was obvious that he had a lot of patience to offer Guinevere. After walking a few steps, Guinevere abruptly stopped and looked back at Ste. "You came here by cab, didn¡¯t you, Ms.Sealey? If you don¡¯t mind, Weston and I can give you a ride." Ste rejected her without hesitation. "That¡¯s alright.It¡¯s easy to get a cab here." Then, she walked past them to leave. Guinevere raised her eyebrows slightly as she watched Ste leave, seemingly wanting to say more. Weston retracted his gaze and said, "Gwen, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary." His voice was low as a whisper and there was a look of warning in his eyes. Guinevere¡¯s smile disappeared. "Are you pitying her?" Having said that, she felt the man¡¯s aura abruptly darken.She turned and met Weston¡¯s dark, cold eyes. Guinevere internally shuddered. She forced herself to smile and said, "I was just joking.You¡¯re not going to argue with me over something so small, are you?" Weston kept quiet and tugged at his shirt cor. Guinevere wasn¡¯t sure if he was being his usual quiet self, or if he was angry about what had happened earlier. At the bottom of the stairs, Ste went over to the sidewalk, holding her phone as she waited for her order to be epted.She only wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible. The two people¡¯s gazes felt like daggers on her back, even though they probably weren¡¯t looking at her. A cab drove over but it didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it sped past and swept up a wave of dust. Ste covered her mouth and coughed, trying to fan it away with her hand. A sudden wave of disgust rushed up to her throat. Her expression faltered and she rushed over to a nearby trash can to gag. Guinevere was about to get into the car when she heard this.She abruptly looked over. "What happened to her¡­?" Weston went on to open the car door as if he didn¡¯t hear anything. "Get in." But Guinevere retracted her hand and stared straight at him. "You¡¯re really not concerned about her at all?" The man frowned as he looked at Guinevere. "Gwen, there¡¯s a limit to how emotional you can get." Guinevere held back and smiled sarcastically. "Don¡¯t I have the right to be capricious when I¡¯m pregnant with your child?" Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Weston let go and hid his annoyance as he answered, "You do." He looked straight at her. "How do you n to be capricious?" Guinevere suddenly lost interest. She cast Ste a nce before saying, "Let¡¯s get in." She sat inside, and Weston shielded her head out of habit as she got in. Then, he sat beside her. After he closed the door, Guinevere stared at his side profile. When she saw how he showed no interest in Ste¡¯s well-being at all, she leaned against his shoulder, feeling satisfied. "Weston, I¡¯m not that childish little girl from before anymore.I know that a rtionship must be maintained by two people, so I¡¯ll try my best to control my emotions from now on." Weston massaged the point between his eyebrows and grunted faintly in response. Guinevere was looking up.She had wanted to kiss him, but she was secretly annoyed after seeing how indifferent he looked. s, she said nothing and swallowed her anger. *** They were officially divorced. Ste gently breathed out a sigh of relief when she arrived at the hospital. Despite feeling forlorn, she also felt relieved for some reason.She went straight to Roger¡¯s ward, and this time, she didn¡¯t run into Henry.She didn¡¯t want to meet anyone who was anyhow rted to Weston at all. Roger¡¯splexion had improved significantly, and he immediately lit up upon seeing her. "Sis, you¡¯re here!" Ste suddenly felt much better.She sat down beside his bed and patted the back of his hand. "Are you feeling better?" "Yeah.Don¡¯t worry, sis.I¡¯ll cooperate in the treatments." He knew how much Ste had done for him, so right now, he should focus on recovery so as to not disappoint her.His gaze wavered and he seemed like he had something to say. Ste could tell what he was thinking, so she smiled. "I¡¯m already divorced.I don¡¯t have anything to do with Weston anymore, so just take it as you¡¯ve never met this man before." Roger swallowed, holding himself back. Finally, he hung his head and replied, "I got it¡­" Then, he stared at Ste¡¯s stomach absentmindedly. "Sis, once I¡¯m discharged, I¡¯ll work hard to earn money and take care of you and the nephew in your tummy!" Ste ruffled his hair and smiled gently. "Then you¡¯ll have to work hard to get better first." After a pause, she added, "You don¡¯t have to worry about money.Weston has lots of it and he didn¡¯t mistreat me, so just focus on recovering." Roger¡¯s jaw tensed up, looking dark. After a moment, he hugged Ste. "Sis, I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ve had to suffer." Ste smiled. "What are you saying? He gave me such a huge sum of money, and I got both his cash and body.I don¡¯t consider it suffering."Roger said nothing.He merely sighed in response. *** At Random Art Training Center¡­ Yvonne hade up with quite a few names when she first founded this training center, but she finally settled on the name ¡®Random¡¯ instead. The name suited her personality too. Perhaps Yvonne felt sympathy for Ste because thetter¡¯s husband had cheated, she was much closer to Ste now and treated Ste like a real friend. Ste¡¯s life was peaceful after that. Her chest would still ache slightly when she remembered Weston sometimes, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore once things got busy. This child was a secret between Weston and herself, so she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. However, the baby would keep growing, and there woulde a day when she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. By then, the first person to know would be Yvonne. Ste wondered if she should tell Yvonne the truth ore up with an excuse¡­ On this day, after Ste was done with her prenatal care checkup, she felt someone following her on the streets. She thought she was overthinking things. But after a few more steps, she heard the footsteps behind her get closer and heavier. Ste felt goosebumps and remembered the harrowing news she had heard before¡­ She suddenly picked up her pace. s, the person behind seemed to have noticed and came chasing after her. Ste broke into a run, but she only managed to run a few steps when someone abruptly pressed down on her shoulder. "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" The rough voice of a man sounded behind her ear, followed by his heated breaths. Ste screamed and turned around to look. But she was caught off guard, and a white cloth was stuffed into her mouth.She just had a nce at the man¡¯s appearance before she smelled a strange scent and fainted.She felt groggy. Ste tried to get up countless times, but her body felt heavy, and she couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. However, her hearing was slowly recovering.She couldn¡¯t move but could hear the noise around her. And because she couldn¡¯t see, her sense of hearing became much more sensitive. The sound of heavy footsteps got closer, and then she heard a rough male voice saying, "The drug is almost wearing off.Let¡¯s hurry!" Then, she felt a sudden chill! Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 She tried her best to open her eyes a little, hoping to see her surroundings. But then, she heard a very familiar voice. "You don¡¯t need me to teach you what to do after this, right?" "I understand! We¡¯ve already contacted Mr.Ford toe with the ransom money.Then, we¡¯ll have him choose between you two, and the remaining one will be taken away as our hostage!" Was that¡­ Guinevere¡¯s voice? Ste¡¯s body went cold.She thought she had heard wrong. "Mr.Ford will surely choose you.As for this woman¡­ We¡¯ll take her to a secluded ce as per our original agreement, and remove the child inside her¡­" Then, the man suddenly paused before asking carefully, "Ms.Cohen, what if Mr.Ford doesn¡¯t choose you¡­" "Do you think that¡¯s possible?" A chuckle interrupted the man, and Guinevere slowly made her way over. "I have at least that much confidence, but¡­ I changed my mind." She went over to Ste and looked at her unconscious face. Suddenly, she gripped Ste¡¯s chin with her sharp nails and said viciously, "I hadn¡¯t wanted to go to such extremes at first, but how dare she get pregnant with Weston¡¯s child?!" Jealousy appeared in Guinevere¡¯s eyes as her grip tightened. She had had enough of Weston¡¯s recent indifference toward her. Just the thought of Ste being married to Weston before made her want to shred this woman to bits! Even if she and Weston had already broken up at the time¡­ She had always assumed that Weston would try to get back with her! She hadn¡¯t expected him to suddenly marry a random woman. Guinevere hadn¡¯t nned to give Ste trouble. A woman like Ste didn¡¯t seem like a threat to her, but to think Ste was pregnant with Weston¡¯s child! If she hadn¡¯t been wary when she suddenly saw Ste gag that day, Ste might have actually deceived her! "Did you think you could regain your status by being pregnant with his child?" Ste¡¯s face turned pale and she willed herself not to tremble. She dug her nails deeply into her palms, so the excruciating pain would remind her not to let them discover that she was already awake. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Guinevere pushed Ste¡¯s face away with disgust. Then, she stood up and instructed the man and his goons, "Once this is over, you can do whatever you please with her.I don¡¯t want to see her in Ahn City ever again!" She had spoken with hostility, so it was obvious what she meant by that. The leader of the kidnappers sounded hesitant. "Do you mean to kill her, Ms.Cohen? That would be different from what we¡¯ve agreed.She¡¯s somehow rted to Mr.Ford, so what if Mr.Ford takes revenge on uster on¡­" Guinevere looked up at them. "What are you scared of when you have me around? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep Weston in check.You just have to clean up your tracks and don¡¯t leave any evidence!" "Alright, understood." No one said anything else. Ste felt chills down her spine.She was breaking out in a cold sweat, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound.She could only hold her breath and try to listen to what was happening outside.Her surroundings became silent as if she was the only person left. Without knowing how much time had passed, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps. Ste had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, she was abruptly picked up from the floor and dragged outside in a rough manner.She opened her eyes out of reflex and grunted, holding back the tears that had welled up in her eyes. The man spat when he realized she was already awake.He said impatiently, "Walk on your own if you¡¯re already awake!" Ste took a deep breath. She kept quiet and nodded shakily.She had to stay calm.She must survive.She just had to tell Weston when hees overter that this was all Guinevere¡¯s n, then she could be saved.She was being ushered out. Once they left the tiny house, Ste realized they were on top of arge building. The dazzling sun was so bright that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. The sudden roar of propellers from above rattled her eardrums painfully. A few helicopters were circling the building, and Weston was inside one of them.She had wanted to look up, but the burly man beside her gripped the back of her neck and barked, "Stay still!" Ste gritted her and lowered her head obediently.She must stay calm, she must stay calm¡­ She repeatedly chanted to herself on the inside that she must survive, she must survive¡­ The wind raged. She staggered forward, being dragged on by the kidnapper. The strong wind messed up her long hair, causing it to stick to her thin and pale face. The sounds of the propeller got closer and the strong wind made it hard for her to advance. Finally, it stopped. In the distance, she saw a helicopter hovering near the ground as a familiar silhouette appeared. Ste stared straight at that man. Even if she had already decided to cut this person out of her life, when her life was at stake, she would still feel fear and despair. Hence, she subconsciously believed in him.He must have rushed over from the office. He didn¡¯t look battered at all in his suit, and his innate noble aura never faltered even in the presence of these kidnappers. Instead, he looked increasingly imposing. "Mr.Ford, Ms.Cohen and Madam are over there.The culprit is a criminal gang, and some of them are still hiding around.What do we do now?" "Don¡¯t move recklessly.Ensure their safety at all costs." The man looked down at what was happening below. Holding onto a rope in one hand, his cold eyes scanned the people on the rooftop and his jaw tensed up.He loosened his shirt cor and then jumped down from the helicopter in one deft movement. The hems of his clothes lifted in the air as his figure made a streak in the void.Hended steadily, stirring up a cloud of dust around him which further entuated the height of his striking stature. With a frighteningly dark expression, he stared straight at the kidnapper.He casually tossed his suit jacket on the ground and loosened the cor of his white shirt as he strode over. The words he had forced out of his throat were thicklyced with murderous intent. "Let her go!" The kidnappers tensed up and they backed away nervously. "Don¡¯te any nearer! Both of your women will die if you do!" "Mr.Ford¡­" Ste was pulled back by the man beside her. She reflexively called out to Weston and looked up to meet his eyes. Weston paused and looked at Ste. He immediately noticed the scratches on her face, the bloody wounds all over her body, and her ghastly paleplexion¡­ The man¡¯s expression looked dangerous all of a sudden. A thickyer of ice had formed over his eyes as he seemed ready to kill. He had only ever seen Ste so weak and near to tears duringte nights. She preferred acting tough most of the time. Weston loved seeing her begging in tears, but now, this appearance only roused up uncontroble irritation and fury in him. His hands balled into fists, and one could almost hear the crackling of his knuckles. He was about to make his way to Ste when a weak cry for help sounded behind him. "Weston¡­" This cry made him pause. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 His body stiffened but he didn¡¯t turn around immediately. On the other side of the rooftop, Guinevere was being pressed against the railings by another kidnapper. Half of her body was over the roof. She looked at the man in the distance with reddened eyes. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± She was trembling and her hair disheveled. There was even a traumatized expression on her beautiful face. The usually proud celebrity was now hugging her stomach in fear, staring at her fiance with reddened eyes. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯te here. They¡¯ll hurt you!¡± Ste wasn¡¯t at all fazed by her wails, and in fact even marveled at her acting skills despite this situation. If she hadn¡¯t woken up and overheard Guinevere¡¯s conversation with the kidnappers, Ste might have actually been deceived by Guinevere¡¯s acting skills too. Ste didn¡¯t understand why. She had never actively provoked them before. It was Weston who asked for the marriage, ruthlessly brought up divorce, and then wanted her to abort the baby¡­ Yet, Guinevere wanted her life instead! Ste only wanted to keep the only child she could ever have. Why must Guinevere force her to die? Ste was never given a choice. She was just a sacrificial item in their game of love! She said nothing and stared straight at the man, watching him turn without hesitation to walk over to Guinevere. It was as if that momentary pause she saw earlier was just a misconception. Between her and Guinevere, Weston would always only choose Guinevere. What was she hoping for¡­? Ste dug her nails into her palm and the sharp pain jolted her mind awake. She closed her eyes and forced down that surging pain to cry out in a hoarse voice, ¡°Weston! She¡¯s lying to you. These kidnappers are her people¡­ Mmhm!¡± The man behind her covered her mouth firmly before she could finish. His expression looked anxious and twisted as he red at her. ¡°Shut up, b*tch!¡± Guinevere had never expected Ste to suddenly say that too, so her expression stiffened slightly. But when she saw darkness sh across Weston¡¯s eyes, she quickly regained her senses and put on a confused look, turning to Ste. ¡°What are you saying? I don¡¯t even know these people¡­¡± Before she could finish, as if to prove her ims, the man behind her suddenly grabbed her by her shirt cor and rammed her against the railings. The metal scratched her skin and a bloody wound appeared. ¡°Tss¡­¡± Guinevere couldn¡¯t resist hissing. She seemed to be in pain but refused to shout. She only gritted her teeth and stared at Weston with teary eyes, ¡°Weston¡­¡± The kidnapper suddenly took out a knife and held it at Guinevere¡¯s throat. ¡°Don¡¯te closer! Where is the stuff I asked for?!¡± With an icy glint in his eyes, Weston tossed the suitcase onto the floor, stepped on it, and kicked, sending the suitcase flying forward. After counting the amount, the kidnappers signaled to each other. Weston twisted his wrists in anger. ¡°Let them go. Then take the money and scram!¡± The kidnapper snorted augh. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re a smart man. You even brought so many people here with you. If I were to actually give you both of these women back, would my brothers and I be able to get out alive?¡± Having said that, his expression immediately turned savage. ¡°On ount that you¡¯ve delivered the money here on time, you can choose to take one of these women back with you. As for the remaining one¡­ We¡¯ll send her back to you once we¡¯re safe!¡± Ste¡¯s body stiffened and she abruptly shouted, ¡°Weston, don¡¯t believe them!¡± She struggled with all her might, yelling, ¡°Believe me just this once! They¡¯re really Guinevere¡¯s people. She won¡¯t let me return alive, trust me¡­¡± Her tears kept falling. Ste came to realize that no matter how tough she acted, she still felt incredibly scared. ¡®I¡¯m begging you¡­ Please don¡¯t push me toward death¡­¡¯ She sobbed. ¡°Trust me, Weston! I¡¯d never lie¡­ You know that¡­ I wouldn¡¯t joke about something as serious as this¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes were dark and ominous. His emotions were like crashing waves but he could only grit his teeth and endure. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left, Mr. Ford. Who will you choose between these two?¡± ¡°Three!¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Give me Gwen.¡± Weston¡¯s patience had reached a breaking point and he couldn¡¯t conceal the hostility on his face anymore. He clenched his fists tight and the veins on the back of his hand popped. Finally, he warned through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯d better return the other one unharmed¡­¡± Before he could finish, Ste screamed, ¡°They won¡¯t let mee back alive! Weston, believe me just this once. They¡¯re after my life¡­ and the child in my stomach¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine even if you choose to take me away, I swear! If you let them take me instead, I¡¯ll die, I¡¯ll really die¡­¡± Her words sessfully pinned Weston to the spot as a look of struggle shed across his eyes. Ste clenched her fists and stared right at him with her heart in her throat. Thump thump¡­ The blood in her body froze as she waited for his answer. A little further away, Guinevere wore an indescribable expression as she looked at the man with tears gleaming in her eyes. ¡°Weston, do you believe her?¡± She lowered her voice to a mumbler as if she was talking to herself, sounding exasperated, ¡° Do you believe that I would do something so absurd?¡± ¡°Guinevere, how long are you going to keep this act up?¡± Ste gritted her teeth and shouted angrily, interrupting her. ¡°Just for the sake of testing a man¡¯s sincerity, you¡¯re willing to harm two lives! Don¡¯t you fear retribution?¡± Her eyes were filled with fury and she began struggling violently. But the kidnapper tightened his grip and subdued her. He barked, ¡°Shut up! If you don¡¯t stay still, I¡¯ll push you down from here!¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, aren¡¯t you going to make a decision? Time waits for no man. You¡¯d better not be trying to buy time or they¡¯ll both die!¡± Having said that, two of the kidnappers pressed the two women against the railings at the same time in an act to throw them over, forcing Weston to make a decision. Ste didn¡¯t move. Even if the pain felt like her bones were being crushed, her gaze never shifted from the man. She stared at him with bloodshot eyes, waiting for his answer. But Weston wasn¡¯t looking at her. Shortly after, he slowly forced out the words, ¡°I choose Gwen.¡± Ste abruptly lifted her head, still staring at him. As if the atmosphere froze over, there was a dead silence thatsted a few seconds¡­ Then, she slowly closed her eyes. She had said all that she could, and no more words could change the results. Her heart went numb with pain and she couldn¡¯t even feel her blood flowing anymore. As if sharp ws had taken a swipe at her chest, leaving a huge bloodied hole, she felt cold and was in pain. Before she could recover from this excruciating pain, she heard Weston¡¯s low and bitter voice say, ¡°I choose Gwen¡­ She¡¯s afraid of heights.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 There was silence. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Then, Ste suddenlyughed. Sheughed maniacally but with tears in her bloodshot eyes. ¡°She¡¯s scared of heights, but I¡¯ll die¡­¡± Weston frowned and turned away without looking at her anymore. It felt as if a huge rock was weighing down on his chest. He had never felt such heavy emotions before. He said hoarsely, ¡°They just want money. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He was sure that he wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to her. ¡°What if their intention is to kill me?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were empty as she looked at him. ¡°Weston¡­ I¡¯m still pregnant. Do you know that the choice you¡¯re making is one that will kill me?¡± The man paused before gritting his teeth to say, ¡°No. I¡¯ll definitely save you, just not now.¡± Having said that, he repeated, ¡°Trust me, Ste. I won¡¯t let you die.¡± Ste said nothing. She didn¡¯t respond either. Her gaze gradually looked lifeless as sheughed dejectedly. At the edges of the roof, the kidnappers exchanged nces and nodded at each other. One of them pushed Guinevere forward. ¡°She¡¯s all yours!¡± Weston hurried forward to catch her, and Guinevere hugged him, burying her face in his chest. ¡°Weston¡­¡± Weston didn¡¯t check on her immediately but pushed her away instead, holding her by her shoulders so she could stand firm. He subconsciously turned to Ste, but the woman in his arms whimpered. ¡°Weston¡­ My stomach hurts¡­¡± His eyes darkened, but he stiffly lifted his hand to hug her back. There was a look of struggle in his eyes. Ste stared at his heartless back profile with a smile on her lips. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± she called out to him, her voice scattering in the wind. The wind on the rooftop was strong and the helicopter was making a lot of deafening noise. The couple was holding each other affectionately while Ste could only watch in despair. However, she was still smiling with tears streaming down her face, and she looked enticing that way. Ste had a pretty face, but she was used to doing without makeup and being in. Now that the corners of her eyes were reddish, she gave off the vibe of a shattering beauty. The kidnapper behind her couldn¡¯t resist swallowing hard when he saw this. He teased in a voice that only the both of them could hear, saying, ¡°Ms. Cohen said that we can do anything to you as long as you don¡¯te back alive¡­ If you serve us brothers wellter, we¡¯ll give you a quick end. How about it?¡±. Having said that, he thrust forward maliciously. ¡°We have tons of methods to make you want to beg for mercy¡­ Why don¡¯t you consider it?¡± Ste felt goosebumps and the urge to throw up from disgust. Her fists were tightly clenched and her chest heaved up and down violently, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak for a moment there as she felt dested. She knew what would happen to her if she fell into the hands of these people¡­She had never expected these criminals to have any conscience in them. As her body trembled, her gaze went from initial despair to a hint of savageness. Why¡­ Why must she let others kill her? Why was it that, even until the end, she had to struggle in the hands of others even in death? Why could these sinful people control her fate and do as they pleased with her¡­ Why? Ste took a deep breath before abruptly bursting out inughter. ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­¡± She raised her head to look up into the sky. Her eyes werepletely bloodshot now. The kidnapper behind her suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Ste said nothing. She closed her mouth and looked straight at the kidnapper. Then, she looked up at the couple holding onto each other and smiled. ¡°Weston, I told you that I would die, and that they never had the intention of letting me live. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Having said that, before anyone could react, Ste¡¯s expression suddenly changed and she took a step back, swiftly attacking the kidnapper¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah!¡± the kidnapper yelled. He had strengthened his hold on Ste so they were swaying together over at the edge. ¡°What are you trying to do, you mad woman?!¡± Ste smirked, looking resolute. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to die? Since I¡¯m going to die either way, let¡¯s die together!¡± ¡°What are you doing? Stop!¡± ¡°Stop? Have you ever given me a chance to live? Rather than being taken away by you guys and tortured and humiliated to death, I¡¯d rather take you down with me here!¡± The kidnappers had never thought she would be this insane to want to perish together. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash! You¡­¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± A man¡¯s scream resonated in the sky. Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, Ste grabbed the man and pulled him with her as she leaned back¡­ Before the crowd could react, they saw the woman standing by the railing fall backward! This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. The wind swept up the hems of her clothes, and her expression went from fear to despair. Finally, she closed her eyes¡­ The beautiful smile on her lips seemed to be mocking everyone. The weightlessness of the fall overwhelmed her as if a tide was drowning her. Ste spared onest nce at the man she used to love. There was no more longing in her eyes, only endless mockery and indifference. ¡®Are you happy now? ¡®My child and I will never be an obstacle to you ever again. Are you satisfied now?¡¯ Ste kept smiling, but she had no more tears left to cry. Weston had never seen Ste look so despaired and resolute before. For a moment there, a wave of panic swept over him. His body stiffened, and even his limbs were shaking.He abruptly pushed away the woman in his arms and darted to the edge of the rooftop reflexively¡­ ¡°Ste!¡± ¡°Ste¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything else except call out her name, over and over again. ¡°Ste¡­¡± The feelings he had tried so hard to suppress finally burst out of its cage. He couldn¡¯t retract or hide them anymore. The corners of his eyes turned red and he knelt beside the railing where she had just fallen. Even his voice was trembling. Panic, regret, shock¡­ Such feelings poured out and the impact increased by a thousandfold, threatening to shatter him¡­ ¡°Ste!¡± That hysterical scream and look of extreme fear should never have emerged from someone like Weston. Even Guinevere was shocked. She had never seen Weston so out of control. Ste had never seen it before either. But it was a pity that she didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡®Weston¡­ I wish I¡¯d never met you.You must live on. I wish you and Guinevere will grow old together and be together always.I don¡¯t want to meet either of you even in Hell. I never want to see you again in this life, or the next.¡¯ Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 The rooftop was eerily quiet. Weston stared at his empty hands, refusing to believe he had just watched Ste fall down¡­He didn¡¯t even manage to grab the hem of her clothes. The world suddenly fell silent. Guinevere¡¯s panic shouts rang beside his ears, but Weston didn¡¯t hear them. His eyes looked void of emotion as if he couldn¡¯t see or hear. His chest felt empty. Then, an overwhelming pain took over, hurting him so much that he found it difficult to breathe. This feeling felt so foreign that even he didn¡¯t understand it. Why¡­ were his eyes red like a madman¡¯s? ¡®Ste¡­Ste¡­For a moment there, Weston felt detached from this world. He could only hear a woman¡¯s screams getting sharper and sharper,ced with a fear she couldn¡¯t suppress¡­ ¡°Weston! Weston Ford, what are you doing?!¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she hugged her stomach and shouted hysterically like a madwoman. ¡°Quick! Hurry up and seize him! Hurry!¡± *** The howling wind whistled beside her ears. The instant she fell, all of her fears died away. Ste seemed to have seen the man¡¯s panicked and pained expression, but she wondered if she had been mistaken.She must have been. The man who had chosen Guinevere without hesitation and refused to believe her would never lose his mind or tear up for her sake. Her vision blurred and she felt an unbearable pain take over her body, torturing her stomach. Every bone in her body was broken but her flesh was intact so the blood of death couldn¡¯t flow out. Her tears solidified in her eyes. She closed her eyes as her stomach contracted. A wave of warmth flowed through her skin. ¡°It hurts¡­ ¡®It hurts so much¡­¡¯ Ste opened her mouth. Her cold blood, chilled by the icy wind, finally poured out, sttering on the dusty ground, This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She was losing consciousness, but the sharp pain didn¡¯t decrease at all. But she felt death closing in, bit by bit, just like how that little life was flowing out of her body right now¡­ A tear escaped her eyes and Ste¡¯s nose tingled. This was the only child she could ever have. ¡®I will be leaving this world with you before I can even see your face¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not protecting you¡­¡¯ *** In just two weeks, everything went back to normal. The kidnapping incident that had caused an uproar in Ahn City ended just like that. That day, not many people had witnessed Ste¡¯s fall. However, the story was spread on the inte for a period of time and there was even live footage of it. The media had just gotten information and the materials only circted in themunity for a short while before they were taken down. The Ford and Cohen families had spent a lot of money to shut down this news. Yet, some people didn¡¯t understand why the kidnappers would kidnap two women at the same time to threaten Weston. Guinevere was his fiancee, the only official girlfriend he had ever acknowledged to the public, so it made sense for the kidnappers to kidnap her. So¡­ who was the other woman? Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Even if they were curious, no one had the guts to give the Ford family trouble. Ahn City was a city of profound history where many wealthy families resided. There was an urban rumor that any wealthy family in Ahn City¡¯s upper-ss society could easily overwhelm an entire city. Weston¡¯s wealth was national level, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to suppress this incident. At the family manor, a white Bentley slowly entered thepound. Weston was going through some documents while Guinevere sat beside him. They were only inches apart, but it felt like there was a huge gap between them. Guinevere had grown up with Weston and knew that he was an aloof man who rarely showed emotion. The incident that day was still vivid in her mind. Weston had chosen her, just as she hoped. And Ste was no longer a threat, so she had nothing to worry about anymore. She could have put away her unbridled suspicion and be with him now, but¡­ Guinevere looked conflicted. Whenever she stopped thinking, she would inadvertently remember that day and how flustered Weston looked when he saw Ste fall¡­ She couldn¡¯t forget it. She had never seen Weston lose his cool as if his emotions had copsed and his sanity was gone. Even the corners of his eyes were red with madness as he cried out that woman¡¯s name. Weston had even pushed her away and rushed over, wanting to grab Ste¡­ If his bodyguards hadn¡¯t rushed over in time, Guinevere suspected that Weston would probably have jumped down after Ste. Also¡­ there was one other thing that worried her even more, and that was if Weston found out that those men really were connected to her. Although she was thorough in her preparations, she knew how capable Weston was. Hence, she had been living in fear since that day, worried that Weston might find out about the truth. When Ste fell down with the kidnapper, the air cushion had only been pumped halfway. The kidnapper wasn¡¯t so lucky so he was currently in the intensive care unit, his survival uncertain. For the sake of making the incident look more realistic, Guinevere had only discussed the details with the leader of the gang. The kidnapper who had held her hostage didn¡¯t know about the deal. Aside from the leader, no one else was aware. So is the leader in the hospital died, Weston would never find out. With this in mind, Guinevere¡¯s expression softened. The car was still moving, gradually slowing down. Guinevere turned to the man¡¯s handsome side profile and said, ¡°Weston¡­ We¡¯ll be parents in one month.¡± They seemed to be at peace with each other and the name ¡®Ste¡¯had disappeared from their lives. But Guinevere couldn¡¯t rest easy, so she could only use the baby to keep Weston with her. Weston didn¡¯t give much of a reaction.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He merely grunted a reply as he read the documents in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctor has already examined you, and everything¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about me, I just¡­¡± Guinevere pursed her lips and leaned against his arm gently. ¡°Weston, why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re very far away from me?¡± Weston¡¯s fingers shook slightly before he turned another page. ¡°What kind of distance do you consider close?¡± Guinevere smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that sort of distance. What I mean is¡­ your heart feels very far away.¡± ¡°You will experience overthinking during pregnancy, and that¡¯s a normal phenomenon.¡± Weston didn¡¯t pause what he was doing. He nced at the family manor and closed the file. ¡°If you feel unwell, let the doctor know. I¡¯m busytely so I can¡¯t be there for you all the time.¡± Having said that, he swiftly got out of the car. Guinevere grew much more uneasy as she watched his back profile.Was he busy because of work, or due to something else? Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 At the ford family manor, Weston could sense the unusual atmosphere the instant he stepped inside the house. The Ford family had been waiting for them. Each person wore varying expressions, but they all looked grim and somewhat disapproving. Weston ignored their scrutiny and took his seat. Guinevere had wanted to enter the house holding onto Weston¡¯s arm, so she felt momentarily embarrassed. However, she quickly regained herposure and sat down beside Weston. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She smiled modestly and greeted her seniors at the table. ¡°Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. We were running a littlete.¡± Guinevere was a genuine socialite. Her conduct and etiquette weremendable, and she carried herself in a noble way. This was a Ford family banquet, and Guinevere was considered part of the family now. ¡°It¡¯s alright. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your due date should be soon.¡± The person who spoke was Weston¡¯s mother, Wendy Thomas. She smiled kindly and added, ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful during yourmute, and it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re a littlete.¡± Guinevere smiled back and nodded. ¡°Thank you for your concern¡­ Aunt Wendy.¡± She had paused before addressing Wendy. She had wanted to call Wendy ¡®Mom¡¯ instead but had to give up on the thought. Unlike Wendy¡¯s warm graciousness, as the patriarch of the Ford family, Chris Ford had a steadfast temperament. It was somewhat simr to Weston¡¯s but also different. Chris was Weston¡¯s father, and the two looked alike. Their chiseled features were passed down in the Ford family bloodline, but Weston¡¯s features were much more prominentpared to Chris¡¯s. Chris and Wendy were known to be a lovey-dovey couple in theirmunity. Unlike other wealthy couples of other aristocratic families who only put on shows of affection, Chris and Wendy truly loved each other. They were almost together all the time. Wendy used to be a famous actress and celebrity in her younger days. During her era, no one could compete with her when it came to fame and sess. However, she had chosen to retire from the industry when her career was soaring to marry Chris, who was then a wealthy young gentleman, to start a family and have children. It was a romance between a rich young master and a popr actress. And now, their story seemed to be re-enacted by Weston and Guinevere. Guinevere felt confused at times. Weston¡¯s parents were so lovey-dovey, and his family background was top-ss, so why was he always so detached and indifferent? Wendy might have aged, but she had charming features and never cked off when ites to maintaining her appearance, Time had turned her into a mature beauty, giving her an added charm. Wendy looked at Guinevere¡¯s protruding stomach, and her smile deepened. She said gently. ¡± It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re pregnant, so you should be careful when traveling. Your due date is next month, right? You have to be extra diligent until then.¡± Chris didn¡¯t say anything. He had never looked at Guinevere at all ever since the two of them came to him. His fingers tapped lightly on his knees as emotion surged behind his dark eyes. He had a drink of water to moisten his throat before looking at Weston. ¡°When do you n to get married?¡± Guinevere was about to give birth, but Weston had shown no intention of registering his marriage with her. Chris knew that Weston tended to value the big picture, so he wasn¡¯t worried that Weston would break his promise of marrying Guinevere. However¡­ So long as Guinevere and Weston weren¡¯t officially married, Chris couldn¡¯t rest easy. ¡°Gwen is giving birth soon. Even if you can¡¯t host a wedding ceremony for the time being, at least get your marriage registered to appease the Cohen family.¡± No one spoke for a moment there. Guinevere was waiting for Weston¡¯s response, but the only answer she got was silence. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Even the other family members looked over with confusion. Guinevere and Weston¡¯s marriage was acquiesced by both families. At first, no one had urged Weston about it because they thought that Weston had other ns as he usually did. But now, rather than having other ns, it seemed like he was having other thoughts instead. Finally, it was Chris who broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing rumorstely. Do you have other considerations in mind?¡± When he said this, nosy people who enjoyed conflict got involved. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some nasty rumors iming that Weston¡­ has a woman on the side!¡± ¡°Xavier! Who allowed you to speak?!¡± Chris growled at him, visibly enraged. By another woman, Xavier meant Ste. Outsiders may not be aware, but Chris couldn¡¯t be deceived, and neither could his dear brother, Xavier, be kept in the dark as well. Xavier was Chris¡¯s younger brother, but he was only a few years older than Weston. As Xavier was a child Old Mr. Ford had during his golden years, he became the apple of Old Mr. Ford¡¯s eye. Even if Chris was the biggest shareholder, Xavier still had a great deal of authority. He was also the only person who could still smile cheekily when Chris was furious. ¡°Big brother, I was only telling you about the rumor I heard. I never said it was true. Weston has always been virtuous, so I believe that the rumors are nonsense. What do you think, big brother?¡± Chris still looked forbidding and he showed no signs of letting up. He ignored his insensible brother and turned back to Weston. ¡°You heard him. Those rumors will never stop, not until the day you marry Gwen. You have to let the Cohen family and Gwen know when exactly you n to get your marriage registered.¡± Upon hearing this, Guinevere¡¯s heart stopped and she subconsciously looked at Weston. She felt anxious as she held her breath to wait for his answer.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. So long as Weston could give a firm answer, he could avoid all troubles. Weston kept quiet for the longest time without opening his mouth. All eyes were focused on him and he suddenly felt annoyed. He massaged the point between his eyebrows and said, ¡°I can handle my own matters.¡± m! Chris mmed his cutlery onto the table. ¡°Weston, what do you mean by that attitude of yours?¡± Wendy stood up at once. ¡°Chris, what are you doing?¡± She reached over to rub his back. When Chris had calmed down slightly, she sat back down and looked at Weston helplessly. ¡°You rarelye home, so please stop making your father angry, Let¡¯s all have a nice dinner together.¡± Xavier was enjoying the show. Just as he was about to add fuel to the fire, Wendy swept him a nce. Xavier shrugged. To be honest, he obeyed his gentle and beautiful sister-inw more than he listened to his stern older brother. He smiled and didn¡¯t say anything to make matters worse. A home must have a big-hearted and gentle female owner. Now that Wendy had spoken, the silent confrontation slowly died away, leaving only a slightly tense atmosphere. Guinevere was also sensible and took it upon herself to smooth things over. She put on a generous expression and asked the man beside her affectionately, ¡°Weston, could you get me a bowl of soup?¡± She was also trying to rify her standing that she was on Weston¡¯s side. Whether or not they got married, that was their issue. And since she didn¡¯t mind, the others had no right to say anything. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 The atmosphere at the dining table mellowed down. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Xavier looked back and forth between the two with mild interest. He let out a soft chuckleced with sarcasm but didn¡¯t let anyone catch him in the act. Weston didn¡¯t answer. He merely reached forward todle Guinevere a bowl of soup. However, his hands paused in midair for a moment as an untimely scene shed through his mind. He remembered Ste¡¯s back profile as she busied herself in the kitchen. This table was filled with dishes prepared by a renowned chef so it was of significant standard, but Weston suddenly remembered Ste¡¯s dishes instead¡­ She had never made anything too fancy, and they were mostly average home cooked meals. However, each dish tasted great and he wondered where she had learned to cook like that. Weston had to socialize a lot so he rarely ate at home. ¡¤ At first, none of the dishes Ste made were to his liking. He lost interest after ncing at them and only took a few bites to please her. When they tasted good, he would eat a few more bites. But before he knew it, more and more of his favorites appeared in Ste¡¯s cooking until finally, every dish on the table was to his liking. The times he went home increased and he stayed longer too. Aside from cooking, Ste¡¯s performance in other aspects had begun to suit his taste too. Weston¡¯s gaze dimmed. He put away his thoughts anddled Guinevere a bowl of soup indifferently. ¡°Drink up.¡± His actions showed care and consideration, but there was no affection on his face, not even a bit of warmth. Guinevere epted the bowl with a smile. Her expression was one of happiness but she felt bitter on the inside. She suddenly remembered how flustered Weston looked on the rooftop that day, all for the sake of another woman. The uneasiness inside her grew stronger and stronger¡­ ¡®Stop thinking about it.¡¯ She tried tofort herself. ¡®Ste¡¯s already dead, along with the child in her stomach. The kidnapper is heavily injured too, and he won¡¯tst long in the hospital.¡¯ Once the kidnapper died, no one else in the world would know of the things she had done. She didn¡¯t regret killing Ste at all! If Ste didn¡¯t die, judging by Weston¡¯s current state, he might just be influenced by her someday¡­ There was also the fact that Ste was pregnant with Weston¡¯s child. So what if Ste said she wouldn¡¯t disturb them? Guinevere wouldn¡¯t allow any threats to exist in her rtionship with Weston. But Ste was dead now. No matter how much she had influenced Weston, with time, these impressions would gradually fade away no matter how deep they were once engraved. How could the dead possibly win against the living? *** After dinner, the rest of the Ford family members noticed something amiss so they found excuses to leave. Weston remained impassive and stayed in his seat. Sure enough, Chris swept him a nce and said, ¡°Come here, I have something to say to you.¡± Weston finally looked up to meet Chris¡¯s gaze. Shortly after, Guinevere felt anxious as she watched Weston leave, so she stood up. Wendy seized her hand and shook her head. ¡°They might not be talking about you and Weston, so don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± ¡¤ Now that everyone else was gone, Wendy¡¯s attitude toward her took a sharp turn. Guinevere pursed her lips and couldn¡¯t resist asking softly, ¡°Aunt Wendy, do you perhaps have a misunderstanding toward me?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Guinevere¡¯s cautious and confused expression made Wendyugh on the inside. However, she didn¡¯t show it. She merely patted the back of Guinevere¡¯s hand with a kind look on her face. ¡°No way. We¡¯ll be family soon, so I won¡¯t be as courteous toward you as I would with guests. But if you mind it¡­¡± Guinevere was surprised and quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I just thought you had some misunderstanding toward me¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked Wendy in the eyes, but then averted her gaze out of guilt. Then, she picked up a ss and held it to her lips as if trying to conceal her emotions. *** On the balcony, Chris drew the curtains of the French windows. Weston snorted augh. ¡°Are you feeling guilty? Afraid that someone would overhear?¡± When it was only the two of them, Chris no longer put on airs, but instead looked exhausted.¡± I know you feel aggrieved about this¡­ But Gwen loves you so much, and the child¡­ it still has the Ford family¡¯s blood flowing in its veins, and you¡¯re somehow rted¡­¡± Chris suddenly became hesitant. Perhaps Weston noticed the pretense and guilt in Chris¡¯s words, he found it all ironic.He stood tall with one hand holding the railing and the other tugging at his shirt cor¡¯s button, hoping to breathe easier. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided¡­ Why are you asking my opinion now?¡± ¡°Weston¡­¡± Chris looked at him and then probed, ¡°You¡¯ll still marry Gwen, won¡¯t you? After all, she¡¯s the only woman you¡¯ve had by your side after all these years.¡± Then, he suddenly paused before adding, ¡°That woman named Ste has already died from falling off a building. No matter what kind of past you had with her, it¡¯s time to let go.¡± Weston abruptly clenched his fists and his gaze became frightening. Inside the ward, Ste had lost count of how many times she had woken up. She stared up at the ceiling with her eyes feeling dry and came to ept the fact that she had survived. She was lucky because the moment she fell, rescuers had dragged a cushion over in time. She lived but her child didn¡¯t. The door opened and in came a man donning a suit. Ste didn¡¯t even look at him. She just stared dazedly at the ceiling, looking lifeless as if she was dead, Ben Sullivan was Weston¡¯s personal assistant and a person he could trust. Ben had served Weston for a while now. When he saw how Ste was behaving, he couldn¡¯t resist furrowing his brows. ¡°Madam¡­¡± He had spoken out of reflex butter realized that he had made a mistake. He paused and corrected himself. ¡°Ms. Sealey, how are you feeling?¡± His professional tone didn¡¯t rouse any reaction in Ste. Ever since she was pronounced dead from falling off a building, and then hidden away here in a private hospital by Weston, she had been in this state. She didn¡¯t listen, wouldn¡¯t see, didn¡¯t speak, and wouldn¡¯t respond. Ben would visit almost every day, and the doctor said that Ste had physically recovered by now. Her refusal to talk might be due to psychological reasons. Ben knew a little bit of inside info. He paused before saying, ¡°Mr. Sealey has been well taken care of. If you are ready, Ms. Sealey, you can leave tomorrow.¡± Ste finally gave some response upon hearing this. She propped herself up and looked at the man. The corners of her lips curled up despite her impassive face. ¡°Weston¡¯s really quick at getting things done. Is he afraid that I¡¯ll be an eyesore to Guinevere again so he can only force me to y dead, change my name, and move to another city before he can rest easy?¡± ¨C ¡°Ms. Sealey¡­ I¡¯m only following instructions.¡± Ste grabbed the bed sheet without saying anything. Her lips turned pale from pursing her lips too hard. She looked out the window and the trees¡¯ shadows were reflected in her eyes. She kept quiet. Ben was forced to speak again, ¡°Ms. Sealey, please don¡¯t make things difficult for Mr. Ford¡­¡± Ste interrupted him, saying, ¡°There¡¯s one thing left that needs to be taken care of.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Ben stared at her in confusion. He had never expected Ste to make a request of him. Momentster, he came to a realization. ¡°Mr. Sealey has agreed to Mr. Ford¡¯s suggestion. He will change his name and relocate to another city with you. Mr. Ford will also bear all of his medical bills henceforth, including apensation fee for you.¡± Then, he reported an eptable number. The corner of Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. This amount was enough to make her the richest person in small towns. ¡°Since Roger has agreed, we¡¯ll go with that.¡± She closed her eyes before abruptly opening them again. ¡°There¡¯s one person I¡¯d like to see.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The culprit who had kidnapped me that day.¡± Ben fell silent as he stared at her with conflict in his eyes. Ste found it amusing. ¡°What? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll insist on going through with my evil desires and scheme against Guinevere?¡± She understood well that Weston wouldn¡¯t believe her. No one in the world would anymore. No matter how many times she repeated that Guinevere was the one who had hired the kidnappers, other people would just think she was insane. Ben quickly replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just need to get Mr. Ford¡¯s opinion on this.¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°Okay, go on then.¡±. *** ¡°She really said that?¡± Inside the office, Weston put down his document. Ben stood before his table, looking down. ¡°Ms. Sealey has agreed, so I¡¯m sure it must mean she¡¯s willing to see you.¡± Weston kept quiet, wearing an indescribable expression. He looked down at the tip of his pen that had just drawn a dark streak on the white sheet of paper. The dark color in his eyes was so intense it couldn¡¯t dissolve away. A momentter, he said hoarsely, ¡°I thought she wouldn¡¯t want to see me.¡± He had gone to visit Ste once when she had woken up a long time ago. Back then, she had been emotionally disturbed and shouted in the ward that she never wanted to see him ever again. Weston had paused in his steps. s, he could only leave.He had gone a few more times after that, but only after she had fallen asleep. After hearing Ben¡¯s report, he seemed a little dazed, Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ben took a guess at his thoughts and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, should I tell Ms. Sealey that you¡¯re busy with work?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston stood up and grabbed the suit jacket draped over the back of his chair. ¡°Let¡¯s make a trip over.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ben had wanted to say that he had a meetinging up, and that Ms. Cohen had made an appointment to meet with him in the afternoon. However, as he looked at the man¡¯s decisive conduct, he said nothing but followed after him. The corridor of the hospital was empty. Aside from the asional doctors and nurses passing by, there were no other patients here. This was a private hospital and provided absolute confidentiality. Weston was the investor in this hospital, so no one would know that Ste had stayed here before. At this moment, Weston was sitting on a bench, tilting his head up to lean against the wall behind him. The button of his shirt cor was undone, and there was a fingernail scratch mark on his face. However, he didn¡¯t look battered at all. It made him look unruly instead. Ben only emerged after a long while had passed. He looked apologetically at Weston, who was closing his eyes to rest. ¡°Mr. Ford, I didn¡¯t think Ms. Sealey had meant it that way¡­¡± He had thought that Ste wanted to have a proper discussion with Weston. He didn¡¯t expect her to still hate Weston so much¡­ Weston had the back of his hand covering his eyes and said nothing. When he saw that Ben was out, he removed his hand. ¡°How is she?¡± Ben took a step forward. ¡°She has just calmed down. Mr. Ford¡­ shall we take care of that wound on your face?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Those words caused Weston to brush his hand against his face. The corner of his lips twitched when he saw the smear of blood that appeared on the back of his hand. ¡°She certainly didn¡¯t pull her punches¡­!! The image of Ste as she appeared to him just moments ago popped up in his mind. Thinking of their recent meeting, Westonnguidly massaged his temples. He always knew Ste couldn¡¯t possibly only want to see him. ording to his ns, things should¡¯ve wrapped up nicely after he sent Ste and Roger away. They should¡¯ve gotten back on track Yet, when Ben suddenly told him about Ste, hepletely sidetracked and did what he never nned-agreeing toe to the hospital. The fact that she rejected him was another unexpected oue. Weston closed his eyes. The stormy turmoil inside him that started when he saw Ste falling off the building had calmed significantly after learning she was safe. However, now, it was showing signs of returning He had never been considered impulsive, but he seemed to lose all self-control the moment he saw Ste. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Weston opened his eyes. ¡°Let her do whatever she wants.¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you mean, Mr. Ford?¡± Weston got up and nced furtively at the closed door before looking away. ¡°Waste no more time,¡± he told Ben. ¡°Fulfill all of her requests as best you can.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford,¡± answered Ben. ¡°Are we still following our original n, sending them to Fern City tomorrow?¡± ¡°Are all preparations in Fern Cityplete?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s been done ording to your orders, Mr. Ford,¡± replied Ben. ¡°Ms. Sealey and Mr. Sealey will havepletely new identities and they can begin a safe, peaceful life there.¡± A mere wall separated them, but Ste heard nothing that was going on outside. Still, she had no doubts that the man was right there in the hallway. She closed her eyes; her body still trembling from head to toe. The fierce emotions that overcame her moments ago had consumed all her energy. Ever since falling from that building, Ste had forced herself to recall those fateful moments repeatedly, her heart growing ever colder with each agonizing second that passed. It wasn¡¯t until today that she found out she hadn¡¯t abated the hatred in her heart. She ced her hand on her belly, and tears began to well up. Despite it all, she sucked it up, not allowing herself to shed a single tear, That was the only child she could have ever had in her life¡­ Vet ever since waking up, Weston had never uttered a word about the child, as if its existence meant nothing to him. At a time when she was enduring her most excruciating pain, all he could care about was if her existence would envy Guinevere. Fearing her jealousy, he would give her a new identity and send her off to another city, out of his sight¡­ What had she done to deserve pain and suffering of such magnitude? Ste curled up in a ball, allowing waves of hatred and resentment to wash through her. She hated herself for getting into this position¡­ she couldn¡¯t even find a way to get justice and revenge¡­ all she could do now was to helplessly and shamefully follow his ns, leaving this ce to hide from that woman¡­ that murderer! Because he wouldn¡¯t believe her. Ste tightened her fists into balls. Embrace the pain, she told herself. Let it hurt so bad that it would numb her. After that, the pain would eventually go away. Fern City. A lovely little city that was a lot more idyllic than the hustle and bustle of the more prosperous Ahn City. Life here proceeded at a leisurely pace. The seasons¡¯ change was much more apparent here, too-you could almost hear fall creeping into the city as the warmth of summer waned away. Ste¡¯s days gradually simmered down. The deep, roiling emotions faded away with time and distance. She even managed to spend away a significant amount of time without thinking of Weston. But every once in a while, she would wake up in the middle of the night soaking in sweat from a nightmare. ¡°Sis! Sis!¡± shouted Roger as he banged on Ste¡¯s door. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Roger,¡± mumbled Ste, her voice drowsy and thick with sleep. ¡°Go back to bed!¡± Separated by the door, Roger could barely make out Ste¡¯s muffled rambling. ¡°Sis!¡± he continued, refusing to leave. ¡°Are you having that nightmare again?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Every time Ste had that nightmare, a faceless child would be standing in front of her, trembling. She would try to get a better look at the child, but the thick, white fog would surround them. The moment she reached out her hand to touch the child, the entire scene would disappear in a puff of smoke. When the fog cleared, what she would see next would be thest thing she wished to see. It was that dreadful scene that would shatter her heart into a million pieces. ¡°You have one choice between the two. Who do you choose?¡± ¡°I choose Gwen¡­ She¡¯s afraid of heights.¡± Each word pierced into her heart like a real knife, tormenting her with excruciating pain, even though she was actually dreaming. The scene changed. Suddenly, she was lying on the street. Her lower body was covered in blood. Her child was slowly flowing out of her body. Meanwhile, not so far away, two shadowy figures were in a sweet embrace, mockingly trampling her and her baby¡¯s misery and tragedy¡­ Ste sat up abruptly on her bed. She was sweating profusely, so much that the nightshirt clung to her back, soaking wet. Roger still stood outside her door, simply refusing to leave. Thest thing she wanted was for her brother to see her in this state. ¡°I really am fine, Roger,¡± she assured him as she groggily ran her fingers through her hair.¡± Go back to bed! I need to be up early for work!¡± she croaked. Her voice was frail and a little hoarse. Roger gripped the door handle tightly. He hesitated for quite a while but eventually gave up and let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Fine¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Get a good rest, okay, sis?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste sighed in relief when she heard Roger¡¯s receding footsteps. She let her body copse onto the bed, her head falling once again onto the pillow. The next day¡­ Roger had a ss early, so he was out by seven o¡¯clock. A college student, he was initially admitted to the prestigious Ahn City University, a school considered the country¡¯s top university. Thanks to his medical condition, however, he had no choice but to take a semester off. Fern City was nowhere nearly as affluent as Ahn City, but it was still considered among the country¡¯s major cities. In fact, it had a long and illustrious history and a rich cultural heritage. Likewise, Fern City University was seen as an elite university. Weston had managed to make the necessary arrangements, getting Roger transferred to Fern City when he created new identities for the two siblings. Since both their parents were dead and they had no rtives, assuming new identities was all but a simple matter of changing names. Hence, Ste Sealy was now called E Steele, and Roger Sealey was now Robb Steele. Fortunately, Roger¡¯s health had improved significantly, and though he still had regr check ups every now and then, he could now consistently attend sses, which was huge progress. Ste, on the other hand, found a new job as a dance teacher at a training institution. Although they could both livefortably off Weston¡¯s money, Ste still thought it best to get a job. At the very least, having a career to focus on would distract her from her harrowing, heart-wrenching past. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Every once in a while, she woulde across a mother-and-baby store or bump into a mother holding her child¡¯s hand on the street, stopping her dead in her tracks. She really did like children a lot¡­ Yet because of her congenital medical condition, she could probably only ever have one child her whole life¡­ The dispenser water overflowed from Ste¡¯s cup onto the floor. ¡°Look out!¡± shouted a concerned voice. ¡°That¡¯s hot water! You¡¯ll scald your hand!¡± It was Yvonne, her voice snapping Ste back to the present. Only then did she sense a sharp pain on the back of her hand. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± she mumbled as she quickly recoiled her hand. Yvonne hastily pulled out a tissue paper and wiped Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s not boiling!¡± she gasped, ¡°or you¡¯ll have a serious burn on your hand!¡± Initially from Fern City, Yvonne¡¯s father was a renowned doctor there. In fact, her entire family has always lived in Fern City, and she had only started a training institution in Ahn City because her husband worked there. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 32 Every time Ste had that nightmare, a faceless child would be standing in front of her, trembling. She would try to get a better look at the child, but the thick, white fog would surround them. The moment she reached out her hand to touch the child, the entire scene would disappear in a puff of smoke. When the fog cleared, what she would see next would be thest thing she wished to see. It was that dreadful scene that would shatter her heart into a million pieces. ¡°You have one choice between the two. Who do you choose?¡± ¡°I choose Gwen¡­ She¡¯s afraid of heights.¡± Each word pierced into her heart like a real knife, tormenting her with excruciating pain, even though she was actually dreaming. The scene changed. Suddenly, she was lying on the street. Her lower body was covered in blood. Her child was slowly flowing out of her body. Meanwhile, not so far away, two shadowy figures were in a sweet embrace, mockingly trampling her and her baby¡¯s misery and tragedy¡­ Ste sat up abruptly on her bed. She was sweating profusely, so much that the nightshirt clung to her back, soaking wet. Roger still stood outside her door, simply refusing to leave. Thest thing she wanted was for her brother to see her in this state. ¡°I really am fine, Roger,¡± she assured him as she groggily ran her fingers through her hair.¡± Go back to bed! I need to be up early for work!¡± she croaked. Her voice was frail and a little hoarse. Roger gripped the door handle tightly. He hesitated for quite a while but eventually gave up and let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Fine¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Get a good rest, okay, sis?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste sighed in relief when she heard Roger¡¯s receding footsteps. She let her body copse onto the bed, her head falling once again onto the pillow. The next day¡­ Roger had a ss early, so he was out by seven o¡¯clock. A college student, he was initially admitted to the prestigious Ahn City University, a school considered the country¡¯s top university. Thanks to his medical condition, however, he had no choice but to take a semester off. Fern City was nowhere nearly as affluent as Ahn City, but it was still considered among the country¡¯s major cities. In fact, it had a long and illustrious history and a rich cultural heritage. Likewise, Fern City University was seen as an elite university. Weston had managed to make the necessary arrangements, getting Roger transferred to Fern City when he created new identities for the two siblings. Since both their parents were dead and they had no rtives, assuming new identities was all but a simple matter of changing names. Hence, Ste Sealy was now called E Steele, and Roger Sealey was now Robb Steele. Fortunately, Roger¡¯s health had improved significantly, and though he still had regr check ups every now and then, he could now consistently attend sses, which was huge progress. Ste, on the other hand, found a new job as a dance teacher at a training institution. Although they could both livefortably off Weston¡¯s money, Ste still thought it best to get a job. At the very least, having a career to focus on would distract her from her harrowing, heart-wrenching past. Every once in a while, she woulde across a mother-and-baby store or bump into a mother holding her child¡¯s hand on the street, stopping her dead in her tracks. She really did like children a lot¡­ Yet because of her congenital medical condition, she could probably only ever have one child her whole life¡­ The dispenser water overflowed from Ste¡¯s cup onto the floor. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Look out!¡± shouted a concerned voice. ¡°That¡¯s hot water! You¡¯ll scald your hand!¡± It was Yvonne, her voice snapping Ste back to the present. Only then did she sense a sharp pain on the back of her hand. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± she mumbled as she quickly recoiled her hand. Yvonne hastily pulled out a tissue paper and wiped Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s not boiling!¡± she gasped, ¡°or you¡¯ll have a serious burn on your hand!¡± Initially from Fern City, Yvonne¡¯s father was a renowned doctor there. In fact, her entire family has always lived in Fern City, and she had only started a training institution in Ahn City because her husband worked there. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 That day, Yvonne didn¡¯t go straight home. She usually did when she got off work. Instead, she went to Ste and asked if she would like to go shopping. Ste thought about it for a while and epted Yvonne¡¯s invitation. She had just got off the phone with Roger, who told her that he was going to a party with his ssmates that evening. Since they were starting a new life in a new city, Ste thought it would be a good idea to make new friends, and she agreed to go out with Yvonne. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°My husband invited some guests to dinner this evening,¡± Yvonne told Ste, ¡°and I really don¡¯t have anything to wear! Will you help me choose something nice?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Ste. ¡°But I must warn you that my fashion sense is pretty lousy!¡± It had been ages since Ste was as rxed as this when she and Yvonne spent time together. It even helped Ste forget all her pain and heartaches, even if only temporarily. They had so much fun that day that Yvonne was reluctant to part ways when it was time to go home. Indeed, she had discovered that she was very fond of Ste. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over to my ce for dinner, E?¡± ¡°But your husband is having guests over this evening!¡± replied Ste. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to barge in, would it?¡± ¡°He has his guests over, and I have my guest over! It¡¯s our house, after all, not just his!¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Yvonne added, resolute, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Ist invited any of my girlfriends home for dinner! You¡¯re my friend now, so let¡¯s have dinner together this evening, okay? I don¡¯t really have any friends here, so¡­¡± After Yvonne put it in such a way, Ste found it hard to refuse her. She sent Roger a short text and told him she wouldn¡¯t be home for dinner. The two women then went on to shop for a little longer. ¡°My husband¡¯s here to pick us up,¡± Yvonne announced after checking her phone. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us in the car nearby.¡± Yvonne then led Ste there in a hurry to a car that was waiting for them in the parking lot behind the mall. A ck car, it looked ssy and expensive but not in a shy way. Ste froze in her tracks. She began to have some reservations. She remembered seeing the exact brand in Weston¡¯s garage, although she¡¯d forgotten what it was called. But as soon as they turned up in the parking lot, the driver of that car stepped out and walked towards Yvonne. ¡°Madam,¡± he greeted. ¡°Put these in the trunk,¡± she ordered as she handed her bags to him before taking Ste¡¯s hand and leading her into the car, There was already another man sitting inside. He nced outside when he heard the two women approaching before frowning disapprovingly when Yvonne clumsily scrambled into the car. ¡°Be careful,¡± he reminded her brusquely. ¡°Don¡¯t hit your head again.¡± Yvonne pretended not to hear him, leading Ste by the hand to sit beside her. The car was more than spacious, enough to fit the three with room to spare. Once they were settled in, Yvonne began introducing her husband to Ste. ¡°This is my husband, Lucas Quirk,¡± she stated. ¡°He¡¯s a doctor.¡±. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Ste nodded politely. ¡°I¡¯m E Steele. I¡¯m a dance teacher, and I work with Yvonne.¡± Lucas gave a few polite words in reply, then went back to looking at his tablet. Ste thought he seemed a little distant and aloof, although he was nowhere near as standoff -ish as Weston Ford. Instead, Lucas gives off a sense of upright decorum, despite being not that friendly or approachable. Yvonne frequently talked about her husband with Ste. In fact, he was among one of her favorite topics. ording to what she heard from Yvonne, Lucas was a stern, old-fashioned man. But now that she had seen him herself, she found him much younger than expected, besides looking rather intelligent and attractive. Lucas and Yvonne certainly made a handsome pair. There was an atmosphere of undeniable intimacy between these two, the kind that showed that they trusted and perfectly understood each other without the need to say much. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Can you believe this guy?¡± grumbled Yvonne. She shot a re at Lucas. ¡°He¡¯s always like that. He never talks. All he cares about is reading medical journals all day¡­ Please don¡¯t mind the nerd, E!¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°You two make such a great pair!¡± she eximed. ¡°You think so?¡± Yvonne replied. She seemed a little surprised, though it was obvious that Ste¡¯s words pleased her very much. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve got a keen eye after all!¡± She poked her husband with an elbow as she spoke, adding, ¡°E thinks we make a great couple. What do you think?¡± ¡°Whatever makes you happy,¡± Lucas replied without even looking up from his tablet. Yvonne was all too happy to let Lucas¡¯s lukewarm reply ruin her mood. Hence, she just turned her attention to Ste and continued chatting with her for the rest of the journey. In almost no time, they reached their destination, where Ste found herself at a lofty mansion. She wondered why rich people loved living in mansions so much. In fact, this mansion was even slightly bigger than Stardust Mansion. Once she stepped out of the car, Ste was about to get her bags from the trunk when Yvonne held her arm and stopped her. ¡°Just let the driver deal with them, E!¡± she told Ste. Yvonne had always been cheerful and affable with everyone at work, but Ste was still pleasantly surprised that she would treat her so cordially in private. As Yvonne gleefully led Ste into the house with a spring in her step, Lucas followed them from behind slowly and calmly. ¡°Take it easy, Yvonne,¡± he warned. ¡°Your injury¡¯s just healed not too long ago. If you sprain your ankle again, you¡¯ll have to take care of it yourself because I won¡¯t bother myself with you anymore.¡± Yvonne stopped in her tracks and red at Lucas. She said nothing but still slowed down as her husband suggested. ¡°That guy acts like he¡¯s my father,¡± sheined to Ste in a whisper. ¡°He¡¯s always nagging about everything!¡± Ste said nothing and merely chuckled, envying how lucky a woman like Yvonne was. Lucas was a doctor who waspletely dedicated to his career. Because of his rtively young age, he hadn¡¯t umted much experience and reputation, but his intelligence, excellent education, incredible talent, and maturity more than made up for that. Unsurprisingly, he stood out from his peers, consequently swamping him with work. Even when he was home, he would spend most of his time buried in his study, dealing with work-rted matters. Once they got inside, Yvonne gave Ste aplete tour of the mansion before she took her to a guest bedroom, ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here for a few days,¡± she told Ste. ¡°I¡¯ve asked the maid to get it ready for you.¡± Yvonne then put sie¡¯s things away in the closet and led her out to the back garden, where they hung out and chatted. When it was around time for dinner, Lucas instructed a maid to inform them that the guests were already there, Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne brought Ste to her bedroom so they could change, Although she had asked Ste to help her choose some nice clothes, it had all been Yvonne who had done the choosing, no Thanks to her splendid sense of style. She even chose a dress for Ste, who initially refused, but caved in since Yvonne just wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. Ste¡¯s dress was a simple champagne silk slip dress. At a nce, it looked in and minimalist, but because of the high-quality materials employed and exceptionally well tailoring, itplemented Ste¡¯s body shape exquisitely. Coupled with her fair, delicate skin, she looked positively radiant, Even Yvonne was stunned by Ste¡¯s transformation. She stared at Ste in awe after she had changed into her dress. ¡°Clothes maketh the woman indeed!¡± she eximed, ¡°You really should dress up more ollen, E!) Yvonne had always known that Ste was pretty most dancers were anyway. But Ste had always dressed so inly that she¡¯d never noticed how captivating Ste¡¯s ligure and facial features were ¡°I guess I just never had the time..,¡± mumbled Ste as she checked herself in the mirror, a little astonished at her own transformation, Ever since her parents died, she had to grow up overnight and had since lost all interest in dressing, up. On the rare asions that she did, it was lo merely look professional and presentable enough to get a good job. She did think of sprucing up her looks after marrying, Weston, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about anything, save for that business in bed. Ste didn¡¯t want to get herself worked up for nothing, so she didn¡¯t give the matter a second thought Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 After that. Yvonne changed into her new clothes. She loved wearing red because it contrasted nicely with her snowy white skin and entuated her striking facial features. Wearing her new dress, Yvonne looked bewitchingly stunning. Even Ste couldn¡¯t take her eyes off her. The two women had been in the room for so long that Lucas had toe up and rush them himself. ¡°Hurry up!¡± he barked as he banged on the door. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Yvonne gathered up the hem of her dress and rushed to the door when she heard her husband¡¯s voice. As soon as she opened the door, Lucas was visibly taken aback by the sight of his beautiful wife. However, he only showed it by raising his eyebrows slightly. The anger on his face dissipated a little, and he didn¡¯t sound as impatient as he did before. ¡°Can¡¯t you hurry up a little?¡± he asked.¡± Yvonne had many bad habits, but herck of punctuality got on Lucas¡¯s nerves the most. He would often nag at her for never being on time for anything. Yvonne knew that she was in the wrong, so she smiled at him sweetly, pulled him closer by the arms, and kissed him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling!¡± she cooed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that kiss sufficientpensation?¡± ¡°Was thatpensation, or are you just taking advantage of me?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Yvonne grumbled. ¡°Now you¡¯re making me mad!¡± Lucas shook his head indulgently and brushed his hand against Yvonne¡¯s cheek. ¡°You and your rotten temper¡­¡± he murmured. Yvonne paid no mind to him and went to Ste instead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, E,¡± she assured, holding her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll sit next to me. They¡¯re all Lucas¡¯s friends, and they¡¯re about our age. You can just rx. I¡¯ll be there with you, so you¡¯ll be just fine!¡± It was only then that Lucas realized someone else was in the room. He quickly returned to his usual distant and reserved self, no longer showing his moreid-back and casual side as he did with his wife just moments ago. ¡°Okay, Yvonne,¡± replied Ste with a nod and a smile. Meanwhile, the food was already on the table downstairs, and a man and a woman were waiting nearby.As Ste walked down the stairs, she could feel a pair of eyes glued on her. As she looked up Her eyes met with another familiar pair. They were dark and distant but as deep as the starry sky at night, luring your stare and drawing you into it. Ste froze. She felt as if it was a fantasy. Her breathing halted. It was him¡­ Was she dreaming? How could she see Weston Ford here? ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yvonne asked when she noticed that Ste had just stopped in her tracks. ¡°Nothing,¡±answered Ste, shaking her head, though she looked pale. Ste could distinctly feel Weston¡¯s eyes following her every move. Maintaining her cool, she made sure not to react and refused to look at the man. She would not look at Weston, and she would not look at the woman beside him, but she could sense that the atmosphere had changed ever since she appeared downstairs. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. But Weston¡¯s eyes never left Ste. His dark eyes had always been calm and imprable. No one could ever guess how he felt. The woman beside him couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking either, but she knew things had gone awry when she realized that Weston had been staring at that woman for a long time. Only after everyone was seated did Weston draw his eyes from Ste. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that there¡¯d be a stranger joining us,¡± hemented, directing those words at Lucas. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Lucas waited for his wife to sit before taking a seat opposite her; his expression stoic and unchanged the entire time. ¡°She¡¯s Yvonne¡¯s friend,¡± Lucas told Weston as he sat down. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± Ste frowned ever so slightly when she heard the word ¡°stranger¡±ing from Weston¡¯s mouth, but she still wouldn¡¯t look at him. She sat down stiffly at the dining table, her ears ringing from the absurdity of the situation. Never in a thousand years would she have guessed that Lucas¡¯s guests were Weston Ford and Guinevere Cohen. Weston had noticed her the second she appeared. Naturally, Guinevere did too. The moment she saw Ste, her body stiffened , sure that she¡¯d just seen a ghost! Blood drained from her face, and she stared at the woman like a hawk. It was only when they were all seated that she realized she was covered in goosebumps. That face¡­ there could be no mistake. She would never forget that woman¡¯s face! But how could Ste Sealey be here? Wasn¡¯t she already dead? Although Guinevere¡¯s back was soaked in a cold sweat, she had been in the entertainment industry for many years, and she could take this much without losing control. Once she regained her senses, her first instinct was to check for Weston¡¯s reactions. When she saw that his eyes had been glued on the woman the whole time, her fists tightened. She even clenched her teeth. Could she still be¡­ alive? From then on, she¡¯d lost all control. Her mind was now nk. All she could do was stare vacantly at Ste. Such a drastic change in the atmosphere did not go unnoticed by Yvonne. She could sense that something weird was happening but was utterly befuddled by the scene. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± she asked Ste, looking at both Guinevere and Ste back and forth. ¡°No,¡±Ste answered simply with a shake of her head. She seemed utterly nonchnt, but under the table, her fingernails dug into the flesh of her thighs so hard she almost bled. Guinevere regained her senses and forced herself to look away from Ste at that moment. Then her gaze turned towards Yvonne. ¡°Who is she?¡± Guinevere demanded tersely as she red at Yvonne haughtily. Yvonne was taken aback by Guinevere¡¯s strange behavior that she instinctively backed away. Lucas noticed this and frowned frustratedly. He put himself between his wife and Guinevere, shielding her from Guinivere¡¯s re, which Lucas sensed as malicious. ¡°Miss Cohen,¡± he said, ¡°you can speak to me directly if there¡¯s any problem. There¡¯s no need to re at my wife like that.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne and Guinevere weren¡¯t that close, but since Lucas was Henry Moore¡¯s attending doctor, and Henry Moore was close to Ste and Guinevere, Yvonne considered Guinevere an acquaintance, Nevertheless, she could not deny that she found Guinevere¡¯s behavior just now offensive. Still, Guinevere and Weston were her husband¡¯s guests. Thus, wanting to cause no trouble as the host, she let the matter slide and introduced her friend to them. ¡°This is E Steele,¡± she announced. ¡°She¡¯s a dance teacher at my training center.¡± E Steele¡­ Guinevere repeated that name silently. The name left a bitter taste in her mouth. But she gradually calmed down and took another good look at Ste, now with more scrutiny and suspicion. So this was not Ste Sealey after all? But just another woman who looked like her? But they didn¡¯t just look alike. Their voices were identical. Even their names sounded simr¡­ Serious doubts arose in her mind. She couldn¡¯t help but turn toward the man beside her. To her surprise, Weston waspletely calm and indifferent. He didn¡¯t seem to care about this woman¡¯s appearance at all. But the calmer Weston was, the more frantic Guinevere¡¯s mind got. How could he not have any reactions to the appearance of a woman who looked exactly like his wife? If he was so indifferent to Ste, then why did he fall into pits of despair when Ste died? Now Guinevere was a lot more worried about Weston¡¯s cold reactions than the actual appearance of this woman itself. ¡°E¡­ Steele?¡± she asked in a hoarse voice after a long pause. ¡°Is she called E Steele?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Yvonne, still so bewildered by Guinevere¡¯s reactions that she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Guinevere, shaking her head. Her face was ashen as she forced a feeble smile on her face. ¡°She just looks a lot like someone I knew.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 A shadow seemed to fall on Weston¡¯s face for a moment, but he remained silent through it all. He calmly regarded Ste in scrutiny while Ste sat beside Yvonne in silence, as if she did not notice him staring at her. Ste would never have guessed that the guests Yvonne talked about were Weston and Guinevere. What a small world it was! She thought of the irony of them meeting again, when Weston was so adamant about sending her off out of his sight. Despite everything, Ste was curious to see how Weston would react next, now that he¡¯d seen her. ¡°I had the same thoughts myself when I first met E!¡± said Yvonne with some astonishment. ¡°She looked just like a friend of mine! I guess it is a strange coincidence. I never thought that two people who aren¡¯t twins could look so much alike. It was weird enough that I knew someone who looked like E. I can¡¯t believe that you know someone who looks like her too!¡± Yvonne then turned towards Ste and studied her face. ¡°Such a pretty face¡­ I can¡¯t believe there¡¯d be so many people who look like this!¡± Ste couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that to tter me, aren¡¯t you?¡± she teased Yvonne. Yvonne didn¡¯t mind that Ste read through her mind at all. She put her arm around Ste¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°I¡¯m only speaking the truth! You really are that pretty!¡± At this point, Guinevere had gotten much calmer now, and with a clearer head, her suspicions began to solidify. Could this woman really not be Ste Sealey? Could there really be someone who looked just like her? How could that be possible? Could such perfect doppelgangers exist in this world? ¡°These two are the guests that I mentioned,¡± Yvonne continued. ¡°This is Mr. Weston Ford, and with him is the superstar Guinevere Cohen. You must¡¯ve heard of her, right? Well, Mr. Ford is her¡­¡± Yvonne paused and smiled at the couple. ¡°Um¡­ so is he your boyfriend or fiance?¡± Guinevere turned pale and silent. She gazed at Weston. It was a meaningful gaze. Anyone would¡¯ve guessed what the gaze meant just by looking at it. ¡°Ah!¡± Yvonne gasped. ¡°I guess we should be expecting good news from you two soon! When is the wedding going to be?¡± Only then did Weston draw his eyes away from Ste. ¡°In two months,¡± he answered inly without a thread of emotion. ¡°So soon? Will the two of you be ready in time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we will,¡± Guinevere replied with a smile as she willed herself to remain calm. ¡°It¡¯s only a simple ceremony, after all.¡± ¡°So when are you two getting a marriage license?¡± Yvonne asked. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The air instantly got tense. Guinevere¡¯s countenance disyed an obvious shift, though Weston remained as indifferent as ever. ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry,¡± he stated matter-of-factly. Anyone would¡¯ve been able to tell that as soon as Weston uttered those words, Guinevere¡¯s mood changed drastically. It didn¡¯t matter how good an actress she was; the shift was too striking to slip through a woman¡¯s intuition. Yvonne had always been bold and brash, but even then, she knew that something was wrong. In an attempt to turn things around, she quickly changed subjects, hoping to lighten everyone¡¯s mood a little. She noticed that Ste had been particrly quiet ever since they came downstairs. She didn¡¯t want her friend to feel left out, so she turned to talk to her. ¡°What kind of man do you like, E?¡± she asked. ¡°I can set you up with someone, you know?¡± Ste almost choked. She started hacking away, and her cheeks flushed beet-red. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stretched out to grab the napkin. It was on the table right in front of her, but as she was about to grasp the napkin, Westo picked it up and put it in her hand. Ste froze. ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered without looking at him. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 It was just a tiny gesture. Nobody had noticed it, except Guinevere. She clenched her fists. Her eyes darkened. She nced at Ste, then turned to Weston. Weston didn¡¯t seem to notice the change in her moods. He remained as calm and unbothered as ever, as if nothing out of ordinary had happened all evening. He didn¡¯t think of anything either when he handed her the napkin, although he did sweep a nce over her outfit today¡­ The dress suited her very well indeed. She never dressed up like this in the past. Weston retracted his gaze. A sense of restlessness crept up over him when he saw Ste¡¯s trembling eyshes. Meanwhile, Yvonne was oblivious to what was going on and was just amused by Ste¡¯s reaction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my suggestion?¡± she teased. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty and so young, you can¡¯t be nning to spend the rest of your life single! You¡¯ll need to find someone eventually and the sooner you find him, the longer you¡¯ll be able to enjoy the romance!¡± Ste giggled but said nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t be so shy!¡± Yvonne pressed on. ¡°I know lots of handsome guys! I can set you up with any kind of guy you like ¡ª ¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Lucas stuffed broli into her mouth. ¡°Ngghh¡­¡± Yvonne red at her husband, annoyed at being interrupted mid-sentence. Lucas, however, calmly ignored his wife¡¯s scowl and kept on eating his food. ¡°Don¡¯t talk while you chew,¡± he said nonchntly Yvonne grunted in disapproval, but still didn¡¯t argue any further and just kept on quietly chewing the food in her mouth. Lucas ate with grace-quietly and politely. Every once in a while he would see Yvonne pick at her food and he would frown slightly before stuffing food in her mouth. Yvonne would seem irked by this, but nheless, she would quietly chew the food and say nothing. Though she might look headstrong, Yvonne actually always respected Lucas. Ste looked on at the happy couple and admired how well they got along. The sight was so sweet that she just had to smile. Unbeknownst to her, that slight expression of happiness of hers vexed someone else to no end. Guinevere didn¡¯t care whether this woman was Ste or not. The fact that she looked exactly like Ste meant that this woman was a thorn in her side that she was anxious to get rid of. Ste should¡¯vepletely disappeared from Weston¡¯s life the moment she fell down that building. She should not suddenly reappear somewhere else like this. Frustration filled Guinevere¡¯s chest. She wanted to let it out, but the man beside her was so indifferent and calm that she didn¡¯t think it would be good to cause a scene. ¡°you shouldn¡¯t say things like that in front of Dr. Quirk, Yvonne!¡± said Guinevere suddenly with a smile after a long pause. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll get jealous because you know so many handsome guys?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Those words got Yvonne¡¯s attention. She leaned over towards her husband and grinned. ¡°Were you jealous?¡± she asked Lucas. Lucas ignored her and continued eating silently. Yvonne leaned even closer to him, prompting him to nudge her head away. ¡°Can¡¯t you mind your manners and eat your food properly?¡± he barked. ¡°So you really are jealous!¡± Yvonne eximed, not angry at all that her husband just pushed her away. Instead, she added chirpily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dr. Quirk, you¡¯re the only handsome guy in the world that I like!¡± At that moment Guinevere turned towards Ste and said, ¡°Looks like those men that she¡¯ll set you up with are just her rejects!¡± She sounded as if she was only joking, yet there was an undeniable malice undertone to it too. Yvonne squinted at her, then sat up straight and smiled, her eyes shining with mischief. ¡°Ah, never mind that! By the way, why didn¡¯t the two of you bring your baby with you today? I heard that he¡¯s totally adorable! I¡¯d really like to meet him!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s still too small to travel,¡± replied Guinevere, her expressions softened considerably when talking about her child. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to bring him along next time we visit.¡± Yvonne nodded innocently as she listened to Guinevere speak, but then smiled slyly and turned to Weston. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of you, Mr. Ford!¡± she said. ¡°Everyone knows Gwen was the hottest girl that every man in Ahn City¡¯s high society pined for! Yet now she was even willing to have a child with you out of wedlock! Not all women are strong enough for that! But still, Mr. Ford, she¡¯s the mother of your child now, and you haven¡¯t even given her a wedding? That¡¯s a little heartless, isn¡¯t it, Mr. Ford?¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Yvonne was the type of person who would always stand up for herself. She would never let anyone mock or taunt her without a fight. She could sense Guinevere¡¯s jiving tone earlier, and she didn¡¯t care if it was intentional. She just had to fight back. Once Yvonne was done talking, Guinevere¡¯s face turned nk and frigid. The air got tense again. Silent awkwardness ruled the table. Nobody spoke. Yvonne dangled a spoon aimlessly, not knowing what she said. Lucas pushed food onto Yvonne¡¯s te, urging her to eat. Yvonne epted the food without saying anything Yvonne knew that Guinevere didn¡¯t like the fact that she had a baby out of wedlock because it was something that tarnished her pure and noble reputation, but she deceived herself into thinking that she was fine. She might pretend that it didn¡¯t matter to her, but she was obviously troubled by it. As for Yvonne, she didn¡¯t care that they had a child out of wedlock. Things could happen, especially between a couple who had spent a lot of time together. However, she found it amusing that a woman looked down on people who had children out of wedlock when she had a child with Weston before they got married. Yvonne wouldn¡¯t have brought up a topic like this at the dinner table. Not only would it make things awkward, but it might also offend or anger someone. She would¡¯ve been just as respectful to Guinevere had she not taunted her earlier. It was still dead silent at the dinner table. Weston calmly and gracefully cut up the beef steak into smaller pieces. He then exchanged his te with Guievere. He did this inplete silence, but he still had the attention of everyone at the table. He showed that he was devoted to Guinevere without needing to say a single word. Ste lowered her head and focused on her te of food the second she noticed Weston doing this. Her fingers dug into the flesh of her thigh, but her face remained expressionless. She remembered the first dinner they had together after marrying Weston. They were in a fancy restaurant and, just like now, they were also having steak. She remembered how Weston would cut up the steak into bite-sized pieces for her just as he was doing now, as if it was his duty. She could not help butugh at herself. She had been so foolish as to be moved by that little gesture. She had assumed that it was Weston showing his gentle side to her. As it turned out, it was only a habit of his, borne out of his time with Guinevere. Guinevere¡¯s face now gradually regained its color. She gazed lovingly at the man beside him and thanked him sweetly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you,¡± Weston suddenly spoke as he wiped his hands, ¡°that I will always care for you and our baby even if we¡¯re not married? A m¨¢rriage license is nothing but a piece of paper.¡± Yvonne pouted and snorted mockingly. She could tell, of course, that this man was trying to protect Guinevere, Just as she was thinking of firing back again, Lucas suddenly grabbed her hand under the table to warn her to stop, holding back what she had to say. Ste had said nothing at all the whole time. She was trying to minimize her presence as much as she could. The sight of those two as a happy couple made her feel a wave of disgust. She felt incredibly sick when Yvonne mentioned that their child was already born. It made her think of. her child¡­ She thought of how their baby must now be showered with all the love in the world. Her child, on the other hand, was nothing but a pile of flesh and blood¡­ What had they done to deserve the blissful happiness while treated awfully just because she wanted to keep her only child? And now, she even had to change her name and run away to another city! This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She had been nothing but a worthless ything to them, or perhaps just coteral in their game of love. Why did they not tell her that from the beginning? Why did they have to torment her? As Ste put a morsel of fish into her mouth, she suddenly felt a rush of nausea surging up her throat. Before she could control it, she threw up a little in her mouth. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 The air was tense once again. Ste paused for a moment before immediately standing up. With her mouth covered, she rushed out. The moment Ste stood up to leave, Weston¡¯s vision flickered for a moment, but he recovered very quickly. His eyes turned dark as he exuded an even colder and darker aura than before. It was difficult to tell what was going through his mind at that point. The smile faded from Guinevere¡¯s face. Earlier, she felt assured by Weston¡¯s protective stance over her, but now, she hadpletely lost her appetite She pulled her napkin off and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯m heading to the washroom.¡± As she stood up, the chair behind her was pushed back, and its legs screeched ufortable against the floorboards. Weston¡¯s face turned even darker as a cold glint shed past the depths of his eyes. This time around, Yvonne wasn¡¯t as clueless as before. The fork she had in hand paused right at her mouth, the food hanging in mid-air, ¡°Why do things feel so strange between these people?¡± Lucas remained calm andposed throughout the ordeal, looking up only to nce briefly at Ste when she rushed out. He held Yvonne¡¯s wrist and sessfully sent the food hanging on her fork into her mouth.¡° Focus while eating.¡± Dr. Quirk had always been cold and unfeeling and uncaring about everything. On the other hand, Yvonne was a nosy parker by nature and abhorred injustice and evil. This sometimes gave Lucas a headache, although he would simply let her do as she pleased most times, He would let her be if she wanted to watch the fun. Dr. Quirk was only concerned as to whether she ate well. In the washroom. Ste felt much better after vomiting. She was getting ready to head back when she recalled how she had behaved earlier. Her steps slowed down. Along the corridor. Guinevere walked over from the other end, her high-heels click-cking down the corridor, her elegant figure as a model sashaying gracefully. Ste¡¯s eyes turned downcast. She nced momentarily at Guinevere before shifting her gaze away, intending to walk past her. She was afraid that she might not hold back her anger if she stayed even a second longer. if it weren¡¯t for her, her child wouldn¡¯t have¡­ But she knew that she was now E and not Ste. Given her status and abilities now, she had no way of pitting herself against them at this point. So what if she were to face off against them? She would only end up being at their mercy. Only when the day she could climb over their heads and im victory came would the score with them be settled appropriately. She told herself that this was not the time now. Ste took a deep breath and walked past Guinevere, her vision unwavering. Guinevere burst out laughing and held Ste¡¯s arm. ¡°Why are you hiding from me?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste¡¯s brows furrowed as she turned to her side. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Why are you walking around me, then?¡± Ste found her im hrious. ¡°This is a single path, and I¡¯m just passing by you. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t even know you and have never offended you. Why should I hide from you?¡± An innocent smile remained on Ste¡¯s face as she counter-questioned Guinevere as if she truly did not understand Guinevere¡¯s motivation, Each time Ste encountered Guinevere, she always cowered in unspoken fear, as if weakness and cowardice ran in her veins. Her lowly and humble countenance was precisely what emboldened and bolstered Guinevere each time they faced off. Whether it was Ste or E standing right before her, her unflinching counter-questioning made Guinevere feel ufortable inside. It was as if the person she had always looked down upon suddenly resisted her one day, baring her fangs and ws right before her. Frustration and disdain simmered in her heart. ¡°E, your name is E, right?¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Guinevere¡¯s gazended smugly on the expensive dress that Ste was donning. As if realization dawned upon her, she said, ¡°Yvonne is generous indeed. Her family owns an haute couture production line, and the garments can¡¯t be bought even if one has the money. She is a candid and righteous person, indeed. Making friends with people like her would save one a lot of trouble and bring many benefits.¡± Ste¡¯s eves flickered as she turned towards Guinevere and said, ¡°Sorry, but were you trying to hint it was me?¡± Guinevere was stunned, not expecting Ste to be so forting. She recovered from her minor shock and stepped forward suddenly, leaning in closer to Ste. ¡°I¡¯m just casually chatting with you and just made a passing remark on something about Yvonne that I just recalled. I didn¡¯t expect you to wear that hat on yourself.¡± The smile on her face appeared genuine. ¡°Don¡¯t take to heart what I just said. I wasn¡¯t referring to you. If what I said made you misunderstand, I apologize.¡± In the face of such criticism, Ste only felt likeughing. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She clenched her fists and released them. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an apology. I just hope you won¡¯t say such misleading things in the future.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face turned dark as she sneered and flung Ste¡¯s arm away. Ste stepped forward, intending to leave, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. ¡°Ms. Cohen, I¡¯m one who doesn¡¯t like to beat around the bush. After all, I don¡¯t know you, and it¡¯s my first time seeing you. If you have any thoughts or opinions about me, please make them clear. I would be clueless as to how I have offended you otherwise.¡± Guinevere¡¯s brows hitched as she said with surprise, ¡°Why do you keep feeling like you¡¯ve offended me?¡± She was actually implying that Ste wasn¡¯t even fit to offend her in the first ce. Ste pursed her lips slightly. ¡°I know that I resemble someone you used to know. Although I have no idea how much I look like her, the fact that Yvonne keeps talking about her tells me that we really look alike. I have no idea what grudges or back story you share with her, but pardon me, Ms. Cohen. I really don¡¯t know you, and I suggest that you don¡¯t vent the anger you have towards her on me. I will not take such unreasonable anger lying down.¡± Her tone was hasty but not perfunctory, as if she really wanted to draw a clear line between herself and that Ste Sealey of the past. It was a pity, though. Having dabbled in the entertainment circle for a good while, Guinevere wasn¡¯t one to trust easily. Her eyes narrowed as a cold glint shed past her eyes. She maintained her proud stature, saying, ¡°I did have some conflict with thatdy you resemble, but I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a grudge. She¡¯s merely a woman overestimating herself in trying to seduce Weston. I can¡¯t even quite remember what she looks like and only remembered that such a person existed when I saw you.¡± Her nails dug into her flesh as pain seared through her. Ste forced herself to remain calm. She looked on at Guinevere, trying hard to appear curious. ¡°I see. What happened to thatdy in the end?¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± Guinevere dragged out her voice as if trying to recall the past. Eventually, she shook her head and smiled, ¡°I think she failed in the end andmitted suicide by jumping off a building. It¡¯s been almost a year since then, after all. I don¡¯t really remember the details. Weston and I were helpless in all these. Women were throwing themselves on him, but she was the first tomit suicide over him.¡± Her brows furrowed as she exined, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand women these days. Why would they bother to get themselves involved with men who already have wives and families?¡± Guinevere kept her eyes fixed on Ste, trying to catch tell-tale signs. Ste remained unmoved and turned smilingly towards Guinevere and stared right back at her, ¡°Yeah, why do such women exist? Why would they want to force an already married man to divorce and leave his wife?¡± Guinevere collected herself as if she had just remembered something. Back then, Ste was the one who was married to Weston. All things considered , she was the one who had gotten herself involved with a married man. Ste looked at the subtle change in Guinevere¡¯s face and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s something that I still don¡¯t understand. Why is it that at times, when it¡¯s clearly the man at fault, women always like to shift the me on other women? Especially when they clearly know that the other party is innocent, women like to use other women of seducing their men and destroying them? Afterward, they would turn back to their men at fault in the first ce and be all lovey-dovey once again¡­¡± She straightened herself up and shook her head. ¡°Not everyone is like you, Ms. Cohen. Not everyone thinks of Mr. Ford as a precious treasure.¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Guinevere¡¯s face turned so dour that it looked frightening. So many twists and turns over a simple meal. Upon seeing Ste finally returning to her seat, Yvonne immediately put her bowl down and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought you had an upset stomach.¡± Ste sat down beside her and smiled. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I just felt slightly unwell. Sorry for making you worried.¡± Yvonne replied casually, ¡°Good that you¡¯re alright. The thought that you might be pregnant even crossed my mind!¡± Guinevere, who had stepped in after Ste, stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing Yvonne¡¯s words. As if recalling a memory of the past, her face contorted with rage without any seeming rhyme or reason. The thought of Ste and her child came to her mind! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ste got pregnant, if it weren¡¯t because she knew that Weston had acquiesced for Ste to give birth to that child, she would never have walked down that extreme path of no return! And she wouldn¡¯t need to be on tenterhooks all the time right now¡­ Right from the very beginning, Guinevere had never looked Ste right in the eye and cared about her as a person. She was merely a woman that Weston made use of to anger her. It was beneath her to pit herself against Ste. Yet, no matter how little Weston actually cared for Ste, their marriage was a fact that existed, and they had physical intimacy between a husband and a wife¡­ However, after both of them reconciled, Weston never touched her that way ever again. Guinevere knew clearly that she had tumbled into bed with Weston that one time only because she was intoxicated, which was how they got back together. In fact, her memories of that night were a blur, and she could only vaguely remember some snippets. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. When she woke up the next day and saw theplicated look in Weston¡¯s eyes, that was when she knew that what had been looking forward to happening had finallye true. For a man like Weston, it was not a big deal for him to have many women at one time, and divorce was commonce. On the contrary, Weston had always lived chastely and was not one to phnder around. In fact, Guinevere was his first woman, and he was not physically intimate with another woman before her. As such, he thought that it was only right for him to take responsibility for her. Guinevere was happy for him to do so. In their rtionship, Weston fulfilled his role well as the thoughtful lover, As a boyfriend, he had an excellent upbringing and cultured demeanor as a result of his wealthy family and the generosity and the big-heartedness of a rich heir, but these were never what Guinevere wanted in the first ce. She wanted his love. She wanted him to love her as much as she did him. Although they initially lived harmoniously with mutual respect, Guinevere demanded more and more from Weston, Conflict began to arise in their rtionship, which ended up on the verge of breaking apart. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Guinevere had always waited for Weston to turn back and reco She did not expect to see him getting together with another woman. All the more, she did not expect him to get married to another woman while she was with child. Until now, Guinevere lived in regret over the presumptuous and conceited decision she made back then. Had she told Weston earlier that she was pregnant, thin cht have turned out differently Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. In the study Lucas was talking business with Weston, and Yvonne, who had no interest in hospitals and patients, pulled Ste away the moment the men began their discussion. . ¡°They are discussing Henry¡¯s condition again. I don¡¯t understand what they¡¯re saying. It¡¯s so boring.¡± Ste followed behind her, and a familiar name caught her attention. ¡°Henry¡­Henry Moore?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s a good friend of Weston,¡± Yvonne exined. ¡°He¡¯s on good terms with Guinevere as well. The three of them grew up together, and both men actually liked Guinevere at one point, but she only had eyes for Weston and was always chasing after him. Afterward, Henry ended up with someone else¡­¡± She paused and said, perplexed, ¡°I¡¯d say Guinevere already gave birth to Weston¡¯s child. Why doesn¡¯t he just marry her?¡± A glint shed past Ste¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have no idea. Perhaps he will, soon.¡±. She had no idea why both of them were still not married yet. Since Weston loved Guinevere so much, why doesn¡¯t he hurry up and secure her hand in marriage? There was nothing stopping them, was there? ¡°Perhaps,¡± Yvonne threw out a casual remark. ¡°Oh yes, I meant it when I said previously that I wanted to introduce a man to you. I know an excellent young man who is still single. Do you want to try things out with him?¡± Ste didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Yvonne¡¯s sudden change of topic. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly in the right frame of mind to think about rtionships¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re single right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yvonne pulled her arm and tried to persuade her, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to feel obliged to enter a rtionship with him immediately. It¡¯s good to get to know more people. You¡¯re consumed by work all day long. It makes me feel suffocated just looking at you.¡± Ste shook her head adamantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with men right now. I just want to focus on earning money.¡± Yvonne didn¡¯t take her words to heart and instead said, ¡°Why are you saying such things at such a young age? Work is, of course, important, but it shouldn¡¯t stop you from getting to know more men and dating them. Women need to learn to enjoy life¡­¡± She was chattering on obliviously until Lucas called out for her from the study. She responded to Lucas before saying to Ste, ¡°I¡¯ll head over to see what¡¯s going on. Feel free to look around. I¡¯ll have someone send you backter.¡± Ste nodded and looked at Yvonne as she returned to the study before walking towards the courtyard. She soaked in the fresh night air and felt her mind clearing up. She exhaled lightly and had just walked a few steps when she suddenly felt a strong tug on her arm. Before she could react, she felt herself being pulled to a corner by a strong force. She looked up and gazed into a pair of deep, dark eyes. The air around her, and even her nose, were filled with his imposing, overwhelming scent Ste instinctively pushed him away, her entire posture resistant against him, ¡°Mr. Ford, what do you want?¡± The look of reluctance in her eyes made Weston narrow his eyes. He pinched her chin between his fingers and lifted her face towards him. ¡°Are you here on purpose to see me?¡± Ste thought he must be joking. Sneering, she replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Mr. Ford, you spared no effort in preventing me from appearing before you. I naturally will try my darndest to avoid you if I can.¡± His grip around her arm tightened, and the look in his eyes deepened. Weston did not see anything else aside from aloofness and cynicism in her eyes, and she clearly had her defenses up. His gaze was too aggressive. He was merely looking at her in silence, yet the subtle pressure he was exerting on her made her catch her breath. Ste was exceedingly ufortable, being stared at by him in that way. She furrowed her brows and turned to her side, ¡°Mr. Ford, please say if there is something on your mind. It is inappropriate for us to be alone like this. What¡¯s more, Mr. Ford, you have a wife and a¡­¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 She paused for a moment and smiled as if a thought shed past her mind. ¡°A child.¡± She looked straight into Weston¡¯s eyes and said the two words emphatically. Instinctively, Weston released her hand as those two words left her mouth. Ste wanted to see something from his gaze, but it was a pity that she couldn¡¯t see anything. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help butugh at herself. Was she expecting a man like him to feel sorrow and guilt over that child? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He wouldn¡¯t. He only cared for the child he had with Guinevere, whereas she and her child were but just lowly ants in his eyes, deserving only to be stepped on by him and thrown aside like a rag doll. ¡°Mr. Ford, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be off.¡± Ste pushed him aside, but at the next second, he grabbed her wrist again. It was then that she lost all patience with him. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± She turned her face around and looked at him with frustration,¡± Don¡¯t tell me you just want to catch up and reminisce about the past?¡± Weston had never seen such cold frustration in her eyes and felt an inexplicable lump in his chest. He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and instead said, ¡°Remember your identity now. Don¡¯t you dare create any unnecessary trouble for me?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes turned even colder. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t need Mr. Ford to remind me of something like that. I just hope that you can control your wife and stop her from getting in my way from the washroom and asking me if I¡¯m Ste Sealey!¡± With her back against the light, she could see Weston¡¯s face darkening upon her words. She did not know if it was because of her provocative tone or something else entirely. Ste lowered her gaze onto his hand that gripped her wrist tightly, before looking back into his eyes. Lifting her hand nonchntly, she said, ¡°Do you still insist on grabbing my hand and refusing to let go?¡± With that, she looked at a figure behind Weston. A supple, beautiful figure was walking over in a hurry. The corners of Ste¡¯s mouth curved upward, as scorn filled her heart at the sight of Guinevere anxiously looking for Weston high and low. Since when did the high and mighty Ms. Cohen, the bright star of the entertainment industry, ever get so anxious? How could the appearance of a mere woman who resembles Ste Sealey make her so antsy? Weston followed Ste¡¯s gaze and saw the figure behind him. His brows furrowed slightly. By the time he turned back around, Ste had flung his hand away and turned to leave. The sight of her leaving without any hesitation at all made his eyes turn dark. He continued looking on as she disappeared into the darkness. The footsteps from behind came closer as Guinevere said through shallow pants, ¡°Weston, why are you here?¡± She clearly saw E just now but did not ask him why he was with her. Even if she hated to admit it, she could not deny that E¡¯s appearance had rattled her thoroughly. The mere appearance of someone who looked uncannily like her made her lose all her senses, and her emotions were raging like wildfire, unable to be appeased. Westonposed himself and said ¡°nothing¡± without so much as looking at Guinevere. He went on, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Guinevere collected her thoughts and instinctively reached out to hold Weston¡¯s arm, but he had long walked off. Seeing the back of his retreating figure, Guinevere¡¯s eyes darkened and turned cold. Why? What exactly went wrong? They were back to what they were in the past, yet why did everything feel so different? Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Yvonne and Lucas spent some alone time in the study before finally heading out. Just as they exited the study, they saw Ste walking from the courtyard toward her. ¡°E!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As they called out to her, they noticed how pale she was, as if she had somehow lost her soul. They asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look terrible¡­¡± Yvonne grabbed her hand anxiously and asked, ¡°Your hands feel so mmy¡­do you feel unwell? Should I have my husband take a look at you?¡± Ste shook her head and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll probably head home earlier. I had wanted to keep youpany longer tonight, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to back out on my word. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can always hang out next time,¡± Yvonne tightened her grip over her arm reassuringly. ¡°Shall I have my driver send you home?¡± ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± Thest thing Ste wanted was to see Weston and Guinevere again, yet she had to bump into them, against her will, in the parking lot. The driver was already waiting for her in the car. Weston saw Ste and Yvonne walking out of the elevator from afar. He opened the passenger door to let Guinevere in and simply stood there without moving after shutting it. It was only when Ste walked towards them that he offered mildly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride?¡± Ste completely ignored his offer and walked right past him as she continued chatting with Yvonne like nothing happened. Yvonne, on the other hand, heard Weston¡¯s offer loud and clear. ¡°Mr. Ford, since when did you be so eager and helpful?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like something you¡¯d do.¡± Instead of responding to Yvonne, Weston turned to look at Ste and said four simple words,¡± It¡¯s on the way.¡± Ste clenched her fists. Before she could open her mouth to respond, Yvonne said, ¡°You don¡¯t even know where E stays. How would you know if it¡¯s on the way?¡± With that, she looked at the two of them doubtfully, somehow feeling a strange vibe between them. ¡°Do you two not know each other?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± with that, she grabbed Yvonne¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. My house is not on the way for Mr. Ford.¡± She almost had to force Yvonne into the car. Yvonne looked at Ste strangely, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Ste¡¯s lips turned pale as she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She looked instinctively at Yvonne before quickly looking away. She genuinely saw Yvonne as a friend and did not want to lie to her, but¡­ She opened her mouth and said with difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± Before Ste could finish, Yvonne cut her off nonchntly. With a wave of her hand, she said, ¡°We only just got to know each other, so it¡¯s fine that you don¡¯t want to say certain things. You know where to find me if you feel like telling me. I¡¯m not that nosy to the point of prying into secrets.¡± Yvonne mumbled as she shed Ste a smile. Ste looked at her with gratitude in her eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yvonne knew her way around people, and she knew how to make people feelfortable around her as long as she wanted them to. There was something that Guinevere said right: It was beneficial being friends with Yvonne. In the beginning, Ste was not aware of how eminent Yvonne¡¯s family was. She merely got closer to her because she could click with her. It was only after Ste left in the car that Yvonne finally returned. Upon seeing Weston get into his own car, she began mumbling under her breath. There seemed to be something going on between the three of them, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong¡­ However, she recalled how Guinevere spoke of ady who resembled E a lot. For all she knew, it was because of thatdy that made the atmosphere tense and awkward. That thought made a lot of sense to Yvonne. It was true that sometimes, she would mistake E for Ste in her mind. Until now, she could not fully believe that such a huge coincidence would exist. Ste and E were like one and the same. Sometimes, she would even treat E as Ste, as if Ste was standing right before her. In the car. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Guinevere thought that she had finally gotten used to the quiet atmosphere between them, but it suddenly urred to her, right when the air around her became suffocating-she and Weston had gotten to the point of having nothing to talk about. Previously, she could sweep things under the rug, turning a blind eye toward the truth of the matter, but E¡¯s appearance was thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. She stared at the hard, unflinching look on the face of the man seated next to her. It was as if nothing could move his stony heart. He had always been like this, sitting silently by himself. No one else could figure out what was on his mind. Back then, she had fallen so hard for that mysterious, deep look in his eyes. Yet now, she hated the cold divide he had erected between them. Finally, when she could bear it no longer, she decided to be the first to break the silence. ¡± Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡± It had always been like that. Between the two of them, she would always be the one amodating andpromising , following in Weston¡¯s footsteps. Whereas Weston had never changed one bit for her. The thought made Guinevere¡¯s heart grow cold. She had always thought of Weston as being amodating towards her. Everyone believed that Weston indulged her and doted on her, be it herself or the people around her. But in fact, how many times had he actuallypromised for her sake? He looked at her and said mildly, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± It was an expected response. Guinevere smiled bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think E looks uncannily like a particr person?¡± ¡°Who do you think she resembles?¡± Weston threw out a question, seemingly casually. ¡°Weston! I don¡¯t want to y mind games with you. I just have one question for you: Do you me me?¡± Guinevere¡¯s voice quivered as she asked the question. ¡°Do you believe what Ste said before she jumped off that building? Do you think I was the mastermind behind those people, and do you me me for causing her death?¡± She became agitated the more she spoke. Weston, however, merely looked at her with furrowed brows. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things.¡± ¡°Then why have you treated me so coldly and indifferently these days?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± Weston looked at her and emphasized, ¡°This is not the first day you¡¯re getting to know me.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ve always been like this¡­¡± Guinevere repeated his words in a daze, and she slumped back into her seat, defeated. She covered her eyes with her arm. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like that. You¡¯ve never changed. What exactly has changed, then?¡± No one offered an answer to her question. Not even Weston. It was as if he was oblivious to the emotions exploding from within Guinevere. He turned his attention to the documents in his hands. He remained silent throughout the ride. Guinevere gradually regained herposure and restored herself to her usual demeanor as the car drove right to the mansion. ¡°It¡¯s already past ten. I wonder if Zack is asleep.¡± Zack was the onlymon topic left between the two. Guinevere felt that they were still a family, despite not being married to Weston, only because of her child. Obtaining a marriage certificate was only a matter of time. Indeed, upon hearing Zack¡¯s name, Weston finally broke his silence. He lifted his arm and nced at his watch. ¡°He should be asleep by this time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Even if he¡¯s asleep, I¡¯ll have the nanny carry him out. He¡¯ll cry and fuss at night anyway. I¡¯d rather keep him awake for a while now. It might help him sleep more soundly through the night,¡± Guinevere said with a smile. Weston furrowed his brows. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I cane by to see him tomorrow.¡± With that, he strode upstairs. Guinevere¡¯s eyes darkened as she followed him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to his room and see him without waking him up?¡± Her son would be turning one in a few months. Although she was still sleeping in a separate room from Weston, she didn¡¯t want to miss an opportunity to spend some alone time with him. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 When the two of them entered the baby¡¯s room, the nanny was changing Zack¡¯s diaper. Weston stopped right outside the door and did not enter the room. Guinevere did not notice him acting strangely and walked right into the baby¡¯s room to take a look at Zack Although the baby was still young, some of his features did bear some resemnce to the men of the Ford family. After changing the baby¡¯s diaper, the nanny carried Zack from the cradle and approached Guinevere. ¡°Ms. Cohen, do you want to carry him?¡± At the nanny¡¯s gesture, a look of displeasure shed past Guinevere¡¯s face. However, she said nothing since Weston was still around. Instead, she said, ¡°Let me.¡± With that, she reached out to take the baby over from the nanny¡¯s hands. However, the moment she carried Zack who was still asleep in the nanny¡¯s arms, his eyes flew open, and he stared at her wide-eyed for a few seconds before exploding into a deafening wail. He raised his tiny fists and clumsily flung his hands around, his face flushed red with tears. He was clearly resisting Guinevere with all his might. Guinevere was suddenly at a loss, unsure of how to deal with the baby. She could only hold Zack stiffly in her arms and attempt to coax the crying baby, ¡°Hush baby, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Yet, the more she tried to coax him, the louder Zack wailed until he almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Guinevere had no choice but to hand the baby back to the nanny The nanny immediately came forward and patted Zack¡¯s back. ¡°My little young master, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± It was only then that Zack calmed down. Tears hung from the corners of his eyes and the pitiful look on his face broke the nanny¡¯s heart. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s lips pursed slightly as she remained silent, despite the displeasure simmering in her heart. This was the child that she carried in her womb for ten months, but because she faced some issues in childbirth and she was not well for a period of time right after she gave birth, she did not spend much time with Zack. Coupled with the fact that she had hordes of professional help at home, given the wealth and opulence of the family, she hardly even carried the baby in her own arms ever since she gave birth to him. By the time she fully recovered, the child had begun fearing strangers. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. As an actor, Guinevere knew that it was a matter of time before she had to return to the showbiz. As such, she prioritized regaining her figure and did not bother breastfeeding the child. That wasn¡¯t a big deal to her, though. The family spent loads of money hiring nutritionists to ensure that the child did notck the nutrition it needed to grow up. That, however, did not manage to cover the gap in their mother-child rtionship, which was why Zack disyed such resistance towards her, Guinevere nced towards Weston who was just standing at the side and asked him, ¡°Do you want to come over and carry him?¡± ¡°Must you insist on making him cry?¡± Weston looked at her, not in frustration, but not with eagerness either. He did carry Zack a couple of times and was exceedingly patient with the baby, but that was about it. A family like the Fords had everything at their disposal, and nock of professional help in everything. They didn¡¯t need to lift a finger and thereforecked the opportunity to disy their love and affection as parents What¡¯s more, Weston was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve in the first ce, and so Guinevere did not see it as a big deal. Zack was his son, after all. He could not ignore himpletely, could he? The two of them stood stock still in the baby room for a while longer before they turned around to return to their rooms. Perhaps the baby had been crying so loud it woke up the rest of the household, that the two of them bumped into Whitney on their way out. Whitney adhered to a strict bedtime regime, and she should have been asleep for half an hour, now that it was already eleven at night. Yet, she was rudely awoken by the baby¡¯s cries. Wearing a silk nightgown, her elegant and graceful demeanor was greatly enhanced. Despite her age, she had maintained her appearance well. ¡°Why did both of you return so late?¡± ¡°We had to attend to something at Freemont city, and the traffic was heavy along the way back.¡± Whitney nodded. ¡°Why did Zack cry so loudly just now?¡± Weston remained silent. Guinevere replied rather awkwardly, ¡°I missed him, having not seen him for a few days. I just wanted to carry him, but didn¡¯t expect him to cry so hard¡­¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Whitney¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Since you know he¡¯s not close with you, don¡¯t bother him while he¡¯s sleeping! It¡¯s hard to coax a baby to sleep.¡± The rebuke in Whitney¡¯s tone deepened the displeasure in Guinevere¡¯s heart, but she kept it to herself. ¡°Forget it. Go and rest, both of you. I¡¯ll go in and look at Zack.¡± The two of them were just about to walk off when Whitney suddenly asked them, ¡°Are the two of you still sleeping in separate rooms?¡± She looked between them before her gaze finallynded on Weston, ¡°It¡¯s been almost a year, and Gwen¡¯s almost fully recovered¡­¡± The meaning in her words was clear. Weston cut her off and remarked casually, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Guinevere stood at a side and guessed that Weston would give such a nonchnt answer. Yet, it did not stop her from feeling disappointed at hearing the response directly from his mouth. Weston had initially slept separately with her because they were not yet married. What¡¯s more, she was pregnant at that time, and sharing the same room would bring certain inconveniences. After giving birth, he came up with the excuse that she hadn¡¯t fully recovered to remain in separate quarters. As such, they might look like a married couple on the surface, but they were, in fact, still not sleeping together at night. Weston did not even bother preparing a marital home for them, and both of them were still staying in the Ford mansion. Guinevere had tolerated all these simply because guilt ate at her heart. Even though Weston had never openly med her for Ste, she knew in her heart how much she wished for that kidnapper to die in the hospital. As long as he was still alive, she would never be able to rest in peace. Although that man was a vegetable and on the verge of death while lying on the hospital bed, Weston would still check up on him from time to time. Why would he bother with a kidnapper? They both knew that Ste¡¯s words caused doubts to arise in Weston¡¯s heart. Yet, Ste had long passed on. Even if Guinevere wanted to settle the score, she couldn¡¯t very well do so with a dead woman. All the more, she could not do so with Weston himself. Therefore, she could only tolerate his treatment of her and patiently wait for the day that he would wholeheartedly believe in her. She had been waiting for so many years, and she didn¡¯t mind waiting for a while longer. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mrs. Ford. I¡¯m about to call for a press conference soon to announce my return to the entertainment circle. It¡¯s a critical period for me, and Weston¡¯s simply being considerate by sleeping in separate rooms with me¡­¡± Whitney stared wordlessly at her for a long while. Guinevere wasn¡¯t sure whether she was right, but she sensed a tinge of pity in Whitney¡¯s eyes. She took a step back, a glint shing past her eyes as humiliation tore through her. Pity? Why did she pity her? She had everything right now; Weston was by her side, and she had her career and family. Everything she ever wanted was secure in her hands. Why in the world did Whitney Davis pity her? Whitney got married to Weston¡¯s father when she was at the peak of her poprity. She gave up her career and the glory that came with it just to be a housewife. Guinevere found herself superior to Whitney in every way. What gave Whitney the right to pity her? Along the corridor outside. Weston pulled his arm out from Guinevere¡¯s grip. ¡°Go to sleep. His voice sounded from above her head, so calm yet distant, leaving Guinevere with nothing to pick on. When he turned around, Guinevere suddenly hugged him from behind. ¡°Weston, I really love you¡­let¡¯s not be angry with each other any longer, alright?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 . She had been putting up a strong front during this entire period, pretending that nothing was wrong between the two. But she clearly knew that there existed a huge gap between Weston and herself in her heart. E¡¯s appearance today made rm bells ring out loud and threatened her like never before. Even though E did not do anything except make an appearance, it sent Guinevere¡¯s life and her rtionship with Weston intoplete upheaval. She hugged him tighter. ¡°Do you still me me?¡± Weston stayed still and let her continue hugging him. He did not respond but did not return the hug either. ¡°Why would I me you? You did nothing wrong.¡± Guinevere slowly tightened her hold around his waist as her heart turned cold. She refused to let go as she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°About Ste Sealey¡­ you still me me for it, don¡¯t you?¡± For a brief moment, Weston stiffened up, but he quickly spun around and looked down at the woman before him, ¡°You¡¯re a victim yourself in that incident. Why would I me you?¡± His voice was low, and it was hard to tell if he meant anything else. Guinevere knew that he had no hidden meaning, but an inexplicable sense of guilt somehow arose in her heart. A chill ran from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head, and she couldn¡¯t care less about anything else, ¡°Do you still find it hard to forget about Ste Sealey? Do you still have feelings for her? She¡¯s dead¡­ does that make you feel guilty?¡± This was the first time she had spoken so tantly about that woman after that incident happened. Guinevere looked anxiously at the man before her, and saw his brows knit together. His eyes remained unfathomably deep and cold. ¡°Back then, I had to choose one of the two of you. I chose you. Gwen, what else do you want?¡± His eyes were cold, absent of any other emotions. His eyes were also piercing, as if trying to see through Guinevere. All of a sudden, Guinevere released her hands and stepped back. ¡°¡­¡± She wanted to speak, but her throat felt constricted, and she could not utter a word. She had achieved her goal. Out of the two of them, Weston did not hesitate to choose her. Clearly, this meant that she was a lot more important to him than Ste was, right? But why was she constantly feeling insecure¡­ At the hospital The man sitting on the wheelchair toyed around with the nts by his side,pletely ignoring theintsing from a woman next to him. Guinevere noticed him spacing out. Displeased, sheined, ¡°Henry, are you listening to a word I¡¯m saying?¡± Henry put down the potted nt and looked up at her. ¡°Gwen, you shouldn¡¯t be comining about your issues with Weston to an outsider like me. What¡¯s more, I have no way of helping you solve your rtionship woes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all good friends who grew up together¡­¡± ¡°Gwen, if you don¡¯te clean, there¡¯s no way I can help you, even if I want to,¡± He pushed his wheelchair and stopped right before Guinevere. He pulled out a piece of tissue and wiped his long fingers without any change in his expression, ¡°Did you juste here today toin about how Weston doesn¡¯t care much about you?¡± Guinevere¡¯s face changed as she chuckled self-deprecatingly, ¡°Even you can tell that in one nce¡­yet he can¡¯t.¡± She clenched her fist and looked towards Henry, a dark look in her eyes. ¡°Tell me honestly; Does Weston have feelings for that Ste Sealey?¡± Henry had aplicated look in his eyes as he nced at the woman before him whose eyes were shut tight. Before he could open his mouth to reply to her, Guinevere asked in a perplexed tone, ¡°Is she more beautiful than I am?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Henry shook his head and chuckled lightly, ¡°When did you be socking in self confidence? Gwen, who else in the entertainment industry would dare to im they are more beautiful than you?¡¯ Her beauty came at the price of unspeakable money and time, on top of her excellent genes. If she still could not im top spot in terms of beauty, she must¡¯ve spent all that money in vain. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Compared to Guinevere, a woman like Ste would be considered pleasant-looking at most. Without the habit of wearing make-up, Ste often wore her face bare and in. Naturally, she did not stand out much in terms of looks. Guinevere, on the other hand, was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Blessed with good genes and pampered since childhood, she became famous at a tender age and spared no effort in maintaining her looks. Based on this alone, Ste ultimately bore no threat to Guinevere. However¡­ Guinevere shut her eyes, her face contorted with pain, deep struggle, and confusion. ¡°Why did Weston choose to marry her back then? She wasn¡¯t outstanding in any area, was she?¡± In fact, she might have felt better if Ste were an outstanding beauty that exceeded her. That way, she would be able to understand Weston¡¯s choice. Just as it was choosing a vase or selecting a set of jewelry, it only made sense to go for the most expensive and eye-catching one. Affections may not necessarilye into y. Ste was decent looking, with delicate facial features that made her pleasant to look at. However, there was nock of decent-lookingdies around Weston. As long as he was willing, hordes of beauties would be willing to throw themselves at him. Why did it have to be Ste? Henry pushed his wheelchair to the window. His silent posture betrayed the simmering impatience in him. Guinevere had no choice but to stand up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about me. I came here to tell you something-Weston and I went to Freemont City and spoke to Dr. Quirk about your leg¡­¡± She looked behind her and saw Henry¡¯s figure shrouded in darkness. She couldn¡¯t help but walk toward him. ¡°She won¡¯t be returning. Henry, even if you were to remain wheelchair bound for the rest of your life, she will nevere back to you. ¡°Forget about her. Move on.¡± From her angle, she could only silently watch him from his back. She couldn¡¯t see his eyes that had grown cold, and neither could she see the nt he had tenderly cared for thaty torn in his hands. Its green leaves fell one by one, and their sap seeped through his palms as he crushed them. After a long while, the corners of his lips curved upward. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should always be moving on in life.¡± He pushed his wheelchair out and swept his hands as if nothing had happened. Typically speaking, Guinevere would have taken a hint and left. However, because of the inexplicable frustration mounting inside her, she couldn¡¯t help butin, despite knowing that Henry was reluctant to hear more. ¡°When we went to Freemont City, do you know who I met at Dr. Quirk¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Henry asked indifferently. Guinevere lowered her gaze towards the white table. ¡°I saw a woman who looked a lot like Ste, so much that I think¡­she might even be Ste herself.¡± ¡°Could two people look so simr..?¡± she mumbled to herself. Freemont City. When Ste reached home, she opened the door as quietly as she could, thinking that Roger was probably already asleep. She hung her keys at the doorway and heard footsteps in the hall. She looked up and saw that Roger was still awake. He had just walked out of the bathroom, his skin still moist from a bath. He was drying his hair with a towel as he looked at Ste, ¡°Why are you back so late? I thought you¡¯d be spending the night outside.¡± Ste exhaled aloud and shrugged off her jacket before hanging it on the clothes rack. She walked towards him and rubbed his forehead, ¡°Washing your hair in the middle of the night again? Watch out for a headache tomorrow morning when you wake up.¡± Roger was at least a head taller than her, and she had to tiptoe to reach his forehead. He slung his arm around Ste¡¯s shoulder as they sat down on the couch. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me whose house you just went to?¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Ste hooked one arm around Roger¡¯s neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. She sighed and said, ¡°Yvonne¡¯s. I apanied her on a shopping trip today and had dinner at her ce.¡± Roger reacted little to Ste¡¯s answer, and wasn¡¯t much surprised either. After all, the only person here who was close enough to be Ste¡¯s friend was Yvonne. Back then, when Ste was still searching for a job, she went as far as to ask him if Yvonne would recognize her. Roger was rather worried, but it seemed like Yvonne had epted it as a fact, as time went by. After all, in Amber City, her rtionship with Ste remained strictly on a business-only basis. Although they were on pleasant terms, they were mere acquaintances. She did not even know that Ste had a brother, which was why she believed it so easily. However, the person Ste met today would probably not be so easily fooled¡­ She did not want to worry Roger, so she changed the subject, ¡°What about you? Who did you have fun with today?¡± Ever since his hospitalization , Roger had be more reserved, and he was audibly quieter. He had always been an intelligent child and even studied in the same grade as Ste. Deemed a prodigy and having skipped many grades, he was still around the same age as his peers, and it was easy for him to adapt to campus life. ¡°It was just a gathering that some of my ssmates organized. It was not much fun.¡± ¡°Were there other female ssmates?¡± Ste smiled at him as she caressed his head. Roger¡¯s face was pale, and given that he had lost a bit of weight during the time he was hospitalized, the white T-shirt he wore hung loosely on his skeletal frame. Ste said, ¡°It¡¯ll be the holidays in a few days. Shall I bring you shopping for new clothes?¡± Roger pushed her away. ¡°You better be spending more time and effort on yourself. I¡¯m a man. I don¡¯t need fancy clothes.¡± Ste reached out to pinch his cheeks. ¡°A man? No matter how old you get, you¡¯ll always be a kid in your sister¡¯s eyes¡­¡± ¡°Sis!¡± Roger cut her off, disliking what she said. ¡°I¡¯m already a grown man. Don¡¯t keep treating me like a child!¡± He ced a firm hand on her shoulders. ¡°You must tell me if you face any difficulties. I¡¯ll be graduating in two years, and I can get a job to share your burden.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Ste remained silent. She stared at Roger for a long while as tears pricked her eyes. Their parents passed away very long ago, and before she had a chance to enjoy her innocent studying years, she was forced to take on the pressure that life brought and experienced the cruelty of society. Once a proud and pampered princess, harsh reality had greatly mellowed her down. The only thing she yearned for was a safe and warm home. She really liked children, but it was impossible for her to have her own children in this life¡­ Ste subconsciously ced a hand on her stomach. Roger saw her subtle movement and his heart throbbed with pain. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the anger that began boiling in his heart. He did not want to mention that man¡¯s name and make Ste upset. He said instead, ¡°Sis, I swear I¡¯ll never let you suffer in the future.¡± He said it in utmost seriousness, and he clenched his fists agitatedly. Ste looked at him and rubbed his head affectionately. ¡°I trust you. When you grow up and build your own career, find a nicedy, and treat her well. Start your own little family, and I¡¯ll be able to rest assured.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t get married!¡± Roger cut her off. ¡°I¡¯ll always stay by your side. I¡¯ll never leave you alone!¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish! I still have you. Even if you were to get married, I¡¯ll visit you frequently.¡± There was a hint of sorrow in her tone. Roger remained silent, but he made a silent vow in his heart. After a restless, sleepless night, Ste decided it was time to get up. The sky was still dark outside. She arrived at the training center so early that even the security guard wasn¡¯t there yet. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She swiped her card and entered the building. She sat down, ced her bag down, and took out a bun from inside for breakfast. Roger would usually have breakfast in school, so she didn¡¯t bother preparing herself an borate breakfast. She was fine as long as she didn¡¯t feel hungry. After she finished her breakfast , she changed into her workout gear and started doing some warm-up exercises. It was only when she was dancing that she felt like the old Ste-the Ste who was pampered like a princess by her parents, nevercking in love and always morous, at the center of everyone¡¯s attention. Her chin was always lifted high and proud wherever she went. In contrast, she would always walk around with her head and eyes lowered now, as if the only thing she wanted most was to disappear into the crowd, away from everyone¡¯s prying eyes. The soft sound of footsteps sounded from outside. People were starting to stream into the training center Those who spotted Ste were not surprised to see her and greeted her as usual. Ste had always been the most diligent teacher here. Coupled with her strong foundation and patience, she was very well-liked amongst the parents. Such special, extracurricr training centers would usually have a rmendation system ¨C Parents who liked a particr teacher would rmend that teacher to other parents. Parents would go ahead and register their kids for sses taught by a specific teacher, and the teacher, in turn, would be able to receive a portion of the registration fees. Ste was doing some leg, stretches when she heard the sharp, sour voices of a couple of women from behind her. ¡°You¡¯re here so early again. Seems like you¡¯re doing pretty well¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just putting on a show. She has so many students in her ss, of course, she has to come early to prepare. Otherwise, she¡¯d end up wasting everyone¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Do you really think that she has so many students because she teaches well?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± The woman looked at Ste¡¯s lithe figure through the ss and said with jealousy, ¡°It¡¯s only because she¡¯s pretty! Looks are key in today¡¯s society. Just look at that face of hers. Didn¡¯t you notice that it¡¯s the fathers whoe and register their children for her sses? You¡¯re still young and tender and don¡¯t understand how society works!¡± Even the young teaching intern could sense the jealousy in her words. However, she was not bold enough to rebut her, and instead simply smiled and tried to smooth things over, ¡°How could that be? You¡¯re quite pretty yourself, too. What¡¯s more, there are many mothers who register their children for Teacher E¡¯s sses too¡­.¡± The other woman ignored the second part of her sentence and focused only on the first half. A wide grin spread across her face, unable to hide her glee. Yet, she went on to say, ¡°How could I be as pretty as E? She probablyes in a couple of hours early to do her make-up. Look at her skin- it¡¯s probably some natural ¨C colored makeup she has on. How scheming of her¡­¡± Ste simply ignored the ongoing conversation. After so many years, she had long gotten used to the people around her. There would be nock of people making up stories behind other people¡¯s backs, and there would also be a fair share of people who would try to set the record straight. Thus, she merely focused on being herself, ignoring what the others thought. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 After her ss ended, Ste¡¯s body was covered in sweat. Having just changed into a fresh set of clothes, she exited the changing room when she saw some parents gathering outside, talking about something. Ste did not have the habit of poking her nose into other people¡¯s business. She walked alone to the other side to fill up her thermal sk. She walked out along the corridor while sipping on her water and saw the group of parents dispersing slightly. She stopped in her tracks upon recognizing someone familiar. Guinevere? What was she doing here? Guinevere spotted Ste almost immediately, despite being separated by the crowd of parents. Her smile slowly faded, but she remained calm andposed as she looked at Ste and gave her a slight nod. ¡°E,¡± She called out to her, stood up, and walked over. Those parents looked at Guinevere, then back at Ste before whispering in hushed tones, especially those teachers in the training center who were gawking at Ste withplicated looks on their faces. ¡°She¡¯s here to look for E!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! You mean even a famous celebrity like Ms. Cohen heard about how well she teaches andes especially for her?¡± ¡°Impossible! She must be here for something else! What¡¯s more, Ms. Cohen doesn¡¯t have any children for E to teach!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What if it¡¯s the kids of her rtives?¡± Everyone took turns to throw out their guesses, all of which Guinevere overheard butpletely ignored. She walked toward Ste, asking, ¡°Do you have time? Shall we chat over some coffee?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still have work to do.¡± A rejection, as expected. Guinevere smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We parted rather unhappily at Yvonne¡¯s house that day. I specially made a trip here to apologize to Yvonne.¡± ¡°Yvonne went overseas for work. You cane again to find her next time.¡± With that, she turned around to leave. Guinevere took a step forward and grabbed her arm. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t embarrass me like this. There are so many on-lookers.¡± A look of sincerity was stered on her face. ¡°It¡¯s just a cup of coffee. Or, Ms. E, are you afraid of something?¡± She fixed her gaze on Ste¡¯s face as if searching for clues, suspicious as to why two people who bore such striking resemnce to each other could exist. She must confirm the truth with Ste or she would never be able to rest in peace. Ste could sense her intentions. She suddenly turned around and looked at her indifferently, ¡°Since Ms. Cohen has said so, I shall oblige. What¡¯s more¡­¡± She paused for a moment and turned to look at the other teachers in the training center with a smile. ¡°Ms. Cohen is a famous celebrity, after all. Your sudden and desperate arrival, looking for me, is akin to advertising. I might have hordes of richdies handing their children over to me for all you know. I¡¯ll be so d if that happens.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guinevere raised her eyebrows. There was a hint of mockery in her eyes, but she said nothing further. In the caf¨¦. Right after the waiter served them their coffees, Ste got straight to the point. ¡°Ms. Cohen, what exactly do you want?¡± Guinevere leisurely sipped on her coffee and stared at the foam on top, ¡°Aren¡¯t you even a little bit curious about that woman who looks very much like you?¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°You said it yourself-it¡¯s just a woman who looks very much like me. There are so many people in the world who look like me. Must I care about every single one?¡± Guinevere¡¯s brows furrowed, clearly, not used to dealing with such a sharp-tongued Ste.¡± You¡¯re right.¡± Ste put down her coffee cup and boldly surveyed Guinevere. Guinevere, the famous celebrity, indeed. She was always so impably dressed and eye catching, never allowing anyone else to steal the attention away from her. Guinevere wasn¡¯t very pleased with the way that Ste was staring at her. The E now was indeed very different from the Ste then. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She realized that she would still subconsciouslypare E with Ste. Guinevere clenched her fists. Suddenly, she opened her mouth, ¡°Actually, I specially came over today to chat with you regarding Ste Sealey.¡± ¡°Ms. Cohen, what makes you think that I¡¯ll be interested to listen about it?¡± ¡°Listening to gossip is something that everyone likes to do, whether openly or not. What¡¯s more¡­¡¯ Guinevere paused for a moment and said jokingly, ¡°Would there be anyone who doesn¡¯t want to listen to my gossip?¡± A hint of mockery shed across Ste¡¯s eyes as she let out a light chuckle. ¡°I guess I¡¯m all ears, then.¡± Guinevere fell silent and looked at the table as if considering her words. ¡°You really look very much like her, to the point¡­I sometimes think that both of you are actually the same person.¡± She went on, ¡°Actually, I really shouldn¡¯t be telling you these things. But in fact, she passed away due to an ident, and I don¡¯t feel very good about it on the inside. I wanted to talk with Weston about it, but you know how busy he is with work. He doesn¡¯t have time and he¡¯s reluctant to hear about such unimportant stuff. He¡¯s a very distant and cold man, never willing to spend too much time thinking about outsiders he doesn¡¯t care about. As such, he doesn¡¯t really understand how I feel about this entire issue¡­¡± What she wanted to convey was that Ste was but an insignificant and irrelevant person to them. As much as Guinevere might be slightly affected, Weston did not take it to heart at all. That was within expectations, though. Ste¡¯s eyshes trembled ever so slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. The expression on Guinevere¡¯s face softened at the mention of Weston. ¡°You should be able to tell that I am rather spoiled. I obviously really want Weston by my side, but because he pampered me too much, I ended up being a peacock and refused to submit to him. During the time when I broke up with him out of spite, that woman appeared¡­¡± er SO Ste felt a thorn diving deeper and deeper into her heart. The more she heard about the past from Guinevere¡¯s mouth, the sillier she found herself, especially during the period when she was immersed in that marriage. She thought that Weston was genuinely good to her and that he at least liked her a little, enough to marry her. She did not expect to be the only one who had been genuine. She heard herself ask through a parched throat, ¡°Since you and Weston were so in love, why did you two even break up back then?¡± Guinevere¡¯s gaze drifted away as she recalled the past, ¡°I was at the peak of my career and things were moving so quickly, but I identally got pregnant¡­¡± She looked at Ste, ¡°I didn¡¯t want the child then, but Weston really wanted it. We had a huge fight and I charged into a hospital insisting on an abortion. After that, we broke up.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze trembled. ¡°So, you two werepletely broken up then?¡± She thought that Weston had always been together with Guinevere while she was married to him. Turns out¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t actually abort the baby.¡± Guinevere went on, ¡°I only said so to make him angry. I didn¡¯t expect him to take me seriously and think that I really went for an abortion¡­¡± ¡°Subsequently, when I found out that he got together with another woman out of spite and revenge, I was no longer able to fight a cold war with him. I had to tell him that I did not abort the baby, and remind him that if we continue going down this terribly wrong path, it would only hurt that woman.¡± Ste¡¯s face turned paler and paler with every passing moment. She said self-derisively, ¡°In that case, she should be thanking you instead.¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Guinevere did not take Ste¡¯s words to heart. She smiled and said, ¡°I know that the woman was heartbroken, but she would hurt deeper the more she remains obsessed with a man like Weston. ¡°I was very clear that the longer things dragged out, the greater harm it would bring her. That was why I tried to settle the entire issue as quickly as possible. What I didn¡¯t expect was for that woman to be so reluctant to let go. Afterward, I was kidnapped together with her, and the kidnapper was only willing to let one of us go. Weston decided to choose me, and that woman decided to jump down from the building as revenge on Weston¡­ ¡°But it was not Weston¡¯s fault, and revenge was unsessful.¡± A glint shed past the depths of Ste¡¯s eyes, but she did not say anything further. Guinevere¡¯s gaze landed on her belly. I was about to give birth. I am of the rare Hh blood group and can only have one child in my whole life. Weston holds the child in high regard and could not afford to spend time and energy on anything else. Ste picked up the coffee cup before her and sipped on it. The bitter taste spread across her tongue, but she felt numb to it upon Guinevere¡¯s words. She was also of the extremely rare Hh blood group and even donated her own blood to Guinevere. Like her, she could only have a single child in her entire life! Yet, no one bothered asking her how she felt about losing her only child¡­ As if trying to subject herself to torture, Ste forced herself to listen to all that Guinevere had to say. She bore with the searing pain in her heart and heard Guinevere¡¯s side of the entire story. One thing she had never understood was why Weston had to get involved with her when he did not make a clean break with Guinevere. Now, she finally understood why¡­ It turned out that they were in a cold war due to the baby, and they had taken a break from their rtionship. Weston had simply picked a random woman and married her to spite Guinevere. But at the end of the day, the only woman he loved had always been Guinevere. That was why just a short while into their marriage, when Guinevere looked him up again and came clean about not aborting the baby, after all, Weston was so eager to divorce her. From the beginning to the end, she was just like a clown, a nameless one at that, used as a tool to propel their rtionship. Even though she took the initiative to extricate herself from the situation, she did not retain her dignity in the process. She was also of the extremely rare Hh blood group, with the possibility of having only one child in her entire life. If she could choose again, she wouldn¡¯t get herself involved with Weston, but she had no other choice. Ver This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She merely wanted to leave behind kin, but even that was taken away by Guinevere. If she didn¡¯t jump down from the building with the kidnapper, she would have been humiliated by him. Ste shut her eyes and suddenly looked up to lock gazes with the woman before her. She really wanted to ask her if she felt at least a tinge of guilt in the depths of the night? Weston did cheat on her feelings, but she could not deny that he did extend significant help to her. If it weren¡¯t for him, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to get Roger¡¯s condition under control. Even though she had to divorce him, she never bore a grudge against Weston. She was of a lowly position and unable to protect herself. She epted the fact that she was the losing party in the rtionship. But she had never done wrong to Guinevere, not at all! She had never interfered in their rtionship. Right from the very beginning, she had never done anything to hurt Guinevere. Yet, Guinevere wanted her life. What right did she have to do that? What right did she have to vent her distrust and frustration against Weston on her? What right did she have to demand her death when it was Weston who let her down? What right did she have? Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Guinevere saw the subtle change in Ste¡¯s eyes, and she gradually straightened herself up,¡± E¡­¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Steposed herself, hiding all traces of emotions from her face. She rested her chin on her hands and asked pensively, ¡°Ms. Cohen, why are you sharing all these with me?¡± Guinevere¡¯s chest that had tightened upon seeing the expression on Ste¡¯s face just now rxed. This E always gave a strange vibe, and she couldn¡¯t help but associate her with Ste. Now that she observed her reaction towards her words, she looked like she genuinely did not care about what happened to Ste¡­was she really not Ste? Guinevere opened her mouth, ¡°Pardon me, it must be because I think you look so much like her that I couldn¡¯t help but share a little more¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point sharing so much with me. I¡¯m not her.¡± Ste cut her off, ¡°Also, I¡¯m not so close to you, Ms. Cohen. Not everyone throws themselves at every famous celebrity theye across and mor to hear such meaningless gossip. If you mportant to say, Ms. Cohen, please don¡¯t bother me while I¡¯m at work.¡± With that, she stood up and pulled out some notes from her purse, which she ced on the table under her coffee cup. ¡°This money should be sufficient for my share.¡± She turned around to exit the caf¨¦, leaving Guinevere alone at the table, staring at her back with a nasty expression on her face. The Ste of the past would never speak to someone else with that tone. She sneered at the bills under the coffee cup and shut her eyes. A momentter, she opened her eyes and nced at a strand of hair lying in her hands, and her eyes grew cold. A simple DNAparison would reveal the answer as to whether they are one and the same person. Right before work ended. Ste packed up all her belongings and was about to leave when she heard someone calling out for her from behind, ¡°Teacher E! She turned around and saw the woman gossiping about her this morning. She said expressionlessly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Joyce Duxton saw the distance in her eyes, and her smile faded slightly. ¡°What did Guinevere Cohen look for you today regarding?¡± Ste was amused by her question. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with you?¡± Joyce behaved like her mortal enemy while gossiping about her behind her back, yet now she was trying to pretend like they were the closest friends. Joyce¡¯s face changed as she said agitatedly, ¡°It was just a casual question. Must you be so proud and haughty? Just because you have more students than the rest of us¡­¡± Not bothered to argue with her, Ste stood up and left, irritated. Joyce was still mumbling something under her breath when she saw that Ste had closed the door in her face. ¡°That whore!¡± she sputtered with a nasty expression. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± The door closed. Joyce¡¯s insults sounded through the door into Ste¡¯s ears. Ste shut her eyes and walked forward, determined. She had just arrived at the traffic junction and was about to hail a taxi when a familiar-looking Rolls- Royce Cullinan pulled up right before her. The window wound down, revealing a dark and handsome side profile. Weston¡¯s hand rested leisurely on the steering wheel, his brows raised as he uttered two brief words, ¡°Get in.¡± NS Ste furrowed her brows and ignored him as she continued straight ahead. Quickly, Weston¡¯s patience ran out. He leaped out of the car, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her unceremoniously into his vehicle. The door then mmed shut. ¡°What exactly do you two want?!¡± Ste screamed. Her eyes were burning with rage as she stared at the man before her with scornful hatred.¡± Weston Ford, you were the one who wanted me to disappear before your eyes. Can you please stop appearing in my life like an irritating fly?¡± He tightened his grip over her wrist with a force that almost broke her bone into two. With a voice as deep and cold as the ocean, he said, ¡°What did you say I am?¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The look in his eyes was terrifying. With the restricted space in the car, Ste could feel the chill in her bones. She looked coldly at the man before her, and whatever remnant of past affection she had for him instantly vanished. ¡°I said, can you please stop¡­ mm!¡± Before she could repeat her entire sentence, Weston pressed his fingers against her lips. His body hovered over hers, almost covering her entire body. There was a split second where he almost wanted to cover her mouth with hers when he heard the words he hated. Yet, he decided against that and simply put his fingers to her lips with a dark look in his eyes.¡± Ste Sealey, don¡¯t anger me.¡± Their gazes locked. Ste couldn¡¯t help but tremble. She clenched her fists, her guard clearly up. Weston remained in the position for a long time and, as if suddenly losing interest, he sat up straight and said, ¡°Sit tight.¡± After what had happened, Ste knew how unpleasant this man¡¯s temperament was. She didn¡¯t want to put up an unnecessary struggle and decided to settle down, resigned to her fate. She even fastened her seatbelt. Weston saw her movements from the rearview mirror, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at going with the flow.¡± Ste avoided his gaze. ¡°What else can I do? I don¡¯t want to get hauled away once again.¡± She stared straight ahead expressionlessly. ¡°I know very well that I¡¯ll just be doing myself a disservice by pitting myself against a man like Mr. Ford.¡± The sharp screeching of tires pierced through the night sky. Ste¡¯s head hit the seat before her, but she wasn¡¯t injured, thanks to her seatbelt. She lifted her head, and her gazended on a pair of cold, dark eyes. She tried to suppress the anger rising in her heart. ¡°Mr. Ford¡¯s driving skills aren¡¯t very good.¡± She shut her eyes and threw out a casual remark instead of blowing her top at his abrupt braking This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Weston nced past her face and tugged open the top button of his shirt, ¡°As long as my skills in the bedroom are enough to satisfy you.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flew open,pletely taken aback that he would say something like that.¡± Weston Ford, are you mad? You have a wife and a child. Don¡¯t you find yourself disgusting for saying something like that to me?¡± He remained silent and focused on driving the silvery ck Cullinan pulling forward at breakneck speed. Weston lit up a cigarette leisurely as the massive SUV entered a wide expressway. He leaned his arm on the open window. ¡°Fly, disgusting¡­ what else have you got to describe me?¡± Ste looked away with her lips pursed. She refused to say anything further. Weston retracted his gaze and continued driving his car leisurely. As he had expected, Ste could no longer stand the suspense after a few minutes, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking, ¡°Where exactly are you bringing me to?¡± ¡°I thought you refused to speak to me.¡± ¡°Weston Ford!¡± Ste was on the verge of losing all patience. ¡°What exactly do you want? Didn¡¯t you order me never to appear before you ever again? Why in the world are you doing this?¡± ¡°Who did you meet today?¡± Silence ensued in the car. A momentter, Ste collected herself and chuckled self-derisively. ¡°You know about it already? Seems like you really care a lot about Ms. Cohen.¡± She paused for a moment and looked at him with her brows raised, ¡°Then you must be aware that she was the one who looked me up, right?¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°You could have rejected her invitation.¡± ¡°Even if I did, she would be able to find another way to probe me,¡± Ste said mockingly, ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re very simr to her. You should be aware of how people like you and Ms. Cohen behave. Even though I refuse to meet with you, I find myself in your car against my will.¡± Free will was a false notion given the difference in their status. It was a pity that Ste only understood this cruel reality after paying a hefty price. The car stopped in a suburban neighborhood. It was a rtively deserted ce, with no cars in sight even after a long period. Weston flicked the ashes of his cigarette as smoke wrapped around his fingers. The deep, dark lines along his side profile looked even more mysterious under the smoke. Ste waited for a long while, but he never opened his mouth. She unfastened her seatbelt. ¡°Mr. Ford, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Keep away from Gwen.¡± The four words sliced through her heart like a knife. Ste¡¯s eyes trembled. Her heart had long been torn to pieces; how could she still feel that subtle throb of pain? But it was subtle and no longer as deep and searing as before. do She remained silent for a while before saying, ¡°You should tell her that instead. Or rather, tell yourself that. Anyhow, stay away from me, you both¡± Weston put out his cigarette and folded his arm back into the car. He looked straight into Ste¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Your face makes her suspicious. If you don¡¯t want your new life to be rudely interrupted, keep your distance from her.¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t you send Roger and me to an even further and more secluded city? Or even to another country? You should have considered something like this happening by settling us down in Freemont City.¡± No one offered an exnation to her question. Weston looked at the cigarette he had put out between his fingers. Emotions stirred deep within his dark eyes, but it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. Ben had asked him the same question too. ¡°Mr. Ford, isn¡¯t Freemont City too risky? Although it does allow us to keep a close watch over Ms. Sealey and her brother, it also increases the risk of someone else finding them out.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He himself did not know what he was thinking. By the time he snapped back to attention, he was clear about only one thing: He had to keep Ste right under his nose. It was an ident that day at the Quirk¡¯s residence. Weston naturally knew that Stecked the ability to deliberately appear before them. He should have quickly defused the situation and minimized the impact that Ste¡¯s appearance had on Guinevere. That was the most rational way. Yet, as if he was possessed by a ghost, he made the most ridiculous proposal: To send her home along the way. Even Yvonne could tell that something was fishy, what more Guinevere. Weston suddenly hated himself for losing self-control. He collected himself and said in a tone cold as ice, ¡°Since you requested it yourself, I can send you and Roger out of the country.¡± Ste lifted her head and looked at him in disbelief, ¡°What do you treat us as? Sending us away wherever you please?¡± She pushed the car door open agitatedly, ¡°We have no rtionship whatsoever, Weston Ford. Ever since you made that decision, you have no right to interfere in my a el Since she had been given a new identity, from that moment on, she was E Steele. E Steele had nothing to do with Ste Sealey of the past. ¡°Ste Sealey!¡± Weston yelled her name with a subtle hint of emotion. ¡°Sit down.¡± It was that same cold,manding tone as if the entire world should be at his beck and call. Ste gritted her teeth and pushed the door open with force. She mmed the door in his face and turned around to leave. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Now, she had a temperament that contrasted starkly with that of the past. Weston knew that clearly, but he did not want her to get used to behaving like this. He could only ept people obeying his orders. He still preferred how submissive she used to be. ¡°I repeat: Get in the car.¡± The silvery ck luxury car inched forward alongside the lone woman walking on the road. Weston followed right next to her, staring straight ahead without looking at her, ¡°Ste Sealey, don¡¯t be a fool.¡± He gave an ultimatum, ¡°There are no taxis for hire around. Do you intend to just walk home?¡± Ste slowed down in her steps and looked at him, ¡°So what? What does it have to do with N?velDrama.Org holds this content. you?¡± Upon her words, an engine revving rang into the night sky. Weston stepped on the elerator and sped off without a word. In the wake of the smell of burnt rubber and flying dust, Ste was stunned for a moment by the car that left so suddenly, then she chuckled self-derisively. Weston Ford was the same as always, a man so arrogant that he cared for no one else aside from himself. The fact that he could tolerate her repeated attempts to challenge his authority already exceeded her expectations of him. She looked around her. Indeed, there was no one around, not even a single car. It took around one hour to drive here from the city, based on her estimation. Ste exhaled aloud and pulled out her phone to navigate her way out of the neighborhood. She had just taken a few steps when a silvery gray car stopped right next to her. ¡°Hey, beautiful. You¡¯re all alone?¡± The window of the sports car descended, and a face donning a pair of sunsses emerged. He looked rather mboyant, with a face that could be considered handsome, as much as male celebrities in the entertainment circle. There was an equally beautiful woman sitting on the passenger seat. Her skin-tight bright red dress showed off every bit of her curvy, good figure. Ste was very certain that she did not know him and continued walking straight ahead, ignoring him. The car continued driving slowly next to her despite her clear rejection. ¡°Are you really intending to walk back home from here? There are no stops along this entire stretch of road. You need to walk at least three to four hours to reach a ce where you can nome 60 hail a taxi.¡± He nced at the shoes she was wearing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of wearing out your shoes?¡± ¡°None of your business, ¡°Ste snorted mildly. The man in the car chuckled. ¡°A stubborn one, this one.¡± He pulled off his shades and revealed a beautiful pair of eyes. It was a handsome face indeed. Somehow, Ste found him rather familiar, his face resembling someone she knew. She pondered about it and realized that his features looked somewhat like that of Weston, which made her detest him even further. The man appeared to be of excellent temperament. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a ride?¡± Upon his words, the woman in the passenger seat furrowed her brows, ¡°Darling, there¡¯s only one passenger seat in here.¡± His sports car only had space for one other passenger. If he wanted to give this woman a ride, what about her then? The bright smile that was still on his face as he talked to Ste faded instantly. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll just have to walk home like thisdy is doing.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened, and she said frustratedly, ¡°Xavier Ford, you¡¯re a madman!¡± She picked up her bag and threw it at him. Xavier caught it and threw it aside, his face growing cold. ¡°What are you waiting for? Scram!¡± The woman opened her mouth as if wanting to say something. Eventually, she decided against it and swallowed her words. She pointed at his nose. ¡°Fine, you have guts!¡± With that, she opened the door and got out of the car. Before she regained her footing, the silvery gray vehicle had already sped off mercilessly into the night. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 The woman yelled out curses as the car receded into the distance. Ste looked away. She was about to leave when she heard the woman shouting at her. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s your name?¡± Ste paused her steps. She turned around and looked at the woman but said nothing. ¡°Why are you all alone in such a ce?¡± the woman continued, not minding that Ste didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Hmph! I bet you got dumped by a scumbag just like me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ste raised her brows. The woman wasn¡¯t wrong¡­ She shrugged wearily. ¡°Do you want to walk home together?¡± Ste asked. ¡°No,¡± the woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day. I just called someone to pick me up. You can come along with us.¡± Ste gave it a good thought before she finally agreed. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said earnestly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re in the same boat, after all! Dry your eyes, sister. Let¡¯s never get involved with scumbags, ever again!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Steughed. ¡°I agree!¡± Meanwhile, in the car on the road ahead, the so-called scumbag Xavier Ford nced at the angry woman through the rearview mirror and tugged at his cor nonchntly. Sounds of rapid wind filled his ears. He picked up his phone and called a number. ¡°This is the first time you ever asked for my help, and it¡¯s all for a woman,¡± he said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that Guinevere would blow up if she finds out?¡± ¡°Thanks for helping,¡± the man on the other side replied simply before hanging up. Xavier snorted at the beeping dial tone. ¡°Should¡¯ve shown more respect for your uncle, kid!¡± he grumbled as he tossed his phone aside. As he turned the steering wheel, he suddenly thought of the woman he had just met, and his expression turned mischievous. He¡¯d heard of the woman whomitted suicide, but when he tried to investigate the matter, he found that all information about Ste Sealey had beenpletely wiped clean. The culprit was obvious. But he couldn¡¯t find any news about her anywhere in Ahn City either, so he thought she must¡¯ve died and left it at that. But then, who was that woman that he had just met? All these years, his nephew had never messed around with women before. The only woman in his life had always just been Guinevere Cohen. So what was it with his sudden change recently? There was even that mysterious unknown woman that suddenly popped up¡­ It was already dark when Ste finally got home. Just as she stepped through the door, she saw Roger preparing to go out. ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked, a little rmed. Roger¡¯s tense bodypletely rxed when he saw Ste. ¡°Where have you been?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried to death!¡± Roger heaved a long sigh of relief before continuing, ¡°I went to the training center to find you, but they told me that you left long ago, so I came back home, but you¡¯re not here either. I thought that something happened again¡­¡± Ever since the kidnapping, Ste had always been back home on time every day. If she was even slightlyte, Roger would instantly grow concerned and get antsy, fearing the worst. That horrible incident had been hanging over the two siblings like a dark, heavy cloud, but they never talked about it because they were afraid of upsetting each other. Ste¡¯s eyes reddened, and the tears welled up. She stepped towards Roger and rested her head on her brother¡¯s shoulder. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Something happened again, didn¡¯t it?¡± Roger asked as he gently patted his sister¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s all going to be okay, Sis. You still have me by your side.¡± Roger was right, thought Ste. She still had him. At the very least, she still had one family member who loved her. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, Roger,¡± she assured him, looking up at him with a smile. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat out tonight!¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 The Ford mansion. Guinevere had just gotten the report. She turned each page slowly, scrutinizing each and every word. They really were two different people. But how was that possible? It was indeed an oue that she had hoped for, but it was all too oundish. But still, everything had been spelled out in ck and white, in the report in front of her, so it had to be true. Guinevere sighed in relief. Thank goodness she wasn¡¯t that woman. Thank goodness E Steele was just E Steele after all. As long as she wasn¡¯t Ste Sealey, she would pose no threat to her. She was just a woman who looked like Ste, that was all. Nothing to be worried about. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Weston asked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere just as she sighed. Guinevere¡¯s heart skipped a beat but she managed to stay calm and show no emotions. ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied, getting up and pretending to be tidying up the desk. ¡°I was just reading my scripts.¡± Weston usually showed no interest in her work, but as luck would have it, he seemed curious today and started walking towards her. As his footsteps approached, the tension in Guinevere¡¯s body rose. She swiftly hid the report under a stack of paper, but Weston was already standing behind her. ¡°Has the filming started?¡± he asked. Guinevere nodded. ¡°The investors and the producers are having a discussion about the script so I might as well do some preparations myself since I have nothing else to do anyway.¡± Guinevere had a good reputation in the entertainment industry, and it was a reputation that didn¡¯te from nowhere. Weston said nothing, but his gaze moved from Guinevere¡¯s face to the stack of paper on the desk. ¡°Zack¡¯s awake,¡± he said, before turning around and leaving the room. Guinevere¡¯s countenance darkened as she watched Weston walk away. After sitting in silence for a while, she finally followed him out of the room. Before she closed the door, she nced at the report on the desk onest time. In the living room downstairs, Zack was crying noisily. Perhaps he had caught a coldst night when he was outside and had gotten ill ¨C his temperature was still quite high even after some medication. The nanny had tried everything but he still wouldn¡¯t stop crying. Even Wendy couldn¡¯t sleep because of the noise¨Cshe carried Zack in her arms and paced around the living room trying to calm him down. ¡°You two!¡± she barked the moment she saw Weston and Guinevere. ¡°Your son has been crying all night and you¡¯ve done absolutely nothing! How could you be so calm and do nothing about it! Have you forgotten that you¡¯re his parents?¡± A wave of shame and regret shed across Guinevere¡¯s face. ¡°Here,¡± she said as she rushed up towards Wendy. ¡°Let me take him.¡± But just as Wendy handed Zack over to Guinevere, the boy bawled even louder, as if unwilling to part with Wendy. Guinevere looked embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do. Seeing this, Wendy frowned and impatiently said, ¡°Give him to me!¡± The moment Zack was in Wendy¡¯s arms, his wailing instantly subsided. Guinevere could do nothing but watch them silently on the side, though her mind was fraught withplicated feelings. ¡°Did you get the doctor?¡± Weston asked as he walked toward Wendy. ¡°Of course I did!¡± Wendy replied. ¡°The doctor said he¡¯s caught a cold. Kids are like this whenever they¡¯re sick, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Weston nodded and said nothing more. As Zack¡¯s crying had now almostpletely stopped, Wendy quickly handed him to Weston. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try?¡± she asked. Weston very rarely ever carried Zack. Although he did take the time out to see him frequently, he remained aloof and distant from the child overall. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Having nothing to do, the nanny suddenly said, ¡°Would you look at that! He¡¯s stopped crying the minute he¡¯s in his father¡¯s arms! Say, he really does look a lot like Mr. Ford, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Those words pleased Guinevere to no end. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Guinevere grinned happily and gazed at Weston, then at Zack. ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if you didn¡¯t mention it! Do they really look alike?¡± ¡°Of course they do!¡± replied the nanny, nodding repeatedly. ¡°They¡¯re father and son, after all! Guinevere was visibly overjoyed by this. Meanwhile, Wendy stared at her son and studied his face closely. ¡°No,¡± she suddenly said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he looks that much like Weston. He looks more like his grandfather!¡± Those words silenced the whole room. The air grew instantly tense. Only Wendy seemed oblivious and kept ying with Zack¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Look at these thick eyebrows,¡± she continued, ¡°and these dark eyes! You look just like Grandpa, don¡¯t you, darling?¡± Weston turned dead silent. His Adam¡¯s apple moved, but he said nothing. His eyes were more piercing now than ever, but he wasn¡¯t looking at Zack and much less Guinevere. They were, however, glued to his mother¡¯s face, searching for the smallest trace of anomaly. But she seemedpletely normal¡ª just like any other grandmother doting on her young grandson-all happy and kind. It was a rare asion that day because everyone in the family was home, though Chris had gotten homete. Nevertheless, he was still the head of the family, and he needed to act the part. After dinner, the women crowded around Zack, doting on and ying with him. Weston nced at his father, and he immediately understood his intention. The two slid out of the house and went to a private corner of the garden. Chris spoke first. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing very well at worktely,¡± he praised. ¡°The directors at thepany told me that you were so good in thest project that ourpetitors were practically squashed. How did you manage to convince those people and get that piece ofnd?¡± Weston rubbed his temples. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you here to talk about these things.¡± ¡°What is it, then?¡± Chris¡¯s face turned somber. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Are you sure Mom has absolutely no idea about that matter?¡± Weston asked, looking straight into his father¡¯s eyes. Chris was momentarily confused about what Weston referred to as ¡°that matter,¡± but he soon understood. His face was now ashen. ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times that your mother must never know about this!¡± he bellowed.¡± She will never be able to handle the blow!¡± ¡°It was today that she said that Zack looks a lot like his Grandpa,¡± Weston interrupted his father with mockery shing in his eyes. Those words caused tension to simmer between the two to a critical point. Chris looked horrified, as though he had just swallowed a fly. ¡°You¡¯d better make sure Mom absolutely doesn¡¯t know about this,¡¯ Weston added curtly.¡± Otherwise¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, perfectly sure that his father understood what he meant. He turned around to go back inside, but his father suddenly called out to him. ¡°You¡¯ve really been through a wringer because of this matter¡­¡± Chris said. Weston made no reply. ¡°But no matter what, Zack is still a member of the Ford family,¡± Chris went on. ¡°You should hurry and marry Guinevere. Soon, you¡¯ll have your own child with her¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t have more than one child because of her medical condition, ¡°Weston interrupted bluntly. ¡°You should¡¯ve known. You wouldn¡¯t have begged me to marry her otherwise.¡± Chris writhed ufortably. Weston was right. Guinevere could only have one child, so the Cohen family would not be satisfied if she didn¡¯t get married. Weston turned and left, not in the mood to enjoy the sight of his father in distress. His heart grew heavy with his own words still ringing in his ears. There was someone else who could only have one child. Weston remembered how Ste begged him tearfully to let her keep her child. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was the sight of her falling down the building. It had caused him to fall into a pit of despair. Weston stopped abruptly in his tracks. It felt as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Weston finally took a few steps forward and heardughtering from a distance. ¡°Did you argue with your dad again?¡± It was Xavier, who had seeminglye out of nowhere. His eyes shone with sly cunning as he patted the dust off his clothes. The son of a wealthy family and pampered his whole life, there s a sense of general presumptuousness in his gestures. It was apparent he had never been afraid of anyone. ¡°You b*stard!¡± he snapped. ¡°I did you such a big favor, and you dared to hang up on me?!¡± Weston merely nced at him and kept walking, He had always been calm and unbothered by anything. Although Xavier was his uncle, he was nothing but another man to Weston. Xavier followed Weston quickly behind him. ¡°I was serious about the question I asked on the phone,¡± he told Weston. ¡°When did you start to like messing around with women? And what about that woman on the road? Who is she?¡± Weston stopped abruptly and turned to Xavier. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal,¡± he said. Xavier Ford might¡¯ve looked friendly, but hiding beneath that jovial smile was a sly, old fox. After managing to snag arge sum of money from Weston, he quickly disappeared as if he was a puff of smoke. Weston was not in a bad mood right now, so he hopped into his car and drove to a ce far away from home. Fern City was no longer foreign to him. No one, not even the locals, was more familiar than he was with the route Ste would take every day from her house to her workce. He turned a corner and parked his car across the road from a small restaurant. A vast tree blocked his car from view, concealing it in a shroud of darkness. Weston gazed at the apartment building across the road. He noticed that a specific room that was supposed to have lights on was utterly dark. His brows furrowed. Where could she have gone, sote in the evening? He retracted his gaze and picked up his phone. Just as he was about to make a call, his eyes fell on someone in the restaurant on the opposite side of the road¡­ Ste was there with two other men. She was dressedfortably in casual clothes. There were a few sses of beer in front of them, and they seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation. They were all wearing disposable gloves that were stained with reddish oil. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste wasn¡¯t eating anything, though. In fact, she appeared to have left the food in front of her completely untouched. All she did was take a few sips of her drink every once in a while. On the other hand, the two men opposite her were fully enjoying the food. Weston recognized one of them as Ste¡¯s brother, Roger, but the other man waspletely foreign to him. Looking rather senior and with a pair of gold sses, his gentle demeanor seemed out of ce in the rowdy restaurant. Weston stepped out of the car. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the car door, staring into the restaurant from afar. As it burned slowly between his fingers, a tiny ember of light glowed in the darkness Ste listened quietly to the two men, her face showing utmost patience. Weston could only see her silhouette, but from what he could see, she looked calm and totally at peace. Her two slender legs were exposed, along with her delicate ankles and the pair of white sandals she was wearing Weston couldn¡¯t make out what Ste had heard, but she suddenlyughed heartily, with her eyes dazzling. Ste looked radiant when sheughed, like a glimmer of pure light that radiated amidst the cacophony of urban decay. As the unknown man spoke, he would asionally nce at Ste with a particr look in his eyes. Weston was far from a naive boy, and he knew exactly what that look meant. Having known and interacted with a million people, it took him no time to figure out the sort of intentions the man harbored. He flicked off the ashes from his cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. His inky eyes were now gloomy. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 At the same time, Ste thought the conversation between the two men was fascinating and amusing, so she couldn¡¯t help butugh. There really was nothing more to it. But when the man in front of her caught sight of her joyous chuckles, he lost a little self control and just stared at her. Even Roger, who was beside him, noticed it. ¡°Professor Hall,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°Why are you staring at my sister?¡± The man came back to his senses, then looked at Ste apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he told her. Ste¡¯s smile vanished. She red at her brother before snapping, ¡°Don¡¯t be rude!¡± Ste then sat straight and turned to the man in front of her. ¡°Thank you for watching out for us, Professor Hall,¡± she said. ¡°Please, allow me to settle the bill for this meal.¡± She had nned to go for a walk with her brother, but they unexpectedly bumped into Roger¡¯s college professor. Roger had taken a few semesters off due to his illness, and it was Justin Hall that helped catch up to the course, along with supporting him in other ways. Because of this, Ste had gotten to know him quite well. He left a good impression on her. She never expected Roger to get as much assistance and support as he did in high school. Still, surprisingly, Justin Hall had been very attentive and helpful, asking her if Roger encountered problems in his studies or personal life. Naturally, this had earned Justin Hall considerable respect from Ste. But that little incident just now made Ste feel a little wary. She now suspected if Justin indeed had other intentions. ¡°No,¡± Justin refused with a smile, showing no sign of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m your brother¡¯s professor! How can I let my own student pay for my meal? I insist on paying.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s just a simple meal,¡± Ste interrupted. ¡°No. I insist.¡± With a natural and practiced motion, Justin put on a new pair of disposable gloves, peeled off a shrimp¡¯s shell, and ced it on Ste¡¯s te. ¡°It¡¯s still early,¡± he added. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a walk by the river after eating?¡± Ste nced at her brother, and they exchanged nces. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Hall¡­¡± she shook her head politely. Justin seemed to understand something. He frowned a little before chuckling lightly. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve misunderstood something,¡± he stated. Ste was dumbfounded. ¡°I was staring at you just now simply because I thought you looked really pretty in that brief moment,¡± he exined. ¡°But it was simply an appreciation of your beauty, nothing more. I have no other intentions. I¡¯m really sorry if I made you ufortable. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Now that he put it that way, Ste was truly stumped and didn¡¯t know what to say. Having noticed how awkward things were, Justin tried to make things right. ¡°I just remembered that I¡¯ve got some work to do,¡± he told them. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must send you home after the meal.¡± Justin had intended to take the two siblings to a nicer restaurant, but he knew them well enough to know that they¡¯d only agree to go with him if he took them to a more humble restaurant like this one. At that moment, Roger suddenly put down his knife and fork and announced with a deted voice, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Roger used to like Justin very much, but with that incident, it was apparent that he had taken a fancy to his sister. He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about this, but it certainly did leave a bad taste in his mouth. Now that Roger had said that, the meal naturally had toe to an end. Justin subsequently sent the two siblings off back to their apartment building. After Roger and Ste had gone up to their rooms, he stood downstairs for a while before getting into his car and driving off. None of them noticed the expensive luxury car parked under the tree opposite the restaurant. It was still there even after Justin left. A small scattering of cigarette buttsy on the ground near the car. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. A confusing mixture of emotions had arisen in Weston¡¯s heart. He leaned on the car door and stared at the man who had walked Ste and Roger to their apartment building but did not go up with them. He tugged at his cor, allowing himself to breathe more easily. When he saw that the lights in the room upstairs were on, he tossed his cigarette away. He hopped into his car, picking up his phone immediately once he got inside. ¡°I need the background information of a man,¡± he ordered. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 The door mmed shut with a loud bang. Ste couldn¡¯t surmise what Roger was feeling from his expressions. She followed him quietly into the living room and sat on the sofa. Roger had been hanging his head low all the while. Then suddenly, he raised up his head and turned to his sister. ¡°Do you like Professor Hall, Sis?¡± he asked. ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Ste responded in shock. Roger said nothing. He sat next to his sister and leaned on her shoulder. He was about six feet tall, and when he leaned on his sister like that, he looked like a big bear leaning against a little rabbit for support. ¡°What kind of man do you like, Sis?¡± he asked again. Ste realized then that Roger had been overthinking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roger,¡± she assured him.¡±There¡¯s absolutely nothing going on between your professor and me.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t look like Professor Hall thought the same way, though¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what he said?¡± Ste asked with a smile. ¡°He merely thought that I looked pretty, that¡¯s all. Your sister isn¡¯t so irresistible that any man who sees me would fall for me, you know?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care what other people think,¡± Roger argued earnestly. ¡°To me, you¡¯re the prettiest woman in the world!¡±¡­ Ste knew that her brother was just ttering her. Nheless, those words still cheered her up a lot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all these things, Roger,¡± she told him. ¡°Just focus on your studies. He¡¯s still your professor, you know, so you must be respectful. Understood?¡± ¡°I know all that, but if he really does fancy you, i definitely won¡¯t forgive him!¡± replied Roger, who felt a slight headacheing on. ¡°Won¡¯t forgive him?¡±countered Ste. ¡°And what will you do, huh? So what if he does like me? It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll ever make a move.¡± ( TABLE THE LED VI Ste sighed, then added, ¡°You said it before, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re an adult now, and you can¡¯t be brash and do whatever you want. I know you mean well, but we may not always be able to bear the consequences of your impulsiveness.¡± Roger¡¯s lips quivered. He recalled when he almost hurt Guinevere when he saw Weston apany her to the hospital for a maternity check-up. It was his sister who bore the grave consequences of his action. Ste had been so patient with him. Ever since their parents died, it was her who had been the one to shoulder all the responsibilities in supporting their family. Roger closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sis,¡± he said in a trembling voice. ¡°You¡¯ve really been through so much because of me ? Ste went back to work as usual. It was as if the appearance of Weston and Guinevere was nothing but a fading memory. Soon, her life gradually went back to normal. Yvonne had just got back from a business trip, and the first thing she did was to find Ste. ¡°I heard Guinevere came here to see you,¡± she inquired. ¡°Did she give you any trouble?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°She just invited me to have a cup of coffee with her, and she told me all about the woman who looked exactly like me.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Yvonne gasped, her expression instantly changing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?! But you¡¯re not Ste! How dare she take out her anger for Ste on you!¡± Although Yvonne sometimes confused E with Ste, she still respected the fact that they were two different people and made sure not to treat them as if they were the same person. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ste assured Yvonne. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been back ever since. Besides, after the day she came here, the parents all lined up to have their children learn dancing with me. I¡¯ve made a lot of money because of her, so I should be thanking Guinevere if anything!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you look at it that way,¡± Yvonne sighed in relief. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d be upset.¡± ¡°Why should I be upset about making money? I¡¯m overjoyed!¡± Yvonneughed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck again today,¡± Yvonne continued. ¡°There¡¯s something else that might cheer you up even more.¡± ¡°Really?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah! We justunched a new private tutoring service. You¡¯ll be able to make double or even triple the money you make teaching sses at the training center. You can check it out if you have the time.¡± That day, before going home, Ste contacted the person in charge of the private tutoring service right away. Since Yvonne was the head of thepany, she wouldn¡¯t be involved in trivial administerial matters like this, although she would sometimes help make things much easier for Ste. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 After getting the client¡¯s contact, Ste immediately made a call. It was answered by a middle aged man. He sounded very polite as he made an appointment to meet with Ste. ¡°Would you like me to meet with your child before the lesson starts?¡± Ste asked. Usually, she would have a trial ss with her prospective pupil before setting up the proper curriculum for them. It was quite an borate process, but parents who could afford to send their kids to sses at a training center like the one she worked at were generally wealthy. This was especially true for those who requested private tutoring, signifying they had their own ballroom at home. ¡°No,¡± the man replied after a long pause. It sounded as if he was busy. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll interview you first. If you pass, we¡¯ll discuss more.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste responded politely. ¡°And what time would you like to meet? What kind of information should I prepare¡­¡± ¡°My secretary will send you an email,¡± the man interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ll get all the details there. Just be sure you arrive at the designated ce on time.¡± The man then hung up the phone. Soon afterward, Ste received a new email. ¡°Lowe Garden¡­¡± Ste paused. Why would the client want to meet her there? She didn¡¯t think much of it, though. She looked at the time, packed her things, and called a taxi to the appointed ce. Lowe Garden. The outside sign indicated that it was a hotel, but it was an exclusive club with tight security that catered to rich people. There were many entertainment activities here, but they were only avable to the club members. Regr folk never got a chance to get in unless they had an appointment or if they had a referral from a club member. This ce wasn¡¯t exactly wholesome and safe, being a yground for wealthy young men where dubious happenings would ensue, but security here was tighter than most hotels. Ste had to contact the secretary when she arrived before she was allowed to get in. But then she instantly got a bad feeling when she got inside. There were only two or three people in the lobby. They were sitting on the sofa, chatting rowdily with each other. When they heard hering in, they all turned towards her in unison. ¡°Is she the one?¡± one of them asked. ¡°I guess so,¡± a middle-aged man replied. ¡°She¡¯s wearing the right clothes, and she¡¯s pretty too This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. )) The man turned to hispanion beside him and added, ¡°So you¡¯ve changed your taste in women, huh? So you like prim and proper women now?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in horror and she quickly turned to the secretary behind her. ¡°I¡¯m here for an interview as a dance teacher!¡± she quickly said. The secretary smiled at the two men, then whispered to Ste, ¡°That¡¯s enough! There¡¯s no need to pretend anymore! We¡¯re all adults here. Just entertain those two gentlemen, and you can get whatever you want!¡± ¡°But¡­ you¡¯ve made a mistake!¡± Ste insisted, but the color drained from her face all the same. ¡°I really am here for an interview!¡± ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± the middle-aged man waved at Ste. ¡°Come here! Let me take a good look at you!¡± The other man was quite hesitant, though. ¡°Mr. Ford will be here soon,¡± he said. ¡°He never liked having girls around¡­ don¡¯t you think this is a little presumptuous of us?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t like girls?!¡± the middle-aged man huffed. ¡°Do you seriously believe that? Maybe he¡¯s just got expensive taste and looks down on most women!¡± The two men chuckled. Ste balled her fists and said nothing. She turned around and was about to leave. ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Ste hastened her steps and shoved the door open. As she stepped out, she bumped head-on into the arms of a man¡­ Weston red down at the woman who had just dropped into his arms. He thought she was someone the others had arranged for him, so he impatiently pushed her away. ¡°Get out of my way,¡± he hissed. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Ste froze the second she heard that familiar voice. Not only that, but a familiar scent filled her nose. It was the same refreshing scent that had once apanied her every night when she was with Weston. She lowered her head, making sure not to look at the man in front of her. After being pushed away, she quickly leaned onto the wall behind her to steady herself. With her head down, she continued to walk ahead, trying to leave the ce. Unfortunately, the secretary did not give her that chance. She wed at her wrist and dragged her back towards Weston. ¡°Apologize to Mr. Ford!¡± she demanded. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Ford! She¡¯s new here, so she¡¯s still a bit clueless. Come on! What are you waiting for? Apologize!¡± Weston did not even look at her. He merely tugged on his cor with annoyance. With his white shirt flowing down his torso and tied casually at the waistline, he emitted a kind of noble aura that was out of ce in Lowe Garden. Everyone¡¯s eyes seemed glued onto him even as he was just standing there. Everyone, except Ste. She kept her sights on the ground, never looking at Weston. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said in a low voice before trying to leave in a hurry. She tried her best not to attract any attention, but in the end, it was her faint mellow voice that caught Weston¡¯s ears. Ste could see his broad shoulder turn towards her, and his icy, piercing gaze fell on her face. ¡°Wait!¡± hemanded. ¡°Lift up your head.¡± Ste remained silent. She tried all her might to break free from the secretary¡¯s grip. But at this point, the secretary could sense that something fishy was going on. ¡°How can you be so clueless?¡± she whispered urgently. ¡°You¡¯ve agreed toe, haven¡¯t you? What¡¯s the point of pretending? How could you not know what kind of ce this is?!¡± The men in the lobby came over when they heard themotion. They immediately assumed that Ste had done something to offend Weston ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this ce?¡± one of them jeered. ¡°How can you let a birdbrain like this one fly in here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so, so, sorry!¡± the secretary pleaded with a forced smile. ¡°She¡¯s new, so she has no idea about anything. We probably didn¡¯t train her enough. I¡¯m really sorry! I¡¯ll bring in someone else immediately!¡± A This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Toote for that!¡± the man barked, his face full of displeasure. ¡°Mr. Ford is here now, and you¡¯ve completely spoiled his mood! We¡¯re here to discuss business. Can you afford the responsibility if you dy our business?¡± ¡°I am truly sorry,¡± the secretary said, her face pale with fright. ¡°I truly am sorry¡­ I¡¯ll take care of this problem right away!¡± Ste could sense that the secretary was trembling in fear. She didn¡¯t know exactly how to react. At that moment, she understood how meager human dignity could be in the face of financial oppression. ¡°Forget it!¡± the man waved his hand. He nced at Weston, who looked disgruntled and thought he should try to please him. Thus, he walked toward Ste. ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± he demanded. ¡°So you bumped into Mr. Ford, huh? That¡¯s very bold of you!¡± Ste clenched her fists and remained defiantly silent. ¡°Oh,¡± the man whistled, surprised by Ste¡¯s audacity. ¡°I see you¡¯ve got a bad temper as well!¡± ¡°Come on!¡± he continued. ¡°Lift your head! Didn¡¯t you hear what Mr. Ford said?¡± Ste gritted her teeth and stayed still. This made the man lose his temper. ¡°Do you want me to teach you a lesson?!¡± the man threatened as he rolled up his sleeves. Just as he raised his hand to p Ste, a voice emerged that instantly froze him mid-action. ¡°Get inside.¡± It was Weston who had suddenly spoken up. ¡°Have you not humiliated yourselves enough?¡± he added. He merely spoke a few words, and his voice was chillingly calm, but it was enough to intimidate everyone there. A fearsome and formidable aura emanated from him without needing to be loud or violent. Weston¡¯s words had sent everyone into shock. Ste used this opportunity to hide behind the secretary. Everyone obeyed Weston¡¯smand and tiptoed into a reserved private lounge. When she passed by Weston¡¯s side, she could feel an intense gaze focused on her. Ste kept her head low. She didn¡¯t have to look at him to know the kind of look he was giving her. Still, she forced herself to look away from him. She walked behind the secretary into the private lounge without showing any emotion, even though her hands were all sweaty. Ste had no idea how she had gotten herself into such a ce. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 It seemed that Ste couldn¡¯t get away that easily now. She would have to adapt as best as she could Weston was one of thest to get inside the private lounge. It wasn¡¯t that he intended to keep everyone waiting, but those people wouldn¡¯t dare to keep him waiting, so everyone hurried inside before he did. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The man who had been so bold and vicious in front of her waspletely changed when facing Weston. He was now grinning obsequiously as he held out a cigar. ¡°Would you like one, Mr. Ford?¡± he asked. Weston nced at him briefly and took the cigar, holding it between his fingers. He then sat down in the middle of the sofa, resting his long arms on the backrest. His muscr forearms were on show as the cigar swayed between his fingers. The man smiled when he saw that his offering was epted. ¡°Allow me to light it,¡± he said before pulling out a lighter and kneeling in front of Weston. But before he could light the cigar, Weston stared coldly at him and hissed, ¡°You?¡± The man was confused, so he just nodded. Weston smirked and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re spoiling my mood,¡± he told the man He then stretched his bodynguidly, giving off an inexplicably sinister vibe. He squinted and focused his gaze on Ste. It was a simple gesture, but the man immediately understood Weston¡¯s intentions. ¡°I understand, Mr. Ford!¡± he said as he stood back up. He turned towards Ste as if a mask had fallen off his face. The smile vanished instantly, reced by a severe and condescending look. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± he barked. ¡°Get over here and light Mr. Ford¡¯s cigar!¡± Ste¡¯s face got paler and paler. She slowly walked toward Weston and stood silently right in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lighter,¡± she said. It was then that Weston could finally get a good look at her. When he heard her voice just now, he thought he must¡¯ve been mistaken, but it turned out that it really was Ste. He said nothing but gestured towards the man by raising his chin slightly. The man immediately understood what he meant and quickly handed Ste his lighter. ¡°Here,¡± the man said. ¡°You know how to use it, don¡¯t you?¡± Ste pursed her lips and took the lighter without showing any emotions. She took a deep breath and pushed the metal buckle down with her thumb. A faint blue me emerged. Ste reached out her hand towards the cigar to light it, but Weston suddenly withdrew his hand, bringing the cigar away from the lighter. This caused Ste to look up at Weston. She red straight into his eyes, full of fury. But this only amused Weston. He smiled ever so slightly. ¡°So you¡¯re not willing to see me,¡± he whispered in a voice that only the two could hear. ¡°But you¡¯re willing to sell your body?¡± Those words cut through Ste¡¯s heart like a hot knife. She took another deep breath, and her nails dug into her flesh as she summoned all her willpower to stay in control of her emotions. ¡°I¡¯m only here for an interview,¡± she exined as calmly as she could. ¡°I have no idea how things turned out this way.¡± ¡°Interview?¡± Weston raised his brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d need an interview for this type of job.¡± He raised Ste¡¯s chin and leaned over so close that his lips lightly brushed against Ste¡¯s ear. ¡°All you have to do is strip and lie on the bed, right?¡± he whispered. Ste scowled at him with fire in his eyes. Weston only responded by smirking and leaning back against the sofa. His eyes peered down at her wantonly as he stretched one arm out towards her. ¡°Light the cigar,¡± he ordered. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Ste sighed and said nothing. With her head lowered, she pushed the flint on the metal lighter. Ame materialized, Weston slowly moved the cigar towards the me. His eyes were fixed on Ste as he leaned over. White smoke rose from the cigar¡¯s tip as it caught the me. The tobo sizzled slightly as it burned. The me illuminated Weston¡¯s face, rendering his features even more striking. At such a close distance, Ste could clearly discern the stark edges of his strong jawline. She wanted to look away but was firmly held in ce by Weston. Weston maintained his intense gaze on Ste¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t look away as he smoked the cigar. He took a deep huff and released a cloud of thick rolling smoke onto her face. Ste coughed immediately. Her eyes reddened, and tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, but it was shoved away by Weston. He tried to look at her. He tried to look at her whole face without missing the smallest trace of emotion. He liked watching her this way. He liked watching the emotions on her face that he caused Ste pped his hand away. Once she recovered from her coughing fit, she took a deep breath. ¡°Is there anything else you want me to do?¡± she asked. Weston smiled wordlessly and let her go. He leaned back against the sofa nonchntly. The top two buttons on his shirt were now undone, exposing his corbone. He sat there without saying anything, yet a cold aura that warned off everyone else from stepping into his personal space radiated from him. The rest of the party could tell that his mood had drastically improved. His face might still be emotionless, but his glowing eyes clearly revealed that he was pleased with this woman. None of them knew of the rtionship between them, so they just assumed that Weston simply liked this woman. At the sight of that, they all knew not to mess around with Ste from then on. After all, she was Weston Ford¡¯s favorite, and one would be foolish to mess with his woman They did find it odd, though. Weston Ford had never shown interest in any women. He was well-known in the elite circle for being indifferent to sex and alcohol. All his life, there had only been one woman Guinevere Cohen, C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Weston and Guinevere had publicly announced their engagement. There were even rumors that their son was born not too long ago. There had not been any announcement of a wedding yet, but everyone just assumed that it would happen soon, obviously. There were, however, a good number of men in the elite circle who had pristine reputations but were, in reality, less than honorable. They had a tacit rule among them ¡ª fool around as much as you like, but never let it affect the family. No matter how Weston behaved today or what he did, the people here would sweep everything under the rug and never let a single rumor leak out. In short, Guinevere would forever be none the wiser. Seeing that Weston Ford was pleased with Ste, the secretary sighed in relief. ¡°Serve Mr. Ford well,¡± she whispered in Ste¡¯s ear. ¡°As long as you keep him happy, all your mistakes today will be ignored, understood?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you a hundred times!¡± Ste looked straight into her eyes. ¡°I really am here for an interview!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The secretary frowned when she noticed how earnest Ste¡¯s insistence was. ¡°You can¡¯t be..¡± She finally came to a realization. There was a sh of annoyance in her eyes. ¡°No wonder you were¡­¡± Thedy pursed her lips and continued in a much lower voice. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matterter, but the most important thing right now is to keep this gentleman happy. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Why are you still not letting me leave when you know I came here for an interview?¡± Ste asked in disbelief. She was about to get up, but the secretary pushed her shoulders down to stop her. ¡°No, please!¡± she implored in a pitiful voice. ¡°I beg you! Please stay and keep this gentleman happy! I promise I won¡¯t make you do anything out of line! All you need to do is drink with him! Mr. Ford has always been a perfect gentleman. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll treat you well¡­¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Ste sneered, ¡°You think too highly of him.¡± ¡°I beg you, please! If you leave now, I¡¯ll die a terrible death¡­¡± Ste remained unmoved and flung her hand away. ¡°That has nothing to do with me.¡± This was the woman who had mercilessly tossed her under the bus previously. Why should she respond to her pleas? She was about to leave when a male voice said, distinctively displeased. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you apanying Mr. Ford? Where are you going!¡± Ste ignored him and hastened her footsteps. The man¡¯s face changed as he stood up with the intention of chasing after her. However, something suddenly came to mind and he threw a nce at Weston. Weston¡¯s tall figure was shrouded in the darkness. His luxurious dress pants wrapped around his long legs, and the subtle light from a lit cigarette flickered at his fingers. He looked so out of ce here, yet at the same time, he appeared to be lord over this ce. Everyone was under his reign. Seeing Weston stay silent, the man changed tack. ¡°Since you got the wrong person¡­¡± Instead of chasing after Ste, he grabbed the hair of the secretary next to him and lifted her from the ground onto the couch. ¡°Since you let her go, we¡¯ve no one else to drink with. What about you?¡± The secretary was so scared out of her wits that she began trembling with fear. ¡°No, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t hold my liquor¡­¡± The manughed brazenly, ¡°You work here, and you dare say you can¡¯t hold your liquor? In fact, Smith is very satisfied with you. He¡¯s always full of praise for being his best drinking partner!¡± He said the word ¡®partner¡¯ emphatically, clearly trying to hint at something. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. All the men in the private room caught the hint and burst out in lecherousughter. Even the air became dangerously murky. Ste almost choked on the overwhelming atmosphere. She wanted to push the door and leave, but the piteous pleas of the secretary sounded from behind her The men started getting rowdier and louder, forcing her to remove her clothes as she danced. ¡°Take it off!¡± ¡°Hurry up! Make sure you dance like you mean it!¡± Ste¡¯s hand rested on the door handle, and her grip tightened. She told herself that this was none of her business, and that she could leave everything behind the moment she exited. She was a stranger to that secretary and the reason that she evennded herself in this plight in the first ce. Even if shended up in a terrible state, it waspletely her own doing¡­¡± ¡°Gentlemen, please show me some mercy! Please spare me, alright? I really can¡¯t¡­I¡¯m almost forty years old¡­¡± The secretary grew more and more anxious with every passing minute. ¡°It is my fault this time for not arranging things well. I was wrong, I deserve a beating! With that, she pped herself a couple of times and pointed to a wine ss, ¡°Why don¡¯t I punish myself by downing a few? I¡¯ll drink however much you want me to. I beg you, I have children at home and I can¡¯t afford to do this¡­¡± ¡°What a spoilsport!¡± One of the men lost all patience and flung his wine ss to the floor. Crash! The secretary trembled with fear and dared not make a peep after that. Throughout the entire episode, the man everyone looked up to merely watched the entire show coldly from arms -length, with no intention of interfering, No one dared to involve him, while he merely acted as an aloof bystander. After a long while, the secretary couldn¡¯t help but sob aloud and began unbuttoning her outer vest. Protests of disgust began sounding out from the private room. ¡°She¡¯s an old hen indeed!¡± They burst outughing and one of the men even lifted the secretary¡¯s shirt with the tip of his shoes. Ste shut her eyes, and suddenly, turned around and strode toward Weston. ¡°Make them stop.¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 She spoke very softly, but it drew the attention of everyone in the room. The secretary looked over and saw hope amidst her desperation, ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­¡± Ste ignored her. She was still struggling within herself. She didn¡¯t want to poke her nose into the business of others, but a thought came to mind when she stepped foot out of the room. Weston was doing this on purpose. He was deliberately putting up a front before her. A man like him had no need to get his hands dirty or even verbalize his intentions. A simple look was enough and everyone would fight to do his bidding. These people were familiar with the inner workings of the marketce and knew their way around people. They wouldn¡¯t go to such extremes to make things ugly. Their sudden impudence was surely associated with Weston himself. Even if she didn¡¯t make a move now, there would be more trouble waiting for her down the road. The mere thought of having to deal with more made her tired. The men simply stared at her. His eyes turned as dim as the private room, but Ste could still feel his searing gaze on her. He fixed his eyes on her like a hunter eyeing his prey. A momentter, he opened his mouth, ¡°Say it louder.¡± Ste took a deep breath and increased her volume. ¡°Can you let her go?¡± ¡°Are you talking about her or yourself?¡± ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Weston stared at her for a moment and the corner of his lips lifted as he chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re finally catching on.¡± He took a puff of his cigarette as the look in the eyes deepened. ¡°What are you doing so far away froin me?¡± Ste clenched her fists and stepped forward. ¡°Still too far.¡± She took yet another step and was so close to him that her shoes touched his superior leather shoes. Ste instinctively wanted to avoid touching him. She knew that cheap goods would never find their ce on him. When they were still married, she was once excited about taking care of his daily needs and wanted to find out about all his living habits. Everything that he wore from head to toe was custom-made and extremely expensive. Weston naturally had no clue what was going on in her mind. The sight of her shirking away from him made his brows furrow. ¡°Come over.¡± He said emphatically, ¡°Sit next to me.¡± Ste acquiesced silently. Although no one else in the private room dared to stare tantly at the two of them, they were in fact all watching their every move from the corner of their eyes. Upon seeing Weston¡¯s mood being lifted, they decided to let the secretary go. ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re getting boring!¡± The secretary climbed to her feet and bowed repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, thank you sirs. Thank you¡­¡± She nced at Ste and didn¡¯t even remember what her name was. She took a deep look at her, nodded solemnly, and exited the room hurriedly. Upon shutting the door behind her, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°The one sent over here was a teacher who was here for an interview! What¡¯s the matter? How did things go wrong?¡± The person on the other end said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I got mixed up. I was so busy today and that private room was breathing down my neck. When this teacher came early for her interview, I saw that she was so pretty and thought that she was the woman arranged to be brought into the private room¡­¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. The secretary raised her voice, ¡°You really screwed things up!¡± The assistant¡¯s voice stuttered with fear, ¡°Should I still have that woman head over?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¡°Whatever for? The session started so long ago, what¡¯s the point of her going right now? To look for trouble?¡± The person on the other end didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. The secretary hung up, her head throbbing. She eventually decided to contact her own boss. Before she opened her mouth to speak, the man on the other side beat her to it, ¡°Why isn¡¯t the tutor here yet?¡± The secretary apologized hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Mr. Smith, the assistant mixed up thedies and mistook the tutor for Lily. She¡¯s still at Lowe Garden¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± The man leaped to his feet from the couch. Before he could put out the cigarette in his mouth, he yelled, ¡°How did you two screw something so trivial up?¡± ¡°Mr. Smith, please don¡¯t worry. That tutor¡­¡± ¡°Who cares about that tutor! Just tell me: Did you offend anyone? Especially Mr. Ford?¡± Upon her denial, Mr. Smith heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Whatever. Just find another tutor for me.¡± Dance tutors were a dime a dozen. If, however, he was to offend Weston Ford, he would never be able to bear the consequences. After hanging up, a youngdy came down the stairs. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m done with my ss. When¡¯s the dance tutoring?¡± Following behind her was a bespectacled middle-aged man who looked refined and urbane, with a bookish air about him. ¡°You must keep revising what I taught you just now so that you remember it well. The next time Ie again, we¡¯ll do a mini test¡­¡± Mr. Smith immediately got up from the couch, ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Hall, for finding time in your busy schedule to tutor her. It¡¯s been tough on you!¡± He pulled out a card he prepared and stuffed it into his hands. Justin smiled warmly and pushed his spectacles, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Take it as me returning your favor.¡± After some small talk, he was about to make a move when he heard the youngdyining behind him, ¡°Why isn¡¯t that tutor called E here yet? Late on the very first lesson?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Justin stopped in his tracks and turned around, a subtle glint shing past the depths of his eyes, ¡°Is the new tutor called E?¡± Mr. Smith nodded and said, his head still throbbing mildly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. My assistant¡¯s a sloppy worker and mixed this tutor up with another¡­candidate. Ms. E is right now still at Lowe Garden¡­¡± Everyone who has been around would certainly know about Lowe Garden and the kind of ce it was. Women who were hired there were either extremely high-level executives or, in most cases, high-ss escorts. ¡°I just called the tutor agency and asked them to get another tutor over.¡± With that, he suddenly realized something and looked at Justin, ¡°Mr. Hall, do you know her?¡± Justin nodded with a smile. ¡°I do. In fact, her brother is my student. Based on what I know of her, Ms. E is a very responsible teacher and highly professional.¡± Mr. Smith immediately understood where he wasing from. ¡°Since you say so, Ms. E must have a very good reputation. We¡¯re not exactly in a rush to look for another tutor.¡± With that, he turned to his daughter and said, ¡°Go back and y. We¡¯ll find another time for dance ss.¡± The youngdy bounded back to her room in excitement. Justin turned to Mr. Smith. ¡°Where did you just say that Ms. E is currently at right now?¡± Ste never thought that she would feel so unbearable just sitting next to Weston. She sat stiffly on the couch, her back straight as an arrow. Anyone who observed her for a second longer would be able to tell what a terrible time she was having The moment she sat next to Weston, he put out his cigarette. He knew that she hated the smell and didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for her. In turn, everyone in the private room stopped smoking along with him, though they never stopped drinking and making merry. Ste looked on at them as they yed their games, but quickly lowered her gaze. She would be lying if she said that she wasn¡¯t anxious. She had never found herself in a ce like this. For the first time, she experienced for herself what seedy really felt like. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 While she was in a daze, the man seated beside her had been observing her all the while. She was dressed formally for an interview and had light make-up on which made her look more alert and brighter. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Because it was an interview in which she did not need to showcase her dance skills, she wore a pair of high heels, which was extremely rare for her. Ste seldom wore high-heels, and she wasn¡¯t very familiar with them. Her difort with it was clear when she walked, yet she wore it with a unique ir. ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡± Weston shifted his position and lounged leisurely on the couch. Ste shook her head. ¡°Nothing much.¡± ¡°You want to join their games?¡± Ste heard the threat in his voice and lifted her head, looking at him in frustration. She held herself back and forced out the words a momentter, ¡°Mr. Ford, how can I help you?¡± Weston furrowed his brows, disliking how she addressed him. He lifted her chin and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me Weston?¡± ¡°Sure, Weston,¡± She said submissively. Weston released his fingers. ¡°Pour me some alcohol.¡± Ste stood up, walked towards the marble counter, and randomly picked a bottle of champagne. Weston nced over it. ¡°Another one.¡± ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± ¡°Anything will do.¡± Ste¡¯s hand paused in mid-air. She knew that he was very picky, despite verbally saying that he was fine with anything. He was like this when they were married, too. Each time when Ste asked him if there was anything he wanted to eat in particr, he would always reply with ¡°Anything will do.¡± Yet, after preparing a whole table of delicacies, she noticed that he wouldn¡¯t even bother sparing a nce at the dishes that he didn¡¯t fancy. This man was just like that ¨C Unwilling to reveal his innermost desires, and making others guess it instead. Each time after she spent all the effort to guess his preferences correctly, which earned her a favorable response from him, she would always be very happy. The Ste of the past would go through fire and water as long as Weston gave her even a little bit of warmth. She would never do so ever again. Her gaze trembled slightly as she served the wine ss to Weston. ¡°Is red wine alright?¡± Weston remained silent, clearly not satisfied with her offer. But since she had already poured it out, he epted it without a further word. When Ste sat back down, Weston gave her a look. ¡°Come over. Feed me.¡± 1 Ste¡¯s pupils dted as she looked at him in disbelief. He had never requested her to do something so bold, even when they were physically intimate. Weston was very satisfied with her shocked reaction. He grabbed her hand and pulled her on hisp. He held her chin and turned her head towards the other end of the private room. ¡°Look at how the other women serve the men.¡± Ste was forced to stare right at the pairs of men and women behaving intimately towards each other. In addition to feeding wine, they were even feeding each other food through their mouths. Amidst their merry-making and games, the physical intimacy became increasingly intense. Women who pleased the men immensely one second would find themselves flung aside or to another man mercilessly in another second, just because of a minor mistake. This was something that Ste had never witnessed before in her life. She stared dazedly at the scene before her and began to struggle. Weston turned her around. ¡°Do you know the right way to feed me now?¡± She turned pale, her mind still in a blur, and she felt her limbs growing weak. She had been deliberately avoiding the scene before her, but what Weston did just now made her take a clear look at everything that was going on in the room. She could clearly feel that in Weston¡¯s eyes, her existence was no different from those women who were objectified as tools of pleasure for men. She held the wine ss with trembling hands. ¡°I got it¡­¡± She tipped the wine ss forward and poised it next to Weston¡¯s lips. Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°Mr. Ford, will this do?¡±. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Weston took a sip from the wine ss Ste held to his lips, However, Ste¡¯s hand shook and some of the wine spilled out, staining Weston¡¯s pristine white shirt Instead of making the shirt look dirty, the dark red stains added a dangerous, menacing aura to Weston. He was half-shrouded in darkness, and the other half under dim light. He looked just like half an angel and half a devil. Ste immediately put the ss down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this.¡± She pulled out some napkins, intending to clean up the mess. Her hand suddenly paused in mid-air as she hesitated, ¡°Mr. Ford, perhaps you should do it yourself.¡± Weston kept silent and stared right into her eyes. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and maneuvered her hand to press the napkin onto his shirt. The positions of the stains were slightly awkward. Ste pulled her hand back instinctively, but Weston held her hand in ce forcefully. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. He led her hand in wiping his shirt, stroke by stroke. He fixed his dark, ck eyes so intensely on Ste that it made her ears turn red. The sight made him hook his lips, satisfied with her reaction. ¡°Be more careful. If you spill a second time, I won¡¯t let you off so easily.¡± Ste heard his innuendo filled remark, and was left confused. What in the world was he thinking now? She clenched her first, Just then, his phone rang like a police siren that cut through the air. She listed her gaze and saw him furrow his brows, clearly displeased. He simply nced at the iing caller and flung his phone aside. Despite how quickly he did so, Ste still managed to see the name on the screen. The name pulled her rudely back to reality as she sneered at the man before her. ¡°Not picking up the call?¡± ¡°Not even if it¡¯s Guinevere calling?¡± Her voice was thick with provocation Weston felt frustration simmering in him. He evaded Ste¡¯s gaze, but sull did not pick up his call. He simply picked up the wine ss on the table and took a sip. A whileter, the phone stopped buzzing, indicating that Guinevere had most likely given up. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Mr. Ford, aren¡¯t you intending to go home and keep your wife and child Weston saw the contempt and disdain in her demeanor and had a sudden urge to smoke a cigarette. He wasn¡¯t addicted to smoking, but ever since the day Ste jumped off the building, he would fall back into his smoking habit. He lit up another cigarette. Flinging his lighter onto the table which made a clunking sound of metal as it hit the ss, he said out of the blue, ¡°I¡¯m not married.¡± He spoke in a deep, low voice, yet despite the noise and chaos around them, Ste could hear what he said loud and clear. Her fingers stiffened up for a split second before she smiled gently. ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ve re married, in fact.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes turned cold as he nced at her. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Ste¡¯s nails dug into her flesh. She knew, yet she did not. Or rather, she did not want to know. All along, a question had always been on her mind: Why was Weston able to appear so openly and calmly before her? Between herself and Guinevere, he chose Guinevere without hesitation and simply let her walk to her own death. Yet, right now, he was pestering her tantly and without shame. What right did he have to behave as he pleased? Silence ensued between them. Fatigue washed over Ste. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± After stubbing out a cigarette when he was done with it, he looked deeply at her, ¡°Come with me.¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 The cigarette went out with a sharp sizzle. Its light was extinguished in an instant. Ste thought she must have heard wrongly. The noise bustled around her with no signs of abating It was almost as if the chaos on the other side of the private room could not touch the space that Weston and she were in. There were only the two of them there. The silence was deafening. Weston waited for a long while but did not receive any response from Ste. He turned to look at her. ¡°Come with me. State your price.¡± Ste shut her eyes. She lowered her head, no longer able to hold back herughter. A cryptic smile appeared on her face, and sheughed so hard that her shoulders shook. Weston furrowed his brows as he saw herughing uncontrobly. He reached out and lifted her chin. ¡°I asked you to state your price.¡± Ste collected herself and looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°I want my child back. Can you give that to me?¡¯ At that moment, she felt a sharp, piercing pain at her chin. Weston tightened his pinch on her chin as his eyes turned chilly. ¡°Ste Sealey, you were the one who chose to jump down that day.¡± He said through gritted teeth. As much as he had been trying to tolerate everything recently, and his performance had been impable, he lost all reason when Ste said what she said. ¡°I told you to trust me and that I won¡¯t let you die. Why didn¡¯t you trust me?¡± Ste looked at him calmly. ¡°I also told you that they were Guinevere¡¯s people. Why didn¡¯t you trust me?¡± Both of them had daggers drawn, their grudges and displeasure towards each other rearing their nasty heads. Rage emerged in the depths of Weston¡¯s eyes, clearly angered by Ste¡¯s usations. ¡°And that¡¯s why you jumped down right in front of me? Ste Sealey, did you do so to take revenge on me, thinking that I would regret my decision that way?¡± Ste looked right into his eyes with a scornful smile on her face. ¡°You, regret your decision?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No, I never thought that you¡¯d regret your decision. Weston Ford, I was the one who regretted it.¡± His pupils widened as his eyes narrowed dangerously, ¡°What do you regret?¡± ¡°I regret falling in love with you.¡± The words drifted gently from her mouth butnded like a hammer on his heart. At that moment, a fine crack appeared in the imprable fortress that Weston had erected around his heart. Biting cold wind blew in and filled his heart. The pain was so intense, it was something he had never felt before. It felt so foreign that Weston did not know how to respond. His face turned dark with fury, yet there was nothing he could do to vent his frustration on her. ¡°Ste Sealey, you¡­¡± He viciously pinched her chin, and his breath blew hot and heavy on her cheeks. He was so angry that he felt like he could almost eat her up, flesh and bones. ¡°You really have a way, don¡¯t you?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She could always seed in making him lose control of his senses. When it boiled down to it, all his reason and sanity was like a joke. She loved him. Turns out that she loved him. ¡°You love me, is that so?¡± He pinched her chin so hard that it stung, making Ste¡¯s eyes well with red, hot tears. Upon his question, sheughed hysterically and mockingly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t, would I havended myself in such a plight?¡± She was thankful that Weston paid off Roger¡¯s hospital bills. As such, she never dared to use her own affections towards him as ransom for his reciprocity. When Guinevere appeared, she chose to let go very quickly without anyints. But what she experienced thereafter was definitely not something she deserved! She lost a child, the only child she could possibly have in her entire life! She was forced to leave her home, change her name, and start a new life. Yet, if she had not gotten herself involved with Weston, even if she had to be burdened by the massive hospital debt, she wouldn¡¯t be in as much pain and sorrow as she was right now. As much as Roger¡¯s condition could not be resolved overnight, Ste was willing to slog it out and work her days away to pay off the medical and operation fees. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 That would have been way better than her state right now,pared to the searing pain that she felt each time she thought of her lost child¡­ Falling asleep was a struggle every night, and when she eventually managed to fall asleep, she would awake in tears each time. What about him? Ste looked coldly at him. ¡°The thing I regret the most in my life is¡­Mm!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Before she couldplete her sentence, her lips were sealed by another. She could only swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue, while what she had spoken were lost between their lips. Weston kissed her hard, his arms circling her waist like bands of steel. He pressed her down on the couch and exerted more pressure with every passing second. Her words were the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. He had reached the limits of what he could bear, and all he could do now was to let his overwhelming emotions drown himself out. He wanted to kiss her¡­ He wanted to take her¡­ He wanted to stop her damned lips from saying things that he hated hearing. He wanted Ste to be like she was before, looking at him with those eyes filled with single minded love for him. Him and him only. ¡°Mm¡­ West¡­ Weston Ford!¡± Ste struggled with all her might, her eyes widening with fear. ¡°Let me go¡­let me go!¡± She struck her fists against his chest continuously, not expecting that he would force himself upon her. When she felt his hand reaching under her shirt, Ste flung a tight p on his face. Smack! The sound quietened the entire private room. The silence was deafening. No one dared to tantly look at what Weston was doing, but everyone was in fact looking at them from the corner of their eye. When they saw the two of them kissing, one of them evenmented inside, ¡°To think that someone as chaste as Mr. Ford would cheat on Cohen, the famous celebrity, behind her back¡­¡± ¡°Men are all the same, there¡¯s no such thing as abstinence and being chaste! It¡¯s merely a matter of taste. Once the taste is right, anything goes!¡± ¡°This woman looks like she¡¯s lost. She¡¯s clearly an honest woman who doesn¡¯t belong here! My take is that he doesn¡¯t fancy all those beautiful women in the past because they are all too savvy for him¡­¡± The men bowled over withughter, in unspoken agreement to pretend that they did not see anything happen. This was an unstated rule in the industry to turn a blind eye to certain things if they wished to survive in peace. However, no one expected what would happen next¡­ That the woman would give Weston a p! In an instant, the bustling chaos died down, leaving behind a dead silence. Ste was in a furious daze, her palm still numb from the p. She panted heavily, her entire body quivering. Weston was half-shrouded in darkness and it was difficult to see the expression on his face. However, the faint red mark on his face could roughly be seen under the dim light. He remained unmoved, and even more calm andposed than he was before. This was the first time he received a p. Instead of being furious, he looked at Ste as unknown thoughts ran through his mind. Ste took a deep breath. She was absolutely disgusted and horrified when she snapped back to reality and wiped away all traces of his scent from her lips. She stood up and left the ce without turning back. She stumbled out of the door of the private room. It was only after the door closed that someone responded, ¡°Why did she run? Mr. Ford, do you want us to chase after her?¡± Weston nced coldly at them, his bloodshot eyes looking murderous, ¡°Scram.¡± Along the corridor. Ste had just run a few steps when she heard a loud sounding from the private room she just left. ¨C ¡ª It sounded like something had overturned, and all its contents crashed on the floor. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 At that moment, Ste stopped in her tracks out of fear. But it was just for that moment. She continued running ahead without hesitation. Feeling a slight, sharp pain at the corner of her mouth, she wiped hard at it, wanting to erase all memories and feelings that she felt there earlier. All she could see before her was how Weston had gone crazy just now. She shut her eyes, feeling her heart trembling inside her chest. An instinctive sense of disgust overwhelmed her as she bent over at the waist and stopped. She held the wall next to her and couldn¡¯t help but retch. Her knees went weak, and she had to hold onto the wall to stop herself from copsing on the floor. After a moment¡¯s rest, she immediately stood up, worried that the people in the private room would chase after her. Ste looked up and saw a person appearing unexpectedly before her eyes. She instinctively took a step back as shock registered on her face. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Seeing that it really was Ste before him, Justin heaved a sigh of relief. Yet, when he saw her pale face, his chest tightened with worry again. ¡°What happened?¡± Ste snapped back to attention from her shock at seeing Justin here. However, the sight of him made her heave a sigh of relief as she said, ¡°Mr. Hall¡­it¡¯s nothing. What are you doing here?¡± She looked at him and said hurriedly, with no time to waste, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hall. I have something on right now and need to make a move.¡± With that, she ran out in a hurry without hearing what Justin had to say. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked towards the direction that Ste ran from. After a moment, he ran after her without a further word. Ste ran all the way to the streets and finally stopped to rest after making sure that no one was after her. That was when she realized that Justin had been following right behind her all along. ¡°Mr. Hall,¡± She asked doubtfully, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Justin shrugged and said helplessly, ¡°Why did you run when you saw me? What were you doing at a ce like that?¡± Ste pursed her lips and replied honestly, ¡°I was originally here to interview as a home tutor, but the assistant got the wrong address¡­¡± Justin was already in the know about the situation, but he put on a shocked expression, ¡°What about your interview, then?¡± Ste shook her head and smiled bitterly, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s all over. Forget it¡­¡± Justin walked by her side and asked with concern, ¡°If you need help, please let me know.¡± He had always maintained a polite distance with Ste. Somehow, a strange feeling overcame Ste as she felt his aura being magnified in the night air. She lifted her head and looked at him, perplexed and confused. ¡°1¡­¡± She tightened her grip over the strap of her bag and took a step back, shaking her head. A strange feeling that she had never felt before overwhelmed her. Her entire body suddenly felt inexplicably warm. Justin sensed that something was wrong with her and furrowed his brows. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste shook her head profusely and suddenly became very alert. She widened her eyes, and her breathing became heavier. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± With that, she tried to stumble away. Justin was naturally concerned at the sight of her condition. He grabbed her arms and tried to gently pull her back. ¡°Are you¡­¡± His gaze thatnded on her face was deep and pensive. He looked at her from top to toe and a thought came to mind. ¡°You said that you went to the wrong address. Did you somehow touch or drink something spiked?¡± Ste shook her head again. ¡°No¡­I neither drank nor ate anything¡­¡± But Justin¡¯s suspicion raised some of her own in her mind. In a ce like that, anything nasty was possible. er Ste shut her eyes as scenes of what transpired in the private room flew past her mind. Weston forced her to look at those disgusting scenes, to face up to the cruel principle of survival of the fittest acting out in real life. That was a life devoid of dignity, in which one would be objectified and yed like a fool, eventually flung aside and abandoned, as long as one was lowly in status and poor. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 It might have been the recollection of the scene earlier that triggered the effects of the drug in her blood. She opened her eyes wide, which were slightly red and bloodshot, and couldn¡¯t stop her body from shaking involuntarily. Justin could clearly see that something was wrong with Ste as he crouched down before her. ¡°What exactly is going on with you?¡± awake, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Could you send me to the hospital, please?¡± 0 In the dimly lit private room. A moment¡¯s change made the noisy and bustling private room turn deadly silent. No one dared to make a sound as they all looked tentatively at Weston. Ever since Ste left, he thrashed everything within reach in the private room. Beginning with the table right before him, to the wine ss that Ste poured wine into for him, almost everything was smashed mercilessly on the floor. ss shards were all over the floor. No one dared to even breathe, clueless as to why Weston was so worked up. Even Weston himself did not know why. At that moment, he was seated in a dark corner, his dress pants slightly wrinkled from being sat on by Ste. His buckle shone in the light, while the red stains on his white shirt could barely be seen. The man¡¯s sharp, beautiful eyes were shrouded in the darkness. His slightly heavy breaths betrayed the bad mood he was currently in. He took a long puff of his cigarette as scenes from earlier reyed endlessly in his mind. He was not one to lose control. Over so many years, he had never lost control over himself. Earlier, he had forced Ste into his embrace, seeking her touch by pinching her chin and demanding more of her. Weston shut his eyes as the urge overwhelmed him again. He merely wanted to recall how he had lost control back then, but did not expect the mere memory to flip a switch deep inside him. He cursed inwardly and somehow sensed that something was off, as if there was something else coursing through his veins. He suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°You lit the fragrance in here?¡± Everyone in the private room sat up straight, their faces tense. ¡°I¡­¡± The fragrance in this ce was no ordinary fragrance, but fragrance that had additional ingredients in them. While it was not harmful to the body, it had aphrodisiac properties. Such tactics weremonce in venues such as these, and no one would explicitly highlight its existence. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. What¡¯s more, such fragrances were only used in moderation to lighten the mood. While it might cause difort to some, most people wouldn¡¯t lose all their senses, simr to being slightly intoxicated. Yet, its effects might differ from person to person. There might be a small proportion who would react strongly to it. The portion administered in the fragrance was considered moderate. For most people, as long as they indulged themselves and enjoyed the effect that the drug caused them, it had the ability to make them very happy. Otherwise, those people in the private room wouldn¡¯t have gone to such extremes earlier. Someone asked boldly, ¡°Mr. Ford, do you not like this smell? I¡¯ll get someone to air the room right away.¡± 1 Weston shut his eyes. No wonder. He had no choice but to me his strange behavior on this unusual fragrance. Otherwise, he really couldn¡¯t figure out why he had lost control so thoroughly. Suddenly, he opened his eyes as a look of viciousness shed past his eyes. Ste Sealey¡­ Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Deep in the night, the wind that blew past felt slightly chilly. Yet, it failed to awaken Ste from her stupor. She stumbled against a billboard and tried to steady her breath. She looked at the man before her and said, ¡°I think I feel slightly unwell. Could you take me to the hospital?¡± Justin instinctively tried to hold her up. However, the moment he touched her, Ste felt an inexplicable sense of desire course through her veins. When she looked into his eyes, she suddenly pulled her hand back like she was scalded, feeling a strong sense of repulsion and torture. The sight of her caused realization to dawn on Justin. ¡°You probably touched something unclean. In a ce like that, even if you didn¡¯t eat or drink anything, they would still be able to make you inhale something through the air inside.¡± ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°I thought that smell was normal in ces like that.¡± She never expected that a fragrance would have such a big impact. She shut her eyes as her face contorted in misery. The look on Justin¡¯s face darkened as a glint shed past his eyes. He took a step forward, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you. I know a private doctor and I can bring you to him¡­¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Before he could say any further, a sharp ringing sound came from a phone and cut him off mid - sentence. It was like a p on Justin¡¯s face that rudely awoke him. He chuckled self-derisively. What was he thinking? He clearly had many ways to send Ste back home safely, or even contact her family members. Yet, he wanted to send her back to his own house. What was the matter with him? Justin shook his head as he saw Ste pull her phone out with trembling hands. However, upon seeing that Ste was out of energy to answer the call, Justin did so on her behalf. When Weston heard a man¡¯s voice answering the call, his muscles tensed up and he gripped his phone so tightly that it almost bent out of shape. He demanded darkly, ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± The animosity-filled voice made Justin furrow his brows. He nced at the phone screen and realized that it was a foreign number. He looked at Ste and said, ¡°Who are you? Why are you calling E? She can¡¯te to the phone right now¡­¡± ¡°Who in the world are you?¡± Weston cut him off almost violently, ¡°Who allowed you to touch her phone?¡± Shocked displeasure emerged in Justin¡¯s heart. He remembered that E was single and did not have many male friends except for Robb. The man on the call sounded so angry, as if he shared a close rtionship with Ste¡­ Justin asked tantly, ¡°E, do you have a boyfriend?¡± Ste lifted her gaze and nced at him before shaking her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Justin heaved a sigh of relief and sensed that the other party on the call was trying to pursue Ste, like he was. With that thought in mind, he said in a tone less kind than before, ¡°She feels awful right now and is in no mood to speak to you.¡± With that, he hung up The beeping tone from the phone made Weston fling it hard on the ground. His ck phone was smashed into pieces in an instant. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 A service staff walking past the corridor jumped in shock from his sudden movement and immediately stered herself against the wall, not daring to move an inch. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Weston ignored herpletely and headed outside in quick, huge strides. He pulled at his cor, but still felt stuffy despite being in the fresh night air. After he left, the people in the private room finally had the freedom to speak their minds. ¡°I was so frightened just now. I¡¯ve never seen Mr. Ford behave as scary as he was just now¡­¡± ¡°Having known him for so many years, who knew that someone would have the guts to offend the high and mighty Weston Ford of Ahn City, the man whom everyone must bow down to!¡± He was like a sleeping lion, a natural king of the jungle, staring down from his lofty and superior position at all the small and insignificant creatures below him fighting and fussing amongst themselves. Someone like him never bothered to blow his top. Not because he had a good temper, but because no one dared to ruffle his feathers. Everyone in the room exchanged nces as they thought about that woman from just now, confused and perplexed by what was going on. Ste could hardly stand straight. Justin had to hold her up while trying to hail a car. He had originally wanted to use the excuse of joining a drinking session as a reason for bumping into Ste, but he didn¡¯t expect that he didn¡¯t even need to use the excuse he prepared beforehand. The ck car ground to a halt right before them. Justin was about to help Ste into the car when a huge force pulled him from behind. Before he could react, he felt a blow to his face. The punch was so strong that he stumbled a few steps back, unable to see clearly who the attacker was. Searing pain shot through his face, and his nose bridge felt like it had broken into two pieces. He felt dizzy as the world spun before him and almost lost his bnce. He instinctively released his grip over Ste who then fell on her side without his support. Just then, a strong pair of arms dragged her into his embrace. Weston held her in one arm, the other supporting the back of her head and leaning it against his shoulders. He felt her breath, hot and heavy, and fury boiled over in his heart. He flung a chilly nce at Justin, ¡°Do you have a death wish? How dare you touch her?¡± Justin had barely recovered from the wave of dizziness and intense pain when he heard the ferocious threating from the man before he could even lift up his head to take a good look at who he was. That voice was so familiar¡­ The moment he looked into Weston¡¯s eyes, he said in utter shock, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Justin was a university professor and was not unfamiliar with the business world. He was even considered a rtively important figure in the industry, and had naturally heard about Weston Ford. What he did not expect was for Ste and Weston to know each other! The sight of Weston forcefully pulling Ste into his arms made his pupils dte, ¡°Who is E to you?¡± ¡°None of your business,¡± Weston hauled Ste up in his arms and turned around to leave. Driven by an unknown impulse , Justin suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, I have no idea what¡¯s your rtionship with E, but isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to bring her away so recklessly?¡± He wiped away the blood trickling from the corner of his lips. ¡°Should you at least ask E whether she¡¯s willing to leave with you?¡± Weston halted in his footsteps and looked coldly at him, ¡°Even if she¡¯s not willing to leave with me, would she even want to leave with you?¡± Justin looked unflinchingly into his eyes. ¡°Mr. Ford, you are a man with a family. Everyone knows that you¡¯re married to Ms. Cohen and have a child together. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s taken over you to suddenly want to try something new and fresh, but E is not like other women in the industry. She can¡¯t afford to get involved with the likes of you, so please show some mercy and let her go.¡± ¡°Show some mercy?¡± Weston looked like he had heard a joke. ¡°Who are you to her? What right do you have to talk to me like that?¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 So noisy¡­ Why was it so noisy? Ste was already in much pain to begin with, but the unrelenting noise by her ears which sounded like people fighting worsened the pain further. ¡°Mr. Hall¡­¡± She called for him once again. ¡°Could you take me to the hospital?¡± Justin stepped forward and looked into Weston¡¯s eyes, ¡°Mr. Ford, do you hear that? She¡¯s calling for me.¡± Weston fell silent as he red at the woman in his arms. Yet, he still showed no signs of handing her over to Justin. He was serious when he delivered that punch to Justin earlier. Justin touched the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue, which sent pain shooting through his face. Ste was probably not the only one who needed a doctor right now. He probably needed one himself, too With that thought, he nced tentatively at Weston. What rtionship did he really have with Ste? It must be close enough for him to get so agitated. In his impression, everyone else always knew Weston as the cold prince. He always maintained hisposure even if mountains were toe crashing down before him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself. Scram.¡± Weston ignored him and began walking away with Ste in his arms. The woman in his arms suddenly opened her eyes, as if sensing that something was wrong. When she looked into Weston¡¯s eyes, she was rudely awoken by the sight of him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She struggled against his hold with all her might, her eyes filled with resistance. ¡°Let me go! I said, let me go! Do you hear me?¡¯ She was already feeling terrible, drifting in and out of consciousness. Earlier, she was in a daze and clueless about the situation. Now that she saw Weston¡¯s face clearly, the sight of him made her feel utterly disgusted. ¡°What else do you intend to do to me? I¡¯m already in such a terrible state, and you still refuse to let me go?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± Indignance overflowed in her heart the more she yelled. She had never hated someone with such intensity. ¡°I beg of you, please let me go¡­¡± Even Justin was shocked by Ste¡¯s sudden reaction. He had no idea that she was so repulsed by Weston. Weston continued keeping her forcefully in his embrace, and even tightened his hold over her. The sight of Ste trying to struggle weakly out of his embrace made his eyes darken with displeasure. She seldom cried in front of him, but her eyes were turning red as tears welled in her eyes. It might have been due to the aphrodisiac effects of the fragrance, but it was also her genuine innermost thoughts. Weston knew that the next time he met Ste, she would surely reject his advances. Yet, he never dared to face up to this impending issue. The searing heat of her tears made him feel it all, raw and cutting. He had long be an outsider in her eyes. He sneered, reaching a hand out to wipe her tears away. Indeed, Ste¡¯s tears was always effective on him no matter when. Weston lifted his head and looked coldly at the other man, ¡°Are you sure you want to offend me over a woman?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Pardon me, Mr. Ford. No one in this world would want to offend you. I merely want to bring E away from here.¡± ¡°Very well. As long as you have the ability to bear the consequences of your actions.¡± With that, Weston released his grip over Ste and let her go just like that. Ste immediately left his arms the moment she saw the chance to. Justin stepped forward to hold her steady. ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll send you to the hospital.¡± Ste nodded and left with Justin without so much as turning her head back. It was only after she got into the car and shut the door that Weston finally retracted his gaze and turned around to leave. He had lost control enough times tonight. He didn¡¯t want to make any more mistakes. He rubbed between his brows, his body shrouded in darkness, as he forced himself not to look back. It was just a woman, that¡¯s all. Everyone in the private room thought that Weston wouldn¡¯t return. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 That was why when everyone saw him enter the room again, they were all struck with fear and no one dared to even breathe, thinking that he had returned to settle scores. He brought a cold, foreboding air around him into the room. ¡°Bring some women over.¡± He added coldly, ¡°I want women who know how to serve well. The manager was stunned for a moment, thinking that he must have misheard Weston. This was Lowe Garden, a ce chock full of beautiful women. Some even call this a mini version of the entertainment industry, where all sorts of beauties could be found. He wouldn¡¯t have any doubts if it were anyone else who raised such a request. Almost every other significant figure of the entertainment industry would come here for a good time. They naturally knew who Weston Ford was, and the consumption habits and preferences of most people who came here. However, a man like Weston did not fancy being surrounded by hordes of women. As such, he wouldn¡¯t arrange too many women in drinking and merry- making sessions in which Weston bothered to make an appearance in. Yet, that was what he was specifically requesting for right this moment! How rare. ¡°Mr. Ford, what kind of women do you like? I¡¯ll make arrangements pronto!¡± Weston nced at him wordlessly, and the manager immediately got the hint. ¡°Send the most beautiful women we have here for Mr. Ford¡¯s selection! I want the cleanest and prettiest, do you hear me?¡± shut his eyes Weston settled down just now. he look on Ste¡¯s face from Heid the back of his hand in the middle of his brows and suddenly flung a wine ss on the floor. Everyone fell silent, not daring to say a word. Until the door of the private room was thrown open and in came a row of all sorts of beauties who stood in a neat row. DOR Weston nced past all of them, his face turning colder. ¡°Scram, all of you.¡± The manager was immediately put in a difficult spot. All the women he presented were of top quality, and some of them were even starlets of the entertainment who were willing toe over only because of Weston. To think that he didn¡¯t fancy even one of them! His fianc¨¦ was Guinevere Cohen, after all, the top beauty of the entertainment circle. It was reasonable that none of these beauties met his standards. However, there was only one Guinevere Cohen in the world. Finding a woman as beautiful as her was easier said than done. What¡¯s more, there were some amidst the group ofdies sent in earlier who didn¡¯t pale in At that moment, the manager felt lost as to the kind of woman that Weston was looking for. Suddenly, someone stood up and whispered something in his ear. The manager looked in doubt at him and saw the other man nod affirmatively in response. With that, the manager left the room. A whileter, he brought in another group ofdies who all looked decently pretty, but clearly belonged to a particr type. The type with delicate, fresh features that were pleasant to look at, and faces that looked pure and innocent, just like Ste Sealey. This time round, after taking a quick nce at all of them, instead of telling all of them to scram, Weston pointed to one of thedies standing in the middle. ¡°Come over.¡± It seemed like he was finally satisfied. The manager heaved a sigh of relief. The man sitting at the side exchanged nces with the manager. When he saw Weston returning alone without the woman, he had a guess as to what had transpired. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Women were all the same ¨C As long as they were pretty, it was a matter of preference in terms of type and style. Weston probably fancied women of such type. Even he thought so, too. He looked at the woman who resembled Ste walking slowly towards him. Even the way she walked somehow looked like Ste. Weston¡¯s brows quivered imperceptibly, and he asked in a mysterious , deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The woman lowered her head and said softly, Weston lifted her chin, ¡°Did you say Be ¡°No, Belle¡­¡± The sight of the man¡¯s eyes turning cold made the woman quiver and swallow her words, ¡°No! I meant yes, Be¡­¡± Weston narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Be.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 He was entirely shrouded in darkness and surrounded by a solemn air. This made the woman rather fearful. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Her voice hid tones of deliberate femininity and gentleness, which was starkly different from Ste¡¯s voice. Weston¡¯s eyes turned cold in an instant. ¡°Shut up.¡± Belle immediately kept her silence, not daring to say anything more. Her sudden shrinking back in fear was very simr to Ste in the past. Weston tightened his grip over her chin which made the woman yelp in pain, ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± Weston pulled her head down with more force. ¡°Be good.¡± Her scalp throbbed with pain. Belle did not expect him to be so forthright and could only kneel submissively before him. These things went without saying for the women of Lowe Garden. Many things were left unspoken, but everyone knew the rules clearly. With trembling hands, she touched his buckle. Weston lowered his head to look at the top of her head, imagining the scene from earlier when he had Ste under him. He shut his eyes. It was just a face that he fancied. It was just one Ste Sealey. There were hordes of women who were like her, in fact, more beautiful than she was, more obedient, more understanding, and more willing to kneel before him and serve him to his satisfaction. She was so receable. Why must he, Weston Ford, insist on one woman? His blood was coursing wildly through his veins, but his face turned colder by the minute. It was clearly a scene that was not much different from his memories, but somehow, something felt wrong. Belle¡¯s movements were more proficient and skilled than Ste¡¯s, and she clearly knew her way with men. Her moves were appropriately pure and innocent, yet seductive in its own way. Objectively speaking, she was much more charming than Ste. However¡­ Belle¡¯s hands were reaching upwards when Weston¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open. He grabbed her hair and flung her aside, cold fury emanating from his eyes. ¡°Scram. Scram far away.¡± He had no idea where his fury came from. It had been a long time since he lost control of himself. That unstoppable violence simmering inside him gave him a strong urge to destroy something, anything that came his way. But not these imitation goods right before him. Everyone could tell that he was truly and thoroughly angered. No one dared to provoke him. Weston suddenly kicked the table in front of him and cursed under his breath. ¡°Ste Sealey¡­¡± He uttered her name through gritted teeth.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste finally regained control over herself after leaving the hospital. By then, it was already midnight. She stood along the streets and saw Justin behind her, walking through the hospital doors with a bag of medicine. She stepped forward and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t know what I would have done today.¡± Justin avoided her overly clear gaze, hiding the fact that he had initially wanted to bring her home. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 He had no idea what had gotten into him that turned him into a despicable hypocrite at that moment. He handed the bag of medicine over to Ste and said, ¡°The doctor said that it isn¡¯t much of a problem, just some aphrodisiac fragrance. You are highly allergic to such things which was why you had such a huge reaction. Just head home and have a good rest.¡± Ste nodded and looked at Justin. Despite the fact that his wounds were already treated, it was clear that Weston used a lot of force in that punch. The corner of Justin¡¯s lips was badly swollen and the bloodshot ck and blue area looked terrifying Ste felt guilt wash over her. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Mr. Hall, to have created trouble for you.¡± Even someone as mature and steady as Justin felt somewhat embarrassed at being beaten up so badly by another man in front of a woman he liked. . He touched the corner of his lips gently and said nonchntly, ¡°Only childish people solve problems with violence.¡± Ste chuckled lightly. It was the first time someone had described Weston as childish. Justin shrugged off his jacket and covered Ste¡¯s shoulders with it. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. I¡¯ll send you home first.¡± Ste instinctively wanted to return his jacket back, but Justin held her wrists to stop her.¡± That will only make me feel like I must be a terrible person, to have my help rejected so tantly by you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any other intention, E. If tonight¡¯s incident were to happen to any other innocent woman, I wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it. Don¡¯t be too burdened by me.¡± IC A man of his age would definitely have experience with women. Ste was certainly his type, and he genuinely wanted to get to know her more. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to rush things at this point. ¡°I called Robb just now to exin the situation to him. He knows that you¡¯re very safe now and is probably already asleep.¡± Upon his words, Ste heaved a sigh of relief that she did not know she was holding in.¡± Thank you, Mr. Hall.¡± She had no idea how to repay him aside from thanking him. Justin smiled helplessly. ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Along the way, things were exceptionally quiet in the car. Justin would asionally throw Ste a nce through the rearview mirror as his fingers gently tapped against the steering wheel. He opened his mouth to speak upon seeing her features rx slightly, ¡°Pardon me for asking: What is your rtionship with Mr. Ford? Of course, feel free to not answer my question if it makes you feel ufortable.¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. When she snapped back to attention, she shook her head, and said, ¡°I walked to the wrong private room and identally provoked him. I had no idea why he kept pestering me¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Although her answer wasn¡¯t far from Justin¡¯s guess, he still felt like something was wrong.¡± Based on what I know, Weston Ford is not one who dabbles much with women. You should have heard about the fact that he has a family. I¡¯ve never seen him lose control that way with a woman.¡± 1111 This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. 1111111 He shook his head and looked at Ste, ¡°He¡¯s not a person you want to meddle with. E, I know you probably have guessed that I do have some feelings for you. We¡¯re all grown adults and there¡¯s no point hiding such things. Even if things are not possible between us, for your own sake, I want to warn you to stay away from a man like Weston Ford. You can¡¯t afford to get involved with the likes of him.¡± Ste remained silent, her head leaning against the window. Suddenly, she chuckled, ¡°I only wish I could avoid himpletely.¡± Although she wore a smile on her face, her eyes were filled with intense disgust and hatred. Justin didn¡¯t overthink things, and simply thought that she hated men like Weston Ford who forced himself upon others. ¡°It¡¯s good that you think so. I hope you protect yourself well. Of course, feel free to come to me for help whenever you need it.¡± It was a casual remark, but it had seemingly crossed the line. Justin saw slight awkwardness in Ste¡¯s face and immediately changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯re already fully booked at the training center. Why do you still need to do home tutoring ? This will make things very busy for you. Are you short of money?¡± At the mention of this, Ste exhaled and said with fatigue, ¡°It¡¯s not really that I¡¯m short of money, just that¡­¡± She looked at the street lights passing by them as her thoughts drifted. ¡°Robb¡¯s condition isn¡¯t too good, and we¡¯re always in need of money. Although we¡¯re not in dire straits right now, there will eventuallye a day where we need the money. Work is the only way I feel truly secure right now¡­¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, a ck luxury car suddenly appeared right before them on the road. It appeared out of nowhere and blocked the path right in front of them! Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Justin had no time to react and could only step down hard on the brakes. The wheels screeched loudly against the concrete road. Everything happened so quickly that Justin could only instinctively stop the car. He immediately turned to Ste. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ste shook her head as she stared at the familiar-looking luxury car right in front of them, a bad feeling oveing her. ¡°Who¡¯s that in front?¡± Justin followed her line of sight and looked at the car in front of them. Realization finally dawned upon him as he realized that the car in front of them was a limited ¨C edition Cullinan. He had a guess as to who was in that car. To think that Weston Ford turned out to be a man who would go back on his word! He sneered in disdain inwardly as he thought about how Weston repeatedly acted so out of character because of Ste¡­ The look he gave Ste wasplicated as he tried to collect his thoughts. He had just backed up from the roadside when that ck luxury car started driving towards them. Both cars were facing each other. The windows of the ck car descended, revealing a cold, handsome face belonging to Weston, who was looking at both of them expressionlessly. ¡°Hand her over,¡± He demanded. Justin guessed that he would say something like that, and his expression turned solemn. ¡°Mr. Ford, please have some self-respect. You are a well-known figure with a reputation, and you have a family yourself. Why must you make things difficult for a woman?¡± Weston burst outughing. ¡°What, are you the woman herself?¡± He said disdainfully, ¡°I can stop making things difficult for you as long as you hand her over to me.¡± Deadly silence ensued. He repeated himself emphatically, ¡°Let me say that again; Hand that woman next to you over to me.¡± Ste clenched her fists and looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes. She said in a chilly voice,¡± I¡¯m not your personal belonging. I have the right to decide who I want to leave with!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston did not seem emotionally agitated. Instead, he looked leisurely at Ste.¡± Sure, I can give you a chance to make a choice. Who do you choose?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment, not expecting Weston to give in so easily. She said without any hesitation, ¡°I won¡¯t leave with you. Mr. Hall, please drive on.¡± Justin instinctively knew that things wouldn¡¯t be so simple, but upon seeing no movement from Weston, he raised the windows and drove ahead without a word. He looked at the luxury car stopped in the middle of the road from the rearview mirror, his features tense. Indeed, before he managed to drive into the expressway, the Cullinan suddenly turned around and began chasing after them. Without any hesitation at all, it crashed loudly into the back of the car and the entire car shook! Ste almost hit her head against the windscreen in front of her. Justin¡¯s face darkened with anger. He hit his steering wheel which honked loudly. ¡°What a madman!¡± Ste unbuckled her seatbelt and immediately asked, ¡°Mr. Hall, are you alright?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. In face of Ste¡¯s concerned gaze, Justin calmed down and replied to her, ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s ignore him. He¡¯s a madman through and through!¡± Ste pursed her lips, with aplicated look on her face No matter what happened, she was clear that she did not want to implicate Justin. ¡°Mr. Hall, please let me down here.¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Justin could tell what was going on in Ste¡¯s mind and his face turned solemn, ¡°Dispel that thought in your mind. I cannot possibly bring myself to hand you over to him. What kind of a man do you take me for? One who would simply hand you over to a man like a ything?¡± Perhaps because of how nasty the term ¡°ything¡± sounded, Ste remained silent for a long while. Justin did not say anything further. He simply maneuvered the steering wheel and drove the car forward. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He didn¡¯t believe Weston would be bold enough to crash his car until it was unable to move. No matter how powerful and daring he was, he had to care about societal opinion and his public reputation! Although Justin¡¯s status in the industry could not bepared to that of Weston¡¯s, he did have his own network. He didn¡¯t believe that Weston was capable of squashing him to death! Justin looked at the Cullinan on his tail from his rearview mirror. He knew that it would be difficult to shake him off and could only step on the elerator. Weston followed suit. This time round, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to stop Justin¡¯s car, and drove at a leisurely pace as if he were ying a game of cat and mouse. Justin gritted his teeth, feeling for the first time like he was being yed for a fool by another man. His eyes darkened as he swerved into a narrow, deserted road. He drove at a very high speed, almost like he was in a car race. Ste¡¯s face paled and she could not help but exim, ¡°Mr. Hall¡­¡± When a man¡¯s competitive streak was triggered, it would usually be impossible to stop him. Justin nced at her and quickly retracted his gaze. He said firmly, ¡°He won¡¯t give up so easily. The only way to make him stop pestering you is to shake him off!¡± With that, he stepped down hard on the elerator and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I used to be in car races when I was younger. I¡¯ll help you get rid of him.¡± It had been a while since he did something so wild. He was already slightly past forty, certainly way past the age of his wild youth. To think that he would still be doing things that only a hot-headed, reckless youth would do, like car racing, just for the sake of a woman. Somehow, though, it felt good. No matter what age, no matter how mature and steady, men always pursued exciting and fresh experiences. It was in their bones. Justin Hall was no exception. He looked at the Cullinan on his tail and sneered, steering the steering wheel deftly. The car drifted, and he thought that he would be able to shake off Weston at the next bend. To his utter surprise, he looked around and saw that Weston had caught up next to him. His arm was resting leisurely on the open window, a lit cigarette between his fingers with only one hand on the wheel, as if he was not even trying hard. The sight clearly trampled on Justin¡¯s dignity and sense of pride. His face turned cold as he chuckled, ¡°It seems like Mr. Ford is bent on being the viin.¡± Weston didn¡¯t even spare a look at him. He took a puff of his cigarette and retracted his arm. The smoke that he puffed out was blown into the wind behind him. His sideburns flew in the air, his handsome face looking even more dark and mysterious in the night. ¡°Since you¡¯re the good guy, then please do a good thing¡­¡± He flicked at his cigarette and turned his head to the side. ¡°Hand her over to me.¡± Justin was thoroughly angered, and he suddenly stepped on the brakes. The car immediately slowed down and turned a hundred and eighty degrees. The car faced the opposite direction and began driving off. This time, his speed was significantly higher than it was before. Justin was clearly going all out. Ste¡¯s heart was in her throat, and she suddenly felt helpless and weak to stop everything that was happening ¡°There¡¯s really no need for things to turn out like this¡­¡± She said in a low voice, but no one heard her. Even if they did, they might not even take her words to heart. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Ste was the trophy in this battle, and she had no right to speak and voice her opinions. She was merely the bargaining chip between two men¡¯s sh of egos. Even though shepletely did not want to get herself involved, she was still forced to be in the center of the vortex, torn between the forces from both sides. This time, Justin managed to widen the distance between both cars. He drifted neatly at the next junction and threw Weston far away from them. That did not make him lower his guard as he continued maintaining his breakneck speed. Just then, he remembered that Ste was still seated next to him and took the time to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We managed to shake him off.¡± Before he could say anything further, a huge crash sounded. A huge impact came from behind and the car groaned under the force. Justin looked in disbelief at Weston¡¯s car which had overtaken him, and was speechless with shock. He had his usual leisurely expression on his face, with an additional trace of disdain in his eyes. The ck car was like a cheetah lying in wait in the dark. After fixing its sight on its prey, it burst forth in one explosive movement to make that critical hit. After it struck, all it needed to do was to wait for its prey to take itsst breath. ! Justin was on the verge of death, yet he refused to give up. He stepped on the elerator and the wheels screeched loudly, and it felt as though sparks flew across the road. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Even that did not change things. Weston suddenly released the elerator and backed off. Justin was about to find another opportunity to make a run for it when Weston suddenly hit Justin¡¯s car without any hesitation. It was urate, decisive, and quick. This time, Weston made Justin¡¯s car flip over. He did so skillfully, not just focusing on speed, but also making use of things around him, such that Justin¡¯s car waspletely lodged between two roadblocks. ¡°Damn it!¡± Justin cursed under his breath. With the entire car flipped over, the angle left him stuck in the driver¡¯s seat and without any space for movement. The front passenger seat, on the other hand, was raised high up in the air,pletely facing outwards. Justin¡¯s face turned cold. He unbuckled his seatbelt in a bid to climb out. The carpartment waspletely wrecked, and it pressed against his knees. A slight movement was enough to send pain searing through him. Ste immediately stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t move! You might lose your leg if you move!¡± She saw a metal rod sticking out right in front of Justin. She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed slowly towards him, intending to save him from his plight. The next second, however, she heard steady footsteps from outside the car. Her car door was flung open and the cold night wind blew in. Weston¡¯s tall figure stood right outside as he looked down at the two of them in the car. He was like a high and mighty lord of thend looking down at his subjects. His ck trench coat made him look even more tall and menacing. His overly handsome face was always shrouded in ayer of biting cold, as if he were Hades in person. Before Ste made it to Justin¡¯s side, she felt Weston pulling her out of the car by her cor. He folded her into a tight hug, his broad trench coat covering her entire back. He pressed her head down and refused to let her turn around. ¡°You¡¯re mine now,¡± Weston said above her in a low, hoarse voice. He said it with certainty, and he said it like a bold deration. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 He looked coldly at the man stuck in the car,pletely not hiding the mocking look in his eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve overestimated your abilities.¡± With that, he turned around and strode away. Weston carried Ste into the car, who struggled profusely with all her might. ¡°Let me go!¡± Weston remained unmoving, despite how much she was cursing and hitting him. He had thought through things; So what if Ste was unwilling? As long as he wanted it, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t get his hands on. ¡°Weston Ford, you¡¯re mad! Let me down! You madman!¡± Humiliating insults flew from Ste¡¯s mouth. She never knew that she was capable of scolding someone so harshly, as if she expanded her lifetime of hatred and disgust on a single person. Weston pressed down on the back of the head and did not react to a single one of her insults, no matter how nasty sounding they were. It was only when Ste¡¯s voice became increasingly hoarse and she was on the verge of angry tears that he finally said, in a rare show ofpassion, ¡°Have you berated me enough? If so, then shut up from now on.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He flung her into the car and side-stepped into it. He put his fingers against her lips and said, ¡± If you¡¯re not good, I¡¯ll seal your lips. What shall I use to seal your lips?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at the man before her in disbelief. After a long while, she eximed through gritted teeth, ¡°Shameless!¡± Weston chuckled out loud andnded a tender kiss on her forehead. ¡°Seems like you want my lips to seal yours. Why didn¡¯t I figure out previously that you¡¯re a greedy one?¡± This man was shameless to an extreme degree that Ste suddenly had no more words for him. Weston saw her suddenly quieten down and pecked her on the cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s the way. As long as you remain obedient and make me feel good, I can give you everything you want. Is it worth it to pit yourself against me?¡± He shook her chin gently, ¡°Follow me. I want you.¡± Ste felt fatigue wash over her entire being. She looked at West¨®n. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Weston kissed her again at the corner of her lips, ¡°I said it just now ¨C I want you to follow me. What did I say just now that you did not understand? Do you want me to repeat myself?¡± Ste shut eyes, refusing to argue with him on this. ¡°Justin is innocent, he merely wanted to help me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make things difficult for him,¡± Weston did not like her speaking up for another man, and he tightened his grip over her. The sight of Ste furrowing her brows in slight pain made him release his hand, satisfied with her reaction. ¡°The less you care about him, the safer he¡¯ll be. Do you understand?¡± Ste shrunk back, trying as much as possible not to be in contact with Weston at all. She was extremely tired. ¡°Please don¡¯t implicate the innocent. Weston Ford, this is my bottom line.¡± Weston burst outughing. ¡°Innocent? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t see that he¡¯s interested in you.¡± ¡°So what if I can tell? I¡¯m single, so why can¡¯t other men pursue me?¡± Ste was unusually calm, and her voice was calm andposed. She looked at Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, what exactly is up with you? You have a wife and a child. What¡¯s with all these you are doing?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°So what? No one can stop me from doing what I want to do.¡± Ste shut her eyes, refusing to speak any further. Weston hated seeing how cold and distant she looked. He would rather see her lose control and turn hysterical instead of seeing no traces of himself in the depths of her eyes. ¡°Ste Sealey, I¡¯m not kidding.¡± He calmed down and said with unprecedented firmness, ¡°Follow me. It¡¯s your only choice.¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 His tone was non-negotiable, as if he was just informing Ste about his decision. Ste found it hrious. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say. You want me to follow you? Then what about Guinevere? What about your child?¡± Weston furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m not married.¡± ¡°And so? Should I believe every word you say?¡± Ever since that day, Ste had lost all trust towards him. ¡°So what if you¡¯re not married? You impregnated a woman out of wedlock. Is that very honorable?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes darkened with displeasure. At that moment, he had a strong urge to tell her the truth just to shut her up. After a moment¡¯s silence, he lit a cigarette and said, ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating with you. Ste Sealey, name your price.¡± Ste did not expect him to ask something so tant after everything that had happened. She turned her face away and sneered. She did not intend to continue the conversation. In fact, she found no need to continue discussing it at all. She would never be with Weston Ford again in her entire life, not to mention in such a shameful position! How prideful did he have to be, to have the cheek to make such a request of her, after all that he had done to her? Ste shut her eyes. She only wanted to solve the problem lying right before her. ¡°Mr. Hall is still in his car. I must see him safe and sound.¡± The man¡¯s eyes darkened, and it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about him at a time like this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s innocent. No matter what, he shouldn¡¯t be implicated.¡± Westonughed instead of being angered. ¡°In that case, promise me something and I¡¯ll let him off.¡± me so II Ste suddenly opened her eyes, ¡°You were the one who started provoking him. Why must I promise you something as a condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating with you. I¡¯m giving you a choice. Though, you can refuse, and we can remain locked in a stalemate. Then, we¡¯ll see who can afford to wait.¡± can Ste clenched her fists and looked in the direction of Justin¡¯s car. A momentter, she nodded ever so slightly. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± She finally submitted, but it was only because of another man. Weston had achieved his objective, but he wasn¡¯t excatly very happy about it. He reached out to caress Ste¡¯s soft hair, but she dodged his touch instinctively. Her natural reflex was not something she could feign. It was clear that she despised him from the depths of her heart. With that thought in mind, Weston retracted his hand and said expressionlessly, ¡°Be with me tonight.¡± Ste¡¯s pupils dted and her face turnedpletely ashen as all the blood drained from her face. Weston could see her reaction from the rearview mirror, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. Those past memories he had tried to neglect began to gush back into his mind like a tornado. When they were married, he did not treat their marriage like a big deal. Ste could make him feelThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She was warm and tender, clean and fresh, and filled with love she never dared express. She loved him¡­ Weston recalled the vicious words she flung at him in the private room. Loved? What did she mean by ¡®loved¡¯? What kind of love was it if it ended just like that? The seconds and minutes passed them by. Ste knew that the longer things dragged out, the worse it would be for Justin. She also knew how wicked the man next to her could be. ¡°Fine. I promise.¡± In the car. Justin waspletely unable to move. Having lived for so many years, it was the first time he truly felt what it meant to bepletely powerless. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Justin did not have the slightest chance against Weston. He had always known that the strong dominated the world. Even so, justice and fairness still prevailed. Justin was able to navigate between the two and handled it well. Despite that, he felt the overwhelming difference between Weston and him. Weston had defeated him without using his power and money. Instead, he had defeated Justin at his best game. Justin was thoroughly humiliated. He only had one goal in his mind, which was to not let Ste leave with Weston. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Before he could think of a way, the Cullinan had already driven past him with a double sh. He looked at the car and shouted almost immediately, ¡°E, don¡¯t go with him!¡± Weston deliberately slowed down. He enjoyed seeing Justin defeated miserably, but he found it boring. He had won so easily that it did not bring him any joy. On the contrary, the woman sitting beside him was far more interesting to him. Ste lowered her eyes and looked at Justin who was filled with resentment. She knew he wanted to help, but that was precisely why she must not drag him into this mess. Weston was a gentleman scum with no bottom line. ¡°Justin, don¡¯t get involved in my affairs ever again¡­¡± Ste steeled herself and said stiffly, ¡°Please keep your distance in future. Don¡¯t stop getting involved in my business as it bothers me a lot.¡± The color on Justin¡¯s face changed. A huge sense of helplessness overwhelmed him. ¡°Did he tell you to say that?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°These are my own words, Justin. There¡¯s no need to be worried over a person like me.¡± ¡°E!¡± He had to stop her from saying more. Ste stopped speaking as she knew he understood it. Weston wound up the car window. Without sparing a nce in Justin¡¯s direction, he drove away. Justin cursed fiercely. He looked at the night sky outside the car window with raging fury in his heart. Not long after, the sound of the police vehicle¡¯s rm came from a distance. The fire truck soon arrived, followed by the ambnce. The people in the car hurried down to rescue him. Justin did not say anything during the whole process. He felt numb and empty after his anger subsided. Golden Eve Apartment. Weston drove Ste to his ce. She was visibly tense when he drove into the lobby of the building Weston found her scared look mildly amusing. He patted her head, ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± Ste stiffened just as his finger touched her hair and her lips even turned pale. The smile in Weston¡¯s eyes quickly faded, leaving nothing but iciness. ¡°Go up,¡± he ordered with no room for negotiation. Ste entered the elevator stiffly and followed him into the room. There was a crisp sound when the door was closed. It sounded like a prison door closing behind her. She did nothing wrong, yet she was sentenced. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look so depressed.¡± Weston took off the ck trench coat and put it aside. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± His words did not help at all. It sounded more hypocritical than ever. ¡°We¡¯re adults. If you want to do it, just be direct about it.¡± Ste forced herself to hold on, ¡°When you¡¯re done, let me go back. Don¡¯t appear in front of me ever again.¡± It sounded like she had given up. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 A long time had passed, but he didn¡¯t respond. Weston acted as though he hadn¡¯t heard what she had said. He leisurely walked to the counter and grabbed a delicate ss. He poured himself a ss of water and asked her, ¡°Do you want some?¡± He acted so naturally as though they were close, like a couple who had been married for a long time. Ste¡¯s intention was clear. She repeated herself, ¡°Are we not going to start? Aren¡¯t you afraid? What if Guinevere suddenly returns?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Based on what she knew, Weston was already married to Guinevere. They were definitely living together. They had a newborn child at home. Ste certainly did not think that Weston would be bold enough to take her to him home with Guinevere. This was probably his other property. At a nce, the unit¡¯s decor was minimalistic. It was mostly ck and white, exuding a cool and monotone vibe. The unit was mostly filled with a man¡¯s items. There was no trace of a woman¡¯s presence. ¡°It¡¯ste. If you don¡¯t go back, won¡¯t Guinevere look for you?¡± She remembered the phone call from Guinevere in the room earlier and smiled sarcastically. She had always thought that Weston loved Guinevere. But when she thought more about it, it seemed like Weston¡¯s love was limited. Otherwise, he would not have gone to a ce like that without Guinevere¡¯s knowledge. He would not have to bring Ste home either. Weston finished the cold water in a gulp. He lowered his eyes and looked at the cold reflection from the counter: ¡°Are you so worried that she¡¯lle over?¡± Ste turned sideways and reminded him with an ironic tone, ¡°Mr. Ford, don¡¯t you know? With this situation, it¡¯s only reasonable for Guinevere to push all the me onto me. She¡¯d parade my sins on the street. You forced me toe here, but I¡¯ll be the culprit to her! You¡¯re the one sinning, but she¡¯ll take it out on me twice as hard!¡± Weston frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°I won¡¯t let it happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve allowed it to happen once.¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°Besides, I almost died that time¡­¡± He mmed the ss heavily on the table, making a loud ng. The man strode to her and almost uncontrobly pulled her into his arms. Without any other warning, he tipped her chin up before taking her mouth in a hard kiss. His tolerance for Ste had gotten better, but that did not mean she could act willfully. He did not want her to say anything about that again. He did not want to hear her talk about death. Ste resisted fiercely at first, but it was useless. All thought of resistance faded, and she instead rxed her arms and let him do whatever he wanted with an empty heart. She closed her eyes. Her face paled, and even her lips were losing their color. A nauseating feeling kept surging in her stomach. It was unbearable. Weston was getting more and more addicted to her. It had been a long time since he had touched her like this. His hand kneaded around her waist, implying his strong needs. Just as his hand was about to reach under her dress, Ste suddenly opened her eyes and could not help retching. In that instant, all the steamy atmosphere was gone. Weston let go but fixed his cold eyes on her. He watched as she ran to the trash can and vomited everything out. The man gazed at her under hooded lids. He looked down at her with a thunderous emotions rumbling in him. When Ste finally calmed down a little, he asked raspily, ¡°It¡¯s just a kiss. Why are you overreacting? How are you going to get through itter?¡¯ He was not going to hurt Ste. He just wanted her by his side for the night. However, after watching her reaction just now, something violent throbbed in him. She kept rejecting him, but he refused to grant her wish. As tears welled up in her eyes, she closed her eyes. She had to vomit out almost everything to forget the disgusting touch just now. Disgusting! When he kissed her, she felt sick. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 She was disgusted by everything he did! She felt goosebumps rising on her skin. She was like a hedgehog on full alert. When Weston forcibly possessed her, her spikes would stab. Weston suddenly lost interest and closed his eyes. He ordered, ¡°Go to the bathroom to clean up.¡± Then, he turned to leave. Before leaving, he seemed to have remembered something. He paused again and ordered,¡± You only have half an hour. Come to the bedroom half an hourter. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind bathing you.¡± Hearing the sound of the door closed, Ste raised her head and fell to her knees tiredly. She leaned her head against the coffee table with her eyes nk. After a while, she propped herself up and dragged herself into the bathroom in exhaustion. She knew Weston was not joking, that he was serious about his threat. She went into the bathtub and closed her eyes. Then, she submerged into the warm water. How good would it be to sleep right in? However, she could not. She still had Roger. She had to live. Ste had never thought of herself as a strong person at all. After giving up on himpletely, she finally realized that his actions no longer made her sad. It only made her tired and frustrated. The bathroom was quiet without the sound of running water. Weston sat on the bed in a silk bathrobe. Earlier, he casually took a quick shower. His hair was still wet and dripping with water. The droplets slowly dripped down his handsome side profile. He put his hands by his side. It was a rare moment for him to feel so empty. He never had to wait for Ste. Most of the time, Ste was always waiting for him after her bath during their marriage. Every time he came out of the bathroom, he could see her petite figure lying peacefully on her side of the bed. When she heard him approaching, she would look out of the quilt with a shy and loving look. Weston had not seen that look in a long time. He closed his eyes. Then, a sharp ringtone broke the silence of the room. He opened his eyes and looked at the caller¡¯s name shing on the screen. Suddenly, he felt annoyed for no apparent reason. That was the scene Ste saw when she came out. Weston¡¯s phone kept ringing, but Weston did not move. She stood in the bathroom and watched for a while. Somehow, this scene felt familiar to her. There was a time when she had called Weston cautiously like this. There was often no answer from him. Most of the time, Ben answered and told her that Weston was still busy. After that, Ste did not dare to call again for fear of bothering him at work. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She thought Weston was fond of Guinevere, but she did not expect that he would not answer her call at a time like this. Ste could not hold back those awful thoughts. She could not help wondering: What was Guinevere thinking at this time? Guinevere was once so high and mighty and even bossed her around. Yet Weston was not answering her call at all. Would Guinevere be sleepless and restless for that? Ste thought she would feel happy when the tide was turned. However, after a short period of happiness, there was nothing but an eternity of sadness. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Perhaps her gaze was too intense as Weston seemed to realize something and raised his eyes.¡± Are you done?¡± He looked indifferent, as if he had not just received a call from anyone, Ste¡¯s mouth twitched a little as she smiled lightly. Weston could read the sarcasm on her face, and his eye darkened: When she came to his side, he took her by the wrist and trapped her in his arms. He tipped her chin and asked, ¡°Why did you look at me like that?¡± Ste just looked at him as if she wanted to see through him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel like I was blind as a bat before.¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He was clearly offended by her reply, but he was not the slightest angry. He affectionately nted kisses on the corner of her lips. ¡°Do you know what we¡¯re doing next?¡±. Ste closed her eyes. She put her hand on the bathrobe¡¯s strap and gently pulled it away. ¡°I hope you can keep your word. When you¡¯re done, let me go and nevere back to my life again.¡± The two were once married for some time. Naturally, Ste knew what wasing next. There were no women¡¯s clothes here, but she did not mind and came out wearing his bathrobe. The man¡¯s size was muchrger than hers. His bathrobe was loose on her. Just a slight tug revealed much of her skin. In that instant, Weston¡¯s breathing was staggered. His eyes were locked on her body, but he hesitated to make a move. Ste waited for a long time. Even so, the nasty feeling of his touch did note. Just as she was about to open her eyes, a kiss came, taking her breath away. TB Weston held her down and concentrated on the kiss. He had not wanted to do anything to her, but the way she looked at him like she was ready to be taken made him feel an urge. It was not his fault. He had wanted to have her for a long time and do whatever he wanted. He wanted to let her go, but she thought too badly of him. In that case, it would be a shame not to follow through with his reputation and Ste¡¯s expectations of him. An overwhelming heat overtook Ste¡¯s body. She closed her eyes and tried to hypnotize herself that this was nothing. However, her stiffness betrayed her feelings. She found him repulsive¡­ and disgusting. Weston stopped moving. His interest faded as he suddenly thought of how she was retching in the living room just now. Indeed, he had an unspoken desire for Ste, but that did not mean he would force her. He did not like the way she was repulsed by him. Rather, he liked the way Ste cried for mercy, unable to refuse him. Ste opened her eyes in confusion when he moved away from her. She looked at him suspiciously and warily. Weston propped himself up and ran his fingertips over her forehead. Then, he gently stopped on her cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t take you tonight.¡± Ste clenched her fists at once. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Weston left a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Get some sleep.¡± After saying that, he leaned over and hugged her in his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed in her sweet scent. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She bathed with his body wash earlier. The light scent on her was very simr to his. It was as if she was covered in his scent. Weston nted more kisses on her neck with contentment. Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Come on. Get it done and over with. Stop torturing me.¡± Weston slowly tightened his arms around her. He asked with a hint of displeasure, ¡°Is this torture for you?¡± Ste sneered. ¡°What do you think? Am I supposed to feel grateful?¡± She turned around and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°We both know what you want to do, so why pretend to be a gentleman here?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 She was full of thorns. Once she calmed down, her only wish was to hurt Weston as much as she could. The man¡¯s eyes darkened. He pressed his finger against Ste¡¯s lips. He remained impassive and did not stop until Ste blushed and coughed a few times. When Ste calmed down and was about to speak, Weston did the same trick again. He repeated it a few times. How could Ste not understand what he meant? Weston wanted her to stop saying things he did not want to hear. He was so assertive! She closed her eyes in exhaustion andy in his arms like a dead fish, refusing to move. Although she showed so much negative resistance, Weston still felt content with her in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waisted and kissed her on the hair. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± Their peaceful silence was short-lived. A short momentter, the phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated again Weston frowned. He did not need to look at it to know who was calling. In the darkness, Ste opened her eyes and said nothing, waiting for the man to make his next move. Weston reached out and turned off the phone. Then, he pulled out the phone card, threw it into the drawer, and closed it without hesitation. Ste watched his series of movements. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about her?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Westony back next to her and took her into his arms. ¡°Sleep,¡± hemanded. Ste did not believe that he was simply sleeping with her. She kept her eyes open until they were sore. When theThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. sound of even breathing came from behind her, she finally realized that Weston was not going to do anything to her. What she did not know what that Weston had not slept well since that day. Whenever he closed his eyes at night, he would watch Ste fall from a tall building again. No matter how hard he tried to run to catch her, he could only watch her fall in the end. He could sleep so peacefully only when she was in his arms like this. He could not remember how long it had been since he had such a good sleep. Although, the woman in his arms no longer loved him. Unlike the peace there, Guinevere was frantic on the other end of the phone. Ever since the incident with Ste, her rtionship with Weston had frayed awkwardly. Hence, she did not rush it any further and gave Weston a lot of space. He was cold to her, but it was mostly discreet. She kept calling him today because she had heard about Weston¡¯s trip to Lowe Garden. It was inevitable for him to attend some of these asions, but she heard that Weston had a woman there. This was something that had never happened before. Guinevere thought her life with Weston would get back on track without Ste¡¯s presence. However, Weston began to change. His change of heart was starting to confuse her. She was afraid that her Weston was no longer the same as before. Guinevere was restless. She tried to call him again, but his number was unreachable. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Guinevere shut her eyes and suddenly mmed the phone to the ground with annoyance. Bang! The loud bang woke Zachary up. Zachary opened his eyes in a daze and burst into tears. Guinevere had been living in Ford Mansion all this time. She was just like the Ford family¡¯s daughter-in- law, but never officially married to Weston. They were not sleeping in the same room either. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The servants in the Ford Mansion treated her like the female master in Weston¡¯s absence. They regarded her as Weston¡¯s wife. However, Guinevere knew that as long as he lived in the Ford Mansion, she would have to live with Wendy and please her. She hurriedly picked Zachary up, hugged him in her arms, and coaxed him gently. For some reason, Zachary had always rejected her. The more she coaxed him, the more he cried. Sure enough, it was not long before Wendy arrived at the sound of Zachary¡¯s cries. She opened the door and looked at Guinevere with a disgruntled look. ¡°What the h*ll are you doing? Why do you always make Zack cry?¡± She came in and took Zachary from Guinevere. ¡°Grandma¡¯s here, don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± ¡°Zach, stop crying¡­¡± she coaxed softly. Guinevere was very upset. She was Zachary¡¯s mother, but she got lectured by Wendy about her mishandling of the child. He was her son. How could she not care? However, it was also true that Zack was not close to her. Guinevere kept her head down and said nothing. Finally, Zachary stopped crying. Wendy nced at her, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Weston back today?¡± Guinevere¡¯s face changed. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s busy with work.¡± Wendy said nothing. She walked a few steps with Zachary in her arms and hushed him to sleep. When Zachary slept again, she put him down and walked to Guinevere. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between Weston and you, but since you¡¯ve made up your mind to marry him, I¡¯m sure you know what to do¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll live like Weston, just like Uncle Chris and you¡­¡± Hearing her mention Chris, Wendy¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, filled of hostility towards Guinevere. ¡°What happens between Chris and me has nothing to do with you! If you have the time, you might as well find out why Weston hasn¡¯t been hometely! I thought he¡¯d settle down after having a baby with you. He used toe home often to visit, but ever since you moved in, he wouldn¡¯te back even if he has time!¡± Wendy had made herself very clear, ming Guinevere for Weston¡¯s frequent absence. The colors on Guinevere¡¯s face kept changing, and she clenched her fists. She knew she must not refute Wendy, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ Aunt Wendy, do you have something against me, or did I do something wrong? Ever since I moved in, it seems like you dislike whatever I do.¡± Wendy narrowed her eyes. Her beauty had matured after years, but she was, after all, nowhere nearly as young and sharp as Guinevere, ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve already said so, I will make it clear. I don¡¯t like you. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between Weston and you, and I don¡¯t want to interfere with your mess! So you better behave in front of me and don¡¯t mess with me.¡± After that, she looked at Zachary again. In a sh, she became a loving grandmother again. After tucking him in, she turned around and left the room without taking another look at Guinevere. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Guinevere did not think Wendy would say something like that to her! She knew Wendy did not like her very much, but she did not expect her to express it so clearly. After Wendy left, Guinevere felt ufortable and fidgeted around. She wanted to call Weston, only to realize that she had broken her phone. She looked at her empty hands. For the first time, they felt so cold, unable to grasp anything. When Wendy returned to her room, she nced at the man leaning against the bed. She said nothing as she sat in front of the dresser and did her skincare routines. When she was young, she was a famous beauty. Her iparable beauty was almost the best in the entertainment industry. However, she left the scene too early and married Chris during the peak of her poprity. Now, Guinevere was crowned as the most popr and beautiful person. The more beautiful a woman was, the more arrogant she would be. Wendy was no exception. She had loved only one man in her life. Her requirements for love, however, were more demanding than she could have imagined. Chris and Wendy had always been in love. However, as time passed, their me and affection gradually faded and had since disappeared. They were both almost half a century old now, and all that was left were habits. No matter how stunning she once was, no matter how she wanted to stop time, she could not conceal the sign of old age anymore. Chris was a good-looking man. Otherwise, he would not have caught Wendy¡¯s eyes in the first ce. The world had always been a little more forgiving with men. Chris might be older now with fine wrinkles on his face, but there were always people who did not mind. Men were attractive in many ways. Money, status, power, and even the maturity of older men were charming enough. However, it was different for women. Wendy might be rich and beautiful, but her age could turn-off many men. Wendy closed her eyes. She got up and walked to the window. Chris heard the movement and looked at her. He smiled gently, ¡°Why do you seem unhappy recently? Do you want to take some time off?¡± Wendy did not say anything. She lifted the quilt andy next to him. ¡°Guinevere just gave birth. If we two go out to have fun, people willugh at us.¡± Chris stiffened a little when Wendy talked about Guinevere. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°What does it have to do with us? Weston should handle all of these!¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°You should know that your good son hasn¡¯te home for days. Guinevere can¡¯t reach him at all. Say, why is he bing more and more defiant? Guinevere has already given birth to his son. Look at him. He¡¯s giving her the cold treatment! Why is he acting like the child isn¡¯t his¡­¡± As soon as she said that, a loud noise of something getting torn came from Chris¡¯s hand¡­ Wendy opened her eyes and noticed that Chris had torn the newspaper in half. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chris returned to his senses and gave her a stern look. ¡°How can you say that? How can Zack not be Weston¡¯s son? You must be thinking nonsense!¡± Wendy said nothing and nced at him several times. Chris avoided her probing nce and turned off the light. ¡°Stop overthinking and go to sleep.¡± Steady breathing evened beside him in the dark. Chris suddenly opened his eyes. His mind was filled with the events of that night two years ago. After that night, his rtionship with Weston deteriorated badly and was almost destroyed. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Ste did not expect to see Weston sleeping soundly beside her for the whole night. He did nothing rude to her except hold her in his arms. Unlike before, he did nothing that crossed the line. Unfortunately, her impression of him did not improve because of this small matter. Instead, she became warier of him. What was his real motive? Meanwhile, it had been a long time since Weston had such a good sleep. As a result, he overslept the next day. When he opened his eyes, he met a pair of defensive eyes. For a moment, Weston thought he was still in a dream. He reached out and caressed Ste¡¯s cheek. He had just woken up, so his voice was still a little raspy. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and maic, with a hint of gentle indulgence that Ste had never heard before. ¡°Why are you looking at me like this? Hm?¡± Ste avoided his touch impassively. ¡°Can¡¯t I leave yet?¡± With those words, Weston woke up immediately. He shut his eyes andy down in bed again. He rested his arm on his forehead and muttered, ¡°Can¡¯t we just stay like this? Isn¡¯t this good?¡± His sudden question made Ste frown. She struggled to get up, but Weston opened his eyes and pulled her into his arms. The two suddenly got incredibly close to each other.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste wanted to look up and hit his chin immediately but Weston frowned and pressed her waist, holding her tighter and tighter. They were so close that Ste could clearly feel his morning reaction. She was furious. ¡°Weston!¡± She shouted his name with a hint of anger in her tone, like a cute little angry hedgehog. Weston knew why she got angry. However, he was not annoyed to see her reaction. On the contrary, he was amused. He chuckled in a good mood, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen it before? Hm?¡± He suddenly leaned closer and whispered into her ears, ¡°Men do that in the morning. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Ste¡¯s hands stiffened. She looked away and tried to push him away. However, Weston held her tight and refused to let her go. Ste was not a young and naive girl. When she was married to Weston, they both got along like a normal couple, save for Weston¡¯s unpleasant attitude towards her. Even though Weston did not stay at her ce, they both did everything a couple would do. She knew how Weston behaved during a normal time and when he wanted intimacy. She knew what his reaction meant¡­ Ste closed her eyes and forcibly suppressed her strong sense of disgust. She questioned, ¡°If we do it once, will you let me go and nevere back into my life?¡± She looked at his eyes seriously. She seemed resolute to use this opportunity to draw the line between them forever. The look on his face slowly tightened. He suddenly lifted her chin and asked, ¡°What if I say no?¡± Ste gnashed her teeth and red at him almost hatefully. ¡°Don¡¯t make me hate you.¡± Weston¡¯s voice was low. ¡°I thought you already hate me.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I have no love or hate for you.¡± He did not just kill all her love. He had made her unable to love. Despite it all, though, he did not do anything wrong to her. He was the indirect reason for Guinevere¡¯s madness. The ones who had hurt her were Guinevere and the group of kidnappers. He was the reason why Guinevere attacked her, but he was not the cause. Ever since their reunion, Weston failed to keep his promise and repeatedly forced himself on her. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 To Ste, Weston had gradually be no different from Guinevere, both control freaks that yed with the lives of others at will. His fingers gradually tightened on her. Ste felt apelling pressure from him-she could sense the man¡¯s displeasure. Even so, she did not flinch and just looked into his eyes like this. ¡°Stop wasting time and tell me. What should I do to make you let me go?¡± The hint of gentleness in his eyes gradually faded. He simply looked at her and enunciated carefully, ¡°Never.¡± Ste never imagined that Weston would drive her to work one day. She sat in the passenger seat with no expression on her face. Weston tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and asionally nced in Ste¡¯s direction. The ck Cullinan attracted the attention of many people on the road. A luxury car like this was a sight to behold wherever it went. When they were approaching the training center, Ste finally spoke. ¡°Drop me off at the next intersection. I¡¯ll walk there myself.¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want others to see us?¡± Ste ridiculed, ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re a family man now. I¡¯ve told you before. Even if I tell others that I¡¯m forced, I¡¯d get a bad name. You don¡¯t care about that, but I do.¡± Weston wrinkled his brows a little. He looked like he was carefully considering her words.¡± Rx. No one will dare to say anything about you behind your back.¡± Ste¡¯s expression remained unmoved. She knew Weston could protect anyone if he wanted to. Even so, she did not know why he was suddenly interested in her, and how long his interest wouldst. TFC Maybe it was just like his sudden whim when he married her. Maybe after a while, he would say goodbye to her as coldly as before. Ste was no longer apprehensive about his unpredictable thoughts. She was not interested in what he was thinking, so he unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. Weston did not make things difficult for her. He had seen her stubbornness this morning, and he had no intention of making her change her attitude completely overnight. For him, the most difficult projects in the business had to be done bit by bit. It might take a while, but Weston never lost either. It was the same for Ste too. The woman he wanted had to be in his arms. After watching Ste go upstairs, he smoked a cigarette in his car before turning around and headed to thepany. The Ford Corporation had several branch offices in Fern City as well. After some consideration, he decided to move several key projects from Ahn City. He was at Lowe Gardenst night to explore the area and meet the people here. However, he did not expect to meet Ste. Everything after that got out of control. When he arrived at thepany, the receptionist hurriedly greeted him and informed him,¡° Mr. Ford, Ms. Cohen wants to see you!¡± Weston stopped with a frown and looked a little annoyed. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°From now on, anyone who wants to see me must make an appointment,¡± he ordered ¡°Understood, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston stepped into the elevator and stared at the moving numbers with an impassive face. The elevator led directly to his office. As soon as the door opened, a slim figure rushed at him. ¡°Weston, why didn¡¯t you answer the phone last night? I was so worried. I was afraid something bad had happened to you¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes were full of worry. She asked with a crying voice, ¡°Do you know how scared I was?¡± Weston did not respond to her hug. After a while, he pulled her hand away and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Weston looked at her with a natural expression like there was nothing unusual. Guinevere slowly let go of his hand and calmed down a little. ¡°Where did you gost night? I couldn¡¯t reach you at all.¡± ¡°I was busy. I didn¡¯t check my phone, ¡± Weston answered faintly. He had no intent to exin himself. Guinevere¡¯s eyes flickered. She followed him into his office. She watched as the man sat down at the desk calmly. Atst, she could not help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡± Weston graciously opened his file and looked at it. ¡°What questions do you have in mind?¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. ¡°Where were youst night?¡± ¡°At a social meeting.¡± ¡°Where was it?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lowe Garden.¡± He wasn¡¯t hiding anything at all, but his honesty still stunned Guinevere. After a while, she asked sadly, ¡°Do you have anything else to tell me?¡± Weston put the document down and looked straight at her. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Guinevere slowly walked up to him and sat across from him. ¡°Were you with another womanst night?¡± It was difficult question for Guinevere to ask this-she had her pride and dignity. She never cared for the women around Weston and felt that no one could shake her position. Unfortunately, ever since Ste came long, her confidence had wavered. The mere presence of an unrted person could frantically worry her. She even ran to Weston¡¯s company to question him. She knew Weston hated these the most, but she could not win against her insecurities. She became the kind of woman that men hated the most-controlling and overpossessive. Weston did not answer her question directly. He curled his lips. ¡°Who told you?¡± Guinevere pursed her lips tightly. Her pretty face looked a little lost at that moment. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Is it true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Weston answered her question unhesitatingly. ¡°I was with a woman.¡± Guinevere did not expect him to admit it so openly. At first, she thought Weston would lie. She would rather him fool her than be so honest¡­ ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say to forget the past? Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯ll start over?¡± The man tapped his finger on the table. His face remained indifferent to her usation.¡± You¡¯re already staying in the Ford Mansion and bore Zachary. Now, everyone thinks you¡¯re Mrs. Ford. What more do you want?¡± Guinevere trembled violently. She stood up suddenly and dered, looking into the man¡¯s eyes, ¡°I want your love!¡± ¡°I want us to be like we used to be,¡± she expounded. Weston stared at her as if she was a stranger. After a while, he slowly pulled away from the hand on his arm. ¡°We have always been like this. You forgot.¡± ¡°Guinevere, think carefully. How different are we now?¡± After that, he pushed her hand away and got up. He walked to the window and lit a cigarette. As the white smoke loomed around him, his tall and strong back appeared more lonely than before. He had everything He stood on the top of the building, overlooking everyone under him. He was already at the top of the pyramid, way above the imagination of anyone. He had the resources and status that most people could never even dream of. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 At this moment, Weston felt no different from the regr folk that had to grind daily. He felt like a headless chicken, stumbling around in the ss enclosure without direction. He was not the only one feeling lost. Guinevere looked at his figure and felt empty in her heart. The feeling of impending loss tormented her. She could not sit still anymore. She stumbled towards him and hugged his waist from behind. ¡°Did I do something wrong? Can you tell me directly? Don¡¯t punish me like this, please¡­¡± This time, Weston did not push her away. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Instead, he turned around and stared at the woman in front of him. His eyes were dark and deep. After a long silence, he finally said, ¡°I was wrong.¡± Ste had-Weston drop her off at the intersection. She did not want anyone to see him drive her to work. When she arrived at her work building, she went to the parking lot first, and then walked towards the elevator. Unexpectedly, a figure suddenly appeared at the corner without warning. She was so shocked that she took a few steps back until a familiar voice came. ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me.¡± Ste let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Roger in front of her and became worried again. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Roger looked at her with flickering eyes. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Justin had called himst night to exin the situation. Even so, he was still worried. He did not want to sneak out in the middle of the night and make Ste worry, so he waited for her here early in the morning. Justin promised that Ste would go to work on time the next day, which was why he took his chance to meet her here. After hearing him out, Ste¡¯s face sank. ¡°Are you stupid? Can¡¯t you just call?¡± She was furious. ¡°Look at the time now. Don¡¯t you have ss? Why did youe to look for me? Are you going to school or not?¡± Roger said nothing, but his eyes suddenly grew red. He kept his head down and said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine. I¡¯m going to school now.¡± After that, he turned to leave. Ste watched him walk away and moved her lips. She took out her phone and finally realized it had been turned off automaticallyst night when the battery died. Startled, she hurriedly chased him. ¡°Roger!¡± She pulled his wrist and called his name, but her words remained stuck in her breath. Roger stopped and nced at her. ¡°I¡¯ll go to school now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ste interrupted him and apologized softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that my phone was turned off.¡± Roger gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine.¡± Ste¡¯s nose tingled as she looked at him carefully. Roger looked very haggard with his terrible dark circles and pale face. There were obvious creases on his clothes. Perhaps, he did not sleep wellst night and came here wearing yesterday¡¯s clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t do this again. I¡¯m your sister. I¡¯ll definitely take care of myself.¡± Roger nodded, ¡°You can go to work first. I¡¯ll see you after ss.¡± Ste checked the time. ¡°If you take a taxi, you can make it to your first ss in time. Remember to eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Ste hurriedly walked into the elevator. Roger watched her go. After a long while, he finally retracted his gaze and turned to leave. When she arrived at the training center, Yvonne immediately greeted her with an anxious look. ¡°E, you¡¯re back! Are you alright?¡± She looked very worried. Before Ste could say anything, Yvonne grabbed her arm and observed her carefully. She was relieved to see that Ste was safe and unhurt. ¡°You scared me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste looked at her in confusion. Yvonne sighed. ¡°I heard all aboutst night. That man is too unreliable! How dare he send you to a ce like Lowe Garden!¡± She knew what Lowe Garden was like. There were times when Lucas had to go there for social engagements. Her beloved Lucas was a very loyal man. He was restrained and cold to women outside. Whenever he came back from there, however, a little scent would asionally linger on him Lucas imed he had never touched a woman outside. However, even if he did not have the slightest contact with anyone there, it was hard to avoid some smell sticking onto you in such an environment like that. The ce was catered to the wealthy. They came in expensive clothes, valuable watches, and luxury cars that normal people could never afford. This did not mean that they were all nice people. Most were two-faced and loved to have affairs. A woman like Ste would surely suffer at a ce like that. When Yvonne found out about that, med herself for not keeping a good watch. Steforted her, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look, I came to work well, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine. Otherwise, I¡¯d tear Smith into pieces!¡± Yvonne knew a little about Smith¡¯s situation. She knew he had a daughter in school who needed a dance tutor, so she introduced Ste to him. She thought he would not do anything absurd since it was introduced by an acquaintance. She never expected his assistant to make such a mistake! ¡°Do you know who messed up your contact information? It¡¯s his assistant. Mr. Smith is known to have affairs outside. His assistant is also his mistress. She¡¯s just a pretty bimbo that¡¯s useless and brainless! I¡¯ve called and scolded him. Mr. Smith has fired that assistant¡­¡± Ste felt warm seeing Yvonne kept talking about it. It had been a long time to feel such warmth from others other than Roger. When Yvonne had finished, Ste said solemnly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Ste¡¯s tone was so serious and made Yvonne a little embarrassed. ¡°Why are you thanking me? It was my negligence. You¡¯re working for me. If something happens, it¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Then, Yvonne suddenly remembered one more thing. ¡°By the way, do you still want to be a tutor for Mr. Smith¡¯s daughter? He called me and suggested making an appointment. If you agree, he¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. The same situation won¡¯t happen again.¡± Ste thought she would have lost the job opportunity after this incident. She did not expect such a turnaround. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ask him to give me the address. I¡¯ll take a taxi there.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You don¡¯t want a free ride? Why are you so nice!¡± Yvonne looked at her disapprovingly. The two talked andughed. When Ste walked through the corridor, she noticed someone was staring at her. She followed the gaze and saw Tina¡¯s face. Tina realized that Ste had noticed her. She hurriedly lowered her head and snorted. Ste said nothing and retracted her gaze. Yvonne noticed Ste¡¯s strange reaction and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She checked the time. ¡°My ss is starting. See you later.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 After Yvonne left, Tina looked up again and said disdainfully , ¡°People with connections are different. They didn¡¯t even go to the interviewst night and got a second chance!¡± The person next to her heard her say that. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she thought about it and kept quiet instead. Ste had strong dancing skills and won many prestigious awards. There was no doubt about her professionalism. These little kids here love here. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. During ss, when the children were stretching, Ste took the chance to go to a quiet corner. She closed her eyes, feeling a little tired. She had been unable to sleep and spent almost the whole night staying wary of the man next to her. She would rather Weston give her a hard time than take things slowly. She did not know what he really wanted to do. She knew Weston would not give up easily, but she really did not want to get involved with him anymore. Was there any way to get rid of him forever? She suddenly opened her eyes and thought of someone. Lying down lifelessly in the hospital ward¡­ A well-dressed woman next to him looked at his miserable state and snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re so old. How did you get into so much trouble for a woman? Isn¡¯t your new love a little toote?¡± Justin said nothing and closed his eyes tightly. ¡°Why? You found a new me, so you don¡¯t want to speak to your ex-wife?¡± The woman crossed her arms on her chest and kept ncing back on forth at the man¡¯s face.¡° What a pity. You¡¯re pretty good-looking, but you can¡¯t bepared to the younger handsome men outside. Now, your face is¡­¡± She ¡°tsked¡± twice,ughing at his misery. ¡°No wonder the young woman isn¡¯t interested in you.¡± ¡°Have you said enough?¡± Justin finally opened his eyes and gave her a cold nce. ¡°Enough with the sarcasm. Leave!¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for our son, do you think I¡¯d want to stay here and look at your face?¡± Tina¡¯s face suddenly changed and became impatient. ¡°You¡¯re Bryce¡¯s father. Now that you¡¯re hospitalized, he insisted that Ie to see you. What can I do?''¡± Hearing her talk about Bryce, Justine¡¯s eyes softened a little. He rubbed his brow with his hand and said, ¡°Tell him I¡¯m fine, so he doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said! If he asks again, I¡¯ll say that I¡¯vee and taken care of you.¡± Justin agreed, ¡°Yeah.¡± Tina did not stay. She grabbed her bag and turned to leave at once. Justin sighed heavily looking at her resolute back. He took out his phone and stared at the little boy¡¯s photo on the wallpaper screen. The little boy who resembled him smiled brightly at the camera. A special look of affection glimmered in Justin¡¯s eyes. After a while, he then called Ste, ¡°E When the call connected, he said raspily, ¡°You finally answered the phone.¡± It was almost time to leave work. Ste got dressed and received an unexpected call from Justin She was relieved to know that Justin was okay. She had wanted to call him to see how he was doing, but stopped because of Weston¡¯s warning. Thest thing she wanted was to involve more innocent people in their mess. After giving it a thought, she simply said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t contact each other anymore.¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 When Ste finished speaking, she heard a sudden breath hitched on the other side. Then, came the man¡¯s hurt voice. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Ste answered inaudibly. Justin suddenly became a little worked up. ¡°Weston is a great guy, but you¡¯ve just met him. Do you know what kind of person he is? He already has a family, so you should stay away from him!¡± Ste hoped she could stay away from him, but it was not up to her to decide. The only thing she could do was to leave Justin out of it. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. Don¡¯t worry about me. Let¡¯s not meet again.¡± Ste tried to sound aloof, ¡°You¡¯re just Robb¡¯s teacher. We are nothing beyond that.¡± After that, she hung up directly N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She gave it a thought and decided to block his number. She did not think that he had any deep feelings for her. It was probably just some infatuation. Besides, the two had only known each other for such a short time. It was best to stop the mess like this. She put away her phone and left work. Yvonne seemed to be in a good mood today. She immediately changed into a sophisticated dress after ss and started to touch up her makeup in front of the big mirror in the dance studio. Ste nced at her as she passed by. ¡°You look so beautiful. Is it a special day?¡± Yvonne looked up and smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s my husband¡¯s birthday today. He¡¯sing to pick me. We¡¯re going to celebrate.¡± Ste was dumbfounded andughed. ¡°It¡¯s your husband¡¯s birthday, but he has to pick you?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s his birthday, but I¡¯m the one celebrating. ¡°Yvonne smacked on her lipstick and looked at her reflection in the mirror. ¡°Perfect!¡± She screwed the lipstick cap in and tossed it into her bag, then stood up and made a spin for Ste. ¡°Is there anything that needs fixing?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°You look fine.¡± She looked at her neckline, walked up to her, and helped her fix the messy hair behind her ears. ¡°You look great in this lipstick.¡± These shades were hard to sell at the cosmetic counter. Most people would go for everyday colors that were easy to wear. Yvonne had a bright face. She required little makeup, though strong colors worked the best on her. Just a little bit of ent would make her extremely eye-catching. Ste smiled seeing Yvonne left happily going on a date. Then, her phone suddenly vibrated. She took it out to check, but her smile immediately disappeared after seeing the text. The text came from an unknown number with no name. However, she could tell who it was by the tone of it. On it were merely two words. ¡°Come down.¡± Ste closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she put her phone in her bag. She waited for the rest of the people in the training center to leave before leaving. Atst, she took the elevator to the parking lot. After walking a few steps, she saw the familiar ck Cullinan driving slowly towards her. The man signaled her with a double sh and looked rxed. He leisurely lowered the car window and ordered concisely, ¡°Get in.¡± Ste nced at him then withdrew her gaze. She walked forward, ignoring him. She knew her resistance seemed pointless, but she did not know what else she could do other than these. Would making a police report help? She closed her eyes in despair. For someone like Weston, as long as he did not do any real harm to her, calling the police would not help. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 What else could she do? Weston seemed to have guessed that she would not just follow him so easily. He followed behind her without any rush. When they got out of the parking lot, Ste squinted, dazzled by the sunlight outside. Weston finally opened the car door, walked up to her, and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t challenge my patience.¡± Ste pushed his hand away. ¡°What else can I do? Why can¡¯t you let go of me?¡± She had said it countless times to Weston. Weston had heard it many times, but he simply ignored her and shoved her into the car without a word. Ste was very thin. She was so thin that she had no strength to fight him. After being tucked into the passenger seat, Ste made a conscious effort to get up. However, the man pressed her to the seat and held her shoulder. ¡°Sit properly.¡± Weston was too close to her. He stood outside the car, tall and straight. He could hold her in ce with just one hand while the other hand pulled out the seat belt. He casually ran his fingertips across her slightly heaving chest. She did not know if it was intentional or not, but it did stop there for a while. Finally, he helped her to fasten the safety belt. After that, he looked up and met Ste¡¯s angry eyes. He was slightly stunned to see the humiliation in her eyes. He quickly calmed down and gently stroked her cheek. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it, but I hope you can get used to it soon. We have a long time ahead of us. If you can¡¯t rx, you¡¯ll be the only one who suffers.¡± Ste felt a chill in her bones to hear him say such words to her. ¡°Must you force me like this?¡± What did she do wrong to him? She did not want to pursue anything from the past. All she wanted was just a good and peaceful life. Why must he bother her? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Why? Did I murder your family in my previous life? Why must you torture me so much!¡± Ste was on the verge of losing control of her emotions. Weston looked at her for a few steady beats and said nothing. He got into the car from the other side, started the car, and drove slowly towards the road ahead. The scenery outside the window moved quickly. The man¡¯s fringe cast a shadow under his eyes. After a long silence, he finally said, ¡°Consider it a debt you¡¯ll pay for killing my family in yourst life.¡± Ste closed her eyes. She roared out, ¡°You have no shame!¡± Weston said without hesitation. ¡°I only want you.¡± It was as if her anger had been crushed by the icy iceberg. Ste could feel the cold pain in her anger. Before the mes of her anger went ravaging, they extinguished in the icy coldness, leaving nothing but a desertednd. And her heart that would nevere to life again. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you.¡± After a long moment, Ste said in a raspy voice. She almost begged, ¡°Why must you torture me? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong to you. You have Guinevere and a son now. There are plenty of willing women around you if you want them. Why can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to let you go.¡± Weston drove with an impassive look. He looked nkly inscrutable, but the emotions were rumbling in his eyes. He wanted to ask Ste the same question as well. Why could he not let her go? He was searching for an answer too, but he never got it right. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 The car drove on with no destination in sight. Ste asked him, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Weston nced at the navigator. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anywhere. I just want to go home.¡± ¡°You can go to my ce.¡± Ste took a deep breath and refused to speak another word. Weston nced at her with a helpless smile. ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡± It was time for dinner, but Ste hadn¡¯t the appetite. ¡°Anything.¡± She had only treated him with a horrific attitude, but he appeared to not mind at all. He casually searched for a restaurant and suggested, ¡°This ce has a good rating. Shall we give it a try?¡± With just a nce, Ste could tell it was an expensive ce to eat. ¡°Nevermind. I can¡¯t afford it.¡± The man frowned upon hearing what she said. ¡°I remember giving you a huge fortune, more than enough for you to sustain your lifestyle. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even afford a meal now.¡± Ste closed her eyes, ¡°Money will run out eventually. Do you think it¡¯llst forever?¡± There was a time she thought she could be her parents¡¯ precious child for the rest of her life. They loved her and cherished her. Overnight, her world was turned upside down. All she had in the past had vanished. Life was unpredictable. No one knew this better than her-often, a fine line stood between heaven and hell. Nothing in the world was eternal and reliable. The only one you could rely on was yourself. She used to be a precious little princess to her parents, but she was no different than a mere commoner now. Weston looked at the road ahead and said casually, ¡°How old are you? Why do you sound so old? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°One¡¯s age doesn¡¯t necessarily corrte to experience. Some people are very lucky. They can live like an innocent and ignorant child all their lives. They can keep their childlike innocence until they grow old, but for others¡­¡± Ste¡¯s face turned slightly bitter. ¡°Some others may be still young, but life has worn them out.¡± Weston finally looked at her. ¡°Are you talking about yourself?¡± Ste came back to her senses and realized who was sitting next to her. She collected her thoughts and stopped talking. Weston tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and suddenly felt a little annoyed. He had rarely spoken to Ste about these. When the two were together, it was Ste who had trailed behind him, learning his hobbies and habits. This was his first time listening to Ste¡¯s heart, albeit in such a tense atmosphere Finally, they arrived at the restaurant, Ste nced at the exterior design of the restaurant. ¡°Are you going to take me out like this in public? Are you not afraid of being seen by others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a public figure, so don¡¯t you worry.¡± ¡°Do I have to remind you that Guinevere is a huge star? Anyone on the street knows her name. Besides, both of you are often in the headlines. Your title as the richest man in Ahn City alone garners a lot of attention. Are you sure we won¡¯t be found out? What if Guinevere goes mad after knowing about my existence and tries to kill me again?¡± Ste felt as though she had reached a dead end. Weston was forcing her to be by his side; Guinevere, on the other hand, was hostile to all the women around Weston. She would get rid of all of them. It was like they were working together to keep her in trouble. Weston looked at her and gestured for her to take his arm. He only said two words, ¡°Trust me.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were full of indifference. The words ¡°trust me¡± carry the least weight in Weston¡¯s promises. In Ste¡¯s eyes, what he said meant nothing to her. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Ste got out of the car directly and ignored him. Weston nced at her. He was full of patience and did not mind her behavior. Ste walked straight ahead and happened to catch a glimpse of a familiar car. Her eyes lingered for a moment, but she did not think much of it and went straight into the elevator. Weston walked in behind her unhurriedly. This man always seemed to be like this. He would control his own pace and no one could disrupt him. ¡°You say no, but your actions say otherwise.¡± Ste ignored his tease. She said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯d rather cooperate and see what you want to do instead of struggling unnecessarily. I don¡¯t have time for you, but I can¡¯t escape either. No matter how I struggle, you¡¯ll find ways to achieve your goal. It¡¯s better that I obey. I can¡¯t fight you anyway.¡± Weston hated the way she described their rtionship. He did want to make things difficult for her, hoping to get her back to the way she was before. However, he did not expect her to use the word ¡®fight.¡¯ ¡®Forget it,¡¯ he thought. It was just a matter of time, and he had the patience. After entering the restaurant, Ste discovered the contrast inside. It looked grand on the outside but was incredibly low-profile inside. This was a corridor made of stone. She could even see the pattern of the stone on the walls. Ste curiously touched it with her hand and felt the rough texture on her skin. Weston was right behind her, watching her curious movements with a hint of gentleness in his eyes. It was there. He just did not notice it himself. He fixed his gaze on Ste the whole time, asionally moving closer to her. The man¡¯s chest was right behind her back. He watched her walk and stop but did not rush her. The road ahead was getting narrower and narrower. After walking for a long time, Ste still did not see a waiter. ¡°This isn¡¯t like a restaurant. It¡¯s like a maze here.¡± She suddenly stopped walking and looked suspiciously at the man behind her. ¡°Are we going the wrong way?¡± Weston did not answer her question. Instead, he tipped up his chin and urged, ¡°Continue walking,¡± Ste continued walking suspiciously. The further they went, the darker the corridor became. It seemed like it would never end. There was only a faint visible light ahead. Ste noticed that the surrounding environment suddenly darkened. She did not know when the light was gone. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She became a little scared and didn¡¯t dare go any further. When she looked behind her, she realized the light from behind was gone too. Only Weston was still standing beside her. ¡°Scared?¡± The man¡¯s low voice came from above her head. Ste pressed her lips. ¡°What is this ce?¡± ¡°Once you go in, you¡¯ll know.¡± Weston continued following her around with the same nonchnt attitude. He watched her cowering in a ball. A sudden urge suddenly grew from his heart and flowed in him, making him act by instinct. He took her in his arms without any second thoughts, ¡°If you¡¯re scared, lean on me.¡± The familiar scent of his was the air she breathed, and Ste was lost in thought for a moment. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 They used to be very close and physically intimate, and touching each other felt different each time. At least, it was different for Weston. He held Ste in his arms reflexively. With his strong arms, he did not allow her to refuse him. Ste finally came back to her senses and frowned. She wanted to push him away. ¡°I can walk myself.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you scared earlier? Are you not scared anymore?¡± Weston looked at her managing a brave face and did not let her go. Ste felt extremely ufortable. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me, I¡¯m not going in.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Weston¡¯s face turned gloomy upon hearing that. He stared at Ste for a moment, and his tone became cold. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he said. Then, he let go of his hand, and walked straight ahead. Ste had to follow him. She did not know how long she had been walking when she suddenly heard unfamiliar footsteps up ahead. She was immediately alerted and stayed wary until she heard the waitress¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello, do you have an appointment?¡± Finally, she could let out a sigh of relief. It was really a restaurant. What kind of restaurant was this? The surroundings were so dark; it looked more like a maze and a cave. The waitress held a white candle in her hand. She wore no expression on her face, but she remained very polite. She invited the two guests into the private room. Ste finally had the chance to look around. In addition to the narrow corridor, the two sides were like a honeb-like design. There was one small room on each side. It was not too spacious but interestingly decorated¡­ When they arrived at their destination, the waitress opened a small wooden door. The door was so short that Weston had to bend over to get in. Ste followed behind him, but it was dark ahead. The waitress reminded her, ¡°Be careful.¡± As soon as the waitress said that, Ste stepped on something, stumbled, and was in a daze. Fortunately, a pair of arms caught her in time and wrapped around her waist. Weston held her firmly and whispered in her ear, ¡°If you can¡¯t see, hold on to me.¡± Ste let go of his hand and ignored him. She had been very rude to him today, and though Weston had dealt with her with the utmost patience, it was wearing thin. He frowned a little and left her alone. After the two were seated, the waitress ced the candles on the table and arranged the tableware for them while greeting them. ¡°Wee to the Noir Restaurant. This ce is special because you¡¯ll pay attention to the food in front of you. You can¡¯t y with your cell phones, and try not to be distracted by other things. You can communicate with yourpanions appropriately, but try to give all your attention to the food as best you can.¡± After that, she took out a silver tray. She looked at Ste, and then at Weston. ¡°Please put your cell phones on here. Someone will bring them back after you finish your meal.¡± Ste had never been to a ce like this before. She looked at Weston. Seeing that he put his phone on the tray without any objection, she did not say anything and handed her phone over. After the waitress left, only the two of them were left. It was very dark in there, and all they could see were the silhouettes each other¡¯s faces and the dishes in front of them. The room remained silent for a long one. No one spoke first. Subsequently, the dishes were served one by one. During the whole time, neither of them said a word to the other. Weston seemed to be giving her the silent treatment because of her repeated obtuseness. Ste enjoyed the silence. She could save her energy because of his silence. Besides, she was pretty hungry and cared little about who was sitting across the table. Quickly, she started digging into the food. Though, despite the circumstances, she had to agree that the food tasted excellent. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 The only thing about the restaurant was the dark environment. No wonde Noir Restaurant The waitress¡¯s introduction somewhat made sense. The food tasted a little bit more delicious when she focused all her senses without all the noises around her. Thest course was steak, which was served in aplicated way. It wasid on a copper te with a roaring charcoal fire underneath. Due to the high temperature, the staff needed to iste the heat. Several people carried the equipment in, but the steak serving was only sorge. Ste looked at the pathetically portioned, perfectly ted dish and was at a loss of words. Seeing that he did not move, Weston tapped his finger lightly on the table. ¡°Help me cut it.¡± Ste was startled. She thought she misheard him until he repeated himself. Her face turned cold. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to cut it yourself? Cut it yourself and eat it.¡± Weston crossed his fingers together. For some reason, he was patient with her again. ¡°I want to eat whatever you cut.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t!¡± Weston said nothing and just looked at her like that. Ste suddenly remembered the scene at Yvonne¡¯s house the other day. She watched how Weston served so gentlemanly. He took the te in front of Guinevere, cut the steak for her, and gave it to her. He was so gentlemanly and kind. When it came to her, he demanded her to serve him. What did he take her for? A nanny? A maid? Her heart was cold, and she refused to do it. After a while, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the waiter to cut it for you.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Forget it.¡± Weston stopped her. Seeing how reluctant she was, he lost interest. He quickly cut the steak into small pieces and then pushed it in front of her. ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°Eat,¡± hemanded, one cold word without a trace of warmth. Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. She did not refuse, but deliberately the beef while eating. She did not eat a single bite of the meat at all. Naturally, Weston did not miss her actions. His eyes turned cold. After the meal, the waiter returned both of their cell phones. Ste impatiently turned on her phone to see if there were any new missed calls or texts. She wondered if Roger would be worried because she was past her usual time home. Weston was displeased throughout the entire whole time. Ste simply ignored him. When they got to the parking lot, Weston suddenly warned her in a deep voice, ¡°There¡¯s a car next to you.¡± He took her by the arm and pulled her aside. Ste mindlessly looked up and met his eyes. She saw Weston¡¯s displeased eyes, but she pretended that she saw nothing. She pursed her lips and continued to look at her phone. The two walked a few more steps, when suddenly, a hesitant voice spoke up from behind. ¡°E? Weston? Why are you two here?!¡± Ste stiffened. Stunned that she recognized the voice, she did not dare to look back. The voice belonged to Yvonne. Her palms were sweating, and she looked straight at the man in front of her. Weston looked as if nothing had happened. He looked at Yvonne, who stopped behind Ste. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Yvonne did not say a single word. She only observed them quietly, ncing up and down as if trying to discern their rtionship. She managed a smile at Weston, ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence. Most of the guests in the Noir Restuarant are couples. Are you two¡­¡± Ste clenched her fists tight, letting her nails dig deep into her flesh. She desperately wanted to exin to Yvonne, but she could not make a sound. She wanted to say she had nothing to do with Weston, but even she found that hypocritical . Yvonne must think of her as some shameless woman who would had affairs, right? After a brief silence, Weston spoke first. ¡°We just happened to meet each other. There¡¯s nothing special.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yvonne nodded. She seemed to believe them, but her perfunctory attitude was clear. She gave Ste a meaningful andplicated look. Ste could not look her in the eye. What else could she say? It was Weston who forced her. Would Yvonne believe it? The two of them had just be friends not long ago. It was normal not to trust her¡­ Weston frowned looking at Ste drowning in shame. He took a step forward and blocked Yvonne¡¯s view. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Lucas, who had been silent, took Yvonne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°See you next time, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston nodded. He took Ste and left without looking back. Meanwhile, Yvonne stood still and watched them leave with aplicated expression. Lucas knew what she was thinking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about other people¡¯s business. Just mind yourself.¡± Yvonne got a little angry and red at him. ¡°I was just surprised. E looks like such a good child. I didn¡¯t think she would¡­¡±. She could not say that foul word to describe E. It was true that she disliked Guinevere, but she and Weston were a couple. Why was E doing this? Yvonne was very fond of Ste, not only because they resembled each other. Even their experience and personalities were simr. She never thought Ste would do such a thing. Yvonne felt a little disappointed. Lucas could not stand her depressed look. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°She¡¯s just a colleague from the training center. Is she worth making such a big deal out of?¡± Yvonne stopped smiling ever since she got into the car. She had stered her gaze out the window and sighed periodically. Otherwise, she would turn her head at him, shake her head, and say nothing Lucas hated seeing her like that. He put the documents in his hand aside and pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday today. Should you be so concerned about an outsider?¡± He reached out to pinch her face. ¡°You¡¯ve known her for such a short time. It¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t know her well enough yet. Don¡¯t bother yourself with this.¡± Yvonne knew he was trying tofort her, but she did not like him speaking so harshly. She could not help but reach out and pinch his face back. ¡°Forget it. Today is your birthday, so I¡¯ll stop.¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 After she finished, the man held her waist and rasped, ¡°It¡¯s my birthday. Are you taking me to just a meal?¡± Yvonne was tickled from his hot breath. Her skin tingled, so she pushed him twice. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It tickles¡­¡± The driver was still driving in front, so it was not right for them to do this in the backseat. Even so, Lucas did not let go. Instead, he tightened his hold on her. ¡°That won¡¯t do. At least show me your sincerity.¡± ¡°How much more sincerity do you want?¡± Yvonne was a little annoyed. While they were facing each other nose-to-nose, Lucas reached over and pressed something on the side. Then, the privacy divider in the car rose. The luxury car had a very spacious interior. After the divider was raised, the back seat was converted into a well insted private space. No matter what they did, the people in front would not hear it. Yvonne finally realized what Lucas wanted to do. She flushed shyly. ¡°Why are you so passionate today?¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a present for me, I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± Lucas looked straight at her. He always had a cool look about him. As a doctor, he wore a white coat all the time and looked very neat. Sometimes, the asional faint scent of disinfectant on him made Yvonne especially mesmerized. He rarely lost hisposure except for his passionate time with her. However, he had never been so bold either. Yvonne soon forgot about Ste. The car did indeed have good sound instion, but it did not block vibrations. Yvonne blushed, then she hurriedly reached out and hugged the man¡¯s neck. ¡°We¡¯re almost home. Hurry up¡­¡±.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Lucas breathed softly in her ear, then pressed his lips against her ear again. ¡°I can¡¯t hurry with this¡­¡± Unlike the atmosphere between Yvonne and Lucas, it was different here. The air around Weston was almost freezing. Ste did not say a word to him and walked forward on her own. After getting in the car, she did not want to talk to him either. Weston looked at her in the rearview mirror and drove. ¡°You can¡¯t stand to be seen with me?¡± Ste took a deep breath and suddenly covered her face with her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrobly. She was strong enough to endure everything before. She did not know when she had be so strong, but she felt she could bear anything as long as she could get away from this man. However, caught off guard by Yvonne¡¯s surprised and somewhat disappointed eyes, she had lost all her strength. ¡°In the eyes of others, I¡¯m just a shameless homewrecker.¡± Ste was clearly crying, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her crying tone. ¡°I consider her my best friend, but I¡¯m such a disappointment in her eyes.¡± A rush of anger suddenly rose in Weston¡¯s heart. ¡°Why are you crying because of Yvonne? How long have you known her? How is she so important to you?¡± ¡°She Is important to me!¡± Ste suddenly dropped her hands and red at him with red eyes. ¡°How can people like you understand how we feel? ¡°You¡¯ve always been above it all. No matter what you do wrong, everyone will look for reasons to justify your mistake. No one will ever really me you! ¡°But what about me? I didn¡¯t do anything at all, yet I have to bear much greater pressure because of you. You can do anything you want, but I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t even escape from your side without getting hurt badly! ¡°What exactly have I done to offend you? Why can¡¯t you let me go?!¡± After a day of holding in her emotions, Ste had finally reached her limit. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 It was not Ste¡¯s first time saying something like that to him. She kept begging him to let her go. Weston was not totally unaffected, but he chose to ignore those strange emotions bottled up in him. Never had he experienced such an uncontroble urge. The car stopped beside a quiet road. Weston rolled down the window and rested his arm on the window. He lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers, but he did not smoke it. He just left it like that. When the lit cigarette butt reached his fingertips, a subtle pain pinched his skin. He dusted off the ashes and looked at Ste. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. Your only option is to follow me. You can name any price you want.¡± ¡°Why? You already have Guinevere. Why can¡¯t you let me go?¡± When she asked him this, the man¡¯s eyes flickered slightly before he fell silent again. It was unclear whether he was asking himself a question, or asking her. ¡°What do you think?¡± He did not know either. He could not understand his desire for her. Why? What was it for? Did he only want her because he did not have enough of her during the marriage? Did he want more of her body? If he did, he would have slept with herst night. However, he did not. He just held her in his arms and slept all night. Even Weston was confused. He could not figure out what he was thinking. He would like to ask Ste what she did to make him less and less like himself. ¡°It¡¯s impossible between us. You should give up.¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°I can¡¯t be your secret lover just for some money¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re working so hard that you¡¯re willing to work at that kind of ce. I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind having more money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same!¡± Ste replied. ¡°That¡¯s my job. I¡¯mMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. earning money legally. I don¡¯t have to mind others¡¯ opinions of me. But what about you? You¡¯re forcing me to be your secret lover. What will others think of me?¡± She could not forget the way Yvonne looked at her earlier. It was unbearable. There was no disgust in her eyes, but onlyplicated emotions and disappointment. Very few people truly cared about her since her parents died. Only Roger and Yvonne cared about her. If she got involved in Weston¡¯s rtionship as the third party, how could she continue to stay in the training center? How could she face Yvonne? ¡°You keep talking, but you still care about that woman the most.¡± Weston put out his cigarette and unbuttoned his cor in annoyance. ¡°If you care about her presence so much, I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°This is between us. Don¡¯t involve others!¡± ¡°You know we shouldn¡¯t drag others into this, so why are you rejecting me for the sake of others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting you for anyone. I just don¡¯t want to be with you. Don¡¯t you understand? There¡¯s no turning back between us! You¡¯re the one who asked for a divorce. You asked me to abort the child. On the rooftop, you didn¡¯t choose Guinevere over me. The moment you told, me to die, it was over for the both of us! Why do you have to barge into my life over and over again ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that question again,¡± Weston interjected her in exasperation. He closed the window and unbuckled his seat belt without hesitation. Then, he moved to the passenger seat and put the seat down. He grabbed Ste¡¯s wrist and pressed it on top of her head. Then, he lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Do I need a reason to do something? All I want is you. I won¡¯t give up no matter what. Your only option is to submit to me,¡± he gritted his teeth and whispered in her ear with an imperative dominance. Ste shut her trembling eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill me now?¡± If he were to control her life, she would rather not live. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 The only thing she cared about was Roger. Roger had grown up now. His health had gradually improved, and he had returned to school. Her death might be a blow to him, but she believed that he would get over it and have a good future. Her presence would matter little to him by then. A strong sense of despair loomed over her. Perhaps, Weston had sensed it too. In that instance, all his anger waspletely extinguished. He released her and leaned on her shoulder and neck. He gritted his teeth and slowly rxed his clenched fist. ¡°Let¡¯s both take a step back¡­ Ste, I won¡¯t trap you forever.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ste looked at him. Weston suddenly propped himself up and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°Just stay with me for a while. I¡¯ll hide your identity. No one will know about us. However, we must return to how we were when we were married. Once the time¡¯s up, I¡¯ll let you go. You can make a request to me too.¡± ¡°Why should I agree?¡± ¡°This is your only option. No matter what you¡¯re mine.¡± He had to figure out why he became what he was now. Why did it have to be her? Why was he so desperate to have her back? Maybe he could find the answer after experiencing his marriage with Ste one more time. After getting out of the car, Ste returned home in a daze. What Weston said in the car was still echoing in her ears. She could not understand how he had the audacity to make those demands! He asked that they go back to the way things were when they were married, and he would end their rtionship when he got tired of it. What did he take her for? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Roger was walking out of the kitchen while drinking water. He noticed Ste¡¯s strange expression, so he put down the ss in his hand and walked to her. ¡°Are you tired from work?¡± Ste shook her head and managed a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll go get some rest.¡± Roger followed behind her and did not leave. ¡°Should I call the doctor?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll go take a quick nap.¡± She did not want to bring her troubles to Roger. After entering the bedroom, she threw herself on the big bed. Must she submit to Weston¡¯s unreasonable demands? Otherwise, should she fight to the death Was there any way to make him lose interest in her? Ste¡¯s heart sank slowly. What if she married someone else? Weston was a proud man. He would not be able to ept her if she did that. Weston parked his car in the underground parking lot under the apartment building. When he saw some big ck cars parked there, his face turned gloomy. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. His eyes showed nothing but an icy chill. Just like he expected, when he returned to the apartment, someone who was not supposed to be there got up from the sofa. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Guinevere spoke. She was a little embarrassed, but she maintained a natural expression. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Weston looked at her first, and then shifted his gaze away. When he saw the elders sitting on the sofa, his mouth was pressed into a tight line. He stayed silent. Guinevere¡¯s eyes flickered slightly before she hurriedly walked to the entryway and held his arm. ¡°My parents want to meet you. Do you mind?¡±. Weston had properties in almost every city. Some ces were his private apartments, but he had never let Guinevere in before. Guinevere wanted him to bring her to his private properties, but he declined her request. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She kept his rejection in mind. After hearing about the incident in Lowe Garden, a sense of crisis grew. The current Weston was no longer the same abstinent Weston from before. She was afraid that the two of them would drift apart even without Ste¡¯s presence. She had no choice but to put her pride away. She took more initiative to actively get closer to him. She was worried thating here so suddenly would make Weston angry. Therefore, she invited her parents over, hoping that they could forgive her willfulness for the sake of the two families¡¯ rtionship. ¡°Oh, Weston. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡± Mr. Cohen looked at him. He sat on the sofa with a serious look and said solemnly, ¡°Guinevere has promised to bring the baby to see us after giving birth to him, but you haven¡¯t found time toe yet. Are you busy with work? I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time already.¡± Guinevere¡¯s mother also spoke up. ¡°I heard that the project in the western suburbs has already started. You must be busytely; that must be why you didn¡¯t have time to visit us. It just so happens that Guinevere¡¯s father is free, so we came up here for a visit. Are we disturbing you?¡± The elders were silently pressuring him with the questions. Weston nced at Guinevere for a moment without any emotion. He looked polite and distant. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that you two came here without prior notice. I hope you don¡¯t mind the hospitality.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here just to see how Guinevere is doing. Now that you two have a baby, when are you going to get married?¡± Weston came home a littlete today. The three of them had been waiting for a long time. While waiting, Guinevere¡¯s parents seemed to have noticed something. However, Guinevere insisted that there was nothing wrong with her rtionship with Weston, so they did not press further. Looking at it now, Weston did not seem to be very keen to marry Guinevere. Weston and Guinevere sat down on the sofa. Hearing their direct questions, he knew there was no way to avoid this matter. After a long silence, he said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, I¡¯ll leave it to you and my parents to decide for us. I have no opinion.¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She looked at the man beside her with delight. However, Weston avoided her eyes and took a sip of his tea instead. Mr. Cohen looked at him with relief. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± When they just came over, Mrs. Cohen keptining to him that getting pregnant out of wedlock was a family scandal. Guinevere should not be doing such a thing to get him. However, now that the child was born, it was pointless toin anymore. They just needed Weston to agree. After all, Guinevere was the one who insisted on marrying Weston. They might be a little annoyed, but they would not say anything. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s discuss it with your parents sometime.¡± ¡°They seem to be very busy these days. I don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll have time,¡± Weston said indifferently. Guinevere¡¯s joy faded a little. However, she was still much more relieved than before. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not in a hurry. We can take it slow.¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Seeing her daughter so aggrieved, Mrs. Cohen frowned. ¡°Weston, I know you¡¯ve always been a good boy. Have you been under too much pressure at work lately? Are you emotionally unstable? I heard some gossip¡­. Anyway, you need to rest and spend more time with your family.¡± Weston was known to be the dream lover of the richdies in the circle. Unlike the immature rich kids, his focus was mostly on work. He was destined to be a step above the rest from birth. He did not waste his talent and resources, leaving his peers far behind. It was rare for someone of his current age to master and control the core business of his family. As a result, whenever the parents were lecturing their disobedient children, they would use Weston as an example and tell them to learn from him. Wealthy families were most afraid of the existence of illegitimate children. They shared the same inheritance rights with other children. A richdy would certainly consider the man¡¯s private life when choosing a husband. If an illegitimate child somehow appeared one day, it might threaten the status of their biological children. Weston was known to be abstinent from women. All these years, Guinevere had been the only woman by his side. To many, he was considered a loyal and dedicated lover. However, there were some rumors about Weston¡¯s past. Weston had another woman with him, but she disappeared. No one knew if the rumor was true, or if they covered it up. It was a matter between the two children. As parents, they could not interfere too much. However, they had to voice their views about their daughter¡¯s marriage. ¡°Actually, we know you¡¯re not that kind of man. The rumors out there can be quite unpleasant. It may also affect your reputation. All Guinevere and you need now is just the marriage certificate and wedding ceremony. As long as you two have a good rtionship, the rumors will go away. The wedding will be a long process. Why don¡¯t you register your marriage first?¡± Mrs. Cohen put forward her request in a casual tone. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Guinevere was a little nervous and looked at the man beside her. Weston¡¯s eyes remained inexplicable. He did not agree to nor refuse their suggestion. After a long moment, he finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it, but getting a certificate is not child¡¯s y. It¡¯ll involve our assets and other issues. I¡¯ll let the professionals handle it.¡± This was indeed a problem worth considering. Guinevere¡¯s parents did not object. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s the union of two families, and some things need to be made clear.¡± ¡°Also, another thing¡­¡± Weston paused and looked at Guinevere. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone arrange a premarital medical examination as soon as possible so that we¡¯re responsible for each other.¡± Hearing this, Guinevere became puzzled. ¡°We have a child already. Is there a need to do such a test?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a part of the marriage process. Why shouldn¡¯t we do it? You may have a child already, but we can get to know each other¡¯s health better this way.¡± He had a point, but Guinnevere found it strange. However, since he finally yielded to their requests, she could only nod and agree. ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± The conversation this time was pleasant. Guinevere¡¯s parents did not stay any longer. Before leaving, Mrs. Cohen told Guinevere to stay. ¡°We¡¯ll leave first. Spend some quality time with Weston.¡± Guinevere stood at the door and sent them both out. When she closed the door and turned around, she saw Weston standing behind her. He looked at her coldly with no expression on his face. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Guinevere took a step back subconsciously, made ufortable by the look in his eyes. She looked away to avoid his eyes. ¡°Father and Mother suddenly told me that they woulde here today when they pass by¡ª¡± She exined with her tiny voice, but was interrupted by Weston before she could finish what she was about to say. ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± She looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°Are you still nning to chase me out at this hour?¡± The man furrowed his eyebrows. In the light of the living room, his features became more and more distinct, but they grew colder at the same time. He stared at her without saying a word. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She closed the door, then hugged his waist and buried her face in his chest. ¡°I have been very anxious all this time. I feel that you are getting further and further away from me. Are you really serious about it when you promised my parents that you would marry me just now?¡± Weston¡¯s arms remained at his side. He did not respond to her hug. It was a few momentster that she heard him say, ¡°First, we have to get a medical checkup.¡± Her eyes flickered as she looked up at him. ¡°Why must we get a checkup?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the procedure.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She felt something was not right, but she didn¡¯t dwell on that matter. ¡°Can I stay here tonight?¡± As she was saying that, she leaned her head back on his chest. Listening to the man¡¯s powerful heartbeat, she boldly probed her hands, which were around his waist, downward. ¡°Zachary is almost a year old. Let¡¯s¡­¡± Her signal was so apparent, but before her hand could touch the vital part, the man grabbed her wrist. He ripped her out of his arms with only a bit of his force, and looked down at her with an obscure and inexplicable expression. ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll send you back.¡± He insisted. She suddenly clenched her fists. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go back! Why do you still want to fight with me when we¡¯vee to this point? I¡¯ve put aside my dignity and my pride. What else should I do to get you to let go of the past? Are you still angry with me because of Ste?¡± The moment she mentioned Ste¡¯s name, there seemed to be a raging storm in his eyes. It was not until an unknown period of time had passed that he gradually calmed down. ¡°You are thinking too much.¡± With his hoarse voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for you to live here without your necessities.¡± She loosened her grip. She had repeatedly made overtures to him, but she was still treated so harshly. He never refused her squarely, but he would reply to her with ambiguous words. He was apparently keeping her out of his heart, but he would never let her feel totally hopeless. She closed her eyes. ¡°Okay. If you insist, then send me back first.¡± She took a deep breath and looked at him with red eyes. ¡°I have plenty of time to wait for you.¡± After that, she turned around and walked directly out the door. She was Guinevere, the one who never admitted defeat to anyone. She had offered herself to him, but it was still the same oue. She had had enough. Even if she was willing topromise for the sake of Weston, she was not willing to beg without caring for her dignity. What else did he want from her? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Did she really have to strip naked in front of him, and only then would he look at her again? She wiped her tears away as she was turning around and calmed herself down. As long as they registered their marriage, they would be a legal couple. Besides, they had a son. By that time, she wouldn¡¯t care about those nebulous things. Whether it was Ste or the woman who appeared in the Lowe Garden that day, she would not care a bit. It was already veryte when she returned to her apartment. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 After Weston sent Guinevere back to her apartment, he looked at his watch and guessed that Ste should already be asleep, but he sent her a message anyway. All his previous numbers were cklisted by her, so he got another new number. It wasn¡¯t an issue for him, and she did not block his number again. Perhaps she knew that her action was of no use, so she simply gave up. Thinking of this, the man smiled. After some time, he still did not receive any reply. He didn¡¯t expect that she would text back anyway, so he went to the bathroom for a quick shower. But when he came out, he saw a weak light blinking on top of his phone. The moment he checked his phone, his eyes darkened. It was Ste. He picked up the call but did not say anything, waiting for her to speak After a while, he heard an unfamiliar voice of a man. ¡°Who are you? Why are you texting Ste in the middle of the night?¡± At aa drive-in cinema. Ste didn¡¯t expect that she would be dating another man in just one short year. She felt that she might not have the courage and energy to love anyone again after her terrible experience. It was not that no one tried to pursue her, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so. Weston¡¯s relentless pursuit made her realize that there might be only one way to make him give up-first, she had to get herself a boyfriend. Regardless, she did not want to let other people treat her as a tool, like how he did before. So, she exined her situation clearly beforehand. ¡°I have an ex who is still clinging on to me, and I have no ns to start a new rtionship, so¡­¡± They were all adults, so there were things that they understood even when they did not say it. That man smiled. ¡°It just so happens that I was also forced by my family to go out on a blind date and have no intention of dating anyone. If you don¡¯t mind, we can be a couple. Then, we can break up anytime and anywhere when necessary without causing stress to each other.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As long as both parties made it clear beforehand, Ste could still ept it. This man was introduced to her by a colleague in the training center. ording to her colleague, they had been neighbors since they were young. So, she knew him well and assured that he was a good man. After informing Roger, she went out with this man for a movie, It was her first time going to a drive-in cinema. A huge screen was installed at therge parking area with all sorts of cars. They found a spot with a good view. This man was driving a sports car. It was veryfortable when the wind blew. He opened a can of beer and handed it to Ste. ¡°Want one? If you cannot drink this, I brought some juice.¡± She smiled. ¡°Yes, I can have a beer.¡± He was a gentleman. He had had several rtionships before, all of which he treated seriously. It was because of his ex-girlfriends that he had lost interest in dating anymore. But his family kept on urging him, so he came for the blind date. Listening to his story, Ste felt that their experiences were very simr. As the two chatted, they did not realize that it was already veryte. Just at this time, Weston sent over a text message. The moment she looked at the message, she stopped talking. The man sensed something and asked, ¡°Your ex?¡± Then, he held out his hand, smiling. ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Before Ste could respond, the man had already found the text message and called the number directly. When she heard a beep on the other end, it was toote for her to stop it even if she wanted to. She subconsciously reached out to grab it, but the man pressed her forehead and pushed her away gently. He ced his index finger to his mouth and made a ¡®shush¡¯ gesture, winking at her. Ste¡¯s face sank as she heard him saying, ¡°Who are you? Why are you texting Ste in the middle of the night?¡± He sounded very provocative Ste raised her eyebrows immediately and opened her mouth. It was not that she was worried that Weston might misunderstand something, but that this person might anger him The reason that she started blind dating was to make him give up as he would encounter this scene sooner orter. She did not expect that this man was so straightforward, so she was worried that he might enrage Weston. After all, Weston was crazy and would do anything. When she was holding her breath and waiting for a reply, she heard a long beeping sound. The call was cut off. Upon that, the man handed the phone back to her and shrugged helplessly. ¡°Your ex doesn¡¯t sound like he has much patience.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes darkened. Looking at the screen of her phone, she fell into deep thought. The man reached out and waved in front of her. ¡°Why do you look so defeated? You aren¡¯t still in love with him, are you?¡± He chuckled yfully, but Ste did not take it to heart. Instead, she looked at him very seriously. ¡°He is a bit of an unscrupulous person who does not have much morality. I think¡­ it is best that we end it right here.¡± This man was a bit impulsive. He was not the best option for her. She was being too impulsive as well. She was too eager to get rid of Weston. The moment she said that, the man looked at her with interest. ¡°Do you think that I can¡¯t beat your ex?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Ste paused and sighed. ¡°I am being too impulsive. I am sorry to have gotten you involved in this.¡±. Then, she nodded and unbuckled the seatbelt. When she was about to get out of the car, the man grabbed her wrist, signalling for her to remain seated. ¡°That¡¯s too sudden. Your reason for ending this is a bit hurtful.¡± Ste asked somewhat helplessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we could end this anytime?¡± She actually used his words to refute him. ¡°Okay.¡± The man let go of her andughly ruefully. ¡°I was only getting a little interested in you just now, but you are such a spoilsport. It¡¯s no fun.¡± Ste rubbed her nose in embarrassment. ¡°Then I shall get going now. Sorry for taking your time.¡± ¡°Wait, I will send you home.¡± The man pointed at the steering wheel. ¡°After all, it¡¯s my childhood friend who introduced you to me. Although we couldn¡¯t be a couple, I should still be a gentleman.¡± Ste looked out the window. It was indeed veryte, and it was not safe for her to go back alone. So, she sat back down. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± ¡°You are wee.¡± The man purposely raised his tone. He looked at Ste in the rearview mirror and smiled before he shook his head and looked away. The car left the drive-in cinema. Then, the man said, ¡°Honestly speaking, it is the first time I¡¯ve been rejected by someone with such a reason.¡± They had already decided that it was temporary. Although he did not mind it, he still could not help but feel a little aggrieved. ¡°What kind of a person is your ex, seeing as he can make you so anxious?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As Ste thought of Weston, her face turned cold. ¡°He is a nobody. Just scum.¡± Seeing that she was unwilling to say more, the man stopped asking. After sending her to the lobby of her apartment and seeing her e Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 As soon as she pressed the elevator button, a tall figure suddenly appeared beside her. She jerked her head up, and her eyes met with a pair of ck sunken eyes. Weston grabbed her wrist and dragged her to a corner without saying anything. Hands on her shoulders, he directly pushed her into the escape route. Nobody woulde here, so it was scarily quiet. Besides, the surrounding was so dark that they could barely see anything. Ste was startled and immediately pushed him away with all her might. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her voice was a bit piercing to the ears in the empty space. The man covered her mouth directly with one hand and used the other to pull off her thin sweater before he kissed her neck It was already autumn, so the night was a bit chilly. Because she went to a drive-in cinema, she wore a white cardigan. It could also be described as a knitted sweater; it was soft and not very thick. It was very stretchy, so it could be easily pulled off the shoulder. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Even in the dark, herplexion was able to catch the man¡¯s eyes. Blinded by lust, he relished the scent of her body, leaving behind marks on her skin, his wild breath spreading around her neck. Ste could feel that he was kissing her relentlessly, and an aura that belonged only to him engulfed her whole body. She was powerless to resist. No matter how much she struggled, it was to no avail. ¡°Let go of me! Let go! You are crazy!¡± She cursed nonstop, hoping that he would stop. But he did not seem to hear her and pressed her against the wall harder. At such a close distance, she had already noticed his change and looked at him in disbelief. It was the moment she was in a daze that he lifted her and pinned her on the wall. In the narrow and dark space, her tears just rolled down her cheeks. She cried in silence, not even making much noise, but it miraculously calmed him down. In the dark, his eyes remained sharp. With sarcasm, he said, ¡°What are you crying about? You seemed to be very happy just now.¡± He saw her getting out of a man¡¯s car, smiling happily. He had never seen her smiling so brightly at him. ¡°Were you trying to provoke me when you called me?¡± With one hand holding her waist, he lifted his other hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eye. Then, his hand followed the tear down to her cheek, her neck, and then slid down to her bosom. She shuddered and closed her eyes immediately, forcing herself to ignore the humiliating touch. ¡°I have told you very clearly that it¡¯s impossible between us. Besides, we have already been divorced for such a long time. Why can¡¯t I start over?¡± ¡°I told you to go back and reconsider it because I wanted to give you some time. I didn¡¯t want to push you too hard. But this is the answer you gave me? Start over, you say?¡± The man suddenly lowered his voice and intensified his movement. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± She cried out almost instantly. That disgusting feeling made her no longer able to keep her cool. ¡°Let go of me, let go of me!¡± ¡°What, now? Are you trying to remain chaste for your new lover?¡± His tone was harsh and cold as ice. ¡°Tell me¨Cwho is he? Is he the one fromst time?¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 It was then that Ste began to feel relieved. Luckily, the man had already left. If Weston bumped into him, he might cause more trouble. When the man saw her not making a sound, his eyes darkened, and he jumped to conclusions. ¡°So, is it the man called Justin?¡± Taking advantage of the moment, she pushed his hand away impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s not him. But it has nothing to do with you anyway.¡± ¡°Must you still act like this when things havee to this point?¡± He suddenly softened and spoke to her calmly. ¡°Ste, you are not a stupid person.¡± Since she was ready to step over his line, she should not retreat when she was stepping on it. This would make him feel tantalized. Sensing her thoughts of retreating again, he snorted. He lifted her chin up with his slender finger, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. ¡°At a time like this, do you think you can still run away on your own?¡± His eyes suddenly turned cold, and his tone was exuding a hint of menace. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you get this close to another man again. Otherwise, you know what I¡¯ll do.¡± He leaned closer to her, and his low voice rang beside her ear. ¡°And don¡¯t let me know if anything happens between you and them.¡± She bit her lower lip so hard that she tasted blood, and she could barely keep herself calm. She looked at him and said, ¡°You already have a wife and a son, but now you are making such a request to your ex-wife, who was once pregnant with your child but was forced to jump from the penthouse and had a miscarriage. Don¡¯t you think you are too despicable?¡± Every time she dreamt, she would see her child in a bloody mess. She wanted to forget, but he kept on appearing in front of her, forcing her to recall it. Hence, she chose war. With so many spikes ced between them, they were both bound to lose. He figured out her intention, and his face turned even more hostile. Suddenly, he pressed his lips andughed. ¡°Now that you said it, I think I am. But what can you do about it? This is how I am. I am just so despicable and cannot bear to see my ex-wife have rtions with another man.¡± ¡°You are shameless!¡± ¡°How many times have I told you?¡± Seeing her raising her arms and was about to p him, he easily shackled her wrist and pinned it above her head. ¡°Of course I¡¯m shameless. What I want the most now is you-don¡¯t you see?¡± His reaction seemed to be intensifying. Her whole body was shaking. She bit her lower lip hard until her face paled. Only then did he notice something was wrong and let go of her. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± He saw her brilliant red lips and pale face, which was getting uglier with the light outside.¡± Open your mouth.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She refused to listen. With his calloused finger, he rubbed her lips. It was as if he was coaxing a child, pinching her chin and shaking it. ¡°Good girl, open your mouth. It will hurt.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at him with a stoi face. ¡°Do you still care if I¡¯m in pain? This little bit of pain is no more than a thousandth of what you¡¯ve given me.¡± The man suddenly froze and looked at her from above. Their eyes met, but he could not see a trace of emotion in her eyes. Since when did she not have the same look in her eyes anymore? He tried but failed to recall which day it was. Was it the day when he asked for the divorce? Or was it the day she had the abortion? Or was it the day he went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the divorce papers? Or the day he was on the rooftop? It seemed like the change didn¡¯t happen all of a sudden; it was umted. So, even if he wanted to understand the answer to this question, there seemed to be no way to reverse the change. But he was not convinced. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 ¡°Just take the pain I give you, and you shall suffer no unnecessary pain.¡± Weston suddenly leaned down and looked at her almost tenderly. He kissed the corner of her lips and then slowly moved toward the wound below her lips and licked it. Ste¡¯s body tensed up, and her face was full of unconcealed hatred. He acted as if he didn¡¯t see it and stroked her cheek with the back of his palm. He stopped beside her ear and started rubbing her ears with his fingertips gently. ¡°There is nothing wrong with a little pain. At least it means that I¡¯m giving you a deep feeling. Remember this pain and never forget it.¡± He seemed to know that his image was irreversible in Ste¡¯s heart. So each and every word he said was aimed right on her sore point. Her eyes had long been red, her despair beyond words. With an indifferent tone, she said, ¡°The only thing that I regret the most is that I once loved you. Now it seems that all that so-called tolerance and mercy in the past is just a weapon you used to humiliate and trample on me.¡± Her tone was so calm that it did not show any anger. However, it managed to enrage the man in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use those tactics on you, so you¡¯d better not piss me off. Today shall be thest time. Break up with Justin. Don¡¯t wait for me to take action. I believe it will be safer for you to take the initiative to break up with him than for me to make him do so.¡± He sucked thest drop of her blood on her lips. ¡°I am going to Ahn City for a few days. I hope you can use this time to settle the matter.¡± Upon that, he raised his hand, patted her head, and left. It was not until the elongated shadow of the man disappeared that Ste suddenly lost all of her energy and leaned against the wall behind her, going limp. She hugged her knees, not knowing what to do for the first time. What the hell should she do to escape this man¡¯s grasp? *** The next day, when Ste went for work in the training center, her under eyes were noticeably dark. When Yvonne saw her, she said, ¡°You¡­¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Without finishing her sentence, she changed her mind. ¡°Forget it.¡± Apart from the first time they met, they basically did not talk to each other. Even the other colleagues sensed something not right going between ther, thinking that they had had an argument. Some did ask Ste what had happened, but what could she say? She simply shook her head and focused on her ss. Yvonne was the owner of this ce. She used to take sses with Ste for fun, but now that she had arrived in Fern City, she didn¡¯t take any ss anymore herself. Every time she passed by Ste¡¯s ssroom, she subconsciously slowed down, wanting to say something to her, but she didn¡¯t think she should care so much. Although she didn¡¯t like Guinevere, she didn¡¯t like a third wheel as well. Lucas was right. She should not care too much about E. The friendliness Ste showed might just be an illusion; Yvonne might not know who she really was at heart. Hence, Yvonne took a deep breath and left. But before she went far, Ste happened to finish her lesson and came out of the ss. Yvonne paused in her steps and greeted Ste. Then, she immediately retracted her gaze. She was obviously the boss, but she was acting like the person who did something wrong. ¡°You¡¯re done with your ss?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She knew Yvonne did not like her, so she didn¡¯t say much. With her head lowered, Ste wanted to leave. Out of impulse, Yvonne suddenly called out to her. ¡°Wait. Can we talk?¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 In the cafe. Ste looked around the familiar decor but remained in silence. The waiter served them coffee. Both of them had ordered cappino. She actually preferred espresso. She liked the kind of pure bitterness. Yvonne had a different preference-she had a sweet tooth. It was only after Yvonne made her order that Ste ordered the same one. This was the very cafe she met with Guinevere thest time. She didn¡¯t expect that she woulde here again and sit on the very same table. The only difference was that now, she was with Yvonne. It felt totally different. Yvonne didn¡¯t know where to start. She called out to Ste out of impulse. But after she calmed down, she regretted it. But seeing Ste even more anxious than her, she slowly calmed down. ¡°Do you want to tell me anything about that day?¡± She didn¡¯t want to be judgemental, so she didn¡¯t sound too definitive. She still hoped that it was a misunderstanding. Ste¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should say. Maybe you wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I told you; even I find it ridiculous.¡± Wasn¡¯t it? When she was his wife, he never took her seriously and simply treated her as a dispensable houseworker. He divorced her for Guinevere. He did not give her a nce after the divorce. Even when she was facing the threat of the kidnappers on the rooftop when she was pregnant with his child, he saved Guinevere without hesitation. But it was this very man-the one that she thought she would never meet again in her life who appeared in front of her in a dignified manner now, asking her to be his mistress. How could she tell Yvonne that the famous Weston Ford had forced her to be with him after meeting her that day at Lowe Garden? What kind of woman had a man like him not met? He and Guinevere were the publicly recognized couple. Guinevere was a rare beauty in the entertainment industry. On the contrary, Ste was someone who would admit that she was not as charming although she did not look bad. Even if Yvonne believed in her words, she herself would not be convinced. Yvonne had no idea what happened between her and Weston. In her eyes, she was the mediocre E. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Yvonne was hazy after hearing her words. But after much contemtion, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You should know that Weston and Guinevere were getting married the day you came to my house, right? Maybe they¡¯ve already tied the knot now, but they just haven¡¯t officially announced it to the public yet. Thest time when you were at my house, you should have heard them say that they would soon be preparing for the wedding¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste lowered her head, staring at the cup of cappino. The white foam floating on top of the coffee was slowly settling down. ¡°I don¡¯t want this either¡­¡± She sounded very frustrated. If it was another woman who had said this, Yvonne would have scoffed. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Hearing a third wheel say that she did not do it on purpose in a pitiful manner, Yvonne would only find it disgusting. But when she was facing E, she would always have an inexplicable tolerance for her. Perhaps it was because she had projected her regret toward Ste on her that she truly considered her as a friend and did not want her to repeat her mistakes. ¡°I know that Weston is good in many ways. Even after he got together with Guinevere, there are still many actresses trying to get near him and manydies in high society who have their eyes set on him. It wasn¡¯t easy even for Guinevere to win him over back when she was in high school. She started loving him at that time, but he didn¡¯t have any feelings for her and always treated her coldly. I didn¡¯t even realize when it was-maybe it was after they graduated from the university-that their rtionship improved.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. It was only after a while that Yvonne realized that she had gone too far. She paused briefly and brought the conversation back on track. ¡°I know it is very easy to fall for a man like him, but you must think carefully. He is a married man and already has a child. What¡¯s more, his partner is Guinevere, the famous movie star. I don¡¯t think it is necessary for me to remind you of her poprity. If this matter is exposed, now that social media is so well developed, your whole life might be destroyed.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. She knew Yvonne was saying this for her own good. Seeing her not saying anything, Yvonne asked her tentatively, ¡°How far have you progressed with him?¡± Ste jerked her head up and waved her hands. ¡°There is nothing between us.¡± She was a bit surprised by her repulsive look. ¡°Could it actually be that he has feelings for you, and you don¡¯t dare to reject him?¡± A light bulb went on in her head. If she thought about it that way, then everything would make sense. She always felt that E was not that kind of person. Thinking back on their first meeting, she seemed to have already sensed something. Weston seemed to be very attentive toward her. And on the night they bumped into each other in the restaurant, she looked very repulsive, but he was very calm and indifferent toward her reaction. It was obvious that he was the one who took the initiative and she was the one who was forced to endure it. Yvonne¡¯s face immediately sank. ¡°Tell me-did he force you?¡± Suddenly, as if she thought of something, she asked, ¡°Did you run into him on that day when you were tricked to go to Lowe Garden?¡± Ste nodded. It seemed that it was from that night that Weston, as if he was sure of something, began to tantly ask her to be his lover. Before that, he only adopted a tentative stance. ¡°No wonder!¡± Yvonne knew that she had acquiesced and pped on the table angrily, causing the surrounding people to look toward them. She didn¡¯t care and continued cursing indignantly. ¡°There was a scandal about Weston a while ago, saying that he met a woman in Lowe Garden. No one believed it at first, but the rumor sounded very realistic. Guinevere had also been looking for that woman, but itter seemed like it was deliberately erased. If that is the case, then that would make sense.¡± She suddenly felt a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have sent you there; that way, you wouldn¡¯t have been brought to the wrong ce and run into him.¡± She even wrongly used E of shamelessly being someone¡¯s mistress. * How easy would it be for a man like Weston to force a powerless woman like E to be his mistress? Ste shook her head and smiled helplessly. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t me yourself for it.¡± ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Yvonne¡¯s eyes were full of concern. ¡°Guinevere is not someone to be messed with, and she will definitely trouble you whether or not Weston forced you.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I know.¡± Of course she knew that. It was because of this that she lost the only child in her life Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Time passed without them realizing it, and the atmosphere in the cafe was getting heavier. Yvonne originally thought that she would feel relieved after her misunderstanding was resolved. But after she learned about what Ste was facing, she couldn¡¯t help worrying about her. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag you into this.¡± She knew how high Weston¡¯s status was. Although she did not know much about social ss, she knew he was not someone to mess with judging from the attitude of the other people. Yvonne was also the wife of a rich man. But if she interfered rashly, it would have a great impact on her as well as Lucas. The rtionship between the rich families was veryplicated. It was not simply about right and wrong. And Ste was fully aware of this. But the more she showed understanding, the more Yvonne felt aggrieved for her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Weston to be so simr with all those filthy men in private. He looks very much like a decent man.¡± He already had a family, but he was still messing around outside! Ste was already a bit numb hearing this. ¡°I have promised my student to go to her house today. It¡¯s almost time, so I can¡¯t stay for long.¡± Yvonne did not say anything. Her heart felt heavy. After Ste left, she called Lucas. It took him a long time to pick up the call. ¡°What is it?¡± The man sounded cool, and his tone was urgent, as if he was busy. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Yvonne paused and looked at the time. It was already past office hours now, but he was still working. All the words were choked in her throat. She shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to remind you to have a proper meal.¡± She heard footsteps from the other end of the phone, followed by Lucas¡¯ somewhat helpless voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me about these things. It was me who forgot to ask you if you¡¯ve been having your meals on time.¡± She wanted to tell him that she had when something seemed to have happened on his end. She heard the man say hastily, ¡°There is something I need to deal with. Bye.¡± If it was in the past, she would feel very annoyed. But because of what happened to Ste, she became much more tolerant of his busyness. When there was a point ofparison, one could see the difference. Compared to Weston, she felt that Lucas was simply too good. *** Because of the incidentst time, Yvonne contacted Smith in advance this time and sent a car directly to pick Ste up. Ste memorized the route in silence when she came here. After she arrived, she tidied her dress and entered the gate under the guidance of the servants. They had probably been informed in advance. When she came, everyone greeted her as Miss Steele. ¡°Mr. Smith is on the phone. You can wait here, and we shall serve you some tea. Mr. Smith wille later to discuss the details of your sry with you.¡± She nodded and surveyed the furnishing of the vi. After a while, a plump middle-aged man with a bright smile came in from the balcony. He saw Ste from far away. ¡°Hello, Miss Steele.¡± He nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s just about time. Ruby just finished her tuition. You can take her to the dance studio anytime.¡± She stood up and greeted him politely. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I get to know the child first?¡± She thought that she was onlying for a trial first, but Mr. Smith shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°You were rmended by my acquaintance. You look reliable at first nce, so I have total confidence in you.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Ste thought for a while. The acquaintance he was talking about could only be Yvonne. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a good rtionship with Yvonne¡­¡± At the mention of Yvonne¡¯s name, Mr. Smith furrowed his thick brows, as if he was reminded of something unpleasant. ¡°Didn¡¯t I get the wrong address thest time? She grumbled about it on the phone for quite some time, you know. If it wasn¡¯t because someone told me that you were very competent, this matter would have been called off.¡± She suddenly realized that something was wrong. ¡°So it was not Yvonne,¡± Before she could ask, she heard footsteps from the second floor and the voice of a man. ¡°Mr. Smith, the lesson today has ended.¡± He was followed by a little girl, who was hoping and poking her head out. ¡°Father, can I go out and y now?¡± Mr. Smith put on a stern face. ¡°You still have a dance lesson today. Come here and meet your new teacher!¡± With that, he pointed at Ste. ¡°She was the one I told you about before. She is Miss Steele.¡± The little girl dropped her head and greeted her wearily. ¡°Miss Steele.¡± Ste smiled, then her eyes fell on the man beside her. Justin happened to also look at her, smiling. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Although his face was still bruised, it seemed to have recovered a lot. It was still purplish but not as swollen as before. She felt as if she was pricked by a needle and immediately lowered her head. As soon as she saw the bruise on his face, she would be reminded of the day he was beaten up by Weston. She med herself for it but could only suppress her emotion and ignore him, pretending to be just strangers. However, he did not seem to have the same intention as her as he walked up to her. ¡°Oh, you came here by yourself. How long would your lesson be?¡± She was startled and replied, ¡°One hour.¡± He nodded and sat on the sofa casually. ¡°That¡¯s just right. I have something to discuss with Mr. Smith. When you are done, we can leave together.¡± She nced at Mr. Smith subconsciously, but he sat beside Justin without flinching, seemingly not surprised that the two of them knew each other. Her eyes flickered slightly as she suddenly thought of a possible exnation. Could it be that it was Justin who changed Mr. Smith¡¯s mind? She thought it was Yvonne all along. Seeing her standing motionless in ce, Justin raised his chin slightly to look at her. His tone was gentle, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Ruby is still waiting for you. You can go on with your lesson.¡± Only then did shee back to her senses and smile at the little girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dance studio, then.¡± The little girl was polite even though she was a bit unwilling. Still, she obediently greeted Ste and took her to the dance studio. Ste first had an ice-breaking session with her and tested her dance skills; only then did she brief her about her teaching n. The little girl seemed impatient to listen to this, so Ste directly demonstrated to her while exining. They got along quite well. Ruby was apparently satisfied with Ste. An hour passed quickly. She asked Ste when was the next time she woulde. When they went downstairs, she even saw Ste off to the door. The two men stood up the moment they saw them. Justin looked at Ste. ¡°I told you Miss Steele would surely not let you down.¡± Mr. Smith was very satisfied. After chatting a little, he sent Justin and Ste out respectfully. He insisted on sending them with a car, but Justin politely refused his offer. Mr. Smith suddenly figured something out and nced at Justin, then at Ste. Then, he winked knowingly. ¡°Oh, I understand!¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Ste was confused by his action, but she guessed it must not be something good. After getting into the car, Justin uttered, ¡°Mr. Smith has always been like this. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She was so open and honest that he was unable to say anything. Only after a while did he say, ¡°I thought you would mind if he misunderstood the rtionship between the two of us. After all, you and Weston¡­¡± He did not finish the rest of his sentence, and his tone wasn¡¯t inappropriate. Her eyes darkened. Not saying anything, she looked out the window. After a while, she said, ¡°Thank you for dropping me off on the way.¡± If he hadn¡¯t insisted on giving her a ride, she might not have given him this chance. He knew it very well in his heart. If there weren¡¯t outsiders around, making it look strange if she kept on refusing, she would probably not have epted his offer. He had also told himself that she was only a woman he failed to pursue. She had already chosen to be with Weston, so what else could he say? He only hoped that she would not regret it when she was treated as a third wheel, the one everyone cursed at in the future. When he realized what he was thinking, he suddenly felt that he was a bit despicable. He seemed to hope that she would get into big trouble in the future and fall hard to prove that he was right. But this was an immoral thought. He closed his eyes for a moment, and his expression rxed a bit. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just think that ¡ª¡± She interrupted him and simply looked at him without any particr expression on her face.¡± I understand, Mr. Hall. Thank you for taking care of Robb back then.¡± Her words stopped him from saying everything in his mind. He cast her an obscure look and simply ordered his chauffeur to continue driving. The time was already a bitte, so he let the chauffeur drive straight to her residence. ¡°I know you won¡¯t listen to anything I say now. Anyway, the promise I made is still valid. If you face any problem, you can alwayse to me.¡±. He paused and then continued, ¡°Maybe I was too aggressivest time, but I didn¡¯t mean it. I simply hope that you will make the right decision and not let yourself regret it. No matter what, I will always be Robb¡¯s teacher. This will not change.¡± She withdrew her gaze. Looking at him, she suddenly hesitated. ¡°Did you help me get this tutoring job?¡± Hearing her respectful tone to draw the line between them, he revealed a self-deprecating smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± This answered her question just now. She was silent for quite a while before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Apart from thanking him, she did not know what else she could say as she felt that saying anything else would sound insincere. After all, her current circumstances did not allow her to repay those who had helped her before. Everyone would know how to say nice things, but she did not want to make empty promises to anyone, so she could only wait until the day she became sessful and was capable of repaying them to say these words. Her tone was very polite, but it was distant. He saw through it but did not say anything in the end. They simply remained silent. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The car was driving at a constant speed, and a momentter, there was an abrupt ringing of the phone. He took out his phone and stared at the words jumping on the screen. With a gloomy face, he picked it up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He was obviously annoyed. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Ste tilted her head to the side and purposely avoided listening to him on the phone. Justin was annoyed when seeing her behaving that way through the rearview mirror. ¡°Hurry up and tell me already.¡± The person on the other end of the phoneughed nonchntly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, bro? You sound so pissed.¡± He massaged his be. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to listen to your nonsense. I¡¯ll hang up if there is nothing important.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t! I need your help.¡± After the person told him something on the phone, he hung up and cast an apologetic look at her. ¡°There is something urgent I need to take care of. I need to send an important document to my rtive. It¡¯ll not take long-about half an hour. I wonder if it would cause you inconvenience if I go there first and send you backter.¡± She answered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go and take care of your things. I can get a cab.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s already veryte. It¡¯s not safe for a woman to take a cab alone.¡± He frowned before he stopped her. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll send you back first.¡± She quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You should settle the matter first.¡± He let out a sigh of relief and rxed his tense face. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡± The car quickly turned around. The chauffeur obviously sped up a bit and arrived at a vi area not long after. The area was very tranquil. Although it was not as luxurious as the one they left from just now, it was still very high ss. The car stopped in front of a small white vi, and a man in gray casual wear standing at the door came over right after he heard the sound of the car. When she looked out and met the man¡¯s eyes, she was shocked. Wasn¡¯t he the man that night? The man looked over the window subconsciously when the window was rolled down. He confirmed that she was Ste only after he fixed his gaze on her. He ignored Justin, who was getting out of the car, and walked to the car window in surprise. Arm resting on the window, he looked at her with much interest. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She was equally taken aback. ¡°You are Mr. Hall¡¯s rtive?¡± Seeing their interaction, Justin frowned. ¡°Since when do you know each other?¡± The man turned to Justin andughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I went on a blind date a few days ago? The one I met with was her. Why is she in your car today?¡± He looked at Justin and Ste for a while. Then, he burst intoughter and looked at Ste.¡° Could it be that you don¡¯t fancy me because you fell for him? Do you think he can deal with your ex?¡± He talked with a teasing voice, not at all aware that the atmosphere was already cold and heavy. Justin looked at Ste and asked with a serious tone, ¡°What is going on here?¡± *** Justin drove the car to send Ste back home. Ste felt that the heavy atmosphere was suffocating. After a while, she heard the man say with a deep voice, ¡°Are you looking for a man to marry to get rid of Weston?¡± When he heard what Charles said, his first reaction was delight. He originally didn¡¯t think that Ste was a woman who would lose herself because of Weston¡¯s status, and he admitted that he was a bit disappointed before. When he got to know that she didn¡¯t n to be with Weston, he felt rather relieved. But when he realized that she would rather go on a blind date with a stranger than seek help from him, he suddenly felt annoyed again. Holding the steering wheel, he asked, ¡°Am I that lousy in your eyes?¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Ste didn¡¯t know why he said that. She frowned and said affirmatively, ¡°I never thought of you that way.¡± ¡°Then why, even at a time like this, would you rather go on a blind date with a stranger thane to me for help?¡± He suddenly lost control of his emotions and spoke. ¡°I have told you many times that I would help you no matter what difficulties you face. Am I so unworthy of your trust that you would rather marry a stranger to prevent Weston from troubling you thane to me for help? At least I know what happened between you. Wouldn¡¯t that be more convenient?¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I could not go to you. I¡¯m very sorry, Mr. Hall. I know how you feel for me, but if I used this to achieve my goal, it would be unfair to you. This was why I could only look for a stranger. It would just be a business with predetermined conditions, and nobody would owe anyone anything. But it would be different if the man was you. I don¡¯t want to owe you anything.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to owe me anything because you have no feelings for me. You didn¡¯te to me for help so that you can always draw the line between us. Is that so?¡± He suddenly calmed down and closed his eyes. Then, he pulled up at the roadside. He was currently too emotional to drive. After a while, she said softly, ¡°I am very sorry, Mr. Hall.¡± He had not smoked for a long time. It was a bad habit he took up after he divorced his wife. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. They had been divorced for many years, and their son was already in middle school. He had long quit this bad habit, but now, because of her, he started smoking again. Looking at him smoking, she reached for the car door handle. After much hesitation, she still kept silent as she tried to open the car door. However, he did not give her the chance to do so and locked the door, leaving her with no way to open it. ¡°Mr. Hall, I have made myself very clear.¡± She suddenly felt weary and looked at the man on the driver¡¯s seat helplessly. ¡°I know what you want, but we really are not suited for each other. There is no need to waste time.¡± ¡°How is it a waste of time? Don¡¯t you need someone to marry? What do you think of me?¡± As if he had made up his mind, he put out his cigarette and stared at her solemnly. ¡°We can get to know each other properly. You need someone to marry so that Weston will stop pestering you and you can live a normal life. Coincidentally, I need someone by my side. Besides, you should know how I feel about you.¡± She was taken aback. Before she could say anything, the man interrupted her. ¡°As for your fear of owing me, it ispletely unnecessary. Having feelings for you is my business. You don¡¯t have to respond to it. I have asked Charles about the agreement between you and him, and he said that both of you could terminate the rtionship at any time, anywhere. Since the deal failed, then why don¡¯t you consider me? Am I not more suitable than him?¡± She let out a long sigh and said, ¡°But it won¡¯t do you any good. Besides, Weston is not an ordinary man. If he decides to harm you-¡± ¡°I have been living in this circle for many years. Although my status is not as high as his, I won¡¯t let him do whatever he wants. I want to marry you not merely because I want to help you. I told you¡ªI need apanion.¡± He suddenly paused and let out a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°There is one thing I have not confessed to you: I was married once.¡± She froze for a moment and stared at him. 3 Although a little surprising, it was notpletely unexpected. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 After all, it was normal for a man at his age to have been married before. She never had intentions of developing any rtionship with him before, so she hadn¡¯t thought about it. He tapped his finger gently on the steering wheel. ¡°And I have a child-a son. He is in his teens. I have his custody, but he is with my ex-wife most of the time because I am too busy with my work. Besides, I am a man, so I am not as meticulous as she is when taking care of a child. I want to change this situation and have more time with my child. Also, I hope to . establish a new family¡­¡± She knew what he meant. ¡°So you want me to get along with your son?¡± ¡°This is only part of the reason.¡± He did not deny. ¡°I like you because your personality makes you very good at getting along with children. No matter whether or not you two can get along, I can tell from your tolerance of me that you are very patient with children. Moreover, we are simr in many ways. At my age, I am no longer interested in all those insubstantial things. Do you understand what I mean?¡± She was a little moved by his words. If he was simply helping her because he liked her, it would be a burden to her. But now that he also wanted something from her, it would be a fair deal. Ever since she experienced the unequal rtionship with Weston, she had been particrly afraid of owing anyone anything. At that time, her marriage with Weston was formed in a very unequal situation in terms of finance when Roger was sick and urgently needed money for surgery. No matter how Weston wronged her, she could onlymit to the marriage in silence and never dared to ask for anything because she owed him a lot financially. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Even when he treated her in such a way because of Guinevere, she did not dare to say anything until the end. Until she lost the only child in this life. She took a deep breath, and her eyes were flickering. After a while, she said, ¡°There is one thing I must make clear in advance: Mr. Hall, I am unable to conceive a child.¡± As she said that, Justin looked at her, somewhat surprised. The surprise in his eyes was undisguised, and it made her feel a little uneasy. She pinched her palm and forced a smile on her face. ¡°I have a Rh-negative blood type. People with this blood type are likely to have only one child in a lifetime, and my first child is¡­ gone.¡± She sounded casual, but there was a storm brewing in her heart. He seemed to be able to hear the pain in her heart. Regardless, she remained smiling. ¡°The doctor said that it is almost impossible to get a second child in my situation, so I basically cannot have another child in this life.¡± After a moment of consternation, he came back to his senses. He pondered for a long time. Then, he looked at her decisively. ¡°I have briefed you about my circumstances, and I don¡¯t mind not having children. If you are willing, you can treat my child as yours.¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Before Ste was safely sent home, Justin didn¡¯t speak to her again, as if he wanted to give her time to think It was quiet all the way. However, the quieter it was, the more restless she felt. As she looked out of the car window at the receding street lights, the scenery in front of her muddled together, and her vision became narrow. She could not see the future, nor could she look back at the road taken before. She closed her eyes, unable to think or be confused. Only when the car stopped did she realize she had reached home. She unbuckled the seatbelt, wanting to get out of the car. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Wait.¡± She stopped in response and looked at him. Meeting her emotionless eyes, the man¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. Then, he suddenly leaned over and helped her with the seatbelt. His hand touched her coat, but he did not make any intimate action. He only tugged it slightly, but it hadpletely revealed his thought. Looking down at his movement, she wanted to refuse at first. But she loosened her fists slowly, then put her hands at her sides and closed her eyes. She did consider what he told her just now. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. It sounded absurd at first, but when she thought of how Weston had been pestering her, she suddenly thought that it might be a possible solution. After all, like Justin had already said, there was nothing bad with them getting together. It could stop Weston from pestering her. And for both parties, they would get what they wanted from each other. Seeing that her attitude had softened significantly, he softened his gaze as well. After they got out of the car, he followed her to the lobby of her apartment. It was not a high-ss neighborhood, but it was considered safe as she was living with her brother. But for a woman being outside alone, there was still danger, He didn¡¯t think this way before. But now, he felt that this neighborhood was indeed not a good ce to live. No matter where he looked, he could find faults. The two walked downstairs. Before they arrived at the door, he reminded her. ¡°When can you have time to register our marriage?¡± She nearly choked and coughed several times. With a red face, she asked, ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too soon.¡± He paused and pushed the rusty door open. Letting her go in first, he then closed the rusty gate behind her. ¡°Weston has gone to settle some matters in Ahn City. It might not be easy to do so when he is back.¡± Her eyes darkened immediately. As soon as she heard his name, she would feel cold. Looking at her like this, he suddenly feltplicated. He walked up to her and took her hand. ¡°If you are willing to believe me, I promise you that I will give you everything you need after we get married. No matter if you are willing to ept my feelings or not, at least I will be a responsible husband. I won¡¯t force you and will respect all your wishes. As long as we are loyal to this marriage, I believe we can be a mutually supportive and honest couple.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny that she was moved by his words. This was what her heart longed for the most. She used to like Weston and couldn¡¯t help falling in love with him after she got to know him, and she longed for a family of her own. She didn¡¯t need the man to be a big boss or anything. She simply wanted to spend her life in peace with the man she loved. Somehow, she fell in love with a man like Weston, who already had Guinevere for a long time. Now, she knew that her love had long worn off. And she knew that she might not be able to love anyone so intensely anymore. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 But her dream of having a family was still living in her heart. She wanted to be an independent woman who would not rely on anyone. She was also insisting on having her own career now. But this did not contradict her desire to have a family. Since the moment she lost her parents, she was forced to support her family and Roger. But over time, she felt tired. She needed a shelter too. It took a long time for her to reply, with a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay.¡± *** The joy of getting married washed away all the discontent inside Guinevere¡¯s heart. Even in the hospital, she found everything to be particrly pleasing. When the assistant beside her noticed her unusual good mood, she couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Now that you are finally getting married to Mr. Ford, will we be getting any presents?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Her words were a little irritating. Guinevere frowned but calmed down after a while, not bothered with her words. ¡°Of course. I will send you all big presents when the timees!¡± The assistant smiled brightly. ¡°By the way, how was the checkup? You should be in good health.¡± ¡°Sure thing. This is only a marriage procedure. I have even given birth to Zack, and our son is so lively and cute. Besides, both of us do not have any inherited diseases. The checkup is only for peace of mind.¡± As she was talking, Weston came in from the hallway. The tall man was wearing a ck coat. His shoulders were broad, and his legs long. With his face and body, he could be the most handsome man even in the entertainment industry. All the co-stars who worked with her before were nothingpared to him with his poise and aura. If he did not take over the family business, he would have been able to make a lot of money even if he ventured into the entertainment industry. How could she not be obsessed with such a man? Her eyes were filled with admiration. She got up instinctively and walked up to him. ¡°I am done with all the procedures. I was just waiting for the results just now.¡± He nodded, then his eyes skimmed over her and stopped at the report in her hand. She understood his intention and handed the report to him. ¡°All the values are normal.¡± She did not ask, thinking that this was only a kind of formality, and nothing unexpected would happen. He did not seem to care much about this either. After taking a nce, he gave it to his assistant. His attitude made her feel that something was wrong. He was very insistent on having a premarital checkup, so she figured that he just took it seriously. But when they actually came, he seemed to be distracted and was barely cooperating in the whole process. We ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡± She studied his face and asked, ¡°Do you need a rest?¡± He shook his head and looked at the time. Suddenly, he said, ¡°There is onest test.¡± She was startled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all done already? What else¡ª¡± He withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, ¡°A psychological test.¡± With that, he suddenly looked at her with sharp eyes, which seemed to be able to see through people. It somehow made her nervous. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 She intentionally avoided Weston¡¯s eyes, but she had no idea why. His eyes eventually settled on her face for a brief second before he averted his sight. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡± He spoke calmly. ¡°The doctor should be here now.¡± Guinevere stared at his back and panicked for a moment before rposing herself and following him. There was nothing she should be afraid of. Things were going exactly like how she nned it to be. She would have all she desired if she married Weston and became his wife. So, what was there to be afraid of? The office was wide and huge. The psychiatrist was an acquaintance of Lucas, also surnamed Quirk. He seemed young, yet he was a brilliant doctor who had just returned from studying overseas. In the psychology field, he had published a number of high-level articles. His initial intentions were to remain overseas, but he opted to return since he missed home, and his family was here. These were his own words. Another factor was that there were numerous institutions here that offered him a post andpetitive compensation. Excellent people like him wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money at all. There were also many people of ss who came to him for consultation, such as Weston and Guinevere now. He¡¯d been waiting for the two for a long time. Guinevere felt great pressure as she stepped inside and began to worry, but she never showed it. Dr. Quirk, on the other hand, saw straight through her and grinned. ¡°Rx. It¡¯s just a routine check-up.¡± She shed him a tight-lipped grin but felt much more apprehensive than before. The minute she came inside, she realized that the ce was colder than usual. Dr. Quirk was smiling at her, but she had the impression that his eyes could see straight through her. Both men sat in front of her. ¡°Mr. Ford, I read your report earlier, and I found that certain parts were fascinating,¡± Dr. Quirk said to Weston. His brows furrowed into a frown, and he seemed hesitant. Weston didn¡¯t say anything as he stared at him calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± Dr. Quirk smiled and tapped on the table lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the problems with your fianc¨¦e.¡± Guinevere¡¯s heartbeat quickened when she heard this. ¡°How would you know my problem if I haven¡¯t done a check-up yet?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because the two of you have already performed the standard tests. Ms. Cohen, I believe you alsopleted several questionnaires, on which I made my estimation. By the way, Mr. Ford informed me you¡¯ve had memory loss issues in the past, right?¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes widened, and she leapt from her seat when she heard this. ¡°I¡¯ve never had that issue before!¡± Then, she turned to Weston. ¡°Why did you bring me here? I never lost my memory before.¡± Weston looked at her with a frown, his voice firm. ¡°Sit down, Gwen.¡± Her fists tightened, and for the first time, she disobeyed him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do a check-up. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me!¡± Before she could continue, he interrupted her. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing wrong with you, then let him do it.¡± She closed her eyes tightly. Her eyshes shook from her heavy breathing, and her eyes were red with tears pooling in them. ¡°Do I really have to do this?¡± ¡°This is simply a pre-marriage check-up, as you mentioned. It¡¯s just a routine check; it¡¯s all part of the process.¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 He talked calmly, but Guinevere realized that he meant if she didn¡¯t do the check-up, they wouldn¡¯t get married. Her entire body trembled, but she forced herself to sit. She couldn¡¯t even look Dr. Quirk in the eyes. Dr. Quirk just pushed his sses, his face expressionless. Guinevere had an undeniably gorgeous face. She was sensual and elegant, and it was no surprise that she was a major celebrity in the entertainment industry. Dr. Quirk had his own degree of professionalism. He wouldn¡¯t lose his cool in the face of such a beauty. ¡°Do you know which part of your memory you¡¯ve lost, Ms. Cohen?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose my memories. I really didn¡¯t lose my memories.¡± . Despite her dazed looks, she persisted and reaffirmed her statement. They were there to do a psychology test, but why was it not what she had expected? ¡°Do you truly have no recollection, Ms. Cohen? However, it is noted in your medical report that you experienced amnesia a year ago.¡± She covered her ears and shook her head before he could continue. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re on about. I never forgot anything¡­¡± When was a year ago? She was trying hard to recall her memories. A year ago was when she officially got together with Weston. She had known Weston for several years, and he had never dated a girl during that time. She was the only female he was close to. Because of this, everyone assumed they were in a rtionship, but they weren¡¯t. The day they officially got together was the second day after they identally slept together. How would she forget about it? She wouldn¡¯t. She frantically shook her head. ¡°What report? I never went to see a psychologist before. Why would you have my report?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere was mumbling to herself. Seeing this, Dr. Quirk frowned and turned to face Weston, saying, ¡°Mr. Ford, her situation is worse than I imagined.¡± It was almost as if Weston had expected this. He remained silent for a minute before asking calmly, ¡°Is there a possibility for recovery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult, given her current circumstances.¡± After a little pause, Dr. Quirk resumed, ¡°Because a part of the therapy procedure concerns the patient¡¯s privacy, it is not documented. If I want to treat her, I need to know why she has such a severe trauma issue.¡± Guinevere sat at the side and listened to them converse. She understood every word they spoke, but she didn¡¯t grasp what they meant. ¡°I¡¯ve never suffered any trauma!¡± She stood up all of a sudden. Unable to stay still, she was about to turn away with her bag. ¡°Gwen.¡± As he yanked her wrist, Weston¡¯s voice was forceful. ¡°Sit down.¡± Guinevere pushed his hands away violently. ¡°I understand you don¡¯t want to marry me, and you hold me responsible for Ste¡¯s death. But, it has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s all on the kidnappers.¡± As she spoke, tears ran down her cheeks. ¡°Do you regret rescuing me? Ste would still be alive if you hadn¡¯te to my rescue.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± His face was as cold as ice as he gazed at her, emotionless. ¡°Sit down and continue the treatment.¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯m not ill!¡± Guinevere yelled. Just as she was about to break down, the door suddenly flew open. ¡°Weston,e out here!¡± said an unexpected guest with a solemn face. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 No one had guessed that Chris would be here. His face was ashen, and he seemed livid. ¡°Weston,e out here right now!¡± Weston was taken aback for a minute but soon recovered hisposure. He stood up and looked at Dr. Quirk. ¡°I have a few things to deal with. You two carry on.¡± Chris¡¯ face was darker than it had ever been. He had a lot of wrath in him. He had no idea how much self-control he had in resisting the impulse to walk inside and drag Weston out himself. He only turned to look at Guinevere after Weston walked past him and out of the door. However, she was avoiding his gaze, as if she was scared to look at him or was disgusted to look at him. When he saw this, his mood fell. He couldn¡¯t express how he felt, but the fire within him was raging. He mmed the door with a bang. In the corridor, there was no one. Chris had previously requested that the area be cleared before heading there. When he saw Weston turn around, he threw a punch at him. ¡°As*hole!¡± He yelled angrily and spat at him. His wrinkled face was twisted with fury. He resembled Weston. It wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that he was pretty charming when he was younger. When Weston was young and na?ve, he once admired his father. But that was only for a short period. His father had ruined all of his respect for him before he could even be an adult. Chris was a despicable, cunning man to Weston, no matter how high and powerful he was. As Chris was letting all his anger out on him right now, the only thing Weston felt inside his heart was none other than hate and disdain. There weren¡¯t any emotions left inside him. Weston grabbed his fist and stared down. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with Mom abroad? Why are you here?¡± His tone was calm, as if he was asking a normal question. It sounded like mockery to Chris¡¯ ears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were taking Guinevere to see a psychologist?¡± When Weston heard this, he nearlyughed. ¡°She¡¯s my future wife and my fianc¨¦e. Why should I need your approval to take her to see a psychologist? Who are you?¡± Chris¡¯ face sank. ¡°What exactly did you do? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll only be sorry when it¡¯s too ¡°So what if she remembers or not? The truth is there.¡± Weston interrupted him. His face remained emotionless, but his eyes had darkened, and it was clear that he was nearing the end of his tolerance. ¡°What are you terrified of, Dad?¡± Chris inhaled deeply, and the veins on his forehead bulged. His eyes were filled with a strong desire to kill. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. After a time, he finally calmed down and spoke softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you since you¡¯re my son. What happened before was an ident. We don¡¯t have any other options now that things have progressed to this point. You can¡¯t go back-¡± ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Weston cut him off. This time, his voice was filled with emotion. ¡°When you and Mom are traveling, have you ever thought of me? Maybe just once? ¡°While you are acting as a good husband in front of Mom, have you ever thought about the lies you tell her?¡± Smack! Before he could finish speaking, Chris pped him right across the face. This time, he didn¡¯t dodge. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 He could have avoided the p if he wanted to, but in the end, he didn¡¯t budge an inch. He simply stood there waiting for it to arrive. Maybe because Chris was a little embarrassed by the look in Weston¡¯s eyes, he shifted his gaze away. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for it to happen back then-you know it! This is the only solution to it all. Do you really want to ruin the life we have right now? If you really don¡¯t want to marry Guinevere, you can wait for a few years before divorcing her. Why do you have to do this now? ¡°Weston, you weren¡¯t this immature before!¡± he eximed, as if his heart was shattering. ¡°Immature?¡± Weston nearly burst outughing, as if he had just heard the best joke ever told. He took a sudden step forward and moved slowly to Chris¡¯ side, patting him on the shoulder.¡± How is asking my fianc¨¦e to take a psychological test immature? Or do you have a better way of dealing with my marriage?¡± Chris¡¯ face became pale as he gazed at him furiously. ¡°Do you really have to talk to me that way? What should I do to make you listen to me?¡± Weston suddenly withdrew his hand, and his eyes gradually became frigid. ¡°It¡¯s easy. Just promise me one thing.¡± It was as if Chris knew what Weston was about to say because his eyes turned hostile. Sure enough, the next second, he heard Weston say, ¡°I want someone.¡± Chris clenched his fist tightly in an instant, as if he knew it all along. ¡°I knew it! Who do you want? The old you wouldn¡¯t do such things at all!¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word and only stared at him quietly. Chris sucked in a deep breath and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve made up your mind, haven¡¯t you? Do you know what the Cohen family will think?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t what I should worry about anymore, Father.¡± Hearing this, Chris was startled. Then, he took a step back, let out a deep breath, and pointed at the door of the office. ¡°Go in now and bring Guinevere out to me. No matter what happens in the future, I¡¯ll help you exin it all to your mom and the Cohen family.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A grin appeared on Weston¡¯s face as he said, ¡°I hope you keep your promise.¡± Inside the office. When Weston walked in, Guinevere stood up instantly and rushed to him. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± There weren¡¯t any emotions on his face. He turned to look at Dr. Quirk. ¡°Is it over?¡± Dr. Quirk shook his head and exined, ¡°The situation is tricky¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Weston interrupted him. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s call it a day.¡± Hearing this, Dr. Quirk shot up to his feet with shock ¡°So, you¡¯re not continuing?¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word but turned to look at Guinevere. A light shed through her eyes as she asked hopefully, ¡°We can leave?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go,¡± he replied in a deep voice after a while. Ste had a few peaceful days, and Weston never appeared anymore. She even felt that the threats Westonid out to her were merely a nightmare. Justin had been actively asking her out. After the two of them talked it out that night, their rtionship had gotten one step closer. It was time to get off work. Ste released a sigh of relief as she stared at the words on her phone. The next second, an unknown number called her. She was so shocked that she stood up immediately and caused the water on the table to pour all over her. It was Weston who called her. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Ste had nearly forgotten he existed since he hadn¡¯t appeared in a few days. But every time he appeared, she felt bone-chilling anxiety and helplessness clinging to her. Without thinking twice, she hung up the phone. Yet before she could calm down, her phone rang once again. It was still the same familiar number. It seemed as though he wouldn¡¯t stop calling her as long as she didn¡¯t respond. She knew it wasn¡¯t the solution, but she blocked his phone for a moment of serenity. She then left the training center without giving it any attention. Yvonne hadn¡¯t been to work in a while, and it seemed that something had urred at home. Ste didn¡¯t talk much to the others since some of them didn¡¯t like her. She walked straight into the elevator and walked toward the parking lot. A familiar car drove near her and honked. She took a closer look and found that it was Justin¡¯s car, then her eyes flickered for a moment. She couldn¡¯t help but hesitate as she remembered Weston¡¯s phone call earlier. Justin stopped beside her and wound down the window. When he saw that she stood frozen in ce, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She shook her head, but her face was stoic. After some time, she revealed the truth to him.¡± Weston called me.¡± When he heard this, Justin¡¯s face sank. ¡°Get in the car,¡± he urged firmly, his fingertips softly tapping on the driving wheel. ¡°Hold on.¡± He stopped her after remembering something. He stepped out of the car and went beside her, opening the passenger door for her. Ste got into the car, bending slightly. Justin¡¯s hand was on her head, keeping her from bumping into the car roof. Once she was seated, he shut the door and walked to the driver¡¯s seat. He turned to help her buckle up when he was inside the vehicle. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing that the hair beside her cheek was a little messy, he reached out to help her put it behind her ear and softly squeezed her face, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡± Ste nodded and let out a sigh. When he saw she was still nervous, he burst outughing and added, ¡°If you¡¯re still worried about it, I¡¯ll take you to get our marriage certificate tomorrow. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll bother you anymore if we show him the certificate.¡± She had the same idea, but she was afraid that if they truly did it, it would drive Weston insane, which would only cause Justin problems. He suddenly held her face in his hands and forced her to stare into his eyes, as if he knew what she was thinking. ¡°Believe me,I¡¯m not going to let it happen. You¡¯d be my legal wife as long as we are married. I¡¯m not going to allow any man to hurt you; not even Weston.¡± Justin had always been reserved and mature. Ste had no doubts about his honesty when he stated this. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of his age, but Justin made her feel safe and secure. ¡°I wanted to take you for a ride tonight, but. Bryce is on his school holiday now, and I promised him I¡¯d pick him up from school. Shall we have dinner togetherter?¡± he said, returning to his position. Bryce was his son from his previous marriage. Ste was stunned. ¡°I¡¯m meeting him so soon?¡± She was a little nervous and taken aback by this. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to get ready for anything. Just be yourself, and he¡¯ll like you.¡± Justin softly stroked her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Bryce is a mature teen who is easy to get along with. You two will get along well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She gave him a tight-lipped grin, unable to express how she felt on the inside. Justin assumed she was just nervous, so he didn¡¯t say anything and drove away. As the two of them were driving slowly, they didn¡¯t realize that a ck car was following them. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 The man¡¯s eyes were as frigid as ice and filled with murderous intent. She closed her eyes tightly. Her eyshes shook from her heavy breathing, and her eyes were red with tears pooling in them. ¡°Do I really have to do this?¡± Inside the car. Ste was a bit distracted and kept ncing.at her phone inadvertently. Not a whileter, her phone rang. It was another unknown number. She didn¡¯t even need to open the message to know who it was from. She nced at her phone, which had two words shown on the screen. ¡°Get out.¡± She closed her eyes and imagined how harsh Weston¡¯s tone would¡¯ve sounded if he said these words in person. Justin had been observing her and noticed something was wrong with her. So, he gradually stepped on the brake, causing the car to slow down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked worriedly. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She shook her head and gave him the phone, her face as pale as a sheet. The two words on the screen pierced his eyes, as if daring him. He stepped hard on the gas pedal without saying anything. Ste was taken aback by the abrupt burst of speed. She turned to face Justin when she had calmed down. ¡°Are we still going today?¡± ¡°Yes! Why shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Justin clenched his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how egocentric he can be.¡± She had a bad feeling about this. ¡°We could change to another date¡ª ¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Bryce is already waiting for us.¡± Justin cut her off immediately. His face was somewhat solemn as he said, ¡°I won¡¯t let Weston disturb our life.¡± He spoke confidently, but Ste didn¡¯t quite trust him. She understood that men like Weston wouldn¡¯t give up easily, and he wouldn¡¯t let people off the hook so simply. She closed her eyes and felt powerless from the bottom of her heart. She eventually nodded.¡± Alright.¡± Ste wanted to be more powerful. She believed that as long as she did not upset anybody, she would be able to survive in this world. But she was mistaken. This was a cruel world where predators ruled over prey. Only the strongest would be able to survive. She had been shielded by her parents before this, but now that they were gone, she truly understood the principle. Ever since she was 18 years old, she was forced to move forward and take on everything on her own. She could only cling to any chance she could since she was helpless right now. To be honest, her life was already considered pleasant for a regr person. However, Weston was making her life miserable. Another day in which she was helpless was another day in which she had to live in his shadows. The only way to get away from him was to be stronger than him. But would that day evere? Her phone buzzed once again. This time, it seemed like Weston was pissed off. ¡®I don¡¯t want to say it again. Ste, get out of the car. Now.¡¯ She could imagine how he was speaking via the screen. He was always like that. Looking down on everyone, constantlymanding. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Ste nced at Justin¡¯s face and blocked the number without thinking. She didn¡¯t want Weston to disturb her life anymore. Weston was not a patient guy. Ste could tell since he stopped sending her text messages. As their car arrived in front of the school gate, she took a nce at her dark screen before shifting her gaze away. Justin helped her out of the car by opening the car door and unbuckling her seat belt. He purposefully ced his arms over her shoulders, closing the gap between them. Ste initially wanted to dodge, but after giving it some thought, she gave up and stood stiffly alongside him. The two looked like a couple. She felt there was no need to be pompous since they had already discussed getting married in the future. Hence, immediately adapting herself to the position of a wife would be beneficial for them. There were so many loveless married couples in the world. Ste believed she and Justin could do the same and still respect one another. A great man like Justin could easily find a stepmother for his son. But for Ste, finding a man who could go head-on against Weston wasn¡¯t easy. Regardless, the two of them needed each other for their own benefit. Justin, on the other hand, would compromise a bit for her. Hence, she wouldn¡¯t be coy about these little things, which could upset him. When Justin wrapped his arms around her, he felt her tense up for a second before she immediately rxed. He could tell she was pushing herself, but she was doing her best to match with him. Seeing her acting tough made his heart ache. The first time he met her, he noticed that she had a unique aura. She would clearly distinguish herself from others. She would remember how much others had given her. She wasn¡¯t a sweet talker and might be a bit pessimistic at times, but as long as she found an opportunity, she would repay all the favors she had previously owed. Ste was like a helpless woman drowning in the mud, yet she never gave up. She didn¡¯t seem to realize how appealing her twisted nature was. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Bryce was in his teens and was in middle school. Ste felt nervous since boys at this age were already quite mature. After the bell rang, a bunch of students in uniforms rushed outside. Ste suggested to Justin when they were on the road, ¡°You could send him to a private school. Justin¡¯s response was, ¡°This school is closer to my workce. I rarely have time to care for him, but since the school is so close, I feel like I¡¯m at least with him. Plus, he couldn¡¯t stand being that far away from me. He attended elementary school here and made many friends. I nned to transfer him to a better high school, but he wanted to remain here, and his grades are fairly excellent, so I didn¡¯t.¡± Ste smiled at him. ¡°You respect your son¡¯s choice.¡± Justin was stunned for a while because no one had ever said that about him. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°If he heard you say that, he¡¯d probably scoff and say I simply did it for my own sake.¡± He chuckled loudly. There were too many students. For a moment, Ste couldn¡¯t identify the boy. Justin had shown her a photo of his son before arriving there. He seemed to be a little boy in the photograph. But now that he was a teen in school uniform, it was difficult for her to tell which one was him. It wasn¡¯t until a tall boy with a backpack casually strolled in front of them that she recognized it was Bryce. She subconsciously straightened up her body and stood still. Justin saw him first. ¡°Hey, over here,¡± he said as he took a step forward. Bryce had spotted them a long time ago. The grin on his face faded gradually. However, he stayed courteous and greeted Ste first. ¡°Hello, miss.¡± Then he turned to face Justin and called out, ¡°Dad.¡± Justin stroked his head softly and took over his bag. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Bryce nodded, and without saying much, he climbed into the back seat. Ste didn¡¯t even get to use any of the conversation topics she had rehearsed beforehand. She rubbed her nose awkwardly and sat in the passenger seat without saying anything. Perhaps because Justin noticed the uneasiness between the two, he acted as the go-between for them. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the two of you introduce yourself since this is your first meeting today?¡± Ste was at a loss for words when she heard this. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m a kid? Only children would introduce themselves when making friends.¡± Justin ruffled her hair gently and said, ¡°In my eyes, you are no different from a child. After all, I am a lot older than you.¡± When Bryce noticed how natural Justin¡¯s touch on Ste¡¯s head was, his lips formed a line, and his face became stiff. But he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°My name is Bryce. This year, I¡¯m 12 years old and in middle school.¡± After a while, he spoke out. Ste sat up straight away. ¡°Hello, my name is Ste. I¡¯m 22 years old. I¡¯m a teacher, like your father, but your father is a professor at a university, while I instruct children to dance in a training center.¡± ¡°I see.¡± This was Bryce¡¯s onlyment as he smiled at her with his lips pursed. In an instant, the mood within the car became uneasy. They weren¡¯t intentionally making things ufortable, but they were both strangers and sort of awkward with one other. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Justin had informed him of Ste¡¯s arrival. The school had a no-phone policy, but they tolerated it so that students could always contact their parents. Justin had even gone out of his way to get Bryce an old phone, whose sole purpose was to call and text. There were no forms of entertainment on the phone. Many of the students had the same kind of phone. Bryce had mentally prepared himself before this, but when he saw Ste, he felt a little ufortable inside his heart. All of this seemed typical, so Justin didn¡¯t think much about it and drove to the restaurant he had reserved. He expected them to get to know one other better after dinner. Throughout the journey, Bryce never said a word anymore. He looked out the window and pulled out his phone before taking his earphones and stuffing them into his ears. When Justin saw this, he frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to songs inside the car.¡± Bryce took off the earphone and shot him a nce before saying, ¡°I¡¯m listening to French recordings.¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 ¡°Really?¡± Justin pulled over to the side of the road and extended his hand. ¡°Let me listen to it.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Although it was an old phone, it had everything besides games. Bryce merely nced at him before turning his head to the other side. Ste saw the tension between the father and son and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you guys hungry?¡± Justin looked at her. ¡°Students typically eat on time at school,¡± she said, pointing to her belly and then pointing to Bryce¡¯s tummy. ¡°He could be hungryter if we don¡¯t get to the restaurant.¡± Justin¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Why are you pointing to your stomach if you think he could be hungryter?¡± Ste scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°I eat on time too.¡± When Justin heard this, he burst outughing and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re still a kid after all.¡± A small grin appeared on Bryce¡¯s face. Although heughed along with them, there was disdain in his eyes. She was only 10 years older than him. Justin was in his forties at the time. The age difference between them was too big. Even a child like him could tell what she was up to. After arriving at the restaurant, Bryce consciously walked beside Justin. Meanwhile, Ste walked behind the two of them. Justin saw this and gave her a nce before grabbing her and pulling her along with him. She wanted to pull away when she felt his warm hands holding hers, but after she met his gaze, she let her hand intertwine with his. Bryce, who was standing nearby, pursed his lips and kept his mouth shut as he saw how intimate the two were, and turned his face away. He was just 12 years old, yet he was nearly as tall as Ste. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh and wonder why today¡¯s children were all so tall. Roger was also extremely tall when he was younger. He suddenly became taller than her throughout middle school. Justin grinned as he looked proudly at Bryce. ¡°These days, kids need enough nutrients to grow taller, and also¡­ ¡°I¡¯m tall, so of course, my kid would be tall as well,¡± he said, pausing to gaze at Ste. Justin was 180 cm In height, which was quite decent for a man. Out of nowhere, Bryce interrupted him and replied, ¡°My mom is tall too. She¡¯s 170 cm. Everyone said that I¡¯m tall like her.¡± The minute he finished his words, tension immediately filled the dining table. Justin¡¯s grin faded, and he looked at Bryce with a perplexing expression that appeared to be warning him. Bryce avoided his gaze and lowered his head. Only Ste seemed to not realize what was going on. She didn¡¯t see anything wrong with Bryce talking about his mother. She was much more fascinated now and inquired, ¡°Do you look more like your mother or father?¡± When Bryce said such things, he had bad intentions, but when Ste didn¡¯t mind and was really genuine to inquire about it, he became irritated. He kept his lips shut and bowed his head to eat. The atmosphere abruptly got ufortable. Ste also saw his resistance to her, so she didn¡¯t continue anymore. Her mind was too simple. Getting along with kids this age would need a lot of effort and patience. Justin¡¯s face had totally darkened. Ste stopped him just as he was about to say something.¡± How¡¯s my make-up?¡± He came to his senses and realized she didn¡¯t want him to fight with his kid. He then closed his eyes and patiently said, ¡°It seemed to have worn off a little. Do you want to go touch up?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Ste nodded and stood up with her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± After exiting the private room, she let out a sigh of relief. The air blowing down the hallway helped clear her jumbled thoughts. The dishes hadn¡¯t been served and since she had time, she walked to the bathroom. Thedy¡¯s washroom was not far away in the corridor. A waitress in a dress nodded to her as they passed each other. Ste increased her pace. She felt a sudden presence from behind her as she rounded the corner. She subconsciously stopped. A pair of dark eyes were staring at her as she turned behind. It was Weston. Her stomach sank, though, she wasn¡¯t shocked to see him there. She merely pursed her lips and marched straight ahead, as if she didn¡¯t see him. Weston would never let her go that way. He gave pursuit, and without saying anything, picked her off the ground and headed into the private room. ff ( She immediately pushed him off. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Although she had shoved him violently, he didn¡¯t respond to her persistence. He kicked the door open and flung her into the room after taking a few steps forward. The door behind her mmed shut with a loud bang. Ste could only feel her back hurting when in a blink of an eye, she had been tossed onto the sofa. She supported herself. Although there was no light in the room, she could see his massive, towering figure standing by the entrance. Having his back against the light, he seemed colder and more distant than usual. ¡°Weston, what do you want to do?¡± She could hear her voice trembling as she asked him. ¡°You don¡¯t know what I want to do?¡± He stepped forward. ¡°I told you to wait for me but what did you do?¡± He didn¡¯t switch on the lights since he was still observing the emotions in her eyes and having her guess his feelings. Suddenly, he appeared in front of her without warning. She instantly shivered and shrank in terror at the presence of his towering and imposing figure, but he forcefully gripped her arms, keeping her from retreating. He grabbed her neck and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Are you ignoring mymand to NL stay away from that man?¡± She pushed his hands away and yelled, ¡°You have no right tomand me!¡± ¡°Is that true? I have no right?¡± his eyes darkened as he gripped her neck with force. Only when he realized her choking and tears pooling around her eyes did he gently let her go.¡± I enjoy the act you two put on,¡± he hissed.¡± He helped you in by opening the door, buckling you in, and even covering your head.¡± ¡°Are you moved? Ste, why are you such a b*tch?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He had spoken right into her ear, and when she turned her head, she could see his lethal stare. She struggled hard to break free, but his grip on her only tightened. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± He mmed her up against the wall, his eyes were red with fury. He snatched her chin and crushed his lips against hers. The moment his lips made contact, he briefly forgot about the harmonious and lovely image of the three of them together looking like a family. She was his. Only his. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Anger boiled inside Ste. She could sense that the man in front of her was enraged. His hand pinned her shoulder down so hard it felt like he intended to break her bones. Weston held her tightly in his arms, wishing badly that he could keep every piece of her to himself. He couldn¡¯t contain his rage at the sight of her smiling at the guy. It was only after they kissed that he felt somewhat better. As he smooched her, his hands couldn¡¯t stop moving around her body. In utter disgust, Ste shoved him away with all her might. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She was really fighting hard to not let him touch her anymore. His kisses and affection only repelled her. But the more she resisted him, the more enraged he became. ¡°So you¡¯re willing to degrade yourself in order to satisfy him and his son, but wouldn¡¯t do it for me?¡± His voice boomed. ¡°How old is he?¡± 40? His kid is barely 10 years younger than you! Come be my son¡¯s stepmother if you like being ine.¡± As he spoke, he started to tear her shirt¡¯s button. Ste¡¯s trembled with fear, and without thinking, she pped him hard on the face. Weston wasn¡¯t prepared for that. A loud crisp smack echoed in the room. He looked up slightly and held himself up. She jerked back as soon as she opened her eyes. She could see his face through the gap in her palm. Aside from the smack she gave him earlier, there were additional bruises on his face, such as a bruised corner of his lips. She didn¡¯t know who he was fighting with, but she didn¡¯t care. She just thought what he said before was awful. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than be your and Guinevere¡¯s son¡¯s stepmother!¡± I¡¯ll never forget how my kid died.¡± It was that kid again. Weston shut his eyes as the memories haunted him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He knew Ste dreaded the kid the most, and it had turned into a vengeance she harbored. But it wasn¡¯t like he was feeling any better about it. He clenched his fist and suddenly mmed it on the wall. A stream of blood cascaded down his fingers and down the wall. The dense bloodstains formed a beautiful but frightening pattern. The room went quiet. Their heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard. Ste avoided his gaze. When he has calmed himself, he looks at her coldly before taking off his jacket and throwing it at her. ¡°Wear this.¡± She didn¡¯t catch the jacket, nor did she move an inch. She just stood there and stared at him quietly. Her crystal-clear eyes were filled with hatred, with her unkempt hair hung down the sides of her face. Even in the little light, she was stunning. Weston shifted his gaze away. ¡°If you don¡¯t want people to see you like that, put on the jacket.¡± She smiled and mocked, ¡°I¡¯m in this state because of you. You¡¯re always like that. You were wrong at first but pretended to show a bit of kindness.¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°Weston, you¡¯re really the fakest person I¡¯ve ever met.¡± The blood on his knuckles still flowed, and the room was overpowered with the stench of blood. Her words were like toxic vines that had sliced a rift between them. But he was no longer interested in them. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few minutes to walk out there and tell the father and son that you won¡¯t see them again,¡± he barked coldly. Ste¡¯s sparkling eyes finally showed emotion when he finished his words. They dimmed until all that was left was coldness. ¡°Impossible,¡± she said and shook her head. That one word was enough to anger Weston. He tightened his grip and suffocated her, not letting go even when her face became crimson.¡± Don¡¯t test my patience.¡± He realized she had many ways to make him lose control. The first was having him see her fall from the building, and now he had to watch her start a family with another guy. She would rather be someone else¡¯s stepmother than spare him another nce. This alone drove him to the edge of losing control. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to tell, I don¡¯t mind helping you.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened and redded that moment she heard that. ¡°What are you nning to do to them?¡± She frantically tugged Weston¡¯s wrist, using all her might to break free from his restraint.¡± I¡¯ve chosen to stay with Justin,¡± she yelled. ¡°We will get the marriage certificate tomorrow! Stop interfering with my life!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Her breath was unsteady, but she was done saying everything she wanted to say. Sure enough, he let go of her the next second. He stood up, his aura faded, and he stared down at her with extraordinary serenity. His calm demeanor, on the other hand, terrified her much more. As she leaned on the wall behind her, a sharp pain gnawed her back. But she hadn¡¯t the time to think about it. She just looked the man in the eyes and said, word for word, ¡°I¡¯m marrying Justin. We should put a stop to whatever we are doing right now. You have your own life, and I want to begin mine.¡± He gave her no response. She thought that he would be mad, but he wasn¡¯t. If anything, he was abnormally quiet. Even the tension had faded, creating an eerie, awkward, silence. Weston casually sat on the sofa and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. Ste¡¯s clothes were a mess. Huddled in the corner, she watched as he retrieved a cigarette from his jacket and lighted it between his fingers. As he looked forward, he let out a cloud of smoke. After a brief pause, she heard his gruff voice inquire, ¡°Are you purposely making me angry?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m serious.¡± A smile suddenly appeared on his face. ¡°What good will you get out of marrying him? You¡¯ve already decided to get married in such a short time¡­¡± She lowered her head, her tone somewhat ironic as she spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about time when I married you before.¡± Weston¡¯s face darkened as he exhaled another puff of smoke. ¡°Since you learned a lesson before, you should¡¯ve been more careful. Or are you that na?ve to trust someone so easily?¡± She shook her head once again. ¡°At least it would be nowhere as awful as marrying you.¡± Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Weston abruptly extinguished his cigarette on the ashtray before turning to face her. ¡°Do you really have to talk to me like that?¡± ¡°It has to end today,¡± Ste answered firmly. ¡°End?¡± The words whirled in his tongue before he spit them out softly. With a wry smile on his face, he said, ¡°I rushed all the way here from Anh City, and I didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep. The minute Inded, I came here to see you, only to hear you telling me you¡¯re marrying someone else?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because the room was dark, but while Weston was saying all of this, she saw a sorrowful expression on his face. But it was only a fleeting moment. Perhaps she had seen wrong, she thought. There was no way people like him could be sad. ¡°I never wanted you toe back.¡± She shook her head with firmness. The whole room went pin-drop silent as there was no other sound. Ste could only sense the passing time as Weston was puffing smoke. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say a word and kept quiet, she spoke again. ¡°Let me go.¡± However, no words came out of his mouth. He wasn¡¯t the kind of guy that disyed his weaknesses, but the fact that he did so much merely to see her made him feel like aughingstock. Without realizing it, he was already down a few sticks of cigarettes. He wasn¡¯t addicted to tobo before, but he picked up the habit ever since he witnessed her falling from a building. Ste frowned and coughed lightly. Although it wasn¡¯t loud, he heard it. He nced at her and didn¡¯t say anything, though, he stopped smoking. No one knew how long it had passed before Weston said lightly, ¡°Impossible.¡± That one word smashed all of her hopes. ¡°When will you let me go?¡± she broke down suddenly and cried. ¡°You¡¯ve asked this a million times.¡± He stood up and took his jacket from her, He didn¡¯t mind that the jacket was wrinkled at this point. Instead, he stretched out his hands to smooth her clothes, treating them with care as if they were something valuable to him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. However, the gesture didn¡¯t touch her the slightest. ¡°Will you only let me go if I die?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use that word.¡± He pulled her hands and kissed her on the corner of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die just yet.¡± His gaze was filled with tenderness as if trying to drown her in his love. If only he had looked at her the way he did while they were still married, Ste would¡¯ve been willing to do anything for him. Now, though, he was like a pesky parasite that made her helpless, leaving her nowhere to run. Footsteps could be heard outside the corridor. Ste¡¯s body instantly tensed up. Seeing how nervous she was, Westonughed. ¡°Are you scared that people would see us cheating?¡± He whispered thest word deliberately in a sultry manner, causing her to pull her head away from his hot breath on her ear. After a while, the footsteps outside disappeared. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 There was a familiar voice. ¡°E, are you in there?¡± They seemed to be speaking in the direction of the toilet. Ste¡¯s eyes went wide in an instant. Justin came to look for her. Justin came out to seek her after she had been gone for quite some time and the food had all been served. Before leaving, he ordered Bryce to not go anywhere. Bryce nodded like a good boy. But right after Justin left, his face fell, and he took out his phone. After some thought, he sent the text out. Not longter, he received a phone call. Bryce¡¯s eyes widened as he turned to face the direction Justin had just left, cautiously answereing the phone only after he was certain that Justin wouldn¡¯t return. ¡°Mom¡­¡± he opened his mouth and called her in a very pitiful voice. At first, Tina didn¡¯t notice the sadness in Bryce¡¯s voice since the room was extremely loud. However, after clearly hearing it, she instantly grasped the phone, signaled to the people surrounding her and headed outside to the balcony. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she inquired gently over the phone. He was about to tell her, but then he hesitated and asked thoughtfully, ¡°Are you busy now, mom?¡± S Tina¡¯s heart softened when she heard this, ¡°As busy as I am, you¡¯re more important to me. What¡¯s wrong? You sounded sad just now.¡± He shook his head and said with a nasal voice, ¡°Today¡¯s my birthday.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to fetch me with dad? I don¡¯t want to celebrate it with that miss.¡± He sounded disappointed. ¡°Miss? Which miss?¡± She subconsciously ignored the first half of his sentence, but managed to grasp the main point. ¡°Your father brought that woman to celebrate your birthday with you?¡± Bryce nodded, but he didn¡¯t seem to understand what she meant. ¡°They don¡¯t even know it¡¯s my birthday, They brought me here to dinner just to get to know her.¡± It would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°Your father just doesn¡¯t know when to stop!¡± Tina hissed, nuhhing her brow Thest time, he was admitted to the hospital because of that woman, and now, he even brought her to meet Bryce. How could he not have discussed this with her?! She nced at her watch to see the time. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. In the office, her colleague gestured to her. She frowned and said, ¡°I have a few things to take care of. When I¡¯m not busy anymore I¡¯ll celebrate your birthday, okay? Call me after you¡¯re done eating with them.¡± Bryce didn¡¯t want to, but after hearing what she said, he couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Have a good day at work, mum.¡± Tina hummed and after a while, she said, ¡°Send me your location.¡± After hanging up the phone, she went back to her office. She was awyer and right now she has a very tricky case in her hand. There was a huge chance that she would be spending the night working overtime in the office tonight. Her colleague saw that she was a little overjoyed when got the call, but when she came back, she looked solemn. So, he asked casually, ¡°Who called you?¡± She shook her head and answered, ¡°My son.¡± ¡°Why? Did he cause trouble in school? You seem upset.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Tina punched him lightly on the shoulder. Her colleague smiled and continued discussing the case with her. She paused for a moment before suddenly saying, ¡°We still have a week, right?¡± Her colleague seemed to notice something was wrong and asked, ¡°Did something happen at home?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better if I go and take a look. I¡¯ll be uneasy if I dont,¡± she said with some embarrassment. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¡°Just go,¡± replied the coworker as he waved his hand. ¡°You folks with kids are a pain.¡± She wasn¡¯t upset since they were so close. However, if the same remarks hade from others, she would have fought them. Tina sighed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. If you¡¯re in trouble next time, I¡¯ll cover up for you as well.¡± At the restaurant. Justin was still walking down the hallway. When no one replied, he pulled out his phone and dialed Ste¡¯s number. Inside the dark room, her phone lit up. Before it could ring, Ste jumped forward and immediately rejected the call. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t want Justin to find out that she was in a room with Weston, Afraid that the drag racing incident might happen again, she didn¡¯t want anybody to be injured With a cid expression, Weston observed the whole thing. When he saw how terrified she was, he became delighted. ¡°Are we cheating?¡± He purposely whispered thest word besides her ears, provoking her. She shoved him away with her hand. She would asionally look at the door, terrified Justin would discover she was in the room. Outside the corridor. Justin¡¯s face darkened as he stared at his phone. ¡°Hi, can you help me go inside the washroom and check if there¡¯s ady?¡± He stopped one of the waiters passing by. The waiter nced at him skeptically but agreed when he noticed Justin¡¯s demeanor. ¡°All right, sir. Wait a minute.¡± Not too longter, the waiter walked out. ¡°There¡¯s no one in the washroom,¡± he informed.¡± Do you need our help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Justin firmly rejected. However, after a moment of silence, he changed his opinion. ¡°Excuse me, can you ask your manager if I could check the surveince camera?¡± Sounding a bit anxious, he continued, ¡°I came here with my fianc¨¦ and son. Please help me take care of my son. My nc¨¦ went to the toilet half an hour ago but hasn¡¯te back since. I called her earlier, but she rejected my call.¡± Now that he¡¯d put it that way, the matter seemed serious, and the waiter nodded immediately ¡°I¡¯ll inform my manager now. Please don¡¯t worry sir.¡± Right after she left, Justin dialed the number once again. When Ste saw her phone lighting up again, she quickly hung up the call. However, she shuddered upon feeling a sudden warmth behind her ear, and the phone noisily ttered to the ground. Her whole body froze at that instant, and she didn¡¯t dare to move one inch. She didn¡¯t even dare move away from Weston. The next second, the corridor went dead quiet. Not longter, a flurry of footsteps gradually made its way in her direction. At first, Justin was merely a little worried, but after being hung up on twice, his mood had. be complicated, and a million things raced through his mind. Suddenly, a sound came from the private room beside him, prompting him to instantly tighten his grasp on his phone. His gaze froze as he remembered Ste telling him that Weston had returned. He walked slowly to the private room¡¯s door and knocked. ¡°Is anybody inside?¡± he asked, his voice steady and calm. Although he was doing everything he could to suppress his seething anger, Ste could still hear the irk in his tone. She sucked in a deep breath and look at Weston. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her whole body trembled, but he took pleasure in seeing her like this. A smirk appeared on his face as he whispered, ¡°What did he call you? Fianc¨¦?¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Weston lifted his hand and traced Ste¡¯s brows with his fingers before moving down the corner of her eyes andnding on her lips before leaning in and kissing her. She took a deep breath and her body shook more than before. ¡°He¡¯s outside!¡± she said, her voice trembling. ¡°What are you going to do if I want to mess with you?¡± He raised her chin and ced his lips against hers, his voice filled with provocation and assertiveness. She kept backing away, but she had nowhere to escape. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± she heard him coercing in her ear. His voice was tempting, yet it seemed more like a demand than a plea. He then reached his hands into the hem of her shirt. It seemed as if Justin could feel what was going on and was yelling even more furiously at the door. ¡°Is there anyone inside? I¡¯ming in now!¡± Having a sense of the situation, Justin started to lose patience and became angry. ¡°If you¡¯re inside, E, please reply.¡± Ste opened her mouth, but it was immediately covered by Weston. A smirk appeared on his face as they exchange gazes. Tears rolled down her eyes from the great embarrassment she felt. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She almost cried out loud, but his palm stifled her cries into muffled echoes. Justin, unable to see her current condition because of the thick barrier separating them, could only knock harder and harder on the door. Each loud knock thumped hard on Ste¡¯s heart. She had never hated Weston so much, and now, wished that he would rot in hell! She couldn¡¯t understand why he would trample on her and ruin her so ruthlessly in front of Justin. She wondered what sort of devil he was. Warm tears escaped her red-rimmed eyes. Seeing this, Weston felt a throbbing pain in his heart. He was the one who had made her cry, but it was his heart that ended up hurting. Although he still covered her lips to keep her from speaking, his actions became gentler. He even nted a soft kiss on her face. He didn¡¯t want to see her cry anymore, but he liked the way she lost control in his arms. Weston wondered just how many contradicting and powerful feelings could exist. He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes deeply and kissed her. There were two different situations happening inside and outside the room, After calming down, Justin heard a woman¡¯s crying voice inside the room, Unsure if it was all real or a hallucination, he lost control and kicked the door fiercely. The loud banging made it seem like the door would be kicked down any moment now. ¡°Weston, I know you¡¯re inside! Let go of E!¡± he shouted even louder. The powerlessness he felt only made him fight harder. In so many years, he had never felt such overwhelming possessiveness and the desire to win ¡°Weston, I know it¡¯s you! Let¡¯s settle this like real men! Let go of E, do you hear me?!¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 ¡°He only knows how to sound tough, but what does it matter?¡± Weston mumbled, ¡°Who¡¯s the person in front of you?¡± he said, his lips moving up Ste¡¯s cheeks and slowly reaching her ears. In Ste¡¯s eyes, he was no better than a devil. ¡°You disgust me! I really wish I never met you.¡± She had said these words a million times, and every time, she was speaking the truth. The only difference this time was the hatred in her voice was obvious. ¡°I will kill you!¡± she spat, through gritted teeth. If she had the chance, she would make him pay a hundred times over for all the humiliation she was enduring at that moment. She had lowered herself for him and had taken in all that humiliation, yet he still pushed her to this point. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He was reckless before this because she still loved him, but now that she didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t let her go. She gave him a harsh stare and clenched her teeth. ¡°I hate you, Weston. I hate you!¡± ¡°Then so be it,¡± he sighed before adding, ¡°At least it is better than nothing.¡± CU Justina almost lost control when he heard the noiseing from the room, followed by a woman¡¯s weeping voice. Being in his forties and having a child in his teens, he naturally knew what that sound meant. He used to overhear peopleughing about how ady actually meant yes when she said no, but could tell when ady really meant no. Many men would force themselves on a female while iming that it was her who wanted it in the first ce, despite their refusal. Justin could tell that Ste was inside the room and she was terrified. He became enraged immediately. He should¡¯ve been on alert the moment she informed him Weston was back. He thought that Weston would not dare to do anything in such a public ce, but it seemed that he had too high a regard for him. He suppressed his voice and grumbled a warning, ¡°Weston, I know you¡¯re inside! Let go of E!¡± He was about to burst out anytime but tried his best to calm himself down. Weston merely chuckled and said nothing. He stared straight at her face. ¡°You like losers like him? Tell him to get lost.¡± Ste didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. She shut her eyes tightly as an involuntary force shook her body violently. With her face as pale as a sheet, everything disgusted her at this point. She was disgusted by Weston, appalled by the situation she was in, and loathed how helpless she felt. She hated herself and even felt like she shouldn¡¯t be alive in this world. It had her thinking would things be better if she wasn¡¯t rescued that day. The noises from inside the room stopped. Justin, unable to bear another idle second, kicked the door with all his might. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 ¡°Weston! Let go of E!¡± He was a man so he naturally knew what Weston was thinking. Weston would most likely do something to Ste in such a circumstance. At this moment, Justin¡¯s face had darkened entirely. He caught sight of the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall and, without thinking, grabbed it and mmed it against the door. The deafening pound drew a lot of attention, prompting one of the waiters to run over. ¡°Hello sir. Having any problems? Please calm down, there are still guests in the private rooms¡­¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Justin pushed her aside, still mming the fire extinguisher on the door. The force propelled the waitress backward and she hit the wall before falling to the floor. ¡°Manager, there¡¯s a guest causing a ruckus,¡± she remarked, pulling out her walkie-talkie.¡± Call security!¡± ¡°Do you hear what¡¯s happening outside?¡± Inside the room, Weston was as calm as ever, as though he didn¡¯t care about the cacophony that rumbled outside. He held Ste¡¯s chin in his hand and whispered by her ear. ¡°Tell him to go away. Or do you want everyone to see you in this state?¡± Lying on the floor weakly, her clothes were a mess, and her eyes were dull. It seemed that no matter what happened next, it would no longer startle her. He didn¡¯t enjoy seeing her like this, and his grip tightened. ¡°Say something.¡± She just turned to face him after that. Her sad eyes were like ss beads. Suddenly, she burst outughing and red at him as she ripped her clothes off. Weston was stunned for a while. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he eximed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want everyone to see me in this condition?¡± she chuckled, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you want everyone to believe I¡¯m your secret lover? Don¡¯t you want to destroy all of my dignity? You want to watch me fall, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m just doing what you desire.¡± As she spoke, she threw the clothes on the floor. She didn¡¯t stop right there, as her hand went on to tear her skirt. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Weston¡¯s face darkened when he saw this. His eyes turned steely as he grabbed her by the hand. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you want? Let everyone watch how I shamelessly pleasure you!¡± She wasughing as she stripped herself down. She seemed to have gone utterly insane, and it was all no thanks to him. He shut his eyes tightly and seeing the door about to burst open, he clenched his teeth and growled, ¡°Put on your clothes.¡±. Instead of moving, she stared at him without a sliver of emotion in her eyes. A few secondster, the people outside would barge in and see her like this. When that happened, she would be theughingstock of the world. As for Weston, people would only say that he was too charming and none of this would be his fault. Rumors could make or break a woman, and Weston feared that she would be hated and be called all sorts of names. Without much thought, he took his jacket off and draped it on her. ¡°Wear it.¡± Ste was about to resist but he pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Stop moving!¡± He sped her back and ordered in her ear. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 The next second. The door burst open. There was a loud crash as if something heavy had smashed on the ground. The fire extinguisher rolled on the floor before it hit the wall with a ng. Justin gazed around the room, eyes bloodshot and heaving. The room was dark. Clothes were scattered on the floor. Weston sat on the sofa and stared at him without any emotions. A petite figure covered by arge coat sat in his arm, shaking violently. Without thinking, Justin marched forward andmanded, ¡°Give her back to me.¡± Weston¡¯s hard stare fell on him. ¡°She was always mine.¡± Both men, refusing to back down, went head-on. Justin¡¯s patience ran out as he took a step forward and attempted to forcefully pull Ste to him. Weston, however, ducked and quickly grabbed a bottle of red wine and mmed it into Justin¡¯s skull with a sickening crack. A streak of blood streamed down Justin¡¯s face. But he didn¡¯t seem to notice. The blood trickled down and covered his left eye. He moved his head slightly to shake off the dizziness, but held on tight, not allowing himself to fall. ¡°Don¡¯t you see she¡¯s crying? Why are you forcing her to be with you when she doesn¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Because I can.¡± Weston wasn¡¯t as gentle as he was with Ste when talking to Justin. As his powerful opressive aura enveloped the room, the temperature appeared to drop a few degrees. As he stood before Weston, all the wrath that was exploding inside Justin was suddenly repressed. Weston didn¡¯t even have to be reckless as Justin was- a single stare from him was sufficient to give him the upper hand. ¡°I warned you.¡± Hearing this, Ste immediately looked up and stopped him. ¡°He¡¯s innocent. Don¡¯t drag him into this!¡± Justin¡¯s heartbeat quickened when he heard her voice. Although he was certain that the woman was Ste, hearing her voice confirmed everything. This further increased the effect on him. ¡°Don¡¯tpromise,¡± he said. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Justin could hear ripples in his voice. It was as if he was transported back to the day of the drifting incident when he was trapped in the vehicle and could only watch Ste being hauled away. ¡°I will find ways to fight him. Don¡¯tpromise.¡± His voice gave her strength. She trusted him but¡­ She gradually tightened her first and said firmly beside Weston¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t drag him into this or I¡¯ll really die.¡± She spoke very calmly, and her voice was filled with determination Weston gazed into her eyes, shocked that she would do such a thing for that man. It was then that he calmed down and let his hand go. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Ste immediately stood up and ran towards Justin without hesitation. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened, then dulled as he watched her run to him. He stood up and gently adjusted his watch. Justin noticed his movement and saw the watch on his wrist. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the watch was worth a vi. Weston wasn¡¯t in the habit of bragging, but Justin saw it as an insult. He instantly realized how much of a gap there was between his ability and Weston¡¯s. He had always thought he was living in decent conditions but quickly realized that he was nothing compared to Weston. His feeling of helplessness intertwined with his need to protect Ste, causing a passionate determination that he had never felt in 40 years to ooze out of him He held her in his arms and ced one hand on her back in a protective gesture. ¡°E and I will pick up the marriage certificate tomorrow. As for what happened today, your behavior can be regarded as harassment. I wonder if you have time to go to the police station with us.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste¡¯s eyes were wide with surprise as she gazed at him. She didn¡¯t expect him to be that straightforward. Justin lowered his head and fixed his focus on her. ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned. I won¡¯t allow him to hurt you.¡± Ste¡¯s heartbeat elerated as she gazed into his eyes. He watched Weston¡¯s expression, but he didn¡¯t feel frightened at all. ¡°How are you still so innocent at the age of forty?¡± he asked, staring into his eyes with an impression of gazing at an insignificant ant. Justin frowned and wanted to say something when a familiar figure came rushing to him. ¡°Justin! Where¡¯s Bryce?¡± Thedy seemed concerned. She was still in her uniform, suggesting that she had just left the firm. She was only a few years younger than Justin, so she was a woman of age, but she had kept her skin in good condition and appeared youthful. With her hair brushed neatly to the back, she gave off the appearance of an elegantdy. Ste subconsciously turned to look at her. Her instinct told her that the woman was Justin¡¯s ex-wife, Tina Tina seemed to have just noticed Ste. Her demeanor softened somewhat, but she remained silent and stared directly at Justin. ¡°How can you leave him in the restaurant alone? Where has he gone to?¡± Her tone could be regarded as inciteful. Justin frowned and turned to the waiter beside him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to help me watch my son?¡± The waiter¡¯s face dropped, and he instantly turned to look at Justin before looking at Tina and apologizing. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry, madam. We didn¡¯t know you¡¯re his mother¡­¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m his mother. Why did you forcefully take him away?¡± ¡°Bryce called me earlier, so I came from thepany to celebrate his birthday, but when I arrived, I noticed that he was all alone,¡± Tina stated calmly. ¡°We were speaking when one of the waiters came over and said you need to see Bryce alone, and he led him away. They refused to let me follow. I thought the entire situation was unusual, so I called you, but you didn¡¯t answer. And I¡¯m not sure where Bryce went.¡± She did feel that something was off at that time because it wasn¡¯t like Justin to leave Bryce alone. When the waiter and the men came to take Bryce away, they didn¡¯t even listen to her and snatched him by force. There were too many of them, and she couldn¡¯t fight them off. The more she considered it, the stranger the scenario seemed. Worse, she couldn¡¯t reach Justin and had merelye to locate him, but who would have guessed that she would be witnessing such a scene. Hearing this, Justin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Did you do this?¡± He red coldly at Weston. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 His tone was frigid, and his whole demeanor exuded desperate tension. His rage was different this time. Previously, it was a fight between two men for a woman. But now that it had affected his kid, his rage only became stronger. ¡°Weston, where did you bring Bryce to?¡± Weston maintained his calm demeanor. His eyes narrowed with rm as he looked at Ste standing beside Justin. ¡°Didn¡¯t your ex-wife im that the waiter took him? What does any of this have to do with me? You should inquire the waiter.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. When he was done, he turned to face the manager, who was standing nearby. The manager had his head down, daring to look at no one. Seeing this, Justin immediately understood what was happening. ¡°Why would you do this to a child?¡± For a high-end restaurant like this, the investor almost certainly had business contacts with Weston, so even if Justin wanted to call the cops, it was toote, and Weston would never allow him. Justin wasn¡¯t naive, but he had be naive for Ste, really believing that such a threat would frighten a guy like Weston. The tension in the room thickened all of a sudden. Tina¡¯s face sank as she realized what had just taken ce. ¡°Justin, no matter how you feel about this lady, remember that you¡¯re still a parent!¡± He was already on the verge of exploding, and his face had darkened much more after hearing her. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget! Are you here because you¡¯ve finally forgotten about work and remembered your son¡¯s birthday?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m a better father than you, one who misses his own kid¡¯s birthday and has no idea of his son¡¯s whereabouts since he was too busy f*cking around with a young girl.¡± Noticing that they were about to fight, Ste shut her eyes and interrupted them. ¡°Right now, the most important thing is to find Bryce.¡± After that, she turned to Weston and stood in front of him. ¡°You really don¡¯t know where he went?¡± Weston could feel no emotion as she sized him up. Instead, he lit up a cigarette. He had been smoking a lot today, and when Ste saw him lighting another stick, she subconsciously frowned. She hated the smell but merely turned her head to the other side and said nothing about it. Despite her displeasure, he didn¡¯t concede this time. Instead, he blew a cloud of smoke right into her face and smiled. ¡°Are you requesting or begging?¡± Justin quickly clenched his fist and moved towards him. ¡°I know you took Bryce away! Give him back! If anything happens to him, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± He was about to beat Weston, but Tina stopped him. ¡°What are you doing? Fighting won¡¯t solve a thing!¡± She was awyer, so she was rational and calmer than the average person. ¡°Don¡¯t throw yourself in jail for this!¡± she advised him. ¡°Bryce is in his hands. What do you want me to do?¡± Justin asked helplessly and shoved her hand away. Tina was also upset. ¡°Howe you didn¡¯t think about Bryce when you showed up in front of him with a woman, but you behave like a good father when he¡¯s not there. You¡¯re such a hypocrite.¡± When they divorced, it wasn¡¯t pleasant or peaceful, but one that ended up with hatred for one other. Even after being divorced for years, they couldn¡¯t be in the same room without arguing. He thought she was too distant since she was constantly busy with work and had little time to care for their home. She, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t understand why a woman had to remain at home and do all of the housework. He was busy with work as well, so what right did he have to me her? Because they were both so competitive, it was hard for them to get along. Even though they were once a wonderful couple that others admired, the marriage could only end in divorce. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 They were now fighting in public, for their kid, without the slightest care for each other¡¯s reputation. Thanks to them, the restaurant was about to turn upside down. Ste hadn¡¯t thought that such things would happen. She nced at Weston, who had stayed calm during the whole incident, and wondered how he could maintain suchposure. He had it all nned out from the start. No matter what they did, they were still under his power, and no matter what she did, she . could not escape his hold. Realizing this, Ste felt like she was nothing but a joke. Behind her, Tina and Justin were still arguing. She let go of Justin¡¯s hand and walked in front of Weston. As they locked gazes, she couldn¡¯t see an ounce of shame in his eyes. She kneeled gently, raised both hands in submission, and mumbled, ¡°Give Bryce back to them. Weston raised his eyebrows without saying a word. Then, he heard her add, ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything you want. Just give Bryce back to them.¡± After taking one final drag, Weston knew it was time to stop. He looked down at her desperate and submissive look andmanded, ¡°Come here and kiss me.¡± She stared at him nkly, then raised her head and kissed him on the chin. The tiny gesture was enough to make the two people fighting at the side stop and stare at her in disbelief. Justin clenched his fists, and his fingernails dug deep into his palms. ¡°E ? He lowered his voice and called out her name, but it was the only thing that came out of his lips. Weston took advantage of her initiative, narrowing his gaze slightly and cing his long fingers on her neck. He pulled it back before dropping his head to nt a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Good girl,¡± he said. He took her hand in his and drew her into hisp, and holding her chin, he continued, ¡°It would be so much better if you were this good earlier on.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were devoid of life. After a pause, she merely nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± She looked into his eyes, and immediately he understood what she meant and gestured to the waiter. ¡°Security had called in earlier and said that since the child was without his parents, they put him there to avoid any mishap. Since his parents are here, kindly follow me to fetch him.¡± Everyone there knew the actual truth behind the whole thing. Tina looked at the man beside her and then nced in Ste¡¯s direction. She said nothing, suppressed her doubts, and followed the waiter to pick up her son. Justin was going to leave to meet Bryce, but he paused and gave Ste a long look. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°E¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, Weston kicked the door shut. Inside the room, there were only the two of them. Weston gazed at the woman in his arms, and his eyebrows slowly rxed. He recklessly kissed the corner of her mouth. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 The waiter swiftly escorted Bryce out. He seemed sad, but when he spotted Justin and Tina, his eyes brightened, and he eximed joyously, ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± and ran straight into Tina¡¯s arms. ¡°Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?¡± When Bryce heard this, he was perplexed and said, ¡°They didn¡¯t do anything to me. They brought me somece to eat and said Dad would pick me upter.¡± This wasn¡¯t what the manager had told them earlier. Instantly, Tina¡¯s face darkened, and she turned to look at the manager and waiter. ¡°I hope you both understand that we were simply doing our job. We didn¡¯t want him to get lost because he was on his own,¡± the two said, with the same smile hanging on their face. That was what he said, but they all knew that he was instructed by Weston to do so. Tina didn¡¯t say much and epted that she was just unlucky. As long as Bryce was fine, there was no need to care about these little things anymore. She held his hand and shot a nce at Justin. ¡°Solve the rest. I¡¯ll take him to the car.¡± Justin didn¡¯t say a word and nodded with a sullen face. Bryce was perplexed and turned to Justin, asking, ¡°Dad, why are you not leaving with us?¡± He paused before adding, ¡°Where¡¯s the miss?¡± Justin gently patted his head. ¡°Go inside the car with your mom first. I¡¯lleter. As for the miss, she suddenly has an errand to run. We¡¯ll see her next time, okay?¡± Hearing that there was a next time, Tina instantly huffed in dissatisfaction. She didn¡¯t say anything, but her face was scornful. She didn¡¯t want to say anything hurtful to her kid. ¡°Come on, hurry up. Later, we¡¯ll celebrate Bryce¡¯s birthday.¡± Bryce¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. ¡°Really?¡± He was only a child, yet he was so mature. Tina was heartbroken at how understanding Bryce was, and she held him softly. ¡°Of course, I took the day off just to celebrate with you.¡± ¡°Can I sleep with mom tonight?¡± Justin scratched his brows awkwardly. He was about to reject him but when he saw the happy and content look on Bryce¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be quick,¡± he sighed. Tina nodded and took Bryce out. Justin red at the private room on the second floor, and his eyes darkened as he walked over. He stood before the door but didn¡¯t have the courage to go inside. Thus, he merely knocked on it ¡°E, I know you¡¯re in there.¡± On the other side of the door stood a downtrodden Ste. Only when she heard the man¡¯s voice that she gain a bit of emotion. ¡°Justin, are you okay?¡± Justin felt his heart tighten instantly. After a while, he hummed and asked, ¡°How are you now?¡± She side-eyed the man beside her. He didn¡¯t return her gaze. He simply sat there minding his own thing, seemingly unbothered about what went on around him. But she knew that if she said anything to Justin that provoked him, he would immediately make her regret it by punishing her. She paused before responding hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m good. I just know that today¡¯s Bryce¡¯s birthday. Go celebrate with him.¡± For a moment, Justin was at a loss for words. Then, a deep sense of self-loathing rose in his heart. ¡°E, I am powerless¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± She clenched her fist tightly. ¡°I¡¯m still thankful to you no matter what.¡± She smiled and continued, ¡°Tell Bryce I said happy birthday. There¡¯ll probably be no chance that I¡¯ll see him again.¡± Justin opened his lips instinctively, eager to say something, but the words were lodged in his throat as though someone was suffocating him, and he couldn¡¯t get a single syble out.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 In the end he didn¡¯t say a word and left What could he say, though? Before this, he had promised that he wouldn¡¯t let Weston do anything, but look what happened now In the first half of his life, Justin had always been an upright and honest person As a university professor, he cherished candor and never used dirty tricks in his daily dealings Many of his students were renowned scientists and academics, and some had even gotten to positions of power He had a pretty sessful first half of his life, one might say But right now, all he could feel was how useless he was Inside the room The depressing mood had dissipated Weston switched on the lights. He tapped on the table a few times before saying, ¡°He left long ago What exactly are you looking at?¡± Ste shifted her gaze away and didn¡¯t say a word as she sat silently beside him This was what he wanted from hier all along But when die finally saw it, he felt that something was off He grabbed her chin and twisted her head from side to side She had a lovely face, with delicate skin and characteristics that were highly appealing when combined Although she didn¡¯t wear much makeup, she looked stunning He¡¯d seen her with make-up before, and she was beautiful as well For men like Weston, not having gorgeousdies around him would never be an issue He had all sorts of girls surrounding him. Certain men preferred women who were kind and lively, while others preferred the more exquisite ones. Then, some preferred the gentle and quiet kind, yet there were those who fancied the adorable and plump Although it was known that men adored beautiful girls, beauty enacted itselt in various forms Having mingled in that circle for too long, Weston had long been exhausted by those beauties No longer was he attracted to pretty faces, 11 he wanted one, he could¡¯ve gotten one easily. So, what was different about Ste? She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. She noticed that his gaze was not as harsh as before. Instead, he seemed to be sizing her up, as if contemting doing something. But she didn¡¯t want to know what he was thinking. Her mood was dreary right now. She could only obey him and not oppose him in any way. ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re dying after he left?¡± Weston¡¯s grasp on her arm tightened as he remembered how she had been smiling andughing with the father and son earlier but was frigid to him. Ste was forced to look up at him. Then, as they exchange gazes, she forced a smile. ¡°Your smile is even more horrible than your crying,¡± Weston snapped coldly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Then, he let go of her and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± she asked. He stopped and turned around to look at her. ¡°Home.¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 The manager became even more devoted to Weston as they left, nodding and smiling at everything he said. It was an attitude that disgusted Ste, and she couldn¡¯t help but stare. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Weston ced his hand on her head and turned her to face him. She didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Nothing. I just feel that you seem to have a good rtionship with everyone,¡± she said calmly after a while. She didn¡¯t know which part of her words was funny because he suddenly let out a chuckle. Theugh sounded as if it came from inside his soul, as if it were genuine. ¡°Would you believe that it¡¯s because of our good chemistry?¡± he teased as he stared at her like she was an immature kid. Ste could always bring him unexpected feelings. She was realistic at times, knowing that she could only live in this world with money and power. She was like a na?ve kid living in her own universe at times, believing that human connections were as easy as she imagined. She was always filled with juxtaposition, yet these strange characteristics grew so natural to her. She understood why heughed and turned her head in embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Of course, she was aware that people like Weston would always be served, no matter where they went. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ Never mind.¡± She shook her head and didn¡¯t want to speak further. When they left, she purposely stopped and looked at those people. Weston was a low-key man. He seldom did interviews, but he had a reputation and was well liked in the circle. Basically, anyone well-versed in the economy or did business should have heard of his name, especially since Guinevere was his fiance now. In the entertainment industry, everyone knew who Guinevere was. Those who hadn¡¯t heard of her would have seen her poster on billboards. Hence, Ste was sure certain about what the guests in the restaurant would think about her ¨C Weston¡¯s mistress, a homewrecker, and a shameless gold digger. All thebels that she used to hate were now used on her, one by one. All of this was in no thanks to the man beside her. She had never felt so thoroughly disheartened. The guy she used to love gave her hope and then took it away. He should have let her down earlier, so she wouldn¡¯t have had to endure all of this heartbreak and sorrow. The car moved slowly. She thought he would bring her to Golden Eve Apartment, but the car stopped at Stardust Mansion. Her memories were triggered by the road-when she and Weston were married, she would often stroll along it. The car stopped right in front of the mansion. Ste gazed outside and asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t sold it yet?¡± He gave her money after they divorced. Then she was abducted and pushed over the roof, but fortunately, she survived. He didn¡¯t give her much choice, though, he allowed her to enjoy life with Roger in another city. He gave her more money to pay Roger¡¯s medical bills and live on for the rest of their lives.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 She thought he would¡¯ve sold the mansion, but who would¡¯ve knew it would still be there. From the outside, it looked excatly as it did when they were still married. Even the flowers she had trimmed in the front yard were still in the same shape. Back then, Ste wanted to be the perfect wife and mother and take good care of the house. Even though the floweres were the gardener¡¯s responsibility, she wanted to give it a try. When she left, she never thought that she would being back, ever again. After getting off the car, Weston had been observing her every expression. As she stepped inside, he saw her stunned face be emotionless, and he trailed her with a somewhat reserved behavior. ¡°Since Stardust Mansion is located between Ahn City and Fern City, traveling to both ces won¡¯t be a problem. You¡¯ll live here, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± This left her in a dilemma. After a moment she asked, ¡°What about Roger? I¡¯ve been living with him, and now, you want me to move out. What am I supposed to tell him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my problem.¡± He stopped and gripped her waist with one hand, whispering, ¡°My only request is that you live here so I may see you whenever I want. You deal with your brother and Yvonne on your own, or¡­¡± He paused a moment and kissed her earlobe. ¡°You can tell Roger the truth and he cane live with us.¡± ¡°You jerk!¡± Ste yelled while shoving him away. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Now, she wouldn¡¯t dare to think how Roger would react if he found out what Weston did to her. Justin was already furious, let alone Roger, her brother. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I can never tell Roger about us. ¡°After all, I am your sneaky link. You wouldn¡¯t want people to find out about us, would you?¡± She stared at Weston, seemingly aware of her current status. This wasmon understanding among them. Weston didn¡¯t say a word, but his expression flickered. After a moment of silence, he stretched out his hand and pushed her hair behind her ear, then cupped her cheeks in his palms. He was often under the impression that she was so fragile that she would shatter with a single touch His hand was already on her neck, applying gentle pressure. But it was the most he could muster-because he didn¡¯t have the heart to use more force. He shifted his gaze away, seemingly understanding what she meant. ¡°Ste, I like smart girls, but I like it better when you listen to me.¡± The interior of the mansion hadn¡¯t changed one bit, When Ste opened the door, she saw the handcrafted yarn balls she had crocheted on the porch, silently sitting there as though mocking her She had tried so hard to forget about that foolish marriage and her foolish past, but every corner she turned held her trace Every little detail in this house reminded her of how much she used to love the man standing before her Although he had never cared for her, she loved him, The wind chimes hanging at the entrance, the woolen dolls made in a pair, and even the shoes in the cab were all made into couple pairs by her she couldn¡¯t help but think of how stupid she used to be Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Weston was unaware of her efforts. It was as though the void in his heart was filled when he realized she was back home. He walked forward and suddenly hugged her from her behind, his chin resting on her neck. Almost instantly, her scent overwhelmed his olfactory senses. He had never noticed it before, and all he knew was that she had a faint fragrance on her face. After their divorce, however, the scent became even more ingrained in his mind. He could feel her body tensing, but he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to act. ¡°What perfume are you wearing?¡± he murmured, his powerful arm wrapping her waist. . Ste shut her eyes tightly when she felt his hot breath on her skin. She took a deep breath and attempted to sound calm. ¡°I don¡¯t use perfume.¡± ¡°What exactly is this scent?¡± Weston looked up and gripped her chin. He kissed her on the lips after turning her around. Ste did not react to him. She didn¡¯t fight back, but she didn¡¯t react either. It didn¡¯t take long for him to lose interest. He pressed his forehead against hers, forcing her to stare at him with no way out. But he didn¡¯t like how she was staring at him. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± he said to her again. She obeyed him and shut her eyes. He kissed her once again. In a swift moment, he pinned her down and kissed her repeatedly at the door as if to make up for all the kisses he had lost a long time ago. It wasn¡¯t until her lips turned red that he let go of her. ¡°What time is it?¡± His voice was hoarse. Ste turned to look at the clock on the wall and answered, ¡°Six.¡± She had no idea what she had done to delight him because his eyes twinkled with glee as he smiled. ¡°You still remember where you put the clock.¡± She froze all over, and then with a self-deprecating tone, said, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been in here for over a year.¡± He twisted her chin as if he was satisfied with her response. ¡°Your room is the same. There has been no change. I¡¯ll get you a driver, or you may drive yourself if you prefer, Fern City isn¡¯t far from here. I wished I could see you every time I returned.¡± She calmed down and looked at him. ¡°When will you be back?¡± This was a normal question. Since she had epted her faith in being his, she naturally had to ask clearly. Weston let her go and sat on the couch. He tossed his coat to the side and motioned for her to follow. ¡°Come here.¡± She obediently went to him, and he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Are you nning to run away when I¡¯m not here?¡± he asked as he sniffed her hair. She shook her head. ¡°I know I can¡¯t.¡± She was working at Fern City and her brother was there as well as long as she had something valuable to her, she knew that she couldn¡¯t escape his grasp. She knew this after witnessing it with her own eyes today. Thus, her response thrilled Weston and he cupped her chin in his fingers. ¡°My firm is quite some distance from here, but the branchpany is pretty close. I¡¯lle back often, so you should be prepared.¡± ¡°Prepared for what?¡± she asked calmly. The man¡¯s eyes darkened suddenly. ¡°What do you think?¡± She paused for while before nodding. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± When she had finished, she stood up from his arms and began unbuttoning her clothes in front of him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. This time, he didn¡¯t stop her. Instead, he was watching her every move. He leaned back on the sofa when the floor was filled with clothes. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 His slender legs extended to scoop up the thong on the ground with his hand-made leather shoes, before leaning down to grasp it. Then, he squeezed it into a ball and let go. ¡°I remember you likedce in the past. What made you switch to cotton?¡± Ste closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Her arms were freezing. ¡°It was a random purchase, I have no preference,¡± she added as she rubbed her right arm Weston said nothing and threw the thong next to him. ¡°Continue,¡± he said, studying her with interest. She nodded and knelt in front of him, trembling. Her hands went out and touched the spot she didn¡¯t want to touch. Sure enough, his body stiffened up and the veins on his neck ruptured. He grabbed her hair and pulled her away. ¡°Who taught you these?¡± ¡°No one.¡± She shook her head. Her answer pleased him. He held the back of her neck, and his movements became gentle. ¡°Good girl.¡± He knew that there weren¡¯t any men by her side during the time they were apart. The only threat he had was Justin. But now, it seemed even he wasn¡¯t a threat to him. He caressed her hair and noticed how soft it was, like fine satin. As if discovering a fascinating new toy, he took his time and ran his fingers through it. Ste despised anyone ying with her hair, but for the time being, there was nothing she could do but suck it all up. Weston saw the look on her face and he let go of her hair ¡°Why are you upset again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t look very convincing.¡± Hearing this, she looked up and forced a smile at him. She looked worse than crying. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. With disgust, he clicked his tongue and averted his gaze. ¡°Does being with me disgust you?¡± She didn¡¯t answer instantly, but paused for a while before asking, ¡°Do you want to hear the truth or the lie?¡± After a short moment of silence, he chuckled. The dim light shone on his face, entuating the features on his face. He seemed to be smiling, but his aura of superiority pushed people away. Even if one could get along well with him, an evident distance could be perceived. ¡°Tell me the lie first.¡± She pursed her lips and said without any hesitation, ¡°I am happy.¡± ¡°What about the truth?¡± She clenched her fist tightly and slowly said each word, ¡°I feel even worse than dying.¡± Instantly, the smile on his face vanished. The atmosphere turned cold. 7 pm at night Ste was on her phone when Roger called her. She picked it up, looked at the man in the living room, and murmured quietly to the phone, ¡°I have some stuff to do tonight. I¡¯m not going home.¡± Roger, in an apron, stood next to the dinner table. He was stunned for a second when he heard the response from the other end of the phone. ¡°Is there anything urgent?¡± He stared at the oil-scorched blisters on his hands, as well as the table filled with dishes for the meal he was preparing ¡°Ste.¡± Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Ste didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about his tone, and she didn¡¯t want him to know where she was, so she hung up the phone quickly. Right after hanging up, she felt a warm hug from behind. Weston had been in the living room earlier, organizing his papers. She had no idea when he had walked up behind her, his arms locked around her waist. ¡°Who did you call?¡± she heard him asking in a low voice beside her ears. She adjusted her breathing before answering, ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His expression didn¡¯t change much as his hands went gently around her waist.¡±I thought it was Justin.¡± She shut her eyes and held out her phone. ¡°You can check if you want.¡± He didn¡¯t say no. He unlocked her phone, checked the call history, and confirmed that it was Roger before handing it back to her. He didn¡¯t even hide the fact that he didn¡¯t trust her at all. Having total control over her, he treated her like a caged canary. Ste was clearer than before of what was her position as she asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Cut all ties with Justin.¡± He didn¡¯t respond to her query, but he did drop a kiss on her neck. He would pull her into his arms and kiss her sometimes but that was the extent of his exploration. She pushed herself to question, ¡°Will I be able to go to work regrly tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already arranged a driver for you.¡± He pushed her hair aside, revealing her pale skin. He then pushed her up against the railing, and she felt him from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room,¡± she said between gritted teeth, her breathing steadying. The man behind her paused beforeughing out loud. He sounded overjoyed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to do anything to you, but you seemed thrilled.¡± She shifted her gaze to him, irritated. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯re looking for? Why are you being so gentlemanly?¡± ¡°I was never a gentleman.¡± He gripped her chin, and the grin on his face disappeared.¡± However, I dislike coercing people. I¡¯m not interested, especially after seeing your nd face.¡± Ste felt as though she had just heard the funniest joke ever told. ¡°You don¡¯t enjoy coercing people? So, what are you up to now? Keeping me here is also forcing me.¡± ¡°When did I force you?¡± he murmured, softly rubbing her chin.¡± You eagerly followed me home. Did you forget you had a choice?¡± She fixed her gaze on him. ¡°How can you say this? Did you ever give me an option? You¡¯ll hurt the people I care about if I didn¡¯t do what you want. Is that the option you gave me?¡± ¡°How can it not be? If you care about the innocent, you must ept the burden. This is your decision.¡± She shut her eyes and didn¡¯t wish to argue with him anymore. There was no use talking to a shameless man like him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand the situation yet.¡± Weston didn¡¯t want to see her so hostile to him. ¡°I want you here with me, Ste.¡± She smiled at him but was soon cut off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you fake a smile when it looks worse than your crying face,¡± he snapped. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he fixedly peered at her, his gaze searching her face, and he finally said, ¡°Why did Roger contact you just now?¡± ¡°He said that he¡¯s waiting for me at home.¡± Weston was reminded of the night he spotted her enjoying dinner with Justin and Roger.¡± Who cooks at home?¡± he inquired. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She had no idea why he had asked the question, but responded, ¡°He eats in the cafe. If he gets home early, I¡¯ll cook and he¡¯ll assist. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Weston let go of Ste and turned to face the kitchen. ¡°I remember you having excellent cooking skills.¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Ste finally understood what he meant. ¡°You want me to cook for you?¡± Weston leaned against the ss door frame beside him, not answering Ste¡¯s question. ¡°No problem.¡± Ste nodded. Weston¡¯s silence clearly did not faze her. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± she asked as she walked into the kitchen. Weston gazed at Ste as she walked away. Her long hair cascaded down her back, almost reaching her waist. He remembered how much shorter it was when they first got married. Every night, she would lie on their bed, her shiny ck hair forming a stark contrast with the white sheets. Now every time he saw the shing colors of ck and white, it would remind him of Ste in bed and he would lose control of himself for a moment. Weston set his wandering thoughts aside and his eyes darkened. ¡°Surely you know exactly what I like to eat?¡± he replied. In fact, not even his own parents knew his exact preferences. Growing up, he had always had the best of everything served up to him on a silver te- the best food ingredients, the best chefs-so no matter what was served up they were all consistently excellent. Weston did not even understand why people had preferences to a certain kind of food because he was so used to being given the best all the time. But that was not how Ste saw things. After they got married, she would always ask Weston what his preferences were, what he usually liked to eat or use or do. At the time, Weston thought she was just wasting her time. Hepletely ignored all the efforts that she made with disdain. To him, it meant nothing at all whether or not Ste was good at cooking. Why should he care, when he could get the best chefs in the world to cook anything he wanted for him at the snap of a finger? In fact, he did try to get other people to cook for him after they separated. But strangely enough, even the world¡¯s top chefs could not recreate the taste of the food that Ste made for him. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ste walked to the fridge leisurely and opened it. She was surprised to find it filled with various ingredients to cook with-anything from the freshest fruits and vegetables to frozen imported meat and seafood was there. She stood in front of the fridge for a good few seconds, lost in thought. It looked like Weston had prepared for her arrival. Ste was reminded of how, in order to please Weston, she used to learn how to make new dishes every day so she could find out what he liked to eat. Even if he always ended up showing no interest whatsoever in her food, she still persisted. Sometimes she would work so hard in the kitchen that she would get blisters in her hands, but if the food didn¡¯t suit Weston¡¯s taste, he would not even give it a second look, much less finish it. She found it incredibly ironic that Weston suddenly showed interest in her cooking now, when she had neither her past enthusiasm nor even a slight interest to please him. She snorted at the thought as she nonchntly grabbed a few simple ingredients from the fridge and tossed them in the sink She knew her way around the kitchen very well. It was a familiar ce for her. No matter how hard she tried to forget her bitter past, she still ended up here, where she used to be N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste nced at the glinting edge of the knife on the cutting board. For a brief moment, a most vicious thought shed across her mind¡­ Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ste quickly squashed the crazy idea. She couldn¡¯t possibly put Roger in a position where his only living rtive was a criminal. The clinking and nking noise arose from the kitchen when Ste started cooking. Weston was sitting on the sofa in the living room. The news was ying on the television, but he wasn¡¯t paying any attention to that. He was more interested in the noise that came from the kitchen. Weston realized that he had always taken all these little details for granted in the past. He wondered how many precious moments he¡¯d lost forever. Ste did not put as much thought into the cooking as she did in the past, because she no . longer had any interest to please Weston. All she wanted to do now wasplete a chore that she was assigned. With that, she made a bowl of very simple chicken noodle soup and brought it out to the table. She noticed that it was looking a little too in, so she quickly chopped up some scallions and garnished it on the soup. The little green bits on top made it look much more appetizing, though it was still in to see that not a lot of effort was put into the making of this soup. Just as Ste brought the soup out to the table, Weston himself just came out of the shower. He¡¯d changed into morefortable clothes. The gray t shirt softened his usually intimidating aura significantly, but his dark eyes were still as icy and piercing as always, the pitch ckness of his pupils was like a stonewall that rendered his thoughts and feelingspletely inscrutable. Weston¡¯s ck hair was still dripping wet. He tossed a towel onto Ste¡¯s head and sat down on the chair in front of her with his eyes fixed on her face, Ste took a deep breath. ¡°The soup is getting cold,¡± she told him. ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± he replied, ncing at the bowl of soup on the table. ¡°Dry my hair with that towel.¡± Ste could hardly believe his audacity, but what could she say? Resigned to her fate, she went to stand behind him and did what she was told. Weston was a very tall man. There was a huge difference between their heights, so even as Weston was sitting down while Ste was standing up, he still managed to stir a sense of intimidation inside her. Ste ced the towel on Weston¡¯s head and started rubbing his hair neither gently nor too roughly, pretending that Weston was Roger. Weston could sense her unwillingness, but he let her shove his head this way and that way without saying anything about it. Not long after, Ste stopped and put the towel down. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better if you blow it with a hair dryer,¡± she suggested. ¡°You know where the hair dryer is,¡± he replied without looking up. ¡°Go get it.¡± Ste paused, but stayed silent. She then turned around and left Weston to get the hair dryer. She knew her way in the mansion very well, not just where the rooms were, but down to even where the smallest objects were. How could she not, since she was the one who put them there? She remembered how she loved to tidy up the house. She loved seeing the whole ce in spick -and- span condition. She also loved seeing her little personal touches everywhere around the house. She remembered how happy she used to be here and it broke her heart. Every familiar corner was like a little de that cut through her heart, reminding her of how foolish she had been in the past. It took Ste a long time that evening to serve Weston before he would let her go and start eating When he finally turned his attention to the soup, he stared at the in bowl of chicken noodle soup and frowned. ¡°I hate scallions,¡± heined. TL Although Weston didn¡¯t have any favorite food, he was still a very fussy eater. As someone who never particrly liked anything yet hated many things, he was indeed a hard man to please. Ste had gone through hell in the past just to appease him. She remembered now that Weston didn¡¯t like heavily seasoned food or anything that had a strong taste like garlic, onion, ginger, and scallions. She used to make sure not to include any of those ingredients in her cooking. Without saying a word, Ste marched into the kitchen and returned with a tiny bowl. She then sat down opposite Weston and began to scoop out the bits of scallions from his soup. Seeing this, Weston¡¯s expressions warmed up a little. When Ste saw that he was done eating, she didn¡¯t even bother to ask him how he liked the food but just went ahead and cleaned up the table. Weston¡¯s eyes were fixed on her. He remembered that in the past, when he finished the food, Ste would shyly ask him in the softest voice if he liked the food, her eyes wide with anticipation. But now all she did was calmly pick up the bowl and the cutleries, not even bothering to look at him. Weston drummed his fingers on the table. He waited till Ste was done cleaning up and when she passed by his side, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her into his arms. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Ste was startled at first, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°Are we starting now?¡± she asked. Ste¡¯s words might sound vague, but Weston knew exactly what she meant. The desire that had cropped up in him just nowpletely dissipated in a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t have the mood now even if you begged for it!¡± he snapped, shoving Ste away. Weston then dashed back into the bedroom and mmed the door shut. Ste stared at the closed door silently with disbelief. The night was still young. The television in the living room was still on. Ste walked towards the sofa and was about to sit down when amercial starring Guinevere Cohen came up. The sight incited aplicated mix of feelings in Ste¡¯s heart. Her eyes were glued on the woman on the screen. Scenes from the past shed across her eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste leaned against the backrest, grabbed a pillow, and curled up on the sofa. She was wearing a long white cotton dress. Her long hair fell softly on her shoulders. The moonlight that shone on her dainty face made her skin look translucent. She was utterly perplexed. Weston had treated her so cruelly because of Guinevere in the past, so why would he lock Ste up in their former home and not allow her to leave now? Could it be that he really missed those days when they were married? Ste snorted at the thought. She picked up the remote and turned off the television theny down on the sofa and closed her eyes. It was now past midnight. Weston stared at his bedroom door that was closed shut. There had been no movements there at all the whole night. He did not lock the door, but Ste didn¡¯t even try toe in. Weston¡¯s face was glum. He grew impatient and tossed the nket aside, got up from his bed and stomped into the living room where he saw the wispy figure of a woman lying on the sofa Ste was all curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. Weston walked over to her, his tall frame cast a long shadow across Ste¡¯s body as if she was covered by a nket. Ste suddenly frowned and tossed and turned in her sleep. She scrunched up her nose like a tiny creature that was braving the cold. She didn¡¯t even have a nket on her, only a small pillow that was hugging tightly. The burning aroger inside him frittered away at the sight of her fragile figure. He kneeled down in front of her and caressed her face with his long singers, s ythes dhorce, then wenied alitua altanter every time he saw her. The skin under 11 the might disappear veins under her skin very visible. She looked pale and fragile, yet she surprisingly possessed incredible tenacity. Weston felt that perhaps there was nothing wrong with them going on like this. Ste might disagree now, but anything could change with time. He was a patient hunter who now had his prey right in his trap, what was wrong with letting her struggle for a little while? She wouldn¡¯t be able to escape now anyway. His callus-covered fingers slid down from her cheeks to her lips. He leaned over slightly and was about to kiss her¡­ ¡°Weston!¡± Ste suddenly mumbled in her sleep. ¡°Please believe me¡­ ¡°If you save me, Guinevere will be fine. If you save her, I¡¯ll die¡­ ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ll really die¡­ ¡°My baby, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Weston froze as if he was hit by lightning. His eyes trembled violently, but his body was paralyzed. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 The night was chilly and the room was silent. It was almost two in the morning. Ste had settled into a deep sleep, no longer mumbling or talking. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Weston had been by her side for more than an hour, but she had only just calmed down. But now that she was sound asleep, Weston was still too restless to go to bed. He was dressed in a long silk nightshirt. The dark blue satin fabric clung to his tall muscr frame. He stepped out onto the balcony and carefully slid the ss door close so as not to make a sound. For a while, he stood there and gazed through the ss at Ste who was lying on the sofa. Then he turned around and rested his arms on the railing as he looked down. The courtyard downstairs looked different under the soft illumination of streetmps. The bright green leaves looked dark and gloomy now as they rustled in the night breeze. The swaying shadows of the trees danced on the balcony, making it look like a scene from another dimension. Weston pulled out a cigarette, then nonchntly tossed the cigarette case aside as he yed with the lighter. A faint blue me emerged. It burned the end of the cigarette and the scent of burnt tobo filled the air. A plume of smoke rose from the cigarette then gently swirled and dissipated. Weston kept ying with the lighter. The blue me emerged, vanished, then emerged again. The metal lighter made a clunking noise that cut through the silence of the night, but no one inside could hear it. The stormy waves in Weston¡¯s eyes finally calmed down. He closed them, but now all he could hear was Ste¡¯s hoarse painful cries. She was begging him. She was pleading for him to believe her, to save her. That was the scene in their past that he wished he could shut out forever. He had sometimes been gued with nightmares after that fateful night, but his strong self-control would never allow him to be tormented by nightmares. But that baby¡­ Weston raised a hand to rub his temple. He had never thought much about the baby. When he first found out that Ste was pregnant, he didn¡¯t have any strong reaction to it. To him, a child meant nothing at all. He never cared about such things. Naturally, he thought that the best solution was to not have the baby. But he¡¯d failed to consider Ste¡¯s maternal feelings. To make matters worse, she had the same medical condition as Guinevere, which meant that she could only have one baby her whole life. So he agreed to Ste¡¯s appeal. Weston had never given a thought about having children, but that day when he saw Ste fall down from the top floor clutching at her belly, his heart was torn open and all the feelings that he¡¯d been suppressing came rushing out in a torrent. He had never sat down and properly worked out what his real feelings for Ste were. Ever since reuniting with her, he had also been suppressing all the painful memories in the past. But after hearing her crying out his name in distress, pleading with him to save her, he thought it was impossible to hide his feelings any longer. The tiny red ember at the end of the cigarette burned slowly. He had not taken many puffs from it, but it seemed that the cigarette was fast burning out. In truth, he was not that addicted to smoking, but he¡¯d been constantly surrounded by the smell of smoke this past year. Ste never liked him to smoke. He had simply ignored it in the past, but now it seemed that he¡¯d been smoking less and less, subconsciously doing what she wanted him to do. But she wouldn¡¯t care about it now. She no longer prioritized him the way she used to do. All she wanted now was to get away from him. Weston put out the cigarette and turned towards the ss door. He leaned back against the railing with his arms resting on it. His tall figure cast an elongated shadow under the pale moonlight. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Weston stood there gazing at Ste who was sound asleep on the sofa. His disheveled ck hair cast a shadow across his eyes, rendering his expression impossible to read. He stayed that way for so long that he¡¯d forgotten what time it was. It was the cold breeze that finally prompted him to go back inside. He slid the door open, sauntered over to Ste, and picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The next morning, Ste woke up to find herself in a tight embrace. She felt something hard bolstering her neck. She opened her eyes and saw that it was a man¡¯s arm. ¡°Weston,¡± she muttered without even thinking, trying to push the man away. But Weston did not get up. With his eyes still closed, he hugged Ste a little tighter. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep a little longer,¡± he murmured in her ear. ¡°Okay?¡± Ste struggled to get up so she could check the time. ¡°I need to go to work,¡± she told him. Weston pinned her body down before she could get away and pulled her back into his arms, not even letting her move. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep a little longer,¡± he repeated in an insistent tone. Ste sighed. ¡°But I really need to go to work,¡± she said. She wouldn¡¯t be persuaded, so Weston let go of her and turned away with his back towards her. Ste scurried out of bed in a rush and out of habit, reached a hand towards the nightstand to get her phone where she always ced it, only to find that it wasn¡¯t there. She then remembered that she fell asleep on the sofast night. So how did she end up here? She nced at the man who was still in bed with a mixture ofplicated feelings. She didn¡¯t dwell on it though. She just went ahead and walked out of the room. She found her phone on the coffee table. She checked the time and found that it was still early, so she took a quick shower, got ready, and was about to leave. Weston was awakened by the noise, so he got out of bed. He nced at her, then with a vacant face told her, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the driver toe pick you up.¡± Ste nodded and made no objections. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work today?¡± she asked, noticing that he was still in his nightshirt. Before Weston could reply, she heard the sound of a car approaching downstairs, so she dashed towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± she said before closing the door behind her, not even looking at Weston to see his reaction. She no longer had any curiosity or interest in him now. Everything she said even sounded t and impassive, like a robot reading out a line of code,pletely void of emotions. Weston stared at the door. His eyes were dark and brooding. Ste asked the driver to stop at the intersection, then she opened the door and stepped out of the car. After walking for a few minutes, she finally reached her workce. She saw Yvonne cheerfully handing out gifts. Yvonne beamed when she noticed Ste. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since Ist saw you,¡± Yvonne eximed, ¡°but I think you¡¯ve gotten much prettier now!¡± Ste could clearly see that Yvonne was in a very good mood. She deduced that something good must¡¯ve happened. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s gotten prettier!¡± she replied. ¡°When I wasing in, I was asking myself who¡¯s thatdy who¡¯s smiling like an angel?¡±. Yvonne knew that Ste was only ttering her, but she was still very pleased by it. Once she was done handing out the gifts, she grabbed Ste¡¯s hand and pulled her into her office. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I¡¯ve got a special set of skincare products for you!¡± Yvonne chirped. ¡°Come on and give it a try! Let¡¯s see if they suit your skin!¡± Before Yvonne closed her office door, Ste felt a gaze directed at her, but when she turned around to see, she saw no one there. Yvonne didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary, so she happily pulled out a small golden jar. She opened it and dipped her fingers in the white cream, but just before she was about to rub it on Ste¡¯s skin, she noticed that Ste kept staring at the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Ste replied, thinking that she was probably mistaken. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Yvonne thought nothing of Ste¡¯s response, but she did stare at Ste and hesitated whether she should say what was on her mind. Ste noticed this. Now that she had got her gift, she was sure that Yvonne would have something to say to her. She didn¡¯t want Yvonne to feel awkward, so she took the initiative to bring it up herself. ¡°If you want to ask me anything,¡± she started, ¡°then just ask it. I won¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Seeing that she was so straightforward about it, Yvonne saw no point in beating around the bush. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°So are you and Weston now¡­¡± Yvonne studied Ste¡¯s face with seriousness. Ste said nothing in reply, but merely responded with a smile. It was a joyless smile though and she looked more resigned than happy. Yvonne immediately understood what Ste was trying to say. ¡°How dare he!¡± she snapped. Ste shook her head repeatedly and grabbed Yvonne¡¯s hand. Her face was turning pale. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about this, okay?¡± Ste begged Yvonne. ¡°I don¡¯t want to involve an innocent bystander like you!¡± ¡°But how could I not worry?¡± replied Yvonne. ¡°You¡¯re my friend! How could I just watch him push you around wherever he likes without doing anything?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me,¡± Ste said in a hoarse voice with her head hanging low,¡± and I thank you for it. But with someone like Weston Ford¡­ I really can¡¯t get you involved. He¡¯ll definitely get you in trouble.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if he dares!¡± Yvonne snarled. ¡°My family definitely won¡¯t take it lying down!¡± ¡°Would you really want your family to be at odds with the Ford family just for someone like me?¡± asked Ste. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, Yvonne.¡± Ste knew that the anger Yvonne felt now was temporary. She was truly grateful for her loyalty to their friendship, but the real world was much tooplex to just rely on earnest loyalty. It was more than good enough that Yvonne genuinely wished to help. Getting her in trouble was the last thing Ste wanted. Yvonne suddenly felt thirsty, so she went over to the water cooler and got herself a ss of water to drink. Once she¡¯d taken a few sips her anger gradually subsided. ¡°I¡¯m really curious though,¡± Yvonne began speaking again. ¡°Isn¡¯t Weston Ford going to marry Guinevere Cohen soon? I recently heard someone in their circle saying that he¡¯d taken her to the doctor to get a premarital medical exam. What on earth is wrong with him? He¡¯s clearly a two-faced hypocrite!¡± Ste was silent. Her eyes looked vacant. The corner of her lips almost lifted slightly when she heard that Weston had taken Guinevere to a premarital medical exam, but it didn¡¯t turn into a smile. Just a wry smirk. What a disgusting man! He pretended to be a sweet lover with Guinevere, yet behind her back, he forced Ste to stay with him in his house. How could she not realize what a shameless man he was in the past? Ste closed her eyes. She remembered how fiercely Justin and Tina were arguing in the restaurant yesterday. She remembered their state of sheer panic when they found out that Bryce was missing. She sighed. ¡°Yvonne,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯d like to resign¡­¡± Yvonne¡¯s eyes widened. She was stunned into silence for a good few seconds. ¡°No!¡± she finally replied resolutely. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it!¡± When Ste got out of Yvonne¡¯s office, she bumped into Joyce Duxton. She could see Joyce jumping in shock when she opened the door. But when their eyes met, Joyce haughtily straightened her posture and snapped, ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± Ste nced at her coolly and said nothing. Joyce was probably eavesdropping at the door just now, but the walls were thick and soundproofed, so she was sure that Joyce couldn¡¯t hear anything they were talking about in Yvonne¡¯s office. She had no interest in dealing with Joyce now, so she turned around and walked away. Joyce was offended that Ste completely ignored her, so she chased after Ste with a big frown on her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that I was talking to you?¡± she yapped. ¡°Do you have a problem with me? You¡¯ve always been ignoring me when I¡¯m speaking to you¡ª¡± Ste halted her steps abruptly before Joyce could finish her sentence. She turned swiftly around and gave Joyce an icy nce. ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, Joyce,¡± she began, ¡°so I don¡¯t want to put it too bluntly so as to hurt your feelings, but you know exactly what your real intentions are and I won¡¯t be a two-faced hypocrite. I don¡¯t have the time or the interest to put on an act with you.¡± Ste turned and walked away at once after speaking, leaving Joyce standing there alone, in shock. The image of Ste¡¯s cold stare was still stuck in Joyce¡¯s mind long after Ste had left. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 But Joyce was not afraid of Ste. She was just taken aback by her look. She¡¯d never seen Ste acting so cold before¡­ What was going on with her? What had happened in Yvonne¡¯s office? Why had she changed so much after that? Ste had enough time to calm herself down that afternoon. She was a dance teacher, after all. Teaching the children was still the most important thing in her life. When it was almost time to get off work, Ste checked the time on her phone. It was the first time that she resented leaving work. She couldn¡¯t go home now, so she gave her brother a call to tell him that she would be on a business trip for a while. Yvonne happened to pass by when she was telling Roger she couldn¡¯t go home. She stopped and stared at Ste in dismay. Ste hung up the phone and turned around to leave, only to bump into Yvonne who was looking at her with a strange expression. Yvonne looked down at her shoes when their eyes met and said nothing. Ste was about to walk away, but Yvonne suddenly spoke. ¡°You know,¡± she whispered in Ste¡¯s ear, ¡°If you need me to tell a white lie, just ask. I¡¯ll help you.¡± When she first found out about Ste having an affair with Weston Ford, Yvonne resented her for it. But now that she knew Ste was forced into it by Weston, she had grown sympathetic towards her. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. It was in for anyone to see that a powerful man like Weston Ford could easily squash someone of Ste¡¯s social status under his boots any time he wished. Not to mention that Ste had a family too, so even if she managed to escape Weston¡¯s grasp, there was no guarantee that her family would be safe. Being by Weston Ford¡¯s side was just like walking a tightrope ¨C if you weren¡¯t careful, you would fall to your death. ¡°Thank you, Yvonne,¡± said Ste with a grateful smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Ste continued after a pause, ¡°Could you tell my brother that I¡¯m on a business trip and that I won¡¯t be able to go home for a while?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Yvonne paused again and sighed. ¡°If you need any help,¡± she continued, ¡°Just ask me, okay?¡± Not long after that, Ste received a text message from Weston, telling her that he¡¯d sent the driver to pick her up. Ste thought for a while and replied saying she had a private tutoring ss so she might be going back a littleter. This was not exactly a lie. In fact, Weston had checked Ste¡¯s schedule and he knew that she really was hired as a private tutor, so he made no objections and just told her to tell the driver when her work was done. Ste was a little nervous when she got to Mr. Smith¡¯s house because she thought she might meet Justin there again. She was greatly relieved when she found out that Justin would not be there that day. Mr. Smith himself was not at home either. Only a few nannies were with Ruby there. Ruby liked Ste very much. She was usually headstrong and naughty, but with Ste, Ruby became inexplicably obedient and affectionate. ¡°Miss Steele,¡± Ruby said after her dance ss, ¡°My dad will be taking me to a movie set for an auditionter. Do you think I¡¯ll be a movie star one day, Miss Steele?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will, Ruby!¡± Ste replied, pinching Ruby¡¯s cherubic cheek. ¡°Since you¡¯re such a pretty girl!¡± But soon afterward one of the nannies dashed into the room and told Ste, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Steele, but it seems that Mr. Smith can¡¯t make it home in time. The audition couldn¡¯t be postponed either, so Mr. Smith asked if you could take Miss Ruby to the movie set?¡± Ste thought about it and almost instantly agreed. She didn¡¯t want to go back to that ce anyway, so why not? Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Although Mr. Smith couldn¡¯t make it back home in time to take Ruby to the audition, he¡¯d made all the necessary preparations beforehand. All Ruby needed was an adult to apany her there, since she was still a child. The driver was already waiting downstairs, so once Ruby and Ste got into the car, they headed straight to the movie set. Ste had never been to a ce like this. From afar she could see countless different equipment all set up in a wide area. There was a stage in the center of it all where the lights were focused on. Someone was on that stage holding a walkie-talkie and giving outmands to therge crew. Ruby, on the other hand, seemed to be familiar with the ce. It was obviously not her first time on a film set. ¡°Miss Steele,¡± the girl said when they arrived, ¡°I think you should contact the director¡¯s assistant. Everytime I¡¯m here, Daddy would take me straight to him.¡± Ste nodded and followed the procedure that the nanny instructed her earlier. She was already informed that everything could be handed over to this assistant once they got there. When the director¡¯s assistant saw that Ruby was with Ste, he hesitated then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Smith coming today?¡± ¡°No,¡±Ste replied, ¡°He¡¯s a little busy today.¡± The man was indeed the director¡¯s assistant as Ruby mentioned. He was d in a pair of light gray overalls. He had been scrambling everywhere all day as the director had been assigning a thousand tasks to him. He looked at Ste up and down with inquisitive eyes. ¡°May I ask if you are Mr. Smith¡¯s¡­¡± To him, Ruby was no longer a neer. Although she might be very young, she had always been involved in the entertainment industry since she was little and had in fact been in twomercials. So even if she wasn¡¯t exactly a child star, she was still quite experienced. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Ruby¡¯s father, Mr. Smith, did not have a very good reputation in this circle, though. He was a local rich man who liked to spoil his daughter. Ruby¡¯s talents weren¡¯t exactly spectacr, but she made it this far because her father spared no expense on her. Mr. Smith was just like many other rich middle-aged men. No matter how messy his own private life was, he would always make sure that none of it would ever affect his daughter. Ruby was his only daughter, after all. Because Mr. Smith lived such a wild life in his younger years, he¡¯d lost his fertility and couldn¡¯t have any other children after Ruby, so naturally she was the absolute apple of his eye. He¡¯d never let any of his mistresses see his daughter, much less be with her. ¡­and yet here was this woman, apanying Ruby Smith to the audition alone. Who could she be? Ste knew at a nce that the director¡¯s assistant was misunderstanding who she was so she quickly made an exnation. ¡°I¡¯m Ruby¡¯s private tutor,¡± she told him. ¡°I was teaching her today and was told that Mr. Smith was too busy to take her here, so I stood in for him.¡± The director¡¯s assistant warmed up a little when he heard this, but he was still a little skeptical ¡°You twoe with me,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll go backstage to get Ruby¡¯s makeup done. Then you¡¯ll wait there until you get called¡­¡± ¡°Have you practiced your lines?¡± he asked. ¡°Yup!¡± Ruby nodded. Ste was now relieved. It really seemed that she didn¡¯t have to do anything else apart from apanying Ruby. She was starting to feel at ease there. Once the assistant was gone, Ruby sat down and pulled out a small notebook from her backpack. Ste looked at her with fascination, curious to see what she was going to do next. It turned out that she was practicing her lines. ¡°Miss Steele!¡± cried Ruby, handing Ste a copy of her lines. ¡°This is going to be my first audition! I¡¯ve been inmercials before, but I¡¯ve never been in a movie yet!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ste nodded and asked, ¡°So is this a movie set?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ruby nodded frantically. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that director? He¡¯s really cool and famous! There are loads of superstars in the movies he made!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ruby eximed after a pause. ¡°Do you know Guinevere Cohen, Miss Steele?¡± Ste froze momentarily, but she quickly regained herposure. Because Ruby was very young, she did not notice anything wrong and just went on talking excitedly. ¡°When I grow up, I want to be a famous actress just like Guinevere Cohen!¡± Ste pursed her lips and rubbed her temples but said nothing. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Ste was reminded of Weston again. The thought made her palms a little sweaty. She needed to get some fresh air, but she couldn¡¯t possibly leave Ruby here alone. About half an hourter, it was finally Ruby¡¯s turn. The assistant hurried over to get Ruby and brought her to the stage. Ste stood under the stage, watching Ruby nervously stepping under the spotlight. There were quite a number of people around her. It must have really been arge set. No one was paying any attention to them since they arrived. This only changed when Ruby got up on stage. Ste had presumed that with Mr. Smith¡¯s wealth, Ruby would be treated like a princess in this ce. But apparently she was mistaken. Though he might be rich, Mr. Smith was nearly a nobody in the entertainment industry, since there were many more who were a thousand times richer and more powerful than him here. Perhaps only people with Weston Ford¡¯s stature could enjoy special treatment wherever he went. Ruby was a young girl, so naturally her role was a certain character¡¯s daughter. She didn¡¯t have many lines, but apart from the lines needing to showcase the liveliness of the character, it was also a period drama, so the lines were quite difficult to learn. For such a young girl, Ruby would have to memorize her lines really well for her to be able to perform naturally. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. When they were backstage earlier, Ruby had gone through her lines with Ste once. Yet although all was going well at first, she probably got stage fright and fumbled her lines the longer she went on. She even forgot huge chunks of her lines, which gravely affected her whole performance. ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop!¡± yelled the director, frowning with frustration. ¡°Where did this childe from? She doesn¡¯t suit the character of a noble girl at all! A noble girl should be mboyant and haughty! Not a shy stuttering girl like that!¡± Ruby stood there like a doll after getting yelled at by the director. At a loss, she turned to Ste. The director was still fuming with anger. He took off his earphones and tossed them violently on his desk. ¡°This whole thing is pointless!¡± he shouted. Everyone else looked at each other nervously now that the director had lost his temper. Ste was stunned too. She¡¯d never been in such a situation before. But more importantly, she was worried about Ruby. Tears were welling up in Ruby¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the assistant whispered in Ste¡¯s ear. ¡°Ruby¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t that bad. With some improvements, she¡¯ll do just fine. The director is mad at someone else¡­¡± Sure enough, Ste would soon hear something which proved that the assistant was not lying. ¡°How many demands exactly does Guinevere Cohen have, anyway?¡± she heard the directorin when he returned after taking a short break. ¡°At this point I¡¯m not sure who¡¯s the director ¨C is it her or me?!¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± the assistant director persuaded him in a whisper, ¡°The investors insisted on having her, so there¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± Besides, Guinevere Cohen was a bona fide superstar, so she had a certain power to make demands. But what really got on the director¡¯s nerves was that not only did Guinevere make demands about her own role, she even demanded him to rece an actress that he¡¯d already chosen! Guinevere was the movie¡¯s main lead, naturally the role was tailor-made for her. But there were other female characters in supporting roles too, but Guinevere decided that she didn¡¯t like one of the actresses, so she demanded that he get someone else instead. The director had no choice but to do as she bid. He definitely wasn¡¯t pleased about it, though. Ste said nothing as she listened to the assistant¡¯s exnation. But then her phone suddenly rang. She nced over at Ruby who was still standing on stage, then quietly slipped out of the set and found a quiet corner to take the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°When will you be back?¡± asked the man on the other end of the line in a calm, deep voice.¡± I¡¯m already home.¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Because it was extremely quiet on Weston¡¯s end of the line, he could clearly hear the background noise on Ste¡¯s end. Weston was sitting on the sofa. The ck genuine leather felt cold against his skin. The rest of the room was just as cool and serene. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked Ste. Ste exined exactly what happened. There was only silence when she finished speaking, as Weston made no reply. ¡°Can I¡­ go home a littleter today?¡± Ste hesitantly asked. Weston nced at the time, ¡°Howte is a littleter?¡± Ste pursed her lips and looked around the set. Things seemed to be in an uproar, with people shouting and hurrying around. Even as she stood there in a rtively quiet corner, she was still in someone¡¯s way from time to time. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this¡¯ll take,¡± she replied. ¡°Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll let the driver know.¡± Weston remained silent. Ste¡¯s heart was pounding as she awaited his answer. She could never guess Weston¡¯s mood or temper. She was also afraid that he might do something to her if he was unhappy. Ste didn¡¯t know how long Weston just stayed silent like that, not saying a single word, until he finally just hung up the phone. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ste sighed in relief when she heard the beeping tone. She knew, of course, that he was possibly a little disgruntled, but at least it was a sign he agreed that she could remain on the film set for the time being, albeit reluctantly, otherwise he would¡¯ve had someonee over and forcibly take her away. Ste put her phone away and rushed back towards the stage. Ruby was still there as her part was not over yet. The assistant frowned when he noticed Ste walking in. ¡°Where have you been?¡± he demanded. ¡°Just there,¡± replied Ste, pointing at the quiet corner. The assistant was about to lose his temper, but when his eyes met Ste¡¯s, he suddenly found his anger subsiding for some reason. ¡°Fine¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°But next time please tell me before you wander off somewhere. You¡¯re the only apanying Ruby here today. Mr. Smith is my old acquaintance, so I could help you keep an eye on Ruby, but I wouldn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you or Ruby.¡± He was getting a little irritated just now when he found that Ste was suddenly missing. He¡¯d thought that she had sneaked away somewhere. But now that he¡¯d heard Ste¡¯s exnation, he realized that he might¡¯ve been overreacting. But Ste had always been very patient, so she merely replied with a smile. ¡°We should¡¯ve been able to wrap things up a long time ago,¡± he continued, now feeling a little embarrassed for losing his temper, ¡°if it hadn¡¯t been for Guinevere Co¡ª¡±. The assistant stopped himself short of finishing his sentence before continuing again. ¡°I mean, it would be unfair to put the me on any particr actress though¡­¡± He realized that he¡¯d been speaking too much. He shouldn¡¯t have leaked any information about any actor or actress like that to an outsider. This was basic professional ethics. ¡°There¡¯s been a slight problem,¡± he exined, ¡°so now everything¡¯s dyed. Everyone¡¯s under immense stress, so please don¡¯t take anything to heart.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± replied Ste, ttered that the assistant felt he owed her an exnation. ¡°I totally understand.¡± Ruby couldn¡¯t remember all of her lines, so her performance had not gone very well. She was already upset about this, but when she saw her dance teacher chatting away cheerfully nearby instead of paying attention to her, she lost her temper immediately and started a tantrum. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t remember my lines!¡± she yelled red-faced at the director. ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten it all! I don¡¯t remember anything!¡± The director sprang up onto his feet. He was already in a thunderous mood before that, but now that this child started acting up too, he just couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯d go easy on you just because you¡¯re a kid!¡± he shouted, pointing at Ruby. Ruby pouted and started sobbing. ¡°But I honestly don¡¯t remember my lines!¡± she cried, rubbing her tears away with the back of her hands before wailing even louder. Everyone on set was now looking at Ruby. The director¡¯s patience was wearing extremely thin. ¡°This is a crucial scene,¡± he bellowed. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then I¡¯ll get someone else to rece you!¡± ¡°Sir,¡± the assistant director quickly whispered in his ear, ¡°She¡¯s the only one here today. There¡¯ve been some glitches so the others didn¡¯t make it. If we don¡¯t finish filming this scene today, the subsequent filming schedules would be dyed too. If that happens, Guinevere Cohen will definitely raise hell!¡± The director took a long deep breath to steady himself. He rubbed the bridge of his nose between his brows and tried his best to keep it together. ¡°Come on,¡± he told Ruby in a much gentler voice this time, ¡°Clear your mind and try to remember. This is your chance to be a star! Just try to remember your lines!¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Ruby said amidst her tears, ¡°I can¡¯t memorize them. I need my teacher to do the scene with me!¡± With that, she pointed in Ste¡¯s direction. ¡°Can shee up to help me with my lines?¡± Ste was stunned at being singled out and looked at Ruby in shock. Help her with her lines? She had never done something like this before. What¡¯s more, she had only helped her check whether she memorized her lines correctly while they were offstage, like a student memorizing the textbook. She knew nothing else aside from that. The director looked at Ste and his eyes lit up at the sight of her. The entertainment circle had nock of beauties, and Ste was definitely not considered one of the most stunning. As for the director, having seen hordes of beauties himself, it had been a while since he was impressed by anyone. When he saw Ste just now, it left a deep,sting impression on him. He could tell that she barely had any makeup on, and she dressed simply. Her skin was wless, delicate, and dewy. Although she wasn¡¯t eye-catching amongst the crowd, as long as one¡¯s gazended on her, one wouldn¡¯t be able to look away. Such an aura was very fitting as a supporting female role. It was a coincidence that Guinevere had been rejecting all the female candidates for the role, and he had been trying hard to look for alternatives. Something clicked in the director¡¯s mind, and he whispered something to his assistant director. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The assistant director nodded and immediately understood what was going on in the director¡¯s mind. He walked briskly to Ste and said, ¡°The director would like to speak to you.¡± Ste was rather anxious as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no experience in this at all. Could you ask other professionals please?¡± The assistant director said with difficulty, ¡°Could you tell our director that yourself? I don¡¯t have much say in this¡­.¡± Ste understood and remained silent as she acquiesced and followed him without a word. The director saw Ste walking toward him and pointed to Ruby who was on stage, ¡°She said that she wants to do the scene with you. Please go on stage and take note not to block the camera angle.¡± Ste pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± The director furrowed his brows and tapped his fingers on the script lying on the table, ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to recite the script?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°I might be able to recite it, but I¡¯ll just do it like reciting a textbook.¡± The assistant director burst outughing at her words. It drew a cold look from the director who turned back to Ste. He had an even stronger feeling that her frank demeanor was very fitting to the supporting female role before she turned evil. Without saying anything further, he pointed to the stage ¡°Go on stage first.¡± Ste had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk toward Ruby. ¡°Are these my lines?¡± With Ste around, Ruby felt significantly more rxed. Although children were prone to take their anger out on others, their anger was also very easily and quickly appeased. She wiped the tears from her eyes and said to Ste, ¡°I forgot all my lines in this segment. Could you help me run through them again?¡± As Ste did so, Ruby finally managed to enter the right state of mind. Her segment ended very soon, and the director was rtively pleased with it. Ste was about to bring Ruby off-stage, and she suddenly heard the director say, ¡°You, wait up!¡± Ste was stunned for a moment, unsure whether he was calling out to her or not. The next second, she saw the director walking toward her and asking, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Are you interested in trying out for this role?¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 ¡°Me?¡± Ste did not even realize he was talking to her. After she snapped back to attention, she said in disbelief, ¡°I¡¯m just here to apany Ruby for the audition, and don¡¯t have any prior experience. I definitely don¡¯t belong to associated professions either¡± The director cut her off mid-sentence, ¡°I know, I heard about your background from the assistant. You are a dance teacher, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ste nodded as the director went on, ¡°The barriers to entry in acting is considered low. Many outstanding actors began from nothing. I was the one who groomedst year¡¯s best male actor from scratch. He started out with zero acting experience, too.¡± Bradley Lane was known to be an entric, albeit famous director. However, having been in the industry for long, he had long learned how to sweet-talk and be persuasive. He said as convincingly as he could, ¡°As much as the entertainment circle isn¡¯t as aggressive as it was before, many people find a lot more things from it than from elsewhere. Be it reputation, status, or money, it will far exceed what you can ever imagine earning as a dance teacher.¡± Ste understood his point perfectly well. However, she did not think that she had to run heedlessly toward any attractive opportunity that fell from the sky. Not everyone is suited for the industry, and she knew herself too well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, director. I do not think that I have talent in this area.¡± Seeing her insistence, Bradley didn¡¯t push further. With a wave of his hand, he said, ¡°This is my contact details. Contact me anytime after you think things through.¡± He was rather disappointed, with the supporting female role still nowhere in sight and Guinevere being so tough to manage. Now that he finally managed to find someone suitable for the role, the person in question was unwilling. That way, the entire schedule had to be pushed back, and what he needed to do next was framing He made sure to find actual scenes and not reproduce them through post-production, which would only be less impressive on the big screen. The season was about to be over. If he was still unable to find a candidate for the supporting female role that was to Guinevere¡¯s satisfaction, he would have no way of framing the scene during this season. He would be left with two options: Wait another year or rely on post-production. Bradley had always pursued realistic scenes ever since he entered the industry, and naturally would hate to tarnish his own reputation. This movie was a mega production. He would never choose to do shoddy work which would be clear in the viewers¡¯ eyes. At the sight of Ste taking her leave with Ruby in tow, Bradley decided that he would not give up and shot his assistant director a look. The assistant director immediately caught the hint and after walking Ste to the door, he asked, ¡°Do you want to try it one more time? Are you in a hurry to get home?¡± Ste nced at her watch, hesitating at his question. The assistant director, having been in the entertainment circle for a while, was good at reading people. He immediately caught on her hesitation and said, ¡°The audition won¡¯t take you much time, so why don¡¯t you just give it a go? Sometimes, you can¡¯t tell an actor¡¯s potential until he stands right before the camera.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t really understand what his words meant, but the moment she heard about the possibility of Ste auditioning, she tugged at Ste¡¯s sleeves and said, ¡°Ms. Steele, why don¡¯t you give it a try? That way, both of us can report to the crew together after our ss! Ste wasn¡¯t exactly enthusiastic to try out for the audition, but it sounded like a great excuse for returningte. She exhaled and said, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll give it a go.¡± The assistant director¡¯s eyes lit up and he immediately ran to the director to inform him. The director looked extremely pleased as he waved at Ste, ¡°Come over. Let me tell you how you should act the scene out.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste nodded and walked to his side as she listened seriously to his exnation. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 They were filming a historical drama with the female lead as the key subject Guinevere was the absolute choice for the female lead, and everything, revolved around her Be it the male lead or the other supporting roles, all of them served to push the female lead toward bing the queen For such mega productions, the male and female leads had long been decided, and the sponsors would also spare no effort to push their own celebrities into being cast for the movie Both the male and female leads were the best actor and actress in the industry; Even before filming began, the movie had garnered widespread attention across the industry. Many people sought to squeeze their own celebrities into the movie, even a tiny supporting role was good enough. Given the extreme poprity of the movie, there was no need for the producers to make up the numbers and try their luck with the extremely diverse professional standards amongst today¡¯s celebrities. What they really needed was actors and actresses who truly fitted the role to a tee. That was also why Guinevere was so picky even with a seemingly insignificant supporting role. This female supporting role was quite three-dimensional. She began as a very gentle and kind young female warrior, and it was difficult to see any potential of such a meek character taking on a significant supporting role. Afterward, because she harbored feelings for another senior warrior training alongside her, who had long fallen for the female lead and even made use of the young female warrior to get what he wanted just so he could please the female lead. The female lead was single-minded in pursuing her work and would not allow any man to hold her back from her ambitions. The senior warrior was but another confidante amongst many she had. Such subject matter seldom made it to the big screen, which was why it drew so much public attention. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The female lead and the supporting female role stood in stark contrast with each other. The supporting female role made things difficult for the female lead at every turn, on ount of the senior warrior she liked. Amidst the sorrow of unrequited love, she eventually turned to the dark side and became a huge viin of the story who stopped at nothing to sacrifice all for love. The changes to the supporting female role were not obvious in the beginning, and it was not until the final confrontation she had with the female lead that she revealed her true colors and shocked everyone around her. It was undeniable that this supporting role was very three-dimensional and multiyered. It was not easy to act it well. After hearing the director¡¯s exnation, an inexplicable feeling developed within her. She suddenly felt like she truly empathized with the young female warrior. Shepletely rted to the feeling of being used by someone she loved. Although she wouldn¡¯t go around killing innocent people like what that young female warrior did. However, she fully understood how a kind-hearted and optimistic young woman would eventually be so desperate and negative towards the end. Just like how she was now. She always thought that there was hope in life, but now, she found life rather meaningless. If it weren¡¯t for Roger, she might have preferred not being saved that day when she jumped off the building The director was still talking to Ste about the movie when he realized that she had already entered the mind of the supporting role. Bradley spoke softer and softer, as if worried that he would interrupt her thoughts. A momentter, he asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ste nodded. Bradley signaled to his crew standing at the side, and the cameras began rolling. Ste took a deep breath and began the very first performance of her life. She did not realize that her phone in her bag had been ringing off the hook. The caller was Weston. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 The time was already close to ten o¡¯clock at night, yet Ste remained uncontactable. After a few missed calls, her phone stopped ringing. Ste hadpletely forgotten that Weston was still waiting for her at home. After filming the first segment, Bradley was very pleased with her performance. After pointing out a few areas of improvement, he made her do it once again based on his instructions. Ste¡¯s first time was very raw and unrefined. After all, it was her first time acting and she did not know how to move in front of the camera. However, Bradley noticed all the expressions and feelings that she exuded during her performance. He found her very promising and noticed that she improved by leaps and bounds after the most basic guidance from him. She was one very talented actress. That was his conclusion after Ste tried for a second time. After it ended, he asked Ste how she felt. Ste had no idea about his assessment criteria and said, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure¡­¡± ¡°Did you feel like you managed to get into character?¡± ¡°I suppose I did, a little.¡± Bradley couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re very conservative with your words. Why theck of confidence in yourself?¡± Ste looked slightly troubled. ¡°Am I?¡± She thought about it, ¡°I really don¡¯t have any experience in this, and have no idea what a truly professional performance is like. As such, I really don¡¯t know how I performed¡­¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Bradley said affirmatively, ¡°You performed very well. You are extremely talented. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider this career path?¡± He lookedpletely different from his usual fearsome demeanor on set, where he would frequently lose his temper when things didn¡¯t go his way. His attitude towards Ste, however, was a lot milder and kinder Ste thought about it hard and was about to shake her head in rejection when Bradley cut her off, clearly seeing her response, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t. I know you¡¯re about to reject me again!¡± He lifted his hand and rubbed in between his brows, finding it all rather ridiculous. As a famous director in the industry, he had many great films under his belt all within top ten at the box office, and he achieved all that at a prime age of slightly over thirty. Many well-known celebrities wanted to work with him, yet here he was trying to persuade an amateur with no acting background at all to join his cast. This was something that Bradley did not have much experience with. Piqued by curiosity, he asked Ste, ¡°May I know what job you work in? I¡¯m surprised that you are able to reject such a great temptation as entering the entertainment circle Ste replied, ¡°I¡¯m just a dance teacher who teaches children at a training center¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Bradley nodded and said as a thought suddenly entered his mind, ¡°How well are you paid?¡± Ste scratched her head as she responded, ¡°Not bad, our boss is very generous.¡± She gave him a figure, to which Bradley raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you know that you just need to film one episode of the most ordinary web drama and the pay would be around that figure?¡± Ste widened her eyes in shock, ¡°Really?¡± She was very surprised; She knew that being in the entertainment industry was lucrative, but she thought that was only the case for famous stars. Amateurs like her were often relegated to acting as extras which was very tiring and sometimes, they might end up not even acting after waiting for an entire day. It was good enough for an extra to earn just 15 to 30 dors in a day To think that someone as inexperienced as her couldmand such high pay in the industry? Bradley must be pulling her leg. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Bradley saw the look on her face and knew immediately what she was thinking Ste rubbed her nose, ¡°It¡¯s not that, I just don¡¯t think I¡¯m of that high a standard¡­¡± She was still of the mindset that only a famous celebrity could earn so much. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Bradley shook his head and called for a random actor from his crew. ¡°He entered the scene justst year and hasn¡¯t even graduated. Ask him how much he gets paid.¡± Ste felt herself slowly walking into a trap After a while, Bradley called another person. She could not deny that she was truly tempted She knew that Bradley wouldn¡¯t risk ruining his reputation by lying to an amateur like her, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was a pie in the sky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± If she were to allow Bradley to go on, she felt like she would end up sumbing to the temptation. She needed a quiet ce to contemte his offer. ¡°It¡¯s already veryte, I really should be heading home.¡± She supposed that Weston was probably no longer in the mood, now that it was already sote. Ste was dragging her feet in going home also because she was worried about him demanding her to do something if she went back too early. Although she knew that there was nothing she could do as long as he demanded for her, she subconsciously dyed going home aste as she could. The director knew that she had a mind of her own, and did not continue forcing her for an answer, which might work against him. Instead, he pulled out a name card and handed it to her. ¡°Add me as a contact and reach out to me. Oh yes, what¡¯s your name?¡± Ste said, ¡°E Steele.¡± ¡°E Steele. Great name.¡± He smiled and patted her shoulder, ¡°I know that you probably think I¡¯m trying to sweet talk you into things, but I mean this from the bottom of my heart: You are very talented, and this is an opportunity of a lifetime that is being presented to you. Do you know how many women like you fight tooth and nail for a chance to act in such a role? You should really seize the opportunity that life presents you. For all you know, it might just change your life!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He was just delivering heartfelt advice as he usually did, but he did not expect Ste to take it to heart. She originally began with the intention of avoiding Weston and just trying things out, but at this moment, Bradley¡¯s words sent ripples across her heart. She wanted to leave Weston; this was a strong desire she had right from the start. However, given her current abilities, it would be impossible for her to do so until the day Weston got tired of her. He did say that he would let her go once the time was up, but what if he changed his mind when that day came around? She didn¡¯t want her fate to lie so vulnerably in another person¡¯s hands. However, she was but a mere dance teacher. No matter how high up thedder she climbed, she would never be able to escape from Weston¡¯s hands. The opportunity she was presented with right now, however, was different¡­ If she became a public figure, it might make Weston less bold toward her. Ste left with Ruby, who saw how quiet Ste was and asked, ¡°Mr. Stelle, why didn¡¯t you take them up on their offer?¡± Ste¡¯s thoughts were a mess. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought it through yet.¡± She had just arrived at the main entrance with Ruby when someone from inside yelled. It was as if someone important hade which caused a flurry of excitement. She subconsciously looked back and heard someone shout, ¡°Mr. Ford is here!¡± ¡°Which Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Weston Ford! The boss of Ford Corporation, the one who¡¯s more good-looking than any other male celebrity!¡± ¡°Why is Mr. Ford here?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Probably for Guinevere? She¡¯s the female lead of this movie. He might be here to check up on filming progress?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ste¡¯s face changed as she halted dead in her tracks. She turned around and her gaze locked with Weston. He simply stared at her with an inexplicable expression on his face. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 He was right in the middle of the crowd, and he stood out like a rose among the thorns. The entertainment industry was one that put influence and power above everything else. Everyone who looked expressionless and bored earlier now buzzed busily around Weston, sucking up and trying to please him. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste looked on at the tall, handsome man in a ck trench coat. His broad shoulders tapered to his lean waist, and his good figure certainly drew everyone¡¯s attention. Even the male celebrities on set could notpare. His look and figure met the highest standard in the industry and was considered one of the finest men in the country. Possessing a killer aura capable of bringing down the crowd in seconds, his every move gave credence to the authority and power he wielded as a leader. Ste looked away, but could still feel his hot, searing gaze on her. Ruby was rendered speechless as she tugged Ste¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Ms. Steele, that man is so handsome!¡± Ste remained quiet and held Ruby¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly head home.¡± ¡°But I want to get to know that man!¡± Ruby hugged her legs and swung around. He¡¯s so handsome! Is he a celebrity? Why have I never seen him before?¡¯ Her father, a prominent entertainment and business circle magnate himself, also knew Weston. Anyone who paid the slightest attention to the news would know about his presence. However, Ruby was at the age where she¡¯d be more interested in younger, fresherds in the entertainment circle and, owing to that, was oblivious to all other news. Weston seldom appeared in entertainment news, and even when his name appeared with Guinevere¡¯s on public forums, he would deliberately take it down. Thus, it made sense Ruby did not know about him. Ste crouched down and tried to negotiate. ¡°Why don¡¯t wee over again next time?¡± In a hurry to escape the scene, she did not know what Weston was nning on doing. She thought that he would, at most, blow his top when she arrived home-she did not expect him to come here for her! There were so many people around that he probably wouldn¡¯t do anything that would cross the line. What¡¯s more, with Guinevere as the female lead of this movie, many people on set knew her. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that Guinevere would find out? Just as a million thoughts were crossing her mind, Ste felt a shadow walking toward her The steady footsteps hammered away at her heart. She felt ever more tensed with every step he took She thought that no matter what, Weston would never speak to her in such a situation Yet, the next second, a low voice sounded from above her. ¡°What are you doing crouching down here?¡± Ste clenched her fists and her face went pale. But she refused to turn to him. Ruby was totally oblivious to the change in Ste¡¯s face. Instead, she hugged Ste¡¯s neck and with a flushed face, eximed, ¡°Ms. Steele, I think he¡¯s talking to you!¡± Ste snapped back to attention and shot her a weak smile. She stood up and tried her best to keep her composure, ¡°Mr. Ford, what are you doing here?¡± She tried to look calm and distant from him, to which he narrowed his eyes in displeasure. He let out a chuckle but did not expose her act. ¡°I just came to take a look.¡± Everyone crowded around him and paid special attention, fearful of upsetting him in any way. ¡°Mr. Ford, this is the young actress who reported on set today. The other is her dance teacher,¡± someone from the side reported to Weston. His gazended on Ste before looking away, brows raised. ¡°Is that so? Do you mean to say that the crewcks actors so badly it had to drag a dance teacher to an audition? Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Everyone in the room fell silent at his words. No one dared to breathe, not knowing what Weston really meant. Was that a casual question, or did he have an opinion on that? There was nothing Bradley hadn¡¯t seen before in the entertainment industry, not to mention the many corporate leaders who often sucked up to him. He was deemed a cash cow, with most of his shows garnering critical acim and raking in the big bucks at the box office. He could guarantee them millions in returns, which certainly made him someone they had to woo and please, Weston, however, was different. Given his status and position, there was no need for him to bow to anyone. Bradley asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, you are here today for¡­?¡± He had a kind and warm smile on his face, in stark contrast with how he lost his temper on set earlier. Weston looked at him. ¡°Director Lane, since when did you be interested in casting non professionals in your movies? I thought that with your high expectations, you would set your standards a tad higher.¡± His tone was rather t, and it was difficult to tell the hidden meaning behind his words. Bradley knew that it was tough to try to guess what Weston meant by that, and so he decided to be frank instead, ¡°Ms. Cohen probably told this to you before; ¡®There was one female actress previously in the cast whom she was not happy with, as Ms. Colien felt like she did not manage to capture the essence of the supporting role. We are about to fly overseas for framing, and we must decide on the actress for this supporting role before we do that. We don¡¯t have much time left, and we couldn¡¯t find anyone suitable. Coincidentally, Ms. Steele brought Ruby over for an audition, and I found her look and aura very suitable for the role, which is why I got her to try out a scene.¡± He paused for a moment and exined to Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, don¡¯t worry. Given my professional eye for detail, I won¡¯t let a lousy actress act alongside Ms. Cohen.¡± He thought that Weston must be here for Guinevere. The mere mention of Guinevere¡¯s name, however, sent waves of irony through Ste¡¯s heart. Instead of responding directly to Bradley¡¯s exnation, Weston walked toward the cameras and said, ¡°I¡¯m rather curious as to how a first-timer would perform?¡± Ste clenched her firsts, unable to read what was going on in his mind. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Bradley naturally wouldn¡¯t reject Weston¡¯s request, and he reyed Ste¡¯s audition from earlier as he stood on one side and observed the look on Weston¡¯s face. He exined, ¡°Things are not fully confirmed at this stage, I simply made Ms. Steele try out the scene. However, her performance was much more impressive than a few other professional actresses who tried out earlier.¡± Weston¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Impressive? She couldn¡¯t even get her lines right.¡± The sudden criticism made everyone catch their breath as they turned to look at Ste. Some of them even looked eager to enjoy what looked to be an exciting show. In a ce like this, no one would bother celebrating your wins. Instead, they would look upon another person¡¯s good fortune with envy and jealousy. The opportunity that Ste was presented with made many green with envy. They had been in the crew for so long, enduring dirty looks and menial tasks, before they were able to land themselves an insignificant role. Ste, on the other hand, chanced upon such a valuable audition opportunity when she was merely passing by. Many people were in fact gleeful at Weston¡¯s merciless remark. They had nothing against Ste personally, just that they did not like seeing something so fortunate happening to people other than themselves. Bradley understood what Weston meant, but wanted to try fighting for the chance, ¡°Mr. Ford, may I know what the issue is?¡± The man stood up and said, ¡°Let professionals do what they are supposed to do.¡± With that, he turned around to leave. When he passed by Ste, he said in a volume that only she could hear, ¡°Come with me.¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Ste¡¯s body trembled as her face turned pale, but she didn¡¯t say a word. Mr. Smith had driven here to fetch Ruby. After settling Ruby in the car, Ste stood at the door and stayed outside. Mr. Smith looked at her. ¡°Ms. Steele, aren¡¯t you getting in?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I still have something to attend to. Mr. Smith, please send Ruby home first.¡± Ruby stuck her head out of the window. ¡°Mr. Steele, let my dad fetch you home!¡± Ste, smiling, replied, ¡°I still have something else to do. Go home safe.¡± Although Mr. Smith¡¯s private life wasn¡¯t exactly clean, as Ste remembered all the arrangements he made in the private room, he knew his way around people. He said to Ste,¡± It¡¯s not safe for a woman to be around sote at night. If you have nothing important, please let me send you home.¡± His words sounded reasonable and kind, and it was hard to associate this man with someone who objectified women. Ste shook her head with a smile. There were just too many two-faced people in the world. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Smith, for the thought,¡± she said. ¡°My friend ising to pick me up.¡± With that, Mr. Smith¡¯s face changed as he looked at Ste with slight curiosity, ¡°Since Ms. Steele has things to attend to, we¡¯ll make our move then. Take care on the road.¡± Ste nodded and she looked on as they drove off. The look on Mr. Smith¡¯s face clearer indicated that he understood something. He had previously coupled Justin with herself. Now that she mentioned a ¡°friend¡±, he should understand that it¡¯s impossible between Justin and herself, which was why he looked at her that way just now. At the very least, he probably won¡¯t involve Justin in the future. After everyone around her left, Ste saw a ck luxury car in the carpark signaling to her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She knew that he wanted her to go over. She took a deep breath and looked around her. Upon confirming that there was no one else, she walked slowly to the ck car. She was about to reach out to open the door when the door opened wide from inside. A strong hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the car in one swift move. Ste yelped and felt herself being pressed into the leather seat before she could react. An overpowering kiss consumed her. Her lips were sealed, and she could say nothing to resist the sudden attack. Both her hands were trapped above her head, and there was nothing she could do to oppose him. Her coat was lifted up and Ste helplessly shut her eyes. She waspletely at the mercy of his manic whims. After a long while, the man lifted his head and looked at her. ¡°How bold of you toe running to a ce like this.¡± Ste tried to catch her breath as shey down, her head turned to the side. ¡°I already told you that I was bringing Ruby here¡­¡± Weston pinched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes, ¡°Did I allow you to audition?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the director exin things to you just now? It was just a casual trial¡­¡± ¡°Even a casual trial is not allowed,¡± Weston snapped. He recalled her performing and putting herself on disy in front of everyone, and when he thought of her wearing what she was wearing, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of it. ¡°You are mine. I don¡¯t like the idea of you being exposed to the world.¡± His words pierced through Ste¡¯s heart as she clenched her fists and looked at him with mockery. ¡°Then, what about Guinevere? Isn¡¯t she even more exposed to the world being a famous celebrity?¡± His eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°She¡¯s different.¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡°Yes, of course, we are different! If there was a choice, which ordinary woman would be willing to be a mistress like I am, to be ruined to such an extent by you!¡± Ste growled in agitation. His eyes turned dark as he tightened his grip. ¡°I ruined you? Ste Sealey, just go out and hear from the grapevine, and you¡¯ll find out just how many women are willing to jump into my bed, all with a snap of my fingers. Me? Ruin you?¡± In a world where interests and gains preceded all, words like virtue and morals were non existent in showbiz. This was especially so in the industry, where people of power all dabbled in extra-marital affairs. ¡°If you need money, all you need to do is to open your mouth, say a few nice words and I¡¯ll give you all the money you want.¡± Sometimes, Weston really wanted to open up this woman¡¯s brain to see what actually made it tick. ¡°How much can filming earn you? So what if you manage to earn all the money from the box office? As long as you drop a few pitiful tears and say nice things to me to make my heart ache for you, you can get anything you want from me.¡± ¡°What if I have no way of making your heart ache for me?¡± Ste cut him off. She looked at him with an inexplicable trace of sorrowful calm in her eyes. ¡°Do you want me to ce all my hopes and dreams and revolve my entire life around you? As long as you are happy, things will go smoothly for me, but the moment you are upset, you can ruin my entire life, force me to divorce you, and abandon me without hesitation¡­do you want me to be a woman who fearfully depends on your shifting mood day by day?¡± Her voice became softer and softer as the look in her eyes darkened. ¡°You¡¯re right. With a snap of your fingers, hordes of women will throw themselves at you. I don¡¯t deserve you, I¡¯m not good enough. Please find someone more worthy and deserving of you! Please, I beg you¡­¡± His eyes darkened for an instant as he stared at her. Finally, he straightened himself up without a word and instructed the driver to start the engine. The driver obeyed Weston¡¯s instructions and drove off, not daring to even breathe. By the time they arrived at Stardust Mansion, Ste managed to calm herself down. She got out of the car and felt the cool night breeze hitting her face. Having no thick clothing on, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver in the cold. Weston walked towards her and carried her in his arms without a word. Ste had gotten used to his abrupt movements. He never asked whether she needed anything. As long as he wished, she had to take it on obediently. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Weston was shocked at her initiative, and the look in his eyes softened. ¡°You were so stubborn now. Yet, you¡¯re being so pliant and good now?¡± Ste¡¯s gaze shifted as she leaned into his embrace, feeling his slightly tense chest muscles underneath his soft shirt as she said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s veryte now. Shall we just rest for the night later?¡± She did not hear an answer from him for a very long time, but simply the chilly aura he emanated. As she expected, she heard a knowing chuckle from the man. ¡°So scared that I willy hands on you?¡± Instead of exining herself after he saw through her, she simply lowered her head and remained silent. Weston walked towards the couch and flung her on it. Ste was struggling to sit up when he suddenly leaned forward and trapped her in his arms. He lowered her head and looked at her. ¡°If I want to do it, on this couch, right now, what will you do?¡± Ste lifted her head in shock and locked eyes with him. A wave of emotion stirred in the depths of his eyes, as if he wanted to consume her. ¡°Weston Ford¡­¡± Before she could say anything else, Weston held her chin between his fingers and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 The living room with yellow lights was the only dimly lit spot in the mansion. Rain had started falling outside, making the night seem colder. The pitter-patter of the rain resounded loudly in the ears. Ste weakly shoved the man pinning her down. The jarring physical disparity between the male and female bodies overwhelmed her. Her eyes trembled, marred with pain and heavy resistance. As ifpletely oblivious to it, Weston held the back of her head and forced himself upon her. He was a very aggressive man who desired control-Ste had already experienced his yearn for domination just now. She didn¡¯t understand-if Weston¡¯s sense of possessiveness was so strong over his own woman, why did he allow Guinevere to be cast in the first ce? From what she knew, the movie Guinevere had acted in after clinching the Best Female Actor award was littered with intimate scenes that bordered on obscene. This was probably because she was a mistress, one stripped of any say and defense in the matter. Her only role was submission. Guinevere, however, was different. She was hiswful wife, and they were equals in their rtionship. Weston definitely treated Guinevere with respect and love, unlike the impudence he disyed while manhandling her. After straightening out her thoughts, Ste put up no further resistance and her arms plopped weakly by her side. Weston observed the change in her stance and stopped. Panting slightly, it was as though he was egging a response out of Ste to his action. Instead of looking at her, he stood up and went straight to the washroom. A momentter. The sound of water falling from shower sounded. Ste curled up on the couch, hugging herself. She shut her eyes and let fatigue wash over her. Doubts started arising in her heart. Just now, she had thought that Weston was all ready to go. It made her so tensed that she thought she might break anytime. Yet, he stopped himself mid-way. Such a feeling of not knowing when the torture woulde was worse than having a knife on the neck Ste was repulsed by the thought of being intimate with him, yet she had no choice but to force herself to bear with it. She did not want things to go on this way. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She slowly opened her eyes. As long as there was a chance to escape from Weston¡¯s clutch, any chance at all, she was willing to give it a shot. When the door of the washroom was opened from the inside, Ste was still seated on the couch, unmoved. Beads of water still hung on Weston¡¯s body as he sat down before her and carried her in his arms all the way into the bedroom. It was the bedroom that Ste was familiar with. Heid next to her, his arm on her waist as he hugged her from behind and shut his eyes. It was when his breath started slowing down that Ste finally let her guard down. She was wide awake till the middle of the night when finally, she could no longer take the fatigue and fell asleep. The next day was the weekend. When she awoke, she realized that Weston was still in the room. The moment she opened her eyes, she heard the flipping of a book¡¯s pages. She pulled open the sheets and sat up to see a man seating on the couch right opposite the bed, holding up a book. With a ck silken sleeping robezily draped over his body, hisrge hands casually turned over the pages of the book. It was a rather pleasant sight to the eye. The sunlight filtered in through the curtains and it glimmered against his dark, luscious hair. He lifted his eyes and looked at Ste, a gentle look that was devoid of all of yesterday¡¯s unhappiness. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Ste nodded wordlessly. Slowly, she stood up and went to the washroom to freshen up. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Weston could tell that she felt uneasy when she walked out of the washroom. Keeping silent, he closed his book and ced it on the table next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for today. What would you like to do?¡± Ste turned her head around and nced at the clock. ¡°I want to go to work.¡± The sight of his brows furrowing made Ste exin. ¡°Teachers at the training center don¡¯t get the weekends off. Many children spend their entire weekends on supplementary sses.¡± Others might be able to enjoy a free weekend with nothing to do, but to them, it was the golden working period. He simply stood up without a word and walked past her. ¡°I¡¯ll send you,¡± he said lightly when he reached the door. Ste had her back towards him. Her head lowered as conflicting emotions arose in her heart. But she had no choice other than to follow behind him. When they left the house, she couldn¡¯t help but try to negotiate. ¡°Haven¡¯t we agreed that the driver would send me to work?¡±. Weston steered the wheel with ease and nced at Ste on the front passenger seat. ¡°Fasten your seatbelt,¡± he reminded. Ste retracted her gaze and reached a hand out for the seatbelt. Suddenly, Weston stopped the car and leaned over to help her with it. His ck hair brushed the tip of her nose, giving it a rising itch. Ste¡¯s nose twitched as an urge to sneeze overwhelmed her, but she held it in. She asked once more, ¡°Why won¡¯t you let the driver send me to work in the future? Your car grabs too much attention and it¡¯ll be difficult for me to exin things to them¡­¡± Weston didn¡¯t respond to her remarks, and neither did he continue driving. He straightened up and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°You get into character pretty quickly, don¡¯t you?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment as she realized he was mocking her for having the self awareness of being a mistress. Smiling self-derisively, ahe replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. If something were to happen, I¡¯ll be the only one getting scolded. For all I know, Guinevere mighte creating trouble and force me to leave you¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let something like that happen.¡± He stepped on the elerator and drove the car out. A in remark that sounded like a promise. To Ste, however, a man¡¯s promise was the most unreliable thing. She smiled and looked outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s easy to prevent something like this from happening¡­¡± She left the rest unsaid because she knew that Weston would understand. As long as he was willing to let her go, Ste would definitely leave him. When that happened, all those situations she was worried about would never ur. His eyes darkened with displeasure, and he refused to continue speaking. Instead, he elerated the speed of the car. Ste¡¯s body was thrown forward by the sudden increase in peed and she looked at him with slight annoyance. That look slightly lifted his spirits. He smiled while continuing to steer the wheel deftly. Ste repeatedly asked him to stop the car a distance away from the center, which annoyed Weston to no end. However, he still decided to drop her off at a junction away from the training center. After the car ground to a halt. Ste looked around her for a while to confirm that no other cars were passing before she opened the door. Weston saw how careful she was, and the frustration grew in his heart. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. ¡°Tell me when you end work. I¡¯lle over to fetch you.¡± Ste stopped everything she was doing, clearly unwilling to do as he said. Weston, on the other hand, ignored her clear reluctance. ¡°Don¡¯t make me personally look for you at the center.¡± With that, he shut the car door and drove off. Ste stood where she was for a long time, in the wake of the dust and grime from the speeding car. It was only after the car had disappeared that she finally turned around to walk to the training center ****** Random Art Training Center. The working hours for the weekends began an hourter than usual. When Ste arrived, only a few people were in the ssroom. She began her preparation work and started warming up in the huge ssroom. A whileter, she heard soundsing from the changing room. Someone out of her expectation emerged. ¡°E, what are you doing here?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Joyce was slightly taken aback by Ste¡¯s presence. Her face was flushed, and her eyes darted everywhere. It was unclear as to what she was just doing Ste looked at her strangely. ¡°You don¡¯t have any sses scheduled today, have you?¡± She nced at the ss schedule, clearly recalling that Joyce didn¡¯t have sses arranged for today. When it came to the teachers, Joyce wasn¡¯t the most professional one of the bunch. She taught traditional folk dance, but constantly cut corners during her sses. Sometimes, she would end sses when it wasn¡¯t time, and her students learned at a very slow pace. As such, ss coordinators seldom prioritized her sses and frequently made her do more of the nning work. Joyce¡¯s face changed as she defended, ¡°Can¡¯t Ie over to take a look even without any sses scheduled? With so many outstanding colleagues at work, can¡¯t Ie over and learn from you guys?¡± Ste knew it¡¯d be impossible to talk reason with someone like Joyce. Instead of saying anything further, she turned around and went on with her warm-up exercises. Seeing the way Ste had ignored her, all of Joyce¡¯s guilt from earlier evaporated. She sneered and turned around to leave the ssroom. As the door mmed shut, Ste shook her head in silence. When the time to start work rolled around, the other teachers began getting into position. Yvonne had arrived slightlyte today and didn¡¯t even have the time to do her makeup. The silk scarf wrapped around her neck looked like she was trying to hide something, and she looked lethargic in general. When she saw Ste, she greeted her with a huge yawn. ¡°Morning!¡± Ste nced at her watch and smiled. She had already finished one ss by now. ¡°It¡¯s almost midday.¡± Yvonne sighed loudly, ¡°Men nowadays just don¡¯t give women a break¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ste turned solemn, thinking that something bad had happened to Yvonne. The next moment, Yvonne hooked her arms around Ste¡¯s neck andined into her ear, ¡°He tortured me tillte into the night before finally allowing me to sleep, which was why I almost overslept this morning! I still have one more ss. If it weren¡¯t for my housekeeper, I¡¯d probably be still in bed¡­¡± Ste finally understood why Yvonne looked the way she did when she entered the center, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Yvonne saw her response which piqued her interest. ¡°Why are you being shy about it? Haven¡¯t you ever¡­¡± Ste immediately shook her head, refusing to give a clear answer. Yvonne, on the other hand, was astonished. She blurted, without giving it further thought,¡± When you were with Weston, didn¡¯t you two¡­¡± She thought that given their rtionship, they would¡¯ve had already¡­ She had long epted that they once shared an intimate rtionship. Otherwise, why would Weston go to such lengths to force Ste to stay by his side? Just because she looked good? They were all adults, and she at least had that level of awareness. However, the sight of Ste¡¯s face darkening made her realize that she had said something wrong Whatever it was, one thing was clear: Ste was being forced into the situation. A young and beautiful woman like her was naturally the recipient of a barrage of sugar-coated bullets. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Yvonne believed that given Ste¡¯s character, she could well resist many of such temptations. However, she also knew that if someone were to threaten her with her family, Ste would have no choice but to submit. With that thought in mind, Yvonne immediately added, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean what I said, E. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Ste shook her head and smiled cryptically. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of time.¡± Those five words alone were enough for Yvonne to get a realization. She said nothing else, and the atmosphere became heavy with unspoken words. A whileter, Ste broke the silence and said casually, ¡°How long have you and Dr. Quirk been married? You both seem to share a very happy rtionship.¡± The mention of Lucas made Yvonne smile with happiness, inplete juxtaposition to theints that had juste from her mouth, ¡°It¡¯s been many years, and we¡¯re considered an old couple. I have pursued him since young and it took me a great deal of effort to finally win him over.¡± Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 A glint shed past Ste¡¯s eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you two childhood sweethearts? It¡¯s been so many years and you two still share such a great rtionship. I¡¯m so envious.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to admire. Just look at my dark eye circles!¡± Yvonne chucked. Ste had good reason to think that Yvonne was showing off, and she shook her head. Yvonne, on the other hand, had her interest piqued. She followed behind Ste and asked,¡± E, have you ever been in a rtionship before?¡± She was interested in Ste¡¯s love life. No matter what it was, she would never spend her whole life with Weston. A man like Weston Ford would be sick and tired of one woman after a while. She was rather worried that Ste¡¯s involvement with Weston might traumatize her in the area of love and cause her to lose all hope in romance. Previously, whenever she wanted to introduce a man to Ste, it would always be rejected. Wouldn¡¯t she be even more distrustful of men after this? ¡°Me?¡± Not thinking that Yvonne would be interested in her love life, Ste said after a while,¡± I did have a crush on someone else in the past.¡± ¡°Is that so? When was that?¡± Yvonne¡¯s interest was aroused. ¡°I think it was in university. I liked a very outstanding senior in school, and I found him stunning. He was handsome and rich, yet neither a flirt nor a yboy. Back then in school, he was probably a knight in shining armor for many girls.¡± ¡°Knight in shining armor?¡± Yvonne hadn¡¯t heard that cheesy line for eons. ¡°Then, what about you? Did you confess your feelings to him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Ste shook her head and said mockingly, ¡°He had a girlfriend back then.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Yvonne remained silent before sighing. ¡°You have pretty bad luck, it seems.¡± Ste could sense the meaning behind her words and lifted the corner of her lips in a bitter smile. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± She seemed to be always involved with men with partners. But that man had always been Weston Ford, and no one else. She had a crush on Weston when she was in university. At that time, Guinevere was already pursuing him with great fanfare. Everyone saw them as a couple back then, with Guinevere the self-proimed ¡°girlfriend¡± of Weston, Although Weston never admitted to it, a man like him would never allow something like that to happen, especially if he was unwilling. It was simply silent acquiescence on his part. Back then, Ste had never thought that she would one day be involved with a man like Weston. Never did she think that he would ever break up with Guinevere. She would¡¯ve never considered the possibility that he would raise marriage with her. Regardless, what never belonged to her in the first ce would never be hers. What she regretted the most was thinking that her dreams hade true when all she ended up with was not an ounce of happiness. The dash of all her hopes for the future vanished the moment she was rudely awakened from her dream. It turned out that that was all there was to love. Yvonne remained silent for a while before asking in a small voice, ¡°Since you¡¯ve never been in a rtionship, and you¡¯ve never been intimate with Weston¡­ are you still a virgin?¡± Ste was drinking water and when Yvonne asked her the question, she choked, coughing a few times. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Yvonne mistook Ste¡¯s flushed face for shyness. ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s alright. Even though we live in an open and liberal society now, it¡¯s normal to be conservative as you are. Don¡¯t feel pressured in any way!¡± She thought that Ste must¡¯ve really been a virgin and had suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of indignance. ¡°Then¡­ aren¡¯t you giving your first to that bastard, Weston Ford? That¡¯s too good of a deal for someone like him!¡± With that thought in mind, Yvonne couldn¡¯t help but put ideas in Ste¡¯s head. ¡°E, I¡¯m being serious. Why don¡¯t I introduce some clean and nifty handsome boys to you, and you can have a good time with the one you fancy.¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Ste had just recovered from her cough when, upon Yvonne¡¯s offer, began choking on her breath again. Yvonne¡¯s thoughts moved at an extremely quick pace, and she was unable to keep up. She saw the reaction on Ste¡¯s face and knew that she was unable to ept it. She smiled and said, ¡°Alright, alright. I was just joking!¡± Ste¡¯s face flushed bright red. She instinctively wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. She simply stood where she was, looking lost. Yvonne found her posture adorable and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to pinch her cheeks. ¡°Why are you so easy to bully?¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you¡¯re easy to bully that that man Weston can have his way with you¡­¡± All along, she had been trying to find ways to help Ste, but her ideas had always been trampled by her family members when she shared her thoughts with them. Weston was simply too powerful, and there was hardly any way she could interfere. Lucas and the rest had many ongoing coborations with Weston. A tiny movement from her was all it would take to trigger huge consequences. Yvonne¡¯s initial recklessness tapered off upon hearing their thorough analysis of the situation. What was left was a deep sense of helplessness of being unable to help Ste as much as she wanted. Seeing the guilt on Yvonne¡¯s face, Ste smiledfortingly at her. Yvonne looked at her for a moment before saying, ¡°Oh yes, do you have anything on tonight?¡± Ste hesitated to answer as she recalled Weston saying he would be fetching her from work today. Yvonne held her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you out, alright? You¡¯re either cooped up at home or at work all day, and it¡¯s making you soft. It¡¯s better if you go out there and meet new people.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes lit up slightly before saying, ¡°Sure.¡± If she wanted to consider entering showbiz, it was imperative that she interacted with all sorts of people. Weston¡¯s reluctance for her to enter the industry was most likely him being afraid that she would one day be independent and no longer yield to his control. She thought long and hard about it the entire day today and surmised that the only way she could escape from Weston¡¯s clutches was to climb up thedder. For ordinary people like her, entering the entertainment industry seemed to be a shortcut to achieving that. Yvonne did not expect Ste to agree so readily. Her eyes lit up with excitement, ¡°I¡¯ll call my friend right away to arrange something for tonight. I¡¯ll bring you the best entertainment spot N?velDrama.Org owns all content. in Fern City. What do you think?¡± Ste nodded. There were many well-known entertainment hideouts in Fern City. Men, for instance, loved going to Lowe Garden both for business and pleasure. There were many avenues for pleasure, and beauties abounded in such ces. It was why that ce was given the moniker the ¡°mini entertainment circle.¡± Young people had their favorite hideouts too. Aside from artistic-sounding establishments which were in fact great ces for flirtatious pursuits, The Dog House was probably the most popr nightclub around. The identity of the owner of The Dog House was shrouded in mystery, and most people only knew that he invested money into the club at the beginning. Thus, the nightclub categorized its customers ording to their consumption level. Be it the typical wage earner or a rich heir, this was a ce favored by many as an abode of rxation and enjoyment. Popr bands of the day frequently yed on the main stage, and sometimes, even well known celebrities were invited to put on a performance. There was also a dance floor right by the side which everyone could join in. There were no rules and restrictions like the ones everyone had to face during the day. All they had to do was let their hair down and enjoy the night. Ste had never been to a ce like that before. Her parents were university professors and had brought her up in a conservative and traditional family culture. The moment she entered the doors of the ce, loud music boomed from the speakers. Her pace degraded as she began to hesitate. Yvonne noticed that she had slowed to a stop and nudged her gently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you feel unwell?¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just that the music is too loud in here.¡± Yvonne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you can¡¯t hear what everyone else is saying that makes it so much fun.¡± Seeing how Ste appeared so ufortable, Yvonne did not bring her to the dance floor. Instead, she pulled her through a corridor into another hall. It was much quieter inside. Gentle piano music sounded from the stage right at the front, which immediately drew Ste¡¯s attention. She asked, ¡°What is this ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also part of The Doghouse.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°Why is it named like that?¡± ¡°One¡¯s own doghouse is always morefortable than any other house. That¡¯s the meaning behind this name!¡± Yvonne exined. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really know what the owner of this nightclub was thinking by giving this ce such a terrible-sounding name. However, The Doghouse is one of the country¡¯s most famous entertainment venues. How could you have never heard of it?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Well, I really haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°What a good child you are,¡± Yvonne sighed. ¡°You shall have your eyes opened tonight.¡± Subsequently, she brought Ste around for a quick introduction. ¡°This ce is like a typical bar, where people woulde for the music. Today¡¯s live music probably features the piano. Sometimes, we would see violinists as well. This ce is more suitable for corporate elites looking for somece to rx and wind down. Look, those people over there need to work overtime. If you look out in that direction, you¡¯ll be able to see the entire cityscape at night.¡± Yvonne brought Ste to the full-length windows. ¡°Feel free to sit on any of those seats by the windows.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the pianist. Yvonne followed her line of sight and smiled at her. ¡°Is this man your cup of tea?¡± It was a young man sporting a head of long hair at the piano. Dressed very elegantly, he exuded artistic ir. He was considered rtively handsome, with his manly features entuated by a beard. To top it all off, he was also very skillful on the piano. Such stark contrast in appearance and ability could indeed draw the attention of thedies. ¡°Do you want to ask for his number?¡± Ste immediately shook her head, ¡°No need for that. I just think that he ys the Sonate Path¨¦tique very well¡­¡± Right after she made her remark, the young man at the piano suddenly lifted his head and looked in Ste¡¯s direction. Their gazes locked in mid-air. Yvonne clicked her tongue. ¡°I almost forgot. You y the piano as well as you dance, both of which you¡¯ve won awards for! Why didn¡¯t you continue ying the piano?¡± She remembered being taken aback after reading Ste¡¯s resume. She clearly had the talent, given her standards. As long as she put in the time and effort to hone her skills, be it piano or dance, she would surely be somebody in both fields. Yet, she strangely chose to be an insignificant dance teacher in the end. Ste¡¯s eyes darkened as she shook her head. ¡°Something happened to my family.¡± Yvonne shut her mouth in that instant. It would have been her guess as well. For Weston to be able to threaten Ste with her family was a clear indication that her background was fraught with difficulty. Bothdies walked around the ce and took in everything. The man at the piano suddenly walked up to Ste, having finished his routine for the house. ¡°Hello, beautiful. You seem to be very knowledgeable about the piano. May please I invite you to duet?¡± Ste was slightly taken aback. She nced at her watch and saw that it was still far from the time that she agreed to meet with Weston. She looked at Yvonne, egging her on with an eager look in her eyes, and she nodded helplessly. ¡°Sure, but I haven¡¯t touched the piano in ages. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll lower the standard of your performance.¡± The man smiled, and without a word, simply gestured her towards the piano. On the other side of the Doghouse. In the quiet private room, Lucas looked at the silent man seated before him and asked casually, ¡°Mr. Ford, you don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today. What happened?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Dr. Quirk was a man who preferred quiet ces, and seldom came to entertainment venues like this one. He¡¯d always reject Yvonne each time she asked him to join her here. If it weren¡¯t because of Weston, he would¡¯ve never agreed toe here. Having known Weston for so many years, he seldom saw him in such a mood, silent and pensive, as he sat emotionless. ¡°Did you fight with Guinevere?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. That was the only possibility he could think of, based on what he knew. His question earned him a slight furrow of Weston¡¯s brows, as if repulsed by the mention of the subject. Lucas usually loathed interfering in the business of others, but this was Weston he was talking about. Having remembered seeing him with Ste the other day, he asked casually, ¡°What is your rtionship with E?¡± Weston did not appear to react badly towards the mention of the name. His brows simply furrowed slightly. Yet, Lucas managed to catch that shift in his expression, and he arrived quickly at a conclusion. ¡°That day when Yvonne and I saw you and Ste in the middle of the night. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence, was it?¡± Although he phrased it as a question, he knew the answer as clear as day. Weston remained silent. A momentter, he heard a chuckle from Lucas, as he asked half-jokingly, ¡°If Guinevere finds out, will you two still get married?¡± Most people were under the impression that they were officially married, but only a minority knew that they weren¡¯t. They were both from the wealthiest families of society, and if they really did get married, the wedding would be no small affair. Despite not being officially wedded, society had more or less deemed their families as joined in matrimony. Light reflected off the champagne in the ss. Weston sipped on it as he nced at the ss bottle on the table before him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you worry about yourself first? Would your wife mind youing to such a ce?¡± Lucas raised a brow. ¡°If it weren¡¯t to help you solve your problems, I would be home by now, hugging her to sleep.¡± Weston chuckled and nced at his watch. Ste hadn¡¯t texted him yet. Lucas noticed that he had been watching the time for a while. ¡°Are you waiting for someone?¡± Aside from Guinevere, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else that Weston was waiting for. Yet, he knew that it couldn¡¯t possibly be Guinevere. Lucas retracted his gaze and said solemnly, ¡°You should know your boundaries. I trust that you won¡¯t do anything to cross the line.¡± ¡°What do you mean cross the line?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to E.¡± Weston paused for a moment as a mocking gaze shed past his eyes. ¡°When did you be so concerned about Guinevere?¡± Instead of being angered by Weston¡¯s tone, he poured a ss of champagne for himself and sipped on it. ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about her, but Yvonne is.¡± He ced his ss on the table which made a light clinking sound. He smiled and said, ¡°What else, then? Do you think I¡¯m like Henry?¡± Everyone knew Henry used to be Weston¡¯s rival in love. Guinevere had always been the goddess of the entertainment circle. Throngs of men pursued her, but she only had eyes for Weston. Weston and Henry grew up together, and no one dared to mess with either of them. Everyone assumed that Weston was together with Guinevere, and Henry was the only exception who dared to try fighting with Weston for Guinevere¡¯s affection. For a period of time, Henry was hot on Weston¡¯s heels, and many even thought that Guinevere would eventually fall prey to Henry. No one expected rumors to suddenly surface about Henry and his female bodyguard. Everyone could tell that Guinevere was besotted with Weston. Henry was in no way inferior to Weston, but Guinevere insisted on choosing Weston even after so many years. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Each time someone mentioned Guinevere, there would be many others itching to talk about Weston and Henry. Weston used to find it boring, and that hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°What has this got to do with Henry?¡± ¡°Is he still in that wheelchair, refusing to receive treatment?¡± Lucas couldn¡¯t figure out what that man was thinking. ¡°Does he really think remaining disabled would ache that female bodyguard¡¯s heart and she¡¯de running back to him?¡± Lucas was different from both of them. He had been with Yvonne very early on and never considered getting involved with another woman. As such, he didn¡¯t face as much trouble as these two men did. Everyone thought that Henry was devoted to Guinevere, yet he brought that female bodyguard everywhere he went and allowed no one to harbor any designs on her. His friends initially thought that he was trying to distract himself with the female bodyguard, having had his hopes of pursuing Guinevere snuffed out. They did not expect him to be increasingly serious about her. Just when they thought that things were about to be official between the both of them, Henry dealt a brutal blow to her and kicked her away ruthlessly. Yet, when she really left him, Henry went everywhere in search of her, even refusing to receive treatment for his legs. Despite his desperation, the female bodyguard that used to only have eyes for him never appeared again. Although things happened way back in the past, people still enjoyed bringing up Henry at the mention of Guinevere for fun. ¡°His affairs have nothing to do with me,¡± Weston said expressionlessly. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t die, he can sit in that wheelchair for as long as he likes.¡± Despite what Weston said, Lucas knew clearly that Weston did care about Henry¡¯s plight. He wouldn¡¯t have asked for his help to treat Henry, otherwise. Weston and Henry grew up together and were close as brothers. Despite at times appearing as though they were at loggerheads, Guinevere¡¯s existence didn¡¯t seem to affect their rtionship It might be a hardtell on a day-to-day basis, but the urrence of major incidents proved that both of them were standing on the same side. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m rather curious¡­¡± Lucas suddenly said. ¡°If Henry really were to fancy E, how would you react?¡± Since he and Henry grew up together, it made sense that they had the same taste in women. Of course, Lucas knew he was asking for a beating with his question, but he couldn¡¯t help but try to trigger a different reaction from Weston. Silence ensued. A dark glint shed past Weston¡¯s eyes as he nced at Lucas. ¡°You seem to be bored out of your wits today.¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d already be in bed with my wife. It would be a waste ili don¡¯t look for some excitement to pass the time, Weston sipped on his champagne and didn¡¯t say anything further. Light notes of a piano ying suddenly came from somewhere. Lucas lifted his head and looked in the direction of another hall. ¡°A piano duet?¡± His interest was piqued. Lucas had starkly different hobbies from that of other rich heirs. He liked his peace and quiet and dabbled in ssical music. Although he didn¡¯t know how to y them himself, he would sometimes attend concerts and was skilled in appraising musical performances. He stood up eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± Weston wasn¡¯t interested in such things, but since there wasn¡¯t anything else better to do, he followed Henry, all while sneaking a nce at his phone. Ste still hadn¡¯t texted him yet. His eyes grew cold and he shut his phone off in frustration. Both men walked to the other hall, where the piano was situated right in the middle of the stage Lucas walked over and saw that it was a man and woman at the piano. He smiled andmented, ¡°Both of them share quite the synergy. I wonder if they are a real couple?¡± As he spoke, he gradually collected himself. The moment he caught sight of the woman¡¯s face, he halted in his footsteps and turned instinctively towards Weston. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Weston also sensed the change in Lucas¡¯ mood and followed his gaze. That was when he saw Ste, whom he thought was still at work, ying the piano intimately with another man. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Ste hadn¡¯t felt so rxed for a long time. Ever since her parents passed away, she seldom had the chance to y the piano. Sometimes, when the urge to y arose, she would spend an hour at a piano shop indulging herself. Dancing, on the other hand, was unlike ying the piano. She could dance anywhere as long as she wanted to, but ying the piano came at a price. Her measly sry barely fed herself and Roger, and the pressure of financial burden wore her down day by day. How could she possibly afford something as luxurious as a piano? Elegant notes of music flowed from her fingers. She was rxed and happy, and the smile on her face was genuine. The joy of music was infectious-Yvonne was so absorbed in the performance that she couldn¡¯t help but film Ste¡¯s performance. The long-haired young man initially thought that Ste was his type and wanted to chat her up. She even knew the name of the tune he was ying, and inviting her to a piano duet sealed the deal for him. However, he did not expect her to be so skilled with the instrument. She began slightly unfamiliar with her hands, but as she eventually got the flow, it was easy to tell of the exquisite standards she held as a yer. The two yed on with a choreographed harmony, and exchanged a smile. There was a look of satisfaction in both their eyes, having found their bosom friend. Ste didn¡¯t think too much of it, and simply thought of her partner as a friend she could exchange her music with. The smile they exchanged, however, felt different to others who were also watching. Especially for Weston. Lucas did not expect to see Ste at such a ce, and instinctively turned to look at the man beside him. ¡°Seems like I misunderstood you earlier. There¡¯s really nothing between you and E.¡± Lucas had said it deliberately, and Weston could tell that he was teasing, but he didn¡¯t respond. The sight of the genuine smile on Ste¡¯s face made frustration grow in his heart. Although he said nothing, Lucas did not let up on the chance to tease him further. ¡°I don¡¯t like to poke my nose in other people¡¯s business, and I won¡¯t stop you from having an affair. But you don¡¯t seem to be having an easy time reigning her in?¡± Weston shot him a cold look as the corner of his lips lifted in a sardonic sneer. ¡°Stop being so anxious to talk about me. Yourdy isn¡¯t giving you a much better time, either.¡± Weston¡¯s remark made him collect himself. He followed Weston¡¯s gaze and saw a most famir looking woman seated on the other side of N?velDrama.Org owns all content. the piano She was filming the scene with her phone when a young man walked over to her and tapped on her shoulders Instead of rejecting his advances, Yvonne began chatting happily with him Yvonne looked stunning and was lively and passionate in character Such types were very popr amongst men Beautiful, cheerful, and knew how to have a good time she would be an excellent choice for a partner, presentable in any situation Yvonne had be less forward after marrying Lucas Lucas was quiet and reserved, and evendies who tried to pursue him did so at a distance, not daring toe too close Yvonne knew that Lucas did not like her interacting with random men, and therefore hadn¡¯t been coming to ces like this to rx for a while Now that she finally had a chance to, she found it difficult to hold herself back The man who had tried to approach Yvonne saw that she wasn¡¯t stuck up or proud in any way and thought that she must be interested in himself as he was her Thus, he said confidently.¡± Hey gorgeous, shall we add each other as contacts Yvonne shook her head and with her phone still aimed towards Ste ying no with another man, she replied with an unwavering smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m already married With that, she shed the ring on her finger The man was stunned for a moment. ¡°You must be kidding me Is it in trend nowadays to wear a ring to such venues so that you can give others a rude shock? Yvonne raised a brow and red back at him ¡°I can¡¯t help it if that¡¯s what you think.¡± The man was hesitant about what to do next He couldn¡¯t really figure out what Yvonne was really thinking, but he didn¡¯t want to give up on the chance, esther Such a good woman was rare toe by If he were to miss his chance tonight, he had no idea when the next time he¡¯de across someone so fabulous would be Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As long as he could have a taste of her, it would be fine, even if she were married. He ced an arm around her shoulders and said naturally, ¡°Don¡¯t fool me, it would only make me sad. If you were really married, why evene to¡­¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, he felt a strong force grip his wrist and the next moment, a searing pain shot through his heart. ¡°O!¡± The man lifted his head and looked into a pair of cool, deep eyes. If looks could kill, he would have been shredded to pieces. His face contorted with pain, the man yelled, ¡°Who are you? Let me go!¡± His voice trembled with pain. Yvonne snapped back to attention and looked up to see Lucas who had somehow appeared before her. ¡°Hubby, what are you doing here?¡± she eximed in shock. ¡°¡­hubby?¡± The man heard how he addressed the other man before him and looked back at her aghast,¡± You¡¯re really married?¡± Yvonne rubbed her nose. ¡°Didn¡¯t I show you my wedding ring just now?¡± she repeated guiltily. Seeing Lucas ring coldly at the man before him, she immediately leaned over. ¡°Hubby, forget it. He didn¡¯t do anything to me¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t do anything to you? Where did he ce his hand just now?¡± ¡°Come on, it was just a slight touch, nothing to shout about in a ce like¡­¡± ¡°Which is why I never let youe to such a ce!¡± Lucas cut her off coldly, his words piercing her like shards of ice. Yvonne inhaled sharply. Thest thing she wanted was to create a scene. Thus, she softened her stance and said, ¡°I know, I won¡¯t let this happen again. Please let him go, alright?¡± The man¡¯s face had turned red with pain. Lucas increased the intensity of his grip before finally letting him go after seeing beads of sweat appearing on the man¡¯s forehead due to the pain. ¡°Scram,¡± he opened his mouth and said. When the man disappeared out of sight, Lucas turned to look at Yvonne. He had a fearsome look on his face as he remained silent. Yvonne knew that it spelled impending doom, but she moved her legs and walked towards him. Tugging his sleeves, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hubby¡­¡±. Lucas flung her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±! He was so angry that he did not even want to look at Yvonne. Yvonne couldn¡¯t care less and immediately blocked his path, eager to exin her side of the story. ¡°I only came here because I wanted to bring E out for a good time. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Lucas then turned his attention at the stage. Yvonne followed her gaze and saw Weston standing on the other side of the piano. Her face changed. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± As she quickly turned to look at Ste who was still at the piano, a sense of foreboding doom rose in her stomach. The tune finally came to an end. Ste still found herselfpletely immersed in the harmony. Little did she realize that there was a man standing next to her, staring right down on her shoulders. She herself did not realize how stunning she looked when she was ying the piano. Suddenly, a loud bout of apuse broke her reverie. Ste instinctively turned towards the noise and saw Weston standing nearby, looking straight at her. She stood up immediately, her face going as white as a sheet. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The man next to her noticed her sudden movement and appeared confused. Ste shook her head. ¡°Pardon me.¡± She added, ¡°I have something else to attend to. I¡¯ll be off.¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Seeing his opportunity on the verge of disappearing, the man instinctively stood up with her.¡± Wait up!¡± He seemed to have something more to say to her, but Ste ignored him and looked at Weston before looking down. She looked in Yvonne¡¯s direction and realized that Lucas was already by her side. Ste suddenly recalled something and nced at Lucas, then back at Weston. They must have arrived here together. She pursed her lips and walked silently towards Yvonne. ¡°You head home first.¡± Yvonne nodded and was about to hold her hand when Lucas grabbed her arm and pulled her back ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yvonne asked, taken aback by his actions. ¡°E should go back with us Lucas lifted his chin and gestured in Weston¡¯s direction. ¡°Someone else is here to pick her. What are you doing, trying to involve yourself in their business?¡± Yvonne¡¯s face turned nasty. ¡°What right does he have?! She came here with me!¡± ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t create trouble, please,¡± Lucas said solemnly. ¡°Is it your position to question her rtionship with Weston?¡± ¡°But she isn¡¯t a willing party to this!¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°I can¡¯t just stand idly by as she jumps into a pit of fire, can I?¡± If she was clueless to the entire situation, she could always turn a blind eye to it. However, now that things were ying out right before her, how could she simply let Weston take her away? Yvonne felt terrible. Lucas felt equally bad, too. Initially, he never cared about such trivial matters, and felt like he had nothing to do with the private matters of others. However, Yvonne had been creating a ruckus back home, talking about all the nasty things that Weston had done. To that end, he had called Weston out to ask him what he wanted with all these He didn¡¯t expect to meet Yvonne and Ste here, though. It had to be said, though, that he never had a good impression of Ste in the first ce. ¡°No matter how difficult things are for her, she wanted this herself. Are you in a position to interfere with her decision?¡± His tone had be firm and stern. Yvonne looked at him in disbelief. Ste didn¡¯t want the two of thern fighting over her, ¡°That¡¯s it for today,¡± she interrupted the squabbling couple. Thank you for bringing me out for a good time. I¡¯ll be off first.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Yvonne flung Lucas¡¯ hand away and attempted to stop Ste. ¡°No! Since we came here together, I should be the one sending you back!¡± Ste shook her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± With that, she nced at Weston and said, ¡°Since he¡¯s already here to pick me up, I¡¯ll head back with him.¡± ¡°E!¡± The sorrow in Yvonne¡¯s eyes was evident as she instinctively took a step forward. Yet, she felt her arm being held back by the man behind her. Lucas looked at her disapprovingly. Ste smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m really alright.¡± ¡°Thank you for bringing me out for a good time. I really enjoyed myself,¡± she politely continued. With that, she waved at her and walked towards Weston. She had just arrived in front of Weston when he suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Follow me " With that, he left the ce. Ste¡¯s eyes glinted as she followed him without the slightest hesitation. It wasn¡¯t until the both of them were out of sight that Yvonne finally retracted her gaze. Lucas looked at the wistful look on her face and barked coldly, ¡°Still not done watching the show?¡± In response, Yvonne merely red at him silently. She flung his hand away and stormed off by herself. He was supposed to be the offended party, asking her for an exnation. Yet now, it seemed he was the one who had wronged and disappointed her. Lucas didn¡¯t chase after her right away. He simply followed her quietly, maintaining a fair distance. The young man cursed under his breath as he watched bothdies leave the scene. ¡°Such rotten luck, meeting two takendies. What a bummer!¡± On the road. Weston said not a word. Ste followed him steadily and offered no exnation either. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 With a m, the door of the car shut tightly. Ste felt her heartbeat quicken before it gradually calmed down. She was calm as she looked at Weston sitting next to her. Afterward, she shifted her gaze and stare dully in front. Weston ordered the driver to drive them back to the mansion, only then did she turn to gaze outside the window. After a while, a deep voice rang beside her ears. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early.¡± She nced at the time. ¡°If I didn¡¯t see you here, were you nning to keep hiding it from me?¡± Ste found it funny as she listened to him and turned to look at him. ¡°What is there to hide? Ie here with Yvonne to get my mind off things. Why do you care?¡± ¡°How could I not?¡± All the anger he had vanished the minute he saw her face and he calmed down. ¡°Who is that man?¡± ¡°Which man?¡± ¡°The one ying piano with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s a stranger.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He reminisced on her words. ¡°A stranger can make you this happy?¡± He suddenly leaned towards her and grabbed her chin while making her gaze into his eyes.¡± Why don¡¯t you smile at me?¡± Hearing this, Ste took a breath before forcing a smile. ¡°Not like this.¡± Weston wasn¡¯t satisfied and furrowed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t smile half- heartedly at me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± She really didn¡¯t have the energy to fulfill all his weird wishes. After a while, she sighed, ¡°What about now?¡± She shed a bright smile that seemed to being from her sincerely and it was no different than the smile she had on her face while ying the piano with the man earlier. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened and let go of her. ¡°Don¡¯t smile if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Instantly, her smile vanished, and her face dropped. It was evening when they reached home. The sky has darkened, and the streetmps weren¡¯t lit yet. Ste had mixed emotions. The minute she got inside the house, Weston stepped forward, pushed her against the door, and shed his lips on hers to the point she couldn¡¯t fight him off. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The man¡¯s scent swept her whole body with a refreshing woody fragrance. She pushed him away subconsciously, but he deepened the kiss. Eventually, she stopped fighting and stood still. Her back hurt as it rubbed against the door. She didn¡¯t make a noise and held the pain in. She didn¡¯t know how long the kiss was, but he eventually stopped. Their heavy breathing filled the air, and the heat of his words sshed on her skin. She wanted to avoid his heat, but the man pinched her chin and turned her head back. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again, who was that person just now?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t know!¡± She frowned. ¡°He¡¯s just a stranger.¡± Right after she said that he suddenly stood up and took out his phone to make a phone call. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to see that man in Fern City anymore.¡± With that he hung up the phone, giving her no chance to stop him. Seeing that the call had ended, she red at him furiously. ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± she shouted. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 The reason Ste was upset had nothing to do with the man. She was enraged that she had no freedom at all. Weston was always manipting and threatening her, and that was what upset her the most. Weston knew this well, but he still couldn¡¯t stand the slightest possibility that she was begging for another man. ¡°You have ten minutes to make me change my mind. If you can do that, I wouldn¡¯t cause trouble for him.¡± ¡°You think I care about a stranger? I told you before that I got nothing with him. We met coincidentally and yed a song together. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Really? But the way you react doesn¡¯t look like you don¡¯t care about him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s an innocent stranger! I don¡¯t want him to get involved in this, do you understand? I really don¡¯t want others to get into trouble because of this.¡± ¡°Then you should¡¯ve listened to me and stayed away from ces like that.¡± ¡°ces like what?¡± ¡°ces I forbid you to go.¡± Ste sucked in a deep breath and stopped talking. Her eyshes trembled and her face turned pale. The man shot a nce at her and reminded her, ¡°You still have 7 minutes.¡± She instantly opened her eyes. Writhing in agony, she had no choice but to soften her tone.¡± Please don¡¯t involve an innocent man in our issues¡­¡± She even used the word ¡®please¡¯. Weston¡¯s eyebrows furrowed a little. He didn¡¯t like that she was begging for another man¡¯s mercy. But as she was only doing what he asked of her, he let her go. ¡°Fine. But remember not to challenge my bottom line any more.¡± He gently caressed her hair. He was using little force, but Ste feltpletely powerless under his touch. She nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Seeing that she no longer fought back, he knew that he couldn¡¯t suppress her too much. He let go of his hand and his eyes softened. ¡°It¡¯ste now. Are you hungry?¡± he asked. She nodded like an emotionless robot, following every word he said. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± She shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you want to eat?¡± he continued asking. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to eat,¡± she answered dully. He pulled her to the couch and sat down. ¡°I asked them to prepare food that you might like. You should eat a little more.¡± As he spoke, he pinched her cheeks. He recalled her being a little plump, at least at ces where she should be, and it felt great. But she was bony now, to the point she looked unhealthily skinny. Looking at her made him sad. Her fists tightened slightly, and her expression was unpleasant for a brief second, but she said nothing and simply nodded. He saw all the small changes in her expression and he could see that she was at the edge of losing patience. This upset him a little, but he didn¡¯t mind because he believed that she would stop rejecting him and ept him as time went on. What was important was that she was with him. He took out his mobile phone and barked a few orders to the other end of the line. Not longter, the doorbell rang. Weston walked over and opened the door revealing a couple of people holding different dishes in their hands.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 After a while, the table was piled high with food. Ste heard the noises and turned to look at them, which surprised her. Weston didn¡¯t like too many people in the house. Right after they left, he called Ste over. She obediently stood up and walked to the table. Her eyes lit up slightly when she saw a table of food. ¡°What is this? He forced her to sit and then sat across from her. ¡°Pick what you like to eat.¡± He handed her a te and a set of chopsticks. There were all sorts of foods on the table. All were made by top chefs, and for Ste to pick. She took in a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s only a dinner. Did you have to make it this grand?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯ll know what you like to eat,¡± Weston replied logically. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Her movement stopped and she put her hand on the chair and subconsciously looked at the man in front of her. They locked into each other gazes. She suddenly remembered something, and her lips curved into a smile, and she let out augh. But she wasn¡¯t sure if the smile was sarcastic or nostalgic. Before this, she would spare no effort in getting to know what Weston like. Now, the tables had turned. For a man like Weston, he naturally wouldn¡¯t cook for her. It was considered generous that he had asked someone to cook for her. If it had been before, she would have been grateful, but now, she believed it was nothing but direct mockery. She sat down and chose a few light-vored items to eat. Weston didn¡¯t move at all, merely looking at her. When he noticed she was eating light cuisine, he grimaced and inquired, ¡°I remember you used to appreciate spicy stuff.¡± Although he didn¡¯t love or care for her when they were still married, he knew her habits, since they lived together for a long time. Ste paused for a while when she heard this, but didn¡¯t say anything. But he didn¡¯t stop questioning. ¡°When did your taste change?¡± ¡°It never did.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat them?¡± Her lips curled into a sneer and said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel so well, so I can¡¯t eat.¡± He didn¡¯t know whether it is because of the miscarriage she had suffered, or because of watching her fall from the top of the rooftop that day¡­ Weston suddenly shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead in frustration. After a while, he spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°What should I do to make you forget about the past?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I will never forget that I lost a life.¡± She said so calmly, yet it felt heavy. As he stared into her eyes and saw that the gentleness in them had faded, he knew that no matter what he did, she would never forget what happened. The hurt he had inflicted on to her was like a scar that would never heal. His eyes darkened as if he had epted reality and he sighed. ¡°Eat.¡± She picked up her chopsticks and took some of the spicy food. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed even more, seeing her like that. Seeing that she suddenly started to put all those spicy dishes into her bowl, he stopped her.¡± Enough, what are you doing?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I ate my favorite dish. I want to indulge.¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 It took Weston quite some time to understand what she meant by ¡°indulging.¡± He noticed she was eating one mouthful after another, but her face was twisted, as if she was in pain. ¡°Enough,¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s indeed enough.¡± She stopped. She put down the chopsticks in her hands and shed him a smile. Her face was so pale that it was almost invisible, and her lips were bright red. ¡°I¡¯ll vomit if I continue.¡± Her appetite had always been abnormal. Since her miscarriage, she felt nauseus every time she took a few bites. Weston had already arranged for someone to care for her health, but it turned out she had no major physical problem. The look on his face was dark and stormy. Although he didn¡¯t care about her before, he remembered that she didn¡¯t have this many problems. ¡°How did this happen?¡± he asked suddenly in a deep voice. She knew what he was asking-he wanted to know why she turned like that after eating. She was fine before, even with everything that happened. If her health was just bad, she would¡¯ve returned to normal after nursing herself back to health. Why did she be like this? Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Honestly, Ste wanted to know as well. Ever sinceing to Fern City, she had started a new life. Before meeting Weston again, she thought that her life would be like that till the day she died. She hoped that one day, she would be able to let go of the past and begin a new life. But she knew that every night, she would dream about the kid she lost and relive the agony. It was like a nightmare that would haunt her forever. No matter how carefree she acted during the day, she would break down when night fell. Weston didn¡¯t know all of these. He would never know the pain he had brought her, especially physically and mentally. She would never forget it. She smiled and without a word, picked up the chopsticks once again and continued eating. Seeing the pain in her eyes, he walked in front of her and held her wrist. ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t eat anymore.¡± she merely looked up and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what my favourite food is? These are all the foods I like. Why are you still unhappy after I¡¯d fulfilled your wish?¡± His face went dark. He shut his eyes and spoke in a gentle tone suddenly. ¡°I know now. You can stop.¡± She shook her head and answered, ¡°These are all your efforts. How can I let you down?¡± ¡°Ste, don¡¯t do this.¡± His grip on her arms tightened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I followed what you want but you don¡¯t like it, and you won¡¯t even let me go. Weston, what do you want me to do!¡± she yelled and tossed the chopsticks aside on the table. She sighed and looked at the man in front of her, perplexed. ¡°What do you want me to do so that you¡¯ll be satisfied?¡± She really couldn¡¯t understand why he never cared about her when she loved him with all her heart. But now that she had lost all feelings for him, he was pestering her. He was always there to ruin her life. What did she do to make him treat her like that? Weston opened her palm and intertwined his fingers with hers. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 ¡°I know you¡¯re ufortable. just say it,¡± he said, his forehead pressing against hers. She cocked her head. ¡°I¡¯m not at all bothered. I¡¯m overjoyed, in fact, If I were the old me, I would¡¯ve been overjoyed to see you being so thoughtful.¡± Even though he asked someone else to prepare the table of food, as long as hemands, anyone would be willing to do it for him. How can such a man understand the agony of putting effort just to be trodden, neglected, and hurt? He would never understand it. Everything that he was doing right now was only to make himself feel better for all the hurt he has done to her before. He thought he could transform her back into the old Ste, who used to adore him with all her heart. But the reality was there was no turning back. The old Ste was gone. She was now E. Wasn¡¯t this what Weston wanted? She saw the pain in his eyes and suddenly reached out her hand to caress his face. Her fingers put on some force and her nails touched his face. There was a moment when a brutal thought shed inside her mind. She wanted to scratch his face. However, she didn¡¯t do it, and merely stared at him coldly. ¡°I¡¯m full. Can I leave?¡± Weston saw her forehead drenched in cold sweat, and her hair was stuck to her skin. Her ck hair made her skin appear even fairer. He reached out and brushed her hair away and kissed her eyelids, ¡°It¡¯s still early, let¡¯s go take a shower first.¡± Ste didn¡¯t reject him but nodded. Then, she let him carry her and walked inside the bathroom. She was like a doll sitting inside the tub, obeying the man¡¯s everymand. ¡°Lift your arms.¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± It had to be said that the entire while, he never never disyed any bad intentions. He never thought that one day Ste would sit in front of him naked and he doesn¡¯t have any bad intentions in his mind as he only wanted to clean every part of her. Seeing her body covered in froth, he felt that nothing in the world could stain her. Not even himself. When he carried her out of the bathroom, it was alreadyte at night, though notte enough to sleep. He hugged her in his arms and went outside the hall and saw that the table has been cleared. Ste¡¯s eyes nced at the table and sighed suddenly. ¡°What a waste. There¡¯s so much unfinished food.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Weston lowered his head and nted a kiss on her hair then put her on the sofa before finding a hair dryer. The loud blowing sound began. She saw the man walking towards her and consciously dodged away but he grabbed her, pulled her hair back, and continued drying her hair. Unable to trust him, she was a little stiff. He saw her nervousness and gently massaged her scalp. ¡°Calm down.¡± His movements were rough-he had probably never blown-dried someone else¡¯s hair before. Slender long fingers went through her long hair. Ste frowned from time to time, feeling the pain of her hair being tugged. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Weston was observing her expression. He would reduce the force on his hands whenever she furrowed her brows. His movements were very gentle, yet he would still hurt her identally. After repeating it a few times, though, he slowly got the hang of it. He was undeniably a fast learner. It only took him a couple of minutes, but he seemed to master it pretty quickly and didn¡¯t hurt Ste anymore. The sound of the hair dryer stopped. Her dry and draped softly over her shoulders, revealing her small face. He held her up,bed her hair, and suddenly questioned, ¡°Your hair grew longer?¡± She turned her face to the side, not wanting to answer. He could see that she was repelled but continued to ask, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Do you want to do something else?¡± ¡°I want to sleep.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s only 9 pm. You won¡¯t be able to sleep. Or¡­¡± The man¡¯s tone took on new meaning. Her brows furrowed and her fist clenched tightly when she heard this. He was always like that. When he wanted her to do something and she didn¡¯t want it, he wouldn¡¯t push her. Instead, he¡¯d provide her with another option far from what she wanted, so that in the end, she¡¯d have no choice but to do what he requested. Ste took in a deep breath as she knew that he wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer, so she said, ¡° Let¡¯s just watch a movie.¡± ¡°Really? I thought you were going to say you¡¯ll be ying the piano.¡± He was still thinking about the scene he saw in the hall. She thought that he had forgotten about it but there he goes bringing it up again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to cause trouble for that person.¡± She stared at him with wide eyes. That man was only a stranger to her. She didn¡¯t want him getting involved in their issues, just as she didn¡¯t want to put Yvonne in the spotlight and jeopardize her rtionship with Lucas. She could see that Lucas was prejudiced against her. Even if she looked down on herself, how could she, an overtly self-conscious person, deserve the assistance of others? N?velDrama.Org owns all content. On the other hand, Weston didn¡¯t understand her feelings and merely thought that she was defending that man. ¡°You just met him and you¡¯re protecting him now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not protecting him. I just don¡¯t want an innocent person to get involved!¡± Ste increased her tone, having no idea when Weston would understand. A proud man like him had long been ustomed to people making way for him. He had never known the agony of being tangled up or the agony of having no options, hence the reason he had behaved so recklessly. He heard her loud and clear. It was hard to guess the look that was on his face, but he repositioned himself to make her sit better in his arms. ¡°It seems you have lots of opinions about me.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± She lowered her gaze. He pinched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re quite brave when you¡¯reining about me. Why don¡¯t you dare now?¡± His words implied that only Ste was this bold to talk in front of him. If it were others, he wouldn¡¯t have given them a chance. Not even Guinevere. Seeing her avoiding his gaze as if she was trying to fight against him, his eyes turned cold. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause trouble to that man, as long as you don¡¯t do things that anger me. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you too,¡± he said, his heart softening somewhat. She clenched her fists, and frustration brewed in her heart. However, to reassure him, all she could do was to nod and agree. ¡°Remember your words.¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°Of course.¡± Hebed his fingers through her hair. He seemed to enjoy ying with her hair, and he wanted to keep them in his hands and y with them, no matter what he was doing. Ste despised strangers stroking her hair, especially when she was actually her parents¡¯ precious possession. At that time, she had grown up with a lot of privilege and squeamish habits, but the realities of life soon smoothed that out, leaving nothing behind. Seeing that she was so obedient, he calmed down a little. ¡°What movie do you want to watch?¡± as asked while carrying her to the movie room. There was everything inside the mansion, even a nursery. She used to like decorating every part of the vi, but Weston had never been to the nursery, and he didn¡¯t know what was inside. As they walked past the room, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and subconsciously peeked at the door. She noticed this and smiled. The smile was meaningful. ¡°In the future, you can take Ste and your two children here. After all, it would be a waste just being here,¡± she deliberately said. Of course, she knew how noble their children were. The two kids had been treated like royalty from the moment they were born, so why would they possibly care about a room she had decorated? She wanted to say all these things out loud, and let him hear them. After such a sour rtionship and marriage, she had fewints about him. The one thing she regretted was her unborn child. She craved a family, wishing that she could have at least one member in this world. But her rare blood type determined that she could only have one child, and she had since lost So how could she willingly let him go? Perhaps Weston could sense the resentment in her, and he quickened his pace to the movie room, not saying a word. ¡°What do you want to watch?¡± he asked, avoiding all topics about the baby. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ever since reuniting with her, his first reaction was avoidance, whenever this topic was brought up. That said, Weston wasn¡¯t a man that ran away from things. Ever since he was a kid, he would bear the consequences of whatever he did and wouldn¡¯t regret a single thing. However, this wasn¡¯t something he could be just like Ste as well. In the beginning, he never really cared about the child but as time passed on, he started to feel the same emotions Ste had in her heart. Every time he dreamed about the unborn child, the grief and misery he felt served as a constant reminder of how much he regretted his decision at the time. But he never showed it. He was Weston Ford. He never looked back at the past, as cowards would do. The one thing he would do was to get her forgiveness. He believed that one day they would both forget the pain of losing their children, but that day had not yete. Nheless, all of his emotions were tucked away under his cid demeanor. He randomly picked a movie and put the remote aside. Ste stopped fighting and sat down. The minute the movie started, they saw someone familiar. She looked at the beautiful woman on the screen and smiled. ¡°No wonder Guinevere is the best actress. She looks so stunning on screen.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Weston never expected that a film he had casually picked would have Guinevere in it. He was ready to change the show, but Ste stopped him. ¡°Why do you need to change it?¡± She grabbed his hand. He lowered his head and stared straight into her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to change it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I want to learn and see how the best actress acts.¡± She sounded sincere, her voice was devoid of mockery or sarcasm. However, he grasped the greater significance in her words and lifted her chin. ¡°Do you want to use your acting abilities on me, or do you want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?¡± Hearing this, Ste gave the question some thought. After a while, she smiled and said, ¡°I think both are okay.¡± Did he really think that she would be honest in front of him? Weston knew what she meant but wasn¡¯t upset. Instead, he chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re bold now.¡± He swiftly approached her ears and spoke gently. Her lips curved into a cold smile. The movie started and she said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s watch it.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word after that and simply hugged her tightly in his arms. The home theater was dimply lit, with the screen the only source of light. Because of this, Weston didn¡¯t notice how terrible Ste¡¯s face was looking right now. After dinner, she had felt a throbbing pain in her stomach, but she didn¡¯t make a sound. She didn¡¯t even show it while talking to Weston. It wasn¡¯t until they hade to watch the movie that the pain became extremely unbearable. She didn¡¯t make a single sound, though, but tried putting pressure on her tummy, which provided some relief. Ever since losing her child a year ago, her ability to endure pain had gotten stronger. No amount of pain could everpare to the crushing, utter devastation she had to endure after losing her child. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Just as the movie wasing to an end, Weston noticed that something wasn¡¯t right with her. She had barely made any sound throughout the movie. As the end credits rolled, he asked, ¡°Do you still want to watch, or do you want to sleep?¡± When she didn¡¯t respond, he dropped his head and realized that she her eyes had been long closed, and her face devoid of color. His face darkened instantly. ¡°Ste, what happened?¡± Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Weston cupped her cheeks and felt cold sweat on her face. He turned on the light and noticed Ste trembling slightly. In fact, she was in awful shape. Her shoulders slumped weakly in pain, she had clearly been in agony for some time. His heart dropped and asked with some anger, ¡°Why didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯t feeling well?¡± She pursed her lips tightly and didn¡¯t answer, but stubbornly turned her head to the other side. Weston suppressed the anger in his heart because he knew that at this point, he couldn¡¯t argue with her. So, he said patiently, ¡°Tell me where you feel ufortable. I¡¯ll get the doctor.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, her eyes remaining shut as shey down on the sofa. Thus, he lost all patience and carried her straight-up, his movements, gentle, as he called the doctor. Heid her down on the bed. When he saw her entire body curled up into a ball, gripping her stomach tightly, he had an idea, sat next to her, and helped her up. cing his palm on her stomach, he rubbed it gently. ¡°Is this better?¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Ste didn¡¯t say a word. He knew she must be having severe gastric pains considering how badly she was shaking.¡± Does this have anything to do with what you ate?¡± She remained mute and turned to the other side, her eyes tightly clenched. He was on the verge of exploding at this point but swallowed his rage at the sight of her suffering, mainly because it broke his heart to see her in that way. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop eating if you knew you couldn¡¯t eat it?¡± He thought she knew her limits, and he did, in fact, stop her right in time, but never thought that the little she had was enough to put her in so much pain. ¡°Do you even care for your health?¡± She opened her mouth as if to say something but the pain she was in made her lose all her strength. Even speaking was extremely difficult. ¡°Water¡± was all she managed to say. Weston stood up immediately to get a ss of warm water. He tried to feed it to her, but she was in so much pain that she barely had the strength to open her mouth. Instead of entering, the water dripped down the sides of her mouth. When he saw this, he took a sip of the water, pressed his lips on hers, and slowly let the water into her mouth as they kissed. Ste¡¯s entire body trembled as she sat in his arms. Weston could almost feel the excruciating amount of pain she was in right now. Nheless, after the drink of water, she was a little relieved, but her body was still curled into a ball. ¡°Ste¡­¡± His heart broke, looking at her in such a state. He dialed the doctor once again, ¡°It¡¯s been 20 minutes and you¡¯re not here. What good are you for?¡± Millionaires like him had a personal doctor that was on call 24-7, ready for hismand, but since it was rush hour, there was heavy traffic along the way. By the time the doctors arrived, it was already late at night. Weston coldly red at them and said sarcastically, ¡°You could be a lot slower.¡± The head doctor immediately rubbed the sweat on his forehead away and apologized, ¡°So sorry Mr. Ford. We were caught in heavy traffic. We did our best to hurry here.¡± Evidently, it wasn¡¯t one doctor who hade. On the phone, Weston briefly told them about Ste¡¯s situation. His private doctors were a team, and they didn¡¯t know the existence of Ste. Before this, they had only treated him alone, but since there was now ady, they had brought a couple more people. They too didn¡¯t know about her identity. A female doctor came forward. ¡°Mr. Ford, can I check on her?¡± Weston let go of Ste and signaled the doctor toe. Ste instantly opened her eyes when she felt the warm body she had been relying on was gone. She abruptly backed away in fear. She was insecure and scared, especially now, when she had lost all rationale after being in so much pain. All she wanted to do was just scrunch herself into a ball and not let anyone bother her. ¡°Hello miss, I am a doctor. Can I have a look at you?¡± the doctor asked gently as she sat at the bedside and ced her hand on Ste¡¯s back and carefully pat her. She was very experienced and knew how to calm a patient. However, Ste still wouldn¡¯t calm down. Constantly backing away like a scared animal, whimpers escaped her mouth as she curled herself even tighter. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Weston couldn¡¯t stand looking at her like this, and he strode towards the bed and carried her in his arms. Unsurprisingly, she fought hard to push him away. Seeing this, the doctor said immediately, ¡°Mr. Ford, don¡¯t force her. You¡¯ll only scare her.¡± With that, he stopped and gazed at a pale Ste who had shrunken into a tiny ball. ¡°Should I just watch her in pain?!¡± he growled with his eyes closed, voice filled with anxiety and anger. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 The doctor could see that Ste meant a lot to Weston, so she said carefully, ¡°We have yet to discover the reason behind her pain, but what she¡¯s doing right now could injure herself¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, we have to find a way or her condition will only get worse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do, just make sure she gets better,¡± Weston stated coldly after calming down and forcing himself not to look at Ste shuddering in pain. As he spoke, he turned around. The doctor shot a nce at the other doctors, and they went up to gently hold Ste down. When she saw them taking a needle and slowly injecting it into her arm, she simply struggled even more ¡°Nooo!!! My baby¡­¡± Perhaps she was in so much pain that she had begun hallucinating, back to the day she lost her child. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ste fought with her life to not let them inject the needle into her. She believed that once that thing was inside, she would really have to say goodbye Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 None of the doctors lifted their heads up while the two conversed. They were professionals, but it didn¡¯t stop them from being curious. Everyone was aware that Weston and Guinevere were married to each other, at least that was how it looked since they had children together. But from how it looked now, Ste seemed important to Weston. Something was going on between the two. They didn¡¯t expect Weston, who had always been indifferent to women and had never had a scandal, to have a lover he adored. They wondered what Guinevere¡¯s reaction would be after knowing it. After some time, Weston saw Ste was slowly getting better and he sighed in relief. Perhaps she was tired from the struggling that the moment she shut her eyes, she fell asleep. Seeing that she was in deep sleep, Weston stood up and nced at the doctor next to him. She understood what he meant and followed him out while the rest stayed to take care of Ste. ¡°How is she?¡± Weston asked immediately without beating around the bush. The doctor looked at the data, scrunched her eyebrows in a frown, and said with some hesitation, ¡°She needs to do a full check-up in the hospital and¡­¡± ¡°Besides a physical check-up, she needs a psychological check-up as well.¡± ¡°Psychological?¡± Weston was taken aback and stopped in his tracks. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The doctor felt the pressure downing on her as she exined. ¡°Her emotions were unstable. She had most likely had a major trauma in the past. Furthermore, our preliminary assessment revealed that her body was a bit weak, but there was no big issue. However, given the difort she was in, it would be advisable to do a thorough evaluation at the hospital, though, I personally believe the reason should be psychologically rted¡­¡± When Weston heard this, he was stunned for a while before asking. ¡°If it¡¯s a psych condition¡­ What should I do?¡± She couldn¡¯t read his emotions or detect any subtle changes in his tone, but she did sense a tinge of depression in his query. ¡°If she truly has a problem rted to the mind, I rmend that you take her to a Psychologist. The patient should also maintain a good mindset¡­ it is preferable not to force her to do things she does not want to do.¡± ¡°What if I want to force her?¡± ¡°What?¡± The doctor thought she heard it wrong. After a little period of silence, she understood she had not misheard. ¡°What if I want to force her?¡± the man repeated once again. She was astonished for a moment before gradually concealing her surprise and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You should ask the psychologist about it.¡± It wasn¡¯t until midnight that the hustle was over. As inmmation was the primary source of Ste¡¯s abrupt difort, anti-inmmatory medications were given till her face had some color. Weston only allowed the doctors back in after ensuring she was alright. He frowned when he saw the ck and blue bruise on Ste¡¯s hand once the intravenous line was pulled out. ¡°Thisdy has a special physique and a rare blood type. There is no way to avoid it,¡± the doctor exined immediately. He rubbed his forehead in frustration and asked, ¡°Is there any way to make her suffer less pain?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be tricky.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how tricky, just find a way.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Ford.¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Only the two remained inside the room after everyone else had departed. Ste didn¡¯t sleep well since she would wake up repeatedly, though, she would eventually go back to sleep after some time. Even the sedatives couldn¡¯tpletely knock her out. This proved that she was in such poor psychological condition that it affected her physical health. Not too long after that, she slowly opened her eyes. She appeared confused, as if she didn¡¯t know where she was. When she noticed Weston seated next to her, she regained consciousness. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind the time. Just sleep is you want to.¡± He ced his hands on her head and gently caressed her. ¡°I¡¯m not going to work tomorrow. I¡¯ll be here apanying you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± He spoke in a very gentle tone. Even he didn¡¯t realize how amodating he sounded when he said that. It was as if he would do anything Ste asked. Even if she asked him to get the stars for her, he would try it. She wanted to dodge his touch but maybe it was because she was weak that her guard was down. she looked at him and muttered, with cries in her voice, ¡°Can you let me go?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Her voice was so meek and soft it could hardly be heard. But Weston could hear every single word. Those few words cut like a sharpknife, stabbing into his heart, and making it bleed in agony. He blinked and said nothing but covered her with the nket. He looked into her eyes. Although there were so much tenderness and love in them, the word that came out of it was cruel. ¡°No.¡± Thal word alone crushed all of Ste¡¯s hope. She immediately took back her hand and turned to the other side, refusing to look at him anymore. Her one and only request was that she could leave him. No matter the price she had to pay, she just wanted to leave. She was like a dying flower beside him, slowly, perhaps, but surely. He knew what was running in her mind. With her back facing him, he lifted the quilt andy on the bed, then spooned her to his chest. He rested his chin on her hair. ¡°The words I said before are real,¡± he added after some time. I¡¯ll set a deadline for you to stay with me. I¡¯ll let you go when the time is up.¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± came Ste¡¯s voice after a while. She sounded frail. He held her hands and gave them a peck. ¡°No matter when, my words will always be true.¡± Her lips curved into a smile, and she chuckled without any sound. It was unknown if she wasughing at him or at herself. ¡°So how long is this period? What if you break your promise when the deadline reaches?¡± She didn¡¯t want to pin her hopes on a day that would nevere. Meanwhile, Weston knew that even if he were to give her an urate answer, she wouldn¡¯t believe him. He put his hands on her stomach and rubbed it gently as if attempting to relieve her pain although she didn¡¯t hurt anymore. ¡°Just stay beside me. Like how you used to¡­¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 ¡°A year,¡± he said after a little pause. ¡°All I need is a year with you, with the exception of being by my side. That cannot be changed. For the rest, I will suit your needs.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze shifted. She knew all too well that his words weren¡¯t sacrosanct, but there was nothing she could do even if she didn¡¯t trust him one bit. ¡°You will suit me for the rest?¡± she asked with some hesitation. Hebed her hair and said, ¡°If I can, I will.¡± Ste sucked in a deep breath and asked tentatively, ¡°Would you agree if I said I want to be an actress?¡± Just like her prediction, she felt him stiffen for a moment. She closed her eyes andid down, mocking, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t fulfill. I will¡­¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Before she could finish, he interrupted her. He turned to her and dropped a gentle kiss on her hair and the scruff of her neck ¡°Sure. If you want, I¡¯ll find you the best production team.¡± She didn¡¯t think that he would agree so quickly. There was a moment there when she actually doubted what she heard. He turned her around, where their gazes met. ¡°Any other requests?¡± Knowing that she needed to grab this opportunity, she pursed her lips. ¡°In this one year, you can¡¯t force me¡­¡± Weston suddenly burst outughing. It was a deep and genuineugh. ¡°Which part do you mean?¡± Undoubtedly, he knew what she meant and deliberately wanted to tease her. ¡°You can¡¯t force me to have sex with you,¡± she stated bluntly without thinking. ¡°What if you beg me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too soon to judge.¡± He suddenly reached his hands out to touch her. But she grabbed his wrist and held him in ce before he could reach her. ¡°You haven¡¯t promised me anything yet.¡± ¡°I can only promise you that if you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t force myself on you.¡± He let go of her. His long fingers traveled on her face before he tapped on the corner of her lips. ¡°The words you say aren¡¯t what your heart truly wants.¡± When it came to this topic, she knew that there was no point in arguing with him on this topic since he¡¯d still use logic to manipte her in the end. ¡°And one more thing. No one can ever know about us. In exactly one year, we¡¯ll be living our own lives, you can never bother me anymore.¡± Ste sounded very serious when she said that, as if she wanted to cut all ties with him. Weston didn¡¯t like how she was looking at him right now and reached out to cover her eyes.¡± Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She wanted to know his answer and continued asking, ¡°Do you agree to these terms.¡± He chuckled looking at how serious she was. ¡°Where did you get the confidence that a yearter, I would still be interested in you, like right now?¡±. Ste was quiet for a while before suggesting, ¡°Let¡¯s sign a contract. When the deadline is over, so will our rtionship, regardless of whether you¡¯re still interested in me.¡± ¡°If you lose interest in me before the deadline, you can terminate the contract at any time. But if the deadline hits, you must let me go. This is protection for both of us, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about conditions with me?¡± When it came to business, Weston always had the upper hand, but he never showed it in front of her. This was something new to him. Nheless, she seemed really serious this time. ¡°If you want something from me, at least give me some hope. If you keep me trapped by your side for the rest of your life, I don¡¯t think I can hold on¡­¡± Ste meant exactly what she said. It was either staying by his side like this, in a half-dead state, or giving her a year¡¯s time before letting her go. He would get what he wanted, and she could live with hope. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Thus, he didn¡¯t even have to think which was the better option. He shut his eyes and Ste heard him agreeing. ¡°Okay.¡± Before she could celebrate, however, it was quickly taken away from her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you like this. At least make me feel that the one year will be worth it.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡± She would be lying if she said that she didn¡¯t know what Weston was up to. She guessed that he wanted the old Ste, the one who loved him with her all, back Since he wanted to see that, she¡¯d show him what he liked. A year¡¯s time was enough for him to be annoyed with her. It would be great news if, in the next few weeks, he started to find her annoying and decided to let her go. Thus, she wasn¡¯t going to sit and wait. She desired to strengthen her power by utilizing his force. Only when she had more power would she have more options, and not find herself in a situation where she had no way to fight back. The air suddenly fell still. Her eyes shed. Since she knew what he wanted, she threw her hands out and attempted to hug him, only to have him dodge her. She looked up instantly and stared at him with confusion. He lowered his head and nted a kiss on her nose tip. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? The most important thing now is for you to sleep.¡± She was a little weak and he didn¡¯t want to see her forcing it. He wanted her to go back to the time he was the only thing that mattered to her, not the charade she was currently disying. She, too, knew exactly that, so she didn¡¯t persist and instead, shut her eyes and went to sleep. She was exhausted. The gastric episode earlier had sucked out everyst ounce of energy she had left. After kissing her forehead and watching her sleep, he shut his eyes and went to sleep. Ste woke up the afternoon of the following day. Having slept for too longst night, her temples now throbbed. She shut her eyes and sat up after a while. The door was suddenly pushed open, and Weston walked in. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± She hummed and answered, confused, ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°I took a day off for you, don¡¯t worry.¡± He stopped beside her and put up a small table on the bed and ced some breakfast for her. Seeing this, she subconsciously turned to him. He didn¡¯t look at her instead he said naturally, ¡°Eat some breakfast. If you can¡¯t, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± He barely spoke in such an admonishing way, and she was so stunned that she simply stared at him nkly, in a daze. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He poked her forehead lightly. Such a disy of intimacy had never been shown before. The most he did before was cuddle her to sleep, and was barely this affectionate with her. She didn¡¯t say a word and lifted the nket. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go wash up.¡± He didn¡¯t stop her but seeing her walking around with bare feet, a frown appeared on his face, and he directly carried her up. He cradled her in his arms and walked to the closet before taking a pair of furry slippers and putting it on her. Her feet were tiny, only around the size of his palm. When he was helping her wear it, he made her sit on his legs. He was sorge he could cover her up perfectly in his arms. She sat steadily on his legs. When she felt a rough touch on her feet, she subconsciously w anted to pull it back, but he held on to it tighter. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. As her soft skin rubbed against his palm, memories gushed back into Weston¡¯s mind. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± His voice was husky. Ste could see his Adam¡¯s apple sliding up and down. She didn¡¯t dare to move since she sensed a shift in him. Weston was deafeningly silent. He helped her put on the shoe and get up to wash up. Without looking back, she headed straight into the bathroom. Only then did he stand up and walked outside after calming. After she was done, she saw a huge figure helping her tidy the small table on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll eat in the living room.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered yet. It¡¯s best for you to stay in bed.¡± She didn¡¯t want to. ¡°I¡¯m already healed, and it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, why do I still need to lie down?¡± There was a hint ofint in her words. Suddenly, his movement froze. It had been a while since he heard her speaking like that to him. Not as tit-for-tat as before, or as uncaring and unyielding as before, but with a natural coquettishness. The movement in his hands gradually slowed and his voice sounded calm as he said, ¡°We¡¯ll go to the living room.¡± He didn¡¯t find it troublesome and restored all the actions he just did. Ste turned sideways and watched him pass by, walking from the corridor to the living room. The look on her face turned cold instantly before it became calm once again. It wasn¡¯t as confrontational as before, or as uncaring and unyielding. It now had a natural coquettishness. To her, it was as easy as acting. A grin appeared on her face before she adjusted her state and walked out. Breakfast went by peacefully and smoothly. He had finished breakfast a long time ago, but he stayed to keep an eye on her. Gastric often has a lot to do with irregr eating habits. Seeing that Ste had only drank a mouthful of milk, then frowned to herself not wanting to drink anymore, he tapped his finger on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Hearing this, she put the cup down and stopped drinking. The corners of her lips were stained with bit of milk When Weston saw this, he leaned over and wiped it away with his thumb. She was just about to hand him a tissue to wipe it away when she saw him putting the same thumb into his mouth and sucking it. ¡°You¡­¡± A blush crept on her face. She hadn¡¯t thought that he would be so bold. It was rare for him to see her blushing, and he smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She shook her head and lowered it before coughing awkwardly and asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°10 am.¡± She was lost in her thoughts. It was indeed quite early. Although she doesn¡¯t need to go to the training center, Weston could see that she was thinking a lot. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere today. Just stay at home and take care of your health.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°What a waste to stay at home on such a fine day,¡± she said dejectedly. ¡°Being with me is a waste too?¡± She didn¡¯t answer him, but her eyes were filled with devastation. Hence, unable to face the thought of her rpsing to her old depressed self, now that she had found some joy in her life, he responded, ¡°I can drive you about in the afternoon. However, if you don¡¯t feel good, we must return quickly. Do you get it?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She instantly shed him a smile. ¡°If you¡¯re acting now, your technique is incredible,¡± he said hopelessly, startled by how rapidly her face transformed. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Her heart tensed the moment she heard him say it, fearful that he would be unhappy. But looking at the smile on his face, she knew that he was teasing her. Despite the fact that he could tell she was putting up an act, he was willing to ept this version of her. Ste¡¯s expression gradually darkened. It was ironic to see him putting so much effort to make her return to her old self when once, she had loved him with her all but he paid no attention to it. She knew his intentions, but she didn¡¯t show that she did. After finishing the meal, he helped her clean up. She was about to clean it up but seeing that he had stood up and done it, she left the task to him. When they were still together before this, she would never let him do any of the chores. All he had to do was sit there while she took care of everything for him, as a nanny would. But the tables had turned now. She sat on the sofa and took out her phone. Roger had sent her multiple messages. In an instant, the tough exterior she had put up was gone. She lied to him. She lied that she had a very important task and needed to be on a business trip. But she was only a teacher¡­ where could she go? To make sure the lie didn¡¯t get exposed, Yvonne even called him to exin, and he had apparently bought it. It had been a few days since she went home, and this had never happened before. Roger would call her every night to hear her voice and Weston would go away when they spoke. A faint smile appeared on her face as she read his messages of the interesting stuff happening at school. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. When Weston came out of the kitchen and saw such a sight, he felt his heart tighten. As the sunlight pierced through the window, Ste looked tiny sitting on the couch. She was wearing the same house clothes she used to wear; it was as if they were still married. Her jet- ck hair clung to her cheeks, and with the sun radiating her from behind, the hair on her face as well as the blue blood vessels could be seen under her almost transparent skin. She was smiling. It was a genuine smile. One look and he could tell that the person on the phone must be someone she cared about. This was how she always was. When it came to the ones she cared about, she would give them all her love. It was at that moment that Weston realized that Ste had only been putting up an act for him and he almost fell for it. If he hadn¡¯t seen the sincere smile she had right now, he would¡¯ve thought the old Ste was back, at least for a moment. ¡­back to when he was the only one in her eyes. Only when a tall figure appeared next to her did Stee back to her senses. She put her phone away and gazed at him. ¡°What are we going to do in the afternoon?¡± It was two hours before noon, and having just had breakfast, she didn¡¯t want to eat anything. He was about to say something when his phone rang. He nced at the screen and the look in his eyes changed as he subconsciously turned to Ste. She understood what he meant and without a word, shifted her gaze away. Weston wanted to say something but there was nothing to say at this point. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 He walked to the balcony and picked up the call. Guinevere¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Weston, where are you now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked directly. She was quiet for a while. ¡°Are you in Anh City? I want to see you¡­¡± She didn¡¯t sound like she was in a good state. ¡°Just tell me directly if there¡¯s anything,¡± he cut her off, sounding as if he was annoyed by her. ¡°Was it all in your n to bring me to do a psychological test so that my emotions got unstable and then postpone our marriage?¡± she said, a little self-deprecatingly. He didn¡¯t say a word, but his heavy breathing was audible through the phone. Her eyes were red as she asked, ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡± ¡°You remember it all?¡± Only now did his voice show slight emotions. ¡°Yes. I remembered that night.¡± Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and cried out, ¡°How could you do that to me! I can only have one kid in my entire life, how could you do that to me?¡± After remembering that incident, every time she looked at Zachary, she felt the urge to kill him. Why? Guinevere covered her face and cried. She just wanted to have a kid with the man she loved. Why was fate ying with her like that? ¡°Since you remember everything¡­¡± There was only coldness left in his voice as he continued, ¡°If you want anypensation, I will do my best¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you topensate me! Didn¡¯t you promise me that you¡¯ll marry me?¡± Guinevere suddenly lost her calm and began wailing into her phone. ¡°Why! You and your father destroyed me! Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll tell everyone? Guess how your mother will respond if she discovers Zachary¡¯s true identity?¡± ¡°Guinevere.¡± Weston sharply called her name and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± ¡°What did you promise me? I can keep this a secret forever as long as you marry me. I loved you for so long¡­¡± Before she could finish, he coldly cut her off. ¡°Since you remember everything, I don¡¯t have to remind you who is the one that caused all of this to happen.¡± After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone and his face was gloomy to the point of bing terrifying After a while, he dialed another number. The person on the other line picked up and he said directly, ¡°Guinevere remembers everything. If you don¡¯t want mom to find out what happened, get someone to watch her.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you solve this matter already? How can she remember!¡± Chris¡¯s anger could be heard from the phone. Weston rubbed his forehead in frustration and answered, ¡°Instead of letting your anger out on me, why don¡¯t you find a way to solve it?¡± Chris¡¯s public image was always that of a nice andpassionate man who adored his wife, but in truth, he was far from that. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought her to see the psychologist, all of this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Weston chuckled coldly. ¡°You caused all the trouble. I¡¯m just helping you, father.¡± He deliberately said thest word out loud with some force. The man on the other end of the phone instantly went quiet. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°I¡¯ll fix this,¡± Chris replied after a long while, his voice marred with exhaustion. After hanging up the call, Weston didn¡¯t return to the living room. As he looked at the view afar, he felt his temples throb, He turned around and saw Ste behind him. He didn¡¯t know when she came but she was staring dully at him. She put her hand on the window, and her eyes were crystal clear. After some time, he gradually opened his mouth and asked, ¡°How much did you hear? Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 She gradually tightened her grip on the door frame and shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything at all.¡± One thing for sure-someone had dirt on Weston. And that someone was his father. No matter what kind of secret existed between them, it was one that rendered both father and son helpless. Weston, however, didn¡¯t believe her. Perhaps Ste had heard something but acted like she didn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. Even if she stood there and listened to the entire thing, he knew that she would never find out about the truth. Without thinking much, he walked in front of her and carried her. She let out a scream when she felt that her legs were lifted off the ground and both her hands went wrapped around his arm. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re bored. Why don¡¯t we do something fun.¡± She didn¡¯t know what he meant by ¡°fun,¡± but her instinct told her that it wasn¡¯t anything good. Seeing that he was walking in the direction of the bedroom, she asked anxiously, ¡°You promised me before that you wouldn¡¯t force me when ites to this. What are you doing?¡± As if he didn¡¯t hear her objections, he continued walking to the bedroom. When they were near the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at the woman in his arms with a half-smile. Before she could grasp what he meant, he suddenly turned in the opposite direction and walked towards the kitchen. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She was taken aback for a while, a bit mad, when she realized that he was ying with her.¡± Do you think this is funny?¡± He ignored her and carried her directly to his study. This room used to be a forbidden ce for Ste. If there was nothing important, she would never go in and disturb him. Weston basically did all his work stuff inside. Although he was barely at home, his files were inside the room, and she didn¡¯t dare to go in, fearing that she might identally lose something and cause him trouble. Perhaps he never cared about her thoughtful actions. The room, painted in ck and white, was frigid as it was extraordinarily quiet. Several booksy on the huge desk, with hisputer at the middle. He put her on the leather couch beside the table. When she was on the couch, she immediately curled herself into a ball and looked at him in confusion. He gently caressed her hair and put a nket over her before handing her a tablet. ¡°Do whatever you like.¡± Ste didn¡¯t fully understood what he meant, but he was already sitting down at the table working. ¡°Do you want me to sit here and watch you work?¡± He nced at her and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any other things to do?¡± She understood what he meant and didn¡¯t say a word. He wanted her to apany him while he worked She shook her head and said, ¡°Can you give me an earphone? I don¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± He interrupted her. ¡°You can just y it out loud. I won¡¯t get disturbed.¡± She pursed her lips and remembered how she used to lighten her footstep every time she passed the door when he was inside the room. But now he was letting her y it out loud. Her lips curled into a mocking smile, and she used the tablet to cover her face, not letting him see the sneer on her face. The two spent the day quietly inside the room. Ste went on a movie binge, running through each one as she fast forwarded them at double speed. Sometimes she would simply watch the synopsis. Weston would nce at her from time to time, and after confirming that she was sitting there, he would turn back to work When he realized it, it was already afternoon. He looked at the time before asking, ¡°Are you hungry yet?¡± She gave no reply. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Weston looked up and noticed that Ste had fallen asleep. She held the tablet in front of her face, but it was slipping and on the edge of hitting her face. Seeing this, he quickly walked forward and caught the tablet. Ste was deep in slumber that she didn¡¯t even notice him being so close. This was the first time ever since they reunited that she was sleeping with her guard down. His eyes softened as he gazed at her and turned off the tablet before squatting in front of her. Just as he reached out to touch her, she jolted awake and opened her eyes to look at him. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, asking. ¡°What time is it?¡± She let out a yawn. Weston stood up. ¡°It¡¯s noon. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°You need to eat a little bit even if you¡¯re not hungry. You must develop the habit of eating on time.¡± Ste didn¡¯t say a word and he carried her straight into the dining hall. He didn¡¯t know when it started but he seemed to enjoy carrying her around and not letting her fall. When they arrived in the living room, they saw a maiding from the dining hall. Neatly dressed, she gestured respectfully when she saw theming, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, the meal is ready.¡± Ste didn¡¯t know there was an outsider there. Although the maid didn¡¯t show any weird expression, Ste was in his arms. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Ste eximed in panic suddenly. Weston nced at her and without a word, carried her to the dining table and sat her down. This embarrassed her a little and she subconsciously turned to look at the maid. The maid, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She was probably well-trained, considering how professional she behaved and looked at them with no weird expressions. Once they were both seated, she began serving the dishes. Weston exined to Ste, ¡°From now on Joan will take care of your meals. If you have any requests, you can tell her.¡± Ste gave it some thought and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let me walk on my own next time.¡± She felt like a disabled person letting him carry her around, especially when there was the presence of an outsider. However, Weston continued on, as if he didn¡¯t hear what she said. ¡°I¡¯ve told Joan about your taste. Try and see if you like it.¡± Only then did she nce at the table full of dishes, and she could tell that a lot of effort had been put into them. It was a table of home-cooked dishes, and although some did look a little nd, they were all her favorite. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She didn¡¯t dare to eat them, but under his gaze, she forced herself to eat a bite of chopped pepper fish head. It was spicy but tasty. She swallowed it and waited for the burning sensation to emerge in her stomach, but it never came. It was strange. The dish was vourful, but after eating it she didn¡¯t feel the heat. Instead, it was benign. She didn¡¯t feel the least ufortable. She was truly shocked by this. Weston¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Judging from her reaction, he knew that she was feeling fine. Hiring Joan wasn¡¯t a waste of money after all. ¡°Eat more if you like it.¡± He put some more dishes on her te. She was a little dazed, but then she suddenly remembered the scene where he was cutting steak for Guinevere. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 As the image floated in her thoughts, a wave of nausea washed over her. She covered her mouth and ran outside. After a while, vomiting noises could be hearding from the toilet. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened, looking at the undisturbed tableware as he stood up. He strode to the washroom and squatted beside her and patted her back gently. Nothing came out of her retching. Her stomach appeared to be intertwined, making her nauseous, and tears streamed down her cheeks from pain. Seeing her in pain, he said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll fire Joan.¡± He believed that the dishes had caused the violent reaction. However, Ste instantly grabbed his wrist and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ because of her. The dishes¡­ she makes¡­ suit my taste¡­¡± She kept pausing as she spoke. Weston immediately tied her hair behind and handed her a ss of water. After she finished rinsing her mouth, he said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, and tell me if you feel any difort.¡± She nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s really not because of Joan. It¡¯s my own problem¡­¡± After she came to her senses, she stood up. He was still standing beside her. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She forced a smile at him. His gaze was still fixed on her. Seeing that her hair was sticking on her face, he reached out to help her tidy it. His fingers ran on her face, and she grabbed his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s continue eating.¡± Weston, having lost all mood, basically stared at her the entire time. Only when he saw that she seemed fine and was eating a lot more than usual that he calmed down. Joan was waiting on call in the vi. When she heard about Ste¡¯s reaction, she was a bit nervous. Later, after she saw Ste eating with delight, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been in this business for many years, and unlike the expected qualifications for the service industry, she had actually graduated from a famous school. Being dissatisfied with her work, she decided to join the industry, studying for many years to obtain a certificate as a qualified nutritionist. She had a strong reputation in the sector and had was in the service of high-ranking officials. But there weren¡¯t many who were as generous as Weston, not to mention that he cared about Ste. She had heard a lot of rumors, but she wasn¡¯t even slighty curious. Besides, anything she saw or knew had to be kept strictly confidential. While she was cleaning the table, she even said to Ste, ¡°If Ms. Steele has any dissatisfaction, please tell me directly, so I can improve my work.¡± Ste nodded. She was suddenly envious of Joan when she saw her work. She, too, wanted to work hard on her job, solely concentrating on improving her skills. Perhaps the conventional view for women was that they should spend the majority of their energy on their families, their husbands, and children, something that would provide some women with a sense of stability. But to Ste, only work could make her feel secure. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Weston was able to give her a stable life, but she knew that it was just a cage that would keep her from improving He kept his words and brought her around in the afternoon. Although she had stayed in Anh City for a while, she never went out. The only ces she went to were the training center anding back home. Her life was simply devoid of any fun. The one time she had fun, though, was when Yvonne brought her to The Doghouse. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 When it came to this, Weston and Lucas had the same opinion. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing important, don¡¯t go to ces like that anymore,¡± he warned. Ste knew her identity now so she naturally wouldn¡¯t rebut him. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± She would remember this day. Thest day of October. On this day, next year, she would be able to escape the cage that had entrapped her. She would be counting down the days from then. At the thought that she would be leaving Weston, she felt like she could breathe again. She didn¡¯t know where he was taking her. The car window wound down, and she looked out at the view. Seeing her hair was in a mess because of the wind blowing, he rolled up the window a little bit. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t put your head out.¡± He was reminding her like he was taking care of a child. She cupped her chin with her palm and through the reflection of the window, she could make out his side profile. It was only a reflection, yet she could see his perfect jawline. She stared at him without any emotion in her eyes. Ste could see why Guinevere was head over heels for him. But she was far more aware since she understood that underneath the gorgeous and pleasant exterior,y nothing more than a selfish demon. When she lost her child, she had also lost all her love for him. Now that she was half a soul, of course, she wouldn¡¯t find him attractive. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The car stopped in some suburb. Thinking he had just taken her out to rx, she was stunned when she saw the piano shop in front of her. ¡°Musx?¡± She didn¡¯t think that he would bring her here. As someone who learned piano from a young age, she naturally knew whichpany made good quality musical instruments. For those who enjoyed music especially, an instrument was as precious as an unseverable limb. Ste was the apple of her parents¡¯ eye, and they did everything they could to provide for her. She loved to y the piano so they spent a lot of money and bought a piano from Musx. Loving the sound it made, she couldn¡¯t get her hands off it and yed on it for many years. The death of her parents, however, burdened her with debts. Having little choice, she sold it to get money. Musx was the one brand that every music student yearned for. It was like the Rolls-Royce of musical instruments, at the very pinnacle of what it could offer. The name alone was enough to guarantee the quality. The annual output of musical instruments declined as the craftsman aged, making them more valuable. Even those with money wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to purchase them. Even if one eventually managed to ce an order, the customer would have to wait for a long time before they could get the real thing. Musx¡¯s boss was a grumpy old man, but his extraordinary level of craftsmanship enabled him to make each of his instruments perfectly tailored to its yer. Many capitalists had tried to coborate with the boss, hoping to mass-produce his intruments, but they were all rejected. Everyone in the industry knew that this was a brand with a soul. Seeing Ste¡¯s longing and excited expression, Weston knew that they hade to the right ce. ¡°Go inside and take a look,¡± he said as he patted her head. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 From the outside, it was difficult to believe that such a lowborn ce was the birthce of Musx, a revered and renowned international brand of musical instruments. Ste wasn¡¯t sure if it was psychological, but as she came in, everything around her seemed so sacred. From the outside, nothing looked unusual. The building materials were half wood and half cement, devoid of any sense of design. Undoubtedly, it looked a bit nondescript. As they walked through the gate, they saw a few apprentices grinding wood in the yard. Musx¡¯s founder was now an elderly man with a peculiar temper. He epted apprentices, but he had strict standards, requiring them to complete all of the steps without the assistance of others. So, when anyone entered, their eyes would be feasted on the sight of an army of apprentices doingborious work The minute Weston and Ste walked in, a woman in a dress came to wee them. ¡°Mr. Ford, Mr. Kennedy is resting inside. Please follow me.¡± She was an older woman, but she maintained her appearance well. Dressed in a white gown that entuated her hourss figure, her outfit featured a lotus on the hem, which was adorned with cyan silk thread that looked delicate and elegant. Ste couldn¡¯t help but took a couple more looks at it. Weston didn¡¯t really care about it but seeing that Ste was looking at it so fascinatingly, he held her chin and asked, ¡°How are you looking at a woman so seriously?¡± ¡°So, you mean that it¡¯s fine if I look at men?¡± she subconsciously rebutted him. His face darkened instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± His possessiveness was excessive. He was right to oppose her gazing at males, but it seemed the crime of looking at women was just as severe. He was especially irritated when Ste waspletely focused on another person. Weston couldn¡¯t understand why he was feeling like that. Ste would only affect him when she was around him, but never had he once thought of letting her go. The woman saw that Ste was interested in her dress and smiled gently at her. ¡°Mr. Kennedy has been interested in dressestely. He¡¯s even learning how to make them. This is one of his creations while he was practicing.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Ste gasped in awe. ¡°Mr. Kennedy is just ying around. He can¡¯tpete against the professionals.¡± The woman seemed to know a lot about Mr. Kennedy, and her remarks were filled with reverence for him. But it wasn¡¯t mindless devotion, and there was even a hint of helplessness. ¡°He¡¯s usually like this. His orders fromst year have piled up until today. Customers would¡¯ve been pushing him if it weren¡¯t for his image! He has an odd temperament in that he dislikes being pushed, and procrastinates a lot. He¡¯ll be learning how to make leather bags one minute, then outfits the next. He simply can¡¯t focus on what¡¯s necessary.¡± Steughed when she heard this. She hadn¡¯t thought that Mr. Kennedy had reached the stage where he was willing to humble himself and learn new things from other experts. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Although he was a little weird and caused lots of headaches to the customers, his attitude was the same as a young person¡¯s. ¡°Those who do art have that little thing that gives people headaches.¡± The woman shook her head helplessly. She brought the two of them into the hall, pulled open the curtain and Ste could smell the scent of sandalwood. It was a very special soothing scent. Ste had been to temples before, and it smelt simr, although not exactly the same. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 ¡°Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Ford is here.¡± The woman pulled apart the curtains to the room and yelled. Ste and Weston stood outside, waiting together. Suddenly, a deep voice came from inside. ¡°Let him wait for a bit. I still have some unfinished business.¡± The woman put down the curtain and gazed at Weston apologetically. ¡°Mr. Kennedy is still not done yet. You may have to wait for a while.¡± She was in charge of weing guests there and she knew that they couldn¡¯t make customers like Weston wait for too long. Although Mr. Kennedy was weird, there were some people even he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Artists like them could have their temper, but at times, in front of money and power, they had to to lower themselves. Weston, on the other hand, was quite easygoing. He shot a nce at Ste and asked, ¡°Do you want to take a walk?¡± The woman could tell that Weston hade mainly for Ste and was focussing all his attention on her. ¡°Ms. Steele, you¡¯re interested in my dress, aren¡¯t you? Mr. Kennedy collects different designs of dresses. Do you want toe with me and look?¡± Instantly, Ste¡¯s interest was piqued, and she nodded. Seeing that she was happy, Weston let her roam around. The woman focused her entire attention on Ste, knowing that if Ste was pleased, Weston wouldn¡¯t bother them. ¡°Are all these instruments made by Mr. Kennedy?¡± Ste couldn¡¯t help but be amazed when she saw the wall filled with hand-crafted items. ¡°Not just Mr. Kennedy, but also the apprentices,¡± the woman remarked with a smile. ¡°Look! Their names are written on the wall. Some have already achieved mastery, while others are still learning. There aren¡¯t as many stringent levels here. If you think your work is good, you can share it. Others may criticize you if they believe you are unworthy. ¡± Ste really liked the environment there. Along the way, she saw many excellent works and couldn¡¯t help but be in awe. It had been so long since Weston saw her look this satisfied. ¡°This is the dress section. Many female celebrities tailor their dresses here.¡± ¡°Our brand is unique from others in that it is totally dependent on chance. Many individuals wanted to wear this garment on the runway shortly after Mr. Kennedy created it. But he was unconcerned about fame or prestige. It was eventually presented to the actress Guinevere.¡± After the woman finished speaking, she realized that something was wrong. She quickly shut her mouth, and introduced the next dress with a normal expression, ¡°There are also some other dresses. You might want to have a look at them.¡± The smile on Ste¡¯s face gradually disappered and she simply said nothing. Although the woman didn¡¯t say anything, it felt like she knew what Ste¡¯s identity was. How could anyone not know Weston¡¯s other half, the famous Guinevere?C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Although they were smiling and treating her politely, they had every right to look down upon a home wrecker liked her. Ste shut her eyes and released a sigh. Instantly, her mood was gone. Weston could tell something was off with her because ever since she heard Guinevere¡¯s name, she had been keeping quiet. After the woman left, he suddenly grabbed Ste¡¯s wrist and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not married yet.¡± After reuniting, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had told her this. At first, Ste thought he was just lying to her but now as she gazed into his eyes, she knew he was being honest. But she was devoid of feelings. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± she questioned quietly. ¡°Do you want me to give the two of you a present or do you want me to attend your wedding?¡± Asides from all that, she doesn¡¯t know why he would tell her these. . Sure enough, his face fell. He stood up and stared at her steadily. Before he shifted his gaze away, there weren¡¯t any emotions in his eyes. Not longter, Mr. Kennedy appeared fifty minutester than the originally promised time. But he doesn¡¯t look apologetic as a bright smile was hanging on his face and he greeted Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, I can¡¯t believe you had the time toe here. To what I owe you this pleasure.¡± The heater inside the room was at a high temperature. Weston took off his jacket and hung it on his arm as he looked at Mr. Kennedy. ¡°I¡¯m here to get a piano.¡± ¡°Piano? When did you continue to y the piano again?¡± Mr. Kennedy was taken aback. ¡°You used to lose your patience when learning it as a kid. Why did you suddenly think about picking it up?¡± Mr. Kennedy was a professional, so Weston had always respected him. Before this, he felt it was a pity that Weston quit piano because he was talented, but then he realized that Weston was just too smart. He was a fast learner but whether he would continue learning or not depended solely on his interest Mr. Kennedy knew that he was going to inherit the family business in the end. All of these were merely a hobby to him as he would never change his career. Mr. Kennedy understood that doing business earns more money. But what he didn¡¯t think was that after so many years, he would see him in Musx. Weston turned to look at Ste and said, ¡°No. It¡¯s for her.¡± Mr. Kennedy only noticed the woman beside him now. He adjusted his sses and looked at Ste more closely. His countenance changed dramatically as he inquired, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Her name is E, and she can y the piano really well.¡± Weston introduced her. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Really?¡± The elderly man¡¯s face got more solemn, and he didn¡¯t say anything, instead, looking at the woman beside him. The woman shook her head at him, her face filled with embarrassment as she lowered her head. Everyone was silent, as if not interested in the private lives of the two of them. But Ste felt her face heating up. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Any woman in her position would feel the exact same thing. She was the home wrecker, and she could feel the names andbels that others were bestowing on her, Although they didn¡¯t show it, they must have looked down at her. she really wanted to get out of this suffocating situation, especially in front of a professional she admired. Mr. Kennedy looked at her before saying, ¡°It¡¯s E, right? Sure. Since Weston asked me, I won¡¯t question anything. Come here.¡± Ste hadn¡¯t processed it yet and subconsciously nced at Weston. He was standing next to her, helping her arrange her clothes. ¡°Follow him. Don¡¯t worry about the rest.¡± As though knowing her concerns, he lowered his head and whispered next to her ears, ¡°No one will say a word here. Don¡¯t worry. Go and pick a piano.¡± At that, she pursed her lips and followed him. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. But she seemed a little hesitant, as if afraid of something. The woman in the gown maintained her elegant posture throughout and murmured to Weston next to her, ¡°Mr. Kennedy may require some time toprehend her. Mr. Ford, please join me for some tea.¡± Weston followed her but after a few stepped, he stopped and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I need to be with her.¡± The woman was in a dilemma. ¡°This has never happened before. They won¡¯t take a long. Mr. Kennedy just wants to know her better.¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, his actions proved his attitude, as he walked in the direction Ste headed. The woman quickly followed him. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± She had no other choice but topromise. ¡°When a customer is doing their assessment, outsiders aren¡¯t allowed in. I hope you can understand this and don¡¯t disturb Mr. Kennedy.¡± Although it seemed she was making excuses for Mr. Kennedy, she was in fact protecting him. Art wasn¡¯t like business. Business¡¯ only concern was with interests and regtions, but art concerned imagination and personal sentiments. It was not inhibited by rules. As Mr. Kennedy¡¯s assistant, she needed to tell these things beforehand. If he was disturbed during the assessment, he might get mad, and when that happened, Weston would be upset as well. Hence, she couldn¡¯t afford to let anything happen to Mr. Kennedy and Musx Weston, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care one bit. He followed her into a room and through a curtain, he could see Ste. She was seated in front of Mr. Kennedy, looking very nervous. In private, Mr. Kennedy was considered a kind man. The first thing he did was poured a cup of tea for her. This gesture left Ste a little taken aback. ¡°Let me¡­¡± ¡°How can I let you do it?¡± He cut her off immediately. ¡°This is a habit of mine. You don¡¯t have to drink it if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Ste awkwardly froze before retracting her hand and muttered a thank you. He didn¡¯t respond to her. Instead, he pointed to a piano in the corner and said, ¡°Go there and y a song for me.¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Ste set the cup down, moved up to the piano, and carefully sat down The piano was ancient, and it paled inparison to the high-end beautiful instruments shown outside. An off-key tone could be heard as she gently ced her fingers on the piano keys, She scrunched her eyebrows, said nothing, and began to y a simple rendition of ¡°Ode to Joy.¡± It wasn¡¯t that good because the notes were off- key. Before she could finish the whole song, Mr. Kennedy interrupted, ¡°Weston said you learned piano before. How can you mess up such an easy song?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t really mastered the techniques.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t build instruments for those who can¡¯t y them,¡± Mr. Kennedy scorned. ¡°No matter how excellent the instrument is, you can¡¯t release its full potential if you¡¯re ipetent on it. People would laugh if they find out you yed on my piano.¡± To him, the piano wasn¡¯t merely a lifeless contraption, but a life that contained a soul. He would rather destroy a piano than give it to a performer who couldn¡¯t perform well. Ste knew that he probably had a prejudice against her, so she put on a humble attitude throughout the end. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When she was with Weston, they were polite to her but once he was away, they showed her their true colors. When it came to cheating, the weaker one always ended up taking the me. She was a woman and the fairer one in the rtionship. No one would care if she was forced or if she did it willingly. With her face devoid of emotion, she merely smiled and looked at Mr. Kennedy. ¡°The piano is so off ¨C key; I wonder if something nice cane out even if you y it, Mr. Kennedy.¡± Kennedy narrowed his eyes, eyeballing her from head to toe. When he firstid eyes on her, he knew she was the resolute and unyielding kind of woman. While she yed the piano, he could tell that she had good basic skills, a good attitude, and was very humble. But something wascking. Her rebuke earlier showed him her true colors. ¡°Since you knew it was off-key, why didn¡¯t you say a thing? How should I know whether you¡¯re telling the truth or making up excuses?¡± ¡°The key is indeed off. It doesn¡¯t matter if you make a piano for me. I just hope that you won¡¯t misapprehend the next person thates here.¡± Ste stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t really want a piano anyways, since I don¡¯t have much time to y it. I really don¡¯t deserve one. Even for Weston¡¯s sake, it¡¯ll be a waste if make one for me. It¡¯ll be better to give it to those who need it more.¡± Mr. Kennedy grinned and brushed his beard. He stopped Ste just as she was ready to go.¡± Hold on! You said Weston forced you toe here. He¡¯ll raise issues for me if you go away like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell him myself,¡± she said without turning her head. ¡°You really don¡¯t?¡± he asked with some apathy. ¡°I thought about it earlier, and I was going to make a grand piano for you. It¡¯s such a shame that you don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± Ste instantly froze in her tracks and gawked at him, shocked and speechless. It was as though Mr. Kennedy had transformed into a whole new person, one that had way less hostility toward her. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the matters between you two. I just want an honest person ying my instrument¡­ to give it life¡­¡± As he spoke, he suddenly became serious. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, or what you have to hide, but don¡¯t forget your original intention¡­ and don¡¯t lose yourself in material things.¡± Ste stood there without saying a word. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Her eyes were crimson, and the old guy in front of her appeared to sense the loss and battle raging within her heart during the brief seconds they shared. People who loved art appeared to have pure hearts. Ste, too, wished she could maintain her innocence, but¡­ ¡°The me now really don¡¯t deserve your piano. I know you only make a few pianos in a year. You should leave it for those who deserve it more than me.¡± Seeing her persistence, Mr. Kennedy waved his hand. ¡°Alright. You can go out.¡± Ste shut the door and the minute she turned around she saw Weston waiting for her in the corridor. Seeing that her eyes were red, he frowned and walked to her. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± He gently wiped the tears off her face and said in a heavy tone, ¡°What did Mr. Kennedy say to you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± Not believing what he heard, Weston walked past her, trying to push the door open. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± She immediately pulled his hands. He red coldly and in a chilling tone, said, ¡°Although he¡¯s my teacher, he can¡¯t bully my girl.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t bully me,¡± she said helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to y the piano anymore.¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± He stopped in his tracks when he heard this. She shook her head and said, ¡°Even if there¡¯s a piano at home, I won¡¯t have the time for it. Plus, Mr. Kennedy only produces a few pianos in a year, and there are still so many people waiting. I don¡¯t want to take anyone¡¯s ce.¡± Weston calmed down when he heard her say the word ¡®home¡¯. He reached his hands out to caress her face. ¡°Stop caring about others. If you want it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t want it now.¡± She gazed at him with sincerity and honesty. He gently pinched her cheeks and felt helpless. ¡°Ste, when will you ever stop putting other people before yourself?¡± This stunned her for a little while. It was indeed true. She had always put others first, no matter what she did. The expression on her face dulled, and she whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t do that, ever again.¡± The original n was to get Ste a piano but since she didn¡¯t want it, he took her home. Their car sped down the highway. ¡°Where do you want to go next?¡± he asked her. She shook her head and turned to him suddenly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to do?¡± Although her words were ambiguous, they did make Weston think that she didn¡¯t want to be with him anymore. His forehead scrunched into a frown, he asked, ¡°Do you hope that I have something else to do?¡± Her eyes shed, and she didn¡¯t say a word. It was indeed what she had intended, and she didn¡¯t want to make it obvious.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 They had agreed to be with each other for a year. Throughout this period, she had to behave like how she had before. Although Ste knew she couldn¡¯t entirely y the exact woman she was, and Weston knew they couldn¡¯t go back to the way things were, he would still take it if she was ready to put on an act. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m simply curious. You appeared pressed while answering the phone earlier.¡± She knew how to silence him by bringing up topics he doesn¡¯t want to discuss. Weston understood that she knew the call earlier was about Guinevere, and she had deliberately brought it up because she didn¡¯t want him to continue any further. The man smiled. In fact, instead of showing any anger, he even caressed her head. ¡°You¡¯re bold now.¡± It was the second time he had said that about her. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She propped up her chin with her hands and turned to the window. . As they passed by a road, she suddenlyughed out loud. ¡°What are youughing about?¡± He stared at her through the front mirror. She pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°Do you remember this road? It was here that you left me and drove away,¡± Ste said. The moment her heard what she said, he immediately mmed on the brakes. The car came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. It was a little dark, and the emotions on the man¡¯s face were hardly legible. After a quiet moment, he lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten about the past.¡± Ste wasn¡¯t one to hold a grudge, but from her words, she seemed to still hold one against him. She stared at him nkly as he smoked. The glowing fag swayed between his long, thin fingers, letting out a stream of white smoke that made his looks much more endearing than before. He had a habit of dressing in dark colors, making it difficult for anyone to discern what he was thinking The old her liked to guess what he was thinking. Now, she knew how to mess with his emotions. She recalled the memories and said with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget even if I wanted to. I walked back home alone that day. Such an experience doesn¡¯t happen every day.¡± She was lying through her teeth. He could clearly tell. After leaving her there and driving away, he had actually called Xavier to take her home. He didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t do it on his own. Perhaps it was because they were arguing at the time and no one wanted to apologize first, or he didn¡¯t want her to realize that he had no other options. Now, she had learned how to clinch the past and deal with him slowly. He could see right through her intentions-she was attempting to guilt-trip him into doing whatever she wanted. She was like a new yer on the block that was trying to y mind games with him, but yet, he saw right through her. Nheless, he wasn¡¯t proud that he could see through her attempts at a charade. Weston would¡¯ve preferred not to understand her-he would rather be oblivious to the fact that she held no affection for him, and that her every word and action was calcted. She wasn¡¯t nning to defraud him of his money. She wanted to leave him. He stepped hard on the gas pedal. Ste¡¯s entire body flung backward into the seat, unprepared for the abrupt action. The expression on his face was of a furious boar, and this left her perplexed. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Ste gazed outside the window, feeling uneasy. He should¡¯ve made a concession to her, but from the expression on his face, he didn¡¯t appear to be feeling remorseful. Ste¡¯s face darkened. In the end, she still couldn¡¯t see through him. She was too na?ve to think that she could y mind games with him. Weston had lost all mood to take her around, driving straight back to the mansion instead. Joan approached them as soon as they entered the home. ¡°Someone is searching for you at the old mansion, Mr. Ford. They were undoubtedly in an emergency and couldn¡¯t reach your phone.¡± To help Ste choose a piano, he had moved all his work to the next day so no one could bother them. When he heard this, he didn¡¯t say a word but walked to the balcony and answered the phone. On the other end, he heard ady screaming ¡°Westone back now! Guinevere lost her mind. She wants to choke Zachary to death!¡± Wendy was hysterical, overwhelmed by the jumbled cries of women, children, and the surrounding sounds. In the midst of chaos, Chris tookmand of the phone and stated sharply, ¡°Weston,e home immediately.¡± Weston rubbed his forehead in frustration and his face was solemn. ¡°I remember I reminded you before.¡± Chris noticed the me and question in his voice. ¡°Guinevere just wants to see you now!¡± he begged, his expression dismayed, The scene was a mess. The maid was carrying Zachary in her arms and kept avoiding Guinevere¡¯s attack It was as if she had gone mad wanting to kill her own son. With his head throbbing, Chris yelled into the phone, ¡°Come home immediately! No matter where you are juste here now!¡± Guinevere had totally gone out of control. Only Weston could convince her to calm down. He wanted to help Guinevere but who would have thought that his appearance would only provoke her and made her recall the past that she tried hard to forget. However, Weston not picking up her calls made things even worse and it directly caused her to break down She was out of control now. If she continued to be like this, there was no way they could exin it all to her family. Weston¡¯s face darkened and he turned to look at Ste before shifting his gaze away. ¡°Take care of her. I¡¯ming now.¡± At the other end of the phone, Guinevere couldn¡¯t stop shouting as if she had lost all rationale. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chris didn¡¯t want her near Wendy, feared that she would say something to her. Only when he hung up the phone did he sigh in relief. But it was only a brief period of relief. He immediately said to Wendy, ¡°She¡¯s unstable now. Go upstairs. Don¡¯t let her hurt you.¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes flickered and she stared at him dully before turning to look at Guinevere. ¡°No matter what she shouldn¡¯t hurt Zachary. He is her child. How could she have the heart to kill him?¡± she muttered to herself. However, she didn¡¯t notice that the look on Chris¡¯ face had changed. Not daring to give her another look, he asked the servants to take her upstairs with Zachary. The maid picked Zachary in her arms and held Wendy¡¯s hand before running upstairs, wondering what in the world had actually happened to Guinevere. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 When Guinevere spotted them escaping, she raced forward to stop them. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him. He shouldn¡¯t be here. I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Her eyes were red, and Chris blocked her path. ¡°Enough! He¡¯s your son!¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t!¡± shouted Guinevere, scratching his face. ¡°Open your eyes! See clearly that he¡¯s the son you¡¯ve given birth to!¡± he shouted. ¡°He¡¯s one of the Ford¡¯s!!!¡± ¡°Right. He is, in fact, a member of the Ford family.¡± A sudden thought crossed her mind, and she appeared to sober up a little, with a sneer emerging on her face. She slowly walked toward Chris and when he saw the look on her face, he seemed to realize what was happening and slowly backed away. Although he was a man of age, he was still charming. Even at this age, there were still many women that would fall for him. He and Wendy were a well-known and loving couple, and no one had ever questioned their rtionship after they had been through so much together. But there was one exception¡­ ¡°He is indeed a child of the Ford family.¡± Guinevere¡¯sughter was a little maddening. The maids around didn¡¯t know what was happening and could only stare at her with fear in their eyes. Chris felt like his head was about to crack at any moment. He rubbed his forehead and said, ¡° Everyone go upstairs now. Don¡¯te down without my permission.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± No matter what, he couldn¡¯t let Wendye down. Seeing how the confrontation went, Guinevere had fully lost control and might say something she shouldn¡¯t. He sucked in a deep breath and said to her, ¡°Calm down a little. Didn¡¯t we have an agreement? Do you have to¡­¡± ¡°Am I the one who broke the promise? It was Weston! Ask him toe and see me now!¡± she broke down and yelled pitifully. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he here yet? Is he with Ste?¡± ¡°But she died a long time ago! Who would he be with right now?¡± She yanked at her hair in frustration, trying to figure it out with a face covered in tears. Every bit of her that was like a goddess seemed to disappear. ¡°How can he treat me like this?! Didn¡¯t he say that we¡¯ll get married?¡± It was as if she had forgotten what had happened before. Even Chris couldn¡¯t grasp what was going on with her. ¡°Guinevere, calm down. Don¡¯t hurt Zachary. He¡¯s your son!¡± ¡°I know he is my son!¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡°He¡¯s mine and Weston¡¯s son. I won¡¯t hurt him. With him here. Weston woulde back to me, right?¡± She looked up and her bloodshot eyes seemed full of confusion. But Chris wouldn¡¯t believe another word she said. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Weston will be home soon. Calm down. You can talk to himter.¡± Only then did she calm down. She tugged her hair and wondered why she was acting like that earlier. She looked at Chris puzzlingly and asked, ¡°What did I do?¡± He let out a deep sigh and stared at her with mixed emotions. ¡°You lost control earlier. Don¡¯t worry. Your unstable emotions are probably due to you just giving birth. We¡¯ll see a doctor soon. I¡¯ll ask Weston to stay with you.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere rubbed her arms and nodded as she lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes. ¡°I understand.¡± Her expression, however, was filled with cynical mockery, amalgamated with a tinge of manic cruelty. But it was gone in a blink of an eye. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Ste just sat down on the sofa. Then, she saw Weston walking in from the balcony, holding his phone next to his ear. He nced at her and said, ¡°I have something to take care of. Be good and stay home.¡± After picking up his jacket on the chair, he put it on and buttoned it up while walking toward the entrance. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Ste. ¡°Come here.¡± He gestured to her with a wave. Ste hesitated a little before she stood up from the couch and slowly walked up to him.¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± Weston said nothing as he pulled her by the cor and picked her up. Ste subconsciously let out a scream while her feet dangled in the air. He carried her in his arms before she could even react. Their position changed at once. She looked down at the man in front of her and subconsciously put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Weston easily carried her with one hand while his other hand grabbed the back of her neck. He pressed her down and kissed her. His hand was so strong that Ste was unable to struggle. He held her tightly and stole a hard kiss from her. He held her on top of him and forced her to take his kiss. Ste closed her eyes and waited until the man¡¯s invading scent faded away like a tidal wave. Finally, she opened her eyes. Her eyshes fluttered gently. She resisted him strongly, but she held it in. Neither of them said anything. Perhaps, they did not need to say anything. Ste turned her head away, but Weston would not let her escape. He held her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°I want to hear you say you¡¯ll wait for me toe back.¡± Ste exhaled, looked into his eyes, and said softly, ¡°Okay.¡± She just could not say those words to him. However, Weston was satisfied with her one worded reply. As for the rest, he was not in a hurry to find out. He set her down and ced a gentle kiss on her forehead. However, his tone was unmistakable. ¡°I hope I will see you when Ie home.¡± He reached out to help Ste-tidy her hair around her ear. Ste stood there and let him do whatever he wanted. Then, she watched him leave. All her strength escaped her the moment the door was closed. She stood still and did not move. Suddenly, she dashed to the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and washed the corners of her mouth vigorously. She kept rinsing her mouth and turned the faucet to maximum, letting it hit on her skin as she rubbed herself so hard that her skin was red. Finally, she slowed down when her skin felt sore. When the housekeeper, Joan, heard the noises, she hurriedly rushed over. She thought something had just happened. She was shocked to see Ste keep rinsing herself off. She stood in the bathroom doorway, wondering if she should report to Weston. Ste heard the footsteps and looked up. When she saw the woman standing in the doorway, she managed a smile at her. She paused a little before asking her in a shaky voice, ¡°Can you not tell him?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When she said ¡®him¡¯, she meant Weston. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 She knew Joan was not only in charge of taking care of her. She had also been ordered to keep a watch on her. Every move she made would not escape Weston¡¯s eyes. Joan seemed to be hesitant at her request. She sighed seeing the light in Ste¡¯s eyes turn dimmer. She said, ¡°Ms. Steele, I¡¯m just an employee. If you have any displeasure, pleasemunicate with Mr. Ford directly.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. That meant Joan could not make the decision. Ste nodded and managed a smile at her. ¡°Okay. Nevermind. Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± She casually pulled a towel and wiped the water from her face. At the same time, her phone in the living room suddenly beeped. She went over to see that it was a message from Yvonne. [Yvonne: E, why didn¡¯t you pick up the phone? I have something to tell you. The training center may be closed down.) Ste¡¯s face changed. She hurriedly looked up her call log and found several missed calls from Yvonne. She called her back in a hurry. As soon as the call connected, she asked Yvonne, ¡°Why is the training center closing?¡± However, Yvonne was not the one who answered the call. A man¡¯s voice replied, ¡°The policy has tightened these days. There¡¯s no need to run the training center anymore. ¡°Ms. Steele, please stay away from Yvonne from now on. She¡¯s righteous and always does stupid things for her friends. She easily trusts others. Please don¡¯t use her.¡± His tone was soft, yet polite and distant. He was not ming her, but Ste understood. Ste quietly pinched her palm. Lucas¡¯ warning was clear; he did not conceal his prejudice against her. He did not want her to bring Yvonne¡¯s reputation down. Ste did not say anything and hung up the phone. About a few minutester, her phone rang again. It was from Yvonne. She hesitated a little, unsure if she should answer it. After a few tones, she finally answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± she answered hesitantly. She thought it was Lucas who called, but Yvonne¡¯s voice came instead. ¡°E? It¡¯s me! Did Lucas say anything to you just now?¡± Yvonne spoke in a hurry and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! i just went to the toilet and saw him answering my phone. Did he say anything to you? Don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± ¨C Yvonne knew Lucas disliked Ste. He might have said something bad to her. Hearing Ste¡¯s hesitant voice, she guessed at once, ¡°He said something to you just now, didn¡¯t he?!¡± Yvonne¡¯s voice turned cold. She wanted to settle the score with Lucas. Ste hurriedly said, ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything to me. He just said that the training center might be closed because of the tightening policy. Is that true?¡± ¡°Let me talk to you about this in person. Do you have time now?¡± Yvonne was distracted by the training center¡¯s matter. She sighed, ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to the others about this in person too Ste could hear the dilemma in her voice and understood her condition, so she did not refuse. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 She got ready and was about to leave when Joan stopped her. ¡°Ms. Steele, if there¡¯s no emergency, Mr. Ford said he hoped you would wait for him at home.¡± Ste pointed to her phone and exined, ¡°I have a work emergency, so I need to leave now. Did Weston say anything about restricting my freedom?¡± ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t..¡± However, Joan felt a little troubled. Ste was in a hurry to go out. She said to her, ¡°If there¡¯s any problem, I¡¯ll bear the responsibility.¡± Then, she closed the door and left. Joan watched as St turned to leave. She went forward and wanted to chase her, but she could not stop her. Hence, she had no choice but to give Weston a call and exin the situation to him Weston had just arrived at Ford Mansion when Joan called him. He rubbed his temple and said, ¡°If it¡¯s about work, just let her go.¡± Joan felt relieved to hear that. After hanging up the phone, Weston walked into Ford Mansion. As the car drove in, he saw from afar that the main door was wide open. The situation inside seemed to have calmed down. When he strode in, someone jumped right into his arms ¡°Weston, what took you so long?¡± Guinevere cried so much that her makeup was all messed up. She hugged his waist tightly ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Weston¡¯s face was cold. He looked at Chris behind Guinevere and asked, ¡°What is going on?¡± Chris had aplicated look on his face. He exined, ¡°She suddenly remembered the incident a year ago, but somehow, she quickly forgot again. She¡¯s emotionally unstable now. After you took her to the psychiatrist, anxiety consumed her. Now, she can barely distinguish reality and memory¡± Chris started ming him. Heined, ¡°I¡¯ve told you to keep this a secret forever. Why must you take her to a psychiatrist? If you hadn¡¯t done that, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems now! Weston looked at him coldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that to yourself? Would any of this happen if you had kept your urges under control?¡± Chris knew he was at fault and stopped arguing. He looked in the direction of the second floor and muttered guiltily. ¡°Keep your voice down at home. If your mom hears us¡± ¡°So what if she hears us Things wouldn¡¯t havee to this if you had some sense of responsibility.¡± Weston was unforgivingly savage A fit of rage suddenly took over Chris. ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying all these now? At this point, can we still turn back?! Don¡¯t forget this. You¡¯re the one who promised to help!¡± Weston closed his eyes with a grim face. After a short moment, he finally said with a mocking smile, ¡°Right. I should¡¯ve seen it coming.¡± Guinevere could not understand what they were saying. She looked up at Weston in confusion. ¡°I called you earlier, but why didn¡¯t you answer? What have you been doing?¡± Weston did not say anything. He lowered his gaze at her, his eyes filled withplicated emotions. After a short moment, he asked her, ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± Guinevere shook her head, but she was d to see he still cared about her, so her expression eased a little. She muttered, ¡°You never answered my call. I was scared that you didn¡¯t want me anymore¡­ Weston, will we still marry? Will my emotional stability affect our marriage?¡± Weston said nothing. Looking at her messy hair, he thought of all the things that had happened. He sighed softly. ¡°You¡¯re emotionally unstable now. I¡¯ll bring you to the doctor.¡± Guinevere shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go. I¡¯m scared.¡± Tears began streaming down her cheek again. She looked at him and said sincerely, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. They say I tried to strangle Zack. How could that be? Why would I strangle him¡­¡± Weston¡¯s grip on Guinevere¡¯s shoulder suddenly tightened. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her out of his arms. He looked down at her and said, ¡°You¡¯re emotionally unstable now and unfit to stay with Zack If you continue to stay here, you¡¯ll be a threat to his safety¡­¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Guinevere interrupted him before he could finish. ¡°Weston, what do you mean? Do you want me to distance myself from Zack?¡± Her eyes were filled withints. Chris stood behind her and said, ¡°You have to keep a distance from Zack in your current state. If we¡¯re not around, you¡¯ll hurt Zack and Wendy. You¡¯ll suffer more than you are now.¡± The hope in Guinevere¡¯s eyes shattered. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I hurt Zack¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me? Why can¡¯t I remember anything¡­¡± Weston looked at her grimly, like he was trying to see through her. After a short while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the doctor first.¡± This incident was such a big deal, and the Cohen family found out immediately. They were already unhappy that Weston and Guinevere were still not married. When they heard that Guinevere suddenly became emotionally unstable, they rushed to Ford Mansion without dy. When Weston was about to take Guinevere away, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen¡¯s car arrived. They got out of the car in a hurry and entered the mansion. When Mrs. Cohen saw Guinevere, she immediately burst into tears. ¡°Gwen¡­¡± Mrs. Cohen ran up to Guinevere and hugged her. Guinevere leaned into Mrs. Cohen¡¯s arms and sobbed uncontrobly. Guinevere grew up showered in her mother¡¯s love, but at this moment, she was crying with such messy hair. Mrs. Cohen had never seen Guinevere so aggrieved. She immediately lost her temper. Mr. Cohen walked to Weston with a sullen face. He questioned coldly, ¡°What the holl happened?¡± He pointed at Guinevere and said, ¡°I left my daughter in your care. Is this how you take care of her? Weston remained silent. His silence only made Mr. Cohen angrier. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something? I need an exnation. My good daughter was fine before she got together with you and gave birth to your child. She¡¯s in such a mess before she even marries you. Do you still want to marry her or not?¡± When Mr. Cohen said that, things got serious. Chris was not going to interfere, but based on the way the conversation was held and Weston¡¯s silence, the wedding could be affected. ¡°We¡¯re at fault. We didn¡¯t take care of her well. We¡¯ll try to make up for it.¡± Chris was able to speak confidently and take charge in the presence of outsiders, unlike his weak and guilt ridden attitude towards Weston. Everyone in the circle knew that Chris seemed to be in charge, but Weston had taken a lot of power. Chris had to consult him on any decision. Mr. Cohen gave Weston a cold look. He knew only the elders of the two families could discuss the matter together. He walked up to Chris and said, ¡°I came today to take Gwen home. I know the fact that my daughter got pregnant out of wedlock is not nice, but she has given birth to your family¡¯s first grandchild. Is this how you treat her?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chris was about to say something, but he stopped. Wendy suddenly came down the stairs and said, ¡°No matter what, Gwen is still Zack¡¯s mother. We¡¯re going to treat her well.¡± Chris was surprised to see Wendy suddenlye downstairs. His eyes went wide. ¡°Why did youe down?¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Wendy walked up to him and smiled at him. ¡°How could I possibly leave you alone in a situation like this? Chris looked into her sincere eyes and suddenly felt guilty. He turned away and did not dare to look at her again. He secretly regretted the absurd things he had done. However, what could he do now? Things hade to this point. He had no choice but to keep it a secret. Wendy did not fail to notice his evasive eyes, but she said nothing and smiled. Then, she looked at Mrs. Cohen and Guinevere with a polite face. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. As a woman, she would deal with the other women. ¡°Gwen, did you feel ufortable living here? No matter what, our family has neglected you and didn¡¯t pay enough attention to your emotions. Just let us know your conditions. If we can meet it, we¡¯ll satisfy your demands.¡± Hearing that, Mrs. Cohen frowned in anger. ¡°What do you mean? Are you going to chase us out with a little benefit like this?!¡± Mrs. Cohanined, ¡°We worked hard to raise our daughter. We don¡¯t expect you to treat her like a princess, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can hurt her! We¡¯re just asking for an exnation now. We¡¯re not asking forpensation! What did you do to force her into this state?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Wendy felt troubled. She turned to Guinevere and said sincerely, ¡°Gwen, let us know if we¡¯ve done something wrong. We really don¡¯t quite understand why you suddenly became emotionally unstable.¡± Wendy looked sincere and admitted her negligence immediately. ¡°I should¡¯ve seen thising Women are naturally more sensitive during postpartum. I paid too much attention to Zack and neglected you while Weston has been busy with worktely. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Wendy walked to Guinevere and held her hand kindly, but Guinevere subconsciously tried to retract her hand. Guinevere gave it a thought and knew she was going to live with Wendy for the rest of her life. She would not go home with her parents. Therefore, she held back and relented. She did not resist Wendy and said in a docile manner, ¡°I understand¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gotten along well, so you can talk to me about anything.¡± Wendy treated Guinevere gently like her own daughter. Mrs. Cohen¡¯s mood eased a little after seeing that Guinevere seemed to be on good terms with Wendy. ¡°Anyway, we didn¡¯t send our daughter here to suffer. She got pregnant out of wedlock and gave birth to a child. We¡¯re already very upset about this¡­¡± Mrs. Cohen emphasized, ¡°If Gwen hadn¡¯t insisted on marrying Weston, we wouldn¡¯t have agreed with this.¡± Mrs. Cohen would rather force Guinevere into an abortion. She would not allow her to be so cheap. Getting pregnant out of wedlock was a disgrace in both ordinary and prestigious families. Sure enough, they could cover up this matter with the power of their families. However, they still did not get married after the child was born. The news would get out one day. If this became a scandal in high society, it would affect both families adversely. People would know that Weston reneged on his promise. They would know that Guinevere tried to marry Weston with her child, but he refused. As time went on this would obviously hurt Guinevere¡¯s reputation more. Perhaps, she might have to live with the scandal for the rest of her life. People would say that Guinevere came to Weston with a child, but Weston did not want them. This would be the Cohen family¡¯s disgrace. How could they maintain their pride in the circle then? Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Guinevere was still unwed. The two families had juste to terms, and this suddenly happened to her. Emotionally unstable? How ridiculous! To the Cohen family, Guinevere was the best since childhood. Many young men of caliber were after her, and she was worthy of Weston. How could she suddenly have mental problems before her marriage? Mr. Cohen¡¯s consideration was more realistic than the women¡¯s. He thought of the benefits of the marriage and looked at Chris soberly. ¡°Mr. Ford, you can speak to us about any problem in our business cooperation. Anyway, we¡¯ll be inws soon. Please let us know if there¡¯s any issue from our side. ¡°Gwen is just an actress. We don¡¯t agree with her career in the entertainment industry, but she doesn¡¯t know anything about the family¡¯s business. She¡¯ll marry Weston soon and be part of your family. If there¡¯s any problem,e to us directly. Don¡¯t take it out on her.¡± Mr. Cohen was straightforward with his words. Chris¡¯ face changed when he heard that. He said, ¡°Mr. Cohen, you must be joking. How can our cooperation affect their rtionship?¡± The Cohen family came to question them, but both families knew there was no conflict of interests between them. The main conflict was between Guinevere and Weston. How could Mr. Cohen not see that? He was just testing them. Mr. Cohen was pleased with Chris¡¯ positive reply. He said in relief, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Our families have known each other for a long time. We do trust you, but Gwen¡¯s situation¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± Chris said, ¡°No matter whether they¡¯re married or not, we¡¯ll treat her as our daughter. She¡¯ll always be Zack¡¯s mother, and this will never change.¡± This was what Mr. Cohen wanted to see. He said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t forget what you said today.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The two men had reached an understanding. Wendy looked at Mrs. Cohen and said sincerely, ¡°Sorry for making you both worry about this matter. Anyway, I¡¯ll treat Gwen like my daughter Even if she¡¯s found to have some mental illness, everything that was agreed upon will not change¡­¡± With Wendy¡¯s promise, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen had both achieved their goal. They knew when to stop. After all, they came this time to give Guinevere support. They were not here to burn any bridges Since the Ford family had already shown their attitude towards the matter, the Cohen family stoppedining. ¡°I hope this won¡¯t happen again. We know our daughter best¡­¡± They paused and added, ¡°Postpartum depression is a verymon problem. You have to pay attention to this.¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll do our best to treat her. Don¡¯t worry about this,¡± Wendy promised sincerely. Mrs. Cohen was relieved to hear this. Atst, the drama came to an end. No one asked Weston¡¯s opinion throughout the discussion. They only remembered him when he could help to clean up the mess for them. Chris, in particr, always treated Weston this way. Seeing that everything was under control, he breathed a sigh of relief and acted like the boss. Weston watched the show emotionlessly. His unreadable gaze asionallynded on Guinevere before moving away. Guinevere finally calmed down, then the two families sat down on both sides of the sofa and peacefully discussed the resolution. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere sat next to Mrs. Cohen and asionally nced at Weston. Seeing that, Mrs. Cohen could not help but say meaningfully, ¡°If you want to sit with Weston, you can go there.¡± Mrs. Cohen said this on purpose. It was clear that she was urging them to get married. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Hearing that, Guinevere pressed her lips tightly. Weston remained silent. Atst, Chris was the one who spoke. ¡°It¡¯s Weston¡¯s responsibility to take care of Gwen. Weston, sit next to Gwen.¡± Weston did not say anything, but he got up and sat next to her. Guinevere leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Am I keeping you from your work?¡± Weston knew what to answer when so many people were watching him. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said and remained calm and rxed. He was the only one acting with ease. Mrs. Cohen was pleased with her future son-inw. However, she was annoyed at the dy in their marriage. Other than that, Weston was really a great son-inw candidate. He was excellent in terms of status, background, and appearance. There was no one else better than him in the circle. A man was valued for his power and ability. Weston was the best in all that. He was one of the most powerful men in Ahn City and Fern City. Not many couldpete with him. Guinevere and Weston¡¯s marriage would benefit the Cohen family a lot. The Cohen family had never suspected anything about the mariage. However, seeing the number of troublestely, Mr. Colien wanted a serious statement from Weston. ¡°Since everyone is here, let¡¯s get down to business. When will you two get married?¡± Guinevere and Weston were not married yet, but to the public, they seemed to be legally married already. The wedding ceremony is not urgent. At the moment, Gwen¡¯s still emotionally unstable. We¡¯re not in a rush, but the marriage registration¡­ Weston, don¡¯t you have anything to say to us?¡± Then, he looked at Weston with a sharp look and questioned, ¡°Or do you have something else in mind? At the same time, at the training center. When Ste arrived, Yvonne was the only one there. Yvonne was at the front desk cleaning up something Yvonne heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Ste ¡°You came.¡± Ste nodded and walked over. There was a short silence between them. After a while, Yvonne said, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted other colleagues¡­ and students. The school will be closed after this month¡¯s sses. We¡¯ll refund all the refundable fees, but don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t default on your wages¡­¡± ¡°Did I cause you trouble?¡± Ste suddenly interrupted her. Yvonne froze for a moment. She did not understand Ste¡¯s question. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. LIITTI Yvonne exined, ¡°It¡¯s the policy issue. We¡¯re not allowed to provide sses anymore. We¡¯re not an official school and just a hobby ss, but overall, it seems¡± Ste interjected again, ¡°I mean, am I giving you a hard time?¡± Ste was still smiling, but her smile was bitter. ¡°Did your family talk to you because of me?¡± Yvonne did not say anything and pressed her lips tightly. Indeed, her family was pressuring her. Lucas did not approve of her friendship with Ste either. As soon as the news came out, none of them wanted to help. They all wanted her to get a new job and never contact Ste again. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Yvonne did not want to talk to Ste about these. It would upset her. The training center was scheduled to be closed in a month. She did not know where Ste could work and felt bad for her. There was no need to upset her with the other problems. ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯ll pay you two times your sry.¡± Yvonne knew the money was a drop in the bucket compared to what Weston could provide for her. Ste was already with Weston. She was not worried about money anymore. Even so, the wages were not the same as Weston¡¯s allowance. She figured that if E had more money with her, she would have more confidence. Ste understood Yvonne¡¯s kind intention and feltplicated. She hoped she was a strong woman with courage. At least she could repay Yvonne¡¯s kindness and not let Yvonne be humiliated by her family. The other colleagues eventually arrived at the center. Yvonne had already exined the situation to them on the phone. They did not say much and just exchanged a look There was still a month to go before the closure, but this gathering felt like a farewell. Ste hated the atmosphere and stood in the corner by herself. She waited until it was almost over, then went over to Yvonne. Yvonne saw her coming and asked her, ¡°Shall we talk?¡± Ste nodded. Yvonne said, ¡°I gave everyone a day off today. I¡¯ve instructed the finance department to calcte every staff¡¯s sry too. We¡¯ll try toplete the teaching ns as far as possible within this month. I¡¯ll talk to the parentster.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Ste did not know what to say. She had not been working here for a long time, but she had gotten used to the environment here. She loved standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows here and watching the traffic downstairs to rx after the ss. Yvonne noticed her silence and felt a little sad. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll meet again ¡± ¡°From now on, you stay at home and study. Don¡¯te out and meet with bad people.¡± A man¡¯s low voice suddenly interrupted the two. Yvonne turned towards the voice and saw Lucas. She did not know when Lucas had arrived. Lucas strode to her. When Ste saw Lucas, she stood up subconsciously. Lucas did not pay attention to Ste or look at her. He only focused his gaze on Yvonne. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be out for only two hours? Look at the time now. Why are you not leaving yet?¡± He could not get over the fact that Yvonne took Ste to a dangerous ce to have fun. He had warned her many times not to go to such ces, but Yvonne did not listen to him. Worst of all, a man had his eye on Yvonne at the dangerous ce. As a result, he had to teach Yvonne a lesson when she came home. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to work? Why did youe in the middle of the day?¡± Yvonne was a bit angry. ¡°I said I¡¯d handle this myself. Besides, the training center is closing, so I can¡¯t meet E much after this. Must you keep an eye on me to this extent?¡± ¡°The moment I stop keeping an eye on you, you¡¯ll end up at a ce like The Dog House. Don¡¯t you have any sense of self-awareness?¡± Lucas reached out and pinched Yvonne¡¯s face. He warned with a cold voice, ¡°Don¡¯t ever go to that kind of ce again.¡± ¡°Why not! Don¡¯t you go to those ces too?¡± Yvonne found his demand absurd. She felt guilty for going to The Dog House, but she bumped into Lucas there. He went to the same ce as she did, so why did he only reprimand her? She did not want Lucas to think of E badly, so she put up with his nonsense. The center was going to be closed, so she would have less chance to see E soon. Why should she put up with it any longer? Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Lucas¡¯ face sank ¡°You still don¡¯t know your mistake until now?¡± ¡°What did I do wrong? All I did was go out to have fun! Besides, I was the one who took E there. What does it have to do with hier? Why are you taking it out on her?¡± Seeing that the couple were about to argue, Ste had to intervenc. She exined, ¡°Yvonne took me out to rx that day. We didn¡¯t do anything there. She only watched me y the piano.¡± Lucas cast an indifferent nce at her. His eyes were emotionless, but Ste could feel his coldness. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ms. Steele has somewhere to go even if the training center is closed. With Weston, you¡¯ll never have to worry about anything in your life. You won¡¯t need Yvonne¡¯s help either.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes slickered for a moment. Then, she kept her eyes down. She suddenly smiled. ¡°Yes. I do have a lot of unimaginable benefits from staying with Weston. Thank you for the reminder.¡± She felt guilty towards Yvonne, but not towards Lucas. Lucas did not expect Ste to say that and sneered. He turned to Yvonne, ¡°Are you done? If you are, leave with me.¡± Yvonne did not want to leave. ¡°You should go to work and leave me alone!¡± ¡°I took the day off. Yvonne, don¡¯t test my patience.¡± Yvonne became angrier. ¡°I¡¯ve told you a million times! Weston is the one who forced E into it! I¡¯ve never known you to be a person with double standards! Anyway, these aren¡¯t our affairs. It¡¯s between Weston and E. Why do you me E and not Weston?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me either of them,¡± Lucas cut her off and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Their affair is none of my business. All I know is that it¡¯s been giving me a lot of headaches these days.¡± He would never tell Yvonne that he did not like her paying attention to anyone else other than him. Yvonne had always been around him ever since she was a child. She always devoted all her attention to him. After they got married, Lucas became very busy with his work. The hospital matters kept him busy. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Yvonneined about how he had less time for her. He was not sure when it started, but she eventuallyined less. Some time ago, he deliberately took time off to be with her. However, she said she was busy and had to go to work Soon, E came into her life and took much of her attention. Yvonne would rather spend time with E than with him at home. It was unlike him to get upset over such a trivial matter, but he refused to let Yvonne understand his real thoughts. He wanted to drag her away without saying a word. Yvonne hurriedly looked at Ste. ¡°E, I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ste cut her off with a smile. ¡°You should go back I¡¯m going back too.¡± Yvonne finally remembered about E¡¯s younger brother. She was able to help her hide her matter by telling her brother that she was away on a business trip and could note home. However, her brother would eventually find out the truth after the training center¡¯s closure. What excuse would E use then? Ste had considered Yvonne¡¯s concern too. She looked at the time and gave it a thought. It was still early, so she went back to Roger and her house. She had been away for a few days. Somehow, she had a strange feelinging home again. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 She did not think too much and went to cook dinner instead. Roger was studying at the university nearby. He did not live in the dormitory for health reasons, but the university reserved a ce for him in the dormitory. Even so, Roger spent most of his time living outside with Ste. When he came home today, he finally saw Ste¡¯s shoes again. He was very happy. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re back?¡± Ste was cooking in the kitchen. When she heard Roger¡¯s voice, she answered him with a hum and urged, ¡°Wash your hands! Dinner is almost ready.¡± She heard the sound of the door closing. After a short moment, some quick footsteps came from behind. ¡°Have you washed your hands?¡± She did not look back and focused on the soup in the pot. A momentter, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Roger rested his chin on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re finally back from your business trip. I haven¡¯t seen you for days. I missed you.¡± Ste chuckled and pushed his head away. ¡°How old are you? Why are you still acting like a child?¡± ¨C Roger looked at her in displeasure. ¡°My age doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll always be your baby brother!¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Okay. Let go of me now. I¡¯m going to serve the soup.¡± Roger let go of her. He stood aside and watched Ste¡¯s moves. After their parents died, the two of them stayed together. It was rare for them to be apart for so long When he was hospitalized while Ste was out there busy earning money, they had no choice but to live separately. He wanted to help, but he could not do anything. Then, something terrible happened after. He could not protect his only sister. However, things had changed. His condition was stable, and he was on track with his studies. He would graduate and start working in a few years. He would be able to share the responsibility and ease Ste¡¯s burden. ¡°Sis, why don¡¯t you take the public exam?¡± he said out of nowhere. Ste was stunned. She put the bowl of soup on the counter and continued serving it. When she was done, she looked at Roger in confusion. ¡°What made you think of that?¡± ¡°Or you can be a teacher at some school,¡± Roger suggested. ¡°I want you to get an easier job. I think your work at the training center is too tiring. You have to wake up so early every day and leave workte. You¡¯ll be judged by your work performance too. I heard that the policy has C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. tightened, and the training centers are no longer profitable¡­¡± Since he started the topic, Ste could only tell him about the news in advance. ¡°The training center will be closed next month.¡± She would have to tell Roger about this sooner orter. She chose to tell him earlier. Just as she expected, Roger was not surprised by the closure either. He sighed, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. Besides, I didn¡¯t want you to work there any longer.¡± Ste felt a little helpless. ¡°Taking the public exam and bing a teacher isn¡¯t as easy as you imagine.¡± Roger walked to her. ¡°Then go find some other easy job. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± He pulled her wrist and shook it gently. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Justin and you¡­¡± Ste looked up at him with a start. ¡°Did he tell you something?¡± Ste had forgotten about Justin. She had not seen or talked to him after they ended things in an unpleasant way. They were both adults and knew where to stop. She did not think she would ever hear his name again. However, she forgot that Justin was still Roger¡¯s lecturer at the university. Perhaps, he had told him something. Roger shook his head. ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t tell me anything. That¡¯s why I know you two are not going to work out anymore. Right?¡± Based on Roger¡¯s understanding, Justin suddenly became interested in Ste, but his interest did notst long. Something must have happened between them. Ste fell into a short silence upon hearing that. She exined, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to work out. Don¡¯t think so much about it. We¡¯re just notpatible with each other. Besides, I don¡¯t n to get into another rtionship any time soon.¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Roger remained silent and said nothing. Then, he suddenly reached out and rubbed Ste¡¯s head. ¡°Sis, can¡¯t you forget that man?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Ste interrupted him sternly, ¡°What makes you think so?¡± Roger¡¯s mouth was set into a tight line. He said nothing. After a short while, he sighed. ¡°Sis, he treated you so badly before. Do you still want him?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ste took off her apron and hung it on one of the walls. Roger felt strange looking at her back Somehow, she seemed to be avoiding the question. He took a deep breath and did not want to talk about that man again. She helped Ste to move all the dishes on the counter to the living room. The living room and kitchen were connected. The ce they stayed was pretty small, but it was cozy enough for two. Roger had not eaten Ste¡¯s home- cooked food for days. He kept praising her food. Ste listened to his praises and felt a little guilty. She did not dare to tell Roger where she had beentely. She had to lie to him. If he found out about her affairs with Weston, he might overreact to it. Ste was a little distracted and did not hear what Roger said. Roger suddenly put down his cutleries. ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong??¡± Roger had just shared a lot of interesting things about his school. If it was before, Ste would have listened carefully. However, she was very distracted earlier. ¡°Huh? I¡¯m fine.¡± Ste finally returned to her senses. She ced a piece of rib in his bowl.¡± Don¡¯t you like these sweet ribs?¡± Roger had just recovered from a serious illness, so he could not eat any spicy food. The siblings had very different taste preferences. Roger had loved sweet and sour food since young. However, Ste loved spicy food. ITU When their parents were still around, they treated the siblings fairly. They would always cook to their preference and amodate the siblings. After they died, Ste never ate her favorite food again. She cooked everything to Roger¡¯s liking. She did not have the time and energy to cook what she liked. After that, she had a miscarriage, and her health deteriorated. Eventually, she got used to eating lighter food. Roger did not say anything and finished the food in silence. He could tell that Ste was preupied with heavy thoughts. After the meal, Roger offered to wash the dishes. Ste did not decline and sat on the sofa in the living room. She was bored, so she kept changing the channel. Her phone suddenly rang. She looked and saw it was Weston calling. She did not want to answer it. The phone kept on ringing. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Ste looked at the kitchen. She did not want to disturb Roger, so she took the phone to the balcony and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± The man¡¯s unique low voice came through the call. ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°Oh, I was watching TV and didn¡¯t hear my phone ring.¡± Weston paused for a moment. ¡°Are you home?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m with Roger now.¡± The other side of the call fell into silence. After a short moment, Ste suddenly pleaded softly, ¡°Can I stay with him at home for one night?¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 The man replied in a low voice after a long pause, ¡°Okay.¡± Weston nced in Guinevere¡¯s direction and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver go pick you up tomorrow.¡± Ste froze for a moment. She did not think he would agree so easily. When she was about to say something, she heard someone else talking on Weston¡¯s end. She paused a little and asked, ¡°Are you busy now?¡± Weston was still in Ford Mansion. He heard Ste¡¯s question and wanted to answer her. But just as he was about to speak, Guinevere happened to knock on his door. Guinevere did not wait for his reply and came into the room uninvited. She walked over to him and said, ¡°Weston, Mom and Dad only gave us a room.¡± Ste happened to hear Guinevere when she spoke. Ste gripped the phone tightly as she heard Guinevere¡¯s voice. The call was disconnected in the next second, leaving only a long beep at the end of the line. Ste stared at the phone screen silently and froze. No one knew what was in her mind. The TV program was still ying on the TV. The light of the screen reflected on her face. Ste casually threw the phone on the table and closed her eyes. She had never felt so exhausted before. Back in Ford Mansion¡¯s study. Weston stood up and looked at Guinevere, who suddenly appeared in the room. He said, ¡°I told you before. Knock before entering my study.¡± He nced at Guinevere. Guinevere was back to her usual self. She showed no signs of her manic earlier when she tried to strangle Zachary. ¡°Just now, when we were downstairs, you promised our parents about the wedding. I thought you had agreed¡­¡± Guinevere said and suddenly reached out to him. She ced her hand on Weston¡¯s arm and stroked it. As her hand traveled up and down, her intention was clear. Guinevere kept her head down and stared at the man¡¯s toes. ¡°Weston-¡± she called his name and leaned closer. Weston cut her off. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day. Get some rest.¡± With that, he avoided her touch and walked past her towards the door. Guinevere stared at his back-incredulously as many inexplicable emotions surged in her eyes. She was unhappy and refused to give up. How could she? N?velDrama.Org owns all content. 3 She hade this far to marry him. She must never lose. Ste was dead. She had been dead for such a long time. Ste could not beat her when she was alive, so how could she beat her when she was already dead? A dead person was nothing to be afraid of. Guinevere kept telling herself that she had won. She believed that one day, Weston would ept her. It was just a matter of time. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen had left. Guinevere rposed herself and habitually tried to check on Zachary in the children¡¯s room. Wendy guarded the door and saw Guinevere approach. Wendy asked with aplicated look, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Guinevere stopped in her tracks and froze. Then, she finally realized what she had done earlier. A trace of disappointment crossed her face. ¡°I¡¯m just here to take a look. I¡¯m not going to hurt him.¡± ¡°Did you forget about your actions this afternoon?¡± Wendy rubbed her temple and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to see the baby, but the way you were acting before was just¡­¡± Wendy did not finish her sentence, but she knew Guinevere understood. Guinevere was lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know why I acted that way¡­¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Wendy sighed. She had just spoken for Guinevere in front of Mr. and Mrs. Cohen earlier, so she did not make things difficult for her. ¡°You can go in and have a quick look. Go to bed early after that. You¡¯re staying with Weston today¡­¡± Wendy suddenly paused and gave her a meaningful look Guinevere naturally understood what she meant and said nothing. She went to the children¡¯s room and looked at Zachary from a distance. Guinevere had left a mark on his neck when she strangled him. Her eyes were a little guilty when she saw the mark She had mixed feelings about the boy. His arrival was a simple joy for her. However, a small hatred grew when she remembered what happened a year ago. She must not show her hatred. No one must ever know. She rested her hand on the rail of the cradle. As she clenched her fist, her fingertips almost sank into her flesh. The sudden pain cleared her mind a little. The nanny next to her had been watching her movements. When she noticed the change in her expression, she immediately stepped forward. She was worried that she would harm the child again. Guinevere withdrew her hand and smiled at the nanny. Her face was so gentle, and she looked like a different person from just now. ¡°Well, he¡¯s soundly asleep. I shouldn¡¯t disturb him anymore.¡± Then, she turned around and left the room. Wendy stared at her back and did not look away for a long time. After that, the nanny came to Wendy and said, ¡°Zack is asleep. Madam, we should get some rest too.¡± Wendy nodded. When she got back to her bedroom, Chris had already washed up and was lying on the bed. He was lost in his thoughts. Wendy looked at him from afar and said nothing. She went straight to the bathroom to wash up. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Wendy was still as beautiful as before, but the years that flew by left obvious traces on her face. She closed her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, her eyes grew vicious. She took a long time to calm down. After that, she walked to the bedroom slowly andy down next to Chris. Chris had gone through a big shock today. He used to be a gorgeous gentleman that stood out in his circle. He was a loving husband with a good wise and harmonious family. Everyone envied him. How did it come to this? He did not understand why. Sometimes, it was just a simple mistake that led everything to a total loss. If Wendy were to find out¡­ Chris looked at the beautiful woman lying next to him. Her youth was gone with the years that passed by. She was once proud of her beauty, but all that was left was just a hint of her lost mour. Chris did not understand. What was he thinking back then? How did he make such a huge inistake? An inexplicable feeling in his heart grew as he closed his eyes. He reached out his hands and took Wendy into his arms. He whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve-¡± Before he could finish, Wendy opened her eyes and looked at him coldly. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Her eyes sent a chill down his spine. He felt like Wendy despised him a lot. The couple was much older than before, but they did not practice abstinence in their rtionship yet. However, the frequency had decreased a lot. Wendy had never looked at him this way before. It was as if he was something dirty. He had a hunch that Wendy knew something. However, Wendy¡¯s expression softened in the next second. She said to him softly, ¡°Did I scare you? i¡¯m just a little tired¡­ I¡¯m still a little startled by Gwen earlier.¡± Chris hurriedly hugged her in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m right here.¡± Wendy snuggled into his arms and said nothing. However, her eyes gradually turned gloomier. Meanwhile, in Weston¡¯s bedroom. When Guinevere came in, Weston was already lying down on the sofa. Guinevere froze for a moment and rushed to the man. ¡°Weston, what do you mean by this?¡± Weston remained silent. He rested with his hands under his neck and did not even look at her. ¡°Get some rest. It has been a long day.¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Guinevere almost lost control of her emotions. She thought the two of them staying in the same room would be a good start. She did not expect to make any real progress with Weston right away. However, this man refused to sleep in the same bed with her¡­ Guinevere did not move. Weston simply ignored her. He closed his eyes and went straight to sleep. Guinevere stood by the sofa for a long time, just looking down at him. An insurmountable sadness filled her heart at this moment. She asked in a raspy voice, ¡°Weston, can¡¯t we go back to how we were?¡± This was the second time she had asked him such a question. Weston did not open his eyes. His voice was as low and cold as ever. ¡°We¡¯ve always been like this, Gwen. You simply forgot.¡± His answer did not change either. Guinevere closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheek. He was right. They had always been like this. All this time, she had been the one obsessed and chasing him. She smiled and suddenly said, ¡°At least you¡¯re still with me, aren¡¯t you? One day, I¡¯ll make you want me willingly.¡± Weston did not say anything. Guinevere gave him a deep look. Then, she went to the bed before she lifted the quilt andy on the bed. The man suddenly opened his eyes in the dead of night. There was nothing but silence. He got up and went to the balcony, seemingly lost in deep thoughts. It waste. Ste should be asleep at home. Weston thought about how Guinevere suddenly interrupted when he was on the phone. This was the first time he had the urge to exin to Ste. He never had the habit of exining himself to others. Ste was the only exception. She was always the exception to his rules, leaving him at his wit¡¯s end. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. After some consideration, he sent her a text message. [Weston: I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.) Ste should understand his meaning. Weston stood on the balcony for a while. He smoked a cigarette and waited until dawn came before returning to his room. The next morning, he left home early and went to thepany. By the time Guinevere woke up, the room was already empty. She stared at the sofa, which looked like no one had slept there. She got up and went to the sofa. Then, her face changed suddenly as she kicked it hard. Her face was full of anger. She had noticed the man¡¯s strange behaviorst night. She saw him go out to the balcony and send someone a text, but she knew Weston would never tell her anything. The news of her anger early in the morning became known to the rest of the vi. Everyone in Ford Mansion had their attention focused on Guinevere. Someone came to her immediately and asked, ¡°Ms. Cohen, what happened? Do you need help? Guinevere closed her eyes and said, ¡°No, thanks.¡± She exhaled deeply and tried to calm down. Then, she opened the door and went downstairs. Wendy was alone in the living room. Chris had left early in the morning and gone to thepany. Seeing that, Guinevere calmed down miraculously and found peace. It was a strange sense of pleasure. Guinevere walked to Wendy and greeted her. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Wendy looked at her, but her attitude to her was far different from the way she treated her in Mr. and Mrs. Cohen¡¯s presence. Guinevere knew Wendy was just acting in front of her parents. How could she not know? Even so, she chose to be patient. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 She fell in love with Weston first. She acknowledged that. The person who fell in love first and loved deeper would always suffer more. Guinevere had epted that fact. She hade this far. It was too late for her to go back anymore. ¡°I¡¯m going to see a psychiatrist today. Mom, if it¡¯s okay, can youe with me? Weston is very busy at work.¡± Wendy paused when she heard Guinevere referring to her as ¡°Mom¡± directly. She looked up and nced at Guinevere with a doubtful look Guinevere acted like it was nothing strange. She just looked back at Wendy with a natural smile on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± Wendy withdrew her gaze and put the breakfast down from her hands. She had suddenly lost all her appetite. However, Guinevere was still waiting for her answer. After a long pause, Wendy nodded. ¡°Sure, but remember to ask Weston to go with you next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let him know when he¡¯s not busy at work,¡± Guinevere promised. Wendy got up. ¡°I¡¯m done eating. I¡¯ll go to the children¡¯s room and check on Zack.¡± Guinevere reflexively wanted to say she would go too, but she gave up thinking about her state yesterday. She sat down and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see him when I¡¯m mentally stable.¡± Wendy ignored her and went upstairs. Guinevere¡¯s smile gradually disappeared when she looked at Wendy¡¯s back. She looked at the breakfast on the table with a nk face and lost her appetite. Ste had a good sleep. When she woke up, she heard a lot of noises from the kitchen. She opened her eyes sleepily and walked to the living room. Then, she saw Rogere out with breakfast. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Why did you get up so early?¡± Ste asked, and her expression suddenly tumed serious.¡° Don¡¯t you have ss?¡± Roger knew she would say that. He smiled helplessly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have morning sses today. Did you forget?¡± Ste looked at the ss schedule hanging on the wall. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t have ss on Mondays?¡± ¡°We usually have no sses on odd weeks.¡± Roger took off his apron and walked over to Ste. ¡°Go and wash up, then go and have breakfast.¡± It was a good day today with the sun pouring in from outside. Roger looked at Ste, who sat across from him. He asked, ¡°How¡¯s my cooking? Did it get worse?¡± Ste looked at the soup in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s just a bowl of soup. How can I tell?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you taste my love for you?¡± Steughed out loud. ¡°When did you learn to be so expressive?¡± Before their parents¡¯ passing, the two of them had always bickered with each other. Later, they lived together and relied on each other. During the process, they became more considerate of each other. Even so, they asionally bickered like before when they were rxed. Ste felt like life had color only in Roger¡¯s presence. This was the life she wanted. She was not interested in spending her days with Weston, coming up with ns to impress him or stay away from him. She also had to worry about Guinevere, who would asionally appear. Roger noticed the gloomy air around Ste. Seeing her gloomy face, Roger put down the ss in his hand. ¡°Sis, has something been bothering youtely? You finally came back from the business trip, but I feel like you¡¯re always distracted¡­¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Ste shook her head. ¡°The training center will close down next month. Meanwhile, I want to find a new job.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree yesterday? Can¡¯t you just get an easy job?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it properly.¡± She paused for a moment and suddenly asked tentatively, ¡°What do you think about me acting?¡± ¡°Acting?¡± Roger widened his eyes in disbelief. He stood up and asked, ¡°Why acting?¡± Ste frowned at his overreaction. ¡°I was just asking¡­¡± ¡°Why would you ask this out of the blue?¡± Roger managed a smile, but it was a little stiff. Ste pondered for a moment and asked him, ¡°If I wanted to be an actress, would you support me?¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Roger¡¯s expression changed a little. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like to y the piano and dance? If you don¡¯t work as a teacher, you can work as a dancer at other ces. Why do you want to join the entertainment industry? The entertainment industry is aplicated ce. What if you get bullied?¡± The siblings were just ordinary people. Roger could find a good job after graduation and protect Ste. However, if she worked in the entertainment industry, nobody could protect her in case of an ident because she had no background. Even if their parents were still alive, there was nothing they could do for her. Roger¡¯s tone was full of disapproval. He seemed to be very against her intention to join the entertainment industry. Therefore, Ste stopped talking about it. She was still considering the matter. However, she would be leaving the training center in a month. She did not know where she would go next. The business card the director gave her that day was still in her bag. She had not contacted him yet. After the meal, Ste got up and cleared the dishes. Roger wanted to help, but Ste refused. ¡°It¡¯s easier for me to clean up. You can sit over there.¡± The smile on Roger¡¯s face gradually faded as he watched her walk into the kitchen. Ste¡¯s phone was on the table. Roger kept staring at it. Perhaps, his instinct worked, for the phone suddenly vibrated. Aplicated light shed in Roger¡¯s eyes. He nced at the kitchen for a moment. He swore he did not mean to snoop on Ste¡¯s phone. However, he still reached out and took her phone, as if he was under a spell. It was a text message. It was just a text message from an unknown number. However, he instinctively knew it was not a spam message. Roger took a deep breath and clicked on the message. (Unknown number: I¡¯ll be back today. I¡¯lle to pick you up in the afternoon.) The text seemed to be normal. Nothing seemed unusual, but he just kept staring for a long time, lost in thoughts. When Ste came out, she saw Roger sitting on his seat upright. Ste wiped her hands and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Roger paused for a moment and uttered, ¡°Someone sent you a message just now. Who is it?¡± Ste did not take it seriously at first. However, her face sank when she picked up her phone and saw it was a message from Weston. She reflexively looked at Roger but said nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll go and reply to the text.¡± Roger nodded and watched her walk to the balcony. His eyes darkened in that instant. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. There were usually no secrets between Ste and him. However, Ste did not want him to know about the person who had just texted her. Ste replied to Weston¡¯s message and deleted the log. Then, she returned to the living room and nced at Roger. Roger happened to look up with a smile on his face. ¡°Who is it?¡± he asked in his usual tone. Ste gave a vague answer. ¡°Just a colleague at work.¡± She paused a little and asked, ¡°Did you see anything earlier?¡± Roger shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ste acted naturally and said, ¡°The training center is closing next month, so there are a lot of unresolved issues. He said he¡¯d be back today to pick me up.¡± She told Roger the contents of Weston¡¯s message honestly. Roger¡¯s eyes darkened. He knew Ste was not lying. Based on her exnation, it matched the content of the text message he saw earlier. However, something felt strange because of the way Ste answered him. She seemed to be exining to him on purpose¡­ Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 The siblings were both hiding something. They did not notice when it started, but even they could not bepletely honest with each other. A strange feeling hit Ste when she finally realized this. The siblings did not spend much time together. Later in the afternoon, Roger had to pack up the books for his afternoon ss. He was aputer major and was packed with many sses in his course. He only had a day like this that was a little free. Ste watched as Roger organized his textbooks. She said with a look of relief, ¡°In a few years, you will finally grow up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already grown up.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Ste looked at him and reached out to help him tten the crease on his clothes. ** You¡¯ll be an adult when you graduate from the university. Mom and Dad would be relieved in heaven.¡± Roger suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked at Ste Roger rested his forehead on her shoulder and sighed. ¡°Sis, if you get into any trouble, you have to let me know. I¡¯m an adult now. Don¡¯t treat me like a child.¡± Ste felt he might have noticed something, She patted him on the back without saying a word. After Roger left, she called Weston back His voice on the other end was very low. ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver pick you up.¡± Ste hesitated a little before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± She had something she wanted to discuss with Weston. The driver pulled over at a spot far away from the neighborhood. Ste had to take a taxi to get there. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She did not want to risk her chances and let Roger see her with Weston. When she got into the car, she found Weston in the back seat resting with his eyes closed. He had a stack of papers in his hand. He looked busy with work Weston had just left Guinevere¡¯s ce. She thought he would not show up for a while, but she did not think he woulde to pick her up in person. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting in?¡± Weston noticed her inaction and nced at her lightly. Ste got into the car and did not make a sound. Right after she closed the door, the man immediately pulled her into his arms. Before she could react, Weston was already holding her tightly. He ced one hand on her back and stroked her gently. Ste wanted to struggle, but the man lowered his voice and warned in her ears, ¡°Let me hold you for a little longer.¡± He sounded exhausted. Ste blinked and did not move. She allowed him to hold her just like this. After a long while, Weston finally looked down and ced a kiss on her hair. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± he asked. Ste leaned against his shoulder, unable to move Hearing his question, she only answered faintly, ¡°Yes. How about you? Did you sleep well?¡± Weston stiffened a little. He deliberately came this time to exin Guinevere¡¯s matter to her. He was sure that she must have heard something on the phone that day Weston left Ford Mansion and came straight to her. Even he did not understand why he had such a strong urge to exin to Ste. He never bothered exining himself, and he did not care either. However, it was different this time. Weston stroked Ste¡¯s hair and whispered in her ear, ¡°Do you have any questions for me?¡± Ste did not understand him. ¡°What can I ask you?¡± Weston tipped her chin. ¡°Aboutst night.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Weston nibbled on her ear. ¡°No questions? Really?¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Ste finally understood his question He was referring to wliat happenedst night. Guinevere said something about their parents giving them a room She thought it was funny. ¡°The two of you are engaged. You two inay not be married now, but just like you said, you¡¯ll tie the knot sooner orter. There¡¯s nothing wrong with living together.¡± After she finished, his hand suddenly grabbed her chin with a strong force. The inan¡¯s mood changed suddenly as he bit hard on theer of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re not saying what you think.¡± He said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you behave like this.¡± His eyes were dark while he looked at Ste steadily. Ste finally realized what he meant. She took a deep breath and managed a smile. ¡°Sorry¡­ But I meant what I said just now. Didn¡¯t you like the way I used to be understanding?¡± ¡°Were you like this?¡± Weston cupped her face and made her look into his eyes. It was as if he wanted to see through all her emotions ¡°lf l had spent a night in the same room with another woman, would you have been as understanding as you are now? Do you really have no problem with it?¡± Ste was forced to look him straight in the eye she stopped avoiding his eyes and looked at him. ¡°I know you want me to return to the way I used to be, but I¡¯m a different person now. I used to have the right to question you, but the one with the right to question you now is Guinevere, not me. Do you understand?¡± ¡°You do have the right,¡± Weston suddenly interrupted her. He exerted a little more force cupping her face. He inched closer to her ears and said raspily, ¡°You can question me. 1 allow you the right to do so.¡± Ste was forced to lean against his chest. She was so close that she could feel his heartbeat. She had to hold back and force herself to ept it Ste agreed to his request. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask next time.¡± She was like a robot who would do whatever he said, but never take a step forward. Even so, Weston was satisfied to have her around. He ced a kiss on the corner of her mouth. ¡°In this year, you have to get along with me the way you were before. If not, I might consider extending the time.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ste raised her head and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You promised! A year is a year!¡± ¡°Yes, but I also said you have to behave like how you were when we were married. I only see E in you now, not Ste.¡± ¡°Weston, you can¡¯t be so greedy!¡± Ste sneered. He wanted a brand new E, but he demanded her to act like the old Ste around him He was too demanding ¡°I¡¯m a greedy person¡± Weston took her by the waist and made her sit on top of him ¡°Let me hold you a little longer,¡± he said. As the car drove away, the scenery outside the car window moved backward. Ste closed her eyes, feeling nothing but coldness in her heart. It was no longer throbbing warmly. Back in Ford Mansion. Guinevere went to Weston¡¯s study after he left. She stared at the empty desk while lost in deep thoughts. It was a beautiful day outside. A breeze blew in, making her feel the chill on her face. She closed her eyes for a long time until the nanny called her from outside. The nanny urged,¡± Miss, the weather isN?velDrama.Org owns all content. nice today, but it¡¯s still a little cold. Don¡¯t stand outside. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Guinevere clenched her fists lightly. Until now, they still called her ¡®Miss¡¯. Without the marriage certificate, she would never be Mrs. Ford A menacing look shed on her face and disappeared in the next beat Guinevere put on a gentle smile and looked at the nanny. ¡°Alright. Thanks for your concern. Please bring me a nket.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Guinevere curled up in the rocking chair and wrapped hersell in a nket as she looked at the distant landscape. She had fewer and fewer things to do now. She could not even visit Zachary anymore. In her case, she would not be sent to the hospital. Instead, the Ford family would let a private doctore and treat her. In their circle, her condition would be considered a family scandal, so it would be kept a secret. Even if it was exposed, the two families would certainly find a way to cover it up. After all, this was a scandal. The fewer people who knew, the better. It was a bit chilly on the balcony Guinevere wrapped her coat tightly around her and said to the nanny, ¡°Help me prepare the driver and car. I have to go out.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Wendy did not stop Guinevere from going out. She only reminded her, ¡°Come back early in the evening.¡¯ Zachary did not need her at all, so what would be the point of hering back early? Guinevere found it ridiculous, but she did not show it. She said goodbye to Wendy respectfully and left. At the hospital, in Henry¡¯s ward. A nurse was pushing Henry back into the room when he saw Guinevere, who suddenly came to visit. His eyes did not change, and he nced at the nurse. The nurse understood immediately and stepped aside, leaving the room for them. The door mmed shut, and Guinevere finally came to her senses. She turned around and looked at him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? You¡¯re so deep in thought.¡± Guinevere did not even notice when the nurse brought Henry over. Her eyes darkened. ¡°It¡¯s the same old thing. ¡°I heard you have postpartum depression.¡± The families kept the news under wraps for a while, but some sources still caught wind of it. Rumor had it that Guinevere was depressed after giving birth, which made sense. Guinevere did not say anything. She stood behind him, pushed his wheelchair to the sofa, and poured him a ss of water. Henry epted it graciously and took a sip. Then, he put the cup away on the table. ¡°Did youe here to talk to me?¡± Guinevere¡¯s expression changed. She felt a little bad foring and talking to Henry several times only for Weston¡¯s sake ¡°Sorry, Henry. Did I trouble you?¡± Henry smiled a little. The look on his face did not change, but his voice was soft. ¡°You know I won¡¯t say no to you.¡± Guinevere was relieved to hear that as her eyes turned red. Henry was the only one she could show her most vulnerable side to. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do¡­ I thought having a baby would make things better between us, but I didn¡¯t expect we would drift further apart.¡± Henry looked at the reflected light on the ss table and the bouquets that others brought when they visited him. He did not like flowers, but there was one person who did. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He seemed a little distracted thinking of that person. Guinevere rambled for a long time without hearing any response from Henry. Hence, she looked at him and asked, ¡°Henry, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Henry came back to his senses and pressed his finger on his temple He said a little helplessly, We grew up together. You should understand Weston¡¯s character Do you think a child would change his decision?¡± Guinevere dendied her fist and tumed her head away as a tear fell from the corner of her eye. ¡°But I can¡¯t turn back anymore The baby is bom Do you understand?¡± of course I understand ¡± Henry pushed the wheelchair and slowly approached her He reached out and wiped the tears away from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Tell me what do you need me to do for you?¡± His gentleness put Guinevere in a brief trance She looked at him almost obsessively ¡°You¡¯re alwzys well ¨C informed Can you tell me about the woman that Weston mel at Lowe Garden the other day?¡± After a long thought, she decided that the only way to go was to start with the woman Weston stopped sharing his whereabouts these days. The only news she knew was that he met a woman at Lowe Garden She could not think of any other breakthrough Guinevere knew there was a problem between them Ste was the problem. However, Ste was dead she died after falling from a building. There was no way for her to seek trouble with a dead woman People said that the dead would always be missed, but she did not think so. Ste was already dead Ste¡¯s influence might affect Weston, but it was limited After a long time, wo would remember Ste¡¯s existence? However, things were different now she should be wary of the threat from the new woman. Besides, Weston¡¯s feeling for Ste was only guilt. Weston¡¯s attitude towards her had changed a lot since she forced him to choose between Ste and her How could she not know? She just did not want to pierce this calm tide Her marriage to Weston was in jeopardy. Although Weston had promised their parents to get the marriage certificate as soon as possible, she could not settle down until she got the certificate. Henry listened to her words, but he did not react at first. Shortly after, he burst outughing. ¡°Gwen, you¡¯re the daughter of the Cohen family. Why do you need my help and connections?¡± Guinevere¡¯s face flushed a little. This should have been easy, but things were different now. Weston w? wary of her, so it would be hard for her to investigate it. Her family was not very satisfied with her recent performance. She musty low, so she had to tum to Henry. Henry nodded a little. He had always beenzy. He had a sickly aura around him, perhaps because he had yed in a wheelchair for too long He looked like a sick bui beautiful man. ¡°You¡¯ve already asked for help. I won¡¯t refuse you.¡± He captured a lock of her hair between his fingers and yed with it. The way he yed with her hair was quite sensual. Guinevere frowned but did not avoid his action. She knew that Henry had always fancied her. He had a crush on her before and even pursued her. However, she only had Weston in her heart, Later, Henry got into a brief rtionship with his little bodyguard. Even so, she knew her ce in his heart was absolutely irreceable. Therefore, she could be imprudent with him. She let out a sigh and suddenly felt a little emotional. She blurted out, ¡°If only Weston were like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± Henry felt amused. He nced at his disabled legs and said, ¡°In a wheelchair like me, or abandoned like me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Guinevere cut him ofl. She did not like it when he put himself down like that. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯ll always be my best friend. Thank you for helping me.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Her thanks were sincere, just like her feelings towards Henry. After all, she knew he would always be on her side. Guinevere had a wless face. She was known as one of the most beautiful faces in the entertainment industry. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 No normal man could get angry loolong al such an impable face Henry reminded her, ¡°Have you thoughi carefully? Weston hates when people iry to contid! him Have you considered the consequences?¡± Guinevere did not say anything, but she looked frantic with worry Henry understood and rubbed his brow. He promised with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t let him know you did it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, ¡°Guinevere interrupted him quiridy ¡°I just ¨C ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin¡± Henry was a gentle as ever and Complied with all be requests ¡°I will help you¡± After Guinevere left, Henry slowty pushed his wheelchair onto the balcotry. The sun shone in, making his skin as pale as a vampire¡¯s He had not heard from her in a long time He could not find her no matter bon be scared for her. She was determined to lezve him He wore a small smile Under the sun, his delicae fezturas turned a little derilis Even women would be jealous of his face Guinerere could only be considered equal to his beauty The roses in front of the windonsill were in full bloom He made a call and gave the orders about Guinerere¡¯s request earlieWhen everything zond him had calmned down, he finally had time to take care of the nts and pots oo the bricost. Henry was a frequent visitor to the hospital He had been bospastizzi for beitt a gaz. Everyone imew his love for these nts and flowers, bor be did not have be grees thub to keep them alive The red roses bloomed bezutifully. Henry suddenly grabbed one of the flores ad folded it was force the pezsiega The roses left a red stain on his peim Heezed on the bostai gon, sifbe ?ause it. There was no trece oi emotion on his face Ste zod Weston were baibe wesoa gizcedabeaizszins bezsese 125 12ycoche Ste toadzoba i ad aizd. Wiz¡¯s roog? Weston withdres his gezeadsid nothing When he took off his coal at the door, Sie came fonvard and took the suit from his hand.¡± I¡¯ll help you put it away.¡± Just as she tumed around, a warm embrace suddenly came from behind Weston hugged her from behind and pushed her against the door. The two of them were holding each other like this in the entryway Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Ste struggled a little, but he hugged her tighter. Eventually, she gave up and said nicely,¡± Let go of me first. I have to put the coat away_¡± ¡°Why are you so nice today? Hm?¡± Weston rested his chin on her shoulder. As he spoke, the heat from his breath fanned her skin, giving her waves of goosebumps She wanted to avoid him, but his breath followed her ¡°Just let me hold you a little longer.¡± He had made the same request many times today Ste rxed slowly and stayed in his ans. She did not know how long it took until the man behind her seemed to be finally satisfied with the long hug She decided to take the chance and asked tentatively, ¡°Can I go home for a few days?¡± As her voice fell, the hug around her waist suddenly tightened, making her breathless. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Sometimes, Weston could get his point across without saying a single word Ste paused and rested her hand on the back of his hand. Weston stiffened. He did not think she would take the initiative After a long pause, Ste exined, ¡°I haven¡¯t been home for a while. Besides, the training center will be closed next month. Roger is aware of IL¡­ Jf I continue to stay outside, I¡¯m afraid il¡¯ll arouse his suspicions.¡± Weston looked at her hand holding his, and his eyes slickered slightly. Thie einotions on his face did not change much. He said, ¡°I remember saying this before: You have to handle this yourself.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste lowered her voice a little and pleaded, ¡°I understand, but I can¡¯t think of a reasonable exnation for living with you.. Can you give me a little time? Let me convince Roger, okay?¡± She knew how to use weakness to gain Weston¡¯s understanding. She turned around in his amis and raised her head. Then, she stared at himn with innocent and fragile-looling eyes. Weston could not handle it whenever she behaved like this. He cupped her face and ced a kiss on theer of her mouth ¡°Where did you learn this?¡± lie asked Ste shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯l.. You don¡¯t like it?¡± Did Weston dislike the way she submitted to him? Weston chuckled softly. ¡°What do you think?¡± he said and suddenly picked her up. Her shoe fell on the floor with a thud. She reflexively looked down, but the man tipped her chin and hushed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He kissed her, and the two stumbled towards the bedroom in a tight hug. Ste could feel the change in him. After all, they were married for a long time. She understood what he was feeling She closed herT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. eyes and tried to convince herself. All she needed to do was endure a year and¡­ His breath followed as he traced her lips and chin to and fro repeatedly and tirelessly. Ste could feel his warmth on her, but it only made her feel ufortable. As everything spun around her, she found herself falling onto the warm bed. Weston propped himself up and stared down at her. Weston had beautiful eyes. Ste used to love staring into his eyes. Every time she looked at him like this, she felt like she was drowning in him. His eyes were so deep and unreadable. No one could ever see through him. His eyes were like the vast stars and an endless sea. However, it was these deep eyes that had hurt her mercilessly. Weston could not stand the way she stared into his eyes, so he reached out to cover her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this,¡± he whispered in her ears throatily. Ste took a deep breath and said nothing. She closed her eyes, and her eyshes fluttered gently. A long whileter, the weight on top of her finally disappeared. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw Weston looking at her with an inexplicable look. After a beat, he seemingly sighed. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead gently.¡± You¡¯ve had a long day. Get some rest.¡± Ste was stunned. She expected him to continue, but he had stopped so abruptly. Weston suddenly lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers. It was as if he could read her emotions. ¡°Or do you want to continue?¡± Ste hurriedly closed her eyes and did not dare to move. Weston pinched her face and rubbed his chin against the top of her head. ¡°Sleep well.¡± Ste answered with a soft hum. Then, she closed her eyes and slept in his arms. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Ste could tell when Weston¡¯s attitude softened Although he did not answer her directly, he seemed to have agreed with her request. She could probably go home for a couple of days Perhaps he was just waiting for her to show better initiative Ste¡¯s eyes flickered slightly in the dark night. The man¡¯s breathing gradually evened. She turned around to have her back facing him Then, she closed her eyes and fell asleep slowly The two got along peacefully the next moming While having breakdast, Ste asked tentatively, ¡°Can I go see Roger at school today?¡± She was holding a ss of milk in her hand and sipping it as she said this. Weston did not say anything He only put down his knife and nced at her ss, Ste immediately understood and finished her milk first. After that, she asked him with a milk mustache, Can I?¡± Weston walked over to her and picked her up He made her sit on him and then wiped the milk from her lips. Ste let him hold her all he wanted She stared at his ck hair and his fine brows under the fringe as she let him feed her the rest of her breakfast. When she finished her meal, the man finally agreed with her request. ¡°Yes, bute back early. I want to sleep with you tonight¡± After a short pause, Ste nodded. ¡°Okay ¡± Then, she suddenly tugged at the man¡¯s shirt and asked, ¡°How can I convince him that I live outside because of work?¡± Weston was surprised that she would ask for help. He cocked an eyebrow and enjoyed seeing her asking for help. He teased, ¡°When did you get so Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Sunart?¡± She knew this would please him. He seemed to be in a good mood and fixed her tousled hair. ¡°I can help you find a way, but you have toe back tonight Ste besitated a little but nodded At least he agreed. It was better than not letting her see Roger. After breakfast, Weston went to work as usual and had his driver drop her off. Arge part of Ford Corporation¡¯s business had been moved to Fem City, and there was an ongoing discussion for a project. Thepany¡¯s focus had shifted here, so lie still had much work to do Joan continued with her housekeeping work by the side and did not listen to their conversion Ste noticed something. The people Weston had hired seemed to be professionally trained, even the drivers. They all kept a low presence and seemed to be invisible or deaf. However, they were efficient at what they did. When she got into the car, she tried to greet the driver. Weston cupped her face and turned her face back to him. ¡°Don¡¯t try to get close to them. It¡¯s useless. These are my people.¡± Ste said nothing more since he had read her mind. She hurriedly got into the car and sal down. Weston stood there and watched as the car drove away. He shook his head a little and looked a little powerless. Later that day, at the Ford Corporation office building. It was a long day full of meetings Weston nced at his schedule at the end of the day and sent his driver to pick Ste up The secretary suddenly came over and informed him of Xavier¡¯s arrival. ¡°Mr. Ford, Mr. Xavier is here¡­¡± Mr. Xavier was Weston¡¯s youngest uncle. He was his uncle, but they were around the same age. Generally, people understood that Mr. Ford referred to Chris and Mr. Xavier referred to Xavier in the company. However, as Weston gradually took charge of thepany, everyone knew Weston would eventually be in power. As time passed, Mr. Ford became Weston¡¯s exclusive title. People usually referred to him as Mr. Ford except when Chris was present. People would then change their greetings to differentiate between the father and son Weston rubbed his temple and instructed, ¡°Bring him in.¡± A few momentster, a tall and elegant man appeared in the office. Unlike Weston, Xavier was not a cold man. He flirted with the secretary whileing over. He was always weed by the women and very popr. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Xavier had the usual handsome face of the Fords. His eyes were particrly beautiful and sparkly. He was always surrounded by women, but he only had his eye on Weston¡¯s female secretary. He heard that she was a graduate of a prestigious school overseas. She was very capable and good-looking All the other secretaries blushed at the sight of him, but this woman treated him formally with a business-only attitude. Il only made him more interested in her. ¡°Mr. Xavier, pleasee this way.¡± Daisy was an experienced secretary that had been working with Weston for many years. After looking at Weston¡¯s face for many years, even the most handsome face in the entertainment industry would not make her heart race. Not many could match her boss¡¯ charm. Besides, Xavier looked a little flirtatious. He was not her cup of tea. She preferred people like Weston that were cool, handsome, and elegant ¡°Why are you always unhappy to see me?¡± Xavier reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. He acted like he wanted to help straighten her cor Daisy avoided his movement imperceptibly. ¡°Mr. Ford is waiting for you inside.¡± ¡°Howme.¡± Xavier withdrew his hand and looked at her back for a few beals. When she got into the elevator, he finally retracted his gaze and casually strode to Weston¡¯s office. Weston was browsing a file when Xavier came in. Xavier walked over and picked up a book from his table. He flipped through the pages and asked, ¡°Since when do you read these ssics?¡± Weston ignored him and spun the pen in his hand. He tapped his finger on the table and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb my work.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. Why are you still so cold?¡± Xavier clicked his tongue a few times and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about my visit? Do you know why I came?¡± ¡°What business can you have?¡± ¡°Just listen to yourself. I¡¯m the only oneparable to you in the Ford family. Why are you not taking me seriously? What if I suddenly turned things around and took away all your inheritance?¡± ¡°If you can do it, sure.¡± Weston seemed unperturbed and rubbed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me so much. You might sufferter,¡± Xavier said with a half-smile. Weston looked at him differently. ¡°What do you want?¡± Xavier put the book back and casually sal on his sofa He rested one arm on the back of the chair and watched as the secretary left. ¡°Why are your secretaries like you? All of them are so cold,¡± Xavier asked, but he answered his own question. He rubbed his chin and said as his eyes suddenly turned dark, ¡°Is she doing this on purpose to get my attention?¡± Weston was uninterested in these. He signed his name on the document and stood up after he finished liis work ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave.¡± Weston closed the pen with one hand and tossed it back to the table with a clean movement. Then, he tumed to leave. Xavier hurriedly followed behind him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m your uncle How can you treat me like this?¡± He covered his heart and said with a wounded look, ¡°I¡¯m so sad.¡± Weston pushed him away. ¡°Stay away from me.¡± He never feltfortable with physical contact, even with Guinevere He could maintain a polite interaction at best. He would reject anything more intimate than that. The people around him knew his habits. Therefore, not many would get too close to him in public. Xavier was an exception. The more Weston disliked him, the more he would try to provoke him. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Weston had always had a way to keep him under control. However, Xavier never learned his lesson. He would forget the pain and annoy Weston over and over again. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been having a good time.¡± Weston suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at him meaningfully. ¡°I remembered you have a fianc¨¦e. If you¡¯re very bored, I don¡¯t mind calling her over to y with you.¡± Weston¡¯s words struck Xavier¡¯s weakness. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Can we not talk about her? She¡¯s bad luck!¡± Everyone in Ahn City knew Xavier as a womanizer who never stopped for a single soul He was always seen with women around liim. Women slocked around him all the time Any actress or beautiful female model who could be named might be connected to him However, he had an engagement since he was a child It was his father¡¯s inefutable order. His fianc¨¦e was a capable woman from a good family. She was only a few years younger than Xavier and had received the best education since she was a child. Rumor had it that she was currently working as a doctor in a hospital The elders saw it as a very promising career. She had never caused any trouble all her life. To Xavier, she was just a boring girl However, he had to deal with her because of the elders. He would be fine if she had no feelings for him However, the problem was lier deep love for him. She did notin about any of his outrageous actions. It was why their engagement remained until today. Xavier did not have much time left. He would have to get married in a few years. Everytime he thought about his marriage, he would have a headache. He rubbed his temple and said, ¡°Forget it I don¡¯t want to find fault with you today. Don¡¯t bring this up again. I came to you today because I have an important matter to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Spill.¡± Weston strode towards the elevator. Xavier followed him and pressed the button. There were several other employees inside the elevator Weston did not use his exclusive elevator. The employees were rarely able to stay in the same room as Weston. They huddled together and gave Weston and Xavier more space. Xavier was very easygoing and casually talked to them. ¡°Look at you guys Are you usually afraid of him?¡± ¡°No, no. Mr. Ford is very approachable,¡± an employee said boldly. Xavier snickered and turned to Weston ¡°Approachable? Did I hear that right?¡± Weston cast him a faint nce, then the other employees in the elevator immediately shut up and did not dare to speak again. Weston had a menacing air around him. When he stood there, he seemed majestic yet intimidating. The elevator made a sound when the door opened. Weston strode out. Xavier followed him and said, ¡°I came here for business today. Why else would Ie to Fern City from Ahn City?¡± Weston got into the car and closed the door straightaway. Xavier went to pull the passenger door, bul it would not open. Hence, he knocked on the window. Weston lowered the window and looked at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± Xavier gave up with him. ¡°Weston, I¡¯m sorry I shouldn¡¯t havee without notice. Can you give me a ride? Please?¡± Weston did not bother looking at him. Hepped his finger on the steering wheel and said,¡± It¡¯s inconvenient.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xavier asked ¡°Where are you going?¡± Weston echoed and nced up at him. Weston treated everyone coldly, including his own uncle Xavier raised his hands and conceded defeat. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone as headstrong as you. Hey, I¡¯m going to the same ce as you. We¡¯re meeting the same person. Okay?¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 216 Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Weston knew his purpose ofing liere Although they seemed to be al odds with each other, it had been an unspoken habit for them to visit Henry logether aller a while Although Wesion was alool and bad-tempered, he would notrgel him for no reason, as he did now Xavier had a feeling that he had done something that pissed him off, but he couldn¡¯t recall. After getting into ille car, hestened the seatbelt. As soon as the car started to move, he asked, ¡°Did I do something wrong that offended you some time ago?¡± He thought for a moment and could only remember one incident of liim teasing his secretary, which was a bit out of line ¡°You¡¯re not making faces al me because of Daisy, are you?¡± Daisy was one of Wesion¡¯s secretaries with outstanding capabilities And Xavier was relused by her every time he flirted with her He was a man who liked challenges when it came to beauties Although lie had many female friends, every time he came to look for Weston, he would always tease her verbally. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me now that you are interested in women, and you even want to interfere with her matters¡± Weston was a cold-hearted man before Apart from Guinevere, he basically did not have any other woman. But he actually asked him to take care of the matters of a strangerst time. Xavier felt that his suspicions were reasonable. Weston frowned for a moment and thought of Ste. ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± After Xavier told him the time, Weston looked at his phone There were no notifications Xavier sensed something and asked, ¡°Who are you waiting for?¡± He did not say anything, but his gaze changed, and he turned into the highway. The more Xavier looked at him, the more he found him to be weird. ¡°I heard that you are going to register your marriage with Guinevere. When is it? Do I need to give you a present or something as your uncle? But I¡¯ve been light on cashtely ¨C¡± Before he could finish, the car suddenly came to a halt. He leaned forward. Before he could regain his stability, Weston stepped on the gas and continued driving Although he didn¡¯t say anything, Xavier clearly understood his intentions. He raised his eyebrows a bit, not at all angry. But with a yful tone, he asked, ¡°Are you annoyed?¡± He was Weston¡¯s uncle after all, so he knew all these things well. Anyway, there were times he could not figure out what Weston was thinking. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you want to marry Guinevere at all You have been together for so many years; isn¡¯t it good for you to tie the knol already? Besides, she has already borne you a son.¡± ¡°Can you just shut up?¡± he interrupted rather coldly, as if not affected by the conversation at all Xavier chucked and shook his head, not saying anything else. At the Random Art Training Center. Ste came for work as usual, but the atmosphere had obviously changed. Perhaps it was because they had already been informed of the closure next month that they be more cautious with everyone. They were not as rxed as before. Yvonne usually came in only when she had sses, but now, even she came to work every day. When Ste arrived, Yvonne had just finished handing out gifts. Seeing Ste, she stuffed a box into her arms. ¡°See if you like it or not.¡± Ste knew that she was compensating them, so she did not refuse. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 When Ste opened it, she saw a white dance dress. The fabric felt very expensive, and the cutting was very elegant. She knew it was worth a lot at first nce. Subconsciously, she said, ¡°This is too expensive¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, I will throw it away!¡± Yvonne interrupted and said, displeased, ¡°How can everyone ept it but not you?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flickered, but she remained silent. During the break, she nced at the presents the other colleagues received subconsciously. Although all were of very high- quality, it was obvious that hers should be the most expensive one. Yvonne seemed to always have an unconcealed preference for her, whether she was Ste or E. She always took good care of her. Her eyes were watery as she ced the dress Yvonne gave her carefully into her luggage. The moment she turned around, her eyes met a pair of eyes which were sizing her up. This was not the first time she had bumped into Joyce at such a time. Joyce looked at her sullenly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ste did not want to bother with her. ¡°I should be asking you, why do you always appear behind me?¡± After she said that she wanted to go past her and leave, Joyce grabbed her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to change the subject. Why do you show up in ces like this every time? Have you discovered something?¡± Her eyes shed with ruthlessness for a moment. Seeing that, Ste frowned and shook off her hand. ¡°What have you done here that is so unseemly that you need me to find out?¡± ¡°You!¡± Joyce choked and said indignantly, ¡°Just mind your own business! Aren¡¯t you just relying on your background and connections? Now that the training institute is going to close down, I¡¯ll see where you can go to show off!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere I could show off at!¡± Ste was toozy to exin to this kind of person. ¡°Won¡¯t you be unemployed as well?¡± ¡°I am different from you. I rely on my capabilities, so I can live anywhere! But you are different. A person like you, who depends on connections, has no ce to go after the institute closes down. Oh, wait, I was wrong!¡± She covered her mouth and sniggered. ¡°You can survive with connections in this era. Perhaps a person like you is very good at ttering people. Are you going to follow Yvonne wherever she goes?¡± ¡°Yes. If you have the capabilities to do so, you can do it too and see if she cares about you.¡± Ste went along with her words. Joyce¡¯s face immediately darkened upon that. ¡°How are you so cocky?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to be cocky about. But you seem to hate me very much. I have no grievance with you, but why do you hate me? Or is it possible that you have feelings for me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡± Joyce was enraged Ste squinted her eyes and went in front of her. Suddenly, she held Joyce¡¯s arms with one hand and pinned her onto the locker. Joyce had never seen Ste like this, and was a bit nervous. ¡°What do you want?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°What do I want?¡± Ste clenched her fists. She was an experienced worker. She knew that although she was not as physically strong as a man, it was sufficient for her to bluff in front of people like Joyce. ¡°I used to put up with everything, seeing as we¡¯re colleagues. But now that the training center is closing, there are some things I don¡¯t need to put up with.¡± Ste lowered her voice. ¡°I¡¯m telling you: I am the kind of person you think I am-a hypocrite! I dare you to keep on provoking me.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Joyce red at her with eyes wide open in disbelief. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a person who relies on connections? How dare you threaten me!¡± Bam! Ste shook off her hand and mmed her arm against the cab. ¡°Threat? The next time I hear you talk nonsense, I¡¯ll rip your mouth off.¡± After that, she gave Joyce a cold look and turned around. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Even after she had gone far, Joyce was still unresponsive. She stared at Ste¡¯s back and gritted her teeth. Alter a while, a man appeared behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°She didn¡¯t find out, did she?¡± ¡°Of course not! But if we stay here any longer, people will find out about this!¡± She red at him ¡°When are you going to divorce that woman?¡± Impatience shed across his face. Regardless, Joyce was still considered fresh meat to him. He had only yed with her for a few months so far, so he was still patient with her. ¡°Just wait for a while longer. Can¡¯t you see how I treat you? I even came to this ce for your sake. With my status, can¡¯t you see how sincere ! am to you?¡± In fact, she always knew that he was only saying this to appease her, but it was inexplicably very effective after hearing that, she softened her stance immediately ¡°You promised me that you would definitely marry me in the future, so you can¡¯t lie to me! I have given you my heart and even be your mistress for your suke I took the risk of being hated by everyone to be with you, so you must not let me down!¡± ¡°Of course ¡°The man hugged her She felt disgusted when his beer belly touched her, but she suppressed her feelings and Smooched with him While doing that, she looked at the direction Ste had just left, and her eyes were somewhat malicious Perhaps because of theing closure next month, the schedule was rather loose these days. Many students had simply quit and stopped having sses. Only hall remained. Many teachers were already looking for new jobs, and Yvonne did not stop them. As a boss, she was considered a very tolerant one Ste looked at the timetable. She only had dasses in the morning today, and Yvonne had packed her things to leave at noon. She took Ste¡¯s hand as they went downstairs. The moment they went down, they saw Lucas waiting at the stairway. He was looking at his watch. When he heard footsteps, he looked up at Yvonne and walked up to her with big steps before taking the bag in her hands. Ste felt a bit awkward standing beside them. She knew that Lucas was not ignoring her, he simply looked down on her. Yvonne handed him her bag and nced at her. She suddenly red at him and said, ¡°Can¡¯you see someone is here? Don¡¯t you know how to greet people?¡± The man frowned, seemingly annoyed, Before he said anything, Ste interrupted. ¡°I should leave now.¡± ¡°Wait! Where are you going? I can send you there,¡± Yvonne offered. Lucas tugged Yvonne¡¯s arm just after she took a step forvard, showing a clear attitude of not wanting her to get too close with her. Ste smiled and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have called a cab, and it is already waiting for me outside.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She turned and left, but still heard the man behind her say, ¡°Weston will get her a chauffeur. You don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡± She quickened her pace. Finally, when no one was around, she leaned against the wall. she heard her heart thumping incessantly. It was a sense of shame that was hard to shake off which kept haunting her, making it hard for her to calm down. Lucas was right-he had indeed appointed a chauffeur for her. Perhaps she had a huge advantage in the eyes of the outsiders. They must think that she would surely hold on to him after getting close to him. Her life now was given by him as well. She was trapped in a golden cage, and nobody would believe in her tears. No one would believe how much she loathed her current situation. Even if she cried, nobody would care. In the hospital ward. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Just after sending Guinevere away, two more uninvited guests carne. Henry did not like other people disturbing him. When he saw Weston and Xavier, his face remained unchanged. Both of them had outstanding appearances. When they passed through the corridor, there were quite a few people probing their heads to look at them. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The young nurses blushed, especially when they saw Weston. A young nurse informed Henry cautiously, ¡°Mr. Moore, there are two gentlemen here to see you.¡± Seeing her red face, he suddenly thought of a person. She also blushed very easily. She was apparently a bodyguard, but she would blush every time he teased her with just a few words. She did not look like a person who could protect another person at all. He suddenly took some interest in the young nurse and asked, ¡°Do you think the two of them or I look better?¡± The nurse did not expect him to ask such a question and froze in ce. After a while, she actually started thinking seriously. She looked at him, and then at the two men, whose handsomeness was hardly seen even on television. Weston, especially, had a very powerful aura. She could not take her eyes off him after taking a nce, but she dared not look him straight in the eyes. No matter when he was always the center of attention. As for Xavier, who was beside him, he was more like a popr male star. His gestures were so sweet and friendly. When he smiled at her, especially, the nurse would blush even more. Just as she was about to say something, Henry waved his hand. ¡°You can go out now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± She came to her senses and quickly left the room. She closed the door to give them some privacy. Henry nced at the door and withdrew his eyes without any excitement left. He felt that it was absolutely no fun. She was not like her. If it was her, she might have blushed, but she would not stammer like the young nurse. After she left, he had indeed met quite a few people like her. But the resemnce was very little; there were more differences than simrity. They would resemble her in one way, but the rest would be totally different. Why couldn¡¯t he meet someone who was exactly like her? He found it very upsetting. And with that, he could not be bothered with the two of them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He pushed his wheelchair on the balcony, ready to sunbathe. Weston had long been used to his sickly appearance. Without saying anything, he sat on the sofa and started reading the newspaper. Xavier shook his head and went to the balcony, leaning against the railing next to him. He fished out a pack of cigarettes and handed it to Henry. ¡°Want one?¡± Henry was toozy to even look at him. ¡°I am a patient now. Do you think this is even appropriate?¡± ¡°You have a broken leg, not a broken mouth. Can¡¯t you even smoke?¡± He was toozy to talk to him and simply closed his eyes, enjoying the sunshine. ¡°Do you really n to stay in a wheelchair for the rest of your life?¡± Xavier was not very close to him. But because he was Weston¡¯s uncle, and he also knew the story and conflicts between these two people, he somehow became familiar with him. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 It was as if Henry knew what he was about to say. ¡°I just like to sit like this. It has nothing to do with anyone. Mind your own business.¡± ¡°Why are you getting so worked up when I haven¡¯t even mentioned who it is?¡± Xavier burst out laughing He nced at Weston and blew a smoke ring, holding the cigarette in between his fingers.¡± There¡¯s really nothing you can do with this nephew of mine. He can¡¯t change his capitalist attitude no matter where he goes.¡± Henry followed his eyes and looked at Weston, who was reading the newspaper leisurely, and shook his head, smiling. ¡°He is not like us. He has a woman to feed.¡± Xavier raised his brows yfully and uttered with a teasing tone, ¡°Guinevere is the youngdy of the Cohens. Moreover, she is a popr star. Does she need him to support her?¡± Henryughed without saying anything. He could see that Weston¡¯s eyes were telling another story. Xavier had been in the business industry for many years, so he was not as simple as he appeared to be. He knew Henry meant something else just at a nce. ¡°Hmm? Do you have a different opinion about our perfect couple?¡± Henry pushed his wheelchair closer to the railing and reached out to touch the potted nts ced above. Among them, there was an Easter Lily Cactus, which he had kept the longest. It seemed that it would bloom soon. He fiddled with the spikes with his pale and slender fingers. Guinevere came to his ward earlier and asked him to help her investigate the woman in Lowe Garden. He naturally would not refuse her. He looked at Xavier and said, ¡°You are his uncle. You should have heard about that woman in Lowe Garden, right?¡± It was an incident a while ago. It was not a big deal for Weston to go to a ce like Lowe Garden for business. And it was also not a big deal to have a few women in that kind of ce. However, he had never asked anyone to apany him in the private room before. Yet he made an exception that day and ordered a woman for the first time. What was more, he paid for all the alcohol. And because of him, the price to hire that woman soared. Some were even talking about it until today, so it was impossible for Guinevere to not know it. Xavier smelled something fishy upon hearing that question and straightened his back. When they came, he had already learned that someone had visited Henry earlier. No matter how aloof he was, he was still a rich man, so it was not unusual for people to visit him. When Xavier thought it that way, he guessed the person should be Guinevere. Thinking of those connections between the three of them, Xavier massaged his temples.¡± Never in my lifetime did I think that I would one day be able to see Weston get caught up in love.¡± ¡°If he really has another woman¡­¡± Xavier chuckled. The arch of his lips oozed intrigue. ¡°That would be interesting.¡± As he was speaking, he suddenly stretched out his toe and gave a gentle kick to the man¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°If Weston and Guinevere fall out one day, you¡¯ll have a chance.¡± Everyone knew that these two had turned against each other for women once even though they were best friends. Henry even pursued Guinevere openly. Nevertheless, it was just a one-sided love. She had all her heart on Weston and only saw him as a backup If Weston were to fall in love with another woman, he would be able to take the spot. He heard the mockery in his words but did not get irritated. Suddenly, a pricking pain was felt on his fingertip. He did not pay attention when fiddling with his cactus, so he got prickled. A bead-like drop of blood emerged from his fingertips. Seeing this, Xavier reached out to take away the potted nt in his hands. ¡°You have been staying in the hospital for too long that you have started fiddling with these useless things. You never have green fingers. Why don¡¯t you give them to the nurses? At least you can make a good impression on them.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Before Xavier could touch the cactus, Henry suddenly grabbed his wrist. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Henry looked lean, just like a delicate beauty. But at that moment, he exerted immense force, almost sufficient to crush the man¡¯s wrist. Xavier was unprepared and felt a sharp paine on his wrist. He looked at Henry with a frown and saw strong killing intent in his eyes. For a mere potted nt, his face was filled with vicious rage. Xavier shook off his hand, and he was perplexed. ¡°It¡¯s just a cactus. Is that necessary?¡± He spoke loudly, and his face was still smiling. It was just that the smile did not have the slightest warmth. Henry ignored him entirely, pushed his wheelchair, turned his back, and repositioned the cactus to a ce with sunlight. He still had blood on his hand, yet he reached out to fiddle with the white flowers on the cactus. When the brilliant red blood dripped on the pure white petals, it shone under the sunlight with a demonic luster. ¡°Don¡¯t touch others¡¯ stuff as you like.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Xavier looked at his back and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Henry was temperamental and moody. He hadn¡¯t felt anything before, but today he had experienced it. ¡°You really do treasure it. Those who don¡¯t know will even think that Guinevere had juste to give it to you.¡± He slowly put away the teasing expression on his face. Although Henry was in a wheelchair, everyone knew that he was well-informed. There should be no one in Fern City who had more eyes and ears than him. A close friend of Weston¡¯s, they were very powerful when they worked together, and practically no one dared to mess with them. Henry had an entric temper. He would not help simply anyone. Even if Xavier was Weston¡¯s uncle, he might not necessarily invite him. His eyes sank as he fell into deep contemtion. When he turned his back, Weston was already standing behind him without realizing it. He was shocked for a moment but changed back to his usual sloppy self just as quickly. He patted his shoulder, asking, ¡°Why are you walking without a sound?¡± Weston pushed him away and shot him an indifferent look. His emotionless eyes swept across him and fixated on Henry. ¡°Come in. I have something to discuss with you.¡± He spoke in an authoritative tone, as though Henry was his subordinate, though Henry didn¡¯t show the grim face he was wearing. After putting away the cactus, he turned around and followed Weston into the room. When he walked past Xavier, Xavier felt his gaze and his eyebrows twitched. He heard Henry snigger andment, ¡°Sometimes, even if you are the closest of flesh and blood, you still have to get along wearing a mask. Nothing really matters in the face of profit.¡± At that moment, Xavier felt a coldness seeping into his bones. *** In the university town. Ste told Roger she woulde over to see him in advance. Since Roger had one more ss, she wandered around the university enve. Fern City was arge city that was home to many universities. Among them, the most prestigious was Fern University. One of the top universities in the nation, it was the dream of many students to be able to study there. When walking around the campus, Ste felt that what she had done before was meaningful. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 At least Roger could grow up in a ce like this. He had lived up to her parents¡¯ expectations. If her parents could witness this, they would feel relieved, right? It was just that she had embarrassed them. Ste didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d ever have a career that her parents would be proud of. She sighed and randomly walked into a tea shop, ordered a cup of milk tea in boredom, and waited for Roger to finish his ss. She checked on her savings and thought about her next career n. She had considered what Roger told her, but considering her rtionship with Weston, there would be a lot of inconvenience if she did go down that road. If her rtionship with Weston were to be discovered, many people would be affected. She always had the worst ns for her rtionship with Weston. ¡°A milk teatte, please.¡± After ordering her drink, she sat down in a corner. When the man paying at the cashier in front of her heard her voice, he turned and looked at her instinctively. When their eyes met, she was surprised. ¡°Mr. Hall?¡± She didn¡¯t expect to bump into him in such a small tea shop. And neither did he. He was a little surprised but quickly returned to his usual polite self. Smiling, he nodded at her. ¡°What a coincidence for you to be here too. Coming over to see Roger?¡± Ste nodded and nced at the boy holding on to Mr. Hall. She smiled and greeted him.¡± Long time no see.¡± Bryce was thrilled today, getting the rare chance to visit the university his father worked at. Justin Hall, a lecturer, would constantly be swamped at work and had little time to care for Bryce. Some time ago, upon quarreling with Tina, he finally realized that they had both taken their children for granted, not giving them the time they deserved. Since then, he had subconsciously made up for it whenever he could. Initially overjoyed, Bryce became alerted when he saw her. ¡°Hello, Ms. Steele.¡± Although he still greeted her politely, he obviously didn¡¯t sound too enthusiastic. He also averted her eyes as he stood behind Justin. Ste knew that the little boy must¡¯ve assumed a general impression of her and didn¡¯t say anything When her drink was served, she asked the staff, ¡°Can you help me pack it, please?¡± Bryce looked at her, and his eyes flickered as he knew she was avoiding him. In the end, he withdrew his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a scene when they met again. Once she got her milk tea, she said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± He nodded, took the chocte drink Bryce ordered and gave it to him. ¡°We¡¯ll leave after we finish the drink.¡± Bryce nodded. When he saw her leave, he was relieved and sat in front of his father. Justin was amused to see his son act as if he was facing an enemy. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like her very much, do you?¡± Bryce was startled and sat up straight. He shook his head, expressions solemn.¡°I don¡¯t dislike her.¡± ¡°Then why were you so worked up just now?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Not knowing how to exin, he studied his father¡¯s face carefully. After a while, he said,¡± Father, will you get mad if I tell you the truth?¡± Justin was startled. He looked at his son¡¯s cautious look and felt uneasy. ¡°Just say it. What is it that you can¡¯t tell me" Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Bryce shook his head and said, ¡°I dislike all women other than mom.¡± He paused for a moment. Seeing Justin stunned, he hurriedly said, ¡°But if you like her, I have no problem with it.¡± ¡°Brat.¡± Justin came to his senses and rubbed his head. ¡°Just finish your drink. No more such non- nutritious things in the future. You¡¯ve been staying too long at your mother¡¯s ce. Look how she spoiled you.¡± Bryce would never dare to ask for junk food in the past. Tina must¡¯ve been spoiling him. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault. It¡¯s me who wants to drink it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only allowed to have it once a month.¡± *** After Ste left the tea shop, she stopped in front of a floor-to-ceiling window from the back of the street and subconsciously nced back It was a relief to see that father and son were not unhappy because of her but were talking happily to each other. She felt guilty toward Justin. It was not because she did not get together with him, but things like this were always up to one¡¯s own wishes. She felt more guilty about troubling him because of her matters. The unpleasant incident that happened thest time they had dinner together still ran fresh in her mind, especially when Weston acted so heartlessly. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to Bryce that day. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t know how to face Justin. Ste sighed. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Suddenly, her phone rang simultaneously with the ss bell. Ste spoke on the phone with Roger while she walked in the direction of the school building. Roger, aputer science student, had some debugging work at theb building today. He had initially nned to go with his ssmates but he stopped in his tracks. ¡°You guys can go and have your lunch first. I still have some things to do and I won¡¯t be joining you.¡± Seeing this, his roommate stopped as well and looked at him curiously. ¡°Who are you having lunch with, if not with us? Could it be the girl who confessed to you this morning?¡± They joked around. Roger was very handsome and was a famous student on campus. Many girls would confess their feelings to him but he¡¯d refuse them all. Their joke didn¡¯t invoke much reaction from him. Instead, he simply handed his bag to them.¡± Remember to take my seat in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright. If you really go on a date with the girl, you must tell us when you¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Tell you what?¡± He found them rather funny. ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll be off.¡± With that said, he ran away in stride. Under the big tree outside theb building, Ste stood waiting for him. Some students passing by would have their eyes on her. There were many beautiful girls on campus, but Ste managed to catch a lot of attention just by standing there. When Roger arrived, he saw a few eager boys trying to hit on her. Irritated, he walked up to her and blocked the other boys. ¡°Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± The boy was a little surprised to see Roger walking over as well. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Roger was very popr. Almost half of the female students liked to gossip about him. The boy said sourly, ¡°So, this beautiful girl is here to meet you. Didn¡¯t you just get together with a girl this morning? Why are you¡­¡± He wanted to say something but he stopped himself. His intention was obvious, though. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Roger frowned and red coldly at her. ¡°She is my sister. Don¡¯t specte on us with your nasty thoughts.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± The boy was startled. He scratched his head. Not only was he not annoyed, but his attitude toward Roger miraculously became much better. ¡°I have never heard of you having a sister.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is it to you anyway?¡± Roger wasn¡¯t bothered to have any more interaction with him and pulled Ste away. After they were far away, Ste breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Is this how you get along with your ssmates?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. We¡¯re not in the same ss. He¡¯s from the other faculty thates to ss together.¡± ¡°Even so, he is still your alumnus. How could you be so rude to him?¡± Noticing that he was about to receive another lecture from her, his head started aching.¡± Alright. It¡¯s so hard for you to evene over, so don¡¯t nag me. Let¡¯s head to the cafeteria. I¡¯ll buy you your favorite meal.¡± Indeed, Ste hade to visit him, and hearing him say so, she stopped nagging and followed him to the most crowded cafeteria. ¡°Is the cafe always so crowded?¡± she asked curiously at the sight of therge number of people. She was admitted into Ahn University before Roger, and although they were of different intakes, they were considered alumni. Roger was still studying, but her situation had changed drastically. Looking around the familiar campus, a pang of nostalgia suddenly coursed through her soul. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s only been a few years since I graduated, but I can¡¯t even remember what my campus looks like.¡± Roger had also studied at Ahn University before, and he knew she was talking about it. Hearing her say this, he suddenly said gravely, ¡°Ste, why don¡¯t you attend graduate school after I graduate?¡± She was stunned and found it funny. ¡°What makes you suddenly think of this?¡± Roger shook his head. ¡°I went to the recruitment fair and found that employee benefits are very good, especially in theputer science industry. I calcted that I¡¯ll be able to support you in about a year. When that timees, you can resign from your job and won¡¯t need to find work. Just focus on studying, and I will pay for your tuition when you get into graduate school. You have always wanted to further your studies, right? Anyway, you are still young It¡¯s still not toote for anything.¡± He moved forward a few steps in the queue as he spoke, and after picking a few dishes that she liked, he walked with her side by side. The ce was so crowded that finding an empty seat was almost impossible. After a hard time rummaging around shoulder-to-shoulder with the massive crowd, they managed to find themselves a clean spot. The sheer number of human bodies jammed packed in one spot caused a deafening droning, and they had to almost shout to even hear each other. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I n to let you go to graduate school after you graduate. I heard from Mr. Hall that your grades are excellent, and you have a high chance of getting a postgraduate rmendation. You should work hard on that.¡± He frowned. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want to go to graduate school. I just want to get a job.¡± She was eating some apple pie, but when she heard him say that, she put down her knife and sighed. ¡°I really do not need you to make money for me. The money we have now is enough to cover our expenses for the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s Weston¡¯s money. I don¡¯t want to spend it at all,¡± he subconsciously blurted. The moment he mentioned that name, he quickly realized that he had said the wrong thing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to mention him,¡± he said with his head lowered. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You said nothing wrong.¡± She hurriedly finished the food on her te. ¡°Hurry up and eat. I¡¯ll have to go to work.¡± The moment that person was mentioned, the atmosphere between the two people stiffened. He realized he shouldn¡¯t have tried to act strong in front of her, especially because of that man. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 But Roger could not stand to live under Weston¡¯s shadow for the rest of his life. ¡°Ste, I am serious about what I said just now. I hope you¡¯ll consider it and stop treating me like a kid. I really can support you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when we cross the bridge.¡± She smiled, not taking his words seriously. She put some sd on his te and rubbed his head. ¡°Hurry up and eat. You still have a ss in the afternoon. I saw your ss schedule, and it¡¯s very packed today. You should take a nap after lunch, or you won¡¯t be able to focus.¡± He nodded, and they focussed on the meal. Meanwhile, a good number of people had cast their eyes their way. Roger could be considered a celebrity in the university. A very bright student and extremely good- looking, these qualities made him the man of many girls¡¯ dreams. The girl who confessed to him this morning was neither the first, and she¡¯d definitely not be thest. Initially, they thought that Roger was the type that only focussed on his studies and wasn¡¯t interested in women. Thest thing they expected was for him to bring a beautiful girl to the cafe and openly have lunch with her. Some students who knew him winked at him when they passed. ¡°Not bad. No wonder you refused the girl this morning. This one here is not bad either¡­ quite nice-looking. At that, Roget put down his cutlery and looked into the guy¡¯s eyes intensely. ¡°She is my sister.¡± ¡°Oh? Your sister!¡± ¡°She is your sister?¡± As the conversation prolonged, they ate much slower. All too soon, break hour was almost over, and she urged him to quicken his pace. ¡°Alright. Hurry up and finish your food. Stop bothering about that nonsense.¡± When they hadpletely finished eating, there was only a bit of time left before the next lecture. She sighed. ¡°Great. No more time to rest.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a stroll then?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He grabbed her arm. ¡°Take a walk with me. This is the first time you¡¯vee to visit me here.¡± ¡°You are already a college student. Do you still need someone to visit you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said I will always be your little brother, no matter how old I am?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re the one who told me not to treat you like a kid.¡± They choked at each other¡¯s words. She shook her head helplessly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll walk with you for a while.¡± After walking a short distance, she was suddenly reminded of something and looked at him.¡± What¡¯s up with that girl this morning? It seems lots of people in the university like you.¡± ¡°Look at my face. Isn¡¯t it normal that people like me?¡± When she heard his answer, she smiled and shook her head. ¡°You are such a narcissist. I wonder who you take after.¡± Her parents were very humble. They were brilliant schrs, but they kept a low profile. But Roger had been mboyant from a young age. It was only after a serious illness that he had be more restrained. However, his temper still remained in his bones, and he was still a little capricious. The siblings had an endless conversation, and before they knew it, it was time for ss. She urged him to go, and he reluctantly said his goodbyes. After parting, Ste walked around the campus for a while. Out of nowhere, she suddenly saw Justin walking toward her. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 With the huge university campus covering a massive area, Ste didn¡¯t expect to meet him again. She nned to lower her head, pretend not to see him, and walk past him. However, Justin walked straight to her and said, ¡°E, can I talk to you for a while?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She froze. ¡°Mr. Hall, what do you want to talk about?¡± He pressed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s something about Weston. I think you have the right to know about After sending Bryce to the office, he had managed to squeeze some time toe to her. They had not contacted each other for a long time and he felt that he should not meddle in matters about Weston, but after much consideration, he still felt that he had the right to know. He thought he had gotten over her, but he did not expect that he would be stirred when he saw her. As they sat in the gazebo, she believed that she could never talk to him calmly again. ¡°What exactly is the matter, Mr. Hall?¡± Knowing that she did not want to stay with him long, he wasted no time and went straight to the point. ¡°Are you together with Weston now?¡± She said nothing in return, but her silence answered the question. Justin took off his sses and closed his eyes. His hand clenched into a fist on the marble table. After a good while of silence, he finally spoke. ¡°I know it¡¯s inappropriate to say this, but he¡¯s not a good man.¡± ¡°Is that all you want to say? If you are done¡­¡± ¡°He does not only have you. He is also seeing other women behind Guinevere¡¯s back,¡± Justin interrupted He suddenly opened his eyes and stared into hers with a gaze as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. ¡°You know about Lowe Garden, right? You met him there as well. After you left, he went to another woman and has been supporting her in secret. Guinevere has been looking for that woman everywhere.¡± Ste was looking down so he couldn¡¯t figure out her emotions. Noticing how silent she was, he could not help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything you want to say? ¡°What do I want to say?¡± She looked at him with a bitter smile. ¡°What is my rtionship with Weston? Can I say anything about what he wants to do?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to put yourself in such a low position.¡± He suddenly felt a throbbing pain 111 his heart. He originally disapproved of her choice, and she clearly had the opportunity to be with him openly, and yet she chose to be Weston¡¯s unseen lover. He had even warned himself not to keep in touch with such a woman. However¡­ ¡°E, it¡¯s not toote for you to turn back.¡± Turn back? Don¡¯t kid me. If I had the chance, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen this path in the first ce.¡± He dropped his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too weak.¡± He remembered that she was also reluctant at the beginning. It was he who did not protect her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She stood up, unwilling to delve further into the topic with him. ¡°I am very sorry for nearly getting Bryce into trouble earlier. Let¡¯s not see each other again in the future, Mr. Hall. I¡¯m afraid that you might be implicated,¡± Ste said genuinely. She was indeed sincere. He knew she was speaking from her heart. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 But the moment she stood up, he stood up as well, and instinctively grabbed her wrist. ¡°E!¡± As though scalded by hot water, Ste forcefully shook her hand off. ¡°We are at school, Mr. Hall! Please control yourself.¡± After that, she left. Justin chased after her, but looking at her back, he stopped in the end. He stood in the gazebo, lost and full of despair. What he did not know was that in a hidden corner, a man had just taken a photo on his cellphone, where the image of the two people holding hands was clearly captured. *** In the ward. Initially, Xavier had nned to go to Henry, but thanks to what happened on the balcony, he didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. He found an excuse and left in a hurry. Henry was fiddling with another potted nt Weston had brought for him absent-mindedly when he suddenly said, ¡°Your uncle is rather obtuse.¡± Weston didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°What did he tell you just now?¡± ¡°Nothing. He was just probing.¡± He pushed his wheelchair and put the potted nt in the shade. Then, he came back. ¡°Don¡¯t give me these things again. I don¡¯t like them.¡± ¡°Why do you have so many then?¡± He put down the newspaper and rubbed his eyebrows. ¡°Tell me what you like.¡± ¡°How generous¡­ Will you give me anything I want?¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Are you this generous with those women of yours?¡± ¡°Which woman?¡± Weston sniffed and asked with a raised eyebrow. It was rare that he would even talk about this. Henry sneered without saying anything. ¡°You¡¯ve been a bit out of lely. Guinevere will not just stand and watch.¡± He was implying something, prompting Weston to stare at him intensely with his dark eyes. But he did not respond and simply said, ¡°Pull it together. After all, I was the one who let you have her. Be nice to her.¡± His tone was t as if he was saying something unimportant. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Weston shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t hear how solemn your advice is.¡± ¡°Did you mean it when you said you would give me anything I want?¡± Weston replied, ¡°You are a Moore. Do you really need me to get anything for you?¡± ¡°You are being too humble, Mr. Ford. Who doesn¡¯t know that Weston Ford is among the richest men in the nation? You were so generous to a bar girl in Lowe Garden, giving her a vi without a second thought,¡± he reminded. Weston finally understood what he was talking about andughed. ¡°Guinevere came to you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Henry said, raising both his hands while looking innocent. ¡°I¡¯ve always been tight-lipped. I don¡¯t talk about other people¡¯s secrets.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Weston stood up and put his suit jacket on his arm. ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± he said as he patted Henry¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t. It has nothing to do with me. If she knows about it, she will be very sad. Can¡¯t you just behave yourself?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know about what happened that year.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. Henry looked at his sullen, cold face and wanted to say something but Weston interrupted. ¡°I will help you keep an eye on that little bodyguard. Just don¡¯t get your hopes up. She¡¯s probably already¡­¡± He did not say the rest of the words. Seeing Henry¡¯s cold face, Weston knew he understood what he meant and left without saying another word. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 It was only after Weston left that Henry snickered and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°What do you know? She can¡¯t possibly die.¡± That woman was just like a cockroach. How could she die? After he said that, he was immersed in the shadows. The sunlight outside was pleasant, but it could not shine on his body. The sunlight shone through the window, slicing the ward into halves of light and darkness. He stayed in the darkness for a long time, and when he reached out, wanting to touch the sunlight outside, it was as if he was forever separated by a barrier. *** Near the end of the afternoon, Ste texted Roger. ¡°I need to go on a business trip this evening so I can¡¯t go home. Please be good when you are at home alone.¡± She had had a meal and chatted with him for a long time this afternoon. He was already very satisfied so he did not say anything and simply reminded her to take care of herself. She let out a breath and thought for a while before telling the chauffeur to send her back to the vi. Weston had note back yet, and Joan was cleaning the house. Seeing Ste sitting on the sofa in a daze, she approached her and asked, ¡°Ms. Steele, would you like to eat something?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Then, she nced at the clock. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost dinner. I¡¯ll cook after I finish my work here.¡± Ste paused for a moment, then suddenly got up. ¡°No, you go and do your own thing. I¡¯ll cook¡± Joan was a bit taken aback. ¡°This is not in ordance with the contract. Mr. Ford hired me to take care of you. How could I let you cook?¡± Ste stood still and smiled at her. ¡°He told you to take care of me, so shouldn¡¯t you listen to me?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Not expecting she would say something like that, Joan hesitated for a bit. But Ste was already pushing her out of the kitchen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t say anything.¡± Then, she closed the kitchen door. Some vegetables were already being processed in the sink. It seemed Joan had prepared them for dinner tonight. Hence, Ste decided to use them to make somemon dishes. When Weston returned to the vi, Joan greeted him. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± She whispered into his ear about Ste¡¯s strange behavior today. The man frowned. ¡°She cooked the meal herself?¡± He did not expect this. He thought that she was still angry with him and it would take him some time to coax her out. However, he didn¡¯t expect that she was already willing to cook for him. He could not deny that he was ttered by her behavior. He handed over his suit jacket to Joan and said, ¡°I¡¯ll reward you with a bonus.¡± Joan was surprised. She thanked Weston a few times and left happily. The moment he entered the house, he smelled the aroma of food. Ste¡¯s cooking had a distinct fragrance. He stood at the door without making a sound, looking at her busying in the kitchen. After a while, he walked to her slowly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Why did you think of cooking today?¡± She froze. Hearing the deep voice of the man, she calmed herself down and said, ¡°I came back early. Since there was still time, I thought I would cook first.¡± He kissed her cheek. ¡°You weren¡¯t even willing to make me some pasta before.¡± He nibbled on her ear and seemed to grumble. Ste frowned, said nothing, and continued her work. Weston showed no intention of letting her go. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Ste¡¯s movement was a bit restricted so she said to him, ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me go first? Wait in the living room. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°No.¡± He hugged her. His thin lips slid all over her face. At first, he was only kissing her cheeks, but he had slowly moved to her ears. Gradually, he moved down, not knowing how to restrain himself. Ste felt a tingle spreading across her skin. She grimaced and shrank away, wanting to avoid him, but the man only held her waist tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said with a hoarse voice beside her ear. He was holding her so tightly that she could feel the changes in his body. She took a deep breath, hand still tightly holding the spat. Her fingertips were white. ¡°Stop fooling around. It will be ready soon. Just wait for a little.¡± ¡°No, I am very hungry now.¡± His breath became heavier as he was talking to her. He said word ¡°hungry¡± particrly loudly. She understood what he was trying to say, but pretended not to understand. ¡°We can¡¯t eat yet. Can you wait?¡± He pinched her ears and deliberately misinterpreted her words. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait then. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± Ste knew he wasn¡¯t referring to the food, but her. But since he had already let go of her, she said nothing more and focused on cooking. ### She made three dishes, so it took quite a while. Weston waited for half an hour before Ste emerged from the kitchen. Wearing the familiar apron, her hair was tied to the back as usual, with only some hair hanging beside her cheeks, casting a light shadow on her delicate skin. He stared at her intensely, not paying attention to loud ramblings of the television After she served all the dishes on the table, he strode to her. She turned around to remove the apron. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He held her wrists and his Adam¡¯s apple moved. ¡°Let me do it,¡± he said. She could only let go and let him put his hands on her waist to untie the apron gently With the strings tied into a bow, he fiddled with it with his fingers, not releasing it right away Through the sweater, he rubbed against her waist. She felt ticklish and her reflexes made her avoid his touch. He chuckled and untied the apron. Ste lowered her head to remove the apron as soon as it was loosened around her waist but he pressed her neck ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll do it.¡± She wondered when he had be so dawdling and sighed. ¡°You do it then.¡± Holding her waist with one hand and holding the thin strap behind her neck, he helped her to remove the apron. She felt helpless. ¡°Is this really necessary? The food will get cold if we wait any longer.¡± ¡°Who says that we are eating this?¡± He suddenly pinned her to the wall while hanging up the apron, disallowing her to duck out of the way. ¡°Isn¡¯t she right in front of me?¡± He tilted her chin up and kissed her. Slowly, he probed deeper. His kiss was very deep and his eyes were closed, but those deep eyes were more focused than ever at that moment. It was as if her lips were the only thing in the world that could make him so enchanted. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Ste thought that he was really a man which no woman could resist. If he was serious, no one would¡¯ve fallen for his eyes. But why was she not feeling anything? In fact, all that was left in her heart was a little trembling pain. She shut her eyes and let the man ravage her lips. It wasn¡¯t until when the corner of her lips was bitten and she felt a tingling pain that she saw Weston opening his eyes, looking at her unhappily. ¡°You can¡¯t even concentrate on the kiss, huh?¡± Ste grabbed his arms and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I am hungry.¡± Sure enough, the man¡¯s eyes changed, and he seemed a little helpless. Then, he sighed beside her neck and rubbed her head. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± This was the first time she was willing to cook for him since the reunion So, he would naturally give way to her. Besides, her cooking was very good¡­ at least it suited his taste. She paused but still served some food on his te. ¡°Do you like this?¡± she asked. He looked at her with great intensity and suddenly put down the cutlery. ¡°Say it. What¡¯s the matter? She was stunned. Perhaps he must have felt that her intention was a bit obvious. So, she decided not to beat around the bush anymore and said directly, ¡°Before I get a new job, can I live with Roger for a while? ¡°No,¡± he rebuked directly. Ste knew that he would disagree, but didn¡¯t expect him to be so straightforward. She was in a daze for a while, before she put down the cutlery and said gloomily, ¡°Okay.¡± She stood up and abruptly, the chair noisily dragging on the floor as it was pushed back His face changed. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the room.¡± He rubbed his eyebrows and was exasperated by her. ¡°You made such a big deal today, just for this? Now that you¡¯re not satisfied, you¡¯re giving me the look?¡± Ste stood still and turned her head around, forcing a smile at him. ¡°I am not.¡± She knew that if she wanted to live a good life in the future, she could only please him. Weston said nothing. Suddenly, he gestured to her. ¡°Come here.¡± She refused to move. He frowned. ¡°Do you want me toe over and pick you up?¡± Only then did she reluctantly walk to him. The next second, she was tugged by him and fell into his arms She was pinned onto his left thigh, not allowed to move around. He tilted her chin and shook her head lightly. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a bite after making a feast. Are you trying to piss me off?¡± She said, ¡°I have no appetite.¡± ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t have an appetite for me, or you don¡¯t have an appetite for the food?¡± Her eyes flickered and looked away suddenly. ¡°I have no appetite for either.¡± She thought he would be angry, but heard his chuckle instead. Then, she felt a stinging pain in the corner of her mouth. Ste hissed angrily and pushed him away instinctively But the man only tightened his grip. With their foreheads pressing against each other¡¯s, he said with a deep voice, ¡°Since when did you grow a temper?¡± She took a deep breath to make her voice sound calm. ¡°I never did. Let me go first.¡± ¡°What can you do if I don¡¯t? It¡¯s a shame I was happy just now.¡± He pinched her face and made her look into his eyes. ¡°So you are doing this for a purpose?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I fail to achieve my purpose?¡± She looked straight into his eyes and said, ¡°You did not grant me my wish anyway. Let¡¯s pretend this is made for you.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re good at being coquettish.¡± Weston was going to be exasperated by her. ¡°Just pretend that it is made for me What do you take me for? What kind of person am I? Do you think you can settle it with just a meal?¡± ¡°What do you want then?¡± ¡°What do I want? I am sure you know.¡± He moved his hands down slowly. ¡°You have been starving me.¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Ste stared at him dully. She had seen him like this before when they were still married. When he was losing control, he would gaze at her that way. Feeling mocked, she reached her hands out to touch his eyebrows. He appeared to like being this close to her and allowed her to touch his face as much as she wanted. Weston doesn¡¯t like physical touch, but Ste was an exception. After a moment of silence, he heard her speak in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m very curious. Does Guinevere not satisfy you?¡± The atmosphere between them instantly shattered when she brought up another woman¡¯s name. The little warmth they had earlier was now filled with coldness and unspeakable embarrassment. Perhaps Weston didn¡¯t take this seriously, but Ste couldn¡¯t ept her identity at all. But what was she? Merely a mistress of his¡­ As much as she didn¡¯t want to, she lived under Guinevere¡¯s shadow. The man¡¯s fingertips pressed against the corners of her mouth, and his expression slowly calmed down. ¡°Do you know that you just ruined the mood?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her lips were pulled into a tight line. Weston let Ste go. With both having little appetite to eat, the table was still full of dishes. Joan wanted to clear the table, but Weston shot her a nce, instructing, ¡°Leave it there.¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± she stammered, a little hesitating. He rubbed his forehead in frustration and repeated himself. ¡°I said, leave it there.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Joan didn¡¯t understand how they were fine one minute but argued the next. Ste didn¡¯t know how long she stayed in the toilet. Not wanting to face him, she took a really long bath. Though she had been in an enclosed space for a long time, something was different today Weston didn¡¯t want to bother her, but considering the time she was taking, he walked to the door and knocked. ¡°Ste, are you trying to suffocate yourself?¡± No sound came out. Weston¡¯s eyebrows scrunched as if realizing something had happened. ¡°Ste, answer me!¡± It was still quiet inside. Instantly, his face darkened, and he kicked the door open. A loud bang ensued as the door fell. He strode inside. The stuffy toilet was marred by steam, and inside the bathtubid Ste with her eyes shut. She was so quiet she looked like she was sleeping. His eyes widened and an indescribable wave of fear coursed through his body. ¡°Ste!¡± Without a second thought, he pulled her out of the water and pinched her philtrum.¡±Are you insane?¡± From the looks of it, he believed she must¡¯ve deliberately done that to herself. Quickly, heid her on the ground and put pressure on her ribcage, attempting to resuscitate her. After a while, she sputtered unceremoniously and spat out water as she choked and gagged ¡°Cough!¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Ste was instantly ovee by a fierce coughing fit that caused her to tremble violently, as she slumped helplessly on his knee. Finally, after a chaotic few minutes, all the water in her lungs was out. She opened her eyes, dazed, and saw Weston in front of her. Her face showed clearly, with her wet hair in a bunch When he saw that she was slowly recovering, he let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re fine,¡± Seemingly unable toprehend what she had just gone through, she took a nce at the bathroom before asking, ¡°What happened?¡± Then, when she lowered her head and saw what she was wearing, she shrieked in horror and subconsciously hugged herself, trying to avoid him. Are you stupid? How can you drown when you¡¯re showering?¡± At that, she remembered that she had indeed wanted to shower, but slept off in the bathtub from exhaustion. She didn¡¯t know how long she slept but as her body rxed, she slowly slid into the water. If it weren¡¯t for Weston, she would¡¯ve probably been dead. She was a little scared thinking about it, but at the same time, didn¡¯t regret it. If she died just like that, she could escape all that pain and misery. It was as if he saw right through her intention and grabbed her chin with force. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. If you die, I won¡¯t let Roger live well.¡± Her eyes flew open. ¡°Weston!¡± she yelled. Though Weston knew that she¡¯d be mad next, he still felt the need to tell her. ¡°Don¡¯t try to leave me like that. You should know by now, that if you die, I will only make Roger¡¯s life hard. No matter where you are, I will find you.¡± The scene of Ste falling from the rooftop shed through his mind, an incident that he would never want to remember again for as long as he lived. Ste falling from the rooftop had always been his most terrifying nightmare. Never would he allow her to be in danger in this life. Never again. She red at him with hatred and warned, ¡°If you dare to hurt Roger, my ghost will haunt you till kingdome.¡± He sneered. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d let me go like that.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She was speechless. She got out of the bathtub. With her entire body soaked with water, she shivered in cold. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened as he gawked at her head to toe, restraining the urge he was feeling He wrapped her in a bathrobe, picked her up, and strode out of the bathroom right to the bed where he gently ced her. Ste immediately shrank inside her nket, refusing tomunicate with him. He didn¡¯t make a sound, and his face went dark. He shot her a re before taking out a hair dryer and lifting the quilt. ¡°Come out,¡± he said sternly. With her back turned, she remained silent and refused to entertain a thing he said. Patience had its limits, and so did Weston¡¯s. Without waiting, he pulled her out of the nket straight into his arms and began to blow-dry her hair. His movements were a bit rough as he tugged on her hair, and although her scalp hurt, her lips remained tightly sealed, not letting a single squeak escape. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Weston¡¯s expression darkened as he saw her belligerence, and his hands only ruffled her hair with greater force Ste endured the pain and let him continue to blow her hair. After a while, he saw the tears pooling in her eyes and sighed gently. ¡°If you told me you¡¯re hurting, you wouldn¡¯t have to endure the pain.¡± She ignored him, wiped the corner of her eyes, and turned her head away. He was the one inflicting the pain on her, yet she was to me for not telling him it hurt. Weston felt his heart drop and he put the hair dryer aside. He held Ste¡¯s face in his hands and pinned his forehead against hers. ¡°How are you so bold?¡± He nted a kiss on the tip of her nose. ¡°If you want to go see Roger, then go. Don¡¯t put on a sour face.¡± His words were cold, but he waspromising for her. Ste¡¯s eyes glistened, not expecting him to change his opinion. Seeing her face rx, he sneered and pinched her face. ¡°I gave you what you want. Why don¡¯t you give me a smile?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She was still a little resentful, though. Earlier, he had threatened her in the bathroom that he would do something to Roger, but since he had agreed to let her see him for a few days, she decided to let it go. She shed a smile at him. It was a little forced, but Weston epted it. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep now.¡± Ste nodded. As she was about toy down, he suddenly patted her shoulder. ¡°Are you hungry since you didn¡¯t have dinner?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. He nced at her, stood up, and walked to the kitchen without saying a word. Half an hourter Weston walked into the room. ¡°I asked Joan to make some food for you.¡± He ced them on the little table in front of Ste. ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat it if you don¡¯t feel like eating. But no one would care if you¡¯re hungry in the middle of the night.¡± His words were harsh, but she decided to not argue with him and she reached out to take the food ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hate me anymore?¡± She knew his words meant otherwise, so she ignored him. After quickly finishing the food, she passed the te to him. He didn¡¯t leave after taking it. Instead, he reached his hands out to wipe the corners of her lips. ¡°How old are you, still leaving stains on your mouth?¡± She lowered her head and wiped one corner of her lips to check if there was any stain. However, Weston grabbed her chin, not letting her move. He took a tissue from the bedside table and gently helped her wipe her mouth. They were leaning so close to each other she could feel his hot breath on her skin. If either one of them moved forward a bit, their lips would touch. But he stayed in the same position. After wiping, he let her go. He stood up and left the room with the bowl in his hands. As Ste watched him walk away, her tense body rxed. She nced at the wide bedroom, then shut her eyes. When Weston returned, he saw that she¡¯d curled up in the nket. He shook his head and went straight to the bathroom. Under the nket, she could hear the sound of running water. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Ste knew he was showering. Not longter, the noise in the bathroom stopped. Before the nket was pulled and the bed sunk, she could hear heavy footsteps plodding toward her. A wet body hugged her from behind. LLL Instantly, she stiffened and didn¡¯t dare to breathe. Weston noticed her repulse, gently rubbed her hair and kissed her head. ¡°Go to sleep. I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± The scene earlier was still stuck in his head. The horrifying image of her lying in the tub, unconscious. At that moment, he really thought she hadmitted suicide. If that had happened, he would never be able to ept it. But thankfully, it was only an ident. Weston didn¡¯t show many emotions. Only when he hugged Ste would his raging heartbeat slow to a calm. He hugged her tightly with considerable force, a force that was suffocating It wasn¡¯t until she was breathing heavily that he let her go slightly. He helped tidy her hair. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± In a hoarse voice, he croaked, ¡°I can forgive your little tricks as long as you stay with me.¡± Suddenly, nervousness swept over Ste. She didn¡¯t know what he meant by tricks. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She grabbed onto his bathrobe, and her hand tightened. She wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t seem to need her answers. After finishing his words, he patted her back like she was a child and whispered, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± It was then that she did she close her eyes and gradually fell asleep. The next day. She woke upter than him. Weston was a very disciplined man and had extremely strict time management to ensure his ns would never get disrupted. He was like some high-efficiency robot that didn¡¯t make mistakes. By the time Ste woke up, Weston was getting ready to leave for work. She stood on the balcony of the second floor and looked down as his ck car slowly pulled out of the garage. It wasn¡¯t until she lost sight of the car that she shifted her gaze away. She had told Roger that she was on a business trip for a couple of days but, at the same time, told Weston that she would be staying with Roger. She took out the name card, gave it some thought, and gave Bradley a call. After ringing for a long time, Bradley finally picked it up, sounding a little annoyed. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m E. Do you remember me? I came with Ruby to auditionst time. I auditioned for the junior sister role.¡± There was a long pause from the other end. It was so long that she thought Bradley didn¡¯t remember her¡­ until he spoke again. ¡°I remember. Why?¡± ¡°Have you found an actress for the role? I am interested. Can I give it a try again?¡± Bradley was at the shooting location, and hearing her words, he was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Sure. Do you have time now?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one scene that you can try.¡± After getting the address, she immediately headed out after informing Joan. She couldn¡¯t waste whatever little time she got. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Having only a few sses to attend, she headed directly to the filming site. This time, they were doing an outdoor shot, far away in the suburbs. It took over an hour¡¯s car rider for Ste to reach the ce, and she had a little motion sickness during the ride. when she arrived, the assistant was waiting for her. It seemed like he recognized her as he walked to her and asked, ¡°Ms. Steele, right? Please follow me.¡± She nodded and walked inside with him and saw Bradley shouting at one of the actresses inside. ¡°I want you to act like a richdy, not a servant!¡± ¡°You were too timid, which part of your acting looked like a wealthy woman who¡¯s been pampered her entire life?¡± The actress hung her head low. Ste stopped in her tracks. This was her first time seeing Bradley like this. The assistant seemed to notice her change in attitude and told her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind The director is like this to everyone.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a man or a woman. As long as you¡¯re in the crew, he will be extremely strict with you.¡± Hearing this, Ste rxed a little. It took some time before Bradley stopped shouting at the actress. The assistant ran to him and said something to him. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He turned around and shot Ste a nce. Then, the assistant came running to her and handed her a script. ¡°The director asked you to give it a try and read a few lines.¡± Ste stood up and walked to him. ¡°E, right? I remember you.¡± Bradley spoke first. ¡°Why are you contacting me now?¡± He had tried looking for other people to audition for the role but couldn¡¯t find the right one. Although the character in question only had a few lines, they were equally important. Character growth, in particr, had to be precisely depicted. Guinevere wasn¡¯t satisfied with the few actresses chosen before, and he was no different. Whenever he thought about E, he felt pity, but since she didn¡¯t want to, he couldn¡¯t force her. So when he got her call, he was actually surprised, but he kept a cool fa?ade like always. ¡°Read this line for me.¡± Having just arrived, Ste wasn¡¯t even ready when she was already given such a request. She put her bag aside and skimmed through the script ¨C the part of the plot about an innocent junior sister in her early stages. Originally the carefree daughter of the head, she was blessed with many senior brothers who loved her After the appearance of the heroine, however, everything fell apart. She liked the heroine at first, thinking she had obtained a senior sister, only to realizeter that the heroine was now receiving all the love that had once showered on her. This made her a little upset. At first, she was like a kid throwing tantrums to gain everyone¡¯s attention. But the more she acted that way, the more people would call her immature. These people had the audacity to make her apologize to the heroine while being the ones who were biased. The heroine was indeed innocent and didn¡¯t care one bit about what people thought of her She only wanted to cultivate, but the junior sister had transferred all her jealousy and anger to her, thinking that it must¡¯ve been her appearance that robbed away the love she used to get In this part, the junior sister questioned the senior brother, who had loved her since childhood, ¡°Why are you giving that spiritual beast to senior sister when I was the one who got it first? This ispletely unfair!¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Ste continued reading In the setting of the script, ording to the rules of the sect, whoever got the spirit beast first had the right to choose But the spirit beast yearned for the strong, and the junior sister wasn¡¯t a very diligent cultivator, making it unwilling to follow her and choose the heroine instead, This was out of line with the sect rules. Even if such a situation urred in the past, they would let the beast and the master slowly warm up to each other. However, they had directly given the beast to the heroine, even criticizing her for being ipetent. It was the first time the junior sister had felt their bias and she couldn¡¯t help but question them. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. However, the answers she got were heartbreaking From then on, she slowly turned evil. This was a thrilling scene, one that had to capture the emotions caught between innocence and jealousy. Bradley gave Ste some time and she rehearsed a couple of times at the side. After she memorized the entire plot and understood it well, she told him, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try now.¡± He nodded, ¡°Read the lines.¡± Ste put herself in the character¡¯s headspace and delivered the lines in the tone she thought was most appropriate for the character, Bradley scowled as he examined the script in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ but since you haven¡¯t studied acting, you have certain pronunciation errors. I¡¯ll get a tutor to assist you in your diction.¡± Ste¡¯s eyebrows scrunched and she subconsciously turned to him, She didn¡¯t know what he meant. Did this mean that she could stay? Thinking about it, she broke out of character. Her next performance wasn¡¯t excellent but eptable. Bradley set down the script. ¡°I was really extremely pleased with your performance the previous time we met You were in high spirits at the time. But today, you performed great in the beginning but not so well in the end I can tell you¡¯re trying hard to get this part, but you¡¯re still E, not Junior Sister¡­¡± Hearing his criticism, she would asionally nod her head, He could see that she was serious about this and sighed He then waved bin hand, surmoning one of the acting teachers. ¡°Take her to practice the most basic body position first, and we will go through the scer and see how she acts.¡± After hearing hisments earlier, all the confidence she had vanished. Perhaps she was too confident in herself that she thought someone like her without any acting experience could get Bradley¡¯s approval. Her mood was down but she was still trying her best to learn from the instructor. Bradley was busy. This movie was set to premiere during Spring Festival, but the actors weren¡¯t done with their parts yet, so there wasn¡¯t much time left for the editing crew. After that, the leads had to go on a promotion tour so at this time he was busy. The little time he took out to guide Ste had already dyed his work. After Ste was done practicing, the assistant rushed to report it to Bradley, not wanting to waste his time. When he was ready, he called Ste over. She then got up on stage again. There wasn¡¯t any room for breaks. This kind of high-intensity work made Ste very focused. She yed back everything the teacher taught her in her head, then performed it step by step on the stage. Bradley¡¯s face was still dark, making it hard to guess what he was thinking When he was working, he only had one solemn expression on his face, as if he was about to shout at someone the next minute. Nheless, he had a charming face. Ste would asionally hear the staff discussing that if Bradley didn¡¯t be a director, he would¡¯ve made a very popr actor. But his temper was weird, and he was known to constantly leave his actors in tears. Whether it was a male or female actor, none could escape his venomous words. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Actresses used to cry easily after being scolded. There were rumors that he was anti-actress and would give them issues. But he never changed his ways. After that, word spread that he was also chastising male actors Only then did people know he wasn¡¯t against female actors, but he didn¡¯t put anyone in his eyes. It was clear that his opponents were the ones who circted the rumors, making sure that no actors or actresses want to work with him. But instead of getting hatred, Bradley received manypliments. Actors nowadays should be trained by Bradley! They¡¯re receiving such high pay, but their acting is horrible!¡¯ ¡®Exactly. If I get such high pay like them, even iaf Bradley scolds my whole family, I will endure it! Besides, it¡¯s not like he cursed at them. He was just pointing out facts. It¡¯s a little harsh but it¡¯s for their own good!¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t understand how people nowadays can¡¯t take ament. If they¡¯re that fragile then don¡¯te to the entertainment industry¡­! Because of this incident, not many dared to anger Bradley. If he doesn¡¯t speak a word, no one would dare to give their opinion. Ste didn¡¯t know she performed but after a while, she heard him say, ¡°Go change. Contact the costume designers and design one for her.¡± She was taken aback for a long time without any reaction, just standing there. After Bradley gave his orders, he turned around and saw that she stood frozenly there. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to act anymore?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. I just thought I didn¡¯t act well. I was even ready to get scolded by you.¡± He paused for a moment beforeughing ¡°You¡¯re quite honest. But since you¡¯re ready to get scolded, I won¡¯t be gentle with you. I will directly tell you if you did anything wrong.¡± Once he was done speaking, he waved his hands, and his workers took her down the stage There were many designers that came and measured her. She just stood there and let them do their thing This feeling was a little new and made her feel a little emotional. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. There were so many people and carneras pointing at her when she was on the stage earlier If it was the old her, she wouldn¡¯t like it at all. But strangely, after getting into character, she loved it. She sat in front of the dressing table and listened to the designers talking about her costume. At this moment, the assistant suddenly came to her with a contract. ¡°Ms. Steele, have a look if you have any questions.¡± The minute she took over the contract, her phone rang. It was an unknown number Her eyes shed and she stood up. ¡°Can I answer a phone call?¡± she asked apologetically. ¡°Sure.¡± She immediately walked to a quiet ce and looked around. After making sure there was no one, she answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Weston stood on the balcony of his office and his brows furrowed when he heard her voice.¡± Where are you?¡± She lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m at school¡­¡± ¡°Why are you whispering?¡± She was stunned for a moment. She doesn¡¯t like to lie but she had no choice and said, ¡°I was in ss with Roger earlier. I¡¯m outside of his ss right now. I don¡¯t want to disturb them studying¡­¡± Weston sneered, ¡°You¡¯re learning what you shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked subconsciously. He chuckled lowly, ¡°What do you think I mean?¡± His tone was low, and Ste went quiet for a long time before she understood what he meant. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 After hanging up the phone, she didn¡¯t return immediately to the site.. She stood on the corridor and felt the breeze blowing on her face which calmed her down a little. She knew what Weston meant by that. He was intending that she learnt all those to pleasure a man. In the end, he never looked at her as a human but a disposable toy for pleasure. A bitter smile appeared on her face before she put her away and went back. Her only thought right now was to be famous, which at the same time was her only way to escape him. Ford Corporation. After the meeting, Ben suddenly walked to Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, these are the projects at Ahn City. Please have a look.¡± Weston flipped through the pages and suddenly thought of something. ¡°Show me the publicity n.¡± A campaign was needed as the Ford Corporation was moving to Fern City. They had done many early preparations and evenmunicated with the media. Their way of organizing a campaign had always been doing charity, but now Weston had other ideas. Fern University was one of the top universities in the country. Many graduates would dream of working in Ford Corporation. ¡°Change this year¡¯s n to sponsoring a bunch of excellent students to study overseas.¡± A huge reputation school like Fern University had guaranteed quality students. Instead of spending a lot of money on recruitment, it was better to start from school and cultivate a group of outstanding talents that would be useful to thepany in the future. It would improve thepany¡¯s reputation and save you a lot of effort. Weston¡¯s workers were also like him, all high-efficiency beings when it came to working. Ben quickly arranged it and contacted the person in charge of Fern University. The school was excited to hear that thepany was sponsoring them and immediately arranged for a representative toe and talk with him. It was a small matter which the workers could deal with themselves, but Weston decided that he¡¯d deal with it on his own. ¡°We¡¯re not doing a charity. Although we will be sponsoring students to study overseas, they have to be students that are qualified and have great potential,¡± Ben said at the side. The representative sent by the school sat in Weston¡¯s office and nodded his head, agreeing T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. with Ben. ¡°Of course. Here is a list of our excellent students. Please have a look, Mr. Ford!¡± The name listed were ranked from highest to lowest grade. All it took was one nce for Weston to see that familiar name. Roger. His grades were high above everyone else¡¯. Even at a university like Fern University where almost everyone was a high achiever, he still outsold them. Weston never really cared about him. When he got married to Ste, all he did was give Roger money. To him, nothing couldn¡¯t be solved with a little money. At that moment, he had some intentions for Roger. He shot Ben a nce and Ben immediately understood him. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this student have any record of his grades two years ago?¡± When the man heard this, he looked at the student and recalled some memories of Roger. ¡°The admissions office said that he transferred from another university. Although he didn¡¯t have the grade points of the previous two years, his usual performance is very good. He had to leave school for two years due to physical reasons, so there was no previous record because he has the same academic qualification. So, he¡¯s been delegated to aputer major.¡± Weston tapped on the table with his pen lightly. ¡°He did well for someone who left school for two years.¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened after hearing this, and he understood what Weston meant. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 ¡°This student does note from a particrlyplex home. His family could allow him to study abroad.¡± After all, getting a schrship to study abroad wasn¡¯t easy. As a result, there were various criteria regarding the student¡¯s family history. Additionally, the student¡¯s quality was also something they needed to consider. Some people wouldn¡¯te back after leaving the country, which would be a loss for the corporation. It was a bad deal. Although they weren¡¯t forcing the students toe back, Weston wasn¡¯t the kind that wouldn¡¯t ask for something in return for a good deed he¡¯d done. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. To a businessman, getting a profit was the most important. ¡°What do you say, Mr. Ford?¡± The man tried to guess his mind. Weston kept quiet, and after a moment of silence, he spoke, ¡°Looking at just grades is not enough.¡± ¡°So what do you mean?¡± ¡°If I have the time, I¡¯ll visit the school and make observations. If you need any financial support, the Ford Corporation will assist you.¡± The man was shocked and immediately stood up. ¡°I, representing all Fern University, would like to thank you with our hearts!¡± Weston shot Ben a nce, indicating that he could send the guest out. The office was left empty. He rubbed his forehead, and his lips curled at the thought of how Ste begged him yesterday. She was transparent in front of him, knowing his moves and thoughts. Since she wanted to spend more time with Roger and had asked him for permission, of course, he would allow it. If agreeing could make her happy, he was willing to do it. But if Roger lived in the country for a long time, Ste wouldn¡¯t let him go of him. It was fine if she went and saw him a few times, but if it happened again and again, he wouldn¡¯t agree. Right now, this was the only way. Not everyone had the chance to further their studies overseas. If he had told Ste directly, she would not let Roger go because she doesn¡¯t trust him. If the school had talked to her about this matter, then it would be a lot easier. Just as he finished solving one matter, Guinevere called him. They had an appointment with the doctor today, and Weston stood up to get the driver to pick her up. Guinevere was still living in the old mansion. Because of her parent¡¯s support, Weston had journeyed back and forth many times for her. Every time she saw the doctor, he would be there. At first, they would ask the doctor to go to the mansion, but she lost control and smashed everything around her. To not scare Chris and Wendy, they changed the location to the hospital. It was a private hospital, which meant they kept the patients¡¯ information confidential. Along the way, Guinevere remained silent. She looked at Weston and initiated the conversation. ¡°What projects are you doing at Fern City?¡± ¡°Developing a new property,¡± he answered her. He kept his answer short and straight to the point. She went quiet for a while before asking, ¡°Have you been a little tiredtely? If you have, I can go see the doctor alone in the future.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Only after hearing this did Weston put down the work in his hands and turn to her. ¡°If you went alone, your parents woulde the next day.¡± Instantly, her fist tightened. ¡°So, you¡¯re only here with me because of my parents?¡± She got emotional easily, and he had to be careful about what he said around her. Seeing her pale face, he said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t you overthink things.¡± Guinevere shut her eyes and calmned down. As long as Weston was willing to show her a little gentleness, she could lie to herself. But¡­ ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been going to Lowe Gardentely.¡± ¡­she still brought it up. Until now, she couldn¡¯t believe he would go there as he had never been interested in women. Everyone knew what kind of ce Lowe Garden was. All the wealthy heirs frequented it if they were looking for fun. Lowe Garden and The Dog House were not the same, but they were both famous entertainment ces. The Doghouse was suitable for all walks of life. The crowd was a mixed bag, ranging from wealthy bosses worth hundreds of millions to wage earners with a monthly sry of several thousand. But Lowe Garden was different. Guinevere had seen the woman called Belle. However, she was most insecure that Belle looked quite a bit like Ste. Before this, Guinevere would never ask about his schedule, but now, she would. Hearing this, he looked at her calmly and said, ¡°I went there to socialize for work.¡± She knew that he wouldn¡¯t answer honestly, but hearing how he had so casually lied through his teeth. She felt anger rising in her. ¡°I remember you used to hate socializing.¡± ¡°That was in the past. People change,¡± he said calmly. Instantly feeling disappointed, she asked, ¡°Did you change? Have your feelings for me changed?¡± Her voice was shaky as she waited for his answer. After a moment of silence, she saw him taking off his sses and rubbing his forehead as he said, ¡°No.¡± Only then did she release a sigh of relief and smile at him. ¡°As long as your feelings didn¡¯t change.¡± She shut her eyes and leaned on his shoulder. Weston looked outside the window, his dark eyes reflecting the lights that kept changing as they passed the road. His head was lost in the clouds. After Guinevere finished her treatment, it was already afternoon. He nced at his phone before saying, ¡°I still have some things I need to deal with at thepany. I¡¯ll let the driver send you home first.¡± She was a lot more stable now. Perhaps it was because the wedding date was already set. They agreed to get the marriage certificate next week Atst, she had hope. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t force him too much. ¡°Okay. Come home early.¡± ¡°I might note home tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ben will exin to you,¡± he responded. With that, he signaled the driver to drive away. Ste still had some words she wanted to say, but before she could say anything, he had vanished from her sight. When the car was far away, a sinister look appeared on her face. She sucked in a deep breath and stared at the driver as she asked, ¡°Is he going to Lowe Garden again?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Guinevere instantly clenched her first. If she caught Belle seducing Weston, she wouldn¡¯t let her off that easily! She was nothing but a ything. Who did she think she was? With her identity, she should just stay there and not take whatever that didn¡¯t belong to her. ¡°Mr. Ford, where are we going?¡± Ben asked Weston as he drove. ¡°Lowe Garden.¡± Ben paused for a while and hesitated. He had no right to ask about his boss anything, but he just wanted to remind him that Guinevere had her eyes on the cetely. If Weston went there, wouldn¡¯t he get caught? But he didn¡¯t seem worried about it at all. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He was a person who did everything wlessly. When doing business, he would never let his opponent catch any of his mistakes, and it was impossible for him to not notice her small actions. But he didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all. At the thought of this, Ben swallowed the words he wanted to say. As a mere assistant, he didn¡¯t have the right to tell his boss what to do. The car stopped at the Garden. When the manager got the news, he immediately asked Belle to wee him. ¡°Mr. Ford is here to see you.¡± She was just trying her luck by sending him a message, telling him that she missed him and wished that he coulde to see her. Who would¡¯ve thought that he¡¯d reallye! She felt like she was on cloud nine. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re here?¡± she asked shyly She didn¡¯t look the same as she used to. Before this, she would wear thickyers of make-up, wanting to stand out among the others. But ever since she found out about his taste, she began to wear lesser makeup. She straightened her hair and wore a white dress in an attempt to appear innocent. However, she had purposefully left some ces exposed, to give off that sultry look Because she managed to capture Weston¡¯s attention, the other women in Lowe Garden had started to copy her style Some even looked better than she was. Instantly, Belle felt insecure, fearing that others would take his attention away. Hence, she wanted to be closer to him. ¡°Can you apany me tonight?¡± She held on to his arms and after seeing how he wasn¡¯t repulsed by her, she got bolder. ¡°I learned a new dancetely. Does Mr. Ford want to see it?¡± Here, womens¡¯ main purpose was to please men-they would do anything to satisfy the men even if it meant they had to sing and dance. Weston understood what she meant and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room.¡± Belle¡¯s face reddened. ¡°Okay.¡± She had seen all sorts of things after being there for so long. But the man in front of her still managed to make her blush with just a word. ¡°I¡¯ll go change my clothes.¡± Weston let out a chuckle before entering the room. He sat down casually, his long legs stretched out, his eyes full of unruly and wickedness, which formed a strong contrast with his usually serious demeanor in thepany. Belle felt that she was lucky. Although the first time they met, he got mad which scared her. She won¡¯t forget the day he choked her and forced her to call herself Ste. But he was rich and handsome so that was enough to make her forget about the fear he left her that day. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 N?velDrama.Org owns all content. For women like her, they were either sessful or a failure. It was something they had considered before joining the industry. Of course, most had went there with the thought that they would be sessful. The number wouldn¡¯t have increased, otherwise. She changed into another outfit that was a lot more racy than before. Wearing a id skirt with a blue and white shirt, she instantly looked a few years younger, as if she was still a student. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching a showtely and learned a dance to show you.¡± ¡°Dance.¡± Weston didn¡¯t say much, barely looking at her. His casual attitude prompted Belle to feel that she needed to impress him even more. The music began and she started dancing with her might. Weston, however, didn¡¯t seem to be entertained, wearing no expression whatsoever. Belle was staring at him from the beginning, and seeing the non-existent emotions on his face, she felt nervous, unsure sure if he liked what he was seeing. Halfway through the dance, he suddenly stood up. ¡°Take your time.¡± She didn¡¯t know what was going on, but without even sparing her a nce, he walked outside of the room. Belle thought that she must¡¯ve danced poorly and instantly pulled on his sleeve. ¡°Do you not like it, Mr. Ford? I can sing for you instead¡­¡± Weston lowered his eyes and nced at her hand before retracting his hand. ¡°Tell your manager that I¡¯m having you for the night.¡± Hearing this, she was delighted, but at the same time curious. Earlier, he looked like he wasn¡¯t satisfied with her. So why did he suddenly want her? Weston didn¡¯t give her the time to think and shot Ben a nce before turning around to leave. Thinking that Belle had offended Weston, the manager came immediately, only to receive a stack of money from Ben instead. ¡°Take good care of Belle.¡± The manager smiled joyfully after getting the money. ¡°Sure! We will take good care of her!¡± Only then did Ben leave, satisfied. After the two men left, the manager went to see Belle and praised her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were such a huge potential; even someone as noble as Mr. Ford would fall for you. Do you know who his wife is?¡± ¡°Yes It¡¯s Guinevere.¡± Belle sat inside the room. She was still wearing the outfit with her head hung low, unable to figure out some things. The manager couldn¡¯t help but feel attracted to her. He had never found her attractive on the regr since he was constantly surrounded by beautiful girls, but perhaps she was Weston¡¯s woman that made her even attractive. Knowing very well that he couldn¡¯t touch Weston¡¯s woman, he merely said, ¡°Keep it up! You¡¯re going to get so much money!¡± The corners of Belle¡¯s lips curved upward. Although she was a little flustered, she was surprised by Weston¡¯s generosity. ¡°Mr. Ford gave so much again¡­¡± How can anyone not like someone as wealthy as him? But before she could savor the moment, the manager¡¯s face suddenly dropped, and he rushed to her dressing table, whispering, ¡°Hide now. Guinevere is here.¡± Stunned, Belle hadn¡¯t processed the whole thing when the door behind kicked open just as she was about to get up. ¡°Who is Belle?¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 In the evening Before Weston came back, Ste was already at the vi. Perhaps it was because she lied that she was being very docile today. Weston was shocked to see how her attitude changed. He agreed to let her see Roger yesterday, and today, she seemed like another person entirely. He sat on the couch and hugged Ste in his arms. At the thought of the incident this morning, he hesitated, wondering if he should tell her that he was nning for Roger to study overseas. He suddenly realized that she seemed to have the power to change his mind, as long as she appeared a little obedient. The only thought in Ste¡¯s mind, however, was what she should do if Weston found out she was lying Her pulse raced, and she didn¡¯t notice that his breath was getting closer. The two had already washed up earlier and were watching some show in the living room. The light on the tv reflected on their body, creating a beautiful haze look She was running out of breath from kissing him and she put both her hands on his chest. Having little energy left, she still tilted her head to the other side. The mood was killed in that instant. Weston knew that she wasn¡¯t ready yet, so he didn¡¯t force her. Hunters had extraordinary patience, and he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He would wait till the day she was ready. The night went by peacefully. The next day. After Weston went to work, she nned to head straight to the shooting scene, but she got a message from Bradley saying that she only needed toe in the afternoon. After giving it some thought, she decided to head straight to the school. Since Weston thought that she was with Roger anyway, she should really just go. When Roger saw her, he was quite surprised because she told him that she was away on a business trip T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I came back because I suddenly had something to do,¡± she exined. ¡°Since I¡¯m back, I cane to see you. I have time before the afternoon. Would you like me toe to with you to ss?¡± Roger agreed happily. Seeing how delighted he was, she didn¡¯t feel that great. She wanted to tell him that she was nning to be an actress, but she didn¡¯t know how to tell him. She couldn¡¯t keep hiding it from him and hoped that he could ept the truth. As all sses at the university were being conducted publically, Ste sat next to Roger. This was the first time she apanied him in ss, and he was more than happy about it. He took an English book and handed it to her. ¡°Read this if you¡¯re bored.¡± She was stunned for a moment before returning the book to him and taking out the script.¡° I¡¯ll read this.¡± At first nce, Roger thought it was a novel but the moment he realized that it was a script, his face darkened, and he stared at her. He stopped listening to the lecturer and asked with a cold tone, ¡°You¡¯re nning to be an actress?¡± She didn¡¯t look at him but kept her gaze focused on the script in her hands. After a while, he said slowly, ¡°Concentrate. I¡¯ll exin it to youter.¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Upon seeing how calm she was, Roger¡¯s anger instantly red up. ¡°Do you think this is a small matter?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°I told you before that I don¡¯t agree with you entering the entertainment industry. I can¡¯t do anything to help you if someone bullies you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°I just hope that you can take care of yourself. It¡¯s my choice to act, and I¡¯m here to tell you, not ask for your permission. Even though you¡¯re my brother, I wish you could respect my choices.¡± Roger wasn¡¯t a calm person; his attitude was a little aggressive. The minute ss ended, he pulled Ste outside. ¡°Why did you change your mind to be an actress? Don¡¯t you know how hard it is to be one?!¡± ¡°Do you know that our school also offers film and television majors? People talk about the slightly prettier-than-average girls. I don¡¯t want you to live that kind of life.¡± Ste let go of his hand. Seeing that there was no one around, she sucked in a deep breath and said, ¡°Every industry has its difficulties. I¡¯ve thought it through and no matter what, I will bear whatever negativement that gets thrown at me.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to suffer!¡± He subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling powerless. ¡°You really made up your mind?¡± He knew that once she made her decision it was hard to change her mind. She had been that way since she was a kid. Ste nodded. ¡°I have the script with me. Of course, I¡¯m serious about this.¡± Roger suddenly stared at her for a long time before he said, ¡°Before this, you said you went on a business trip. Was that a lie? You¡¯ve decided to join the entertainment industry for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± She was here today to tell him the truth. There weren¡¯t any secrets between them, but because of Weston, she had to keep lying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roger. I just don¡¯t want you to worry.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word, a massive sense of frustration and failure enveloping him. He suddenlyughed at himself. ¡°I¡¯m really useless, right? I only trouble you and can¡¯t help you with anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. We¡¯re family.¡± ¡°Exactly We¡¯re a family. We should help each other. Why am I always troubling you?¡± Ste instantly frowned. ¡°Roger, don¡¯t talk like that¡­¡± Right after she finished her words, footsteps approached from the other end of the corridor. ¡°Is Robb here?¡± The teacher from the school office rushed over, knocked on the door of the ssroom, and nced inside, ¡°Is Robb here? Come out for a while please.¡± In the corridor, Roger let go of Ste and turned to the teacher. ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Robb, you¡¯re here?¡± The teacher walked to him. ¡°I have some things to discuss with you. Come with me to the office.¡± Afterward, she nced at the woman next to Roger and said, ¡°Get to ss. Don¡¯t stay in the corridor!¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister,¡± Roger exined. ¡°Your sister?¡± the teacher fixed her sses. Ste didn¡¯t know if she was imagining things, but she could feel the teacher sizing her up. ¡°Since your sister is here. She shoulde along too.¡± Not only was Roger stunned but Ste was as well. ¡°Me?¡± What did this have to do with her? The teacher didn¡¯t want to borate more and simply said, ¡°Just follow me and you¡¯ll know.¡± Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 With that, the teacher turned and left. Both siblings exchanged gazes before following her. The office was wide and huge. The minute they went in, they saw a familiar face sitting inside. It was Justin He was looking at the pile of scattered photos on the table with a livid face. The atmosphere in the room was very serious. In front of the table stood a boy with his head hung low and reluctant written all over his face. When the two walked in the teacher announced, ¡°Robb is here!¡± The man lifted his head and saw that beside Robb stood Ste. Justin¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ste was confused as well. ¡°The teacher asked me toe along. Why? What did Robb do?¡± The first thing that came to his mind was whether Roger caused trouble at school. But Roger kept staring at the man with his head hung low. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He walked towards him. The man didn¡¯t say a word, as if he wasn¡¯t on speaking terms with Roger, and turned his head to the other side. Only then did Roger see the pictures and his eyes widened. ¡°Why do you have these?¡± Ste didn¡¯t understand and walked toward him. She followed his gaze and saw the pictures. They were all pictures of her and Justin, the moment when they were talking inside the booth. She remembered what had happened that day-all she did was talk with Justin. He told her that Weston had a lover. She didn¡¯t take it to her heart and told him to keep their distance before leaving abruptly. She didn¡¯t think that someone would take a picture of them. Justin didn¡¯t say a word but his face was solemn. The female teacher sneered and said, ¡°Jack suspects that Justin and you have some rtionship going on, so he often gives Robb high marks. The two of them are nowpeting to be the best student. So, Jack believes it¡¯s because your rtionship that causes Robb to steal his ce.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ste retorted subconsciously. ¡°Robb isn¡¯t that kind of person!¡± He was naughty at times, but he would never do things that go against his principal. Roger¡¯s face was dark as he stared at Jack. ¡°We¡¯re both roommates but you¡¯re betraying me now?¡± As he spoke, his fist clenched, and it looked like he wanted to punch him at any time. Ste quickly pulled him. ¡°Calm down a little!¡± The teacher was shocked to see this and said, ¡°This is the school. Where do you think this is that you can act so recklessly!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Justin shouted. ¡°He¡¯s my student. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The woman calmed down a little. ¡°Justin, I also want to understand what¡¯s going on behind this matter.¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 She used to like Justin before. She was a divorced single parent, and although she liked him, he rejected her. How could she have missed seeing Justin getting in trouble for getting involved with a student¡¯s sister? He rubbed his forehead in frustration, knowing of her intentions. But there was nothing he could do about it since there was evidence. He turned to face Jack. ¡°I exined earlier that your grades depend on your exam responses You and Justin are roommates; therefore, you should be aware of his abilities and grades better than anybody else. You are mistaken if you believe that by using these images, you can threaten your way to being an exceptional student!¡± When Jack heard this, his face fell. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve been working hard for that! All Robb had was a sister who knew how to seduce you, and he got it so easily. How is that fair?¡± Justin mmed the table fiercely, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t use without evidence! ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that I do things fairly. If you have any questions, you can ask me. What is your purpose of pulling all these dirty little tricks?¡± Though he was mad about this, he weed anyone who questioned him. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. He was a teacher. Yes, he was a little aggressive when it came to rtionships, but he was serious when it came to educating. What he was pissed about was Jack pulling all these dirty tricks behind him, stalking and taking these pictures to make people misunderstand him, enabling them to threaten him Additionally, considering that he had taken those pictures, Jack clearly didn¡¯t want to address the situation, threatening that he would share them if he didn¡¯t get the spot. If the news got to the principal, Justin might lose all chances to get promoted in the future. Justin¡¯s heart broke at the thought of Jack behaving the way he did. ¡°If you¡¯re still unconvinced, you may publiclypete with him! Who instructed you to use such petty means to spread such rumors?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we still figuring out the truth? Why are you letting out your anger on a student?¡± the female teacher asked. ¡°You! As a teacher, you were supposed to be fair, but just because you and I have history, here you are trying to make things worse,¡± Justin rebuked without any mercy. Her face paled instantly. That was her intention, but there was no way she would admit it. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t care about your problem anymore.¡± After that, she walked out. She knew that Justin wasn¡¯t one to be messed with. After she left, Justin began solving the matter. Throughout the whole thing, Jack never spoke a word. Justin stared at him and asked, ¡°Tell me why you are dissatisfied with me.¡± A sneer appeared on his face. ¡°Robb has the same results as me. I admit he¡¯s better than me, but we could at leastpete to be the best. Now that you¡¯re after his sister, you¡¯ll give him a chance.¡± Hearing him speak like this, Roger couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°What are you saying? There¡¯s nothing between my siste Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 ¡°How do you have the guts to say you got it on your own? You dropped out of school for two years and have no record of your grades. You think you can rob my ce just because your scores are slightly higher this year?¡± ¡°It¡¯s written in the rules. Why can¡¯t Ipete for it?¡± ¡°Who knows maybe Mr. Hall gave you extra grades since he¡¯s seeing your sister¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, Roger rushed forward and grabbed Robb by the cor. ¡°Say it again. I dare you.¡± Never expecting the matter to blow out of proportion, Ste quickly pulled Robb away. ¡°Robb! Stop fighting!¡± Roger still hadn¡¯t lost his rationale and stared at the man before him. ¡°I treated you as my friend, but you stabbed me in the back. If you have anything against me,e at me. Don¡¯t do all these dirty tricks behind me. You¡¯re just being pathetic!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same? You went behind my back as well! Who¡¯s the actual hypocrite?¡± Jack suddenly smiled and suddenly looked at Ste. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to have a beautiful sister. If only I have a sister. What a shame my mother¡¯s too old now, or I¡¯d have asked her to try¡­¡± Roger hit him on the face directly, Jack immediately lost his footing, hissing from the pain on his face. A hint of slyness shed across his eyes Instantly his expression changed, and he covered his face, questioning, ¡°Who are you to hit me? We are at the office! Indeed, you are bold with a teacher on your side!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He started to scream and turned his face to the surveince camera to show the injury. ¡°This is evidence that you have something going on with Mr. Hall since you dared hit me in front of him.¡± Roger stared at him and felt the urge to hit him again. Ste, unable to hold him back, was helpless. It was only when Justin stepped up and held Roger that he stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive! Fighting is against the school rules. You might get expelled if it¡¯s serious ¡°Stop being impulsive! We can solve this!¡± Ste whispered in his ear, trying to calm his anger Roger was still staring Jack straight in the eye. What he said earlier hit his bottom line. Jack was close to him, and he knew that Roger cared about his sister the most¡­ but there he was, making fun of Ste! On the corridor. Still enraged, the female teacher mumbled, ¡°What is the big deal with her, anyway? She¡¯s just young and a little pretty, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Men nowadays are really useless to girls like her!¡± As she muttered to herself, she suddenly saw the person in charge of the admissions office walking over her way. Next to him was a handsome man. Instantly, she recognized him-he was Mr. Ford from the magazines. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 She¡¯d seen him on television, but never imagined he¡¯d show up on campus. The person in charge took Weston on a tour around campus, introducing him to the facilities. The minute they entered the office, he heard a female teacherini ng. Afraid that this would leave a bad impression on Weston, he instantly asked, ¡°Why are you standing here?¡± She walked over and instantly med Justin for everything. ¡°Mr. Hall is dating a student¡¯s sister and even gave him the valedictorian spot. Now, the student¡¯s roommate has discovered the truth, and they are debating it in the office. He even has photographs of them to prove that Mr. Hall is having an affair with the student¡¯s sister, suspecting Mr. Hall is being unjust¡­¡± She had just given them a whole truckload of information. The person¡¯s face dropped not because of Justin, but because of her! Didn¡¯t she see that Weston was beside him? Why did she have to keep going on about these embarrassing things?! ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mr. Ford, we will solve this problem.¡± Weston didn¡¯t seem to care much about it all. His only purpose for going there was to see Roger. After all, he was Ste¡¯s only family. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When the man saw Weston¡¯s expressionless face, he pulled her aside. ¡°Tell Justin to solve this, right now! Stop making our school look bad! We can¡¯t lose Mr. Ford¡­¡± Only then did she realize that she had made a grave mistake by saying all that. As she was about to leave, he suddenly called her. ¡°Whose teacher did Justin have a rtionship with?¡± His voice was icy cold, leaving the person in charge oblivious as to what he¡¯d done to offend him. With a hard gulp, he answered truthfully. ¡°The student is Robb.¡± When Weston heard Justin¡¯s name, he had already guessed it was him. After confirming it, his face remained emotionless, and he sighed coldly. His hands were inside his pocket, and he stood still. Just by standing there, he attracted much attention. ¡°Really?¡± *** Things were far from over at the office. Jack was determined to report Robb for hitting him. Ste had tried her best to convince him to change his mind, but he wasn¡¯t the slightest moved. ¡°I know the two of you are best friends. Don¡¯t argue because of a slight matter. I can assure you that there¡¯s nothing going on between me and Mr. Hall. We¡¯re just talking at the booth the other day.¡± She didn¡¯t want to make it a big deal, and after some thought, she believed reconciling with Jack was the best choice for Roger. But Roger didn¡¯t want to see her talking so humbly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy talking to him! If he wants to, just let him. We have nothing to be afraid of!¡± ¡°How funny that this ising for you!¡± Jack provoked. ¡°You and your sister are the same. You should know that clearer than anyone!¡± He had deliberately looked for his weak spot and attacked those. Ste saw that he was doing it purposely and shot a nce at Roger. ¡°Don¡¯t say another word and let me deal with this!¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I ordered you to stop talking. Do you realize you¡¯ll simply make matters worse?¡± She abruptly cut him off. Instantly, Roger¡¯s eyes trembled as tears began to pool. Looking at him, Ste felt her heart breaking, but she still walked in front in front of Jack and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that Robb hit you. I apologize on his behalf.¡± Jack chuckled coldly and wiped the blood off the corner of his lips. ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing? He hit me. You need to at leastpensate me for the damage it¡¯s done to me and my wellbeing!¡± Ste stared at him without any emotions. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°D*mn. You sure are rich.¡± Jack added, ¡°I remember that the two of you are orphans, right? You must be a rather capable woman to be able to earn that much money.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He was so sarcastic even Justin couldn¡¯t listen to it anymore. ¡°You¡¯re here to learn. Not lose your morals!¡± ¡°For a spot, you¡¯re willing to insult and spread rumors about your friend¡¯s sister. Where did all your knowledge go!¡± he scolded him mercilessly. Jack held onto his dirt even more. ¡°You have a rtionship with her. Of course, you¡¯re helping her!¡± ¡°What rtionship?¡± Suddenly, a cold voice came from afar. Weston and a few others appeared by the door, pushed it open, and gradually walked in. When Ste heard the familiar voice, she was taken aback. She turned her head to the other side and met a pair of cold eyes. Weston stared at her and walked forward before stopping at the table. He had a natural superior force and a magnificent aura that would make others afraid to stare at him directly. He nced at the pictures coldly, then casually grabbed one. He noticed two individuals holding hands within the gazebo, and an indifferent smile appeared on his face. ¡°Nice picture.¡± He turned to Jack and asked, ¡°You took them?¡± Jack didn¡¯t know who he was, but based on his appearance, it was obvious he was wealthy. Besides¡­ He nced at the teachers standing by the door being so respectful towards him, and he guessed the man must be some important guest. ¡°Yes! I saw them at the booth that day! ¡°Mr. Hall and Elle are a couple! Her brother is my ssmate. He just transferred here this year. Mr. Hall often takes advantage of his position, giving him high grades and making him the top of the ss! But he just moved here, and if it weren¡¯t for his connections, there would¡¯ve been no way he could study here! ¡°Our school has always been about fairness and impartiality. I am not convinced that such a person could take my spot! ¡°If I didn¡¯t see them that day perhaps there will be a lot more students like me, victims of injustice!¡± Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 In an attempt to turn this into a big deal, he said it with pomp and self-righteousness. It would be better if he convinced everyone that Robb was guilty. That way, he could get the spot. And considering Weston was an honored guest of the school, the school would take it seriously if he paid attention to this matter. Weston didn¡¯t say a word as he looked at the pictures on the table. Justin, too, was shocked when he saw him, not expecting that Weston would appear. ¡°Mr. Ford, I know we have some personal issues, but I can tell you that Robb has been picked fairly and squarely to be an excellent student. I¡¯ve never given him excellent scores merely to impress Elle,¡± he replied after calming himself. Weston didn¡¯t say a word, his fingers grazing the picture lightly. Ste had a photogenic face, and she looked even prettier on camera. He looked at Jack as if he didn¡¯t hear Justin¡¯s words. ¡°How are you so sure they are a couple just by looking at these pictures?¡± When Jack heard this, he was delighted that Weston seemed to be on his side. He said solemnly, ¡°I witnessed the two hugging and kissing the other day in the gazebo¡­ Even though it was ss time, some students would undoubtedly walk by if they saw them like this¡­¡± He put on a disgusted look as he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be such shameless teacher and guardian in a sacred ce like the university campus!¡± He pointed at Ste. ¡°I heard it all. She thanked him for taking care of her brother and said that she would repay him.¡± He was so excited that he wished he could show them the scene he saw at that time. Weston listened to him until he finished speaking before turning to look at Ste. ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡± There weren¡¯t any emotions in his voice. Ste¡¯s face went as pale as a sheet. She clenched her fist and sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Nonsense! There¡¯s nothing going on between Mr. Hall and me. We met to talk about Robb.¡± ¡°There are pictures! Why are you still denying it?!¡± Seeing that the matter couldn¡¯t be resolved, the person in charge was worried that Weston would get a bad impression of the school. He yelled at Ste, who tried to exin herself. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is a university! You can¡¯t be so reckless!!!¡± he boomed. Ste¡¯s face stiffened. When Roger saw that Ste was getting yelled at, his expression fell. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He didn¡¯t want to remain any longer, and he didn¡¯t want Ste to bear the brunt for him. ¡°If you leave now, it will only prove that what I said earlier is true. You¡¯re leaving because you¡¯re guilty!¡± Jackughed coldly. Ste shut her eyes and halted. ¡°He¡¯s right. We need to exin this clearly. It¡¯ll look like we are admitting it if we leave now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, and I no longer want to study!¡± Roger instantly became unhinged. Ste was dumbfounded before her face turned cold, and she yelled in frustration, ¡°Stop all this nonsense!¡± She was a little angry. She drew a deep breath and moved in front of Jack before Roger could respond. ¡°You imed Justin, and I have a thing, and these images prove it. I want to ask you a question. Based on thew, is this adequate enough as proof?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°I have no other meaning. Since you said that this is a serious situation, the only method to resolve it is through the legal system. You shouldprehend this as a student. If you desire justice, let thew provide you with it!¡± ¡°Do you think you know thew so well that you can scare me with it?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t. But I can get awyer.¡± Ste was driving him to the brink, giving him no time to reflect. ¡°You want justice, right? I¡¯ll give it to you. You can get awyer too.¡± She stopped for a moment before coldly chuckling. ¡°You secretly photographed me and Justin, then used those pictures to construct allegations, nder, rumors, that degrade us. I¡¯ll tell the judge about everything!¡± Jack¡¯s face changed instantly, never expecting things to turn out this way. He wanted to say something, but Ste interrupted him. ¡°As for your suspect valedictorian, we can ask the school to start an investigation. If Robb faked the results, I will be the first to make him quit without another word!¡± She was confident because she understood Roger and knew that he wasn¡¯t one to do such petty things. If Jack had really gotten the spot because of some dirty tricks, he had iting for him, especially if the school really kicked him out. Weston leaned to the side and looked at Ste calmly. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. With a twinkle in his eyes, he looked at her from top to bottom. The guy in charge wanted to speak out, but he raised his hand and instructed him not to. He wanted to see what else Ste would do. He¡¯d never seen her like this before, so bold and astute-transforming herself into another person just to protect the ones she loved. Jack¡¯s eyes glistened as he didn¡¯t think that she would be this tough. He had heard from Roger before that Ste was someone very gentle and easy to talk to. He thought that she would panic when in trouble-which was why he was so cocky earlier. At this moment, everyone was looking at him. His face was red, yet he still acted tough. ¡°The judge wouldn¡¯t care about this at all!¡± he rebuttted. ¡°Plus, all of this happened in uni. Shouldn¡¯t we follow the university¡¯s rules instead?¡± ¡°Everyone but me is a student at this university,¡± she interrupted him. ¡°You circted rumors about me, humiliated me, and wrecked my reputation. I must seek justice in this matter. You¡¯re an adult now, therefore you must take responsibility for your actions.¡± After she was done, her eyes shed, and she turned to Justin. ¡°Mr. Hall, did Jack say to you that if you don¡¯t give him the spot, he¡¯ll expose these pictures?¡± ¡°He did.¡± Justin¡¯s face was cold, and he nodded. Ste smiled and walked up to Jack, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you want to hold Robb responsible for beating you?¡± When Jack heard this, he straightened up immediately. ¡°Yes! He beat me just now in front of everyone. There¡¯s a surveince camera here. Don¡¯t try to deny it!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°The surveince camera should have the footage of you threatening Mr. Hall. I wonder what¡¯s that called?¡± She shot a nce at Roger. Roger sneered and mockingly gazed at Jack. ¡°It¡¯s known as ckmail.¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 The two siblings made the matter sound serious. Jack¡¯s face turned pale and cold sweat dripped down his body. He didn¡¯t expect things to turn this way. ¡°I¡­¡­.¡± he mumbled for a long time, unable to say anything. In the end, he could only re at Ste and Roger with anger in his eyes. ¡°You-¡± He had no one to back him up so he subconsciously turned to Weston, hoping to receive some backup. Weston, however, didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Instead, he stared at Ste with great interest. An elusive emotion filled his eyes When the person in charge noticed that Weston seemed to like Ste and Roger, he changed his mind and remarked, ¡°School is not a ce to be rash, and you must have evidence before you can incriminate anyone!¡± He then fixed his gaze on Jack alone. ¡°There are too many conceited kids like you who always believe that the world is unjust to them, yet your own abilities are insufficient! Instead of whining and ndering, it¡¯ll be best you first identify your own shorings.¡± Jack¡¯s head hung low, knowing that he¡¯d lost. He could only unwillingly go to Roger and apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I used you. I will let this go. I hope you will forgive me.¡± Roger chuckled coldly. ¡°So what if you¡¯re sorry? Are the rules not important anymore?¡± He returned his words to him. Jack¡¯s face slowly lost color and his lips turned green as he said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spread rumors like that about you. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Who are you apologizing to?¡± Roger didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Jack understood what he meant. He walked in front of Ste, then bowed to her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spread rumors of you and Mr. Hall. I know a woman¡¯s reputation is very important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when you took those pictures.¡± ¡°The two of you didn¡¯t do anything at all in the gazebo. It is I who¡¯s thought badly of you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Mr. Hall!¡± he apologized sincerely and looked at Justin. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It was uncertain if Jack had realized his mistake, but his attitude seemed sincere. Ste, too, didn¡¯t want to make this a big deal. She sucked in a deep breath and said, ¡°I can forgive you, but you must write a letter with a guaranteeing that you won¡¯t go against Robb anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jack¡¯s voice increased a couple of notches as he stared at her in disbelief. ¡°I need to write a letter to Robb?¡± After he asked the question, he noticed Ste¡¯s re had turned cold and knew he was overreacting a little. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± He immediately lowered his head. Only then did she rx a little. ¡°That¡¯s good. I won¡¯t pursue this matter. As for your school, it depends on Mr. Hall.¡± Jack believed that the letter alone was bad enough, but apparently, there was still punishment from Mr. Hall. ¡°I will deduct your scores, and it will also be reflected in your final grades. Jack, I hope you can focus on your studies, and stop having bad intentions.¡± Jack hung his head low and took in all the critique With that, the entire episode came to an end. Ste took Roger with her and left the office without looking back as if hideous beasts lurked inside It wasn¡¯t Jack that made her feel ufortable, but it was Weston He had appeared in front of her in such a grand manner, and he did not shy away in the slightest, especially since Roger was with her This made her very anxious. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 When they were in the corridor, Roger asked her coldly, ¡°Why is Weston here?¡± Ste¡¯s face dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you really not know or you¡¯re acting like you don¡¯t know?¡± Roger interrogated. ¡°Did you go see him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Ste cut him off as she turned emotional. Seeing his stunned expression, she realized that she was a touch out of character. ¡°Let¡¯s get lunch,¡± she stated calmly after taking a long breath. Roger was a little worked up at first but slowly calmed down. He didn¡¯t say a word and followed her. He didn¡¯t know when it happened, but there was now an invisible boundary between them, one he couldn¡¯t cross. Inside the office Weston stood up and nced at the person in charge. The man immediately asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, do you want to go somewhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± He looked at the time. ¡°I want to take a look at your cafeteria.¡± The man was stunned before gaining his senses and smiled immediately. ¡°We¡¯ve arranged for you to dine in a hotel, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Do the students normally eat in hotels?¡± ¡°Of course not. They eat at the cafeteria!¡± The man wiped his sweat and understood what Weston meant ¡°Sure, let¡¯s have a look at the cafe.¡± With that, Weston walked out of the office ¡°Which cate are they going to?¡± he asked as he stared at Ste and Roger¡¯s back ¡°It¡¯s the one closest to theputer science faculty. Would you like to head there, Mr Ford?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Weston followed them and the man could only follow him Justin had wanted to follow them loo as he didn¡¯t trust Weston around Ste, but seeing Jack still in the office, he decided to stay After Ste got the food, she discovered that Weston had also followed them there. Roger saw it too His face darkened as he sat next to Ste. ¡°He¡¯s here for you!¡± He seemed very determined and anger red inside his eyes. ¡°What does he want?¡± Ste instantly panicked, not knowing what Weston wanted elther. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Why was he here? Was he here to check on her? At the thought, she clenched the chopsticks in her hand. Thank God she decided toe to the uni today-she might¡¯ve just exposed herself if he suddenly wanted to meet her and she wasn¡¯t there. Although Roger didn¡¯t agree about her grand charade, all he could do was voice his opinion. Weston, meanwhile, wouldn¡¯t care about her opinion at all. He would¡¯ve straight up locked her at home and not let her out. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 ¡°Time¡¯s almost up. Do pay attention in ss.¡± Ste quickly gobbled her food down. Roger had lost his appetite. ¡°No matter what it is, I won¡¯t allow you to have a rtionship with him.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°Since he¡¯s here, I won¡¯t go to ss with you.¡± He wanted to let her leave but at the thought of something, his face turned dark. ¡°Are you going to the filming site?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice a long time ago.¡± Before parting ways, Roger didn¡¯t say a word to her, but his face was solemn. He even appeared a little angry. Seeing him this way exhausted her. Right after she left the ssroom, she got a text message. ¡®Come to the gazebo.¡¯ Most lectures were on at that time, and there weren¡¯t many students wandering around. Ste headed there and saw a tall figure inside the gazebo. The tall and and muscr Weston stood out like a sore thumb thanks to his his tremendously imposing aura. She approached him. When he heard her footsteps approaching, he turned and cast a quick glimpse at her. ¡°I agreed to let you see Roger, not Justin.¡± Ste pursed her lips and stopped in her tracks. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She knew that the reason he wanted to see her was about Justin. ¡°I was here to talk with Justin about Roger. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing going on between you two, why did you meet here?¡± He looked around before cing his hands on the rail, tapping on it lightly. ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ste detected resentment in his remarks, and she hesitated, before taking a step forward to approach him. ¡°But I¡¯m here with you, right?¡± Hearing this, Weston suddenly turned around and grabbed her chin. His eyes narrowed and stern, he whispered, ¡°Are we the same?¡± He stared straight into her eyes, it was as if he¡¯d rip her apart if she nodded her head. Ste frowned and shook her head. ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing between me and him.¡± Only then did he let go of her and caressed her cheeks. ¡°The pictures look great.¡± She lowered her gaze. ¡°He deliberately took those pictures from that angle.¡± But no matter what she said, Weston¡¯s heart was filled with indescribable grief. He released the watch on his wrist and sat down on the stool on the side of the gazebo. ¡°Sit down.¡± Ste followed his istructions and sat next to him. However just as she sat down, he said calmly, ¡°Sit on myp.¡± Instantly, she stood up and shouted, ¡°This is a school!¡± ¡°Nobody wille here. I asked Ben to guard outside, so there¡¯s only me and you are here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy! What if someone takes a picture of us?¡± It was Weston¡¯s turn to frown this time. ¡°I checked earlier, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone here at this time.¡± She wanted to say something but before she could he added, ¡°When you were holding hands with him, you didn¡¯t think that much. But why can¡¯t you do that with me?¡± Ste could only shut her eyes and take a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She knew that there was no use telling him anything at this point, so she walked toward him. Just as she stood before him, he pulled her into his arms making her sit on hisp. Her chin was lifted and before she could react, he pressed his lips on her. He kissed her with so much force. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Ste was trembling slightly, fearing that someone would see them. Even though Ben was on the watch, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. She pressed both hands on the man¡¯s chest, attempting to push him away, but he held her hands and put it behind her. Not only was he kissing her, but he was biting her lips as well. The tangy taste of blood seeped into her tongue as his sharp teeth mashed against her tender lips. Weston finally came to a halt, breathing heavily, and he muttered in her ears, ¡°If I see him touching you again, it will be far worse.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t let him touch me!¡± She was breathing heavily as well. ¡°Fine.¡± With frustration, he cut her off. ¡°Even if it¡¯s out of politeness, he¡¯s not allowed to touch you.¡± His possessiveness towards her was extraordinary. Even he himself didn¡¯t think that just looking at a picture of Justin holding Ste¡¯s hand was enough to make him have the urge to kill someone. The man¡¯s brows twitched. Seeing her pale face, knowing that he might have frightened her just now, he eased his tone, ¡°As long as you are obedient, I can¡¯t give you anything.¡± When she heard this, she laughed to herself. Indeed. All she needed to do was listen to him, and he¡¯ll fulfill all her requests. There was no difference between her and a pet. As long as she made him happy, she could get what she wanted. But if he weren¡¯t happy, he would punish her anytime. Weston knew how to step on someone else¡¯s pride. Perhaps it was because of the kiss that made his mood better. Seeing this, she said boldly. ¡°Since I¡¯ve dealt with this matter already, can you stop interfering?¡± Instantly, Weston was reminded of how brave she was earlier in the office. ¡°I never realize that you have this side of you. Where is the energy to sue that student just now?¡± She pulled his sleeves and insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t let Roger know about us. Please.¡± Her eyes were pleading. He couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart soften seeing her like this, though he knew that she was putting up an act. He pinched her cheeks and asked, ¡°Is ignoring him not enough?¡± Weston knew that what Ste was that he would do something to Roger. He wasn¡¯t happy about her protectiveness over Roger, but he enjoyed seeing her beg. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re in trouble next time.¡± He liked to see her rely on him. Although he was amazed at how bold she was, he didn¡¯t want her to leave him. Inside the car. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Ste sat down on the seat but was instantly pulled into Weston¡¯s arm. He kissed her profoundly, leaving her huffing and out of breath. After some time, he let go of her. ¡°What are your nster?¡± Her eyes darkened. She had originally promised Bradley that she would be there for the shoot, but considering the situation, she could only ask for a day off. She shook her head. ¡°I wanted to join Roger for a ss, but he¡¯s angry with me.¡± She lowered her gaze to cover up her difort of lying. He lifted her chin. ¡°You¡¯re so nice to him, yet he¡¯s mad at you?¡± There was a little yfulness in Weston¡¯s voice, as he said, ¡°I never seen you this attentive to me before.¡± Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 ¡°You¡¯re not the same,¡± Ste answered subconsciously. Seeing that the man¡¯s expression changed, she changed the subject. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Since you have nothing to do this afternoon¡­¡± He lifted his hands and put her hair behind her ears as he stared at her red lips. He leaned closer and bit gently on her lips once more before saying, ¡°Then stay with me.¡± She had never thought Weston would bring her to see his friends so openly. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The intermittent ttering of billiard balls could be heard at the pool hall, breaking the otherwise cid atmosphere. There weren¡¯t many people there, but one look revealed that these were brilliant people. The minute the two ster ped inside, a young walter came forward. ¡°Mr. Ford. o waiter came forward (Mr Insid lease follow TOLU. UL. LULU me.¡± Ste followed Weston, confused. It wasn¡¯t until he brought her to meet a familiar face that she understood why she was there. ¡°Did you bring her?¡± Xavier shot a ball into the hole and straightened up before slowly approaching him and assessing her. She met his gaze and instantly recalled him as the man who¡¯d left the girl on the highway. When she saw that the girl was in the same mess as her, she had brought her back to the city. Xavier remembered Ste. He wasn¡¯t shocked that Weston brought her there, but he was confused. Weston had never brought a woman to venues like this. He had brought Guinevere before, but that was because she was one of the yers. ¡°This is¡­¡± Xavier looked at her. Weston stepped in front of her and blocked his view. ¡°Elle.¡± That was all he said as he didn¡¯t n to introduce more about her to him. Xavier smiled, able to tell that Weston had an unusual possessiveness over the girl. He restrained his usual condescending look and stretched out his hand to Ste. ¡°I¡¯m Weston¡¯s uncle, Xavier. We¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°I remember. You left a deep impression on me.¡± ¡°This was a woman with a strong sense of self- protection,¡± Xavier secretlymented in his heart. ¡°You and Weston are?¡± he asked on purpose. He didn¡¯t look at Weston, and instead, looked at Ste. She paused for a while before saying, ¡°A friend.¡± Right after she finished speaking, she could feel a gaze on her. Without turning, she already knew who that was. But she felt like she hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. They were friends in the eyes of others, and she couldn¡¯t possibly tell him that she was Weston¡¯s lover, could she? Xavier was his uncle, so he knew about him and Guinevere. He had deliberately asked the question to make a joke out of her. Ste honestly had no good feelings towards the Ford family. Xavier grew up with a bunch of women, so he knew their emotions and attitudes. He knew that Ste didn¡¯t like him, so he kept his mouth shut and focused on his aim on the cue. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Weston Ford took her by the waist. ¡°Ignore him. He has always been that way.¡± Ste Sealey nodded and followed him to the changing room. Though the billiards ce didn¡¯t require a strict dress code, Ste had no idea that Weston would bring her along. Since skirts were hard to move around in, she really wasn¡¯t dressed for the asion. Hence, she asked an attendant for a change of clothes. It was just simple sportswear, but Ste appeared clean and fresh in the white and blue as if she could bring out something different about those clothes. Weston walked up to her then, reaching out to stroke her dangling locks of hair before brushing them behind her head. ¡°Which would you prefer?¡± he asked. Ste did a double-take. ¡°You¡¯re helping me with my hair?¡± Weston did not answer and simply held out a palm at her. Understanding the gesture, Ste put her hair tie on it and sat in front of the dressing mirror, watching as he fiddled with it between his fingers. However, he ended up trying repeatedly and endlessly as if having a feud, unsatisfied with the result no matter how many times he tried. ¡°Are you trying to do my hair or experimenting on me? That¡¯s quite enough¡­¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Weston promptly cut her short. ¡°Why are you so impatient?¡± Eventually, he pulled her hair together and tried a few more times before tying it into something satisfactory. Ste shook her hair, but the hair tie was already sliding downwards the instant she moved.¡± It¡¯s too loose.¡± Weston merely pressed her on the arms and said, ¡°This will do.¡± After all, with Ste¡¯s hair draped a little loosely over her shoulder above the hair tie, she appeared much milder. Weston caressed her on the cheeks while he looked into her eyes in the mirror. A little ufortable from his stare, Ste was about to avert his eyes when Weston lifted her chin and kissed her. There was such a gap between their respective heights that Ste felt her neck be sore whenever she raised her face to kiss him, and the way he always ced a hand on her nape and stroked it without stopping only made matters worse-her neck felt like it would snap by the time he pulled away. Nheless, Weston appeared dissatisfied this time. He scooped her off her bench and held her above himself while keeping a hand behind her head. For once, she leaned downward, allowing him to kiss her as freely as he wanted. There was no telling how much time had passed when Weston finally pulled away,pping at the corners of her lips. ¡°Now, let¡¯s teach you how to y pool,¡± he croaked in a hoarse voice. Though Se had no idea what he was up to, she tamely followed him out of the changing room anyway. Xavier Ford, still outside, was enjoying his game as much as he wanted, when he turned towards them after hearing the door open. His gaze changed when he saw that Ste had changed, and he almost whistled at her-he would not have held back at all if not for a warning look from the man beside her. He merely held his cue stick vertically as he leaned against the pool table, gesturing with his chin, ¡°The clothes do make the woman.¡± Weston shot him a cool look, and Xavier caught his cue. ¡°I know, I know-she¡¯s the apple of your eye, so I¡¯m not going to tease her.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re aware,¡± Weston said and lit himself a cigarette, taking two puffs casually. The white smoke he left around him somehow entuated his facial features, though, Ste also noticed that he was actually rxed. With two buttons unbuttoned on his cored ck shirt, he had rolled up his sleeves over his thick forearms, revealing his chiseled muscles and the power that seemed to be slumbering beneath his shirt. Tapping his lighter against the pool table, he beckoned at Ste with his chin. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s start with your stance.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 At Weston Ford¡¯s words, Ste Sealey quietly walked up to him. Her dainty form somehow looked even smaller beside him, and hepletely eclipsed her. ¡°Bend over,¡± he instructed from behind her. Ste, however, had no idea what he meant by that. Still, she tried by lowering her head stiffly, which only drew a chuckle from Weston. ¡°Is that yoga?¡± Flushing, she promptly straightened and moved away. ¡°I give up.¡± Weston did not get upset, however, and instead patted her on the cheek. ¡°Getting embarrassed already?¡± Ste shrank from his touch but said nothing, which only delighted him more as he pinched her cheek. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you¡ª let¡¯s get serious.¡± Gesturing at the waiter to bring him a cue stick, he put his hands around Ste, shifting her around until she had the right posture. As he lifted her arm slightly, he told her, ¡°This angle is optimal for a hit. Also, keep your eyes level, and focus on the point of the ball you¡¯re going to hit-do not hesitate, and try to focus the force on that point. While Weston was standing behind her, she was basically in her arms, and whenever he spoke beside her ears, his warm breath coasted all over her skin. Without any distance between them, as his chest leaned over her back, he seemed to sense even the slightest of her movements. Nheless, Ste was focused solely on her cue. Weston held her hand, teaching her blow-by-blow. Plonk! She struck the cue on that ball, which shot forward as if following a destined line, which in turn, hit the ball up front into a hole ¡°A hole in one!¡± Xavier Ford cheered nearby, though he knew he could expect nothing less of his nephew, who consistently achieved the best oue with rtive ease. Be it in his studies,pany management, or hobbies; he could casually reach the pinnacle of each discipline with rtive ease. It was the reason Weston always viewed life as static and unchallenging Though there was no telling if it was a good or bad thing, the hint of happiness Xavier could see in Weston¡¯s face whenever he was with Ste enabled him to perceive the vigor in his nephew. Meanwhile, unlike before, Ste was now hitting the balls with machine-like precision, and she seemed to have grown absorbed in the game. She then told Weston, ¡°I¡¯d like to y alone.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Weston cheerfully released her and gestured for her to continue as she wished. He walked to another corner, beckoning for a waiter to get him some wine. Xavier came and sat beside him just then, picking up a ss of wine for a sip while wiping sweat off his brow. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. He watched as Ste poised herself for another hit and chuckled, ¡°Only you can teach someone as stupid as her.¡± Weston frowned, took the wine from Xavier, and returned it to the waiter¡¯s tray. ¡°She¡¯s not stupid.¡± Xavier was speechless. ¡°Weren¡¯t you calling her stupid just a moment ago?¡± Weston was a good teacher, and Ste wouldn¡¯t have chased him off just because he kept telling her that she was stupid. ¡°Only I can call her stupid, not you.¡± Weston poured out the ss of wine Xavier had a sip from and had the waiter serve him another. Having nothing left to say, Xavier threw up his hands. ¡°Fine, of course!¡± Still, he suddenly looked at Weston and asked, ¡°That said, aren¡¯t you getting a little overprotective of Miss Steele here?¡± Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 ¡°Would you not defend your own woman?¡± Weston Ford asked him in return. Xavier Ford did a double-take and chuckled. ¡°Well, of course, I¡¯m nice to my owndies. Anyone who¡¯s dated me always ends up grateful they had me. We¡¯re men, aren¡¯t we? Magnanimity and generosity are our charms, but¡­¡± Turning towards Weston in amusement, he asked, ¡°Is your woman like the one I had?¡± Weston said nothing, watching silently as Ste Sealey finally found the right posture. She practiced repeatedly until she finally learned the technique Weston taught her. His gaze turned distant as if reminiscing some emotion he wanted to keep repressed, but the opposite seemed to be happening instead. ¡°She¡¯s not all that different,¡± he admitted. Back at the pool table, Ste had just got her posture right, and she picked up a few balls to test her strikes from a different angle. She focussed, cing all her attention on her cue, and struck-but the distribution of her strike was still a little scattered, and the balls rolled away slowly-she managed to send some into the pockets, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as quick as when Weston guided her hands. It was only after a long, diligent sortie of tries that she finally got the handles, eventually managing to strike fast, straight balls. Beads of sweat dotted her brow as she found enjoyment and fulfillment. With a smile on her face, she turned¡­ and found a pair of bewitching eyes looking at her-it seemed Weston had been watching her for a while, for god knows how long. Her smile faded a little, and she tried to y dumb while wiping her sweat. ¡°What are you getting nervous about?¡± The man watched her even as he took a sip of his wine. Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous.¡± ¡°Why look away if you¡¯re not?¡± Ste paused and quickly looked him in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m not looking away.¡± With that, man and woman locked gazes, neither one backing down. Weston¡¯s cool, piercing gaze seemed to prate the soul. No one would dare to lie to eyes like those. Momentster, he chuckled in amusement while licking his lips. ¡°You¡¯re quite stubborn,¡± he said as he leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips. ¡°That was good. Now, let¡¯s teach you something else.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she suddenly appeared docile before Weston. Sensing her eagerness, he lowered his gaze at her. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°It is quite interesting.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The man¡¯s lips curled up unwittingly. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡± Ste appeared surprised, however, and she shook her head. ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We might run into someone we know¡­¡± she answered very quietly. Studying her face, Weston could see that she was nervous, and it left him a little upset. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you¡¯re with me, no one would say anything against you,¡± he said and wrapped his hands around her again to teach her another new technique. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyoney a finger on you- trust me. Alright?¡± He kept his voice low, promising her beside her ear. Ste knew that anydy would get emotional by his loving words. However, she was perfectly aware that she was a secret lover. Hence, the more promises he offered, the more ironic it would sound to her. After all, wasn¡¯t he the one who hurt her the most? If he had not forced her to stay with her, she wouldn¡¯t even be worrying that she would be recognized. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Ste scampered towards Weston with her bangs fluttering in the air. When she finally got to him, her hair was a cluttered mess. ¡°This ce is like a maze,¡± said Weston, calmly smoothing Ste¡¯s hair back in ce with his fingers. ¡°I was worried that you¡¯d get lost.¡± ¡°Lost?¡± Steughed. ¡°How could anyone get lost in a tiny ce like this?¡± Weston grabbed her hands. He noticed that they were bone dry, and his eyes turned gloomy. Ste, however, failed to notice this subtle change of his, and merely felt that he was clutching her hands a little too tightly. ¡°It hurts!¡± sheined, frowning. Weston loosened his grip on Ste¡¯s hands. She quickly drew them back, and he saw red marks on the back of her hands. ¡°Sorry,¡± Weston muttered. He nced at the prints he left on Ste¡¯s hands before walking away, leaving Ste to wonder what she had done wrong. Weston went to Xavier and told him, ¡°That¡¯s it for today. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Xavier stood up straight. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I haven¡¯t even introduced you to my new girlfriend!¡± ¡°Another one?¡± Weston asked, rubbing his temples. ¡°So soon?¡± Xavier chuckled and yfully lifted the chin of the svelte woman next to him. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll introduce her to you!¡± Xavier¡¯s taste in women had never changed ¨C he had always loved the hottest celebrities. Weston had never been able to tell any of his girlfriends apart, neither did he have any interest in them. ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± he told Ste, not even giving the woman a second look. ¡°Aww, why did you have to send E away?¡± Xavier grumbled. ¡°She should get to know my girlfriend, that way, it¡¯ll be more fun the next time we¡¯re out together!¡± Those words sounded friendly, even polite, but even the woman beside Xavier knew that it was nothing but a lot of hot air. Xavier was never with the same woman for more than a week, and he was notorious for it. Everybody knew that. Weston¡¯s frown deepened. His impatience was in to see. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Xavier. He understood perfectly that his nephew didn¡¯t like himparing E to his countless girlfriends. ¡°I won¡¯t say things like that again, I promise. But why are you still here? Why didn¡¯t you leave with your dearest sweetheart over there?¡± ¡°Go get the manager,¡± Weston instructed him. ¡°I want to see the surveince video of the hallway.¡± Meanwhile, Ste was waiting for Weston inside the car. She had been looking out anxiously, terrified that Weston had just noticed something. She felt like she had been waiting forever when she finally spotted a familiar figure in the distance approaching the car. Her gaze was fixed on Weston as he swiftly strode over, opened the door, and got into the car. She stared silently at him, not knowing what to say. ¡°Drive,¡± Weston ordered the driver. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The car drove off. The club receded into the distance behind them. Ste chewed over how to broach the subject in her mind again and again before finally speaking up. ¡°So¡­ What were you doing back there?¡± ¡°Are you going to start meddling in my private life now?¡± Weston countered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too early for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your private life!¡± Ste responded. She looked down and was quiet for a while, then remembered something. ¡°Do you often go to Lowe Garden?¡± she asked. She had learned from Justin that Weston had another kept woman in Lowe Garden. She didn¡¯t think much of it then, nor was she upset about it. With the way things were now, she had no right to question him about these things anyway. Besides, she had no desire to ask him about it because she genuinely didn¡¯t care. But now that she suddenly brought up the subject like that, Weston really thought that she was jealous. ¡°Who told you that?¡± he asked, his eyes squinted as he scrutinized her. He cupped her chin in ce so he wouldn¡¯t miss a single trace of expression on her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who told me that!¡± Ste replied, clenching her fists nervously. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is it true?¡± If there was one thing that Weston couldn¡¯t stand, it was being interrogated by a woman. Yet, for some reason, when it was Ste doing it, he was oddly pleased. The dark cloud that had been hanging over him just simply vanished. Weston put his arms around Ste and pulled her onto hisp. He then leaned over and kissed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± he murmured between his kisses. He held her there and sucked the nectar from her lips with rare tenderness. ¡°You¡¯re my only woman, okay?¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 His only woman? Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Ste could barely contain her derision. Did Weston really think that she¡¯d believe that? If she was his only woman, then how did Guinevere¡¯s childe about? Not only was Weston disrespecting her, he really took her for a fool. ¡°I have no intention to interfere with your private affairs,¡± she told him, looking straight into his eyes. ¡°You can have however many women as you please, so¡­ can you please not interfere with my work?¡± As soon as she said that, the atmosphere grew tense. The remaining warmth on Weston¡¯s face disappearedpletely and his eyes turned icy cold. ¡°Did you bring this whole thing up just so I would agree to let you work?¡± he asked, his voice brimming with threats. ¡°Yes,¡± Ste admitted, bracing for the worst. She then heard Weston¡¯s cold, mirthlessugh. ¡°Go on, then,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me what sort of work this is, that you¡¯ve risked everything for.¡± Ste had wanted to hide the truth for a little longer, but she could tell from his expressions that he must¡¯ve already found out about it. If that were the case, it would be better if shee clean now to minimize the chances of him getting too angry about it. ¡°I¡¯ve gone for an audition with Bradley Lane,¡± she confessed to him. ¡°And I¡¯ve been epted too. I want to work with them starting tomorrow.¡± Weston tugged at his cor and scoffed. It really was as he had surmised. He knew all along that Ste had lied to him about going to the restroom. He assumed that it must¡¯ve been an excuse to find a secret ce to contact someone he didn¡¯t want her in contact with. Hence, once she got into the car, he had the club¡¯s manager show him the surveince video. Ste¡¯s voice in the video was almost inaudible, but Weston could read lips and he could roughly guess what she was saying. That was when he realized that he¡¯d been fooled by her all this time. She¡¯d been telling him that she was going out to meet Roger at the university, but she¡¯d actually been at a film set all along. ¡°I have to say that was pretty impressive of you,¡± he jeered. ¡°You¡¯ve been pulling the wool over my eyes for so long!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you,¡± Ste defended herself. ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t have told you about it just now, would I?¡± ¡°You only told me because you realized that it¡¯s impossible to hide it from me any longer,¡± he argued. ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that I don¡¯t know what¡¯s on your mind right now!¡± At that moment, Weston hated his ability to see through people¡¯s minds. He fixed his stare at the woman in front of him. He still saw the same pair of crystal clear eyes, but there was no longer any love or affection for him as there used to be. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing what I¡¯ve explicitly told you not to, haven¡¯t you, hmm?¡± Ste wanted to shove Weston¡¯s hands away, but when faced with those rage- filled eyes of his, she couldn¡¯t help but stay still and close her eyes. She braced herself and reached up to nt a light kiss between his brows. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to deceive you,¡± she murmured. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t find the right time to tell you.¡± This sudden bold move of hers stunned him for a moment. He was just about to explode in fury, yet a little kiss was all it took to extinguish his boiling rage. He couldn¡¯t possibly let her off so easily, though. ¡°Did you think that you can get away just by doing that?¡± he asked, the embers in his eyes still glowing red. But Ste was not done. She pulled his cor toward her, leaned over till she almost brushed against his lips, and kissed his chin. Then she moved down to his neck, nting little butterfly kisses along the way, tenderly stimting his pleasure. They¡¯d done things like this countless times when they were married, but it had always been Weston who started it and Ste at the receiving end. She might have responded eagerly sometimes, but it was nowhere near enough to satiate his appetite. He was more ustomed to pinning her down, having his way with her. Yet now, each movement of hers drove him insane. She had never been this way before. Weston realized that his feelings were hanging by a thread, one that had its other end tied around Ste¡¯s finger. The slightest gesture from her could ignite the me of desire that burned in his whole body. ¡°Don¡¯t try to distract me,¡± he muttered in a hoarse voice. Weston tried to push her away, but Ste wrapped her arms around him as if she was made of jelly ¡°All I want to do is to give it a try,¡± she purred. ¡°Bradley Lane told me that I have some potential in acting. I just want to see how well I can do. Please?¡± Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 ¡°I just want to give this a try, that¡¯s all.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze fixated on Weston. Her moist gleaming eyes made her look innocent and pitiful. Weston knew that she had made herself look this way on purpose, but that did not stop his heart from softening. ¡°So you¡­ really want to be an actress that much?¡± he asked. ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± she nodded. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll have nothing to do once the training center closes down.¡± ¡°You can stay by my side and be mypanion.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t stay with me the whole day!¡± she argued. For some reason, this sentence pleased Weston very much. The rigid iciness in his countenance thawedpletely and he loosened his grip on her body. ¡°But apart from the time I spend working,¡± he said, lovingly caressing her cheek, ¡°I¡¯ve devoted all of my time to be with you. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± She rested her head on his shoulder. It suddenly dawned upon her that she knew exactly what to say to get through to him¡­ which was also the best way to persuade him and get him to do what she wanted. He wanted her to be just as she was when they were married, didn¡¯t he? ¡°Back then,¡± she grumbled, ¡°I used to wait for you toe home every day. I was all alone in a big empty house, just staring at the wall for endless hours. It felt nothing less than awful!¡± Weston¡¯s body stiffened. He waspletely under her spell, as his mind was dragged back to the past. The fact that Ste would bring up their past took himpletely by surprise. He was no longer sure if this woman in his arms was the defiant E Steele or the sweet Ste Sealey from the past. ¡°Did you¡­¡± he lifted her chin to see her more clearly. ¡°Did you really wait for me toe home every day?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± she nodded, looking deep into his eyes. ¡°Every day.¡± ¡°But sometimes,¡± she continued, ¡°you didn¡¯te home at all, so I¡¯d wait for you the entire night.¡± Ste paused and smiled at him before adding, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that the lights were always on every time you came home?¡± Weston held her closer and tighter. Then he leaned over and kissed her eyes,Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. moving along the contours of her face until he finally reached her chin. He smooched her all the way with a ferocity that almost melted Ste. ¡°¡­why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Weston asked in a husky voice. ¡°I was worried that it might disturb your work,¡± she replied, smiling wryly. ¡°You told me yourself, didn¡¯t you, that I shouldn¡¯t disturb you while you¡¯re working unless there¡¯s an emergency?¡± Weston remembered that he did, indeed, say that in the past. ¡°¡­from now on,¡± he stated with an imprable expression, ¡°you cane and find me anytime for whatever reason at all. More importantly, you are absolutely not allowed to contact Justin Hall, understood?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I really enjoyed acting,¡± she added. ¡°I promised you that if you let me do this, I will never cause you any trouble. Besides, filming is usually done during the day, so I¡¯ll be home waiting for you by the time you return. So please let me do this, hmm?¡± Her eyes, her looks, and her attitude all started to resemble those of the old Ste from the past. Weston, unable to take his eyes off her, was tongue-tied for a good while. That knot ofplex feelings had begun to rise up in him once more. All manner of contradicting emotions tangled up with each other, flooding his senses in a giant, incontroble wave. It was that old feeling again. Weston had always found himself on the verge of losing all control when he faced Ste. This time was no exception. It didn¡¯t matter that he was usually a perfectly rational person. When it came to Ste, he was always helpless andpromising. With one hand pressed against the nape of her neck, he went in and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. He bit into her lower lip, wishing to taste the saltiness of her blood. They kissed for a very long time, until Weston finally let her go, letting out a breathless sigh with his breath brushing against her ear. ¡°¡­you always get your way, don¡¯t you?¡± he whispered to her in a feeble voice. Weston had always done that, Ste thought. He had always acted as if she was the mistress of his heart, body, and soul. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Ste appeared calm andplying, but her heart was filled with debilitating sorrow. If she could really always get her way, she wouldn¡¯t be here with Weston, practically imprisoned by him. Though Weston did not explicitly agree to let her act in the movie, she could guess from his actions that he would condone it, at least for the time being. The next morning, Ste got up and sent Weston off to work as usual. She then quickly got to the film set afterward. Because she¡¯d dyed the filming progress yesterday, Bradley Lane was a little nasty when he saw hering ¡°It was your first day yesterday and you¡¯ve already asked for a leave,¡± he sneered. ¡°That was pretty bold of you, don¡¯t you think?¡±. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ste bowed humbly, feeling very guilty. ¡°I really am! Something came up and I absolutely couldn¡¯t make it here yesterday. I¡¯m terribly sorry! I¡¯ll try my best to catch up with the schedule from now on.¡± Bradley could tell that she was being sincere, so he didn¡¯t say anything more about it and just waved her away. ¡°The acting coach is over there,¡± he told her. ¡°Go through your lines with him and once you¡¯ve memorized most of them,e back to me. I¡¯ll give you some directions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized all of my lines, ¡± Ste quickly said. Bradley paused. ¡°So you¡¯vee prepared,¡± hemended. ¡°I¡¯ve already caused some dys yesterday,¡± she said with obvious guilt. ¡°So I don¡¯t want to waste any more of everyone¡¯s time.¡± Bradley said nothing to that, merely adding, ¡°Go on,e back to me once they¡¯ve taught you the moves in your scene.¡± Ste nodded. She then found out that she would be working with the same acting coach as before. Since they were already familiar, the process went smoothly and swiftly. The cameras and the mise-en scene were already all set up too, only waiting for Ste and the actor to arrive. The other actor who would be acting in the same scene as Ste was a young actor of moderate poprity. He had been cast in numerous dramas and his acting skills were quite outstanding among his peers, but they were nothing to write home about whenpared to the seasoned veterans with more experience. He had never been interested in catching trends or getting involved in massively popr projects, so his poprity remained average. Still, he had the looks, talents, and connections, and with the will to work hard, he managed to build a strong fanbase and a respectable reputation in the entertainment circle for himself. For this reason, although he¡¯d rarely taken on the male lead role or been very popr, directors were still eager to cast him in their films. Often, he would y the role of lovesick heartthrobs, and that was basically what he was known for now. ¡°Hello, there!¡± Caspian greeted Ste with the same warmth and friendliness when they met on set, though she was an absolute neer and a nobody. ¡°I¡¯m your senior!¡± Caspian¡¯s role in this period drama was that of Ste¡¯s senior. Both ying disciples of the same martial arts master, they would share many scenes together. Later in the drama, Caspian¡¯s character would fall in love with the heroine of the story and wouldpletely neglect Ste¡¯s character no thanks to this infatuation. Towards the end, he even turned against Ste¡¯s character because they eventually became enemies with the heroine. In Ste¡¯s character¡¯s eyes, Caspian¡¯s character was nothing but a scumbag, but to Caspian¡¯s character, he was only doing everything he could to protect the woman he loved. In the very end, though, Caspian¡¯s character would turn evil because of his obsessive love for the female lead, just as Ste¡¯s character would turn evil because of him. The only difference was that Ste¡¯s character was much more skilled than him. These two were clearly simr people who should¡¯ve gotten along well, but inevitable circumstances made them turn against each other, bringing about a tragic end. This would be Ste¡¯s first time filming for real. She was more than a little nervous. So far, she had been practicing her lines alone, and with great effort, managed to ovee that awkwardness of having to act out a dramatic scene. But now she would be facing a real person. It did not feel as rxed as it did when she was rehearsing alone. They both went through their lines together once, and then Bradley shouted, ¡°Action!¡± Ste took a deep breath, trying to get herself into character. ¡°¡­I heard that Master just brought back his old disciple who went missing a long time ago! Shall we go take a look?¡± ¡°Whatever for? Didn¡¯t I tell you we¡¯ll be practicing sword fighting near the mountainster?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Caspian¡¯s acting skills were not bad, but they were far from inspiring. Now that he was working with a rookie like Ste, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little overwhelmed. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 With neither inspiring the other, the acting came out hackneyed. Caspian and Ste just stood there like robots once they¡¯d said all their lines. They were both at a loss of what to do. Bradley kept the camera rolling while he stared coldly at the monitor. Ste kept pinching herself out of nervousness. Her face was gradually turning red. She knew that her performance was nothing less than terrible, yet Bradley just wouldn¡¯t stop filming, inexplicably prolonging this scene. Each passing second felt like fresh torture to her. After what felt like forever to Ste, Bradley massaged his temples and finally yelled, ¡°Cut!¡± Ste¡¯s shoulders rxed instantly, as if a weight had been lifted off of her. She looked at the camera and saw Bradley sternly gesturing for them to go to him. ¡°Get over here!¡± he shouted. It was obvious at a nce that they were about to be upbraided. Ste and Caspian slowly walked toward the director. Just as expected, the moment they both stopped in front of him, Bradley immediately started bellowing ¡°Are you both corpses?! What were you doing just standing there? Even school children show more emotions while reciting texts than your stiff masquerade! You!¡± He pointed at Ste. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯ve memorized all your lines?! You¡¯ve been doing pretty well off camera, so why did you stutter so much during filming?¡± He paused and turned to Caspian. ¡°And you! You¡¯re supposed to be the more experienced actor here! You¡¯ve been in so many films now! Why were you so off with your positioning?! I didn¡¯t even see you on camera at all! How could you still be making such a rookie mistake?!¡± ¡°Sorry, Director Yates¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Director¡­¡± Both Caspian and Ste admitted their mistakes humbly, but Bradley was so angry that he couldn¡¯t even look at them. ¡°D*mn it all to hell! We¡¯ll shoot the next scene for now! As for you both, just get out of my sight! Come back once I¡¯m done shooting these scenes. If you¡¯re still as lousy as you were back there, then just pack up your things and leave before I beat your *ss!¡± Caspian was used to Bradley¡¯s explosive temper. He knew that Bradley liked to threaten to fire people when he got angry, but he would never reallye through with it. Ste did not know any of this, though. Her face turned frighteningly pale at the thought of getting fired. She simply couldn¡¯t allow this hard-earned opportunity to just slip through her fingers! Caspian sighed and walked toward his manager. Ste stared at him and summoned up all her courage to call out to him. ¡°Caspian! Hello! Would you mind rehearsing this scene with me please?¡± The moment she finished her sentence, Caspian¡¯s manager rushed over and blocked Ste from approaching Caspian. ¡°Where¡¯s your manager?¡± he asked, ring at Ste. ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Ste was thrown off by the question. ¡°I haven¡¯t got a manager yet¡­¡± ¡°Which scene do you want to rehearse?¡± the manager asked again in a particrly using tone. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. The manager couldn¡¯t help but be cautious. The entertainment industry is a particrly treacherous one. There was no telling if this woman¡¯s intentions were pure. She could be attempting a free ride to stardom on Caspian¡¯s coattails and that would be troublesome. Everyone in the industry had their own way of making it in this field. For Caspian, what worked best for him was to dedicate all his energy on the work itself while keeping a low profile. Ever since his debut many years ago, he had yet to be involved in any scandals, especially not with any other actresses. This had been possible because he¡¯d always kept a healthy distance from his co-stars. But Ste knew nothing of this industry¡¯s twists and turns. She was stunned by the manager¡¯s reaction. She assumed that her performance earlier must¡¯ve been so terrible that it affected Caspian ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she quickly said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. I¡¯ll just go rehearse on my own.¡± She then turned and left. The manager snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can fool me with that pure and innocent look!¡± he sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough women like you to know what you really want!¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Caspian told his manager. ¡°Find me a quiet ce to cool off. Bradley yelled his head off at me just now¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that, Caspian!¡± the manager consoled. ¡°You know Bradley yells at everyone. Your acting just now was perfectly fine. I¡¯m sure he was angry at something else¡­¡± Meanwhile, Ste was leafing through the script alone in a deserted corner. She¡¯d been through her lines a few times now, trying her hardest to get into character. The problem was that none of the scenes that she would be filming today were emotional. On the surface, it would seem that there was no need to get in the zone to film these scenes, but in fact, it was mundane scenes like these that were the greatest test of an actor¡¯s skills. She had to look, sound, and act natural, and couldn¡¯t appear as though she was performing in front of a camera. This was no mean feat for a new actor. Soon afterward, Bradley was done shooting two scenes and sent his assistant over to get Ste. Her heart pounded with anxiety, and just as she was about to go, the assistant stopped her. ¡°Just hurry up and get these scenes over with,¡± he whispered to her. ¡°Guinevere Cohen will being soon. Her previous scenes have all been shot, and if she finds out now that one of the supporting roles hasn¡¯t been filled yet, who knows how furious she¡¯ll be!¡± ¡°When is she shooting again?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? She suddenly decided to show up on set, earlier than expected. She said she wants to see our progress, which is why Bradley¡¯s been in a hellish mood today. If your performance isn¡¯t up to par and you get fired for it, Bradley will have to scramble and find another actress to take your ce. We¡¯re already in a rush as it is. We might not even make it before the Spring Film Festival starts. I can¡¯t imagine how much money we¡¯d lose if there are more dys!¡± At that point, all of the actors had been paid, especially a top actress like Guinevere, who got the money as soon as she finished filming. Guinevere held immense fame, status, and fortune. Although it was a good thing that a film had someone like that in the cast, all the pressure to perform at the box office was basically borne by the director, Bradley Lane, alone. Since Guinevere had an impressive repertoire, nobody would me her if the film ended up a flop. Instead, rumors would start about how washed-out of a director Bradley Lane was, That was mainly why Bradley had been under such intense stresstely. ¡°If I ever decide to work with these superstars again, I must be the king of fools!¡± Ste overheard Bradley grumbling bitterly when she walked past him. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He had initially chosen to cast Guinevere in this film because he¡¯d been impressed with her acting in previous films. Little did he know how fastidious and demanding she was! Bradley himself had always been a scrupulous man who was hard to please, so him and Guinevere working together was like a sh of titans. The assistant was quite fond of Ste, so he felt the urge to give her a fair warning. "Never forget this,¡± he reminded her. ¡°In this film set, there are two people that you must never offend: One is Bradley Lane, and the other, Guinevere Cohen.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ste nodded. She had performed with Caspian once, so even if they didn¡¯t rehearse together just now, she¡¯d gained enough experience to make great improvements the second time around. As the performance was going well, Bradley¡¯s expressions warmed up considerably too. The shooting went on till noon. Ste managed to get through it rather swimmingly. She didn¡¯t have any more scenes to shoot in the afternoon, so Bradley sent her home and told her to get a good rest and get ready because there would be more shooting the next day. It just so happened that Ste had one Yvonne was quite busy that day, so she would only be thereter in the afternoon. Ste had just changed her clothes when she bumped into Joyce Duxton. ¡°Oh¡­ do you still have a ss today?¡± Joyce asked, her eyes looking very shifty. Ste merely nodded and walked into the dancing ssroom, not bothering to talk to Joyce. ¡°You arrogant b***h!¡± Joyce hissed through gritted teeth once Ste was gone. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see that smug look getting wiped off of your face!¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 The ss schedule on weekends was much more hectic than the weekdays. Many students had their last ss today, it seemed, turning the training center into a bustling beehive of activity and a chance for Ste to meet many colleagues for thest time. Once her ss was over, a few of her students came up to her personally to say their goodbyes. Ste was immensely touched by this. She kneeled down and spoke fondly with them, imparting some final advice before they parted ways. The moving and poignant scene was suddenly interrupted when an earsplitting voice cut through the atmosphere ¡°Who is E Steele?!¡± An extravagantly dressed middle-aged woman had stomped in, shouting for E. d in thetest fashionable clothes and holding a limited edition luxury handbag, it was obvious at a nce that she spared no expense on hervish qutfit. The ostentatious diamond earrings hanging from her earlobes dazzled in the light, as she stood there, haughtily scanning the ce with her eyes aze. ¡°I¡¯m E Steele,¡± Ste said, standing up in confusion when she heard her name. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So you¡¯re E Steele?¡± the woman squinted and sneered. She then marched toward Ste and raised her hand to p her! But Ste¡¯s quick reflexes helped her to dodge the p. ¡°Get security!¡± Ste shouted. ¡°There¡¯s a madwoman here and she¡¯s trying to hurt me!¡± ¡°Madwoman?!¡± the woman squawked. ¡°You¡¯re the madwoman here! You¡¯re the one messing around with my husband and you dare call security on me?!¡± The woman huffed and continued, ¡°Go ahead, then! Let securitye so everyone will see your true colors and that shameless face of yours!¡± The woman nced at the children behind Ste, ¡°And to think that you¡¯re in charge of teaching those precious children¡­¡± she hissed. ¡°¡­you¡¯ll be corrupting them for sure! I don¡¯t think any parent will stand for it! You despicable piece of trash!¡± The woman¡¯s voice was so loud that a crowd was beginning to form around them. Ste¡¯s colleagues began to stare at her disapprovingly. Joyce was hiding among the crowd, secretly relishing what was happening to Ste. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± the woman shouted, audibly getting angrier when she saw that Ste remained silent. ¡°Or are you ying dumb? Is that how you seduced my husband?¡± ¡°When did I seduce your husband?¡± argued Ste. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are! Are you sure you haven¡¯t got the wrong person?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± the woman replied. She pulled out a phone and waved it in front of Ste. ¡°Look at this! Aren¡¯t you this woman who¡¯s been chatting with my husband? You¡¯re E Steele, aren¡¯t you? Stop acting dumb! You might¡¯ve fooled sleazy old men, but I¡¯m not as blind and stupid as they are!¡± Ste nced at the phone. As she read through the vulgar sexual conversations, she noticed that the phone number was very familiar. She pulled out her phone and checked her contacts¡­ ¡­only to find that it was Mr. Smith, Ruby¡¯s father! ¡°You¡¯repletely mistaken, Mrs. Smith!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just your daughter Ruby¡¯s private tutor! I have no other business with Mr. Smith¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± the woman shrieked, violently interrupting Ste. ¡°How dare you! So you¡¯ve been secretly hooking up with my husband behind my daughter¡¯s back! You shameless b***h! Women like you are the s?um of the earth! You scheming, lying b***h!¡± The woman kept on spitting curses at Ste, her mindpletely clouded by rage. Ste turned deathly pale. The people in the crowd were now whispering and pointing at her. Joyce stood in the middle of the crowd with a sardonic grin, reveling in the scene. ¡°Let¡¯s see how smug you can get now, E!¡± she thought. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Ste saw the security guards approaching, so she shouted, ¡°This woman is trying-to hurt me! Take her away!¡±. ¡°Go on if you dare!¡± Mrs. Smith taunted. ¡°I haven¡¯t done a single thing! I¡¯m only here to say my piece!¡± She then pointed squarely at Ste and added, ¡°Instead of taking me away, why don¡¯t you drag away this vile, shameless, debauched woman who¡¯s going around seducing married men?!¡± Ste was sure that there must have been some kind of misunderstanding, but being brandished with names as such still drained all the color from her face ¡°¡­Mrs. Smith,¡± she pleaded. ¡°You can ask your daughter, and she¡¯ll tell you I¡¯ve never had anything to do with your husband. I have only been her tutor! She¡¯s the one I spend most of my time with! She¡¯ll know if I ever did anything out of line!¡± What Ste said made some sense, but Mrs. Smith remained suspicious of her. ¡°Look,¡± Ste pulled out her phone and showed Mrs. Smith her own phone number. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send a text message to that ¡°E Steele¡± on Mr. Smith¡¯s phone and see if my phone receives any messages?¡± Mrs. Smith hesitated, but she still did as Ste suggested, and sure enough, no text message was sent to Ste¡¯s phone. ¡°This must be some sort of a trick!¡± Mrs. Smith used. ¡°You probably have another phone!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t!¡± Ste frowned. She suddenly felt that there was something fishy about this whole mess. ¡°Think about it, Mrs. Smith, if your husband is having an affair with another woman, would he have her real name on his phone? Wouldn¡¯t he try to hide it somehow and be more secretive?¡± As she spoke, Ste noted the phone number of the apparent ¡°E Steele¡± and gave it a call herself. Immediately she heard the sound of a phone ringing amid the crowd¡­ Everyone began ncing around to see whose phone was ringing. Joyce hurriedly reached her hand into her handbag to reject the call, but she was in such a panic that her fingers turned into jelly, and her phone just kept ringing and ringing¡­ Now, all eyes were on her¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that your phone, Joyce?¡± someone pointed it out to her. Joyce turned as pale as a ghost. She fumbled frantically, trying to get her phone out of her bag. When she finally got it out, she immediately put it on silent mode. ¡°Excuse me¡­ I¡¯ll answer the call somewhere else!¡± Joyce¡¯s lips were trembling as she spoke. Anybody could tell that she was acting very weird. But while everyone else was just staring at her, Ste squinted and noticed that Joyce was trying to run away. She swiftly pushed through the crowd and grabbed Joyce¡¯s arms to stop her. ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Ste demanded. ¡°Wh- Why would I do that?!¡± Joyce rebuked as she tried to struggle her way out. She never thought that Ste would catch up to her before she could escape. Ste said nothing. She quickly grabbed Joyce¡¯s wrist and snatched her phone away. She nced at the screen and, sure enough, saw that Mr. Smith¡¯s number had just called her. Ste drew a deep breath and red coldly at Joyce before shoving her hand away. She quickly strode back to Mrs. Smith and showed her Joyce¡¯s phone. ¡°Take a look at this!¡± she told her. Mrs. Smith waspletely bbergasted by this turn of events. Mouth agape, she took Joyce¡¯s phone from Ste and nced at it. After a long pause, she made another call from her husband¡¯s phone¡­ and Joyce¡¯s phone rang again. The crisp noise of the ringtone was like a p on her face. Her face, reddened by anger just moments ago, was now sickly green. It was all clear to her now. When Mrs. Smith regained her senses, she became even more enraged than before, now that Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. she found out someone had tricked her and yed her for a fool. She darted towards Joyce and smacked her right across her face before Joyce could react. ¡°You vile, revolting b***h!¡± she cussed. ¡°How dare you make a fool out of me!¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°You even nned to push all the me on your colleague?! I¡¯ve really underestimated you!¡± Unprepared for all of this, Joyce was sent into a daze as Mrs. Smith pped her, causing her to lose her bnce and fall to the floor. ¡°Ahh!¡± she screamed in pain. Ste watched quietly on the sidelines. In her hand was Joyce¡¯s phone, which she was looking through. She discovered that not only was Joyce badmouthing her with Mr. Smith, but she was also pestering him about when he was going to get a divorce. She really had no idea when Joyce started hooking up with Mr. Smith, even though she had been Ruby¡¯s private tutor all this time. Who knew she¡¯d been sneaking around with Ruby¡¯s father all along? The p clearly did little to satisfy Mrs. Smith, because she was still furious that Joyce had just yed a trick on her. ¡°You are a plucky one,¡± she spat. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that! No one dares to mess with me! Don¡¯t you know who I am? Well, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡± Joyce was just about to get up, but Mrs. Smith struck her again. Not only that, she went down, sat on top of her, and started hitting her repeatedly. ¡°Help! Help!¡± Joyce shouted. ¡°Security! Hurry up! Drag this woman away!¡± The security guards stepped closer, but they were at a loss of what to do, seeing that they were both women. ¡°E!¡± Joyce pleaded helplessly, her face now scratched up and filled with red blotches. ¡°Help me, please! E!¡± ¡°You have the gall to call for her help?!¡± yelled Mrs. Smith. ¡°Surely, even you couldn¡¯t be that shameless! You changed your name and photo on my husband¡¯s phone to hers so she would be the scapegoat! And now you¡¯re asking for her help? You¡¯re not just shameless. You¡¯re a vicious snake!¡± Ste watched quietly, not bothering to lift a finger or say anything. It now made sense why Joyce had been acting weirdly around her. She was probably nning to throw all the me on her. Joyce had assumed that her brilliant n would enable her to escape unscathed if Mrs. Smith found out about the affair, besides teaching the haughty E Steele a lesson or two at the same time. Yet things had not turned out the way she expected. The crowd was still watching too. Many of them even pulled out their phones and recorded the scene. Seeing that the crowd was growing in size, Ste thought it best to leave. But as she turned around, she bumped into Yvonne, who had just arrived. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Yvonne asked. Ste inly regurgitated what had just happened to her. Yvonne¡¯s countenance instantly darkened, and she red sternly at Joyce Duxton, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s such a conniving liar!¡± she eximed. Still, Yvonne was in charge of this ce, so she couldn¡¯t just let such a scandalous scene go on without doing anything. She instructed the security guards to break up the fight and get Mrs. Smith away from Joyce for the time being. Only with Yvonne¡¯s instruction did the guards dare to touch Mrs. Smith. Once they¡¯d removed Mrs. Smith away from Joyce, she gradually calmed down, and her anger subsided a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonn¨¦,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cause you any trouble. I just can¡¯t stand how shameless this woman has been, sneaking around trying to seduce my husband, so I had toe and teach her a lesson or two!¡± Yvonne and Mrs. Smith were acquaintances, so Mrs. Smith had to treat her with some respect. Yvonne herself recognized Mrs. Smith from the start. She had known Mrs. Smith to be the kind of woman with only two things on her mind-shopping, and chasing women away from her husband. ¡°I understand, Mrs. Smith,¡± Yvonne replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to butt into your private disputes, but my training center is going to close soon, and she¡¯s no longer my employee, so I hope you can resolve this matter elsewhere.¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Mrs. Smith smoothed her messy hair with her fingers and turned to Joyce.¡± Just you wait! I¡¯m definitely not done with you! I won¡¯t let you get away for ying tricks on me!¡± She seemed like another person when addressing Joyce,pared to the polite and friendly face she put on when speaking with Yvonne. Then her eyes turned to Ste, and she looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry I misunderstood you,¡± she said stiffly. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Ste nodded at Mrs. Smith without showing any emotions. Mrs. Smith felt awkward, but she said nothing. She swept a nce over the crowd and quickly dragged Joyce away. The crowd soon dispersed, leaving only Yvonne and Ste there. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yvonne asked Ste with concern. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Ste replied with a smile. ¡°I just feel bad for causing you such huge trouble on thest day¡­¡± ¡°But none of this is your fault!¡± Yvonne interrupted her, frowning. ¡°But I really can¡¯t believe that Joyce would sneak behind my back and hook up with Mr. Smith! I thought Mr. Smith was especially close with that secretary of his!¡± If Mr. Smith hadn¡¯t been so fond of hiring pretty women who were only good in bed and not at their job, Ste wouldn¡¯t have been mistakenly called to Lowe Garden. If that incident hadn¡¯t happened, Yvonne wouldn¡¯t have made a special arrangement to get Ste to work as Ruby¡¯s private tutor. It was precisely this special treatment that triggered Joyce¡¯s resentment for Ste. She had always been bitter over Yvonne favoring Ste, granting her priority when a great opportunity was avable. Everyone wanted to be a private tutor, so why was Ste given a chance to get the job before everyone else? This resentment soon grew into a grudge. Joyce thought that since she couldn¡¯tpete with Ste fair and square, she would secretly hook up with Mr. Smith instead. She knew what sort of man Mr. Smith was-he would never turn away any young woman willing to go to bed with him. At first, because Joyce was still new and exciting to Mr. Smith, he seemed head over heels with her and waspletely at her beck and call. She really did believe at the time that Mr. Smith would leave his wife and be with her instead. But it turned out that it was nothing more than a passing fancy. Joyce quickly realized that Mr. Smith would never get a divorce. Nheless, Mr. Smith¡¯s honeyed words managed to convince her to stay with him, even though she was terrified that Mrs. Smith would discover the affair. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Hence, she had an idea to save herself. She would use the name E Steele when she was with Mr. Smith. That way, she¡¯d be safe even if Mrs. Smith learned about the affair. Meanwhile, as long as Mrs. Smith remained in the dark about the affair, being with Mr. Smith meant she could easily make a small fortune without doing much work at all. But she hadpletely underestimated E Steele. E had always seemed so meek andplying in the past that Joyce was stunned by her swift and shrewd response when she was in trouble. She had even prepared a set of lies to defend herself should the suspicion fall on her, yet before she could utter a word, E had managed to destroy all her ns. ¡°Thank God you could think on your feet and respond quickly just now!¡± Yvonne eximed as she watched the surveince recording of what just happened. She couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious for her friend. ¡°Otherwise, Joyce would¡¯ve deflected all the me to you, and you¡¯d die in the hands of Mrs. Smith!¡± she added. ¡°You¡¯ve always been so nonchnt about the way people treat you. Even when they¡¯re whispering behind your back, you do nothing but justugh it off! But this time, you were not like that at all!¡± Ste watched the surveince video quietly without a trace of emotion on her face. Then she turned to Yvonne and smiled helplessly at her ¡°Well, what else should I do?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m made of flesh and blood, after all. I can¡¯t just let people walk all over me without doing anything!¡± Yvonne realized then that Ste was much tougher than she seemed. ¡°Have you¡­ found another job?¡± Yvonne asked. Everyone else had already said their goodbyes and left the training center. There were only the two of them left now. They both knew this might be thest time they saw each other. Yvonne had nned to come back to the training center briefly to lock all the doors, but when she saw Ste, she felt reluctant to part ways with her, so she stayed back a little longer so they could have a chat. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste sat at the desk by the full-length windows for thest time and stared down at the bustling streets below. Sighing, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll probably try out acting.¡± ¡°Acting?¡± Yvonne stared at her, wide-eyed. ¡°Are you for real? You want to be an actress, but your skills don¡¯t seem to match!¡± ¡°I tried out for an audition previously and the director found me talented and cast me. I haven¡¯t had the time to update you¡­¡± Ste looked at Yvonne with affection, ¡°All along¡­you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s treated me well and helped me genuinely. I will definitely remember everything you¡¯ve done for me. I know that what I say now might sound fake and an empty promise, but in the future, if I have the ability, I will never reject you if you ever need my help.¡± She looked into Yvonne¡¯s eyes. Yvonne was stunned for a moment before tears began welling up in her eyes. ¡°Why are you making this sound like you¡¯ll be gone forever?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ste chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid I won¡¯t have the chance to say something like this again¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense! Even if we no longer work together in this training center, we still have many chances to meet! Oh yes, which cast did you join? I¡¯ll visit you frequently.¡± Ste pondered about it and thought it better to tell her the truth, ¡°It¡¯s Bradley Lane¡¯s new movie which just began filming. They are currently framing the scenes in Fern City.¡± Realization dawned upon Yvonne. ¡°I know that movie! Bradley is pretty well-known in the scene and has a good reputation in the industry.¡± Ste nodded. After a moment, Yvonne recalled something. ¡°Hang on! I just remembered that Guinevere is the female lead of the movie, isn¡¯t she?¡± She stared unblinkingly at Ste, slightly shocked. Ste¡¯s body turned slightly stiff as she nodded after a moment¡¯s pause, ¡°Yes. But, she hasn¡¯t entered the cast just yet¡­and we haven¡¯t met so far.¡± With her slow, stuttery response, Yvonne knew that Ste still hadn¡¯t gotten over things. Regardless of whether she was a willing party, Ste had been relegated to a shady status one just couldn¡¯t be proud of. Yvonne couldn¡¯t figure out why she felt increasingly upset, ¡°Weston Ford is simply too much! Didn¡¯t he have the sense to arrange for you a movie cast that didn¡¯t include Guinevere?¡± She clearly thought that Weston was behind all these. Ste shook her head, ¡°He had nothing to do with this. It waspletely my choice.¡± With that, she smiled bitterly, ¡°In fact, he didn¡¯t allow me to join the cast at the beginning, saying that it¡¯ll just puti at it¡¯ll just put me in the spotlight and bring shame to him.¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Yvonne felt indignant on her behalf, ¡°Isn¡¯t Guinevere herself acting and exposing herself under public scrutiny too? What¡¯s more, she acted in more than one movie! She had so many intimate scenes with the male lead in that movie she won an award in! What¡¯s with his double standard?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°At the very least, he¡¯s now finally agreed to let me join the cast, so I must seize this opportunity.¡± Since this was Ste¡¯s personal choice, as a friend of hers, Yvonne couldn¡¯t do much but support her. After a moment¡¯s thought, she said, ¡°The entertainment circle is a lot moreplicated than you think it is. I know many people who aren¡¯t as morous as they look on the outside. Whatever it is, remember toe to me if you need help.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I will.¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Even though Ste said she would, Yvonne knew that it would take a lot for Ste to take the initiative toe looking for her for help. The two of them sat next to each other for a while longer before Ste broke the silence, ¡°Will Dr. Quirk being to fetch youter? Perhaps I should make a move.¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Yvonne knew that Ste found Lucas biased against her, and therefore, did not want to bump into him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have dinner together?¡± she suggested. ¡°Lucas is busy with something at the hospital today and will return veryte. I don¡¯t have ns anyway.¡± Ste gave it a little thought before agreeing to Yvonne¡¯s suggestion. Both of them would probably have fewer opportunities to meet in the future and share a meal. She had no reason to reject Yvonne. ¡°I call dibs on treating you!¡± she insisted. ¡°You can pick a ce.¡± Yvonne smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Thest time Yvonne chose to bring Ste to an entertainment venue, Lucas had repeatedly nagged at her, warning against doing such a thing again. This time, she obediently selected a western restaurant with romantic vibes that seemed more suitable for couples. Bothdies chatted leisurely as they waited for their dishes to be served. The next moment, Yvonne¡¯s expression changed. Her face, which was originally full of smiles, suddenly turned cold. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Ste was stunned for a moment, thinking that she must¡¯ve said something wrong. ¡°What¡¯s the matter/¡± Yvonne remained silent as she stared at a particr corner. Ste followed her gaze and her face stiffened up as well. At a booth seat¡¯s distance away from them, she saw Lucas sharing a meal with an elegantly dressed woman. There wasn¡¯t much to this scene by itself, except that Lucas had told Yvonne that he had intended to work overtime at the hospital tonight, yet he ended up sharing a meal here with another gorgeous woman. This was clearly an issue. Yvonne forced herself to calm down. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding¡­¡± The next moment, she saw a napkin drop from the woman¡¯s hand onto the floor. The woman bent over to pick it up, but Lucas was one move ahead of her and picked it up instead. When he handed the napkin over to her, their fingers touched, and the woman suddenly held his hand. Yvonne was no longer able to hold herself back. She flung her cutlery on her te, stood up in a jiffy, and charged at their table. ¡°Lucas Quirk, who is she?!¡± Before the two even realized what was happening, Yvonne had already appeared right in front of their cubicle, aggressive and clearly furious. The western restaurant was very spacious, with a wide distance ced in between each table such that people could walk around easily. The boothpartment Lucas and the woman were in was enclosed by a simple wooden frame which made it easy to see what was going on inside. Ste felt uneasy and immediately stood up to follow behind Yvonne. The woman was lost for a moment as she subconsciously nced at Yvonne and back at Lucas. ¡°Dr. Quirk, this is¡­¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes grew dim as he looked at Yvonne, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yvonne did not expect Lucas to return the question to her the moment he opened his mouth. She sneered, ¡°What am I doing here? If I weren¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t have seen for myself what you¡¯ve been doing with another woman!¡± Lucas sensed the sarcasmced in her words and his face darkened. ¡°What nonsense!¡± The woman sensed impending trouble and immediately stood up. ¡°You must be Ms. Keller. I¡¯m so sorry to have caused a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°What Ms. Keller? I am Mrs. Quirk!¡± Yvonne cut her off curtly. ¡°Since you know about me, then you should know that he is a married man. Don¡¯t you know how to keep your distance? You were so close to holding his hand just now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± The woman looked awkward, ¡°I really didn¡¯t think too much about it, and I identally touched his hand. If it offended you, please ept my apology.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Lucas cut in and stood up, ncing at Yvonne. ¡°Cut it out,¡± he said helplessly. ¡°We are just friends.¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 ¡°Then why did you not tell me that you were meeting her? Didn¡¯t you say that you were at the hospital?¡± . T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne was so enraged that she refused to ept his exnation. She red at him coldly, growling, ¡°Go ahead with your dinner! Eat more and make sure I don¡¯t ruin the mood of your date!¡± With that, she turned to leave. ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lucas shouted behind her. Yvonnepletely ignored him and pulled Ste along her way out. That was when Lucas noticed that Ste was with her, and his face darkened even further. He had repeatedly nagged at Yvonne for keeping in contact with Ste, yet here she was, tantly going against his advice. After both of them left, the woman looked apologetically at Lucas. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dr. Quirk, for causing a misunderstanding with your wife. Why don¡¯t we call it a night? Please go home and exin things to her.¡± Lucas sat back down expressionlessly, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She will understand,¡± Lucas said. ¡°She¡¯s just throwing a minor tantrum and won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± The woman paused for a moment before smiling. ¡°It seems you and your wife share a great rtionship.¡± Lucas sipped on his coffee as a gentle look washed over his eyes. Yvonne stormed out of the restaurant angrily with Ste in tow. Both of them entered the elevator. The doors closed with a soft ding as she spotted Lucas rushing out of the restaurant. Anger boiled in her heart and she yelled, ¡°That scandalous couple!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so mad!¡± she raved in frustration. Ste waited for her to calm down before asking her, ¡°Do you know what Dr. Quirk and that woman were here for?¡± Yvonne scoffed, ¡°They imed that there¡¯s nothing going on between them except for work What work requires them toe to a restaurant like this? What¡¯s more, he previously told me that he was working overtime in the hospital. In a blink of an eye, here he was at a romantic western restaurant. Does he take me for a fool?¡± Yvonne was still at the peak of her anger and was unable toprehend why Lucas did what he did. Ste could understand how she felt and tried tofort her. ¡°After Dr. Quirk returns home, you can always ask him in detail. Whatever it is, clear things up with him first¡­¡± The elevator doors opened. Yvonne hesitated for a moment before stepping out. Both of them had walked out of the main entrance, and Lucas still hadn¡¯te running after them. Ste could tell what Yvonne was thinking and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we head to the supermarket next door for some water?¡± Yvonne knew that Ste was giving her an excuse to stay on, and she said coldly, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s head home.¡± She was waiting for Lucas to chase her, but he did not. It disappointed and let her down greatly, especially in front of a friend. Before Ste could say anything further, Yvonne added, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first. I¡¯m so sorry. We had agreed on having dinner together, but I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ste said. Yvonne shook her head. ¡°I just need some alone time.¡± Ste fully understood that feeling. When something like that happened, nothing else mattered except the other party¡¯s exnation. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 When truly in love, the pain of betrayal that one experienced would far exceed that of the heart gouged out. Only those who had experienced that kind of hurt would understand. Ste waspletely distracted even after she reached home. Even Weston could sense that something was wrong with her, though he didn¡¯t probe. After dinner. Joan wiped the table clean. Ste entered a small room in the corner of the study, still looking spaced out. Stardust Mansion was where Weston and Ste used to stay in after they got married. In the original study, he had specially carved out a room for Ste to work in. However, since Weston had acquiesced for her to join the cast, Ste began to the script once she settled down in her small room. As she read on, the feelings of angst and unsettlement crept into her mind and she couldn¡¯t help but pull out her phone to text Yvonne and ask her how she was at that moment. The scene at the restaurant kept her worried. Although her instincts told her that Lucas wasn¡¯t the kind that would betray his wife and gallivant his way around women, nothing was impossible in this world. She used to think that way about Weston, too. Yet, he was now clearly capable of being deeply in love with Guinevere, while forcefully keeping her by his side. Having gone through what she had with Weston, she found it extremely difficult to believe that pure love existed in this world. However, the thought of Lucas not wanting Yvonne to keep in contact with her made Ste put her phone down with a long sigh. If Yvonne needed a person to talk to, she would probably initiate contact. Recklessly asking her how she was might only serve to upset her further, she reasoned. Knock, knock Someone was at the door. Ste looked up and realized that it was Joan. ¡°Ms. Steele, here¡¯s a bowl of fresh berries that I bought from the market. I¡¯ll ce it on the table. Please have some.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Thank you, Joan.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Instead of leaving immediately, Joan remained in the room with her eyes fixed on Ste. Ste was confused at her behavior. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Joan asked, ¡°Ms. Steele, have I done something to make you unhappy?¡± Ste shook her head and said, perplexed, ¡°Not at all. Why would you ask me that?¡± ¡°I noticed that you didn¡¯t eat much today. Were the dishes I cooked not to your liking?¡± Since Weston had hired her at such an exorbitant rate, she found it her responsibility to serve Ste to her utmost satisfaction. Most importantly, she was tasked with ensuring that Ste ate well. She was responsible for making highly nutritious food that Ste liked, and her main goal was to keep Ste¡¯s health in good shape. Ste paused for a moment. ¡°No, I just have something on my mind¡­ that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have much appetite. It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± Realization dawned upon her as to why Joan hade over to her room. She was probably here with snacks since she hadn¡¯t eaten much for dinner. ¡°Did Weston say something to you?¡± Instead of directly replying to her, Joan said, ¡°Ms. Steele, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re dissatisfied with, please feel free to let me know. Mr. Ford pays me such a high sry, it¡¯s only right that I make each of your wishes mymand.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Ste paused for a moment before picking a berry from the bowl and popping it in her mouth. ¡°Very sweet.¡± She turned to Joan. ¡°If I need anything, I¡¯ll be sure to tell you directly.¡± Joan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I shan¡¯t bother you any further, then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After Joan left, Ste pondered for a moment before leaving her room as well. Believing that Weston would be in his study, she didn¡¯t expect to stare right into his deep, dark eyes the moment she stepped out of her room. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Weston was wearing a set of grey colored casual clothes which his tall, lean figure filled out perfectly. Wisps.of stray hair covered his forehead in careless fashion. He looked slightly more personable than usual, although his cold, sharp features remained aloof and distant. Ste halted in her footsteps. ¡°The berries are very good,¡± she threw out a random remark. Weston nced at her for a few seconds before nodding. He didn¡¯t appear to have anything further to say. Ste turned sideways to give way to him. Aside from when they were physically intimate, they didn¡¯t seem to have much to say to each other. Ste could always sense the wide divide between Weston and herself. It was not a gap that could be closed, even with daily contact and interaction-like when they were married for that short while, during which they spent many days and nights together. Yet, it was not enough for Weston to develop true feelings for her. Otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point. Ste lowered her head, not realizing that he had stopped right in front of her. Instead of passing her by, he cornered her and asked, ¡°Did you eat the berries?¡± Ste lifted her head and found herself trapped in between his outstretched arms. ¡°I did,¡± she replied. Weston lifted her chin, nudging the tip of his nose against the corner of her lips and took in a deep breath. ¡°Open your mouth so I can take a whiff.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°What¡¯s there to smell? Just get Joan to wash another bowl for berries for ¡ª¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, her mouth was sealed by Weston¡¯s lips. He seemed to have a penchant for kissing her as ofte. No matter where, his kisses wouldnd on her lips without any warning, catching herpletely off- guard. He was fully immersed in the kiss, with his eyes shut. Ste could see the sharp corners of his eyes, like a delicate painting spread out right in front of her. Ste simply stared at him. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. There was no trace of indulgence in her. Not in the slightest. He devoured her sweet aura as if he really could taste the mild vor of berries lingering in her mouth. After a long while, Weston finally let her go. He straightened himself up, catching his breath. Yet, when he turned to look at Ste, he found her completely unmoved and unaffected. He stiffened for a split second, his eyes darkening. He pinched her chin and leaned in for yet another kiss, adamant to make her lose her cool. Unlike the kiss earlier, there was a hint of frustration and less tenderness in this one. Ste¡¯s head was lifted high and her neck was tilted all the way up. Weston wrapped his arms tight around her waist and pressed her against the wall, which made her silently yelp in pain. He took the opportunity as she opened her mouth to invade her senses. All she could do was to look at him, feel him, and touch him. She had to feel everything he wanted to give her. He did not want that hollow look in her eyes when she opened them. He wanted her eyes to be filled with him, and him only. Ste couldn¡¯t help but hit his arms, but it only made him grab her hands and lift them over her head. His hands started drifted downward. Ste shut her eyes and tip-toed in response to his aggressive advances. Joan was originally cleaning up the hall when she heard themotion in the room. She sensibly left the hall and went to the courtyard outside. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the house anytime soon. As if he hadn¡¯t had enough of kissing her, Weston lifted Ste up entirely and pinned her against the wall again. He made her hug him back and urged, ¡°Hug me tight. Don¡¯t slide down.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t suppress herint. ¡°My back hurts¡­¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 OV Weston paused for a moment before lifting her up again. He rested his palm on her back and pressed her against the wall. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t hurt now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move¡­¡± he whispered hoarsely in her ear. Ste had no way out of her situation. Instead of struggling any further, she passively took on his aggressive advances. She hung weakly on his body, unsure why Weston was so passionate about kissing. It felt as if as long as he had the time to spare, he could just spend it all kissing her like this. It was only until Ste¡¯s breath became unsteady, almost panting and out of strength that Weston finally released her hands. Her legs gave way as she slowly slid to the floor. Weston chuckled deeply as if chiding her for being weak. He carried her up in his arms back into her small work room. Ste asked, ¡°Why did you bring me back in here?¡± Weston sat on her chair, leaning her in his arms as he nced at the script she was reading earlier, ¡°You want to go back to the bedroom?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Instead of saying further, Weston flipped open her script. It was then that Ste realized that he was probably interested in her work. ¡°You should have read this script before,¡± Ste said. Weston lifted his hand and caressed her face, ¡°Why so?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. With a smile stered on her face, Ste said expressionlessly, ¡°You be so concerned when there¡¯s anything involving Guinevere. How could you not know about the movie that she¡¯s the female lead?¡± He stiffened slightly. A momentter, he looked at her and said in a low voice, ¡°Seems you don¡¯t wish to go on with acting.¡± Ste looked up into his eyes, uncertain as to the mood he was in. Weston probably knew that she was in the same crew as Guinevere. What¡¯s more, Guinevere was the sole female lead of the movie and would therefore be with the crew throughout the entire filming duration. Given the importance of Ste¡¯s role in the movie, it was likely that she would have scenes together with Guinevere. It was but a matter of time before Guinevere realized Ste¡¯s presence in the crew. The moment they met at Yvonne¡¯s house, Ste knew that Guinevere had qualms about her identity. It was only after confirming that Ste and E were two different people through the DNA test that Guinevere felt more at ease. If they were to meet each other during filming, Ste was sure that Guinevere would have her guard up against her and perhaps even realize the current status of her rtionship with Weston. She did not believe that Weston didn¡¯t care about this at all. Yet, he appeared not to care at all whether she would meet Guinevere during work. She decided to speak her mind. ¡°If Guinevere finds out about us, what do you intend to do?¡± He caressed her head and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re right. Why did I even agree for you to join the cast and let you act in the first ce?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯ve already agreed. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°Indeed, I have to keep my word.¡± Annoyed by his wavering position, Ste raised her voice. ¡°Weston Ford, what exactly is going on in your mind? Perhaps you might not care about things blowing up since Guinevere will take your side no matter what and me everything on me. But I don¡¯t want to be yed to death in her hands even before our one-year timeline is up¡­¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, she felt a tightness grip her scalp. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Weston was caressing her hair and identally pulled too hard. Ste gasped at the shar p twinge of pain which sent tears to her eyes, which continued staring stubbornly at him. Weston sighed and nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°I¡®ve already given you my word and I won¡®t let anyone touch you. Trust me.¡± These were clearly tender words of pro mise, yet he said it in such a cold and unfeeling manner. Ste¡®s words brought to his mind the one¨C year promise they had between them, which Ste seemed to always have at the back of her mind. Even though she appeared well¨Cinvested in the role of a woman who only had eyes for him, it was likely that she was still thinking about how she could leave him. Otherwise , why would she always bring up the one¨Cyear timeline? ¡°Your acting skills have improved tremendously indeed,¡± Weston looked into her eyes andmented. Ste didn¡®t understand what he meant but knew vaguely that it wasn¡®t anything good. She said, ¡°I just hope that you keep your promise and do as you say.¡±. She chuckled self¨Cderisively, ¡°I don¡®t want to always be on guard against Guinevere¡®s attacks, especially when I was forced against my will to be someone¡®s secret lover.¡± Weston¡¯s face darkened, clearly displeased at how she d escribed herself using such nasty terms. ¡°Exactly which part of you looks like a secret lover?¡± Ste said, ¡°What must I do to fulfill your image of a secret lover? Always hiding in the dark and living in the shadows? I never hide from Roger, yet I¡®m so ashamed about letting him know about our rtionship... ¡± ¡°You¡®re the one who¡®s overthinking everything,¡± Weston cut her off as frustration mounted in his chest. ¡°As long as you¡®re willing, I can let our rtionship be open and aboveboard.¡± The mocking smile remained on Ste¡®s face. ¡°You can, but I still want my pride.¡± The world had always been prejudiced in its judgments between men and women; between the powerful and the weak. The pressures that she and Weston faced were worlds apart. He could not even begin toprehend her plight and the difficulties she endured. He could only speak from his own perspective and regard the pressure she was facing as nothing worthy to fuss over. The sudden ringing of the phone pierced through the air, cutting through the tense atmosphere. Ste saw Weston¡®s face change. When he answered the call, she stood up and walked to the other side, giving him space. Despite not h aving much to speak to each other about, they disyed a certain level of chemistry that at times, was often left unspoken. Weston looked deeply at her without a word and left the room with his phone at his ear. Ste simply stood where she was without following him out of the room. A whileter, she walked out in need of a cup of water. When she walked past the hall, she saw Weston standing on the balcony, speaking into his phone with slight annoyance, ¡°Settle such trivial matters yourself. Don¡®t spread your negative vi bes to me.¡± As if possessed by something, Ste halted in her footsteps. The strong night breeze blew across the balcony. It hadn¡®t snowed the past few days, but the harsh weather remained frigid and unforgiving. It was always to the bone. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Weston didn¡®t have much patience for those he did not deem important. ¡°¡®I don¡®t have the time to listen t Ste retracted her gaze and hid herself in the shadows. She had some guesses as to whom Weston was on the phone with. It was either that woman at Lowe Garden, or perhaps some other woman entirely. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 ¡°But Mr. Ford...¡± On the other end of the line, Be did not expect him to respond so heartlessly, and she cried even har der. ¡°Guinevere said that if she were to see me in Fern City again, she would make me wish I were dead! I really don¡®t know wha t I can do...¡± ¡°Where else can I go aside from staying in Fern City? Must I return to my hometown...¡± She did not know who else she could turn to aside from Weston. That day... After Weston left Lowe Garden, Guinevere brought along a bunch of people with her. She hade personally, and no one dared to stop her. The manager knew her and dared not offend either Weston or Guinevere herself. What¡®s more, everyone knew about Guinevere¡®s rtionship with Weston, and everyone could guess w hat she was there for. Be had never expected someone as proud and haughty as Guinevere woulde to a ce like this , and confront a woman like her for the sake of Weston Ford. In the same vein, she had never expected anythingsting to happen between herself and Weston. She had merely wanted to use his favor towards her to earn some money, that was all. Be knew her ce well and never thought that things were possible between Weston and herself. However, she could not stop herself from being captivated by this man. It was also the reason for the e nmity and distaste that she¡®d naturally developed towards Guinevere. However, she clearly knew that such enmity was the result of jealousy rearing its ugly head inside her. When it came down to actually confronting Guinevere, Be knew that she was in no position to fig ht. Although Guinevere did not blow things out of proportion, she made her men thrash Be¡®s dedicated dressing room in front of everyone. The women working in Lowe Garden were slightly differentpared to other escorts. Although all were in the same trade, the women in Lowe Garden were of a slightly higher ss, and things were often done subtly and unsp oken. Along the corridor. Everyone stood outside watching themotion. When Be was with Weston for the first time, she had allowed pride to ovee her senses. Although many appeared to admire her, many were also jealous and spoke badly of her behind her back. Now that Guinevere hade looking for trouble with Be, these schemers were watching on gleefull y. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Guinevere Cohen really came over... I didn¡®t actually expect her to...¡± ¡°Isn¡®t she a famous celebrity? Why would she personally d o something like this...¡± ¡°It¡®s simple. Men nowadays have no qualms about having a mistress or two as long as they have some power and money, and we¡®re talking about Weston Ford here. Women would throw themselves at him even if he didn¡®t offer them money... ¡°Only loaded women have the ability to throw themselves at him. Women like us have no say whatsoeve we¡®d be asking for too much if we pick on their looks! ¡°Which is why I said that it was just dumb luck on Be¡®s part. Did she really think her life was going to be changed forever? ¡°We¡®re all in the same trade, and she just lucked o Be¡®s face paled at the sound of her colleagues gloating over her misfortune. Guinevere remained unmoved by the situation. People like her had no need to do things themselves and dirty their own hands. With just one look, someone next to Guinevere dragg ps. Smack, smack! Two bright¨Cred handprints immediately surfaced on Be¡®s face. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 That was when Guinevere took a good look at her face, and her brows furrowed. ¡°How old are you?¡± she suddenly asked. Be knelt on the floor and trembled, tears streaking down her face, ¡°Slightly over 20... I was wrong! I was just trying to make a living for myself. Ms. Cohen, please spare me!¡± Women like her knew when it was time to bow down. The more Guinevere looked at her, the more she realized that Be resembled someone else. A nasty expression emerged on her face. ¡°When did things begin between you and Weston?¡± ¡°It hasn¡®t been lo ng... we¡®ve only met in private a few times after that. Also...also...¡± Be halted, somehow unable to go on. Guinevere¡®s eyes darkened. ¡°Why aren¡®t you speaking? Do you need my help to open yourmouth?¡± Be said with self¨Cdepreciation, ¡°Nothing happened between Mr. Ford and me. He never touched me¡­¡± Everyone in the dressing room fell silent at her words. Guinevere remained still and unmoved. It came as a surprise for her, but somehow, it was something she had expected. Ordinary men wouldn¡®t just leave their mistress at the side and do nothing to them. They were all adults and knew clearly¨Cwhat else could happen between a man and woman? But Weston was no ordinary man. Guinevere had never been able to guess what was in his mind. Having made it public knowledge that he had kept mistresses, it was a p to Guinevere¡®s face. Yet, he didn¡®t touch her at all... It was exactly like how he treated herself ¨C he had clearly promised to marry her, but he had never cozied to her from the very beginning... If it wer en¡®t for Ste¡®s pregnancy, she would¡®ve suspected that Weston must be suffering from some condition. Or perhaps he just hated sex. But now that Ste was dead, was Weston never intending to be physically intimate with another woman for the rest of his life? ¡°What did both of you do in private if he never touched you?¡± Be replied to her honestly, ¡°I would sometimes sing or dance for Mr. Ford, but he never seemed to lik e anything I did...¡± Guinevere sneered. ¡°If he didn¡®t like you but still kept you as his woman, was he being charitable by spending all that money on you?¡± Guinevere¡®s face turned nasty, and it made Be tremble in fear. She had personally witnessed how ruthless this woman could be and knew she was capable of doing a nything, especially through the people she had brought along with her. She was clearly a well¨C known celebrity, yet her behavior mirrored that of a barbaric cavewoman. Her bodyguard waved a small de around and Be shut her eyes in fright. ¡°I really have no idea! The first time I met Mr. Ford, he didn¡®t seem to treat me very differently. He just looked at my face and said that I Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Although Guinevere knew that Weston wasn¡®t serious about this woman, Be¡®s words caused fury to bu She walked towards her, lifted her chin, and looked closely at her face. Realization dawned upon her as resembled Ste Sealey. Notably, it was the look of pure innocence in her eyes, save for that sliver of st It was also obvious that Be had surgically enhanced her facial features to make them more delicate, though Guinevere couldn¡®t deny that the oue was natural and very well¨C done. Most men would¡®ve been oblivious to the change, but a woman could tell at a nce. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 ¡°You did that on purpose!¡± The first thought that popped into Guinevere¡®s mind was that Be had d eliberately enhanced her facial features to resemble Ste! Be was confused. ¡°Did what on purpose?¡± Guinevere shook her head and calmed herself down, chasing the ridiculous thought away from her min d. However, on second thought, Ste had been dead for so long, so why would she even be in the picture? But the sight of such a familiar¨C looking face made Guinevere unable to fool herself any longer. Guinevere didn¡®t know whether Weston simply had a taste for suchdies, or that he was looking for a recement for Ste. If he was, didn¡®t that mean that... he had really fallen for Ste? Despite her being dead, he was still in search of her shadows, It had to be the reason he would stoop so low and interact with a woman as lowly as Be, Guinevere¡®s mind was a mess, but it did not stop her from leaving Be some harsh threats. She gave the manager a look before leaving the ce. The manager immediately got the hint. ¡°Don¡®t w orry, Ms. Cohen, I won¡®t let anyone else know about what happened today...¡± After she left, the manager warned Be, ¡°Bring what happened today to your grave, and don¡®t you dare let Mr. Ford know about it! Do you understand?¡± He had dealt with many such incidents before and seeing official wivesing over to confront kept mi stresses was a daily affair for him. However, he knew that it was a bottomless pit, where there would be a line of endless mistresses that were impossible topletely eliminate, as long as the husband did not control himself. Some men would choose to side with their wives, while others with their mistresses. However, as long as a man proactively hid such things from his wife, it was a clear indication that he w ould rather maintain peace and harmony on the surface and keep trouble at bay. His wife and mistress es could create as much trouble as they liked, as long as they didn¡®t do it in his face. Sometimes, men were simple creatures of practicality. Often aware of everything, men were also capable of pretending to know nothi ng, as long as their women maintained harmony on the surface and brought no trouble. It was in the nature of all men, regardless of how sessful they were. The manager nau lieu LU JUU ¡°¡ª¨C Her mind was filled with the fear of Guinevere picking on her and making her life in rem uity miserable. Where could she earn a living for herself if she could no longer stay in Lowe Garden? She had grown so ustomed to the bright lights and a lifestyle of luxury that she couldn¡®t imagine going back to doing those odd jobs that earned her peanuts. Thus, she verbally agreed with the manager to tolerate what Guinevere did to her, keep her silent on the matter, and focus on recovery so that she could be ready for Weston when he came for her again. However, the moment the manager left, she ea gerly called Weston toin. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Through sobs and tears, she described in gory detail how Guinevere had hit her in public, in a bid to sully Guinevere¡®s image in Weston¡®s mind and inform him about how wicked a woman she was. Despit e the fact that Weston never touched her, Belle believed that Weston must¡®ve fancied her a little bit, given that he was rather patient with her and even called for her multiple times. To her dismay, he ignored what she had to say and cut her off before she could finish. The chill in his tone clearly indicated that she was insignificant to him. Be¡¯s heart turned cold as she immediately snapped back to reality. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± ¡°Ben will send you some money. Be smart about what you need to do next.¡± With that, he hung up. The beeping tone told Be that she wouldn¡®t get a response for whatever she wanted to say. She flung her phone hard on the table in frustration, unable to sit still. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Now that even Weston didn¡®t care about her, did she really have to take the money and get chased away by Guinevere? In no way could she swallow something like that! Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 She originally thought that her chance to make it big had finally arrived but little did she expect that it would mean the end for her. At Stardust Mansion. In the kitchen. Ste retracted her gaze and pretended that she overheard nothing. She sipped on the cold water that slid down her throat, clearing her befuddled mind. She heard how heartless and ruthless Weston was when he spoke to that woman over the phone. Ste did not care about the women that Weston had outside, but the oue of the woman on the ph one made her wary. She warned herself that no matter when or where, she should never forget that men were inherently un reliable. When he fancied it, he could treat another woman just as he treated her; with tender love and care that would mesmerize and captivate her soul. But when he left on his whim and fancy, he was no different from a stranger, Having experienced his heartlessness for a long time, Ste refused to be fooled by him again. Weston failed to find Ste in her room but ended up bumping into her when she walked out of the kitc hen. ¡°Who was that on the phone just now?¡± Ste asked with a smile. Instead of replying, Weston wal ked naturally to her, took the cup from her hands, and sipped on it. ¡°I drank from it just now,¡± Ste insti nctively reminded him. He nced at her without a word. But the look on his face told her that he did not care. ¡°Which par t of your body have I not seen yet? It¡®s just sharing a cup. What¡®s the big deal?¡± Ste remained silent. She walked to the hall and switched on the television. He sat down next to her and pulled her in his arms, gently hugging her. Since he ended the call, Ste felt ufortable in his arms and instinctively wanted to avoid his touch . Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Yet, she couldn¡®t be too conspicuous about the repulsion she naturally felt. Weston could feel her resistance and tightened his hold around her as he furrowed his brows. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Then why are you fussing?¡± ¡°I¡®m not fussing,¡± Ste replied with a hint of annoyance, Weston pinched her chin and turned her face towards him. ¡°You¡®re not? Do you need a mirror to see how Ste remained silent. Suddenly, she sneered and said, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡®t say anything over the phone just now?¡± He paused for a while as realization dawned upon him. ¡°Were you eavesdropping on me?¡± he chuckled Ste pursed her lips, clearly displeased. She turned her face away, refusing to look at him. Weston¡®s sp like this, and she wanted to lower his guard. ¡°What else could I do? Should I treat her like I treat you, sp no avail?¡± Weston bit Ste¡®s lower lip. ¡°I don¡®t have that much time to please so many women.¡° Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Ste found itughable. When did he ever try to please her? Wasn¡®t he always the one to make her life miserable whenever he was upset? Weston knew that she was still mad, given her silence. His patience was restored once again. ¡°I thought you couldn¡®t care less about all those women outside?¡± ¡°I don¡®t,¡± Ste insisted. ¡°Anyway, I¡®m no different from them. Why should I care¨C¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Before she could finish, Weston lowered his mouth and bit the corner of her lips. Ste yelped in pain. Weston took the chance to advance and kiss her till she was all out of breath. He rested his chin on her forehead. ¡°You¡®re different from the rest. Don¡®tpare yourself with them.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ste looked up into his eyes. ¡°You just haven¡®t got tired of me yet...¡± He furrowed his brows and interrupted her self¨Cdeprecating remark. ¡°Stop overthinking.¡± Ste looked at him quietly. She wondered if he would treat her like he treated Be and dismiss her with a sum of money when he eventually got tired of her. Of course, that would be the most ideal oue, one that Ste looked forward to. After all, he had done exactly the same thing to her previously. Weston saw that she remained quiet and held her hand up, intecing his fingers with hers. He toyed with her fingers in his hand and chuckled lightly a momentter. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment before she turned to him with a smile. ¡°Do you think I¡®m in a position to be jealous?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Weston pinched her chin and tightened his fingers aro und hers. ¡°As long as you say you¡®re jealous, I¡®ll agree to one request.¡± Ste pursed her lips, keeping quiet. The next moment, she found herself pinned onto the couch by Weston. She was forced to lean back, unable to struggle against his hold. His arms were l ike bands of steel that shackled her in their embrace. His haunting gaze enveloped her like an ensnarin g web, slowly suffocating the breath out of her. After a long while, Ste opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Yes, I¡®m jealous.¡± The knot between his brows unfurled and he looked clearly pleased. He pecked her cheek and said, ¡°Very good. What do you want?¡± Ste turned away, refusing to look at him. She had to y her part thoroughly. She pursed her lips tightly, then said, ¡°I want you to never see that woman ever again.¡± As she had expected, his spirits lifted even more upon hearing those words. Weston pinched her cheeks. ¡°There was nothing between us in the first ce, and I never touched her. Why are pushed against his chest, not allowing him toe closer, ¡°You¡®ve been desecrated by another woman. Don¡®t you dare kiss me.¡± It was fine for her to throw a petty tantrum, but she had to know her limits. Weston¡®s eyes darkened as he nted another kiss on her. ¡°Desecrated?¡± He kissed her repeatedly. ¡°You¡®re my only woman. What else do you want?¡± Ste just couldn¡®t figure him out sometimes. Was he such a habitual liar that lying through his teeth came so easily, or did he really think that she was stupid? ...So stupid that she would trust him just because of his honeyed words? Even if she had sessfully immersed herself in the role and wanted to portray the image that she was fully reliant on Weston, she would, at times, subconsciously let slip her mind... like what she had just done. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 She was already trying her best to flirt with him in order to achieve her goal. Yet, she couldn¡®t hold back her repulsion when they kissed. She didn¡®t eve n shut her eyes and simply stared at him. Weston suddenly stopped under her stare and bit her cheeks. ¡°Be more professional,¡± he whispered into her ear. He knew that Ste had probably been putting up an act all this while. He could still distinguish between the fake and the genuine. Or perhaps he didn¡®t... It no longer mattere d. What mattered was that he didn¡®t want to distinguish the truth. Ste circled her arms around his neck. ¡°I want you to stop looking for other women. Since you can¡®t do that, promise me something else.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°After Guinevere joins the cast, promise me that you w on¡®t let her make things difficult for me.¡± It was something that Ste was most concerned about at that point. Even if Guinevere didn¡®t know about her rtionship with Weston, given her petty andpetitive natu re, it was highly likely that she would vent her anger on Ste simply because she resembled Ste. Si nce Weston refused to release her and she had to bear the consequence, why couldn¡®t she leverage his resources and power and pave the way for her career? It was perfectly justified, wasn¡®t it? Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. His body stiffened. After a long while, he caressed her head and said, ¡°Even if you didn¡®t bring this up, I would do the same.¡± But he knew that Ste would never believe that. On the other end. Guinevere looked at Zack in the baby¡®s room from afar before turning around and heading downstairs t o the garden. She wasn¡®t allowed toe close to Zack. She wasn¡®t even close to him in the first ce, and Zack showed neither affection nor reliance on her. They were practically strangers now, and Zack was only close to Wendy and his nanny. Guinevere felt resentment brewing in her heart, but the next moment, she heaved a sigh of relief as if a burden was removed from her. ¡°Ms. Cohen, we¡®ve dealt with that woman at Lowe Garden.¡± The gardener who was tidying up the potted nts suddenly came to her side silently and spoke. He didn¡®t lift his head up and appeared to be mumbling to himself. Guinevere reached out to toy with a lush green leaf between her fingers. ¡°Wh around with those women.¡± She had dared to tantly confront Be because she was confident. Weston wouldn¡®t do anything to her for the There was simply no reason for her to feel threatened. The thought put Guinevere¡®s mind at rtive ease. ¡°Don¡®t let anyone else know about this, especially the He was about to leave when Guinevere suddenly called for him. ¡°Oh yes, is that person in the hospital awake yet?¡± She was referring to the kidnapper responsible for abducting Ste and herself back then. Ste grabbed him when she jumped off the building, and she ended up dead. The kidnapper, on the other hand, remained in a vegetative state since then. Guinevere had wanted to kill him off in secret, but West Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Thankfully, the kidnapper remained in aa and showed no signs of ever waking up. The doctor said that he might possibly remain a vegetable for the rest of his life. In that case, she had nothing to worry about.. She just needed to asionally check in on him. ¡°Ms. Cohen, be assured that we will update you if anything happens to that man.¡± ¡°Alright. Le ave me.¡± Guinevere felt much better. When she returned to the hall, she saw Wendy walking toward her. Wendy tried to ignore her, but the proud look o n Guinevere¡®s face made her halt. ¡°You¡®re just going to register your marriage tomorrow. Is there a need to be so haughty?¡± Guinevere stopped in her tracks, clearly sensing the moc kery in Wendy¡®s tone. What Wendy said reminded her about Weston promising to formally register their wedding, and tomorrow was the deadline. That made her even happier. ¡°You¡®re right. We¡®re going to register our marriage tomorrow and I should be resting today or I won¡®t look good in the photos.¡± Wendy¡®s face darkened as she scoffed. She remained silent and passed Guinevere on her way to Zack¡®s room. Guinevere called her, ¡°Mom, are you going to see Zack?¡± Wendy stopped in her tracks and shot Guinevere a cold re. ¡°Who¡®re you calling ¡®mom¡®?¡± ¡°Since I¡®m officially getting married to Weston tomorrow, I was calling you, of course...¡± Guinevere provoked with a smile. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. She had always treated Wendy with slight trepidation, but perhaps because things have been going ver y smoothly for her as ofte, that pride got the better of her. Wendy suddenly stopped in front of her and shot her a cold look before lifting her hand up high. Guinevere immediately covered her face and shrank. ¡°What are you trying to do? Hit me again?!¡± Wendy smiled at Guinevere¡®s sudden reaction as her hand gently patted Guinevere¡®s hair.¡° What are you so scared of? I was just trying to straighten you r slightly messy hair, that¡®s all.¡± Guinevere red at her, not believing for a second that she would be so kind¨Chearted. Wendy suddenly became so gracious, treating Guinevere as if she was her own daughter. Her eves were filled with love as she caressed her face. ¡°You¡®re about to marry Weston and be like a daughter to me. Since I promised your parents to treat you well, I must get along with you.¡± Guinevere was stunned, feeling at a loss as to what Wendy said. The day her parents came over demanding an exnation, Wendy put up quite a show, pretending that they we re a very close mother and daughter pair. But she knew clearly that she was simply acting in front of her parents for the sake of maintaining the alliance between both families. Guinevere didn¡®t expose Wendy¡®s act, simply because she truly wanted to marry Weston. For his sake, s After that day, Wendy¡®s attitude towards Guinevere remained as poor as before. Although she held hers Owing to all of that, Guinevere never expected Wendy¡®s attitude towards her to improve. What Wendy had just said d A glint shed across Guinevere¡®s eyes, unsure as to how genuine Wendy¡®s words were. Despite her do Dad, and had children at such a young age, Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Upon hearing Guinevere¡®s words, rage shed past the depths of Wendy¡¯s eyes for a split second. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with a perfunctory smile. ¡°You might give your all for a man, thinking you would get his whole heart in return, but someday, you might suddenly realize that your love and sacrifice for him were nothing but a joke. ¡°Those filthy things he¡®s done behind your back will simply make everything you did feel so meaningless. When that dayes around, you will know how pointle ss and stupid it is to love a man so wholeheartedly.¡± Guinevere¡®s heart thumped wildly in her chest, unsure if Wendy had said all of that because she realize d that something was wrong or was purely warning her. Guinevere forced a smile. ¡°I believe Weston won¡®t let me down.¡± Wendy realized that she had said too much and restored her affable look. ¡°Good that you do.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ste was originally preparing to report for filming the next day, but Bradley had suddenly called, telling her to rest at home instead because the props team was not yet ready. She hung up the call and nced at Weston. ¡°I don¡®t need to report to the crew today.¡± Weston fastened his shoes and caressed her head. ¡°I have work to attend to and might not make it home tonight.¡± Ste nodded. He was about to leave when he stopped in his tracks and looked at her. ¡°Aren¡®t you going to ask me wh y?¡± Ste hugged her knees, ¡°You have your reasons.¡± Silence ensued in the room. She sighed and walked to Weston, saying as she straightened his tie, ¡°I¡®m not insensible enough to ask you so many questions when I know you¡®re heading to work. Even when we were married in the past, I would never interfere with your work...¡± She said these words from the bottom of her heart, and for that split second, Weston felt like they had returned to the past. He looked at the woman before him, slightly diso riented, as he lifted his hand to caress her cheeks. The next moment, he nted a light kiss on her lips. They had never lingered over each other so much in the past. When they stepped away from each other, he looked at her with eyes so tender and soft; they could me lt a stone. ¡°Don¡®t stay up for me tonight, alright?¡± He leaned close to her and took in a whiff of her aura. Then, rubbing her earlobes, he said,¡± Don¡¯t be silly and stay up all night as you previously did.¡± Ste nodded and looked on as he left. The moment she heard the sound of the car engine revving, her face turned cold. At Ford Mansion. Guinevere had been waiting for this day for a long time. Today was the day Weston promised her they would finally register their marriage. She waited solemnly, having dolled herself up in a way that looked natural and elegant. As simple as it looked, she clearly knew how much time she had spent to look this good. Thus, armed w Two cars were parked outside. Weston and Mr. and Mrs. Cohen stepped out of their respective vehicles. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen saw Weston driving home and said coldly, ¡°Today is the day that you and Gwen are formally getting married. Why have you only juste home?¡° Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 They knew that Weston had been busy with work recently. There was an ongoing real estate project in Fern City which involved many stakeholders, and even a few important fa milies. Many people had their eyes on this lucrative project, but the risk of the investment involved was not something that everyone could stomach. Yet, even so, today was the day that both of them were officially registering their marriage. Weston shouldn¡®t have let Guinevere wait all alone at home. Guinevere heard her parents from far and immediately ran towards them. ¡°You¡®re here.¡± She grabbed Weston¡®s arm and acted intimate. ¡°Dad, Mom, I was the one who asked Weston to run so me errands for me, which is why he came backte. Don¡®t me him.¡± She always only had good things to say about Weston in front of Mr. and Mrs. Cohen. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Unless she was forced to a corner, she would never rope in her parents. Since Guinevere had given an exnation, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen decided to take it. They weren¡®t exactly in step with Guinevere¡®s attitude, though. One of the reasons for that was their wo rries about their daughter¡®s marriage. The benefit that woulde to both families was an important co nsideration, of course, which was why they continued tolerating Weston and his behavior. However, tha t did not stop them from nagging at him. Weston remained expressionless and calm throughout. ¡°Mr. an d Mrs. Cohen.¡± He simply greeted them with the most basic courtesy expected of a cultured gentleman. Guinevere held his arm and walked through the main entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen exchanged nces before doing the same. A couple of wyers walked in right behind them. The marriage between Weston and Guinevere was no small affair. It involved their personal assets, and naturally, req uiredwyers to provide professional advice. No one seemed surprised, and were in fact used to it. JS Even when Wendy married Chris back then, she had to sign a prenuptial agreement, which was already considered amiable when compared to what many female celebrities had to go through when they married into prominent families . That was also why back then, she made it widely known that she was the most respected female celebrity out of all who married into prominent families, and also the only one who was truly epted in the circl e. Everyone sat down on opposing sides. Chris was there on time as well, which was rare for him. ¡°Everything has been prepared. After everyone checks that all is in ce, we¡®ll have Weston and Guinevere go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register their marriage.¡± The other side didn¡®t voice any objections. Guinevere, seemingly in a good mood, sat down and smoothed out her dress. She said with a smile, ¡°I had originally nned on joining the crew today, but I Guinevere nodded and instinctively turned to nce at Weston. His face remained expressionless and unmoved, and he didn¡®t exactly look overjoyed about getting married, as if it wasn¡®t a major life decision. This made Guinevere feel rather upset and her smile faded slightly. She had been feeling emotional since yesterday and even woke up bright and early this morning to doll Yet now, it seemed like she was the only one who treated today as an important milestone in her life. There was an important scene that she was originally supposed to film today, but she had to ask for a da Bradley had already gotten the equipment team ready, but he was notified at thest minute that Guinev important to attend to and had taken leave. She did not make it clear that she was going to register her marriage, and instead, made her assistant distribute goodie bags to everyone in the crew as an apology for wasting their time. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Bradley didn¡®t care for the goodie bag he received, flinging it aside in disdain. ¡°Another da y wasted! We didn¡®t even have much time, to begin with. Does she want to film this or not?¡± As much as he couldin, there was nothing he could do to her. Guinevere was invested in the movie, after all, and had announced to the public that she was the female lead. Many scenes had also been filmed with her in them, making it impossible for the actress to be switched out. Bradley would have to tolerate her behavior till he was done filming this movie. He promised himself that from then on, he would never coborate with Guinevere Cohen, ever again. She did have some acting chops and was also crowned the best actress previously but she wasn¡®t the only person in the world who could act. Bradley violently kicked the shelf next to him, shaking the equipment and it almost fell off. The crew members who were around immediately held the shelf steady. The assistant director stood next to Bradley and said cautiously, ¡°Director, the actress by the name of E is here...¡± ¡°E?¡± Bradley furrowed his brows. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± He stood before the camera and looked at the empty stage, a nasty expression adorning his face. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any scenes today. Wasn¡®t she notified that she didn¡®t need toe in today?¡± ¡°E said that she wanted to try out her blocking. Wasn¡®t her scene with Caspian rathercking? She wants to familiarize herself with the scene.¡± Bradley¡®s face softened. ¡°That¡®s professional of her.¡± Despite being in an almost invisible role, her attitu de was way better than that of Guinevere¡®s. Bradley said, ¡°Let here in. I can take the time to talk her through the scenes as well.¡± Ste had originally only wanted to immerse herself in the atmosphere and get herself in the mood. She spent the whole of yesterday reading the script, thinking that Weston would be at home today. Ho wever, he had something to attend to and was out. Thus, not wanting to spend the day alone at home, she decide d to join the crew at work. She found a seat and settled down. She had no scenes to film today, with her next filming postponed to the day after tomorrow. She decided that she would read t hrough her script again and spend some time observing how other actors interacted with each other and exchanged lines. Especially Caspian Today¡®s schedule featured Caspian¡®s scenes with other actors, and on the day after tomorrow, she was scheduled to film a scene with Caspian. Ste wanted to be prepared beforehand so that she would not feel lost during her scenes. She had just settled down when Bradley walked over to her. ¡°E?¡± He called out to her. Ste immediately stood up. ¡°Director?¡± She was slightly shocked, ¡°I don¡®t have scenes to film today, do I?¡± She did not know what else Bradley Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Bradley nodded and waved his hand. ¡°Come over. Let me bring you through your scenes and give you t Ste¨Cfelt slightly overwhelmed. ¡°Director, you can give tips on acting too?¡± The assistant director next to Bradley chuckled, ¡°Our director is multi¨Ctalented and diverse in many skills. The previous movie that he won an award for was regarding opera, and he c Ste had watched that movie but didn¡®t know that Bradley had directed it. This new knowledge only added to the respect that she already had for him. ¡°Enough.¡± Bradley had nock of people who tried to suck up to him and tter him, and he had long gone immune to such high praises. ¡°Since I have time to Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 With that, Bradley nced at Ste, ¡°You do know how to seize the chance when you see it, don¡®t you?¡± Ste rubbed her nose, ¡°Better than being a sitting duck.¡± ¡°Excellent. I admire such proactiveness,¡± Bradley nodded. ¡°Co me over here. I¡®ll introduce you to some people.¡± Ste followed behind him, rather taken aback. ¡°Aren¡®t we supposed to talk about the scenes?¡± ¡°I saw how smoothly you recited your lines and know you¡®ve more or less grasped them all. There are a few seniors I¡®d like you to meet. If you want to improve your standard, they are the best people to talk to. ¡°These are all seniors who were untrained at the beginning but can now act very well. As long as you tr eat them with courtesy, I¡®m sure you will get along.¡± Excitement shed across Ste¡®s eyes. ¡°Thank you, Director!¡± Instead of responding to her, he brought her backstage. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°Director, you came pers onally to check on our progress... of course, everything is ready.¡± One of the slightly older¨C lookingdies stood up and joked, ¡°I heard you ring up just now. What just happened?¡± Instincts told her that it had something to do with Guinevere. Bradley, however, didn¡®t want to dwell on t he topic. ¡°Something unlucky,¡± he replied simply. Everyone knew who he was referring to, but no one said it out loud. The atmosphere became tense with awkwardness. One of the older actresses familiar with the industry was halfway through putting on makeup when she stood up with the goodie bag in hand and said, ¡°Whatever it is, at least she extended a token to all of us! I looked at what was inside, and it seemed rather expensive! And it appears everyone got somethin g different...¡± With that, something came to Bradley¡®s mind. ¡°Give E one too,¡± he instructed his assistant. Ste was confused. ¡°What is it?¡± The assistant exined, ¡°It¡®s Guinevere¡®s wedding gift bag. You must have heard about her, right? She got married a while back, but for some strange reason, she¡®s decided to distribute some gifts today, as i f it¡®s some special date. They look like wedding favors, but we don¡®t really know what it¡®s for exactly....¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. She suddenly realized why Weston said that he might not being back tonight. It was because of Guinevere. ¡°Weren¡®t they already married?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Everyone says so, but who knows what¡®s the truth? After all, for people from such prominent families, marriage is probably a huge affair for them...¡± Another actor couldn¡®t help but add on. at heard that both of them even have a child. They should have been married a long time ago!¡± ¡°Come on, are they ordinary folks like we are? Even if they were, having a child out of wedlock is so co mmon nowadays. There are even many unmarried female celebrities with more than one child.¡± ¡°Why did Guinevere distribute these, then?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Perhaps she is holding some celebration today and she wants to share the joy with the Everyone had their guesses, but no one was sure. Whatever it was, it ultimately was none of their business. They cared about it as much as it provided fodder for their gossip. They didn¡®t even have the guts to spread rumors about Guinevere. After so many years, Guinevere had gained for herself a sizable number of fans. Such insignificant and shy in front of so many strangers?¡± Ste shook her head and smiled, ¡°No, I just feel humbled in the face The entertainment industry had nock of people who disyed such humility. But such humility could never be faulted. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Bradley was very pleased with her attitude, especially inparison to that of Guinevere. He patted her shoulder. ¡°I brought you here to get to know everyone here because I want you to learn from them. Everyone here is of high standards, you¡®ll be abl e to learn a thing or two by following them.¡± Ste nodded. Indeed, as Bradley said, these seniors were not stuck up and began chatting with Ste in no time. ¡°Today, Caspian has scenes scheduled with these seniors. You can watch and observe them from the s idelines. Next up will be your scenes with Caspian. You can learn from how these seniors respond to Caspian.¡± With that, Bradley left to return to his work. Ste sat in a corner and observed the chemistry between t he actors. D She concentrated on observing them and did not notice the assistant rushing to her side, ¡°I forgot about this...¡±. He held a pen in one hand as if he was recording something, as he stuffed a red bag in Ste¡®s hand wi th another, ¡°Here, for you.¡± Before Ste could take a good look in the bag, the assistant had turned around and ran off. She looked down at the bag and realized that it was the gift that Guinevere distributed to the crew. Although she never used to pay much attention to entertainment news, she knew that many celebrities would distribute veryvish gifts whenever they got married. Guinevere¡®s was even more so. Ste opened it and saw an expensive bottle of perfume lying in the bag. She picked it up and looked at it. She felt like she had seen the brand before, but she wasn¡®t familiar with it. She searched it up online and confirmed her guess that it was an expensive brand indeed. Ste smiled. It was a cold, unfeeling smile. That¡®s right. Given how highly Weston regarded Guinevere, he would never shortchange her on this. Typically speaking, such gifts woulde with a note. For example, if it was a wedding favor, it woulde with a picture of a couple. If it was for celebrating the birth of a baby, there would be a picture of the baby on the bag. However, there was no such note or indication on the bag, except for Weston and Guinevere¡®s sign off. There was no clear indication that it was for their wedding, or for any other reason. She thought about it. Weston did m married to Guinevere. Perhaps he wasn¡®t lying about that. Except that it no longer mattered whether they were married or not. Everyone knew that they were together. What¡®s more, now everyone in the crew had received their wedding favor At times, Ste felt like an outsider wandering outside the world. She thought that she would be affected, but her heart simply felt numb. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She couldn¡®t feel anything and was even capable of calmly opening the box and taking out a ss bottle She picked one candy, unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. The sweat, creamy taste spread across her tongue. It tasted unbearably sharine to her, but she kept it in her mouth, her face remaining expressionless. It was only until the taste turned bitter that she finally felt Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 At Ford Mansion, Lawyers from both sides began dering both parties¡® respective financial situations. All documents were duplicated multiple times, so everyone could have their own copy. Everyone in the room took it seriously as they read the documents in their hands, and the atmosphere was tense and quiet. As they read on, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen¡®s brows began furrowing tightly. It was especially so for Mr. Cohen, who suddenly ced one of the files on the table and tapped his fin gers on it. ¡°What¡®s with this? I don¡®t recall that the risk level of this Fern City project was so high.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Weston simply nced over him and said, ¡°Things have changed. This is our most optimistic projection after going through the risk analysis.¡± Mr. Cohen¡®s face darkened. ¡°Why didn¡®t you say this earlier?¡± Bo th families had high hopes for this project, with the Cohen family ready to participate the moment they got married, going as far as to invest a huge portion of their family fortune. This project appeared to be a sure profit which was guaranteed to multiply their worth. When that h appened, they would no longer need to fight with their rtives over who had the final say over the pany. With such earnings, the right to inheritance would naturally fall upon them. Now that the risk level seemed so high, things did not look so rosy after all. ¡°I¡®ve already discussed this matter with the Board of Directors. If they were to find out about this newly¨C assessed risk level, they would never be convinced about going ahead!¡± What¡®s more, the sole reason why they decided to trust Weston Ford was his marriage to Guinevere. Marriage alliances were an effective tactic even in today¡®s corporate world. Thew protected the joint assets and benefits between a wedded couple, a nd it was a solid guarantee for anymercial activity that a couple would be involved in. In the corporate world, nobody believed in emotional ties. Marriage, howe ver, was a different issue altogether. It was legally binding, and therefore a marriage alliance hadm ercial value. Although Guinevere had no clue about suchmercial gains and losses, she knew clearly in her hear t that her family supported her marriage with Weston because of these unspoken benefits. Hence, they chose to turn a blind eye to the grievances they suffered and could only issue weak, verbal warnings to Weston. That was because marrying Weston brought great benefits to the Cohen family. Although she didn¡®t understand how the corporate world worked, she can sense that something was wrong. She couldn¡®t help but speak up, ¡°Dad, Mom, these things probably don¡®t have much to do with whether W The most important thing is our affection for each other, which has finallye to fruition after so many rtionship, right? As long as both of us get along well as a married couple, these benefits are but addit She wasn¡®t sure of that herself. She just knew that she had to exert some level of pressure on her paren ¡°What¡®s the matter? Say something, please!¡± Mr. Cohen opened his mouth, but no words came out. Gui Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 He could not say it out loud because of his pride. All he could do was nce at Mrs. Cohen for a moment. A woman was more suitable to intervene in such matters. Mrs. Cohen understood this. She looked at Guinevere gently and sighed. ¡°Your father and I certainly wish for the best for you. It¡®ll be great if you can stay with Weston happily. Your happiness is more important than anything...!!! Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes were a bit red. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°But...¡± Mrs. Cohen dragged her words. Guinevere¡®s expression changed when she heard that. Mrs. Cohen said, ¡°Marriage is not as simple as dating. This is a big thing. Are you sure you want to marry Weston?¡± ¡°I am!¡± Guinevere answered quickly and firmly. She looked at Weston and repeated, ¡°I am.¡®¡® Weston did not respond. He only looked at her and nced at Mr. and Mrs. Cohen. ¡°It seems that you two still have many considerations.¡± Mrs. Cohen nodded and said solemnly, ¡°This is not a matter of mutual interest... We¡®re more concerned about our daughter¡®s happiness in the future. ¡°After all, marriage is not the same as falling in love. Gwen has given birth to Zack, but we can afford to raise a child. We don¡®t want you to neglect Gwen because of this matter...¡± Wendy had to interject. ¡°I thought we had an agreement! I¡®ll treat Guinevere like my own daughter. She has been living here this whole time. I¡®m sure she can tell, right?¡± Then, she looked at Guinevere. Guinevere nodded hurriedly, ¡°Yes. Dad, Mom, they¡®ve been very nice to me all this while. I¡®m sure they¡®ll treat me like their own daughter when I marry Weston...¡± Her urgency was written all over her face. Mrs. Cohen suddenly softened and nced at Mr. Cohen. She also wanted her daughter to be happy. She might consider taking the risk if these interests could be set aside. However, men¡®s thinking was different from a woman¡®s. Mr. Cohen shook his head firmly. He looked at Guinevere and said sternly, ¡°Are you sure? The Cohen Family is your backbone at all times. If you have any grievances, you can just say so.¡± Wendy did not like hearing what he said. ¡°We¡®ve discussed it and agreed to it. Why are you changing your mind at this point?¡± The two families were the only ones present here. They maintained a peaceful facade at the start of negotiations, but it seemed like they were opening up to reality when it came to this. Mr. Cohen lowered the sses on the bridge of his nose. ¡°Here¡®s the deal...¡± He breathed a sigh and said, ¡°I¡®ll be frank. With our close ties, I¡®m sure there¡®s no need to beat around the bush. Mutual benefit is always the best expression of goodwill. We¡®re not demanding your family¡®s concessions, but on this project...¡± He suddenly pointed to the document in his hand and looked at Weston. ¡°Weston has aplete n in Fern City. We all know that. Many shareholders in ourpany are optimistic about this project. Therefore, I just need a word from you! Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°What if the n goes wrong? Will we be able to get out of this if Gwen marries you?¡± ording to thew, there was a high risk of losing everything if a project failed, especially when it was a jo nt property between a married couple. Otherwise, they might even be trapped, immobilizing all their shares. Mr. Cohen was in the critical period of winning session in the Cohen Company. He would not allow himself to be trapped by such a big mistake like this. Others might use this to downy him. Therefore, he was critically cautious with the matter of his daughter¡®s marriage. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Upon that, Chris¡®s face turned ugly investments are risky. Are you trying to use your daughter¡®s marriage as a bargaining chip? Are you telling Weston to guarantee that you won¡®t lose money? Impossible! ¡°If they get married, it¡®s only natural for both families to face the risks together!¡± Mr. and Mrs. Cohen exchanged a look. They had a mutual understanding of this. If Guinevere and Weston were not married, they could protect themself from the risk as only business partners. But if they got married, they would have to share all the losses. Their maximum benefit from this cooperation would remain unchanged in both scenarios. Therefore, getting a marriage license at this time would do more harm than good. Mr.Cohen fell into a short silence before exining, ¡°We¡®re not just looking at our risks and benefits, but for our daughter¡®s happiness too.¡± Mr. Cohen cleared his throat and put on a stern face. ¡°Let¡®s put those aside for now. I don¡®t think Weston has been very sincere about getting marriedtely, have you?¡± Guinevere¡®s heart jumped, and she suddenly stood up. ¡°Dad, how can you do this? You know how much I want to marry him!¡± She suddenly got a little worked up andined, ¡°Isn¡®t it just some risky investment? Our family can afford the risk!¡± ¡°Shut up! It¡®s not your turn to speak.¡± Mr. Cohen looked at her coldly. ¡°You haven¡®t even married him. Are you taking his side already?¡± Guinevere looked at him with red eyes and incredulity. It seemed that she finally woke up a little after all these years. Profit had always been the most important thing to her parents. As the capable heir of a big family, Mr. Cohen could make his decision quickly. ¡°If Gwen were a little clear¨Cminded, we wouldn¡®t have to think so much. However, it seems like she has all her heart on you. Sometimes, it¡®s hard to see who¡®s,¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Wendy understood what Mr. Cohen was implying. She had to interject again, ¡°What do you want now? We¡®vepleted all the pre¨Cmarriage procedures. We¡®re just waiting for the license. Are you calling it off now?¡± ¡°No, but I think there¡®s still room for discussion.¡± Mr. Cohen coughed lightly and added, ¡± We¡®ll have to wait until the project in Fern City is finalized before further discussion.¡± Annoyed, Guinevere stood up. ¡°Do you know how long that project will take? It¡®ll take at least a year! Do you want me to wait for another year?¡± Mrs. Cohen loved her daughter and felt sorry for her. Mr. Cohen felt a little ufortable about this situation too. However, what else could he do? The stakes were too high. They could not afford to take this risk! ¡°Your Dad¡®s doing this for your own good.¡± Mrs. Cohen tried to persuade her. ¡°You¡®re not much different from being married now. You have Zack too...¡± ¡°It¡®s exactly because of Zack. He¡®s young and doesn¡®t know anything now. What will he think when he grows up and learns that his parents aren¡®t even married?¡± The atmosphere became tense when she brought Zachary up. Mr. Cohen did not agree with getting a marriage license now. He turned to Weston and asked,¡± What do you think? This is your marriage with Gwen. It¡®s actually up to you two.¡± He actually preferred Weston to protect the interests of the Cohen family. They wanted to benefit either way, regardless of the marriage. However, the Ford family would have to bear more risks in this case. He wondered if Weston was willing to make that concession. It was originally a win¨Cwin situation for both parties. Potentially, they even had more room for profit. He knew Weston was not a man who prioritized feelings over the business. He only cared about the benefits. Even Chris could not bend his mind. Despite that, Mr. Cohen hoped that Weston would give them a guarantee for Guinevere¡®s sake. At that moment, all eyes were on Weston. There was a subtle change in his expression, but there was no hint of urgency. He rested his hand on the marble table and tapped his finger casually. A metallic shine reflected on his watch as everyone looked at him with expectant eyes. Atst, he only said indifferently, ¡°Well, it¡®s up to you.¡± Guinevere could barely hold back her frustrations. She clenched her fists and questioned,¡± This is between the two of us. Why should anyone else decide?¡± ¡°Hasn¡®t it always been our parent¡®s decision?¡± Weston asked back, ¡°If it were just between us, what are all thewyers here for today?¡± Guinevere¡®s face turned red at his question. She was lost for words. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Guinevere never knew Weston could be so irritating at times. ¡°Do you want to marry me or not?¡± She was a proud woman, but she had been enduring so many grievances for so long. It was inevitable for her to be emotional at the sudden changes. Weston nced at her coolly. ¡°I¡®m not the one who can decide now...¡± He reminded her and turned to Mr. Cohen. ¡°Mr. Cohen is the one deciding now.¡± He easily directed the question at Guinevere¡®s parents, who were sitting across the room. Guinevere took a deep breath and looked at her parents across the room. ¡°Dad, Mom. I believe in Weston. His project in Fern City will surely be profitable. Our marriage won¡®t affect anything ¡± ¡°Silly child! You don¡®t understand what¡®s at stake!¡± Mr. Cohen scolded her in a low voice. He pointed to the papers on the table. ¡°Do you even know what these terms mean? If anything goes wrong, it will hurt our family!¡± ¡°In the end, it¡®s all about profit!¡± Guinevere finally understood andughed sarcastically.¡± Money! It¡®s all about money! ¡°We¡®re so rich! Why should we care about such a small profit like this? The project is big¨Cso what? Can¡®t I give you all my sry for a year?¡± Mr. Cohen knew things were bad as he saw how crazy Guinevere was about Weston. ¡°What are you talking about? How could we take your money?¡± Mrs. Cohen rushed to pull her. ¡°Sit down. Let¡®s talk it over and not be rash! We¡®re a family¡­¡± Wendy did not foresee such a big change and gave Weston a meaningful look. Weston was her son. Logically, she should know him best. However, even she was a little confused at this moment. Chris was the most emotional aside from Guinevere. His face turned dark. He urged sternly, ¡°Anyway, the two children love each other! Let¡®s put business aside and let them get their marriage license to settle down first! ¡°As their parents, why do we want to dy their happiness for this mere interest?¡± Hearing that, Mr. Cohen sneered. ¡°Well, of course you think it¡®s good because we¡¯ll have to share your risk as soon as they get married!¡± That was why Chris was so eager for Weston to get married to Guinevere. Did he take the Cohen family as fools? Mr. Cohen had many years of experience in the business. He was not easily fooled. Chris was embarrassed to be called out. That was one of the reasons, but it was not the main reason. It was mainly because... He nced at Wendy with guilty eyes and quickly withdrew his gaze. Anyway, this was a ticking time bomb. He must see Guinevere and Weston get married and settle down before he could breathe a sigh of relief. At this point of conversation, there was no room for further dys. Chris threw the document in his hand on the table. ¡°Tell me. What do you want?? This was what Mr. Cohen was waiting for. He fell silent for a moment before stating, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect this project to be so risky beforehand. Anyway, our families are in a good rtionship. We don¡®t want you to suffer too much either... ¡°Gwen can marry Weston at the end of the projectpletion. What do you think?¡± When he said that, it was clear that he had made up his mind. Guinevere slumped back in her seat with tears welling up in her eyes. Her opinion did not matter to them at all. She wanted to get married so badly, but her father¡®s light¨Chearted words denied her so easily.. It would be at least a year before the project would bepleted. A year seemed short. It was merely more than three hundred days. However, it would be a whole year of torment for her. There was a time when she was separated from Weston for just a short time, yet he married Ste during her absence. She did not know what else could happen to their rtionship if the marriage continued to drag on like this. She had driven away a beautiful woman like Belle. What about in the future? Guinevere felt like heaven and hell were merely separated by a thin line. Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Mrs. Cohen could not bear seeing Guinevere¡®s sadness, but she just could not understand.¡° Gwen, don¡®t be so sad. It¡®s for your own good! Weston doesn¡®t want you to share his risk as soon as you marry him. After all, doing business is like going on the battlefield. The market changes very quickly. You might be wealthy, but you shouldn¡®t act on a whim!¡± Guinevere knew her mother was trying to comfort her. However, she just could not stand listening to her anymore. She turned to the side, unwilling to listen to her mother. Seeing that, Mrs. Cohen sighed. Mr. Cohen could not ept the way his daughter acted. He berated her coldly, ¡°Just look at you! It¡®s just a marriage license. If you can¡®t get over it, ask Weston to hold a wedding ceremony for you. You both have a child already. Do you really need that license now?¡± Guinevere remained silent, but tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She was already emotionally unstable. She never imagined that her parents would be the biggest obstacle that stopped her from marrying Weston! Their reasons were for nothing else other than profit. Her parents knew how much she wanted to marry him, but she was less important than the benefit. To them, the business risk was too great for them. However, what she did not know was that her annual sry was just a drop in the bucketpared to the project¡®s revenue. That was why her parents were so concerned. Guinevere suddenly stood up and ran into her room without looking back. ¡°Gwen!¡± Mrs. Cohen shouted after her, but Guinevere simply ignored it. She closed the door with a bang. There was a dead silence. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Thewyers did not say anything. Even those who were turning the pages of the document stopped moving Mr. Cohen remained silent with a heavy face. Indeed, he suddenly backtracked on their agreement because he refused to take the risk. Even so, he had to make it sound fair. He spoke mercilessly in order not to embarrass himself. ¡°Let¡®s put the matter about marriage license aside first. If you are really sincere, we can start with preparing the wedding,¡± Weston interrupted him politely and made himself clear. ¡°I¡®ll be staying in Fern City for a year. I won¡®t have time to n for a wedding.¡± Mr. Cohen believed him on this. Weston¡®s project in Fern City was truly exciting. Everyone who had their sources had their eyes on it. He knew it was too risky for him to take the plunge, but he did not want to give up this huge piece of pie easily. Therefore, he wanted Weston to find a way for them. Despite that, he did not want to be completely tied to them. In this way, they would be left unscathed by the project if anything went wrong. Chris understood their intention and greed, but he refused to say anything. Everything was about benefits. It was pointless to waste his time persuading them further. Chris stood up in silence. He sneered coldly and turned to leave. Wendy followed after him and left the living room without saying anything. What started out as a good meeting ended in a bad disagreement. Atst, only Weston remained seated with Mr. and Mrs. Cohen across the room. ¡°Anyway, we still have to conclude this. What¡®s your final decision?¡± Mr. and Mrs. Cohen exchanged a look. ¡°We wanted you to marry Gwen as soon as possible, but now, it seems more important to move forward with the Fern City project...¡± Mr. Cohen hesitated with a short pause and added, ¡°After all, Guinevere is my only daughter. I hope you can move forward with the project and speed up the progress.¡± He urged, ¡°Once the project is done, marry Gwen as soon as possible.¡± Weston only smiled but did not answer right away. Mr. Cohen frowned. It was puzzling to see the sudden smile on Weston¡®s face. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± ¡°It¡®s nothing.¡± Weston stood up. His expression remained aloof but intimidating. He was only a young man, but he was prominent even among the group of old foxes in business. ¡°Since you¡®ve made the decision, then there¡®s nothing else to say.¡± He pushed the papers in his hand forward. ¡°You can bring these documents back first.¡± Mr. Cohen took the documents and rubbed his temple. He suddenly looked at Weston and said, ¡°The negotiation about business interests is inevitable. However, I really cherish my only daughter. I hope you¡®ll treat her better...¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Weston replied indifferently. Mr. Cohen choked and suddenly fell speechless. He got up and walked over to Weston to pat him on his shoulder. ¡°Anyway, I don¡®t mind if you call me Dad...¡± ¡°There¡®s no hurry. After all, there¡®s still a year to go.¡° Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Weston said to him, ¡°Everything is about a matter of order and appropriateness. Don¡®t you agree?¡± Mr. Cohen pondered for a while and agreed with him. ¡°I hope you can show the same confidence on the Fern City project.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Mr. Cohen breathed a sigh of relief. He was slightly more confident upon Weston¡®s affirmation. The big project in Fern City was his utmost priority now. He had been keeping an eye on it. Weston was in charge of the project, which meant the sess of the project was likely guaranteed. The Cohen family was just a business partner, but they would make a lot of money if the project seeded with a good response. By then, he would basically have a say regarding the Cohen family¡®s heir. This was very important to him, so his attitude toward Weston changed a lot. ¡°Gwen will probably hold a grudge against us for today¡®s matter¡­ She has always listened to you. I hope you can help put in a few words for us and help her understand our reasons.¡± ¡°This is within my responsibility.¡± Weston never objected, not even once. However, everything yed out as he wished. Mrs. Cohen had mixed feelings. She knew men were only interested in business, but she had a feeling that... Weston¡®s rtionship with Guinevere was different from their imagination. Weston politely escorted Guinevere¡®s parents out of the house and into the car. After they got into the car, Mrs. Cohen took a deep breath and spoke to Mr. Cohen. ¡°¡®I feel like it¡®s all part of his n... Does he really want to marry Gwen?¡± ¡°Of course he does. Didn¡®t you see how Chris reacted when we said we weren¡®t going to let Gwen get the marriage license?¡± Mr. Cohenughed and said with some glee, ¡°I knew they wanted us to share the risk with them. This wouldn¡®t do us any good! Anyway, we have to look at the benefits first before agreeing to them. Understand?¡± Mrs. Cohen could notprehend his reasons. She was just a little worried about Guinevere.¡± I wonder how Gwen is doing now,¡± ¡°She¡®s already living in Ford Mansion. What else does she want? Anyway, it¡®s just a marriage license. She¡®ll get it in a year!¡± Mr. Cohen cut his wife off impatiently, ¡°Don¡®t talk about this anymore. Gwen will figure it out herself eventually.¡± Mrs. Cohen could only sigh. At the same time, in Guinevere¡¯s room. Guinevere closed the door as soon as she returned to her room. She leaned against the wall with her eyes closed. After a long time, she suddenly opened her eyes... revealing her scarily bloodshot orbs. She could barely stay in control and smashed everything to the floor! Sounds of heavy objects hitting the ground came from inside the room, making a series of loud noises. Meanwhile, outside her room. The maids looked at each other. No one dared to go in, but they were afraid that Guinevere might hurt herself. They did not know what to do. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± A tall figure walked over. The people in the corridor scattered and looked at the handsome man with a cold face. ¡°Mr. Ford. Ms. Cohen is inside...¡± ¡°You may go down first.¡± Weston raised his hand and gestured to them to leave. He saw their troubled faces and said, ¡°I¡®ll handle it.¡± ¡°Alright, sir.¡± Guinevere heard the sound outside and knew Weston was there. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sob. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Gwen, open up.¡± The man¡®s mellow and low voice rang from outside. He sounded calm. Guinevere clenched her fists. She did not hear any hint of guilt or love in his voice. She said throatily, ¡°Leave me alone...¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Weston did not insist. He turned and was about to leave. She opened the door in the next second. Guinevere could not stand the thought of him leaving and rushed out. She hugged his waist tightly and pleaded, ¡°Don¡®t go... Weston, I just wanted you to coax me...¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 The moment she rushed out of her room, Guinevere knew she had lost. She waspletely defeated. She held Weston in her arms. The two of them were alone in the hallway as Guinevere burst into tears, ¡°Why can¡®t you say something and make me feel better? Why...¡± Weston remained silent and let her cry. He waited until she was done crying and had calmed down. Then, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Have you calmed down? Can we talk now?¡± Guinevere exhaled as a sad smile surfaced on her face. Weston was always like that. He was always so calm with her. His little indulgence and understanding for her were always based on logical reasons. ¡°Do you not want to marry me at all?¡± Guinevere suddenly asked. Weston pulled her hand away and turned to look at her. He saw her bloodshot eyes but said nothing Guinevere continued asking, ¡°I¡®ve been with you for years. I¡®m always chasing after you. Weston, don¡®t you feel anything for me at all?¡°. ¡°I didn¡®t ask for it,¡± Weston replied tly. Guinevere found it ironic. ¡°Yeah... You never wanted any of these. I¡®ve been asking for it...¡± Weston frowned. Guinevere suddenly squatted down in front of him. She hugged her knees and said, ¡°I¡®ve been running after you throughout middle school, high school, and university. You¡®ve never responded to me. ¡°Today, I thought we¡®d get married. I thought we¡®d always be together. I thought Ste, or whoever else, would only be a brief hindrance between us. I thought we¡®d be together forever and ever...¡± She kept going on and on. It was the first time she shared all her insecurities in Weston¡®s presence. ¡°What happened to us? Why did wee to this...¡± ¡°You have to ask yourself that question,¡± Weston said, looking as cold as ever. He lowered his gaze at the woman in front of him and pulled her up from the floor. ¡°Gwen, your parents stopped the marriage. What else do you want me to do?¡± Guinevere stared at the man in front of her for a moment. He was like a mist and the moon on a distant mountain. She stared at him from far away and yearned for him. However, she just could not have him. When she reached out to him, he was just like a mystery. She would never understand what was going on in his mind. ¡°Would you have married me if my parents hadn¡®t stopped us today?¡± she mumbled, asking a question that she found pathetic. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Weston did not answer. After a brief silence, he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± He easily turned the question back to her. Guinevere fell into a long silence. Atst, she clenched her fist and said, ¡°The project in Fern City is for a year, right?¡± She wiped away her tears and smiled at Weston. ¡°I¡®ll cooperate with the doctor this year. Let¡®s have a big wedding when I recover, okay?¡± She clutched his hand and would not let go. ¡°When I can finally get along with Zack, we¡¯ll stay together as a happy family. Okay?¡± Guinevere had a rare blood type. She could only bear one child in her life. Zachary was her only child. This was already set in stone; nothing could change this fact. She understood this well. No matter how much she hated Zachary¡®s existence, she still needed to use him to maintain the rtionship. She had to be with Weston. It was all she had wanted for years. Meanwhile, in the living room, Chris had left because of the disagreement earlier. He had been looking forward to this day, but it crumbled. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chris was probably the only one who really wanted to see Guinevere and Weston get married, apart from Guinevere herself. However, he did not expect such a change. Wendy was the only one left in the living room. She asked someone to bring her a cup of tea and slowly enjoyed it. When she heard the sounds of footstepsing from the stairs, she nced up at the two people who were walking downstairs. ¡°Have you figured things out?¡± Her words were clearly directed at Guinevere. Guinevere was still feeling down, but she was not as rash as before. She sat down opposite Wendy quietly and said, ¡°I¡®ve figured things out. It¡¯s only a year. I can wait.¡± Wendy did not think she would be so willing to bear the humiliation for the greater good. She said with a smile, ¡°You really love Weston so much. As his mother, I¡®m happy to see this.¡± Guinevere¡®s mouth twitched. What Wendy said did not cheer her up at all. Thewyers had already left. Guinevere stared at the documents that were meant for the marriage. She browsed them back and forth and felt bitter at heart. She could have been Mrs. Ford after today. ¡°I¡®m d you¡®vee to terms with it.¡± Wendy always treated her coldly when nobody else was around. At the same time, the sound of a baby crying suddenly came from the children¡®s room upstairs. Wendy stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Zack.¡± Then, she left. Guinevere did not react when Wendy mentioned Zachary. She had mixed feelings about this child. Sometimes, she would rather not have had him. However, she would not be living in Ford Mansion without him. ¡°Weston...¡± Guinevere suddenly put down the file in her hand and looked at the man beside her. ¡°If you go to Fern City, will you spend less and less time in Ahn City?¡± Weston answered with a hum but did not look at her. Instead, he turned a page of the book in his hand. He seemed to be unbothered from the incident earlier. The marriage did not seem to matter to him at all. He even had the mood to read a book. Guinevere knew he had always acted like this, but she still felt ufortable looking at it. ¡°Are we going to see each other less often?¡± she asked. Weston closed the book and put it on the table. He rubbed his brow and said, ¡°I¡®lle back to see you when I¡®m free.¡± Guinevere was relieved to hear that. After a while, she spoke again. ¡°By the way, my filming work will be starting soon. It seems to be very close to Fern City. Can I visit you often?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Why?¡± Weston asked her indifferently. Guinevere was startled at first. Then, she smiled. ¡°Well... I can meet you at thepany. If you have time, can we go on a date together?¡± Weston chuckled. ¡°What do you think I¡®m going to Fern City for?¡± Guinevere instantly curbed her emotions. ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡®t like to mix my personal life with work. You should know that.¡± ¡°I know... ¡± Weston stood up. Seeing that, Guinevere panicked a little. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Weston looked at the time and said, ¡°To my study. I have a teleconference.¡± Guinevere finally sat down again. She found herself bing more and more anxious. She was always fearful that Weston might leave her. She had never felt this way before. She had never felt so restless even when Ste was still alive. When Weston was forced to choose between Ste and her, Weston chose her. Even so, why did she feel the pain of being abandoned? Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Half an hour had passed. Weston was supposed to be in his study, but he suddenly appeared at the stairs. Guinevere saw him stride down with a suit jacket in his hand. ¡°Weston...¡± It was rare to see Weston walk like he was in a hurry. His face remained stoic, but there was a faint glimpse of change in emotions in his deep eyes. Guinevere did not know what was wrong and subconsciously stopped him. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Weston did not even look at her. ¡°I have something to take care of. Get out of the way.¡± After going through such a shock, Guinevere just could not let him leave. She grabbed his arm tightly and asked, ¡°Can you take me with you?¡± ¡°You¡®re emotionally unstable now. You shouldn¡®t leave home.¡± ¡°I haven¡®t had an attack in a long time now!¡± Guinevere cut him off, ¡°Besides, I¡®ve been able to go back to work on the film. I¡®m emotionally stable now. Where are you going? Are you in some kind of trouble? Take me with you! I can help!¡± Weston took her hand and pushed her away. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± He bade goodbye and turned to leave. Guinevere looked at her empty hand and the way the man left without hesitation. Her face immediately turned menacingly cold. The sound of a car driving away came. Wendy was the only one upstairs. She teased with a smile, ¡°If you don¡®t want to be away from him, why don¡®t I have the driver take you there? You can follow Weston and see what he¡®s doing.¡± Wendy took Zachary in her arms and slowly walked over to Guinevere. Guinevere was about to say something. However, her face changed when she saw the baby in her arms. ¡°What are you doing down here with him?¡± she questioned. Most of the people in the house prevented her from meeting Zachary. They feared that she would lose control. Guinevere did not expect Wendy to carry Zachary out like that. Wendy replied hesitantly, ¡°He¡®s your child. Why can¡®t I bring him down to you?¡± ¡°You know I¡®m emotionally unstable now. I may hurt him...¡± Wendy sighed and said regretfully, ¡°That was an ident. Besides, he¡®s your son. Even if you are emotionally unstable, you won¡®t hurt him.¡± Guinevere turned her back quickly and refused to look at Zachary¡®s face. The baby¡®s face bore a striking resemnce to the man in the Ford family. He was just a child, but his features were vaguely visible. She could not imagine what it would be like when he grew up and resembled Chris more... ¡°You better take him away,¡± Guinevere said with a trembling voice. Wendy shook her head. ¡°Okay.¡± She said to Zachary in her arms, ¡°Your mommy doesn¡®t like you at all. I will take you for a walk, okay?¡± With that, she took Zachary in her arms and walked to the garden. Guinevere waited until Wendy was completely gone and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She fell into her seat. Meanwhile, in Weston¡®s car. Weston called Ben directly and asked, ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± Earlier, he received a call from Ben in his study. Ben said Ste had been identally injured on the set. She fell from a tform that was several meters high and was taken to the hospital. Ben was one of his most trusted assistants. He knew everything about Ste and kept his work a secret without letting others know. ¡°Mr. Ford. Ms. Sealey is in the hospital ¡ª ¡± Weston rubbed his temple and corrected him. ¡°There¡®s no Ms. Sealey anymore.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Ben was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly corrected himself. ¡°Ms. Steele is in the hospital now. We¡®re still waiting for the doctor toe out before we can understand the situation now.¡± ¡°How did she get hurt?¡± ¡°She wasn¡®t scheduled to be on set today, but the other actors had a fight scene. Ms. Steele wanted to practice in advance. Maybe the props team was negligent. Perhaps Ms. Steele fell off the stage because of a mistake andck of experience. ¡°However, please rest assured. We found no major problem after a rough check was carried. out on the scene.¡± Once he got the answer, he told the ¡°Which hosp tal?¡± Weston did not want driver to drive to the hospital. At the same time, Roger was informed of Ste¡®s injury and hospitalization. After all, he was the only family she had. Bradley was a little surprised when he searched through her phone. He could not find her parents¡® contact. He looked around and only found her younger brother¡®s number. Not only that, but her younger brother was still studying at a university. He did not know much about Ste and thought she was just an ordinary dance teacher. He gave her the opportunity to try acting because she looked good and had a lot of potential. He did not expect to learn that her parents were gone. Bradley felt bad. He was partially responsible for her ident today. Ste was a new actress, and she waspletely inexperienced. He should have warned her of the high difficulty ahead and should not have let her practice with no safety protection. ¡°Sis... Sis!¡± An urgent and worried shout drew his attention. Bradley saw a skinny teenager running in the hallway. He wore a white sweatshirt and looked tall. He had good looks and stood out in the crowd too. Ste and Roger were both good looking people. The boy came running along the hallway. His anxious look did not affect his handsomeness. Many nurses who passed by were stealing nces at him. Bradley could tell that this was Ste¡®s younger brother almost instantly. ¡°Robb?¡± ¡°How is my sister?¡± Roger ran to him. Bradley walked to him and asked, ¡°Robb?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡®s me!¡± He hitched a breath with his chest heaving violently. ¡°What happened to my sister?¡± His eyes were red. ¡°How is she? Where is she now?!¡± Bradley squeezed his shoulder and urged, ¡°Calm down. Your sister is fine... I think you¡®re the only family she has, so I informed you.¡± What do you mean by she¡®s fine? Didn¡®t she fall off a tform that was a few meters high?¡± Roger interrupted bim. He only wanted to know if Ste was okay. ¡°She¡®s fine,¡± Bradley exined to him with patience. Bradley was a mature man in his thirties. The panicking teenager in front of him looked like he had just be an adult, so he had to calm him down. ¡°She¡®s still getting stitches inside. Don¡®t worry. TheProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. wound isn¡®t deep, so she¡®ll be fine after a good recovery. It¡®s nothing major. She fainted because she hit her head¡ª¡± ¡°She hit her head, yet you said it¡®s nothing major?¡± Roger was relieved to hear Bradley¡®s exnation at first, but he frowned at thetter half of it. He said with a serious face, ¡°Tell me the truth! How is she doing now?¡± Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Bradley felt a little helpless seeing that Robb was so anxious that he was about to cry. ¡°I said she¡®s fine; that means she¡®s fine. If you don¡®t believe me, would you believe a doctor? I¡®ll have the doctor tell you himselfter.¡± Roger pressed his lips tightly, still unconvinced. He looked at Bradley with some doubt. A short momentter, the doctor finally came out. Roger rushed to the doctor. ¡°Doctor, I¡®m the patient¡®s brother. How¡®s the patient named Ste?¡± The doctor, who was taking off his gloves, paused at the name. ¡°There is no patient named Ste.¡± Roger was stunned for a moment before he quickly corrected himself. ¡°Sorry, I said wrongly. It¡®s E Steele¡­¡± ¡°E Steele. Yeah. She¡®s still unconscious mainly because of her recent overwhelming worries and the impact on her head. She didn¡®t suffer any other serious trauma. She has a small wound on her inner calf, which we¡®ve stitched up. It¡®s nothing serious. If she takes care of it, there won¡®t be any scar. She¡®ll heal if...¡± : Roger breathed a sigh of relief upon listening to the doctor¡®s advice. Bradley looked at him in amusement. ¡°You must be very close with your sister. You were so panicked and even called her name wrongly. Why did you say her name wrong?¡± He identally referred to E as Ste. It was clear that he panicked too much. Roger¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. He did not say anything and fell into a short silence. After that, he finally remembered to ask Bradley, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡®m the director of the film.¡± Bradley held out his hand to him. ¡°I¡®m partly responsible for what happened to your sister. Don¡®t worry. I¡®ll pay for her medical fees.¡± In Ste¡®s ward. The nurse came out and saw the two men standing at the door. They were both good¨Clooking and had been guarding in front of the ward. They attracted much attention in the hallway. ¡°Are you both family members of the patient?¡± ¡°I am!¡± Roger rushed forward. ¡°I am! How is she? Is she awake? Can I go in and see her now?¡± The nurse said, ¡°Calm down. She¡®s heavily sedated. She¡®ll probably wake upter. If she hasn¡®t eaten anything, you can get some light food for her.¡± Roger nodded. ¡°I¡®ll go get some right away. Can I go in now?¡±. He could not rest until he saw for himself and confirmed that Ste was all right. Bradley patted his shoulder. ¡°Calm down. You¡®ll be able to see her soon.¡± ¡°You¡®re the patient¡®s...¡± The nurse got a little curious. She could tell that the handsome young boy must be the patient¡®s younger brother. However, the man next to him... ¨C ¡°Are you the patient¡®s husband?¡± ¡°No. She works for me.¡± Bradley gave her a look. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Then, the nurse suddenly recognized him. ¡°You¡®re Bradley!¡± She was very surprised. ¡°You¡®re the young director! I¡®ve seen your films.¡± She suddenly got excited and squealed. Bradley hushed her at once. ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± The nurse quickly blinked and nodded. ¡°I know. I won¡®t say anything!¡± Her heart was pounding in excitement as she chirped, ¡°Can I take a picture with you? Can I have your autograph?¡± Bradley had no choice but to deal with her patiently. Roger ignored the two and went straight into the ward. When he saw Ste lying on the hospital bed and looking pale, he felt a pang of pain. He knew she could not hear him, but he called out softly, ¡°Sis¡­¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Roger sat down next to the hospital bed and took Ste¡®s hand. ¡°Sis.¡± No one knew how frightened he was when he received the call and heard that Ste had fallen from a tform several meters above the ground while filming a movie. She was the only family he had left. He did not want anything to happen to her. After their parents passed away, the two of them became dependent on each other. Ste would not have had such a hard time if it was not for his disease. She used to be such a cheerful and good girl, and she always wore a smile on her face. She was so proud and beautiful, cherished like the princes in their family. However, she suffered so much because of him. Ste would not have married Weston so easily if it were not for his medical bills. She would not have had to suffer so much and be abandoned by Weston. Roger almost lost Ste. Since then, the fear of losing her lingered. It would never go away. The incident when Ste fell from the building traumatized him. He feared that Ste would leave him one day. She was the only one he cared about in the world. Bradley finally fulfilled the nurse¡®s requests, after which she left. When he came in, he saw tears welling up in Roger¡®s red eyes. He shook his head and teased, ¡°How old are you? Why are you crying in front of your sister?¡± Bradley felt curious about it. He was an only child and did not understand such a strong bond between siblings. Roger quickly held back the tears when Bradly came in. He said without looking at him,¡° Thank you for sending my sister to the hospital.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Bradley said. Then, he suddenly asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± Roger replied, ¡°I¡®m neen years old.¡± ¡°You¡®re pretty young.¡± Bradley stared at Roger a little longer and said, ¡°Did anyone say you looked like your sister?¡± Roger ignored him. ¡®He¡®s quite introverted,¡® Bradley thought to himself quietly. His introverted personality was unfit for the entertainment industry, but his face was very good¨Clooking for films. Bradley stared at him so much that.Roger felt ufortable. ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡± asked Roger. ¡°No.¡± Bradley said with admiration, ¡°There isn¡®t anyone like you in the entertainment industry nowadays. It¡®s rare to see someone with your temperament.¡± Roger frowned and looked at him warily. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Bradley smiled and shook his head. ¡°It¡®s nothing. Are you still studying?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Are you verifying my identity?¡± Roger was very wary. ¡°I¡®m just having a casual conversation.¡± Bradley¡®s tone remained unchanged. ¡°Your sister is acting in my movie. Are you afraid that I¡®d hurt you?¡± * Roger pondered about it. Indeed, Ste was working for Bradley now, so he should not offend him. What if Bradley was an intolerant man? He might give Ste a hard time because of his Prudeness. Thinking of that, Roger softened and said, ¡°Thank you for sending my sister to the hospital.¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®m responsible for this too.¡± Bradley rubbed his brow. Looking at the innocent young man, he became a little more sincere and asked, ¡°What year are you in now?¡± Roger was a little annoyed and unwilling to talk too much. However, he patiently spoke to him about somemon topics. During the conversation, his eyes remained fixed on Ste and never looked away. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Bradley was a little touched by Roger¡®s sincere concern for Ste. He had produced many movies, mostly about love. Love was powerful. Many people in the world just could not escape the greatness of love. Love had always been an unchanging topic from ancient times, which proved the human¡®s endless pursuit of love. Today, Bradley felt the charm of family love. The love between family members bound by blood included sincere affection and deep love from the heart. It was no less than romantic love. This inspired him. Perhaps, he could explore the theme of family love in his next movie production. ¡°I¡®ll go pay the bill. You can stay here with your sister. Call me when she wakes up.¡± With that, he took his phone and exchanged contact information with Roger. Bradley was hesitant to give Roger his phone number. After all, he was a public figure. Many people, including the nurse, recognized him in public ces such as a hospital. However, Bradley put that doubt to rest after thinking about Roger¡®s behavior earlier. After Bradley left, Roger finally breathed a sigh of relief. He held Ste¡®s hand and looked at her. He was relieved to feel her warmth gradually rise.. Roger did nothing but sit next to her bed as he waited for her to wake up. Bradley was about to return to Ste¡®s ward after he had paid for the medical expenses. Then, he saw a familiar face in the hospital. ¡°Mr. Ford?¡± Bradley saw the elegant and handsome man in the ck trench coat. He seemed to look a little anxious. Bradley took the initiative to greet him. ¡°What a coincidence. Are you visiting a friend in the hospital?¡± Bradley walked to him and looked around. There was no one else around Weston. Did Westone to the hospital alone? ¡°Mr. Ford, are you unwell?¡± . Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Weston frowned and gave Bradley a look. Ben had informed him in the call earlier that Bradley had sent Ste to the hospital. He rubbed his temple and uttered with an unreadable expression, ¡°Hi, Mr. Lane. Why are you in the hospital?¡± Bradley did not notice the strange tone in his voice. He answered openly, ¡°An actress in my production set got injured during an action scene practice. I took her here and informed her family...¡± Then, he paused a little and looked at Weston, ¡°By the way, Mr. Ford, you might remember her. You just met her the other day.¡± Weston asked indifferently. It was as if he could not recall it at all. Bradley said with a smile, ¡°Maybe you were busy and forgot. You watched her ad¨Clib acting when you came over that day, but you weren¡®t very impressed with her.¡± Weston arched his brow. ¡°I wasn¡®t impressed? Why are you using her, then? There seems to be something about her that you appreciate.¡± Weston¡®sment made Bradley think a little. He wondered if Weston meant what he said or implied something else. Experienced businessmen might mean more than what they said. Bradley could not be as straightforward with him as he was with Roger. He smiled and exined his reasons to Weston. ¡°E is still an inexperienced actress with no basics, but she fits the role very well. I¡®ve carefully considered your opinion that day, but I thought about giving her a chance because she might surprise me.¡° Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 ¡°Also, she¡®s quite hard working and honest. She doesn¡®t seem like someone who would take shortcuts.¡± Bradley¡®sment appeared like aplement to Ste. In fact, he was telling Weston that his choice was based on the consideration of the movie, not because of any connection or shady rtionships. Ultimately, Weston was still an investor in his movie. Guinevere was the only female lead of the film and joined capital into the production group. She was also Weston¡®s fianc¨¦e. For Bradley, it was an art to talk to the investors. Besides, Ste was pure and clean without any ulterior motive. He must not let Weston misunderstand their rtionship. Otherwise, Ste might not be able to act in any film in the future. Ste did note from a professional background. If she left such an impression on the investors, she might not be able to secure any acting roles in the future. People like Bradley were very experienced in the entertainment industry. He was entric and unlike most, but he had long been a man of the world. He did not want to use those techniques if possible, but he would do so when necessary. It was clear that Bradley was defending Ste. Weston¡®s expression changed a little when he heard that, but his face remained unreadable. He questioned, ¡°If you think so highly of this new actress, why did you let her get injured?¡± Bradley was a little surprised. He did not expect Weston to pursue this matter. He gave it a thought. Perhaps Weston was hammering away at him about the production set¡®s safety. After all, Guinevere was about to start shooting soon. He reassured Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, please rest assured. We¡®ll strengthen our safety measures. I promise this situation will not ur again, especially when Ms. Cohenes into the set.¡±. Weston looked at him and said nothing. Then, he turned to leave. Bradley watched him leave and was puzzled for a moment. He could not figure out what was going on in Weston¡®s mind, so he shook his head and returned to the ward. Meanwhile, in the ward, Ste woke up at some point of time. When she opened her eyes, she saw Roger sitting next to her. Ste was surprised. ¡°Roger, why are you here?¡± Roger immediately looked up to her when he heard her voice. ¡°Sis?¡± Roger came from the university in a rush. He did not sleep wellst night and had a test in ss. When he had just finished the paper, he received a call from Ste¡®s workce. He was already very exhausted before rushing over. His under¨Ceyes were dark blue, and his eyes were red and tired. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I got a call from your director, so I rushed over from school... Sis, are you all right?¡± Roger sat up straight and rang the nurse¡®s bell at the bedside, ¡°I¡®ll call the doctor over.¡± Ste coughed twice and closed her eyes. It took a few moments before her thoughts returned. She rubbed her brow and muttered, ¡°I think I fell while hanging in midair...¡± ¡°Bradley said you hit your head, but it¡®s nothing serious.¡± Roger fidgeted a little and suddenly frowned. ¡°Why don¡®t we check again? I¡®m still worried.¡± Bradley happened to follow the doctor through the door as Roger said that. ¡°The doctor has checked. What¡®s there to worry about?¡± Bradley said, ¡°I¡¯ve paid the bills.¡± Then, he turned to Ste, ¡°Do you still feel unwell, or are you in any pain?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡®m fine. Thanks, Mr. Lane...¡± As the doctor performed a series of tests on Ste, Bradley nced at Roger. He told him,¡± Don¡®t be so worried. If your sister has any after¨Ceffects,e to me. ¡°I promise you that the safety measures are always in ce. Your sister is safe in our hands. We aren¡®t the kind of crew who mistreats ¡° Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Bradley rarely had the patiam.¡± ence to exin so much to a person. Roger did not make anyment. He nodded his head and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Roger was no longer as worked up as before. When he just came, he wanted to demand an exnation from Bradley. After he calmed down, he knew it was best to get along with the crew to make Ste¡®s life easier. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my sister on the set...¡± Bradley was surprised by Roger¡®s sudden change of tone. It seemed like he suddenly understood how to be grateful. Upon realizing that, Bradleyughed. ¡°You¡®re a lot like your sister,¡± Bradleymented. The siblings were not worldly at all, but they were very adaptable. It was rare to see people like them. They had hearts of gold and still knew how to adapt to survive. After the examination, the doctor said, ¡°There is a slight concussion, but the rest isn¡®t a big problem.¡± Roger was so relieved to hear that. ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± Soon, it was afternoon. Bradley uttered, ¡°Both of you must be hungry. I¡®ll go and get some food for you.¡± Ste sat up quickly. ¡°How can I trouble you?¡± She coughed twice more, still feeling a little dizzy. Roger helped her up and put a pillow on her back. Then, he poured her a ss of water. Bradley was touched to see Roger busy helping Ste. He praised, ¡°Your younger brother is quite understanding.¡± He had seen quite a few women who worked hard to help their younger brothers. There were also many siblings who supported each other. This kind of affection was quite precious. Ste smiled. ¡°He¡®s a very mature child. He¡®s good at studying too.¡± Ste¡®s eyes were full of pride when she talked about Roger. She did not shy away despite Roger¡®s presence. ¡°He¡®s been a smart kid since he was young. He¡®s had a lot of schrships and was awarded the top student award a while back. He¡®s always gotten the first ce¡± ¡°Sis.¡± Roger interrupted her embarrassedly, ¡°Stop it.¡± Seeing Roger¡®s embarrassment, Bradleyughed out loud. ¡°You¡®re a grown up now. Why are you so shy from your sister¡®s praises?¡± Roger remained silent. His mouth was set in a line as he poured a ss of water for Bradley as well. Bradley had taken a liking to him. Roger suddenly said very seriously, ¡°My sister is really impressive.¡± He looked into Bradley¡®s eyes and said word by word, ¡°My sister was a bright student. She graduated from Ahn City University as an outstanding graduate. She studied dance and piano before university. She has also won international awards for both dance and piano. However, she didn¡®t develop further in this area since then.¡± Bradley was surprised. ¡°You¡®ve won awards?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Many children today came from good families. It was normal for them to acquire many skills, but only a few could win awards. ¡°Yes!¡± Roger was very proud of her too. ¡°My sister won the Swan Cup for dancing and the Golden Wheat Trophy for her piano performance!¡± Both of these awards were very prestigious and authoritative in their respective circle. Bradley worked in the entertainment industry, so he knew a lot about these. He looked at Ste in surprise. ¡°If you¡®re so good at this, why did you work as just an extracurricr teacher?¡± It was a long story. Ste did not feel like exining to him. She only smiled and said, ¡°Well, aren¡®t I working on your set now?¡± Bradley paused for a moment. He knew she did not want to talk about her past, so he changed the subject. ¡°It¡¯s great that you have dance skills.¡± He said, ¡°If you have real talent, there are plenty of opportunities for you here.¡° Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Roger¡®s eyes flickered a little. He seemed like he wanted to say something. However, he held back his words after ncing at Ste¡®s expression. Roger was still reluctant about Ste¡®s career in the entertainment industry. She even got injured in such a big ident today. In the future... He dared not to think further. Atst, Roger stood up and said, ¡°I¡®ll go and buy some food. Mr. Lane, what would you like to eat?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡®m fine with anything. Just don¡®t make it too spicy.¡± Roger nodded and left the ward. After he left, Bradley and Ste were the only ones left in the ward. ¡°Your younger brother truly cares about you,¡± Bradley said. Ste smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I just realized that he¡®s the only family you have left.¡±. Ste looked at Bradley with a smile and slightly dimmed eyes. ¡°A few years ago, our parents died in an ident. Now, it¡®s just us.¡± ¡°Sorry. I didn¡®t mean to remind you about your pain.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡®s the truth anyway. However, it¡®s all in the past.¡± She said with a smile, ¡°We¡®re living in a good life now, aren¡®t we?¡± Actually, life now was just as hard. However, she was not the kind of person who liked toin to others. Bradley was quite interested in Roger. ¡°You both are good¨Clooking. Also, your brother has a personality that¡®s rare in the entertainment industry.¡± Ste understood his implied meaning. She frowned and said, ¡°Maybe, but he doesn¡®t like to deal with strangers. He¡®s rtively introverted. He¡®s studyingputers now, so he has good future job prospects.¡± Both of them were adults. They might not speak their intention clearly, but they had understood each other¡®s meaning. Bradley was interested in Roger and wanted to recruit him. However, Ste politely declined. She knew the ugliness of the entertainment industry and did not want Roger to be involved in such an environment. Besides, Roger¡®s personality was unfit for the industry. He would not be able to deal with the people here. He was very impulsive and had a clear sense of love and hate. Based on the previous incident with Jack Wale, it was clear that Roger was unfit for jobs that required a lot of social interaction. Bradley felt regretful. ¡°Male celebrities in the industry are much more popr than their female counterparts now.¡± They could be equally good¨Clooking, but a female celebrity¡®s opportunities were always fewer than a male celebrity¡®s. Besides, Roger would be graduating from a famous school. He had a real degree and was good at computers. If they marketed him well, he would easily be a big hit with his good foundation. However, Ste did not want her brother to be a celebrity. She could not force him to be one either. Bradley asked a few questions about Roger¡®s studies and suddenly saw the corner of a document in his bag. Bradley hesitated a little and asked, ¡°Is this Robb¡®s bag?¡± Roger came in a hurry. When he rushed over from ss, he simply stuffed everything into his bag and ran over. When he saw Ste, he forgot everything and threw his bag on the sofa next to them. Bradley helped him to sort it out and was about to put the bag away. Then, he saw the words printed on the document and arched his brow. He muttered, ¡°Maybe it¡®s indeed a waste of talent for Robb to join the entertainment industry. He¡®s such a good talent. He should further his studies.¡± Roger qualified for a full schrship to study abroad. This showed that he would likely contribute to the country¡®s scientific research in the future. If one was just talking about money alone, the entertainment industry was certainly the fastest ce to make money. However, it was different when it came to research. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Bradley was usually unpredictable and liked to scold people, but he had always been very respectful of those who had real talent. Ste could feel that, after knowing that she had won those awards, Bradley changed his tone. He was now talking to her as equal beings, rather than a superior to a subordinate. She could clearly sense his admiration for Roger as well. ¡°Yes.¡± She was a little proud. ¡°I hope he can keep furthering his studies. He¡®s a good fit forputer science.¡± Bradley turned the page again casually. ¡°I am not sure about his ability to live on his own. If he could get the cement to study abroad, he would definitely have to take care of himself. With his learning ability, learning a foreignnguage would not be a problem. It will depend on which country he goes to.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± She was confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡®t you know yet?¡± He frowned and looked at the document in his hand, making sure that he was reading it right. ¡°This is the application form for studying abroad, and it¡®s a full schrship. Opportunities like this are usually given to those students at the top of their academic level. Didn¡®t he tell you that?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. As soon as he said that, an anxious voice suddenly came from the doorway. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Roger just came back from buying lunch. When he suddenly saw that Bradley was flipping through the application form, his expression changed, and he rushed in. ¡°Give it back to me!¡± He dropped the food on the table and snatched the papers in Bradley¡®s hands, then stuffed them into his bag hurriedly. Then, he zipped it up and tossed it aside. The whole room fell into silence. He did not turn around, his back facing Ste. He could feel that her eyes were staring intensely at him, making him feel very anxious. Ste could not react at first. But seeing his actions, she already had a vague premonition. Her voice was cold. ¡°Roger, what¡®s going on?¡± His back stiffened, but he did not turn around. After a while, only then did he look at her. ¡°Let¡®s eat.¡± Pretending as if nothing had happened, he took out the food boxes, opened them, and put them on the table one by one in front of her. She took a deep breath. ¡°Let me ask you: What is that application form all about? What is this studying abroad about?¡± Her tone was very cold. Even Bradley smelled that something was not right. His face softened a bit, and he looked at Roger. He realized that this matter might not be that simple. Roger did not say anything and still pretended to be calm. Ste took a deep breath and looked at Bradley. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I lost myposure just now.¡± ¡°It¡®s nothing,¡± he replied. ¡°If you two have anything to say, I shall go out first. It just so happens that there are things left to be done on the set.¡± He said and stood up. Holding the jacket in his hands, he wanted to leave. ¡°I have already informed the hospital. You can stay here until you are fully recovered before you return to the set. Don¡®t worry about the progress. I will take time to arrange it.¡± After all, this was caused by the crew. Naturally, they had to take responsibility. Bradley was a responsible man. But Roger called out to him. ¡°Mr. Lane, I ordered you a meal. Why don¡®t you finish it before leaving?¡± Ste echoed, ¡°Why don¡®t you have it with us?¡± ¡°It is not necessary,¡± Bradley said. ¡°You can have a proper talk with each other.¡± With that, he closed the door and left. Looking at his back, Roger froze. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 It was then that Steid her eyes on Roger. ¡°Tell me: What¡®s going on?¡± He remained silent. He served her some soup. ¡°Have some soup first.¡± She looked at him quietly with a serious face. He could not bear it anymore and started exining honestly, ¡°Mr. Hall told me that there was a cement for studying abroad and that I could apply for it if I was interested, so he gave me this form.¡± Ste paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± He nodded reluctantly. ¡°It is, but I don¡®t really want to go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Living abroad is not veryfortable, so I don¡®t really want to go. Moreover, I will be very far away from you, then I won¡®t have much time toe back and see you when I miss you.¡± This was indeed an aspect to consider, but... She asked, ¡°Apart from this, in your mind, do you want to go?¡± He did not say anything. He froze for a moment and shook his head quickly. ¡°I¡®ve never thought of going abroad. I will not fill up this form. When the timees, I will let Mr. Hall give the chance to other students who have the intention in this regard.¡± She did not say anything. Taking the soup, she took a sip. He was relieved to see that she did not seem to be angry and started eating beside her. He thought that this matter was over. But just after they finished eating, she suddenly said, ¡°I checked on the Inte and found that the quota for studying abroad is very small. There seem to be only three students in your university who can qualify for it.¡± He was stunned and avoided her eyes subconsciously. ¡°The web would certainly say so, but actually, it is not necessary to go...¡± ¡°But it would be better for your future to go, wouldn¡®t it?¡± She stared at him intently. She was unwilling to miss the slightest change of expression on his face. She knew him well. If he did not want to go or it was not beneficial to him, he would never hide it from her. Since he did not want to discuss this with her, it meant that studying abroad was not like what he said. Her tone was cold. ¡°What are you hiding from me?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to go, Sis. Don¡®t force me...¡± She let out a long breath. ¡°Give me the form.¡± He was not sure what she was going to do, but he still obediently handed it to her. She scanned it. ¡°I will go to the university to find out more about it. If this is really good for you, I hope you can take this opportunity.¡± ¡°Sis ¨C¡± ¡°You don¡®t have to say anything. Don¡®t you likeputers a lot? If you can learn new knowledge by going abroad, it is a better option for you...¡± She started nagging. It was the same old story. He was annoyed. ¡°Then have you ever thought that if I were to study abroad, it would be difficult for me toe to visit you? Like this time, when you had an ident. I¡®d have to book a ticket many days in advance toe back, and you might already be discharged from the hospital by the time I arrive!¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡®t need you to rush back for me.¡± She said, ¡°I can take care of myself. Didn¡®t you tell me before that you are already an adult? It¡®s just studying abroad; it¡®s not like you¡®re noting back forever.¡± ¡°No! In short, I don¡®t feelfortable with you being alone in the country, unless...¡± He blurted out. ¡°Unless youe with me.¡± Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 There was a moment of silence in the ward. No one spoke up for a while. Ste looked at Roger somewhat nkly, as if she hadn¡®t expected him to have such a thought. Roger¡®s reaction was different from hers. He blurted out without thinking at first. But after thinking it over, he gradually thought that it might work. Why couldn¡®t she go abroad with him? He suddenly changed his tone and looked at her. That¡®s it! You can go with me.¡± He grabbed her hands. ¡°Can youe with me? I will survey some cheaper ces when I apply for it. Dormitories in foreign universities are very expensive and difficult to apply for. I can rent a house outside to live with you...¡± She looked at him steadily. ¡°You have even asked about the rentals. It means that you actually want to go, right?¡± He was speechless. She did not let him stay for long, nor did she respond to his request for her to go with him to study abroad. He still had ss. After looking at the time, she urged him to go and asked him toe back after ss. Although she was alright now, she still had to stay in the hospital for at least another half a day to make sure she was okay before she could leave. She asked him toe straight after his afternoon ss to settle the discharge procedure with her. Originally, she did not intend to let him worry about this matter. But looking at his state, he would be even more upset if she did not let hime. So, she could only coax him to go back to ss first. After he left, she was the only one left in the ward. She closed her eyes. Only then did she feel the after¨Ceffects of the collision on the set that made her still a little dizzy. She did not show it when he was here. But once he left, the aftermath pain pervaded. She let out a breath, only to hear the sound of the door being pushed open. ¡°Forgot something again?¡± She thought it was Roger, so she sat up slowly and asked automatically. The person did not reply but simply closed the door. The sound of steady footsteps was heard from the doorway to the bedside. She suddenly opened her eyes with a premonition, and then she met Weston¡®s eyes. The man was looking at her from above. Those eyes were as dark as the night sky. His back was against the light, and his figure was tall. Standing in front of her, he blocked all the light outside the window. She paused, and no one spoke first. After a while, she heard him ask, ¡°Feeling better?¡± She nodded and gave a short response, not saying anything extra. He sat down next to her. She closed her eyes straight away and turned away without looking at him again. As soon as she saw him, she remembered the wedding candy she had eaten on the set. The rich and creamy taste of the candy was still lingering in her mouth. It was rather bitter. He sensed her indifference, and his face sank. ¡®When we parted this morning, she was still that good¨Cnatured,¡¯ he thought. ¡®In just one morning, she¡®s already like this, lying in a hospital bed, pale.¡® His tone wasn¡®t good. He reached out to stroke her hair. ¡°If you keep going on like this and not taking care of yourself, I¡®ll reconsider whether I want you to stay on set.¡° Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 It was supposed to be a word of concern, but it sounded different when he was the one who said it. Ste clenched her fists and opened her eyes. ¡°It was just an ident. You have no right to interfere with my decision!¡± The man¡®s face sank. ¡°Who has if I don¡®t?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. He tilted her chin and made her look at him. Bending down, he took her in his arms. ¡°How can I let you stay any longer after you had an ident in just a short time?¡± She frowned and forced herself to suppress her emotions. Looking at him calmly, she said, ¡°. Aren¡®t you busy today? Why did youe over?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Weston asked in return. Seeing her being stubborn, he suddenly got a little upset and bit the corner of her lips. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± He already sensed that she was not in the right mood when he came in. She was a bit repulsed by him. Although her obedience was mere pretence, she was only acting like her old self, but she did not even want to do that now. She closed her eyes and suddenly chuckled. She straightened her back in his arms. ¡°Help me get something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That bag on the coffee table. I want some candy!¡± The man stared at her, as if trying to read her mind from the expression on her face. Seeing that he did not move, she broke away from his embrace without saying anything and went to get it herself. Suddenly, he held her shoulders and pressed her against the bedside rail, cupping her face and kissing her. Only after experiencing her moment of tenderness and affection that he knew how unbearable her indifference to him was. Even if her previous good behavior, obedience, submissiveness, and all were pretence. It was only a show for him. Yet he liked it. So, when she returned to her cold self, just like when they reunited, he could not control his animosity. He kissed her, wanting to cover her with his scent so that she had nowhere to escape. He wanted to make her unable to face him with this repulsive expression, so that she would have only him in her eyes and in her heart, just like in the past, and could not resist anything from him. She struggled at first. In the end, she just let him be. Like a doll, she let him fiddle with her however he liked without saying a word. Considering that this was a hospital, he finally stopped. His forehead against hers, he breathed heavily. She was gasping as well. Her lips were swollen, and the corner of her lips was bleeding, making her look very pitiful. It was especially her pale face that stirred the man¡®s emotions. With his calloused thumb, he touched the corner of her lips and asked with a hoarse voice,¡± Does it hurt?¡± She shook her head and suddenly curled the corners of her lips upward,ughing. Only thatugh was ironic¨Cso ironic that she was unwilling to say anything to mock herself. He lowered his head and sucked her lips. Then, he stood up and walked to the coffee table to get her bag. ¡°Since when do you like candy?¡± He opened her bag and took a red velvet box out of it. He frowned. She looked at his face andughed. ¡°It¡®s a gift from somebody after all. I don¡®t want to waste it.¡± ¡°Who was this from?¡± He sat beside her and took her into his arms. Holding the box with one hand, he opened it with another. Apart from the chocte and toffees, there was an exquisitely crafted card. He caught a glimpse of the two names on it, written side by side. ¡®Weston and Guinevere.¡® Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Ste did not look at his face. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She knew that his expression must be interesting right now. ¡°The chocte tastes nice. I have also eaten two of these toffees. They are not bad either...¡± She smiled nonchntly. ¡°Did you choose this wedding candy, or was it Guinevere? It should be her, since you don¡®t really like candy...¡± Before she could finish her words, the man snatched the candy she picked up and put it back into the box. He then mmed it shut and threw it into the rubbish bin. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± His voice was very cold. She chuckled and said, ¡°Everyone in the crew got one.¡± Her expression was rxed, so rxed that it made her look a bit cruel. Weston stared at her, trying to find anything in her expression that was different from her previous demeanor. But there was none. Apart from faint mockery, there was only a hint of unconcerned smile. An inexplicable irritation grew in his chest. He tugged at his cor. ¡°I¡®ve warned you. This crew is not the ce for you.¡± His words carried a hint of impatience. She paused and rxed her face. ¡°It¡®s just a wedding gift. Don¡®t worry. I don¡®t care about such things at all.¡± ¡°Since you don¡®t care, then why are you throwing a tantrum?¡± Sheughed. ¡°How would I dare to? If I really were to throw a tantrum, I would not have brought this over.¡± She continued, ¡°They taste good. Why did you throw them away? What a waste.¡± ¡°Ste.¡± He suddenly interrupted with a deep voice, ¡°Stop pissing me off.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡®t be angry.¡± Her tone became more rxed as she helped him straighten his cor. ¡°I think today is a good day for you, right? Did you get your marriage license with Guinevere, or is it some other anniversary? It¡®s supposed to be a happy day, so don¡®t get upset because of me.¡± ¡°Ste!¡± He was really angry this time when he shouted her name. His dark eyes were surging with unrestrained emotions, looking as if they were about to devour her, ¡°Do you think you can provoke me by deliberately saying all these?¡± What will I gain by provoking you?¡± She was amused. ¡°Haven¡®t I always been pleasing you?¡± ¡°If you really were, you would not have this kind of reaction.¡± ¡°Then what reaction do you expect from me?¡± Not saying anything, he pressed his thin lips into a horizontal line. He had such a delicate and well¨Cdefined face. He looked so handsome no matter which angle she looked at him from. Unfortunately, he was equally ruthless. He was such a mighty and powerful man, who showed very little tenderness to her. It was very little, but he expected her to be grateful for it. The man¡®s eyes darkened. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her chin. He exerted a little force, yet she could already feel the rush of pressure from it. She met his gaze and did not flinch. She just stared at him. After a moment, the man leaned down and breathed hot air into her ear. In a low voice, he said, ¡°If you keep up this attitude, I will consider extending the term for a year.¡± ¡°You!¡± He had stepped directly on her sore spot. One year was all she had hoped for, and she only hoped that after this year, he would really let her go. She clenched her fists at once and looked at the man in front of her with some reluctance. Then, she took a deep breath. ¡°I¡®m a little tired. I want to rest.¡± She seemed to have acquiesced. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Weston stroked her hair beside her cheek and kissed her temple. ¡°You know what I like, Ste. Don¡®t challenge my patience.¡± The ward was silent for a moment. The food Roger brought over in the afternoon was still on the table beside them. Weston swept a nce at the table and asked Ben to bring another set of food over. She frowned. ¡°I have already eaten.¡± ¡°You have not if you have just taken a few bites.¡± He saw that there was still a lot left of her portion. She did not eat much. Although Roger cared about her, he was not that attentive. She did not want to worry him, so she pretended to be full when eating with him. He thought that she had had enough food, so he left. However, her appetite had been bad all year¨Cor rather, it had been unpredictable. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you want to stay in the crew yet not take care of your diet, I will reconsider¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, I will eat!¡± she interrupted in annoyance. All he knew was to use this to threaten her. Why was he so annoying? He nced at her, feeling nothing in particr. Instead, he somehow felt a little pleasant. He asked Joan to make some food and send them over. She couldn¡®t help but say, ¡°There is no need to make such a big fuss.¡± She did think it was quite a hassle, and there was no need for Joan to travel so far just to send a meal over. ¡°I paid that much to hire her. What do you think it was for?¡± He frowned. ¡°You are so considerate toward her. Why don¡®t you know how to be considerate to me?? She did not say anything. She could not understand why hepared himself to Joan. Joan was not disrespectful like he was. Besides, he had never actually cared when she had been considerate of him before. She ate very fast in annoyance, He tried to feed her, but she refused. The man did not lose his patience. He fed her some soup slowly and then had Ben clean up. ¡°Take a rest if you are tired.¡± He nced at the clock. ¡°I will be right here.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Roger isingter. You can go back to your office if you have work to do.¡± ¡°Are you trying to chase me away?¡± ¡°No. Roger ising.¡± She frowned. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, do you know anything about studying abroad?¡± She remembered that he had also studied abroad, so he should be more informed about this matter. When she was still studying, she nned to further her studies abroad. But because of Roger¡®s illness, she could only start working as soon as possible. Now that she thought about it, it was a pity that she did not know much about it. His face changed. ¡°Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Are you nning to quit acting and instead further your studies?¡± ¡°It¡®s not me. It¡®s Roger.¡± She pondered for a moment and asked him, ¡°What do you think of Compassvale University?¡± She had always been serious about Roger¡®s future. She also knew that it was better to ask Weston directly about these matters. Although his character was bad, his excellence and ability were evident to all. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 The man did not say anything. Instead, he looked at her in fascination. ¡°It seems like you have be clever now and know how to make use of your resources.¡± The things that could be found on the Inte were no match for the information that could be obtained from real people. What was even rarer was the foresight given by professionals. There was no doubt that Ste¡®s consultation with Weston was the equivalent of asking a corporate giant for advice on professional prospects. Many people would not get such an opportunity even if they were to spend a fortune on it. ¡°If it¡®s difficult for you, I won¡®t ask anymore.¡± She knew when to stop. Hearing her say that, he chuckled. Sitting beside her, he picked her up. The two were lying on the bed. The man did not care about the cramped space and held her in his arms. She couldn¡®t help but nudge. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Taking a nap with you.¡± ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you that Roger ising overter? We can¡®t let him see us like this.¡± ¡°He ising over in the evening. There is still time. Sleep with me for a while, then I will answer your questions. How does that sound?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Only then did she reluctantly stay in his arms. Seeing her behaving herself, he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, then started detailing the pros and cons of Roger studying abroad. He was very pertinent, and she listened very carefully. He knew those universities abroad better than she did. After the analysis, she had a clearer picture in her mind. ¡°If Roger can get a full schrship, it will mean that he is very talented in that area.¡± ¡°Indeed, but it still depends on his own choice in the end.¡± As he was stroking her head, he suddenly looked into her eyes. ¡°He got the schrship?¡± She nodded. ¡°He is always very bright!¡± Her tone was rather proud. His eyes darkened. It seemed that he was not very willing to hear her praising another man. He suddenly pressed against her forehead and kissed her nose, then moved down to her philtrum, finally sliding down to her lips and kissing her deeply. He only let go of her when she could not breathe. ¡°Tell me ¨C¨C¨Cwho¡®s better? Me or him?¡± She was gasping, and her face blushed. ¡°There is noparison between the two of you.¡± He tilted her chin up to make her look at him. She had a pair of amber eyes, pure and clear. They were filled with his reflection at the moment He was very pleased with this and bit her nose lightly. ¡°Indeed. ¡°He is your brother, while I am your man.¡± After Weston left, Guinevere felt restless. After Wendy brought Zachary back to his room, she took out her phone immediately. ¡°Where did he go? Did he go to Lowe Garden again to find that woman named Belle?¡± She did not think so, as she had already taught that woman a good lesson. She would not dare to pester him now! Then where was he? The person on the other end of the phone also sounded a little uncertain. ¡°We have informed Lowe Garden about it. Belle can¡®t meet with Mr. Ford now, unless he has found out...¡± ¡°You are not sure? Again? If you guys are so uncertain, what is the use of spending so much money to hire you guys!¡°. ¡°We apologize, Ms. Cohen. We will investigate now.¡± ¡°You really should. Otherwise, don¡®t even think about getting a cent from me!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After hanging up the call, she suddenly had a headache. She felt dizzy as some fragment¨Clike memories began to appear again. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 It was as if she saw the night she and Weston had spent together a few years ago. She shook her head, trying to shake all the images out of her head. But she couldn¡®t help but think about it. It was the only time she slept with him. And that was the time she got pregnant with Zachary. But after just over a year, she seemed to have some trouble remembering what that night was like. She had remembered it before, so why had she forgotten? Guinevere was a little dizzy. The more she wanted to recall it, the more painful her head was, as if it was about to explode. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± A familiar voice came to her ears. She jerked her head up, thinking that it was Weston. But the person she saw was Chris! ¡°Chris, how could it be you?¡± She took a few steps backward, her eyes fluttering violently. Why had she mistaken Chris¡®s voice for Weston¡®s? The person in front of her blurred and morphed into Weston¡®s face. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She suddenly fell off the chair, and her eyes were red. Weston and Chris looked very simr. After all, they were father and son. There should be a big difference between them, but why would she get confused? ¡°What¡®s wrong? Are you having another episode?¡± Chris had left for the office. When he realized that he had forgotten to bring a document, he came back, not expecting to see her in this state. He was a bit concerned, so he walked up to her. She hurriedly pushed her away and smashed the cup to the floor. ¡°Don¡®t touch me. Get away from me!¡± He jumped in shock and took a step back. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± He frowned. ¡°I am calling a doctor right now.¡± ¡°Don¡®t!¡± She suddenly covered her ears and shrieked miserably. Looking at her in this state, he turned solemn, as if he was thinking of something. After a while, he let out a sigh and continued to make the call. When he looked up, Wendy had alreadye in, standing on the staircase while looking at the mess expressionlessly. She was not worried, nor did she show any emotions. She just looked at them coldly. As if she was watching a joke. He suddenly had a strong premonition. Wendy knew everything. The phone in his hand fell to the floor with a crisp sound. He froze, and then rxed a little. She walked down the stairs slowly. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±. Seeing her return to her normal self all of a sudden, he thought that the icy look he had just seen on her might have been an illusion. He shook his head, trying to shake all the messy thoughts away. If Wendy really knew about it, she wouldn¡®t have reacted like this and would have picked a fight with him. Thinking of this, he was slightly relieved and nced at Guinevere. ¡°She should be having another episode. Let¡®s call the doctor now.¡± Wendy nodded. ¡°It¡®s a good thing I¡®ve just put Zack to sleep. Otherwise, he would be startled, seeing his mother like this.¡± The man did not say anything. He turned his back and silently made a phone call. ¡°Hello, Dr. Quirk?¡° Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Every time Guinevere had an episode, he would look for Dr. Quirk. Although thest meeting did not go well, his professional ability was evident. Moreover, he was somehow rted to Lucas. Both of them were recognized in the industry for their medical skill Although he was young, he was very sessful. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. When Hayden answered the call, he was a bit surprised. ¡°It hasn¡®t been long since thest episode, yet she¡®s having memorypses again so soon?¡± Chris said, ¡°Yes. She is totally out of control now. I don¡®t know what to do. Can youe over, Dr. Quirk?¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry. But I cannot make it today.¡± He scanned his schedule. ¡°One of my colleagues had a family emergency, and I need to cover for him at work now. Can Ie tomorrow?¡± ¡°But she looks very sick right now.¡± ¡°There¡®s nothing I can do.¡± Hayden said apologetically, ¡°My own people are more important.¡± ¡°Money is not a problem, Dr. Quirk!¡± said Chris. Just as he spoke, he was interrupted by Hayden. ¡°It¡®s meaningless to say such things. I will introduce you to a skillful psychologist. But I really cannot make it to today. Sorry.¡± With that, Hayden hung up the phone. Then, he sent the contact number of the psychologist he rmended to Chris. The face which was still warm and friendly instantly turned cold, his eyes shing with disdain. ¡°The rich people now all think too highly of themselves. None of them can escape from being arrogant.¡± Lucas put down the document in his hands and looked at him. ¡°You are always very sentimental. Can your medical skills keep up with it?¡± The man looked at him. His eyes wavered, and he said with a smile, ¡°I was justining a bit, and you are already questioning my professional ability. Look at you. You still have to deal with that lovely wife of yours. Wouldn¡®t you simply have no time to be a doctor?¡± Speaking of his lovely wife, Lucas suddenly felt a little weary. To be precise, he felt hopeless.¡°I¡®ll trouble you for the matters of the hospital first. I¡®m going to bring Yvonne back.¡± ¡°How many days?¡± ¡°A week, at most,¡± ¡°A week...¡± Hayden sighed heavily. ¡°Even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful ¡°Lucas, I remember that you didn¡®t do things so sloppily before.¡± Hayden suddenly made a throat¨Cshing gesture. His eyes were shining with excitement. ¡°Do vou still remember? We were fearless at that time. Because of a woman, you really are bing unlike yourself.¡± Lucas¡®s face suddenly turned cold. ¡°There¡®s no need to mention the past.¡± ¡°Why can¡®t we talk about it? It¡®s not like Yvonne doesn¡®t know you came from an orphanage.¡± ¡°That is not what she minds.¡± ¡°Then what is it? Does she not know...¡± He hesitated, and suddenly seemed to realize something. ¡°Could it be that she did not know what you used to be like? You sure hide it well.¡± Lucas stood up and slowly walked up to him. Looking at him from above, he said. ¡°I treat you as my brother, so don¡®t let her know about it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Hayden promised him. ¡°But your wife is really an envious person. Did she have to go back to her parent¡®s house for just a little thing like this?¡± The man¡®s eyes shed with helplessness. ¡°What can I do? I picked her.¡± That day, after Lucas discussed the matter with that woman, he went back to look for Yvonne, only to see her packing her stuff. He initially intended to coax her properly. Seeing her action, he would certainly be angry.¡° What are you doing?¡± He walked up to her and emptied her luggage. She would not budge and put them back again. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 The two of them were in a dit for¨Ctat, and neither one was willing to give in. Finally, Yvonne gathered her clothes and turned around to leave. Lucas grabbed her hand. ¡°Are you sure of leaving the house?¡± ¡°I am just going back to my parents¡® house.¡± She red at him and shook him off. Just as she was about to fum around, he hugged her from behind. ¡°I told you We are just friends. What else do you want? Why don¡®t you believe me?¡± *Do you deserve my trust? You told me you were working at the hospital, and what happened?¡± She was not unreasonable. If he exined it to her properly, she would listen. But the problem was that he did not do so immediately after it happened. Instead, he questioned her for being unreasonable. After she left, he did not chase after her but continued the conversation with that woman, only to return in thete evening. She did not really want to leave the house. She just wanted him to coax her. But he started questioning her the moment he came home¡ªthis was what she could not stand. Her action was just for show at first, but now, she wanted to leave. The two of them were never people who would yield. Naturally, he would not allow her to make irreversible moves in her anger. Thinking about her appearing in that kind of ce with Ste again, he became more and more annoyed. ¡°I told you to stay away from E. Why wouldn¡®t you listen?¡± It was his words that ignited the fuse completely. She felt that he was being ridiculous. ¡°Nonsense! What makes you so prejudiced against her? Yes, her status is not respectable. But why don¡®t you despise Weston? If he hadn¡®t forced her, would she have suffered all this? You men simply like to pass the buck!¡± As she was talking, she could not help but vent all her grievances against Weston on Lucas. That very night, she got into her car and went straight to her parents¡® house. And she did note back until today. Although they would quarrel sometimes, they rarely had a cold war for this long. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She did not call him even once. This had never happened before, She might look arrogant and rude, but in reality, she was very dependent on him. He was indeed an orphan. But after he was adopted, he had been living in her house. She never treated him as a maid¡®s adopted child, and even fell in love with him during adolescence. Although her family disagreed at first, she loved him very much. Besides, he was very outstanding, and his performance at school was very outstanding. Now, he was also the youngest spine specialist. Only then did they finally agree to their marriage. After getting married, they had been very loving to each other. He was very diligent and very sessful in his career. But she had long been ustomed to being a rich pampereddy, so she would cause trouble asionally. He never said anything about it and would settle them for her patiently every time they happened. Gradually, her family acknowledged himpletely and treated him as their family member. This man currently had a high reputation and status in the circle. Nobody would mention him being an orphan anymore Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 This was probably the worst fight the two had ever had. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. It was not that he had not received calls from his inws asking about it. When he heard that Yvonne was doing fine at her parents¡® house, he put his mind at ease. But if it dragged on, it would be bad for their rtionship. After taking care of the matters on this side, he decided to go directly to bring Yvonne back. Lucas was in the growing stage of his career path. Even after he worked overtime to finish his work, there were still a lot of things on hand. So, he could only let his old friend, Hayden, cover for him, and only then did he have time to go to Yvonne. By the time he arrived at her parents¡® house, it was already several dayster. It was a good thing that her family members still acknowledged him and let him in without a fuss. Just as he arrived at the vi, he heard herughtering from inside. She did not seem to be affected by their cold war at all, and was talking andughing with her rtives and cousins inside the house. The man stopped in his tracks. Without entering the vi, he simply looked at her from afar. He stared at her side face with a big smile seriously. On the way here, he reckoned she probably hadn¡®t slept much these days. This woman was very delicate and liked to stick to him very much. She would only sleep soundly at night when she was sleeping by his side. Sometimes, when they separated because of business trips, even just for a few days, she would call to comin or chat up with him. She had never left him. So, looking at her now with such a happy face, he felt inexplicably stuffy. ¡°Yvonne, look who¡®s here.¡± Someone discovered him suddenly and nudged her. She looked over and met his eyes. She was startled as her face sank. Pretending not to see him, she looked away. The one standing beside her was her cousin. Her cousin was married and had a child. Knowing that Yvonne had returned, she brought her child to visit her. But when she found that Lucas did note back with her and saw the reaction of the family, she figured the young couple probably had quarreled. Now, seeing that Lucas hade but Yvonne ignored him, she was sure of it. She said to her child, ¡°Come, let me bring you to the backyard.¡± She nned to leave the space to them. Lucas came over to greet her cousin, teasing the little child in her arms along the way. After the two left, he looked at Yvonne. ¡°Yvonne.¡± She looked annoyed and wanted to walk away, not even willing to speak a word with him. His face changed, and he grabbed her wrist. ¡°Are you still angry?¡± She shook off his hand. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her tone was extremely impatient. Lucas¡®s face sank. He had not been treated like this by her.¡± Have you not gotten over it yet after throwing a fit for so many days?¡± She ate well and slept well these days, seemingly perfectly fine. But only she knew how tormented she was inside Not only did he note to look for her, he even let her be for days. The moment he came, he questioned whether she had calmed down. She even felt that it might be best if he had note. ¡°Am I throwing a fit?¡± Her tone was very cold. She didn¡®t even want to look at him as she turned around and left. He surveyed the surroundings. Her family was discerning. Knowing the couple were quarreling, they made room for them Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 The man grabbed Yvonne¡®s wrist and brought her straight to the second floor. He easily found the room Yvonne had lived in since she was a child. Once he entered her bedroom, he shut the door and pinned her against the door panel, cupping her face and kissing her. She subconsciously pushed him. ¡°What are you doing? Umm...¡± He held her face and kissed her so hard that she couldn¡®t break free. In the end, he gasped lightly close to the corner of her lips. ¡°You hadn¡®t seen me for days. Did you miss me?¡± She was a bit annoyed that he just came up and kissed her. ring at him, she said, ¡°What¡®s there to miss? I figured you were having fun with that woman, so I ought not to disturb you two!¡± She said such things again. He frowned but suddenly chuckled. ¡°Why are you so jealous?¡± ¡°Am I? Or is it that you feel guilty?¡± She pushed him away and pointed at his heart. ¡°I am not Guinevere. Let me tell you: If you have any second thoughts, I¡®ll divorce you immediately without dy!¡± The word ¡°divorce¡± made himpletely lose control. He picked her up directly and threw her onto the bed. Rolling on top of her, he said, ¡°Who taught you to mention divorce?¡± ¡°I am just telling you that I don¡®t necessarily need you Before she could finish her words, he started kissing her again. This time, he intensified his kiss, unlike how he did before. He clipped her arms behind her back forcefully and kissed her frantically. He hated it when she mentioned separating, especially something very serious, like divorce. He had never thought that he would divorce her one day. She was struggling hard. They were still in a quarrel, but he was acting very intimately with her without any reason, so she would naturally be unwilling to ept it. After much difficulty, she finally broke free a little and flung her arm at him. He stepped backward slightly, and she missed him. Anyway, she still left a red mark on his face. He did not get angry. Pressing his pte with the tip of his tongue, he looked at the woman with disheveled hair. He was exasperated by her. ¡°You are so angry that you won¡®t even give me a kiss?¡± ¡°Stay away from me!¡± She sat up abruptly and tidied up the clothes he had ruffled, pushing him away and wanting to leave. But he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms again. Hugging her from the back, he let her sit on him. Kissing the back of her neck gently, he suddenly softened his tone and said, ¡°There is really nothing going on between us. You can go and investigate.¡± He was hugging her waist. He knew why she was angry. ¡°If you really thought that something was going on between us, you wouldn¡®t have reacted this way and not given me any time to exin myself.¡± He understood it clearly. If she did not believe him, she would not be talking with him or throwing a tantrum. Instead, she would send a divorce agreement directly to him. She was only angry because he hid it from her. But he was also angry with her for not listening to him and kept mingling with E. Both of them were pissed off, yet no one wanted to yield. That was how the cold war between them was initiated. When he showed goodwill, her anger subsided a bit. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. But it was scarce. ¡°Since you knew everything, then why are you still making me angry purposely? ¡°I am not trying to make you angry.¡± Lucas said helplessly, ¡°I am indeed not veryfortable seeing you with E. That was why I spoke a bit harshly that day. Yvonne, stop ignoring me, okay?¡° Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 He pecked on her face. ¡°I care a lot about you. ¡°Yvonne, you are too innocent. I am worried that you will be used by other people.¡± She frowned. ¡°I am already an adult. Am I still a child who needs your protection in your eyes?¡± They grew up together. Lucas seemed to be naturally more mature than his peers, and he was always the one who took care of her. Although she was the one who had been running after him, it was her who was actually being taken care of. She knew it as well in her heart. It was just that she was annoyed. She was no longer her old self. She had the ability to make judgments and the freedom to make friends. Why was he still treating her like a child? He turned her around, and the two stared at each other in the eyes. The man had not held her for days. Now that she was in his arms, he did not want to think about other things. Hand resting on her waist, he caressed her. ¡°Baby, did you miss me or not?¡± Of course, she knew what he implied, but she was not willing to forgive him just like that. She wanted to get away from him, but Lucas rolled over and pinned her beneath him. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You haven¡®t answered my question.¡± ¡°What question?¡± ¡°Did you miss me?¡± The two of them had been going at it a lot since they started having sex. She wondered if it was because Lucas was in his prime. Anyway, the two rarely skipped it for days at a time. Even if Lucas was usually very busy working inside the hospital, when he arrived home, he would always fool around a bit before he would sleep. He seemed to have unlimited energy for this. The iwo had been married for many years and had been together for even longer. Before they got married, they had already starting having sex. She was satisfied by him so much that her appetite had increased quite a bit. In fact, she missed him a little. But because she was still a bit irritated, she would not speak the truth. Of course, he sensed her uneasiness. He sniggered. ¡°You obviously missed me a lot.¡± His hand was moving toward an unspeakable territory. She wanted to stop him, but she had no more energy. Still reluctant to admit it, she said, ¡°Who knows who you have been with these days...! He frowned, knowing that if he did not exin it clearly, she would not drop this matter. He suddenly sat up straight and threw his phone in front of her. ¡°See it for yourself. You can ask me anytime if there is anything you don¡®t understand.¡± Looking at him suspiciously, she picked up the phone without reluctance. The interface was showing his chat records with a woman. She tapped on the avatar of the woman and recognized her. She was the one who was in the restaurant with him. ¡°She looks very different in person,¡± shemented. ¡°She looks much better in the picture.¡± He shook his head, notmenting on her childish act. ¡°It was just an ident.¡± He did not lie to her. He indeed had something to do at the hospital, but there was a sudden change, and he met that woman in the restaurant. The change happened suddenly, so he did not have time to inform her about it. Now that it was exined, Yvonne did not press on and returned the phone to him. ¡°I¡®ve always believed you.¡± She was also making up for herself. ¡°You know what I was angry about was your attitude afterward...¡± ¡°I know.¡± The two were so easily showing signs of reconciliation, so he naturally would not refute her words at such a time. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. ¡°It won¡®t happen again.¡± Chapter 349 He was not a touchy¨Cfeely kind of person. Sometimes, he was domineering. What Yvonne could not resist was his unintentional tenderness. She stretched out her hands, wrapped her arms around his neck, and murmured, ¡°There will be no next time.¡± ¡°Okay... no next time.¡± Their voices were muffled by the nket pulled over them. The phone on the side table shed for a moment when a message came in. No one noticed it. Weston said they were going to take a nap, and he really did not touch her but simply held her from behind. After a while, his breathing became slow. Ste had her eyes closed. Then, she opened her eyes and looked down at the hand on her waist without moving. After an hour, Ben came over and knocked on the door. Weston opened his eyes, then Ben knowingly left. Ste asked, ¡°Can you go now?¡± ¡°You¡®re so unwilling to see me, huh?¡± She did not reply. His voice was still a bit hoarse, as if he came here really for a rest. He pecked her on the cheek. ¡°I¡®m going back to the office. Call me if there¡®s anything.¡± She nodded and asked him again, ¡°You are noting here tonight, right?¡± He stood up and put on the coat he put on the table casually and buttoned the cufflinks. Hearing that, he looked at her. ¡°Do you want me to?¡± She pressed her lips. ¡°Today is the anniversary of you and Guinevere. Of course I won¡®t be that ignorant.¡± The man stopped his action of buttoning the cufflinks abruptly. But it was only for a moment. After getting dressed, he walked to the bedside and bent down to kiss her forehead. ¡°I won¡®t being tonight.¡± Her slender eyshes cast a shadow beneath her downcast eyes. Her face was expressionless. Staring at her for a while, he suddenly tilted her head upward to make her look into his eyes. He did not have to exin it to her at first. But seeing her pitiful look, he felt his heart melting. He kissed her nose and said, ¡°I¡®m not going to be with her.¡± She slowly clenched her fists without saying anything. Avoiding that topic, she said, ¡°Can I ask you about the matters of Roger studying abroad?¡± While talking, she reached out to help the man adjust his tie. As he watched her action, his eyes darkened. Despite knowing her initiative was purposeful, he kept one eye closed and replied, ¡°Sure. You can ask me anything.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was sincere. His Adam¡®s apple was rolling up and down. Seeing her obedient look, he suddenly had an urge to stay here, not wanting to leave. It felt just like they were a normal couple. A lovely wife was tidying up the clothes for her husband and seeing him out. This was what he disdained the most in the past. Holding her hand, he wrapped her whole fist in his hand and straightened the stiff fingers of her fist little by little, and interlocked them with his. Then, he lifted her face and exchanged a deep kiss with her. ¡°Tomorrow...¡± He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°If you feel okay tomorrow, I will take you somewhere.¡° Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 He was not a touchy¨Cfeely kind of person. Sometimes, he was domineering. What Yvonne could not resist was his unintentional tenderness. She stretched out her hands, wrapped her arms around his neck, and murmured, ¡°There will be no next time.¡± ¡°Okay... no next time.¡± Their voices were muffled by the nket pulled over them. The phone on the side table shed for a moment when a message came in. No one noticed it. Weston said they were going to take a nap, and he really did not touch her but simply held her from behind. After a while, his breathing became slow. Ste had her eyes closed. Then, she opened her eyes and looked down at the hand on her waist without moving. After an hour, Ben came over and knocked on the door. Weston opened his eyes, then Ben knowingly left. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ste asked, ¡°Can you go now?¡± ¡°You¡®re so unwilling to see me, huh?¡± She did not reply. His voice was still a bit hoarse, as if he came here really for a rest. He pecked her on the cheek. ¡°I¡®m going back to the office. Call me if there¡®s anything.¡± She nodded and asked him again, ¡°You are noting here tonight, right?¡± He stood up and put on the coat he put on the table casually and buttoned the cufflinks. Hearing that, he looked at her. ¡°Do you want me to?¡± She pressed her lips. ¡°Today is the anniversary of you and Guinevere. Of course I won¡®t be that ignorant.¡± The man stopped his action of buttoning the cufflinks abruptly. But it was only for a moment. After getting dressed, he walked to the bedside and bent down to kiss her forehead. ¡°I won¡®t being tonight.¡± Her slender eyshes cast a shadow beneath her downcast eyes. Her face was expressionless. Staring at her for a while, he suddenly tilted her head upward to make her look into his eyes. He did not have to exin it to her at first. But seeing her pitiful look, he felt his heart melting. He kissed her nose and said, ¡°I¡®m not going to be with her.¡± She slowly clenched her fists without saying anything. Avoiding that topic, she said, ¡°Can I ask you about the matters of Roger studying abroad?¡± While talking, she reached out to help the man adjust his tie. As he watched her action, his eyes darkened. Despite knowing her initiative was purposeful, he kept one eye closed and replied, ¡°Sure. You can ask me anything.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was sincere. His Adam¡®s apple was rolling up and down. Seeing her obedient look, he suddenly had an urge to stay here, not wanting to leave. It felt just like they were a normal couple. A lovely wife was tidying up the clothes for her husband and seeing him out. This was what he disdained the most in the past. Holding her hand, he wrapped her whole fist in his hand and straightened the stiff fingers of her fist little by little, and interlocked them with his. Then, he lifted her face and exchanged a deep kiss with her. ¡°Tomorrow...¡± He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°If you feel okay tomorrow, I will take you somewhere.¡° Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Ste frowned and refused subconsciously. ¡°If there¡®s something going on with the crew...¡± ¡°I will inform them.¡± Her face darkened, and she stopped talking. Weston took it as acquiescence and put his forehead against hers. After talking with her intimately for a while, he stood up and left with Ben. After he left, she sighed with relief. As she closed her eyes, her eyshes trembled a little. What he told her before he left made her feel anxious. He said that he was taking her to a ce to rx and asked her to be prepared. Although he did not say it clearly, she understood what he was hinting at. She had already promised him to return to her old self with her heart full of only him within a year. And he had already given her some time to adapt. It went without saying what would happen tomorrow as they were both adults. He did not touch her before. Now that they had spent a lot of time together, it was clear what he wanted for tomorrow. She let out a sigh and rolled her sleeves up, revealing the goosebumps on her arms. Thinking about the moment of intimacy just now, her skin felt tight with refusal. She had no idea how she could muddle through tomorrow. She could fool him with her acting and make him think she was still the same Ste as before. She could act, but her body could not lie. She simply could not ept his touch and was only forcing herself to ept it every time he touched her. If she had not pinched her palm to force herself to calm down with the pain, she would not have been able to resist giving Weston a p. Every time he got near her, she would think of how he interacted intimately with Guinevere. Then she would be reminded of her lost child. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She was so depressed that she once wanted to jump off a building. When she thought about the pain she suffered when the child was smashed into pieces and removed from her body, it was impossible to not hold any grudge. How could she ept him in such a state? But if she could not satisfy him, he might extend it to another year. She was foggy and a bit disturbed. Roger came over on time after his afternoon ss. If it was not for her insistence that he attended the ss, he certainly would not have left her bedside By the time he arrived, she had already changed her clothes. ¡°Are you really going to be discharged from the hospital?¡± She nodded, ¡°I have recovered. The doctor has just checked on me. I can be discharged already.¡± He was still a bit worried. ¡°Mr. Lane said that you can take your time. Why don¡®t you stay for another two days?¡± ¡°I am really fine.¡± She felt helpless. ¡°Don¡®t treat me like a porcin doll. Aren¡®t you busy with your work in theboratory today? After I am discharged, you should go back to campus.¡± ¡°Why don¡®t we just go home today, Ste?¡± They had a house outside the campus and usually lived there together. She had been busy with business trips or other matterstely, so they had not lived there together for a long time. She shook her head and said, ¡°I still have some matters to take care of. Besides, the shooting will start soon, so I will not be able to be with you all the time. You must learn how to be independent, okay?¡° Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 ¡°I¡®m pretty independent already...¡± Roger said in a low voice. As Ste spoke about this matter, she suddenly stopped and looked at him. ¡°There¡®s also the matter of you studying abroad. I¡®ll find time to go to your school the day after tomorrow to understand further. If it¡®s really good for your future, I hope you can seize this opportunity.¡± ¡°No! This is non¨Cnegotiable.¡± Roger had already made up his mind. ¡°I¡®m not going abroad.¡± Ste could not understand. ¡°You¡®re an adult already. Are you still afraid of going abroad? I¡®ve consulted with people in the industry. It¡®s a waste for people with your talent to skip this offer ¡°I don¡®t care about these things! I just want to start work as soon as possible and support you!¡± ¡°Don¡®t you understand? I can support myself.¡± Ste was annoyed. It was the first time she spoke to him in such a tone. She sounded a little impatient too. ¡°Just mind your own business. Stop thinking about all the nonsense. Your good future is the best reward for me, understand?¡°| ¡°Sis¨C¡± Roger was about to say something, but Ste cut him off. ¡°I still have something to do. Wait for me downstairs. I¡®ll be there in half an hour.¡± ¡°What do you want to do? I¡®ll do it for you!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ste nced at him. ¡°It¡®s a gynecological problem. Do you want to follow me too? What do you know about gynecology?¡± Roger¡®s face turned a little red when he heard this. He took a step back. ¡°Then go. I¡®ll wait for you downstairs. I¡®ll sort out the clutter for you first.¡± Ste responded with a hum. Then, she turned around and went to the other clinic. Roger watched her leave and then went to clean up the ward. After that, he waited for her downstairs. After Roger left, Ste took out her cell phone and looked at the page she had just searched. She did not know where she should go in this case, so she went straight to the gynecology department. Fortunately, there was one spot for online reservation for the specialist consultation today. She got the slot, so she came to the clinic and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± A soft female voice sounded. Ste found the voice a little familiar and pushed the door open without thinking much. However, she was surprised to see the female doctor in the office as she entered the room. It was Zeta. ¡°Hello. How can I help you?¡± Zeta did not look up and gestured for her to sit down. Ste closed the door behind her and sat down in front of Zeta. She opened her mouth and was unsure what to say for a moment. ¡°I wanted to ask if there¡®s any medicine to ovee sexual aversion disorder.¡± When Zeta heard her question, she paused writing for a while as she found Ste¡®s voice familiar. She put down her pen and looked up. ¡°You are?¡± She was a little surprised. When she looked at this familiar face in front of her, she thought she had seen Ste¡®s ghost for a moment. Not many people in Ahn City knew about the case where Ste and Guinevere were kidnapped together. It was kept under wraps in Ahn City. However, Zeta was Ste¡®s doctor who almost helped with her abortion operation, so she remembered her. When she saw the rumors on the Inte, she thought they were false. After that, she heard from the people in her circle that it was true. However, she was told not to pay too much attention to it to avoid trouble, so she stopped thinking about it. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She felt pity that Ste fell from the building and died with the child in her womb, but she did not think much about it. After all, it was an ident. After a while, she seldom thought about it. She did not expect to see Ste again here. ¡°Didn¡®t you already...¡± She was so shocked that she remained speechless for a long time. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 After a sudden realization, Zeta finally asked with some difficulty, ¡°Why are you here? Does Weston know?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Then, she wanted to make a phone call. Seeing that, Ste hurriedly pressed her hand and stopped her. A trace of nervousness shed in her eyes, but she quickly calmed down and looked at Zeta nkly. ¡°Sorry. Do you know me?¡± Zeta froze for a moment. ¡°Don¡®t you remember? I was your attending doctor when you were in the hospital. I was the one who advised you best not to abort your child easily. You have a rare blood type, so there¡®s a good chance that you¡®ll only have this one child in your life...¡± After she finished, Ste looked more and more puzzled. ¡°How do you know that I have a rare blood type?¡± ¡°Because I know you. I was your doctor...¡± Zeta said and became more and more confused.¡± What¡®s wrong with you? Have you lost your memory?¡°|| Ste shook her head. Then, she suddenly looked like something dawned on her. ¡°Did you confuse me with another person? I met some who imed I look like a friend of theirs. I heard we¡®re almost identical...¡± Zeta was stunned. She seemed to be in disbelief. ¡°What¡®s your name?¡± ¡°My name is E.¡± Ste said sincerely, ¡°Do I really look that much like that person?¡± ¡°Yes... It¡®s exactly the same...¡± Zeta was still skeptical and not fully convinced. She just stared straight at Ste¡®s face. ¡°You said your name is E... How can you not be the same person when your name is so simr, and you both have a rare blood type...¡± Zeta was in a state of disbelief. She even wondered if she was hallucinating from her work exhaustion. Zeta stood up suddenly and, to Ste¡®s surprise, rushed to the bathroom in the office. She turned on the tap and washed her face with cold water. She looked at the haggard face in the mirror and sobered up a little. Then, she walked back out. Ste remained seated and unmoved. That was when she was convinced that she had really seen a ghost. If she was not a ghost, then she was a woman who looked exactly like Ste. She said her name was E. Like Ste, she had a rare blood type too. It was all too coincidental. Zeta had seen quite a few bizarre things before, but this was still a little hard to believe. Ste smiled at her and appeared like she was used to this. ¡°Last time, a woman came up to me out of the blue and called me Ste... But I¡®ve never met that woman before.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Zeta asked without thinking much. ¡°Guinevere. Do you know her? She¡®s a big star.¡± Zeta nodded. ¡°Ah, Guinevere¡­¡± When she took Ste¡®s case, she probably understood her rtionship with Weston too. Weston and Guinevere were known to be an unmarried couple, so she could understand Guinevere¡®s reaction. ¡°You do look a lot like a friend of ours. You¡®re so identical that...¡± She paused and looked at Ste¡®s face again. She said slowly, ¡°That I feel as if you two were the same person.¡± ¡°But I¡®m really not,¡± Ste said helplessly. ¡°Guinevere even found me at work and kept calling me Ste. After that, she was somehow convinced that we were indeed two different people and stopped bothering me after that...¡±. ¡°Is that so...¡± If Guinevere had already approached her and had not bothered her again, that meant E was indeed not the Ste she knew. Zeta sobered up a little and shook her head. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I was a little rude just now.¡° Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 The probability of such a bizarre thing happening was very small, but it was still usible. However, the odds were probably the same as winning the lottery: It was very, very rare. Zeta regained her senses and epted this potential possibility. Then, she finally rernembered that she was a doctor. ¡°By the way, do you feel unwell somewhere?¡± Ste nodded and felt embarrassed. She struggled to ask, ¡°I wanted to ask... Do you have any of those pills?¡± ¡°What pills?¡± ¡°Something to treat sexual dysfunction. During sex, if a female experiences significant aversion to sexual stimtion, is there any kind of medicine that can treat it?¡± she said intermittently, but Zeta understood what she meant. She was a little stunned. ¡°Why do you need this medicine?¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered a little. She did not answer the question and only asked, ¡°Is there any medicine for this?¡±. She was reluctant to exin too much to Zeta. After all, this was the doctor she once knew. Even if Zeta really believed that she was not Ste, she might suspect itter and make a big deal out of it. She did not want everyone to know about her existence. Before Zeta could get over Ste¡®s face, she was shocked by her request. Wave after wave of bizarreness hit her, making her a little confused.¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®m a doctor, and I shouldn¡®t ask too much about my patients¡¯ personal lives... But your request isn¡®t amon one. It¡®s my responsibility to take care of my patients. I can¡®t prescribe medicines so easily. Can you understand?¡± ¡°I understand...¡± ¡°If you¡®re so repulsive by the man, why do you want to have sex with him?¡± ¡°No, it¡®s my own problem.¡± Ste bit the bullet and made up a reason on the spot. ¡°I became significantly repulsive to men after an ident... But this isn¡®t specific to one person, so I¡®m hoping to get some help through medication.¡± That was when Zeta understood her implication. ¡°Did you experience some trauma and have posttraumatic stress? Could that be why you reject men?¡± This was not umon. ¡°If you¡®re so ufortable from this, your significant other should face this problem with you. He shouldn¡®t let youe alone to prescribe some so¨Ccalled medicine so that you can have sex with him.¡± ¡°I understand, but...¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡¯ve tried many things, and he¡®s been waiting for me for a long time.¡± She sounded embarrassed. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Why would Zeta not understand? She was probably just a silly woman who wanted to sacrifice her own health for the needs of the man. She had been a doctor for years and was used to seeing these situations. Many women were willing to hurt themself to please men. They were willing to take drastic measures and hurt their health just for the pleasure between men ahd women. She shook her head. ¡°I can¡®t help you. You can go to the endocrinologist.¡± ¡°I see. I understand.¡± Ste did not stay any longer. She got up quickly and was about to leave. She could not stay any longer, especially in front of someone she knew. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Zeta suddenly called out to Ste when she was about to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Zeta stood up and removed her white coat. ¡°I happened to be done with work. Why don¡®t we leave together? The endocrinology department should be off work too. Do you want to have a meal together?¡± Ste stiffened. ¡°That¡®s not necessary...¡± She could barely manage a smile. ¡°Let¡®s talk.¡± Zeta walked up to her. ¡°You¡®re really simr to a friend of mine,¡± she could not help but exim again. ¡°Really?¡± Ste avoided her eyes. Zeta patted her shoulder. ¡°Although I can¡®t help you much as a doctor, I¡®m just an ordinary woman without my white coat. Can I chat to you as a woman?¡± Since she had said so, Ste could not avoid her anymore. She could only reluctantly nod. The two of them went to the hospital cafeteria. While on the way, someone said hello to Zeta. Ste could tell that Zeta was a gentle and casual person in private and rxed a little. When they arrived at the cafeteria, they got their meals and sat opposite each other. Zeta still could not get used to seeing Ste¡®s face. ¡°E ...¡± she called out to her. Ste looked up. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡®s nothing.¡± Zeta put down her cutleries. She still felt a little emotional. ¡°I can¡®t help but think of Ste when I see your face....¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry about it.¡± Ste smiled at her. ¡°You¡®ll get used to it.¡± Yvonne reacted the same way at first. She was hesitant to speak to her because of her face, but she finally epted the fact that she was E as time passed. Time could always heal everything, including those deeply rooted habits. Besides, she was just someone they met by chance. After taking two bites, Zeta suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, you have a boyfriend, right?¡± Her seemingly unintentional sentence suddenly made the atmosphere tense. Ste¡®s eyes flickered, and she gave a vague response. Zeta did not seem to expect such a reaction from her. She frowned a little. ¡°You were asking for that kind of drug in the consultation room earlier... You have a boyfriend, right?¡± Ste¡®s mouth twitched a little. She was silent for a moment. Seeing that, Zeta could only ease the tense situation. ¡°It¡®s fine if you don¡®t want to talk about it.¡± Ste curled her lips, but she did not smile. ¡°It¡®s not something worth saying...¡± ¡°Are you and your boyfriend not in a good rtionship?¡± Zeta asked tentatively. She had seen too many of these women. They tried so hard to fix their rtionship with their significant others at the cost of their own health. However, the end result was often terrible. She did not know if E was one of those people. However, her face reminded her of the poor woman before, so she could not help but want to help her. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. This was something out of her job scope. She could have left her alone, but she could not. Ste took two bites and suddenly lost her appetite. ¡°I¡®m sorry, doctor. I remember I had something to do, so I have to go now...¡± she said and was about to get up. Zeta looked at her in surprise. ¡°You haven¡®t even finished eating¡­ You¡®ve only taken a few bites.¡° Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 She looked at the remaining food on the bowl and thought she had offended her or something. ¡°If you don¡®t want to talk about it, I¡®ll stop asking. Why don¡®t you go after you eat?¡± Zeta knew she could not force things. Ste shook her head. ¡°Sorry. My stomach has been a little sick, and I always lose appetite easily. I didn¡®t mean to waste food...¡± ¡°I didn¡®t mean it that way,¡± Zeta said and shut up. She found E to be very sensitive and disliked being misunderstood. She hesitated a little and asked, ¡°Where are you going? I can give you a ride. I¡®m off work too, and I don¡®t have any work this afternoon.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No, I can take a taxi myself.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡®ll walk you to the door.¡± Zeta sighed and did not push her anymore. ¡°Wait for me! I¡®ll be done soon!¡± Ste responded and stood still. She just watched Zeta from there. Zeta ate quickly. After years of experience as a doctor, she finished the rest of her meal like a breeze. Ste watched her eat and was a little stunned. ¡°I can wait for you. You don¡®t have to eat so fast ¡°This is just my normal speed. It¡®s normal.¡± Zeta chuckled. ¡°You haven¡®t seen me at my busiest time; I breathe in the food like a storm.¡± The two of them got along well, talking about the usual small things. They wereughing and joking as they walked out. Zeta put her lunch box on the iron shelf. As she turned, she saw a man walking toward her. Her face changed immediately. ¡°What¡®s wrong? ¡°Ste noticed her sudden silence and stopped walking too. As she followed her line of sight, she suddenly saw a familiar man appearing on the path in the garden outside the cafeteria. It was Xavier. Xavier was dressed in a ck suit, looking like he had juste from apany meeting. There was an elite aura in his movements. Besides, he had a handsome face. He attracted the attention of many people by just standing there. Many nurses who came out of the cafeteria blushed when they saw him. They lowered their heads and mumbled to each other. Xavier was a little impatient. He raised his watch to check the time and looked this way. When he saw Zeta, he paused a little and then strode to her. Ste was repulsed by Xavier¡®s presence. She thought Xavier hade to see her. Then, she noticed that the woman beside her seemed to be a little stiff. Her grip on Ste was tightening. Zeta finally snapped to attention when Ste spoke up and reminded her. ¡°Sorry... I¡¯m so sorry. Did I hurt you?¡± Ste shook her head. She became a little curious. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Zeta did not say anything and managed a smile at her. Xavier was already in front of them in the next second. He looked straight at Zeta. ¡°The old man asked me toe and pick you up. Let¡®s go.¡± After he said that, he turned to leave. He did not see Ste. His emotions were clearly written on his face and action. He was very annoyed. He was having a good time earlier, but his family suddenly called and said they wanted to see Zeta. It was true that Zeta was his fianc¨¦e, but he was never fond of her. He had been impatient with her since he was a child, but she kept running after him and clinging to him. However, it got a lot better when they grew up. Zeta got her own job, and Xavier finally had his personal space. However, his family still threatened him to spend time with Zeta from time to time. Therefore, he was still very impatient with her.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Zeta looked like a smart and capable woman before, but she changedpletely in front of Xavier. She became slow to respond and answered in a daze, ¡°Okay...¡± When Xavier stood in front of her, she finally came to her senses again. She wanted to put her hand in the crook of his arm, but Xavier took a step back in disgust. ¡°You just ate. You didn¡®t even wipe your hands.¡± Zeta hurriedly withdrew her hand. ¡°I¡®ll go wash my hands first.¡± After she finished speaking, Xavier finally noticed Ste standing beside Zeta. He froze for a moment. ¡°E?¡± He cocked his eyebrow in surprise. ¡°What a small world, running into you in such a ce... Eh? You know Zeta?¡± When Zeta heard that, she stopped in her tracks. She looked at Ste and Xavier. ¡°You two... know each other?¡± Xavier¡®s yful voice sounded meaningful. ¡°More than that.¡± Ste¡¯s face turned a little ugly. She was not warm toward Xavier. She looked at Zeta and said, ¡° Doctor, since you¡®re busy, I¡®ll leave now...¡± ¡°What? Why are you leaving now? Are you afraid I¡®ll say something about you?¡± Xavier treated Ste casually in Weston¡®s absence. He knew Weston had something special for Ste, but his real other half was still Guinevere. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste was at most a private ything to him. Zeta could hear the frivolity in his tone. She frowned in displeasure. ¡°E is my friend. She¡®s not like those women out there! Don¡®t scare her with that attitude of yours!¡± Xavier had a known reputation as a yboy. She knew he had been having his fun with all the female stars outside. Even so, for some reason, Zeta had a crush on him. She had been following him around since childhood, like his shadow. She knew she was being shameless, but she could not help it. The two of them were still engaged. In any case, Xavier still had to treat her nicely. Zeta could not help thinking about it. Would Xavier be happy if she stopped loving him one day? Xavier did not expect Zeta to speak up for Ste. ¡°When did you two meet?¡± he asked. Zeta changed the topic. ¡°E is busy. I¡®ll send her to the hospital entrance ande back to youter...¡± When she was about to leave, Xavier suddenly grabbed her arm. His face was a little sullen.¡° Are you telling me to wait for you? I¡®ve been waiting for you for almost ten minutes.¡± Zeta had always been the one who waited for Xavier. Xavier was an impatient man. All his patience was spent on other women. Zeta took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick. I won¡¯t keep you waiting.¡± Ste interrupted the two. ¡°It¡®s fine. I can find my own way.¡± After saying that, she left straight away without waiting for Zeta to say anything. Zeta looked at Ste¡®s back and wanted to go after her. However, Xavier grabbed her arm and stopped her before he pulled her back. ¡°Come on. You shouldn¡®t deal with that kind of person.¡± His voice was so clear that Ste heard everything. She quickened her pace and suddenly remembered what Lucas had told Yvonne too. These men appeared nice in Weston¡®s presence, and they would not say anything mean to her. However, they always expressed their disdain for her in private and showed it to their other halves. Ste shut her eyes as hershes trembled a little. It was all these people who made her understand clearly. She had always been a ything to Weston. She sank her nails deep into her palms and used the stinging pain to stay awake. She had to find a way to climb out of this abyss called Weston at all costs. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Meanwhile, at the cafeteria entrance. It was the first time that Xavier¡®s action upset Zeta a little. She asked, ¡°Why are you so against her?¡± Then, she uttered, ¡°You haven¡®t told me. How did you meet her?¡± Xavier sneered, ¡°You just have to know one thing. This kind of woman isn¡®t simple. You should stay away from her.¡± He did not really want to tell her much about Weston. Zeta was very pure. All she did from childhood to adulthood was study. When she grew up, she went straight to work in the hospital. She was dedicated to her work and had a simple private life. It was inappropriate to share these with her. Zeta gave him a rare scowl. ¡°You refuse to say anything, and you¡®re so rude to my friend. I know you don¡®t like me, but there¡®s no need to belittle me like this.¡± Xavier froze for a moment. He did not expect her to say that. He became a little annoyed and lit a cigarette. ¡°I¡®ve always been like this. If you don¡®t like it, you can tell your grandparents. I promise I won¡®t appear in front of you again and annoy you.¡± ¡°You know that¡®s not what I meant...¡± Zeta took a deep breath and smelled a choking smoke. The corners of her eyes turned red. ¡°Xavier, you can¡®t bully me like that,¡± she suddenly said in a trembling voice. Zeta rarely had mood swings in front of him. She always gave in to him and tolerated him. It was Xavier¡®s first time seeing her look like she was about to cry. He paused and shook off the cigarette ash in his hands. Itnded on his index finger and caused a burning pain on his skin. He looked at Zeta¡®s face gloomily. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you crying?¡± He turned his head away, unwilling to see Zeta cry. He was not a man who was afraid of a woman¡®s tears. There were times when he found their tears so enticing and felt sorry for them. A woman¡®s tears were at best a kind of flirtatious pleasure for him. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. His women outside asionally shed a tear or two in front of him. He did not care if they were really crying, but he was always happy to coax them¨C¨Cof course, only if he was in a good mood. Zeta had never cried in front of him. Her eyes were a little red, and she was not even crying. This sent a wave of annoyance to his heart. He felt impatient and agitated. ¡°Anyway, stay away from E. Do you hear me?¡°. Zeta did not say anything or agree with him. The silencested for a while. After that, she said, ¡°Aren¡®t Grandpa and Grandma waiting for us at home? Let¡®s go.¡± She walked straight ahead immediately after saying that. Xavier¡®s annoyance grew while he looked at her back. Zeta had never given him such a look before. ¡®All this for E? What the heck, he thought. He cursed in his heart and strode to follow her) Ste did not know where to go after leaving the hospital. She was unwilling to return to Stardust Mansion. If Weston had not forced her to, she would never step foot in Stardust Mansion again. She had no work on the set too. She would be a nuisance to them if she went over. There was no news from Weston on her phone. Ste thought about it and finally went to the school. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Ste had been thinking about Roger¡®s study. She had to find out more about Roger¡®s offer to study abroad. When she arrived at Fern University, it was still school time. Ste went straight to the school office. There was a teacher there for parents. She approached the information desk. ¡°Hello, I¡®d like to inquire about the offer to study abroad.¡± The intern teacher politely told her, ¡°Mr. Hall is in charge of this. You can go to his office.¡± With that, she showed her the way. Ste hesitated a little and finally went to Justin¡®s office. She had been there before and was familiar with the way. She stood at the door and knocked. ¡°Come in.¡± Ste pushed the door open and walked in. Immediately, she met with a woman. Tina was stunned. She was leaving in a hurry and did not expect Ste toe in. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her tone sounded a little odd. Justin was tidying up his desk. When he heard that, he looked up and was surprised to see Ste too. ¡°E?¡± He stood up and walked toward her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Tina watched Justin get up and greet Ste warmly. Her surprise turned into a faint mockery. She gave him a look and said, ¡°Earlier, you said you had nothing to do with her anymore, but you¡®re still so warm to her.¡± She paused a little and warned Justin, ¡°I don¡®t care about your private life, but you¡®d better watch it in front of your son.¡± The two seemed to have discussed something. The atmosphere between them was not very friendly. Justin looked at her indifferently. ¡°I don¡®t need you to teach me how to do things.¡± ¡°I hope you¡®ll remember what you said!¡± After saying that, Tina rposed her expression and left without looking back. She did not bother saying hello to Ste. As far as she was concerned, Ste was the cause of many things. Tina was awyer, so she was sensible enough to know that Ste was not to me for this. Even so, she could not treat her with courtesy. The person she med the most was Justin. Tina and Justin had been separated for years, so it was only normal for them to find new partners. However, the thought that Bryce was almost taken away by that crazy Weston that day was haunting She was not against Justin finding someone else, but she hoped he would find someone reliable. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. They were both busy with work and always neglected their son. They both felt guilty about what happened, yet they could not help but me each other. Justin¡®s face eased a little after Tina¡®s departure. He looked at Ste and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ste subconsciously closed the door. After thinking about it, she finally reopened the door. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Justin watched her actions thoughtfully but said nothing. He told her to sit down across the desk. ¡°You came to see me. I assume you have some business?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I wanted to ask about Robb¡®s offer to study abroad.¡± Justin could probably tell her intentions. He wanted to cut to the chase, but after thinking about it, he decided to exin. ¡°Sorry about earlier. Tina and I have a little disagreement. She has no problem with you. She¡®s just unhappy with me.¡± Ste was actually a little curious about Justin¡®s matters with Tina. She asked politely, ¡°Mr. Hall, why are you guys always so tense? When you divorced, didn¡®t you separate peacefully?¡± Justin understood her implication andughed at himself mockingly. ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t that bad. It was a peaceful breakup. There were no major conflicts or cheating...¡± The two were still making efforts to keep the family steady even the day before the divorce. ¡°Then why did you get divorced anyway?¡± Justin could not exin clearly. ¡°Perhaps we just didn¡®t see the need to stay together anymore. So, we divorced. However, we didn¡®t announce it immediately because of my son.¡± After a long time, Bryce finally discovered it. He threw a tantrum and almost ran away from home. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. After they got Bryce back, they agreed on how they wanted to raise their son after the divorce. From that point on, Justin and Tina realized that they were almost like strangers. Their divorce was a peaceful negotiation, but as time went on their resentment for each other grew. It grew to the point where the mere sight of each other would make them fight. ¡°Forget it. Let¡®s not talk about me. What¡®s the reason you came today?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask about Robb.¡± Justin pulled out a file. ¡°About his offer to study abroad, right? I¡®ve spoken to him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°What did he say?¡± Justin¡®s tone was a little heavy. ¡°I intended to talk to you about this. To be frank, this offer to study abroad is very beneficial to him. With his qualification, he¡®ll have a good prospect if he can go abroad to further study. There¡®s still a certain gap between the research level domestically and abroad. If he can learn foreign advanced technology and thene back to contribute to the country, I trust he¡®ll have a good future. But...¡± He frowned. ¡°He refused me decisively without even saying anything. I was going to discuss this with you.¡± Ste paused for a moment. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®ll talk to him about this. I¡®m here mainly to make sure...¡± Soon, it was evening. Justin got up from his seat. ¡°I happened to be free. Why don¡®t we have dinner together?¡± Ste was about to refuse, but Justin added, ¡°You can ask Robb to join us. We can have dinner in the cafeteria and talk about it.¡± Ste could not refuse since he said that, so she called Roger. Roger thought Ste paid him a special trip, but he saw Justin was there too. His face sank. ¡°Sis, Mr. Hall...¡± Justin noticed that he greeted Ste first and did notment about it. He told him to sit across from him. ¡°You should know what your sister and I want to talk about, right?¡± ¡°This is our own business. Mr. Hall, I hope you can give me the space to make my own choices. I don¡®t want outsiders to interfere...¡± Roger made his position clear before he even sat down. Ste¡®s face turned gloomy. ¡°Have you ever wanted to discuss this matter with me? Why did you refuse? Studying abroad is a great opportunity for you.¡± ¡°I already said I don¡®t want to leave...¡± ¡°You¡®re an adult.¡± Justin could not help but say, ¡°It¡®s your future. I hope you can talk to E about it.¡± The two of them seemed to be preaching. This provoked Roger and made him rebellious. He stood up abruptly. ¡°I know you¡®re here to convince me, but I¡®ve already decided. It¡®s useless for you to say anything!¡± Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 After that, Roger turned to leave. No matter how Ste shouted behind him, he would not turn around. Ste did not even have time to eat and rushed after him. When she was going down the steps, she identally sprained her leg. Justin followed behind her and gave her a hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡®m fine.¡°Ste subconsciously pushed his hands away. When she wanted to move forward, Justin said behind her, ¡°He¡®s not going to listen to anything in this situation. Let¡®s forget it and talk to him when he¡®s calmed down...¡± Ste listened to him and calmed down. She also knew that Roger would not listen to anything she said now. She could only sigh. ¡°I¡®ll talk to himter. Thank you for your time today, Mr. Hall...¡± ¡°No worries. He¡®s my student too.¡± Justin paused a little and added, ¡°No matter what, I will not leave his affairs unattended.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mr. Hall.¡± Ste did not know if he was implying something else by his words. Even if there was, she could not understand it. Justin told her, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home¡ª¡°. ¡°No need.¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°I still have things to do, so I won¡®t keep you, Mr. Hall.¡± She had been keeping a strict distance from him since their previous conversation. Justin could tell that she did not want to have anything to do with him unless it was about Roger. Although this was the best ending, he was a little reluctant to ept it. ¡°Are you still avoiding me?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re overthinking.¡± Justin looked at her eyes and suddenly felt a little depressed. ¡°I¡®m just offering you a ride. Won¡®t you give me this chance? I still speak to my student¡®s parents asionally.¡± Ste smiled reluctantly. ¡°No, thanks...¡± Justin walked ahead of her. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll walk you to the school gate. You drove here, right?¡± Ste nodded. Seeing that he went straight ahead, she could only follow him. However, she kept a short distance behind him. Since she had already spoken to him, she should cut ties properly. Ste did not want to make more trouble at this time. The two passed by the pavilion, like they didst time. Justin subconsciously slowed down and talked about that student named Jack. ¡°I¡®ve punished Tack and he¡®s moved out of the dorm. I don¡®t think he¡®d get into any more problems with Robb.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ste then realized who he was talking about and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall. Robb must have caused you a lot of trouble at school¡­¡± ¡°It¡®s only right.¡± Justin noticed that Ste was willing to talk to him more when it came to Roger. Therefore, he subtly made Roger the conversation topic. *He¡®s a very talented student. In all my years of teaching, I¡®ve rarely seen good students like Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste got excited. ¡°He has always been very smart, especially in this field. He used to pester our parents to buy aputer for him when he was a child. Anyway, they did not agree to it because they were worried that he might get addicted toputer games. He even threw a tantrum because of that.¡± Listening to her talking about Roger, Justin rxed gradually. ¡°I have seen a lot of siblings that are not close because of parental favoritism.¡± She was aware of this as well. However, she was the lucky one. ¡°My parents treated us equally since we were young, so we have always been close. They let us make our own decisions on most things. Like when I said that I liked ying the piano, they bought me the best piano, and when I said that I liked dancing, they sent me to the best dance academy. Robb is different. He likesputers. My parents did not let him have one because they were worried about him getting addicted to it; that was why he always said that they favored me over him. But I know they love us the same no more, no less.¡± ¡°I can see that you two have a good rtionship.¡± Justin sighed, ¡°Years ago, Bryce¡®s mother and I once nned to have a second child. When we asked Bryce about the idea, he was very reluctant without caring if it would be a brother or a sister. He said that he was worried that his younger sibling would snatch away our love.¡± He suddenly paused and looked at Ste when he realized that he had talked about having a second child with Tina. When he found that there was no particr expression on her face, he sighed with relief. However, he then felt an inexplicable disappointment, thinking that she should not be so calm. ¡°Tina and I were over long ago. The only rtionship I have with her now is just that we are Bryce¡®s parents.¡± She was a bit surprised by his action of exining it to her. ¡°If there is no deep hatred between you and Tina, I think that you can try to get along again. I¡®suppose Bryce wants to see his father and mother together in a harmonious family. Don¡®t you think so?¡± He froze, not expecting that she would say that. He gave a self¨Cmockingugh. ¡°It seems like I don¡®t stand any chance at all with you.¡± She froze, not knowing what to say. And so, the two stood quietly on the path by the gazebo. She said, ¡°You can leave me here. I will go and get a car out front.¡± Seeing that she was avoiding him, he knew that he was a bit impulsive and suppressed his feelings in the end. ¡°Okay. I¡®ll leave you here. If there is anything that Robb needs, I will inform you right away.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She fished out her phone and texted the chauffeur. She was afraid that Justin would keep talking if the car did note over. Then, a ck car came. He asked automatically, ¡°Is that your car?¡± She nodded, but then realized that something was not right. Without saying anything, she put away her phone and walked to the familiar car. The door of the passenger seat was locked. The chauffeur rolled down the car window and said, ¡°Ms. Steele, please sit in the back.¡± She hesitated, as if she already had a hunch. Still, she pretended not to feel anything, opened the car door, and got into the car. Sure enough, the moment she closed the car door, her eyes met with a pair of ck eyes. The man¡®s eyes were cold, as if covered with frost, and the next moment, he pinned her directly into the seat. ¡°Are you not taking my words seriously?¡± Weston held her waist forcefully with one hand and her chin with another to make her stare into his eyes. ¡°You went to Justin the moment you were free. Am I dead to you?¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 She struggled for a while. She did not expect Weston toe here at this time. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you weren¡®ting back tonight?¡± ¡°¡®If I didn¡®t, you woulde and look for Justin, huh? It seems you have been plotting it for a long time.¡± He seemed to be enraged and med everything on her. ¡°If I hadn¡®t asked the chauffeur toe here, how long would you flirt with him? ¡°Ste, I never noticed that you actually like to do this.¡± The man was gritting his teeth. ¡°Is a forty¨Cyear¨Cold man more attractive to you? Or is it that you find it fulfilling to be someone¡®s stepmother?¡± Perhaps he was really angry, seeing that all the humiliating words wereing out of his mouth. Her face grew pale as she listened. Suddenly, she raised her hand and hit him hard. He dodged it, and the pnded on his shoulder, making a loud crisp sound. The chauffeur in front knowingly raised the partition. Her breathing was short, and her eyes were red. ring at him, she said, ¡°At this point, what are you still not happy about? Just how doubtful are you to think that I can start over with Justin by now?¡± He was sensible to know that it would be impossible for the two to get together again. But the moment he thought about her having the idea to marry Justin, a wave of uncontroble anger would surge in his heart. He would not allow any other man to look at her even once. ¡°Since there is no possibility between you and him, why did you go to him again and again? Don¡®t take me for a fool, Ste!¡± He held her in front of him, not allowing her to move. He stared at her and suddenly kissed her uncontrobly. He wrapped his arms around her so hard that it was as if he wanted to devour her. Every time he saw her with another man, he would lose his sanity. ¡°Mmph.¡± She was ufortable with the kiss. He was smacking hard on her lips; it did not feel like a kiss, but a punishment. She wanted to push him away, but he leaned forward to squeeze her hard. His passion was too much for her to resist. Soon, the kiss changed. Sensing his intention, she could not help but shout, ¡°No! Weston, don¡®t!¡± Her whole body was trembling. Feeling where the man put his hands, she was petrified. ¡°Don¡®t do this to me, please...¡± She was very scared of his touch and resented his intimacy. She had goosebumps all over her body when he touched her like this. And she could not help but think about the lost child. What was she doing? What was she doing with him? She clearly despised him. She was so disgusted... She swore that she would never see him again in this lifetime. She felt like she was going back on her word. She was stepping on the body of her lost child and kissing this man. She could not do it. She really could not. She cried in silence. Her eyes were red as she tried hard to shed no tears. But he saw her tears gushing like a downpour. He did not know how to describe this feeling. Disappointment, pain, and heartbreak. He slowed down, from the initially fierce storm to a force filled with warmth and affection.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Weston gently kissed her on the side of her hair. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I won¡®t touch you just vet.¡± He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I will wait until the day you are willing.¡± Lving in his arms, Ste listened to his heartbeat and thought to herself sarcastically, ¡®Never. That day will nevere.¡® In the old mansion of the Taylors. Though Xavier and Zeta were not on good terms, they still visited the two elders filially. Zeta¡®s grandparents had always doted on her. She was the youngest granddaughter in the family and grew up under their watchful eyes. In fact, they never agreed on the marriage between her and Xavier. But because she loved him, they went along with her wishes. The car slowly drove into the mansion. When she got out of the car, she went to Xavier and took his arm. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. This time, he did not push her away. Instead, he courteously took her inside. He knew that they had to act as if they had a good rtionship in front of the elders. No matter how outrageous their reputation was on the outside, what families like theirs valued the most was the superficial harmony. She also gathered herself. Just as they walked down the hall, they heard her grandparents chatting and laughing about something in the room. As soon as they came over, the housekeeper hurriedly informed them. Hearing some noises, Mrs. Taylor stood up and waved at her happily. ¡°Darling, you¡®re here! Come here. We were just talking about you.¡± Mr. Taylor nodded at his granddaughter as well. They had always doted on their granddaughter. And only then did they see Xavier and greet him in a friendly manner. The marriage between the two families had been set when they were very little, so both families were familiar with each other. Although they knew about Xavier¡®s affair outside, they turned a blind eye to it since he did not do anything that embarrassed both families. All the people in the circle knew that. He was the youngest son in that family. Though the same age as Weston, he was of the same generation as Chris. He had been pampered since young. Like Zeta, he never suffered any grievances. Hence, they could understand him having some bad habits. As long as Zeta truly loved him, they would not say anything. ¡°We were just talking about you two, and here you are.¡± ¡°It has been a while since I visited you.¡± Xavier always showed the best of him in front of the elders. He appeared thoughtful and filial. ¡°Here are some presents for you. I hope you like them.¡± He was always good at coaxing women. Mrs. Taylor was a woman after all. Looking at the presents he brought, she could not help smiling. ¡°That is so sweet of you!¡± They engaged in small talk. Both families were naturally very optimistic about their rtionship. It was gettingte, so after dinner, the two elders asked them to stay the night. This had been a routine over the years. Knowing this would happen beforeing here, they agreed to it. This had been a regr social activity for the two. They stayed over at Xavier¡®s cest time, so it was here this time. Their rooms had been prepared in advance. As they were not married yet, they stayed in separate rooms. Although the elders did not mind this, Zeta still retained her bottom line.. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Zeta finished washing up. Sitting in front of theputer, she was reminded of E¡®s incident today. She thought about it for a while and then fetched a book to read.. After that, she turned on herptop and surfed the web. If E really needed that medicine, Zeta was worried that she might find other ways to get it even if she did not prescribe it to her. If so, she would not be able to guarantee the safety of the medicine. She felt uneasy but was unsure of what she was doing. Although she had refused E, she still wanted to help her subconsciously. She was looking up the information when the servant suddenly knocked on the door and said, ¡°Miss, Mrs. Taylor wants to talk to you.¡± She hummed in reply. She stood up and left her room without turning off theptop. Coincidentally, Xavier received a call and then wanted to talk to her. Just as he reached the door, he found that she did not close the door, so he knocked on it, but there was no one inside. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He frowned and walked into the room. ¡°Zeta, I aming in.¡± Nobody replied. He looked around, and his eyes fell on the screen of theptop she had left open. He was nning to leave, but his eyes were drawn to the words on it. ¡°Treatments for sexual aversion disorder include psychological intervention and drug treatment.¡± He sat down immediately and read all the information on the screen seriously as uncertainty shed across his eyes. Why was she reading this? She was sexually repulsed? He could not tell how he felt. He was a yboy who had no restriction on this. He was open¨Cminded and did not have double standards, nor did he have such requirements for women. Usually, the women he liked were veterans in this area. For adult men and women, as long as they fancied each other, they would get together. If they did not get along, they would break up. There was nothing fussy about it. If it was another woman, he would not be surprised. But this person was Zeta... Since he knew her, she had always been the kind of obedient girl who blushed easily. She had never done anything excessive and was so conservative that it sometimes made him find her to be a little dull. And such a person was actually searching about this on the Inte? Was she getting treatment or nning to do something even more outrageous? The more he thought about it, the more he felt annoyed. He should not have cared about it. But when he thought of Zeta being interested in such things, it would not be good if she was fooled by someone and went astray. After all, she was his fianc¨¦e. Although he did not love her or have any intention of marrying her, he could not just watch her being tricked for the sake of the friendship of the two families. After much contemtion, he decided to talk to her properly. He had something to tell her anyway. Zeta was summoned by her grandmother. ¡°What¡®s the matter, Grandmother?¡± When Mrs. Taylor saw her, she stood up slowly. ¡°Darling.¡± She and the old man were old. Although they were still considered healthy, they were no longer young, so they were not sure if they would still be around if Zeta had a child. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 ¡°Your grandfather is still downstairs. Tell me honestly: How is your rtionship with Xavier?¡± Men were always careless about this kind of thing. But Mrs. Taylor had been down this road before. She could see that although the two respected each other and were not that close. Zeta was stunned, not expecting her grandmother to ask about this. Mrs. Taylor took her hand and brought her to the dressing table. Then, she opened a wooden box and took out a bracelet. ¡°This bracelet was given to me by my grandmother. It was originally intended for your mother...¡± Thinking about it, she was a bit reluctant. When she was young, there was a bit of conflict between her and Zeta¡®s mother, her daughter inw. After a long time, they got over it. And she loved Zeta, her granddaughter, very much. After thinking about it, she still gave her this bracelet. ¡°I don¡®t know how many more years I have left. There are many things we cannot bring with us after death. Now, the only thing that I am concerned about is your wedding.¡± Not expecting her to say such things so suddenly, Zeta could feel her eyes turn red. ¡°Don¡®t say that, Grandmother. You will live a long life!¡± As she was speaking, she leaned on her grandmother¡®s shoulder. Mrs. Taylor patted her head lovingly and sighed. ¡°You are already a grownup; you are not a child anymore. It is very normal for humans to die eventually. You are a doctor yourself, so . you should learn to face death.¡± ¡°No.¡± Although Zeta was a doctor and had seen numerous births and deaths, she had never had the experience of a loved one dying. The moment she thought that her grandparents would leave her one day, her heart ached. She was not willing to let this happen. She said stubbornly, ¡°You will definitely live a long life.¡± Mrs. Taylor sighed, ¡°SillyProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. girl... No matter what, as long as you live a good life, I will have no regrets even if I were in the underworld.¡± ¡°Don¡®t say that, Grandmother!¡± Zeta suddenly got annoyed. She was very repulsed to hear such words. ¡°I don¡®t want to hear it!¡± Mrs. Taylor did not say anything. She stared at Zeta with her cloudy eyes. ¡°When your grandfather and I are still around, we still have the say. Tell us if Xavier bullies you, okay?¡± Zeta was taken aback. She instantly understood that they saw how she interacted with Xavier just now. ¡°Grandmother...¡± Zeta¡®s eyes were getting watery. She was the treasure that her family held in their hearts, yet she waspromising with Xavier. Was this not problematic? Zeta was a bit distracted aftering back from Mrs. Taylor¡®s room. When she saw a man appearing in her room, she was shocked. ¡°What are you doing here, Xavier?¡±. She closed the door and walked in. The man¡®s face was a little grim. Sitting beside the bed, he did not respond. She did not know what she had done wrong that had made him angry, so she asked subconsciously, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± He nced at her. His gaze was devoid of emotion¨Cit was even a little cold. Then, he pushed theptop to her. ¡°What is this?¡± She was still a bit confused. She took a step forward. When her eyes fell on the screen of the notebook, she froze. She hurriedly stepped forward and closed theptop. ¡°How can you snoop around other people¡®s stuff!¡± She raised her voice and said angrily, ¡°Forget the fact that you entered my room without telling me, but why are you peeking at my privacy?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± He was incredulous. ¡°Zeta, don¡®t forget that you are my fianc¨¦e!¡° Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Zeta was amused. ¡°Fianc¨¦e?¡± Hearing the doubt in her words, Xavier inexplicably got a little angry. ¡°Didn¡®t you mean to let me in when you left the door open? ¡°Zeta, you used to be open with me. It¡®s just a web search. What¡®s there that I can¡®t see?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She was infuriated by his rogue logic and red at him fiercely. ¡°In short, you can¡®t look at my stuff in the future!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He did not expect such a reaction from her when he took the initiative to care about her matters for the first time. Heughed sarcastically. ¡°I will not care a thing about you in the future.¡± ¡°You never cared about me before.¡± She was already a bit ufortable. Hearing him speak to her like this, she felt more and more aggrieved. ¡°Anyway, our engagement is just for show. You have so many girlfriends outside. Why don¡®t you go and care for them? Why are you, minding my business?¡± As soon as she said that, his heart sank. Not knowing where his anger came from, he suddenly grabbed her wrists and pushed her to the table at her back. Zeta did not expect such a move from him. She did not have time to react and only felt a sudden pain in her back. Instinctively, she shouted, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Her voice was shrill. outside would hear this and reached out to cover her Xavier seemed to be afraid tha mouth. ¡°Don¡®t scream.¡± His thin lips brushed against her ear, and his voice was a little low and husky. Zeta smelled an unusual intention and stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes. He saw a hint of repulsion and anger in her eyes. It was an emotion that she had never had before. He suddenly felt a bit irritated and nibbled on her earlobe. ¡°What are you staring at me for?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let go of me!¡± He sneered, ¡°Don¡®t you love me a lot? Isn¡®t this what you want?¡± What kind of overweening statement was that? She frowned. ¡°Do I need to remind you that we are only engaged superficially? And it was you who proposed it!¡± ¡°Why? Does it break your heart?¡± Xavier was overwhelmed by anger and could not listen to Zeta¡®s words at all. He only wanted to stubbornly prove that she still had him in her heart. He did not know what kind of state of mind he was in. Maybe it was due to his possessiveness, or maybe he simply did not like the way Zeta rejected him. He took a deep breath. ¡°Let go of me, or I will shout!¡± ¡°Shout if you dare! Let them see what you look like now.¡± As he spoke, he suddenly pinched her chin, and his voice became raspy. ¡°You can let them see how their obedient granddaughter is in my arms...¡± || ¡°Shut up!¡± Her eyes suddenly widened. He could do whatever he wanted, but she could not tolerate him joking about her grandparents! She suddenly struggled violently to make him know that she was really angry. Only then did he loosen his grip slightly and let her go. He swept a nce at theptop coldly. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I won¡®t let them know that I am only superficially engaged to you.¡± She did not say anything, but her face looked a bit disappointed. He might not know that her grandmother had found out about their rtionship. Her grandmother did not reveal her thoughts and treated him as a proper grandson¨Cinw only for her sake. She felt tired. ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡± ¡°Exin this.¡° Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 ¡°Exin what?¡± ¡°Your sexual aversion disorder. Why do you need treatment? And what do you want to do once you¡®re treated?¡± ¡°Who are you to ask me these questions! You have so many girlfriends out there, and I¡®ve never asked you!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Xavier¡®s face suddenly turned cold. ¡°So there really is such a man that you sexually repulse. Are you nning to do something with him after you are cured?¡± Zeta clenched her fists. ¡°So what if it¡®s true? What does it matter to you! We won¡®t get married anyway. Why are you allowed to fool around outside but I¡®m not allowed to have contact with others?¡± The moment she said that, her eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Mmph...¡± Before she could react, he seemed to be stimted by something she said and immediately cupped her face and kissed her. Before he could think clearly, his body moved before his mind did. He kissed her fiercely. She could not react at first. Seeing the man closing his eyes and kissing her passionately, she used all her strength to push him away. He did not flinch at all. There was a world of difference between the strength of a man and a woman. Moreover, Xavier was an avid gym goer, so their body sizes varied greatly. Zeta was no match for him in strength. She had never been in a romantic rtionship or even loved anyone of the opposite sex before. From a very young age, Xavier was the only one in her eyes. He was the hunter with the most prey in the whole of Ahn City, and also the high¨Cquality bachelor in the eyes of the others. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. People might mention Weston, but he was regarded as the bright moon up in the sky, or the unreachable peak of an ice mountain. Apart from Guinevere, the rest of the people had the self¨Cawareness to know that they could not reach him. Even those who thought about it asionally would back off automatically. So, everyone would think of Weston when talking about the most outstanding rich man in Ahn City, but it was Xavier, the womanizer, who broke many hearts. He was skilful when it came to women. A woman who waspletely untouched by the world like Zeta was easily controlled by him. As he was kissing her, he soon found a way to make her aroused. Zeta, who had never experienced such things before, slowly fell for his sudden tenderness. She did not know what was wrong with her. But he seemed to have the natural ability to make women feelfortable. He knew what she liked and where her spots were, even in ces she herself hadn¡®t even known. But they were being stimted by him now. It was just a kiss. Without further action, he could already make a person sink into the whirlpool. After some time, when she was going to bepletely engrossed and her eyes were losing focus, she saw that he had opened his eyes at some point. He was staring at her soberly. At that very moment, she felt as if she was pped hard by something, and she was completely sober. She raised her hand and pped his face hard. A crisp sound was heard, and a clear p mark was seen on his face. His eyes were still fixated on the woman in front of him with undefined emotions. Gasping, she wiped away the water stain from the corner of her mouth. ¡°This is a warning to you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I didn¡®t expect to be warned for kissing my own fianc¨¦e.¡° Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Zeta did not bother to reply to him and turned away from him. ¡°You have your own room. I¡®m going to rest now, so please leave.¡± ¡°I am looking at my fianc¨¦e¡®s room. Why should I leave?¡± Xavier started to mess around. She did not expect him to have such a side and clenched her fists. ¡°What do you want?¡± He pressed closer, showing no intention of leaving. ¡°Tell me who exactly you want to buy this medicine for.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you!¡± Zeta raised her volume. Looking into her eyes, he suddenly saw something fishy. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You are not using it yourself, are you?¡± He was so overwhelmed by his emotions just now that he lost his cool. Seeing her reaction, he calmed down a little. Someone like Zeta would not use this kind of medicine. She was a doctor. It might be her patient who needed it. He suddenly thought of someone and smirked. Tentatively, he asked, ¡°Is it for E?¡± Her brows twitched as she retorted intuitively, ¡°It¡®s not for her!¡± He stared at her for a moment. He had known Zeta for so many years, and he knew exactly what kind of person she was. The moment he saw her reaction, he knew this matter must be rted to E. ¡°I told you to stay away from her.¡± ¡°I said it wasn¡®t her!¡± She was annoyed. It was her professional ethics as a doctor to keep things confidential about her patients. She chased him away as she spoke. ¡°If there is nothing, please leave. I want to rest now.¡± He did not expect that she would talk to him like that because of E! The man¡®s face turned gloomy. ¡°She is not a good person. You should know my nephew, Weston, and they have aplicated rtionship. All in all, don¡®t interfere with her matters.¡± After he said that, she was surprised. ¡°Weston? Why is E with him? Isn¡®t he already married to Guinevere?¡± It was rumored inside the circle that both of them had already had a child. It was just that nobody knew why they did not have a wedding. Heughed sarcastically. ¡°It is not your business. Just remember: Stay away from E.¡± She immediately felt a bit conflicted but did not say anything. He looked at her intensely and then wiped the corner of his mouth suggestively. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She froze for a moment. Perceiving his intention, she red at him and turned her gaze away. Xavier, however, chuckled. He recalled the sensation he had just experienced and thought that it was indeed not bad. He was suddenly a little flustered, not knowing why he had suddenly acted that way to her. After a pause, he did not stay any longer and turned around to leave. She looked at his back and fell into deep thought. At Stardust Mansion, a ck Cullinan slowly drove in through the gate. ¡¤ This vi built on the shoulder of the mountain was at the border of the two cities. The journey back was a bit long. Ste was so sleepy that she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes in a daze, she found her feet hanging in midair and realized she was picked up by Weston. The man carried her and walked steadily into the vi. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 When the door was opened, Joan came to greet them. ¡°Mr. Ford, Ms. Steele, do you need something to eat?¡± Weston nced at the woman in his arms. Seeing that she had woken up, he asked, ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I am not hungry.¡± The man frowned and said to Joan, ¡°Make something she likes.¡± Joan nodded. ¡°Alright, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°I told you¨CI don¡®t want to eat!¡± She waspletely sober and pushed against his chest, trying tond. He, however, held her tight. ¡°Why are you throwing a tantrum with me again?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I am not.¡± She felt a little tired and looked at the sofa. ¡°Put me down. I want to take a shower first. I am quite tired.¡± ¡°Let¡®s go together.¡± He did not do as she wished. He hefted her upward and carried her directly in the direction of the bathroom. She let him carry her and was put in the bathtub in the end. She almost drowned in the tub thest time. The image was still fresh in the man¡®s mind: This time, he did not leave her alone in the bathroom. He filled the tub with water first and then helped her to remove her clothes. Her eyes flickered. She subconsciously tried to avoid his hand, only to see his face sink instantly. ¡°When you were with Justin, did you not let him touch you as well?¡± ¡°I have told you many times there¡®s nothing between me and him!¡± She inexplicably felt a little annoyed. ¡°Mr. Hall and I are people with a bottom line, unlike you!¡± ¡°Unlike me? Then what am I like?¡± He suddenly approached her, and his eyes grew darker and darker. ¡°What am I in your eyes?¡± The bathroom was brightly lit¨Cso bright that he could see the fine hairs on her face. Her skin had always been very good. Even when he looked closely, he could not see any w. It felt even better to touch. He stared at it and reached up to touch it. She wanted to dodge i but the man held the back of her neck and kissed her nose. ¡°Tell me: How are we different?¡± His voice was hoarse, with a hint of danger. She inhaled deeply, unable toprehend his childishness. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Mr. Hall is a man with principles. When I said that I would not entangle with him, I would never cross the line in any way!¡± ¡°I also told you not to meet him again, but what did you do, hmm?¡± The man suddenly reached out to comb her hair. Hands at the back of her head, he ran his slender fingers through her ck hair, lifted her head, and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Why do you always disobey me?¡± ¡°I have tried to avoid him, but he is Roger¡®s teacher. It is impossible for me not to have any contact with him.¡± His eyes turned dark gradually. She met his gaze and felt tight in her chest, unable to guess his emotions. She could only look at him and reiterate, ¡°It has been over between Justin and me for a long time. I know your way of dealing with things. He has a family and will not risk the people he cares about easily, just like me.¡± Her words were clear enough. He had a hold over them. If he had not threatened them, the two of them might have gotten married. He suddenlyughed, exuding steely coldness from the bottom of his lungs. ¡°You do know how to piss me off.¡± Raising his hand, he suddenly turned on the bathroom shower. The cold water sshed on her body. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Ste could not avoid it. Drenched in water, she shivered with her arms crossed. Weston stared at her coldly, as if he did not see it. After a while, he directly squeezed into the bathtub and stretched out his hand to trap her between the wall and himself. She had nowhere to escape. He did not leave the slightest gap for her, so she could only face him directly. She put her hands on his chest and clutched his buttons tightly. He put one hand on his waist and another one under her chin. ¡°I wanted to spare you at first, but you always have to provoke me so much, Ste.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The water spraying out of the shower did not get hot. The two just stood there in the cold water, looking at each other through the hazy water. No one made any further movement. As she was pinned against the wall, her back was cold and a little sore. She seemed to sense that there was no escape tonight, and her hands slowly dropped, as if she was at his mercy. This irritated the man even more. He picked her up directly. Leaving a trail of water along the way, he strode into the bedroom and mmed the door. Joan had made supper for them. Hearing the door m shut with a loud bang, she froze in the hallway. She looked fixedly at the door and finally left quietly, taking the food with her. The two were drenched. He stripped off his shirt and then found thergest bath towel in the closet and wrapped her in After wiping her body, he threw her into the big bed. She sat up straight but remained silent. The man did not show any intention of talking to her. He just unbuckled his belt and tossed it aside in front of her. He walked up to her and kneeled on one knee. ¡°Do you still remember?¡± He held her head with his big hand and pulled her closer as his low and hoarse voice rang in her ears. ¡°Do you still remember what happened in this bed a year ago?¡± She took a deep breath and closed her eyes firmly. She remembered. She would never forget. But she never wanted to relive it again. This time, Guinevere¡®s condition was more severe than any other time in the past. She practically smashed the entire office and could not stop. ¡°Where is he? Where the hell is he?¡± She kept making calls and questioning the people on the other end of the phone. ¡°Where did he go when he was not at Lowe Garden? ¡°Is he in The Dog House? Or somewhere else? Go investigate!¡± It was supposed to be her and Weston¡®s wedding anniyersary, but there was nothing until now. She initially thought that he would be with her, but he left just after a phone call. She had asked many people, including Xavier, Henry, and others, but nobody knew where he was! He said it was work, but she did not find him at the office either. Where the hell did he go? Hayden had something to do and temporarily handed the job over to his colleague. His colleague did not expect it to be a hot potato. ¡°Calm down, Ms. Cohen! This is my office.¡± He was in a very tricky situation. Guinevere was already showing manic symptoms. She was already in such a severe stage; why did they let here to see the doctor alone? Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Guinevere stared coldly at the man in front of him. ¡°Calm down? How can I calm down?¡± If Hayden was here, at least he could calm her down a little. But now, she was facing a psychiatrist who was unfamiliar to her, so she vented all the anger on him. ¡°Is it you? Are you mocking me on purpose? You feel terrified seeing me like this, don¡®t you?¡± ¡°No, I...¡± He ran out of words. This was beyond his professional capability. ¡°I think I should call Dr. Quirk...¡± She grabbed his phone and smashed it onto the floor. The ck smartphone shattered into pieces. The shards of ss were like her heart now, shattered and could never be glued back together again. She knew she was not sick. She was just sick at heart. As long as Weston was by her side, everything would be fine. But he was not. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Where was he? At Lowe Garden. Belle had packed her bags and was a little reluctant to leave the ce. But Guinevere was chasing after her, as if she wanted to kill her. Hence, she had no other way but to leave first. The good thing was that Ben had provided her with a temporary shelter and did not let her leave the city for the time being. The moment she left the house, a few bodyguards in ck suits suddenly came up and surrounded her. She was shocked. ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Belle, right? You¡®d better cooperate, otherwise we shall not guarantee your safety!¡± She was stunned for a moment and quickly looked back. The main door was locked. This was the back door of Lowe Garden, and people rarely came here. A bit frightened, she clutched her bag in her hand. ¡°Who sent you here? What do you want?¡± ¡°You will answer some questions. If you give the correct answers, we will let you go.¡± ¡°Go ahead, then.¡± ¡°Did Mr. Ford stille and look for you?¡± The moment she heard the name, she understood everything. ¡°Is Guinevere the one who sent you here?¡± ¡°Just answer us the questions and ignore the rest!¡± She took a deep breath and said resignedly, ¡°He¡®s stoppeding since thest time Ms. Cohen came and warned me... Trust me! I¡®m nothingpared to Guinevere anyway, and he will certainly not go against Ms. Cohen for someone like me. Please spare me!¡± She always knew when to say what kind of words to avoid losses. The few people exchanged nces and suddenly walked up to her. ¡°Are you sure that Mr. Ford has note to you during this time?¡± ¡°You can ask my colleagues and friends if you don¡®t believe me!¡± She nearly kneeled down to them. ¡°Please spare my life!¡± ¡°Did Mr. Ford ever mention to you where he would gotely?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. He never talked to me about personal matters, nor would he talk about his schedule. He would ask me to sing and dance at most.¡±. They seemed to have understood something and exchanged nces. ¡°Threw her out.¡± She shouted immediately, ¡°Don¡®t do this to me, please! I will not appear in front of Ms. Cohen again. Can you ask her to spare me...¡± She cried and screamed. Nevertheless, no one paid any attention to her and tied her up straight away. Half an hourter, in the suburbs, a ck car stopped, and a person was thrown out of it before it sped away. Belle got up on her feet. She did not expect Guinevere to be so ruthless as to dump her in such a ce, leaving her to fend for herself! Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 She was still wearing high heels. After walking a few steps, she sprained her ankle. After some time, a red car suddenly stopped in front of her. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed forward. ¡°Please, kind man, can you save me? I...¡± Before she could say the rest of the words, she choked. The car window was rolled down. Looking at the familiar face, her face immediately showed horror. ¡°It¡®s you...¡± The weather in winter was unpredictable. There was the first snowfall¡®some time ago, and now, there was thunder and lightning. The wind blew at night, and there was no moon in the sky. After a while, it started to rain heavily. The rain came too suddenly, and the pedestrians on the road were in a hurry, all holding umbres. The car did not slow down in time, and when it passed through water, it caused a ssh and a She did not know where she would be sent to. She only knew that the moment she saw Guinevere, she was instantly disheartened. ¡°Call Weston!¡± Guinevere, who was driving, yelled into the other end of the phone, ¡°Put him on the phone! If you don¡®t tell me where he is, I¡®ll throw this woman in the river and feed her to the fish!¡± Having just run away from the hospital, she was shaking and emotionally unstable. At Stardust Mansion. Weston was hugging Ste and patting her back soothingly. His phone on the bedside table kept ringing. He turned it off and tossed it aside. After a while, her phone rang. She struggled to get up to get it, but the man did not let her. He hugged her from behind and kissed the back of her neck. It was an unfamiliar number. She was a bit surprised but still answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± A familiar voice rang from the other end. ¡°E, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Henry.¡± He gave his name briefly. Weston, who was kissing the back of her ear, heard the voice and paused, tightening his arms Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. subconsciously. She felt pain and suddenly understood what happened. ¡°You...¡± ¡°I am looking for Weston. Is he with you?¡± She pressed her lips without saying anything. Her face was stiff. She nced at the man beside her, as if seeking an answer. He let go of her without saying anything and took her phone. ¡°What is it?¡± The man on the other end of the phone seemed to give a mockingugh. ¡°You are really with Henry teased, ¡°What? It¡®s ¡®not like you¡®re doing something unseemly and I¡®m interrupting, is He suppressed his irritation. ¡°You¡®d better be up to something important.¡± He paused, and his tone got serious. ¡°Guinevere¡®s counseling has just failed, and she has kidnapped the woman in Lowe Garden. You¡®d better go and look for her. It¡®s not going to end well if someone gets killed.¡± His eyes darkened. ¡°Hasn¡®t her treatment been going well?¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 ¡°Hayden was upied today, so he had his colleague take over. You know Guinevere¡®s emotions are very unstable now. His colleague simply could not calm her down. She is driving all over the town looking for that woman. I am not sure if she has found that woman or not. She has gotten rid of all the bodyguards I sent to keep an eye on her. You should go and take care of her. If something happens to her, you will need to answer to the Cohens.¡± At that point, he paused for a moment. ¡°If E¡®s existence is exposed¡­¡± He did not need to say the rest for Weston to understand. Sure enough, there was a long silence on the other end. Henry heard the sound of fabric rubbing, followed by the man¡®s somewhat chilling reply.¡° Okay. Keep an eye on Guinevere, and I will take care of it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He hung up and sighed, rubbing his brows. When he looked out the windows, the thunderstorm was raging, and the lightning struck. The curtain was blown open suddenly. As he stood in front of therge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, his distinct features looked pale and bloodless. In the mansion. Weston did not avoid Ste when talking on the phone, so she heard their full conversation. She was thinking about what to say. He got dressed quickly and stood at the bedside before bending down and kissing her forehead. ¡°I am going out to take care of a matter, and I will be back soon. Someone will send you to the studio. Take care of yourself.¡± He did not show an intention of leaving immediately after saying that. She looked at him. ¡°Is something wrong with Guinevere?¡± The man did not reply but simplybed her hair to the back of her ears. ¡°I will let you go today.¡± When they were getting intimate, he could feel her repulsion. The moment he touched her, she would tremble. She did not say anything and looked down, as if deep in thoughts. He lifted her chin and kissed her again on the corner of her mouth. After a while, he left. Joan was woken up by the noise. When she saw him dressed up and going downstairs in a hurry, she was surprised. ¡°Are you going out? It is raining outside.¡± The man was in a hurry and did not have time to answer. She quickly said, ¡°I will ask the chauffeur to come here.¡± He took the car key in the hall. ¡°No, I will drive myself.¡± ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Joan wanted to say something, but he had already left. ¡°Is it something urgent?¡± she mumbled, her eyes filled with worry: She nced at the clock to see that it was one o¡®clock in the morning. She yawned and wanted to go back to sleep. When she suddenly saw Ste standing behind her, she gasped in shock. ¡°Ms. Steele, why are you standing there without making a sound!¡± Ste did not say anything and walked down the stairs. Only then did Joane back to her senses. ¡°What happened to Mr. Ford? He left in such a hurry...¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t know.¡± Joan wanted to ask further, but she closed her mouth in the end. She nned to go back to her room, but she thought of something and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat something? The food I madest night is still warm. Do you want some?¡± Ste did not refuse, so Joan went to the kitchen. Ste sat in the living room. She was listening to the sound of the thunderstorm while thinking. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. On the rainy night, a red Maserati raced through a deserted highway outside the town. Behind it was a ck Cullinan, followed by another white Porsche. The ck car suddenly elerated and forced the red Maserati to a stop on the road ahead. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Guinevere¡®s eyes turned gloomy when she saw the familiar car through the rearview mirror. Her hands were still on the steering wheel, and her fingertips were white. She did not know how long it took. She saw the man in a ck trench coat get out of the car and stride to her car. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. No matter how many years had passed, her heart could not help but flutter every time she saw Weston walking toward her like this. How could she let go of such a man? She could never let go. There was a knock on the car window. Weston had walked up to her. ¡°Guinevere, get out of the car.¡± It was still running heavily, but his voice was clear. Guinevere opened the car door. Her eyes were red. Before she could react, he grabbed her and dragged her out of the driver¡®s seat. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± She covered her ears and shouted, ¡°Why are you here to control me?¡± ¡°Weren¡®t you doing this to force me toe to you?¡± He pressed her against the car door to sober her up a bit. Guinevere was still wearing the white suit she wore to the hospital, and it was now soaked with rain. With her hair stuck to her cheeks, she looked more like a female ghost who had crawled out of hell. Her eyes were full of sorrow. ¡°It was our wedding anniversary yesterday. I ept that we cannot get married, but why couldn¡®t you stay by my side?¡± ¡°I told you¡ªI had an emergency.¡± ¡°What kind of emergency was that? I have already sent Belle away, so what kind of emergency can you have?¡± Guinevere seemed to be having a nervous breakdown and kept mumbling, ¡°I have gotten rid of all those women. Why can¡®t you stay by my side? Why?¡± She looked like she had gone crazy. His face was cold, and he gave a signal to Ben, who was holding the umbre. Ben immediately understood and opened the trunk of the Maserati. Sure enough, he found Belle tied up in the trunk. His face was grave, and he looked at Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Send her to the hospital to check for injuries.¡± ¡°No! Why should we send her to the hospital?¡± Guinevere hurriedly blocked in front of them.¡° She deserves it! Even if I kill her today, it is her fate!¡± Weston suddenly felt that he could not see through the woman in front of him. They grew up together, but he had probably never paid much attention to her before. From the very beginning, he only regarded her as a friend he grew up with, just like Henry. He also never thought that Guinevere would one day be what she was now. The rain was very heavy. He actually wanted to smoke for a moment. He smirked sarcastically. ¡°Do you really want to be a murderer?¡± Perhaps the word irritated her. She could not help but think of the time she and Ste were kidnapped, and the kidnappers... But Ste was the one who wanted to jump off the building. What did she have to do with it? Meanwhile, Belle... Who made her so arrogant! How dare she want Weston! Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Wasn¡®t it only natural that she, as his fianc¨¦e, would want to give her a piece of her mind? That was what she thought, and that was what she said. She even questioned Weston, ¡°You said that you¡®d take care of me. I gave you Zachary. If it weren¡®t for you, would I suffer like this?¡± ¡°For me?¡± Weston looked like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. The string that had been taut snapped at this moment. ¡°Guinevere, you are sick, so you have a shield.¡± His tone was cold. ¡°You can attack and nder anyone with impunity, but I hope you can recall what you¡®re saying now when you remember. ¡°I, Weston, have wronged everyone but you.¡± The rain was getting heavier. It was almost pouring. The man¡®s words entered Guinevere¡®s ears word after word. They were sensible people but had both lost control at this moment. The tape on Belle¡®s mouth was ripped away. She felt pain and wanted to shout for help, but was forced to listen to their argument. Ben cast a cold look at her and warned, ¡°Don¡®t listen to what you shouldn¡®t!¡± Belle nodded immediately and did not dare to look at those two. Ben did not hesitate and untied her straightaway. Stuffing her into another car, he asked the chauffeur to send her to the hospital. Before the car left, he suddenly looked at Belle. ¡°Learn to be smart. You know what to do next without me teaching you, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°I will just go back and sleep. I will leave the next morning.¡± Seeing that she knew what to do, he did not say anything else and asked the chauffeur to hurry up. Then, he got into the white Porsche. Watching the man and woman confronting each other, he had a headache, not knowing what to do. After such a long time, Weston did not have the intention of settling old scores anymore. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. He thought that that matter should have been solved, but now he discovered that, as long as the thorn was still there, he and Ste would not move forward. Looking at the woman who imed that she had given birth to his child and was now questioning him, he found it very ironic. Was Zachary really his child? But they were indeed blood¨Crted. He suddenly sneered. For such a ridiculous lie, he lost his first child with Ste. And it might be their only child. The scene of Ste jumping off the building seemed to appear before his eyes again. If she had not leaped off the building that day, he would not have realized that he had such deep feelings for her¨C¨C so deep that he was even willing to jump down with her at that time. ¡°My child? Are you sure Zachary is my child?¡± He grabbed Guinevere¡®s wrists, as if wanting to crush her bones. ¡°I have done nothing wrong to you, to Zachary, to Chris, and to everyone, except to...¡± He did not mention that person¡®s name. But Guinevere knew. She covered her ears. ¡°Ste! Ste! It¡®s Ste again! It is all because of her! If it wasn¡®t for her, we would have been married already. If it wasn¡®t for her, there wouldn¡®t be so many obstacles between us!¡± He sneered and threw her aside. ¡°Stop being obsessed. I¡®m willing to be civil with you, and it¡®s already the best I can do. Guinevere, not hating you is the greatest forgiveness I can offer you.¡± Just because of her one thought, his life had been forcibly controlled by Chris since then. He could afford to do right by everyone but Ste, and he was sorry for Wendy. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 For his family, he could pretend that none of this had ever happened. He could pretend that everything was fine, just as they wanted. He could pretend to be Guinevere¡®s husband. He could pretend to be Zachary¡®s father. But he could not and would not pretend to love Guinevere or treat her affectionately as she wished. Guinevere wiped away the rainwater on her face. The tears that she shed had disappeared into the rain. She suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°So you¡®re still mad about that, huh?¡± she taunted. She held her head in her hands, as if all her memories came flooding back to her all at once. ¡°I¡®ve been chasing after you for so many years,¡± she said, almost rambling. ¡°Did that mean nothing to you at all? Why can¡®t you just turn around and notice me for once?¡± ¡°Too many women have been chasing after me, Gwen,¡± he replied. ¡°Too many to notice them Weston turned around and walked away. ¡°But I¡®m not like them!¡± Guinevere ran after Weston and wrapped her arms around him from behind. ¡°I¡®m nothing like any of them! I¡®ve always loved you more than any other woman in the world! Isn¡®t that enough?¡± Weston was no longer in the mood to talk to her. ¡°Do you still expect me to believe that?¡± He tore her arms off his body and shoved her away.¡± Keep your distance from me, and I¡®ll let you keep whatever dignity you still have! But if you ever cross the line again, I swear I¡®ll break all contact with you!¡± As he spoke, his eyes gleamed suddenly as he slowly stepped forward. ¡°I know that you remember everything that happened a year ago,¡± he told her, his gaze piercing straight into her eyes. ¡°For now, I won¡®t question if your amnesia is real. Whether you want to keep things the way they are, or if you want the whole truth to be revealed that¡®s all up to you, Guinevere. Don¡®t try my patience.¡± He then turned away coldly and strode away, no longer giving Guinevere a second look while his tall frame gradually disappeared in the rain. Guinevere quietly watched as Weston disappeared in the distance,pletely in shock. Soon, she lost all self¨Ccontrol and just couldn¡®t hold back her tears anymore. She screamed and cried her heart out. She had only taken one wrong step, yet all the subsequent steps after that seemed to be taking her further and further away from the right path. She didn¡®t know how long she had stood there crying in the rain, but eventually, her emotions subsided, and she calmed down a little. ¡°Miss Cohen,¡± Ben said as he approached her, his eyes full of pity. ¡°Let me take you home.¡± From his perspective, both Guinevere and Ste were clearly victims. He had no idea what went on between Weston and Guinevere, but from an outsider¡®s standpoint, Weston doubtlessly seemed to be a heartless man. But Ste was innocent too. Guinevere definitely should not have tried to kill her. Although Ste was in fact still alive and had changed her name and identity, if things had gone slightly differently that day, she really would have died. In that case, Guinevere would have been fully responsible for the death of one woman. So, Ben was not sure whether to feel sorry for Guinevere or condemn her. But she was definitely a wretched woman,that much he knew. It was almost dawn now. There were basically no other vehicles on the road. After he made sure that Belle had arrived safely at the hospital and had cleaned up all the mess, Ben finally reported everything to Weston. Weston nced at the woman in his car and said nothing. Guinevere was huddled up with a nket in the back seat, staring at the man who was silentlyContent provided by N?velDrama.Org. driving without any trace of emotion on his face. She was gradually regaining her senses. Her emotions would be unstable from time to time, but only briefly. She was still lucid most of the time. ¡°Weston, I¡®m so sorry...¡± she muttered, looking down like a guilty child now that she remembered all the wrong she had done. ¡°I don¡®t know what¡®s gotten into me...¡± Weston nced at her through the rearview mirror but made no reply. After a long silence, he finally asked her, ¡°Where do you n to spend the night?¡± Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 The question rattled Guinevere. She could not possibly return to Ford Mansion like this. Wendy would certainly be shocked and suspicious if she saw her in this state. Besides, Zack was still in Ford Mansion too, and he would be terrified of her if he saw her in this kind of mess. So where could she go? ¡°I... I don¡®t know,¡± she finally answered in a hoarse voice. ¡°Why don¡®t you just take me to any hotel nearby? I¡®ll get myself a room and spend the night there.¡± Her feeble voice made Weston frown. He remained silent and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel ¡°You¡®ll spend the night at the Golden Eve Apartment,¡± he announced after a long pause as he massaged his temples. Guinevere¡®s eyes instantly lit up. She looked at Weston with bewilderment. Golden Eve Apartment was Weston¡®s own ce outside of Ford Mansion. He had never brought anyone there before. Guinevere had been persuading him to let her stay there with him, but was always refused. She had only ever been there once, and that was only because she had taken the initiative to bring her parents there with her, so Weston could not refuse to let her in. But this time, Weston actually suggested bringing her there himself! She had no idea if this meant that Weston was willing to rekindle their rtionship one more time, or if it was a sign that they were getting closer. In any case, this came as a complete surprise to her because she had assumed that Weston would be furious after what had happened just now. Guinevere gripped on the nket tightly, so lost in thought that she did not notice the cold look on Weston¡®s face. Once they had arrived at the Golden Eve Apartment, Weston let Guinevere get out of the car herself. She opened the door and stepped out. Her knees wobbled a little, and she almost lost her footing, but Weston reached out a hand to support her, although he quickly drew his hand away and kept a distance away from her afterward. Guinevere was slightly disheartened, but as she took in the view of the neighborhood, she sucked it up and tried her best to keep her emotions in check. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡®Weston was willing to bring me to this ce on his own ord,¡® Guinevere reminded herself. This was undoubtedly a great sign. As long as Weston could be with her all the time, it was still possible to save their rtionship. Weston and Guinevere walked on silently. Both of them were drenched in the rain. As they got to Weston¡®s ce, he stopped and stood at the door. ¡°I¡®ll arrange some people toe here and serve you,¡± he told Guinevere. ¡°I¡®ll call the family doctor too. Dr. Hayden Quirk wille here and assess your psychological condition¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Guinevere interrupted him as a realization dawned on her after listening to what he said. ¡°You mean you¡®d leave me here tonight?¡± she asked, utterly perplexed. Weston said nothing; he merely nced at her coldly. Silent tension swirled around the air between the two of them. Guinevere realized then that even though Weston was willing to let her into his apartment, he was no longer willing to ever let her into his heart. ¡°No!¡± she asserted, gripping on the hem of her shirt. ¡°I don¡®t want you to go!¡± She made a move to hug him, but he dodged away from her touch. ¡°Whatever happened today,¡± he stated brusquely, ¡°I don¡®t want to ever see it happening again.¡± Guinevere¡®s eyes fired up. She immediately understood that he was referring to Belle. ¡°But don¡®t you know that I did what I did today all because of you?!¡± she argued with tears in her eyes, ring at the man in front of her. ¡°If you hadn¡®t turned me into aughing stock in front of our friends, I would never have bothered with a woman like that!¡± The noble and haughty Guinevere Cohen that she was in the past would never have concerned herself with a lowly woman like Belle. It was all because of Weston Ford! She was just about to admonish him for it, but she stopped herself short when she remembered what he told her in the rain. He had never done anything wrong to her. He owed her nothing. Guilt and pain knotted up into a tangled mess of emotions inside her. She was still reluctant to let him go, but she was at aplete loss for words now. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Guinevere was still in turmoil. ¡°What if I told you that I insist on having you here with me?¡± Weston swept a cool nce at her and said, ¡°No one can force me to do anything.¡± He then turned around and walked out the door. ¡°From now on,¡± he added, ¡°you can stay here whenever you like. You don¡®t have to ask for my permission. The keys are near the entrance door. I will change the ownership of this apartment and put it under your name.¡± He then closed the door behind him and left. It was a thick door, but the sound of Guinevere¡®s piercing scream could still be heard outside. Guinevere copsed on the living room floor. She kneeled there and screamed her lungs out while pulling on her hair. She had tried so hard for so long to be let into this apartment, yet now that she finally had her wish, it turned out to be an empty, meaningless victory. It was as if fate was mocking her. It was now about half past three in the morning, but Ste still couldn¡®t fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes, vivid images of the same dreadful incident came flooding back ¨Cimages of the day when she fell from that building. She tossed and turned, but all she could see was a pool of blood and mangled flesh that used to be her baby. The sound of a baby crying for their mother rang in her ears. She wanted to answer the baby, but she couldn¡®t even open her mouth because a man was grabbing her throat with hisrge rough hand, choking her as he whispered filthy words into her ear. Weston was standing nearby. Ste cried and begged for his mercy, pleading for him to rescue her, but he paid no mind to her. Instead, he pulled Guinevere into his arms and left her for dead, as if she meant nothing to him at all. In despair and utterly dejected, she jumped off the building... ¡°Aaah!¡± Ste screamed and sprung up in bed, awoken by the intense pain in the dream. Her heart was pounding wildly. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The rain drummed on the ss window. There was no sign of it letting up. It was only getting heavier and heavier, and the thunder and lightning came even more frequently now. Suddenly, a sh of lightning illuminated the whole room. For a brief moment, it was as bright as day. Ste noticed the man lying beside her. She was still shaken up by the nightmare, and seeing his face clearly churned up all the violent emotions inside her. They gradually built up and swelled till she reached a point where she felt like a string stretched so taut that she might snap at any time. Ste let out a heavy sigh. She stared at Weston, wondering when he hade back and how long he had been lying in bed next to her. ¡®Didn¡®t he say he had to leave because of an urgent matter? Why did he have toe back again?¡® she thought. ¡°Weston...¡± Ste whispered softly. The man did not respond. His hair was wet, as if he hade back from the rain outside and went to bed straight away without drying it first. His arm was still around her waist, and his whole body was leaning against hers. Ste shoved his arm away. Weston¡®s brows knitted. His expressions soured, as if he wanted to just pull her back into his arms. But he remained sound asleep. Seeing that, Ste felt her swirling emotions simmer down. She gazed at this man¡®s handsome sleeping face. From his eyes, his nose, down to his chin, there was not a single feature on his face that was wed. A vicious thought cropped up in her mind. It grew like a creeping vine around her heart and soon overtook her whole being. With trembling hands, she reached for the pillow behind her. Her mind was telling her to stop, but her hands would not listen. Slowly, she ced the pillow on Weston¡®s face, then she pressed it down... Ste had no idea what she was thinking. She only felt all the pent up hatred pouring out of her through her hands. As the rain poured down from the dark gloomy belly of the sky, the only thing upying Ste¡¯s mind was the urge to see this despicable man die. She pressed the pillow down harder and harder. She knew that if she did it long enough, this man who had brought so much pain and misery to her would eventually stop breathing. Her mind was a nk void except for this single thought. She could see him slowly suffocating under the pillow. His body was twitching and jerking, as if he was being electrocuted... Boom! Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 The thunderp jolted her awake from the daze. Ste recoiled, and her body shivered violently. She tossed the pillow across the room, and itnded on the floor. She looked at Weston. Seeing that he was still sleeping, as ifpletely unaware of what just happened, she climbed out of bed to pick up the pillow and ced it where it belonged. She shrank away from Westonpletely, aghast of what she was doing just now. She was trying to kill Weston. Her whole body quivered at that realization. She dreaded to think what would have happened had she seeded in her attempt. Weston was a powerful and influential man. If someone of his stature was to be found dead in her bed, there was no way that she would be able to get away with it. There would be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Even her brother might be implicated too. Ste was inundated by a sense of remorse and regret. She felt remorseful for the horrendous act that she almostmitted. At the same time, she regretted losing possibly the only chance she had to get rid of Weston and gain freedom for herself. Drained of all her energy, she leaned against the headboard, staring nkly at the man beside her. She did not know how long she stayed that way. The next thing she knew, her back was drenched in cold sweat, and she was so exhausted that she had to lie down and shut her eyes. Soon, she was ovee by fatigue and fell into slumber. Her breathing gradually slowed down and became more regr. Then, the man beside her opened his eyes. His eyes were as dark as the ckest starless night while he quietly studied Ste¡®s face. It was still the same face that he knew, yet at the same time, it seemed so wholly foreign to him that it might as well belong to aplete stranger. He was awake when Ste tried to smother him with a pillow, but he did not move or fight back. In that moment, he thought if it could help Ste eliminate the hatred she felt in her heart, then he would not mind dying this way. He could not believe that he had such a ridiculous thought. But in the end, Ste gave up halfway and did not kill him after all. He remembered thinking when she removed the pillow that if she was not ruthless enough to kill him, then she would never be able to remove him from her life. Weston pulled Ste into his arms and hugged her tight. He leaned down to kiss her forehead again and again. ¡°Don¡®t be so timid next time...¡± he murmured, though it sounded more like a sigh. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He moved down and gave the tip of her nose a peck before moving in and kissing her lips. Only when he held Ste close like this could he fill the emptiness inside of him. With her, he felt whole again. She was the missing puzzle piece that he needed. The rain outside had finally let up. Ste was fast asleep now. Weston gazed at her face and took her hand into his. She often clenched her fists even when she was asleep. It was a defensive gesture of hers. Weston pried her fingers open and inteced each of his fingers between her slender ones. The fact that their hands were now so intertwined that there was basically no distance between themforted him. It made him feel that they were truly connected to each other. He then finally closed his eyes. But before he could fall asleep, he heard Ste whimpering in her sleep. He leaned in closer to make out what she said. ¡°Baby... My baby... Weston¡®s eyes clouded over as pain shed across his face. It was not the first time he heard her calling for her dead baby in her sleep. But this time, he could really feel the excruciating pain resulting from the loss of their baby, which hung like a heavy cloud between them. Weston ced his hand gently on her t belly. There would never be another baby in her womb. He closed his eyes, but his hands were still trembling. If Ste could never get pregnant again, then he did not want another child. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 It rained so heavilyst night that when dawn broke, the whole world seemed to have changed. Ste did not get a good night¡®s sleep at all, but she still woke up very early that morning. She tried to stretch her body but found herself tightly enveloped by a scorching warmth. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. As her mind was still muddled by slumber, she was stunned and confused by this, but she soon realized that the source of that warmth was the man beside her. Weston¡®s body had always been naturally warmer than hers. Everytime he held her in his arms, she felt as if she was leaning against the firece. But the heat was a little higher than usual today. Ste opened her eyes and leaned over to ce her hand on Weston¡®s forehead. The heat almost scalded her skin. She frowned. Was he running a fever? Weston was awakened by Ste¡®s touch. ¡°What time is it?¡± he asked, his voice hoarse and his brows knitted. ¡°Eight in the morning,¡± she replied, noticing that his voice was huskier than usual, besides also being croaky. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you sick?¡± Weston did not answer her, but there was a thin wry smile on his face. He opened his eyes and stared at her. Though he looked flushed and sickly, it took nothing away from his handsomeness at all. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± he asked. ¡°Me? Sick?¡± Weston was practically never sick. Thest time he remembered being ill was so long ago that he could not remember how old he was back then. His stamina had always been above average. That, coupled with his acute intelligence, was what made him so invincible and powerful in the world of business. Whether in terms of brains or brawn, Weston always came out on top. Ste fell silent for a while until she finally said, ¡°But you¡®re just a normal human being made of flesh and bones. What¡®s so strange about you getting sick?¡± She did not understand why Weston had to act so tough. Everyone would get sick sometimes. Wasn¡®t that just a fact of life? She could have sworn that he even sounded embarrassed for getting sick Weston closed his eyes and said nothing. He put his hand on his forehead and sensed that his temperature was indeed higher than normal. He probably caught a cold because he had been in the rain last night, and when he got home, he went straight to bed without drying his hair. Nevertheless, he was still reluctant to admit it. ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± he insisted before sitting up in bed and reaching his hand out to pull Ste into his arms and give her a morning kiss. This had been a habit of his every morning. In the past, Ste was the one who asked him to give her a morning kiss before going to work, but Weston rarely spent the whole night with her back then. He would just leave her right after sex ¨¢nd sleep elsewhere, so he rarely ever woke up next to her, much less gave her a morning kiss. Yet now, he would always sleep with her in his arms any chance he could get, and the first thing he would do every morning after waking up was to give her a kiss, sometimes even a deep passionate kiss. But he was a little hesitant today. He drew back his arms before he even touched Ste, then just sat there leaning against the headboard. ¡°I¡®m not going to work today,¡± he announced. Can you get the notebook from my study and bring it here, please? I¡®ll be working from home.¡± ¡°... And you still expect me to believe that you¡®re not sick?¡± she teased him. Weston was not sure if it had anything to do with how she tried to suffocate himst night, but he noticed that she seemed much gentler and moreplying this morning than she usually was. She was even afraid to look straight into his eyes when she spoke. Though he noticed all this, he still refused to remember what happenedst night. He did not mind pretending that Ste never tried to kill him. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 If it meant that Ste would treat him more tenderly, Weston thought, then perhaps risking his lifest night was worth it after all. ¡°I¡®m not sick,¡± he insisted once more. ¡°Don¡®t worry about me.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s worried about you?¡± Ste refuted. ¡°I was simply worried that you¡®d spread your cold to me, that¡®s all!¡± ¡°If I really wanted to, then I wouldn¡®t just be talking to you right now, would I?¡± Ste quickly caught his drift. She red at him but said nothing, getting up to get Weston¡®s notebook. Once she was gone, Weston leaned back against the headboard and rested a little. Then he picked up his phone and checked his emails before putting it aside again. Soon he saw Ste returning to the room with his notebook in one hand and holding her mobile phone up to her ear with the other hand. ¡°Okay...¡± she was saying. ¡°I understand. I¡®ll wait till the crew sorts out everything, then. Mm hmm. Okay, I¡®ll take my time and study the script on my own for the time being...¡± She was probably talking to Bradley Lane, Weston thought. He waved his hand at her, motioning for her to put his notebook down in front of him. Ste obediently did as she was bid and even helped him open it up for him. ¡°You go on working then,¡± she said, ¡°I¡®ve got some things to do so I¡®m going...¡± ¡°Wasn¡®t filming canceled?¡± Weston interrupted her the moment he heard that she was going out. ¡°Where are you going? I want you to stay home with me.¡± ¡°The filming was canceled,¡± replied Ste. ¡°But I still have to go to the university...¡± ¡°If you¡®re nning to meet up with Justin Hall again,¡± he interrupted, cutting her short the second he heard the word ¡®university¡®. ¡°Then I would advise you to change your mind immediately. You really don¡®t want to invoke my anger.¡± ¡°Just because I¡®m going to the university doesn¡®t mean that I¡®m going to meet Justin!¡± she argued. ¡°You see him every time you¡®re there! Don¡®t expect me to believe that it¡®s all a coincidence!¡± ¡°But it was just a coincidence! Ugh, you¡®re impossible to reason with!¡± Ste red at him and turned to leave, but before she could get anywhere, Weston grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she yelled, scowling at him. Then she noticed that his face was startlingly red and her anger subsided. ¡°You really are sick, aren¡®t you? You probably have a fever too. I¡®ll call the doctor...¡± ¡°No!¡± he interjected. His dark eyes were fixed on hers. Ste could¡®ve sworn that they looked moist and seemed to be quivering. But how could that be? Would someone like Weston Ford disy a moment of weakness? ¡°Stop acting like a child,¡± she said. ¡°You¡®re not afraid of the doctor, are you?¡± Weston said nothing. He merely hugged her from behind more tightly, wrapping his muscr arms around her slender waist, refusing to let her leave. ¡°I don¡®t need any doctor,¡± he told her. ¡°All I need is you.¡± He rested his chin gently on her shoulder and brushed the tip of his nose lightly against her neck. With these small, extremely tender gestures, he treated her as if she was a precious fragile thing made of ss. But it did not move her. She only found it amusing. ¡°Stop it,¡± she tapped on his arms. ¡°Come on, you¡®re really running a fever. I think I¡®d better call a doctor¡­¡± . ¡°I said no!¡± he insisted, hugging her even more tightly now. ¡°All I need is to have you by my side. You¡®re my medicine.¡± Ste was speechless. She had never heard Weston say such cheesy romantic words. She would never have expected them toe out of his mouth and it only made her feel suspicious. ¡°...stop acting like a child!¡± she scolded him before pushing his hands away and standing up. But Weston was still adamant. He grabbed onto her hand, refusing to let her leave. But as she stared icily down at him, he had no choice but to slowly let go of her hand. Weston¡®s meek and hesitant gestures surprised her, but what threw her off even more was the glum look on his face. It was as if he was genuinely hurt by her treatment of him.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Ste was taken aback, having never seen Weston looking like that. In the past, his rare bouts of illness would merely inflict slight colds upon him that would go away the next day. During their marriage, Ste had only ever seen him get sick once, but just that once was enough to make her feel as if the sky had fallen on her. She stayed by his side and waited on him hand and foot. She would¡®ve chosen sickness in his ce if she could. Her mind was so fully upied by him that she couldn¡®t do anything else, except take care of him. Weston¡®s expressions changed slightly. He seemed to be remembering the same thing too. ¡°Please stay by my side, okay?¡± he begged. It was not at all like Weston to have those imploring eyes. ¡°I...¡± Ste wavered. ¡°I¡¯ll call for Joan to take care of you.¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she saw the light in Weston¡®s eyes diminish. He closed his eyes and then in a jiffy, his old distant and aloof personality returned. ¡°Okay,¡± he answered her briefly in a low, hoarse voice. The abrupt regression to his old self unsettled Ste for some reason. ¡°I¡®ll stay home all day,¡± she told him while avoiding his direct gaze. ¡°I¡®ll be in the study, reading my script. If you need anything, you can call for Joan.¡± She then rushed out of the room. Weston¡®s eyes followed her until she closed the door behind her. He remembered being sick once when they were still married. It was only a slight cold back then, far less serious than what he was going through now. In fact, he didn¡®t even feel ill at all. It was Ste¡®s keen eyes that noticed he looked a little off, so she insisted on taking his temperature. He didn¡®t know how lucky he was back then. Not only that, he even found Ste¡®s concern irritating. Since it was only a cold, he thought she was overreacting and turning it into a big deal. How annoying! But he didn¡®t make any objections. He just let her do whatever he wanted, touching and checking his body here and there, taking his temperature again and again, and even trying to cool his body down with an ice pack. Then she¡®d cover his body with a thick nket and give him a bowl of chicken soup so he could keep warm. All that and more for a simple cold. Weston had never been treated this way before. Or rather, he had only been waited on in such a way by the servants, and rarely ever received such tender care even from his own parents. From the outside, he appeared to have a perfect family with perfectly loving parents. The funny thing was, Weston used to think so too.. However, he now realized that he had never actually had a real taste of tender love and care. He used to think that because he could have anything he desired in this world¨Call the money, resources, and status that many people could only ever dream of ¨C¨Csimple and basic things like genuine love and connection with his family became so insignificant inparison that he was unable to feel or appreciate them. He continued to believe in that until he married Ste. Only then did he start to re¨Cexamine his life. He started to ask himself: had there ever been anyone in this world who was so tough that they didn¡®t require love? Even now, he had no answer to that question. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Ste devoted all her attention to the script to distract herself from all those messy feelings that cluttered her mind. Lately, the film crew had been hit with hurdle after hurdle, and Ste could hear the frustration in Bradley¡®s voice when they spoke on the phone. Although she didn¡®t cause any of the problems they were facing, the entire saga still made her extremely anxious. Bradley¡®s patience had been wearing thin thanks to Guinevere breaking one promise after another, and now, the filming was hampered further by the bad weather. There was a high chance that they might have to rush through the filming process to catch up to the deadline. Thus, determined not to cause any more dys due to her personal problems, Ste had to make sure that she was a hundred percent prepared before filming was rmenced Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Ste knew all her lines by heart, but she decided to go through it one more time. Unsure about some of acting¡®s technical aspects, she searched the inte and watched some videos and rehearsed her lines again. Only after doing that for a few more times was she finally satisfied. After a while, she was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. ¡°Miss Steele,¡± Joan called. ¡°Mr. Ford is asking for you.¡± Ste frowned and looked at the time. To her surprise, two hours had gone by without her noticing it.. ¡°Okay,¡± she nodded to Joan before getting up and leaving the study. . ¡°Could you bring this in with you too?¡± Joan asked, referring to the tray in her hands that contained freshly¨Cmade lunch for Weston. Ste paused, then took the tray. ¡°Okay, leave it to me. You can go for your break now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Steele.¡± Joan was a talented cook. She had made Weston a bowl of light soup, and though it looked in and unassuming, Ste caught a whiff of it and thought it smelled tantalizing. It even made her feel a little hungry. She quickly brought the tray to Weston¡®s room, knocking on the door and waiting for his answer before entering. ¡°Why did you have to knock before entering your own bedroom?¡± he asked, looking up at her from his notebook. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you working,¡± she replied. ¡°You think too much,¡± he said, and his eyes turned back to the screen of hisptop. She pulled up a tiny desk next to him and ced the bowl of soup on top of it. ¡°Joan just made this for you,¡± she told him. ¡°It smells delicious. You should eat it while it¡®s still warm.¡°. Weston nced at the bowl. ¡°Did Joan make this? I thought you did.¡± Ste said nothing to that. She just ced a spoon in the soup and told him, ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± She then turned around and tried to leave, but Weston grabbed her arm without even looking up. ¡°Stay and eat with me.¡± Ste hesitated for a while, then said, ¡°I¡®ll tell Joan to bring in another bowl of soup then.¡± ¡°There¡®s more than enough for both of us here,¡± Weston nced at the soup beside him. ¡°You don¡®t eat much anyway.¡± Ste assessed the amount of soup in the bowl. Considering that the bowl was actually filled to the brim, she sat down on the bed and scooped some of the soup into a smaller bowl that was on the tray. Seeing this, Weston finally put his work aside and gazed quietly at Ste as she was dividing the soup. Ste never used to wear makeup. She did now, though she kept it light and natural. Weston thought she looked best without it. She might look a little in then, but her shapely brows and bright eyes stood out more that way. Especially those long eyshes of hers, which looked like tiny fans that cast a shadow under her eyes on her exquisitely wless skin. Weston reached his hand out and swept a strand of Ste¡®s hair behind her ear. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Ste felt his warm touch and it sent a shock wave throughout her body. But she kept calm and went on scooping the soup as if nothing happened. Then she handed Weston the bigger bowl and said, ¡°Here you go.¡°. Weston neither moved nor said anything. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± she asked, puzzled. ¡°Aren¡®t you hungry?¡± ¡°Feed me.¡± Ste pretended not to hear him and picked up her spoon to try the soup. ¡°Mmm!¡± she gushed. ¡°Joan¡®s cooking just gets better every day!¡± The soup was very much to her taste, surprising because although she wasn¡®t a picky eater and would try anything, she still had a discerning taste and was generally hard to impress. ¡°It¡®s still nowhere nearly as good as your cooking,¡± Weston stated suddenly, his gaze still fixated on her, scrutinizing each and every little movement she made. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous,¡± Ste replied, her expressions unchanged. ¡°Joan¡®s a professional. Of course her cooking is better than mine!¡± Weston could sense that she didn¡®t want to talk about this any further, so he said, ¡°I¡®m d you like Joan¡®s cooking.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± she echoed, not hesitating to heap praise upon Joan. ¡°She really is an incredible cook!¡± Ste had always loved piquant and savory food, but her stomach would start to churn if she ate too much spicy food. She typically avoided it if she could, especially now after her miscarriage, where she had basically lost all interest in food and ate just to stay alive. Seeing that Ste was happily enjoying the soup, Weston gently caressed her cheek with his fingers and teased; ¡°Hey, I¡®m the patient here. Shouldn¡®t you be feeding me?¡± ¡°There aren¡®t any rules about patients needing to be fed!¡± she disputed. ¡°You only have a cold! Your hands are perfectly fine! Feed yourself!¡± It was clear that Ste had no desire to feed him, but Weston did not falter. ¡°You mean you¡®d feed me if I hurt my hands, right?¡± Ste¡®s eyes darted towards Weston and she stared at him in horror as though terrified that he would really do something so ridiculous. After hesitating for a while, she put down the spoon and bowl in her hands and picked up the other bowl. She stirred the soup and scooped up pieces of meat and brought it near Weston¡®s mouth. ¡°I believe it¡®s not too hot anymore,¡± she said. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡®s not too hot when you didn¡®t even blow it?¡± Ste was speechless. Weston loved teasing her this way. He loved seeing her getting annoyed and bothered. It made her seem vivacious and amusing. ¡°Hurry up,¡± he urged, stroking her forehead. ¡°I¡®m hungry!¡± Ste reluctantly drew the spoon close to her mouth and gently blew on it, then nudged it back towards Weston. ¡°There! Happy now?¡± With a mischievous smile, Weston finally drank the soup. He eventually finished half of the bowl, with Ste feeding him by the spoonful. The soup smelled so appetizing that it made Ste¡®s mouth water. She got hungrier and hungrier until suddenly, her stomach growled. She turned crimson red. She took a peek at Weston, praying that he didn¡®t hear it. But luck was not on her side. Weston nced at her stomach with a half¨Csmile and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Didn¡®t I just tell you that I was hungry?¡± Ste mumbled shyly, her eyes staring at the floor. Then she looked at the bowl of soup and added, ¡°There¡®s only a little bit left. Come on, hurry up and finish it!¡± Weston said nothing. He picked up Ste¡®s bowl and scooped up some soup, gave it a blow, and nudged it towards her. ¡°Eat up,¡± he told her. ¡°What?¡± she frowned. ¡°My hands are fine! I don¡®t need you to feed me!¡± ¡°Stop comining!¡± Weston snapped. ¡°I¡®ve already scooped some for you, so just eat it.¡± Ste stared at him, speechless. When did Weston be so childish? Did he really want them to feed each other? What exactly was he thinking? But he stubbornly held the spoon next to her mouth with a look in his eyes that said he would never give up until she gave in. So Ste had no choice but to just open her mouth and eat the soup. At that moment she saw a yful twinkle in Weston¡®s eyes. It stunned her. She had never seen him this lighthearted before. In fact, she also sensed that there was an inscrutable change in their rtionship. But Ste did not wish for this change to happen. ¡°I¡®m full,¡± she announced, suddenly putting the bowl down and standing up. ¡°Get Joan te clear these bowls out once you¡®re done. I¡®m a little busy right now and I must go.¡± She then rushed out of the door right after speaking. Weston¡®s eyes followed her as she left. The glimmer in his eyes dimmed.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Ste shut the door behind her. The flush of red on her cheeks vanished instantly. Now, only cold indifference remained on her face. It was now early evening. While Weston had been busy working in the bedroom, Ste herself had been poring over the script for hours. Now devoted to the art of acting, she was well aware that she had neither formal training nor any experience to speak of, so she had to rely on hard work and determination to build up her skills. Bradley Lane once told her that she possessed a unique aura. Ste didn¡®t quite understand what he meant, but she did notice that while acting, she found it very easy to get into character andpletely empathize with the character she was ying. She had gone through the scripts so many times now that she felt as if she truly inhabited that world. She closed the script and sighed softly. Her character had noticed that everyone was paying more attention to the heroine. At first, she told herself that it was understandable that the masters focussed on the heroine since she had gone missing since she was a child. Slowly, however, she realized that the more affection they showed to the heroine, the less attention they would give her, giving rise to envy and jealousy. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. It wasn¡®t that the masters had been treating her badly, though. It was just basic human nature to feel insecure andpetitive when there were rivals. This had been true since time immemorial. Ste had to admit that this was a well¨Cwritten character,plex, dynamic, and multi dimensional. She was petty and disgraceful, yet her fate was sad and tragic. Meanwhile, Weston was just about to be done working for the day when his father suddenly called. ¡°Where are you?¡± his father asked in a glum voice. Weston had never been particrly close to his father. To the outside world, Chris Ford appeared to be a loving father and Weston seemed like a devoted son, but only the two of them knew that their rtionship had soured almost to the point of animosity. As for the reason why, even Weston himself wasn¡®t sure anymore. ¡°What do you want?¡± Weston asked tersely. ¡°Do I have to want something to call you?¡± answered Chris, irritated even though he did indeed want something from Weston. He didn¡®t like the tone Weston used. He was his father, after all. He should be able to call his own son without needing any particr reason. ¡°If you have something to say,¡± Weston replied as he massaged his temples, ¡°then just say it. I don¡®t have time for your long¨Cwinded speech.¡± Weston realized that his temperature had increased, possibly because he¡®d been slogging like a mule all afternoon. In the past, something as trivial as a cold wouldn¡®t faze him¨Che just needed a few hours of rest and he¡®d be as good as new. But it hadn¡®t been so this time. It seemed that this cold was hitting him harder than expected. ¡°I¡®ve heard what happened yesterday,¡± Chris continued, seemingly not noticing anything wrong with Weston¡®s raspy voice. ¡°What exactly is going on between you and Guinevere?¡± The Cohen family did not make too much of a fuss about Weston¡®s refusal to get a marriage certificate with Guinevere since it would hurt more than benefit if they forced Weston to do what he didn¡®t want to do. But if problems arose in the rtionship between Weston and Guinevere, things could get really worrisome. Weston listened quietly to his father for a while before bursting intoughter that reeked of mockery. .. ¡°Do you still think that I have feelings for her?!¡± he taunted. The derision in Weston¡®s voice was not lost on Chris. ¡°...but the way things stand now,¡± he muttered, ¡°there is just no turning back. In any case, just think of it as a plea from your father...¡± ¡°Weston,¡± he added after a pause. ¡°You must know how damaging this would be to our family if the truth gets exposed, don¡®t you?¡± Weston said nothing. ¡°All the things that the Fords have built through pain, sweat, and tears will be obliterated in an instant,¡± Chris continued. ¡°Doesn¡®t that bother you? Our family will be turned into aughing stock! And with your mom¡®s weak heart...¡± ¡°Don¡®t drag her into this!¡± Weston angrily interrupted. ¡°You have no right to even talk about her!¡° Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 It was rare that he showed his emotions. Even when he was furious, there would only be a mere change in tone, something that gave him an air of authority without even the need to re up. ¡°Chris, do you still remember what you¡®ve done? Have I not done enough covering up for you?¡± Silence ensued. Weston could almost hear Chris breathing over the phone. ¡°Weston, I admit that I¡®ve let you down. But think about it. Is there any turning back, now that things havee to this point?¡± ¡°None whatsoever,¡± Weston snarled coldly. He looked at the closed door. As his thoughts drifted to the feeling of having Ste sitting next to him, the air around him filled with her subtle fragrance. How could they possibly turn back? Even if he wanted desperately to salvage the situation, it would definitely not be easy. ¡°Consider it me begging you. Spend more time with Gwen...just for this year! After the two of you get married, everything will be fine...¡± ¡°Are you still hoping that we¡®ll get married?¡± ¡°Weston, you¡®ve already promised me!¡± ¡°Do you really think that you can rest easy once I marry her? Someday, the truth will be found out.¡± ¡°If you and I both keep our mouths shut, who will find out?¡± Chris stressed, his voice raised. That incident was a handle on him throughout his entire life. He must never let anyone find out about it. ¡°Are you intending to hide it from Mom forever?¡± Chris remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Do you think she¡®ll ept the truth if I told her?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston kept quiet. He hung up and smashed his phone hard against the wall. He knew that hiding the harsh truth from Wendy for the rest of her life was the wiser decision. Joan heard a loud noise from inside the room and immediately knocked on the door. ¡°Sir, is everything okay?¡± Weston remained silent. . A momentter, he replied in a low voice, ¡°Everything¡®s fine. Go be busy.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Joan thought about it and still felt uneasy. She walked to Ste¡®s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Ms. Steele...¡± Ste was so immersed in reading her script that she did not hear someone knocking on her door. Joan knocked harder. ¡°Ms. Steele?¡± Ste finally heard her and walked over to open the door. ¡°What¡®s the matter, Joan?¡± Joan looked concerned as she recollected what happened earlier to Ste. Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°He¡®s a full¨Cgrown adult. Nothing will happen to him.¡± With that, she made a move to close the door. On second thought, she remembered that Weston had caught a cold and was running a fever, and instructed Joan. ¡°Go and get a thermometer and have Weston take his temperature.¡± ¡°Does Sir have a fever?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Joan immediately retrieved the first¨Caid kit and knocked on Weston¡®s door once again. Weston, however, rejected her attempt. ¡°It¡®s fine. Go and do your work.¡± Joan found herself stuck in a difficult position. Although she was paid so handsomely, she did, at times, feel somewhat useless. All she could do was go over to Ste for help. Ste sighed and ced her script on the table. She took over the thermometer from Joan and said, ¡°Go back to your work.¡± Joan could finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± It was only after Ste entered Weston¡®s room that Joan finally removed her apron, with a smile spread across her face. Weston hadn¡®t spent so much to hire her just to take care of their daily living. Sometimes, sensing what her employer really desired was a critical skill she had to pick up. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Thinking on one¡®s feet and being quick¨Cwitted were of utmost importance to remain employed in such a wealthy family. This time, Ste entered the room without knocking on the door. Weston looked over. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Joan is worried that you¡®ll die from your sickness and asked me to bring you some medicine.¡± ¡°Did youe over of your own ord or was it because Joan asked for your help?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Ste¡®s tone was mild as she sat at the side of his bed and retrieved the right dosage of medication. She handed him a thermometer. ¡°Open your mouth and put this in.¡± He paused for a moment, keeping silent as he stared at her. Ste couldn¡®tprehend what he was thinking. ¡°What are you staring at me for? Measure your temperature.¡± Weston¡®s interest was piqued as he stepped back. ¡°How rare. I used to always be the one tomand you. Now, it¡®s your turn.¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. A whileter, she red at him and flung the thermometer on the bed. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± With that, she stood up to leave. Weston grabbed her wrist with a smile. ¡°We were married once, and you¡®re still so shy?¡± ¡°Who said that I¡®m being shy? I just find you unabashed!¡± Ste flung his hand away and tried to leave again, but Weston didn¡®t let her. He was almost done with his work anyway, he thought, as he pulled Ste into his arms. He stuffed the thermometer in her hand and requested, ¡°Help me take my temperature.¡± ¡°Are you a child? Don¡®t you know how to use a thermometer? You either put it in your mouth or stick it in your armpit!¡± ¡°I don¡®t. Teach me.¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Weston caressed her hair. ¡°I really don¡®t know.¡± He rubbed his forehead against hers. ¡°Just feel how warm I am...¡± Ste instinctively wanted to avoid his touch, but she could only struggle in vain. When their foreheads touched, Ste gasped in shock. ¡°You¡®re really quite warm to the touch.¡± Previously, when she touched his forehead, she found it only slightly warm. Now, however, it felt like his temperature had risen. ¡°Do you really not want to go to the hospital?¡± She looked at him with curiosity and realized that he even managed to spend the entire afternoon working. ¡°You really think you¡®re superman.¡± Weston remained silent, and only his heavy breathing could be heard. Ste could feel his breath hot on her skin. It was so warm that it made her feel ufortable. ¡°Weston, did the fever burn you silly?¡± ¡°What nonsense.¡± He lowered his head and bit her shoulder. ¡°Even if I be silly, don¡®t you dare think about leaving.¡± Ste remained silent. How could he still be thinking about stopping her from leaving at a time like this? ¡°Did I owe you big time in myst life?¡± Ste cursed under her breath. She pulled away from his embrace and walked off to pour him a cup of water. ¡°Drink some,¡± she instructed. Weston looked at her, unmoving. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste said, ¡°Do you need me to feed you water?!¡± ¡°I said that I can¡®t move my hands,¡± he leaned back and insisted. Ste took a deep breath and mmed the cup on the bedside table. ¡°Do as you please. In fact, if you were to die from your fever, I¡®ll have the chance to leave.¡± ¡°Don¡®t you dare!¡± Weston croaked in a low voice. ¡°Stand right there, don¡®t move.¡± ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± Weston shut his eyes and said, ¡°Come over. Let me tell you more about that overseas university.¡± Ste halted in her footsteps and turned to look at him. ¡°Really?¡° Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Weston knew that without a little temptation, she would never take the bait. ¡°After I finished work, I spent some time looking into vacancies for foreign students. Are you sure you don¡®t want to hear more about what I found out?¡± Ste leaned in immediately. ¡°I do.¡± Weston felt a tinge of jealousy at the sight of her being so excited. ¡°Aren¡®t you being a tad too good to Roger?¡± ¡°We are family. It¡®s only natural that we treat each other well,¡± Ste said. Weston paused for a moment without responding to her immediately. It¡®s only natural to treat family members well. He chewed on Ste¡®s words and couldn¡®t help but feel a sense of irony in it. ¡°Not necessarily. Many family members end up stabbing each other in the back for self interest.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°That shouldn¡®t be so. Most families I know live peacefully and harmoniously with each other.¡± Although such family dramas weremonce on television, she still held onto the belief that most ordinary families were just like what her family was before her parents passed on. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston caressed her head. ¡°Don¡®t be too idealistic.¡± ¡°Humans are good by nature,¡°Ste corrected him. ¡°Some are just forced to a corner and end up doing bad things when they face insurmountable challenges.¡± She seemed to be alluding to something. Weston¡®s hand paused for a moment before he resumed toying with a lock of her hair between his fingers. ¡°Just be direct and say you¡®re talking about me. There¡®s no need to beat around the bush.¡± Ste burst out into peals ofughter. ¡°I wouldn¡®t dare to talk bad about you. What if you extend our one¨C year timeline?¡± Weston suddenly chinned Ste¡®s chin and kissed her hard. ¡°When did you have such a smart mouth?¡± He had wanted to pry her mouth open with his tongue, but a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he released her. Before Ste could react and push him away, he had already let go of her. ¡°Your health isn¡®t exactly in a good condition. I don¡®t want to spread the virus to you,¡± Weston wiped the corner of his lips and said casually. Ste took a deep breath and straightened herself. ¡°What about the information you said you wanted to show me?¡± Weston clicked on a website. Ste browsed through it and asked, ¡°Why is it all in French?¡± ¡°You can¡®t read French?¡± ¡°Of course, I can.¡± Ste pulled theptop closer and began reading page by page while Weston stood by her side and observed her. He was surprised to find that she could read at a very swift pace. ¡°You¡®re pretty good at French,¡± he remarked casually. Ste¡®s brows furrowed. ¡°I took formal lessons when I was in university.¡± ¡°I don¡®t remember you being a French major.¡± Ste nodded, ¡°I took it as a minor. My results were pretty good, comparable to that of Roger¡®s. I was even ssified as a gifted student.¡± She seemed rather proud of her academic achievements. Roger and she had always been her parents¡® pride and joy, and they were always the benchmark of excellence amongst their neighbors. Had it not been for the ident that changed their lives, she would still probably be the precious princess doted on by her parents, blessed with a decent job she loved, chasing her dreams, and living the life that all would envy. She turned downcast at the thought of her past As if affected by the sudden downturn in her mood, Weston held her hand and squeezed her fingers. ¡°You know you can always tell me what you wish to do in the future.¡± He kissed her ear. ¡°I¡®ll help you fulfill all your dreams.¡± ¡°I want freedom. Can you help me with that?¡± Ste asked him with a smile. She did not mean it sarcastically, and had, in fact, said it with slight mncholy. In any case, she knew that Weston would never agree to it. Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Indeed, Weston pursed his lip tight upon her words. He simply looked at her without a direct response. Ste shook her head. ¡°There are some things that you can never give me.¡± In Ford Mansion¡®s backyard. Chris hung up and didn¡®t dare to turn around and face the woman behind him. Guinevere said nothing. With a watering can in one hand and the other fiddling with flowers, it was as if she had expected the oue. It was winter, and all the nts in the garden had been imported from overseas. However, perhaps the harsh winter conditions this time caused none of the flowers to be in bloom. Dr. Hayden Quirk suggested that she keep herself busy by way of distraction. She was officially joining the crew in two days to film her scenes, and she decided to spend whatever free time she had tending the garden. In any case, it was something that she often saw Henry doing. She wasn¡®t exactly sure whether it really had a positive impact on keeping one¡®s emotions in check, but now that she had a go at it herself, she found it to be rather true. Guinevere heard herself asking Chris calmly, ¡°What did he say?¡± Chris wore a nasty expression on his face, and he didn¡®t offer Guinevere an immediate response. He had been so cocky before he called Weston, yet his face was now ashen with disappointment after the call. Guinevere had heard what he said over the phone and knew Weston wouldn¡®t agree to Chris so easily. The look of anguish on Chris¡® face piqued her interest instead. Chris collected his thoughts and said guiltily to Guinevere, ¡°Something cropped up in Fern City, which is why Weston doesn¡®t have time to return. Don¡®t overthink it.¡± ¡°I¡®m not...¡± Guinevere put down the watering can. ¡°I know that he¡®s busy with work. I just want to hear his voice, that¡®s all.¡± She tried to portray the image of an infatuated, faithful woman, vastly different from the proud and haughty Guinevere of the past. With a sigh, she said, ¡°I¡®ll be joining the crew in a few days and will probably not be home much to bother you and Wendy...¡± ¡°I didn¡®t say that.¡± ¡°Aren¡®t you worried that the more I interact with Wendy, the more I¡®ll think about things I shouldn¡®t?¡± Guinevere suddenly looked at him with aplicated smile. Chris¡® heart leaped with anxiety as chills ran down his spine. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± In a split second, Guinevere went back to looking lost. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Fragments of memories suddenly shed in my mind...¡± She bit her lips as her face contorted with pain. ¡°My head hurts.¡± She held her forehead and stumbled a few steps forward. Chris immediately stepped forward and held her, asking with concern, ¡°What¡®s the matter? Are you having another episode? I¡®ll call Hayden over right now...¡± ¡°No need,¡± Guinevere shook her head weakly. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Wendy, taking care of Zack upstairs, standing on the balcony, staring at them coldly. Guinevere suddenly leaned against Chris¡® shoulders, ¡°I feel so dizzy. Let me lean on you, Uncle Chris kept still and let her lean against him, an inexplicable feeling in his heart. He suddenly remembered that he was still in the Ford Mansion and wanted to push her away when he heard her mumble under her breath, ¡°When I can I call you Dad...¡± Chris retracted the hand he had reached out and pushed her away as conflicting emotions raged within him. ¡°It¡®s just an address. In my eyes, you are already my daughter¨Cinw.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guinevere sneered in her heart. She didn¡¯t know who the better actor between Chris and herself was. He called her his daughter¨Cinw and Zack, his good grandson. He didn¡®t seem to consider their current rtionship absurd, to say the least. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Guinevere leaned against his shoulder and looked at the bbergasted Wendy. She had once been the queen of the entertainment circle in her heyday. Now, it seemed like her mor was only in appearances. They exchanged nces. Guinevere acted as if she just spotted Wendy and anxiously pushed Chris away. ¡°Auntie...¡± Chris¡® back stiffened and he broke out in cold sweat as he straightened himself. He turned his head stiffly over and saw Wendy standing right behind him. Guilt crept up his heart. ¡°Wendy...¡± He clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down. ¡°Why did youe down? It¡®s very cold and windy outside...¡± He stepped forward. Wendy looked at Chris walking nearer to her with a smile on her face. ¡°Nothing. I just didn¡®t see both of you in the house and was wondering where you two had gone.¡± Chris immediately put up a front and held her hands up with a smile. ¡°I came out to take a call and saw Gwen tending to the garden. I was worried that she would tire herself out and came over to remind her to keep warm and take care of herself.¡± ¡°You¡®re very concerned about her.¡± Her words made Chris¡® heart leap in his chest, but he remained calm and smiled, saying, ¡° She¡®s Zack¡®s mother, after all. Even though she¡®s not yet married to Weston, she¡®ll one day be part of the Ford family¡± Wendy stared at him for a moment before chuckling coldly, ¡°Indeed.¡± With that, she pulled her hands away from his. ¡°You¡®re right; it¡®s rather windy out here. I¡®ll go take a look at Zack. Go on chatting, you two.¡± ¡°What do I have to chat with her about? We¡®re of different generations, no less.¡± Chris said in a strange tone as he held Wendy¡®s hand again. This time, she didn¡®t push him away. Chris felt more assured and walked with her back to the mansion, chatting with her happily along the way. Guinevere stood right where she was, staring at the back view of the seemingly loving couple, a mocking look in her eyes. The watering can was left forgotten on the ceramic tiles. She stared at them for a while before pulling her phone out and dialing Weston¡®s number. The phone rang for a while before it hung up automatically. Guinevere looked crestfallen. If she eventually couldn¡®t get what she wanted, she would make sure they would never have peace in their lives. If Weston couldn¡®t love her, then she wanted him to hate her. Be it love or hate, she wanted to leave an indelible mark in his life. She would never be willing to just be a passer¨Cby that was easily forgotten. Like that short¨Clived Ste Sealey, so what if she had his child? She didn¡®t even manage to preserve her own life in the end. In the hall. Weston¡®s phone kept ringing for so long that Ste had to remind him, ¡°Someone¡®s looking for you.¡± ¡°Don¡®t bother,¡± He didn¡®t seem to care who the caller was. ¡°If it¡®s something urgent...¡± Ste was about to persuade him otherwise when she saw the look of nonchnce on his face. A thought came to mind and she decided to keep quiet. It may not be someone from the office, but perhaps that woman from Lowe Garden, Guinevere, or some other kept woman he had outside. That possibility made Ste¡®s heart turn cold in an instant. She really shouldn¡®t be so affected by what Weston did. She could not afford to get herself emotionally involved with a man like that. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. A man who was warm and tender when he felt like treating you well, so much so that it felt like he could pluck the stars and the moon from the sky and give it to you. Such a man could also turn cold and heartless in a blink of an eye. He might be interested in her right now, but there was no guarantee that the past wouldn¡®t repeat itself in time toe. When that day rolled around, she might end up in a worse plight than Belle. As if sensing that Ste was distracted, Weston grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. They were watching a ssic movie. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Joan scared herself by going into another room. Ste fidgeted as she sat on Weston¡®sp, feeling his body¡®s warmth even through their clothes. ¡°You¡®re really very warm. Why don¡®t you take your temperature properly?¡± ¡°Haven¡®t I already done that a couple of times?¡± Ste was speechless. She recalled those few attempts at taking his temperature, which was probably inurate because Weston refused to cooperate. ¡°You¡®re no longer a child. Why are you being so difficult when ites to taking your temperature? If you don¡®t do it properly this time, I won¡®t bother with you anymore.¡± She heard a low chuckleing from him. ¡°I got it.¡± He even tried to make himself sound obedient and pliant. A few minutester, Weston proactively handed his thermometer to her. ¡°Does it look urate this time?¡± Ste looked at the window and reported, ¡°102, almost 104 degrees.¡± She was slightly taken aback. ¡°Didn¡®t I put a cool towel on your forehead just now to lower your temperature? Why did your fever worsen...¡± Weston was slightly annoyed and ced the thermometer at the side. He pulled Ste back into his arms. ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± ¡°You¡®re burning up and still dare to say you¡®re fine?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Weston rubbed the tip of his nose against her ear. Even with such subtle movements, Ste could feel the heat emanating from his body. ¡°No, I¡®m just worried that your family mighte looking for me and hold me ountable if you were to turn silly from your fever.¡± ¡°Then you shall be held ountable,¡± Weston said casually. Ste knew it was just a passing remark and disregarded it. ¡°If you continue having a fever, how will you go to work tomorrow?¡® ¡°Still insisting you¡®re not worried about me? Hmm?¡± Falling sick wasn¡®t a big deal for Weston. He seldom fell ill, but if falling ill meant he could see Ste getting worried for him, it didn¡®t seem like a bad idea. Ste remained silent. Was she worried about him? She didn¡®t exactly feel worried. If it were in the past, she would probably be panicking, seeing how high his fever had gotten. However, she didn¡®t feel anything much now, except for mild concern. If something really were to happen to him, she was more concerned that Guinevere might create trouble for her. ¡°Let¡®s continue watching the movie.¡± He could sense Ste getting distracted with her thoughts again and caressed her head. ¡°I¡®ll be fine after a night¡®s rest.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Then shouldn¡®t you go to bed early?¡± ¡°It¡®s still early now.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, you¡®re sick now. It¡®s always ideal for getting more rest.¡± ¡°I can¡®t fall asleep right now,¡± Weston cut her off. ¡°Isn¡®t it good that I watch a movie with you? I might get really busy in the time toe.¡± ¡°That¡®s fine. I¡¯m about to join the crew and be busy, too.¡± Weston tightened his hold over her and rested his chin on her head. ¡°Do you really want to so badly?¡± Ste sensed a sudden change in his tone and turned around to look at him. ¡°You¡®ve already promised to let me stay on the crew and finish my role. You can¡®t go back on your word.¡± ¡°I haven¡®t even said anything, and here you are getting worried,¡± Weston pinched her cheeks. ¡°Did I say anything about not letting you act?¡± ¡°What you said just now made me worried that you¡®d break your promise.¡± ¡°I¡®ll never break my promise to you.¡± Ste remained silent, but the look of sarcasm in her eyes was not lost on him. Weston turned her head around. ¡°Except for letting you go.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, you just need to remember our one¨Cyear timeline.¡± His face darkened. ¡°The Ste Sealey of the past would never keep harping on the same thing.¡± She wouldn¡®t have tried to keep leaving him, either. Ste didn¡®t say anything further and took a deep breath. ¡°If you don¡®t like it, I won¡®t say it again.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Weston leaned in and kissed her on the lips. ¡°Stay by my side, Ste. I¡®ll give you everything you want.¡° Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Since Weston insisted that he was fine, Ste didn¡®t bother about him any further. In any case, when he was rting to her about Compassvale University, he didn¡®t seem very affected by the fever. His logic remained impable, and his expressions clear and concise. If it weren¡®t for the things he¡®d done to her in the past, Ste would¡®ve no doubt worshipped him. A man like Weston was born to be of an extraordinary existence. She had no idea why the heavens would bless someone so unfairly, granting him everything good. Looks, abilities, intellect, family background, and unwavering self¨Ccontrol¨C¨Cthese attributes gave him the de¨Cfacto right to do whatever he liked with women. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She never regretted meeting someone as outstanding as Weston during her schooling years, but even if she could turn back time, she would never choose to step into that marriage. The hurt that she experienced from it was too unforgettable. Losing something that she once had was infinitely more painful than never having something before. Since Weston insisted that he was fine, Ste decided not to push it and focused on the movie. They were halfway through the movie, but Weston continued holding her in his arms. He was holding her from behind, and Ste only realized something was wrong when the movie ended, and the credits began rolling. ¡°Weston?¡± She called out. Turning around, she saw that Weston had somehow fallen asleep. He rested her chin on her shoulders, and she could feel his weight. She reached out and nudged him slightly. ¡°Weston, wake up.¡± He ignored her and kept his eyes closed. His body, however, had be noticeably warmer. Ste¡®s brows furrowed, and her instincts told her something was wrong. She yelled out loud, ¡°Joan!¡± Joan was about to retire for the night when she heard Ste yelling for her. She quickly got changed and ran over. ¡°Ms. Steele, what¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Do you have the family doctor¡®s number? Weston¡®s fever seems to be getting worse.¡± Joan said anxiously, ¡°I¡®ll find it right away!¡± Joan was already worried about Weston¡®s condition, to begin with, and she brought a cold towel to Ste after calling the family doctor. ¡°I¡®ve called the doctor, and he said he¡®ll be here soon. Don¡®t worry.¡± Ste nodded and couldn¡®t help but grumble, ¡°I already told him to let the doctor take a look at him, but he kept insisting that he was fine.¡± Joan said helplessly, ¡°Perhaps Mr. Ford wanted you to show more concern to him.¡± Ste paused for a moment without saying a word. She held Weston up and sat him on the couch in the hall as they waited for the doctor to arrive. The doctor was there in no time and measured Weston¡®s temperature. After a quick check, he said, ¡°It¡®s probably a bad bout of cold. Don¡®t be too worried. He¡®ll be fine once his temperature gradually goes down.¡± Joan heaved a sigh of relief. Ste was about to stand up when Weston suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed her hand.¡° Where are you going?¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡®m heading to the washroom.¡± He pursed his lips and let go of her hand reluctantly. The doctor put a needle into Weston¡®s arm connected to an intravenous drip. While Ste was in the toilet, Weston kept his gaze in that direction. The previous few times that the doctor came, it was for Ste. Yet this time, it was Weston¡®s turn to fall sick. The doctor could sense a change in the air between them, but out of his professionalism, he kept his inquisitive looks to himself and focused on prescribing Weston some medicine. The moment Ste left, he could sense the air around Weston turning cold. When Ste returned, Weston¡®s hard gaze immediately softened and became more tender. Ste sat by Weston¡®s side as he asked her, ¡°Were you frightened just now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste didn¡®t understand his question. ¡°I agreed to watch the movie with you.¡° Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Ste responded, ¡°I told you way earlier that you should see the doctor, but you insisted not to. You had to faint before you allowed the doctor to look at you.¡± ¡°I didn¡®t faint,¡± Weston¡®s face fell as he corrected her. ¡°I was just a little tired and fell asleep.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever you say.¡± He furrowed his brows, unhappy that Ste was just trying to patronize him. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close. ¡°Sit here and keep mepany. Don¡®t go anywhere else.¡± Ste wanted to go to her workroom to read her script, but she now had no choice but to sit back down. The family doctor couldn¡®t help but tease, ¡°When I give you an injectionter, do you want to cover his eyes, Ms. Steele?¡± He would only dare to joke like that because Ste was around. For some reason, he felt that Weston wouldn¡®t get angry because Ste was around. As he had expected, Weston looked at him with mild annoyance but did not pursue the matter. Ste chuckled and turned to Weston, teasing him further, ¡°If you¡®re afraid of injections, just say the word. I¡®ll definitely save you.¡± His face darkened, but he remained silent and shut his eyes, not willing to stoop to her level. Ste¡®s interest was piqued as she saw how the doctor started looking for the vein at the back of his hand. Weston had a pair of strong, good¨Clooking hands. His knuckles were well¨Cdefined on his long fingers, and the veins under his skin were faintly visible. It was probably a pair of arms that were very easy to inject. The needle pierced through, and blood began flowing through the tubes. Ste looked, finding him completely unaffected, and found it boring. ¡°So calm even during an injection. You¡®re no fun at all...¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you think I¡®m like you, needing to cover my eyes before I can get an injection?¡± Weston joked. Ste suddenly recalled the time she was forced to donate blood to Guinevere and the smile on her face immediately faded. The corners of her lips twitched, but she said nothing. Weston did not know what the reason behind her sudden change in mood was, but he held her hands. After the injection, the family doctor began to prescribe some medicine for Weston. As Weston took his medicine, the doctor started packing his bag. ¡°Although the fever is rather high, it wouldn¡®t be much of an issue as long as his temperaturees down. The drugs shoulde into effect soon.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡± ¡°Don¡®t mention it. It¡®s my job,¡± the doctor replied. With that, he stood up. Joan walked over and said, ¡°Why don¡®t you stay over for the night? I¡®ll clean up a guest room for you. If Mr. Ford¡®s fever doesn¡®t subside in the middle of the night, it¡®ll be easier for you to help.¡± Ste thought it was a good idea. Turning to Weston, she asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Weston caressed her head. ¡°You decide. You¡®re the mistress around here.¡± He said the word ¡°mistress¡± in a tone that was tender to no end. A glint shed past Ste¡®s eyes, but she instinctively avoided his gaze and turned to look at Joan instead. ¡°Please help clean up the guest room, then.¡± Joan nodded and brought the doctor downstairs. After they left, Weston immediately pulled Ste into his embrace. She struggled against his hold, ¡°You¡®re still on a drip, aren¡®t you worried about moving around too much?¡± ¡°What¡®s there to be afraid of?¡± Weston rested his chin on her head and rubbed against it. He lowered his head and kissed her cheeks. His breath was still hot and heavy, and Ste somehow found him exceptionally sticky when he was sick. Why did she never realize that he had this side to him? ¡°Are you a child? You¡®re so sticky when you¡®re sick.¡± Weston remained silent as he kept an arm around her waist, refusing to let her go. ¡°You must stay with me.¡° Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 A sense of helplessness washed over Ste. ¡°I have my own things to do, too. I can¡®t even go to the bathroom if you insist on that.¡± ¡°Did I not let you go to the bathroom just now?¡± Ste remained silent, She rubbed between her brows. ¡°I want to get some water. Can you let me go, please?¡± Weston refused. She stood up, and he stood up along with her. Thus, unable to hold it in any longer, Ste raised her voice. ¡°You¡®re still on a drip. If you move as you please, I¡®ll have to trouble the doctor toe and secure the needle again!¡± ¡°Help me push the drip. I¡®ll go with you to get some water.¡± Weston found it absolutely reasonable. Ste was speechless. ¡°The kitchen is right there. You can watch me pouring water for myself. Will I grow wings and fly out of this ce?¡± Weston remained silent with pursed lips. His eyes widened as he considered telling her that he was indeed worried that someday, she would grow wings and fly out of this ce, never to be seen again. Just like how she jumped off the building that day. She fell off that tall building, just like that. If she really had wings, she would certainly choose to leave him. She would even be willing to dive down the deepest abyss if she didn¡®t. Weston did not want to see either situation happening. Ste might not have realized it before, but she now keenly sensed how difficult it could be to please a man like Weston. Now that he was sick, he seemed even more like the devil, sent from hell to torment her. After she finally managed to get a cup of water from the kitchen, Weston dragged her back to the couch and locked her in his embrace. He treated her just like a bolster, refusing to let her go. Ste did not find herself very small in stature. Although skinny, her body was of a decent build and was definitely not akin to a child. However, as shey in Weston¡®s embrace, the disparity in size was stark. She felt like a doll, mped tightly in ce by one of his strong arms. He was capable of effortlessly holding her in ce even while he was sick. Ste had no choice but to stay by his side while on a drip. The night gradually fell silent. Ste nced at the clock and saw that it was gettingte. Yet, Weston became even more alert as the night went on. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. She touched his forehead and felt grateful that his fever had gone down. Weston looked at her silently as his eyes reverted to their usual cold and distant look. It was as if that whining man who was sticking to her previously was nothing but an illusion. Ste calmed down and looked into his eyes as she said calmly, ¡°Your fever has gone down now. I¡®ll go back to my own room for a rest. Get Joan¡®s help to call for the doctor to remove the dripter...¡± Weston didn¡®t respond. A whileter, hended a kiss on her forehead. ¡°It¡®s been tough on you,¡± he said. Ste smiled. ¡°If you find it tough on me, please let me go back to my bed. I¡®m rather tired.¡± She yawned. ¡°Just sleep here,¡°Weston hugged her and made her lean in his embrace. Ste didn¡®t want to. ¡°I can¡®t sleep well like this, and it¡®ll just wear you out more.¡± ¡°It won¡®t,¡± Weston said. ¡°I¡¯m never tired when I hug you.¡° Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Ste paused before reaching out to feel his forehead. ¡°Are you getting warm again?¡± Why would he still be so sticky even when he was awake? Weston simply stared at her and suddenly leaned in to kiss her. He pried open her mouth, his breath hot and heavy. Somehow, he could smell a refreshing scent on her, like an ocean breeze on a hot summer¡®s day. He kissed her deeply, savoring her lips and holding her tenderly. Ste realized that he was getting better and better at kissing. He seemed to be engrossed, immersed in trying to excite her senses. Ste had never seen Weston try so hard to make her feel good. Gone was his possessiveness and aggressiveness of the past, and although he was pushy, he wasn¡®t overbearing and was, in fact, warm and gentle. Only two of them were left in the hall. The movie credits were still rolling on the television screen. Ste had lowered the volume of the television. The background music couldn¡®t drown out the sound of her heart beating. When the kiss ended, Ste¡®s face flushed just like Weston¡®s, as if she had also developed a fever. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste felt like she had been infected by him. ¡°Aren¡®t you afraid of passing the virus to me?¡± She grumbled. Weston leaned his forehead against hers. ¡°If you fall sick, it¡®ll be my turn tomorrow to take care of you.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Ste pushed him away. ¡°I really need to sleep right now...¡± Weston refused to let her go, however. ¡°Stay here and talk to me.¡± ¡°It¡®s sote now, and a thunderstorm¡®s forecasted for tomorrow. You don¡®t have to report to the crew tomorrow.¡± He held onto her stubbornly. ¡°Keep mepany.¡± Ste stood up and looked down at him. She saw the look in his eyes that she had never seen before. She sighed and sat back down. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± There were some things that he had wanted to tell her on multiple asions, but when the opportunity finally arose, he realized how difficult it was to put them in words. Weston caressed her face. He should have said these things when his temperature was at its highest. Now that he was awake and alert, it made things more difficult for him. ¡°For a family like ours, our idea and concept of marriage differ from most ordinary people.¡± After a long while, Weston finallymented. Ste suddenly understood what he meant and simply stared at him. With a chuckle, she said, ¡°Are you trying to tell me that your marriage with Guinevere is but amercial alliance?¡± Weston didn¡®t respond, simply looking deeply into her eyes. He seemed to have expected the sarcasm in Ste¡®s tone, and he went on. ¡°If I were to tell you that things between Guinevere and I aren¡®t what they seem...¡± ¡°Don¡®t treat me like a fool!¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°Things havee to this point, and I¡®m already stuck by your side, unable to go anywhere. For this year, at least, I¡®ll bepletely at your mercy. Why must you still say such things to dupe me? Is it very amusing to treat me like a fool?¡± Her eyes turned red. ¡°You¡®ve been lying to me right from the beginning. I thought I was lucky to be fancied by you and married to you...everything felt like a dream until you eventually told me that I was just a tool that you used to provoke Guinevere! I¡®m merely a stepping stone for your rtionship with her...¡± ¡°Fine, I left. I no longer want to be involved in your rtionship with her. I can¡®t afford to y games with you rich people...but why must you force me into a corner like this? Why?¡± ¡°You and Guinevere...both of you...all of you are forcing me into a corner...¡± All this while, Ste had been suppressing her innermost feelings. Finally, at this point, her emotions were on the verge of copse. ¡°Do you know what I can¡®t stand the most? You two obviously yed me like a fool, but I still have to tolerate that pretentious and self¨Crighteous face of yours!¡± ¡°What is left for you to exin? That, in fact, your rtionship with Guinevere isn¡®t that deep? Is it not enough that you¡®re making me pretend to be the Ste of the past, who loved you wholeheartedly? Do you want me to be eternally grateful to you from the bottom of my heart?¡± ¡°What do you take me for?¡± Ste raised her voice and asked, choking back her tears. Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Weston didn¡®t know what to say. Every single word of Ste¡®s pierced deep into his heart. He felt like he couldn¡®t breathe. He could only keep her in his embrace, holding her tightly against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. He never bothered exining anything to anyone. But at this moment, he hoped that Ste could understand him. ¡°Things are not what you think they are...¡± He finally owned up to his own feelings. ¡°I do have feelings for you. Ste, I thought you knew.¡± ¡°I don¡®t.¡± Ste took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°If this is how you treat someone you have feelings for, I don¡®t want it.¡± She had said the cruelest of words in the calmest of tones. ¡°I won¡®t be so stupid as to fall in love with you a second time.¡± Weston avoided her gaze. He simply continued hugging her. After a long while, he asked, ¡°...when did you fall in love with me?¡± ¡°I don¡®t remember. I only remember the moment I stopped loving you,¡± Ste said. The wild thunderstorm disrupted many ns. The crew¡®s activities were dyed time and time again and could only properly continue a weekter. Guinevere finally joined the crew under pressure from Bradley. Ste was informed ahead of time and reported to the crew for filming on the same day as Guinevere. After Weston fully recovered, he returned to the office and didn¡®te back for a few days, apparently busy with a very tricky project. Having the extra time, she took the opportunity to visit Fern University, discussing with Roger about furthering their studies overseas. She never met Justin again, although she had no idea if it was merely happenstance or that someone had arranged it such that they never bumped into each other. In the studio. When Ste arrived, she saw Bradley discussing something with a few people in the distance. She walked over and the assistant approached her to discuss the day¡®s schedule. Bradley saw her walking over and halted his discussion. He walked over to Ste. ¡°How has it been, practicing at home these few days?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡®m still rather unfamiliar with some actions...¡± Aside from memorizing her script, Ste had also spent some time rehearsing her moves for her next fighting scene. Bradley nodded, armed with the assurance that she¡®d been diligent in her preparation. ¡°Later, I¡®ll get the instructor to teach you basic actions and legwork. You¡®re almost there in your preparation; all that¡®s left to do is to listen to the instructor and familiarize yourself with the scene. He¡¯s very professional. Leave yourself in his good hands and don¡®t hold back.¡± Ste nodded. The studio was packed with people today, and she couldn¡®t find an empty spot even after looking around. Everyone was working overtime, busy with work that had piled up. The atmosphere was crackling with pressure. For them, it appeared there wasn¡®t much time left. After Bradley delivered his instructions, he went off to arrange other matters. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste followed the instructor to a slightly more open space, and she heard the instructorin, ¡°It would be great if we were this busy only at the early part of this year. But based on our progress, I think we¡®ll be this swamped for the entire year...¡± The instructor clearly had no fear of saying whatever she pleased in front of Ste, a neer to the crew. She could sense that Ste was mild¨Ctempered and easygoing and couldn¡®t help but spill some gossip. ¡°Did you see? Guinevere reported to the crew early this morning, and the fuss everyone made over her... ¡°Tsk, tsk. Truly the queen of the entertainment circle.¡° Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 He sang Guinevere¡®s words of praise, but Ste could tell that he meant something else. She smiled and didn¡®t say anything further. Instead, she focused on remembering her script. ¡°Can I do it like this?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± the instructor nodded. ¡°When you¡®re in front of the cameras, make sure your fighting sequences are meticulous¨Csharp and precise. Don¡®t just focus on hitting your opponents, but on disying the character¡®s personality. Reimagine the original fighting scene in the author¡®s mind.¡± Ste found that what he said made sense and took his advice very seriously. A whileter, there seemed to be amotion among the crew, prompting them to look over. Someone had walked out of the dressing room; a rose amongst the thorns that drew everyone¡®s attention. The instructor said mildly, ¡°Seems like the big celebrity is done with her makeup. The entire crew is waiting for her alone... She ims to want to catch up, yet she¡¯s requesting everything to be done from the beginning just because of something trivial she doesn¡®t like...¡± He subconsciously rambled on his grievances before suddenly realizing that Ste was still next to him. Worried that he¡®d said something wrong, he smiled guiltily at her. ¡°I didn¡®t mean anyone in particr, don¡®t think too much about it.¡± Ste pretended that she¡®d heard nothing. She didn¡®t want to get herself involved in such things. Then, the assistant suddenly came rushing over. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, we are.¡± ¡°Everything¡®s ready over there. We¡®ve divided the ce into two scenes. Director Bradley will film that scene first. Both of you, go over there and wait.¡± Another assistant director was in charge of the filming on their end. It seemed the crew had indeed been trying hard to get up to speed. Ste¡®s partner in this scene was Caspian again. Because of his manager¡®s reminders, he wasn¡®t as friendly toward Ste as he used to be and even kept his distance when he could. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. However, he did not forget to keep things cordial between them. Ste could tell that he was trying to keep his distance, and didn¡®t make a big deal out of it. She was merely the new actress¨Call she needed to do was to keep calm and focus on doing her part well. There was no need to overthink other things. Their scene was shot smoothly and sessfully. Caspian was sufficiently prepared as well, and the two had amazing chemistry on set. After shooting their scene, even Caspian had a change of heart towards Ste. Since his manager was watching from the side, he couldn¡®t say much except for a smallpliment. ¡°Good job today...¡± he whispered when Ste walked past him. Ste was slightly taken aback as she nced at him. She could sense that he was avoiding her gaze and turned to look at his manager standing on one side, ring at him menacingly. She understood what was happening and nodded slightly, not giving him toorge a response, before going backstage. Bradley was still doing some preparation work. Guinevere¡®s crew started the earliest, yet they haven¡®t even officially begun filming. Apparently, Guinevere had very high standards for the crew, not only for the actors and actresses whom she shared scenes with, but even the surroundings had to fulfill her ¡®expectations. She was scheduled to film a fighting scene as well. Guinevere hardly came out after giving birth, and her body recuperated pretty well. However, perhaps because she hadn¡®t been working for a long time, she found it rather physically demanding. Most of the crew knew that she had returned to work after giving birth and were, therefore, more understanding and patient with her. Yet, things inevitably slowed down. Things were getting on Bradley¡®s nerves. ¡°Forget it. Let¡®s film another segment.¡± Guinevere refused to. ¡°I think this segment can be even better.¡± She insisted, ¡°The character can be more fully fleshed out. I don¡¯t want the audience thinking that I¡®m just a female actress who only knows how to cry.¡± Guinevere¡®s signature had always been her crying scenes, which were always very touching and infectious. However, she wanted a breakthrough in her career and did not want people to think she only knew how to shoot emotional scenes. As she spoke, she nced around her and spotted someone who made her heart stop. ¡°Ste Sealey?¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Guinevere would never forget Ste¡®s face her entire life. When she saw her face in the studio, her head buzzed, and she stood absolutely frozen in ce. She thought she was in the middle of a nightmare, as chills ran down her spine and she stood there petrified. It wasn¡®t until someone next to her reminded, ¡°Gwen, are you feeling alright?¡± that Guinevere jolted awake and said, ¡°I¡®m fine...¡± A glint shed past her eyes as she looked towards Ste. Then, she asked someone next to her, ¡°Who is she?¡± The crew member looked toward Ste and pondered for a moment before replying to her,¡± Oh, she¡®s probably a new actress! I forgot to inform you. Remember that actress for the young female warrior role you weren¡®t very satisfied with? Director Bradley reced her with another actress. Although she¡®s new, she¡®s been performing pretty well in general. Just now, she even managed to film a fighting scene sessfully...¡± The crew member appeared worried that Guinevere would mind that they didn¡®t inform her in advance before recing the actress and exining things. However, Guinevere wasn¡®t paying much attention to his exnation. Instead, she stared in Ste¡®s direction, her heart thumping in her chest. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She must be in a nightmare. There was no other possible reason. Why then would she see Ste appear? The crew member saw Guinevere remaining silent and rm bells rang in his heart. He decided that it was best to call Bradley over for help. Bradley furrowed his brow, ¡°What happened to her?¡± The crew member exined, ¡°She was asking about E...¡± Bradley fell silent. A momentter, he asked the crew member, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Nothing, but I¡®m not sure what she¡®s thinking... ? Bradley halted whatever he was doing and walked to Guinevere. ¡°E Steele is an actress that I pulled in. Didn¡®t you say that the previous actress for the young female warrior didn¡®t have the right aura? This one does. If you¡®re still unhappy, you¡®ll just have to find another actress who¡®ll fulfill your requirements.¡± Guinevere finally turned to him, seeking confirmation. ¡°What did you say her name was?¡± ¡°E Steele.¡± Bradley furrowed his brows and noticed that something was really wrong with Guinevere¡®s reaction. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. ¡°E Steele...¡± She chewed on the words and remembered her existence. The woman looked exactly like Ste. Were it not for the DNA test; she would¡®ve thought that woman was really Ste. She quickly calmed down, though aplex look remained in her eyes. ¡°Why is she here? Isn¡®t she a dance teacher in the training center? When did she suddenly be an actress?¡± She collected herself and asked Bradley with a smile. Bradley was rather confused. ¡°You sound like you know her?¡± Guinevere was a hugely sought¨Cafter celebrity. E, on the other hand, was an ordinary teacher at a training center who only came to audition for the role by ident because of Ruby. If he hadn¡®t noticed him that time, she probably wouldn¡®t stand a chance in the entertainment circle. Guinevere and E were from two vastly different worlds. How did they even know each other? Guinevere¡®s eyes shifted as she replied with a chuckle, ¡°I know a friend whose child is learning dance at the training center. She knows E, so I¡®ve seen her before.¡® Bradley nodded at her somewhat reasonable exnation. ¡°Since she¡®s an acquaintance, I¡®ll call her over so you two can say hi.¡± ¡°Sure. I can take the chance to give her a wee gift.¡± Guinevere had brought gifts for everyone in the crew when she came. Although she was difficult to handle, she made sure to observe an etiquette befitting a well known figure in the industry. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 To her, the sum it cost was a mere small change, and it served to gain the crew¡®s favor Even though some were unhappy with her work attitude, they couldn¡®t say much given that they had received so many gifts from her. Ste was resting in the set when the assistant suddenly ran towards her. ¡°E, the director has called for you!¡± Ste stood up, slightly confused. Was it because she performed poorly just now? Only after she had walked to Bradley did she realize the woman standing next to him was none other than Guinevere. She clenched her fists so hard that her fingernails dug painfully into the flesh of her palms as she tried hard to keep a straight face. The sharp pain forced her to calm down. She turned to Bradley. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Let me do the introductions. This is Guinevere Cohen. I suppose she needs no further introduction?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Ms. Cohen, I¡®ve heard so much about you.¡± She thought Guinevere would pretend not to know her, but Bradley continued, ¡°She mentioned that you¡®re the dance teacher of a child of a friend she knows. Since both of you are considered acquaintances, I won¡®t say much. You share manymon scenes, somunication will be much easier, given you know each other...¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste looked at Guinevere, slightly taken aback. All she saw was Guinevere smiling kindly at her, seemingly without ill intentions. She walked to her, her hand outstretched, ¡°It¡®s been a while.¡± Guinevere blinked a couple of times at Ste, the smile on her lips never quite reaching the depths of her eyes. She was an actress, after all. She knew what expression to put on to make others have a good impression of her in such situations. Ste paused before reaching out and shaking Guinevere¡®s outstretched hand. ¡°It¡®s been a while, indeed,¡± she said. Guinevere released her hand and looked firmly at Ste¡®s face. Despite the raging emotions inside her, Guinevere looked calm andposed on the outside. ¡°Now that we¡®ve gotten past the introductions, I¡®m sure we¡®ll work well together in our uing scenes,¡± Bradley saw how subdued things seemed between them and didn¡®tment further. ¡°E, you filmed the scene earlier pretty well. You can begin preparing for the next scene when you¡®re free.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Guinevere, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Initially, Guinevere had qualms about the scene, but upon seeing E, she changed her mind and said, ¡°Let¡®s just begin.¡± Bradley was stunned for a while, not expecting her to be so agreeable. ¡°Sure. I¡®ll get the crew in position.¡± Guinevere was the main lead in this scene. She had many impressive fighting shots that were the highlights for the lead female warrior. As such, preparations were made to ensure that everything was perfect. It went without saying that Guinevere¡®s acting skills were amazing, unsurprising since she was a celebrity who had once clinched the best actress of the year award. Although she had stopped working for a period and was slightly out of practice, her strong foundation in acting was evident. Bradley let her pass in that scene. It wasn¡®t perfect, but there weren¡®t any major problems either¡ªthe critical part would be the subsequent series of highly demanding actions. Guinevere had to wield a sword and jump from a stone to a cliff. Perhaps because she had just given birth, her moves appeared sluggish andborious. Sadly, she did not seed even after multiple takes. She looked apologetically at the crew and said, ¡°I¡®m sorry, it¡®s all because of my poor physical condition...¡± If it were due to any other reason, Bradley would¡®ve had quite a few things to say. However, this was clearly because of her physical limitations, and scolding her would do nothing to help The only thing he did was ask, ¡°Do you need a double?¡± Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Guinevere was taken aback by his offer. ¡°I remember that you never use body doubles in your movies...¡± ¡°What else can we do? Are we just going to forget this scene if you can¡®t do it?¡± Bradley grumbled with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Guinevere could sense that he was upset, and her face turned dark with displeasure. A momentter, she said, ¡°Alright, then. Let¡®s bring in a double. It¡®s my fault in the first ce that I couldn¡®t do it well.¡± Bradley didn¡®t even bother casting her a second look, turning instantly to a crew member next to him, instructing, ¡°Find a double for Guinevere right away.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Guinevere stood silently at the side. When the body double came over, Guinevere¡®s brows furrowed when she saw her. ¡°This actress ¡® figure is so different from mine. It¡®ll be so obvious that she¡®s a body double.¡± Bradley paused for a moment and looked at her. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Guinevere went on, ¡°If you really want a body double, you should at least find one that matches my figure. If it¡®s so obvious that a double is filming the scene, it¡®ll be like we¡®re treating the audience like they¡®re blind.¡± Bradley rubbed the center of his brows as he felt a headache brewing. ¡°Find a body double who has Guinevere¡®s figure.¡± Subsequently, they managed to find another actress of a simr build to Guinevere. As long as her face was not shown in the scene, the audience would find it hard to tell that a body double had been used. Once again, Guinevere had something to say. ¡°She doesn¡®t look like me at all. The moment she turns around, the audience will see her side profile and see that she lookspletely different from me. If someone were to go frame¨Cby¨Cframe, it¡®ll be easy to tell that I used a double...¡± ¡°It¡®s true that you¡®re using a double. So what if others find out?¡± Bradley couldn¡®t help butment. Guinevere¡®s face changed. ¡°Bradley, if it were to be discovered that I used a double, do you know what other actors will say of me? They¡®ll use me of being unprofessional!¡± Bradley stood silent. No one in the crew dared to breathe a word. Guinevere went on, ¡°You saw it for yourself. It wasn¡®t that I didn¡®t try my best, and it¡®s not that I was unwilling to cooperate. It is simply because of my physical limitation. This ispletely justified and has nothing to do with my professionalism. But if other actors were to bite onto this, they might blow things up, and the media might catch wind of it. I hope you understand how difficult things can get for an insignificant actress like me...¡± She was trying to im the moral high ground and emotionally ckmail Bradley. Considering her highly¨Cregarded position in the entertainment industry, her wealthy family, and coupled with Weston Ford as her solid backer, no one would be stupid enough to pit themselves against her. The so¨Ccalled ¡°other actors¡± would never dare to offend her; in fact, she was usually the one who had leverage over them. She even proimed herself an ¡°insignificant actress,¡± with the clear intent of putting Bradley in a difficult spot. If he didn¡®t agree to her request, he would be seen as an obstinate and unsympathetic person. Bradley was on the verge of exploding. Never had he encountered a diva so obnoxious and difficult to deal with. In fact, it would be even easier to negotiate and talk with veteran actors. Of course, these showbiz moguls had professional standards that they insisted upon and were stubborn in certain trivialities, but none ever obsessed about such a non¨Cexistent issue as much as Guinevere did. ¡°Then tell me. What exactly do you want?¡± Guinevere hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I think it¡®ll be better to find someone that looks exactly like me...¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 ¡°Where can I go to find someone who looks exactly like you?¡± Bradley couldn¡®t help but question her proposal. ¡°It¡®s just a body double scene. All we¡®re looking for is the motion and the overall effect.¡± ¡°I know...¡± Guinevere said, looking regretful. ¡°But I thought that you¡®re like me, a perfectionist in work.¡± The manner in which she put it left Bradley with no choice but to swallow his words. In frustration, he kicked a chair by his feet. Guinevere could clearly tell that he was raging. Bradley did not bother hiding the fury etched on his face. He would¡®ve probably given up tolerating her behavior if it weren¡®t for her family. Guinevere decided to take a step back and offer them a solution, ¡°E looks somewhat like me, and she filmed her fighting scene well just now. Would she be able to serve as my double?¡± Everyone turned to look at Ste upon Guinevere¡®s suggestion. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. It was then that everyone realized that Ste did look somewhat like Guinevere. Perhaps good¨Clooking people all bore some resemnce to each other. Both Ste and Guinevere had bright and beautiful eyes, but unlike Ste, Guinevere often wore make¨Cup to emphasize her features and make her look more captivating. It also had the effect of aesthetic fatigue. Ste¡®s features were as delicate as Guinevere¡®s but had a more enduring look to them that made one feel that she was more beautiful the more one looked at her. After Guinevere raised her suggestion, everyone began finding it feasible. They asked Ste, ¡°E, do you want to give it a go?¡± Ste instinctively turned to look at Guinevere, sneering in her heart when she saw Guinevere give her a half¨Csmile. She knew that no matter how friendly Guinevere tried to portray herself on the surface, deep inside, she was still the same old Guinevere who would stop at nothing to exterminate anyone who was a threat to her. If Weston was the source of all the tragedy that happened to Ste, then Guinevere was the trigger. She had once wanted both her and her child dead Seeing her remain silent, Guinevere hesitated, ¡°...Oh, that¡®s right. I didn¡®t even seek your opinion about it. It¡®s fine if you¡®re not willing. After all, the moves are pretty difficult.¡± The crew couldn¡®t help but begin to persuade Ste. ¡°E, you performed very well just now. Ms. Cohen just gave birth and it¡®s only natural that she can¡®t do these moves. Why don¡®t you lend a helping hand? You¡®ve already been filming for quite a while; this additional scene wouldn¡®t take up much time.¡± Instead of asking Ste for a favor, the way Guinevere and the crew members put it made Ste seem almost unreasonable if she were to reject the proposal. She was about to open her mouth and respond when Bradley cut in, ¡°She¡®s a neer. How good an effect can she achieve? She could film that scene in one take only because she was very well prepared, diligent, and professional. If she really can help us film Guinevere¡®s scene, then I, representing the entire crew, thank E. However, it¡®s entirely reasonable too if she can¡®t.¡± Guinevere¡®s face turned cold as she looked at Bradley. She couldn¡®t even be bothered to preserve the friendly and approachable image she was trying to keep up. She didn¡®t expect Bradley toe to E¡®s defense in front of everyone. Ste looked at Bradley before nodding in agreement, ¡°I can give it a go, though I can¡®t guarantee how things will turn out.¡± Bradley looked at her, slightly shocked. He didn¡®t say anything, but she walked towards her and patted her shoulder, ¡°I¡®ll remember this favor you do for us.¡± Ste shed him a smile, maintaining her silence. Guinevere sneered in silence as she looked at both of them. ¡°Thank you for your willingness to help me. Weston wouldn¡®t let me do something so dangerous, so I have to trouble you to help out...¡± Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 With that, Guinevere asked her assistant to present Ste with a wee gift. Each of the crew received an ordinary gift box, but this time, Ste received a wedding favor that Guinevere had given out previously. Her assistant brought over a red gift box and handed it to Ste. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste did not immediately receive the gift, which made Guinevere appear to think of something, ¡°Oh yes, I forgot. This is Weston and my wedding gift. It¡®s just a little token that we prepared for everyone in the crew to share our joy. I previously distributed it to the team, but I¡®m not sure if you received it. I want to make sure that you receive your portion...¡± Ensuring that Ste received her portion was just an excuse for Guinevere to show off in front of her. Ste remained calm andposed even as she witnessed Guinevere doing all she could to dere her ownership over Weston, She reached out to receive the gift, after which Guinevere released her hand and said, ¡± Apologies, I have to take a call, Please wait for a while...¡± Ste said nothing further. She simply stood where she was and looked on expressionlessly as Guinevere spoke over the phone. Guinevere turned to her side and said sweetly into the phone, ¡°Yes, I¡®m already at work. Don¡®t worry. The crew treats me very well. Weston, don¡®t worry about me and take care of yourself...¡± ¡°Didn¡®t we just meet yesterday? You don¡®t need to fetch me, really. Don¡®t worry!¡± Her grumbling, groveling tone clearly reeked of pride. ¡°Why are you so annoying? I¡®ve already said things are going pretty well on set and that I¡®m well taken care of. Don¡®t be so worried...¡± ¡°Alright, I¡®ll head home early once I¡¯m done. Don¡®t bother visiting the set to see me. I¡®m not a kid...¡± She went on a while before finally hanging up. She then said apologetically to Ste, ¡°I apologize for that.¡± She pointed to her phone, ¡°That was Weston. Today is the first day I¡®m officially back at work, so he¡®s rather concerned.¡± Everyone could tell that Guinevere was deliberately showing off. Whatever it was, she did have the ability to show off. Weston was her husband, after all. Even ordinary men might not dote on their wives so much. Yet who was Weston Ford? He was the most powerful man in Ahn City who couldmand the winds and the waves, no less. All along, he had Guinevere as his only woman, and he had cared so much for her. People who wanted to get jealous found themselves in no position to do so. Ste remained silent, unable to figure out what she was feeling inside. Just yesterday night, Weston had been lying right next to her. Guinevere was lying. Given her personality, she wouldn¡®t say such obvious lies if Weston called. The call was probably not even from Weston. She should have found Guinevere amusing, to say the least, but had instead found her pitiful and miserable. How could someone as proud as her end up behaving like this? If she were Guinevere, she wouldn¡®t waste her time with a man like Weston Ford, no matter how much she loved him. And in the process, losing her dignity... In the hospital. Henry stared at his phone. Did he call the wrong number? Yet, he was sure that it was Guinevere¡®s number he dialed. After hearing that bunch of nonsense from her, he finally figured out that she was probably trying to show off how much Weston cared for her to someone. The corners of his lips curved upward into a mocking smile. Guinevere did seem to be more anxious during this period, and he didn¡®t want to expose her.¡± Since you¡®re busy, I¡®ll hang up.¡± Silence ensued in the room once more. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Right after he put down the phone, someone knocked on his door. It was his doctor doing his rounds. ¡°How do you feel today?¡± Henry was about to reply when he saw a woman following the doctor from behind. The doctor exined, ¡°She¡®s here to observe me. Please ignore her.¡± Henry nodded, but he noticed someone familiar right next to thedy. Xavier Ford. Xavier hade looking for Zeta when he recalled that Henry also received treatment in this hospital. He waved to him. Zeta immediately told the doctor next to her, ¡°I have something else to attend to, and I¡®m heading back to the office.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± She turned to leave, and Xavier instinctively trailed her. Zeta immediately said, ¡°Stay here and chat with Henry. I¡®ll go and be busy.¡± With that, Zeta turned to leave in a hurry, seeming as though she was trying to avoid him. Xavier said nothing more. He sneered and sat down on the couch, looking at Henry. ¡°I have no choice but toe over and visit you.¡± Henry remained silent. After a series of routine questions and running the usual checks, the doctor took his leave. Only the two remained in the ward. A thought came to Henry¡®s mind. ¡°Was that woman just now your fianc¨¦e?¡± Xavier sneered. ¡°What fianc¨¦e? Didn¡®t you see that nasty look she shot me?¡± ¡°You¡®ve always treated her very ordinarily. What¡®s more, any of those girlfriends you have outside look more like your woman than her. If it weren¡®t for the verbal marriage agreement between both your parents, you would never be associated with each other.¡± ¡°Just listen to yourself. If there weren¡®t so many ¡®what¨Cifs¡¯ in the world, we wouldn¡®t have to deal with so many troubles in life.¡± Henry remained silent as his thoughts drifted. He probably wouldn¡®t have treated her that way if there were really ¡®what¨Cifs¡® in this world. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. If he had treated her slightly better, would she have stuck around? She wouldn¡®t have stood idle seeing him in a wheelchair, disabled for the rest of his life, and still refusing toe out and see him. However, she was that heartless. Xavier saw how his face changed and asked, ¡°Oh yes, I heard Weston say that you¡®ve been trying to find a particr person ofte?¡± ¡°Did you hear that from him, or did you do some poking around privately?¡°. Henry looked at him with a half¨Csmile. Weston would never share their conversation with a third person. Growing up together and sharing unspoken chemistry, their brotherhood far outweighed the blood ties that the uncle and nephew pair shared. Xavier knew that Henry wasn¡®t easily fooled, and he tapped his fingers against the table. ¡°How about this. Let¡¯s strike a deal. Do me a favor, and I¡®ll help you find the person you¡®re looking for. What do you think?¡± He looked straight into Henry¡®s eyes. ¡°I know who you¡®re looking for. That little bodyguard of yours, right? However good a woman is at hiding, where could she possibly hide herself?¡± Henry ignored him and instead pushed his wheelchair to the balcony, turning his focus to his potted nts again. Xavier suddenly recalled that day he hade to visit Henry with Weston. All he did was touch his cactus once, and Henry looked like he wanted to murder him. ¡°Are these potted nts things that your little bodyguard likes?¡± His question invoked a dark scowl from Henry, and it all but confirmed his suspicion. ¡°How about this. I¡®ll help you dig up news about her, and I don¡®t need you to do anything for me. However, if I manage to find something useful, we¡®ll take it that you owe me one. How does that sound? Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Henry suddenly looked at him coldly. ¡°I don¡®t want anything except to be your friend.¡± Xavier cracked a nonchnt smile as he reached out a hand to pat him on his shoulder. ¡°I know what you¡®re worried about. Don¡®t worry. You¡®re Weston¡®s friend, and I¡®m his uncle. How could I possibly do anything to harm him? At most, I¡®ll just fight with him over the family inheritance. Don¡®t be so worried.¡± On set. Ste was prepared for what was toe. The wire that was supposed to be strapped on Guinevere was now tightly secured on her back. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Bothdies were of simr build, and it didn¡®t take much time to adjust the harness and wire. In order to run from this space to the other side of the cliff and then fly back down, the most critical thing was to maintain bnce and keep the movements clean and sharp. That would help make for a good take. Guinevere¡®s movements for this scene differed from those Ste practiced earlier, as the swordsmanship between the young female warrior and the lead female warrior were frompletely different factions. The young female warrior, yed by Ste, was more yful and less skilled in swordsmanship than the lead female warrior. As such, there was a vast difference in the difficulty level of both scenes. Ste tried to do what the instructor taught her earlier but found it ratherborious. Behind the cameras. Guinevere sat right next to Bradley and looked at Ste¡®s performance through the lenses. With arched brows, sheined, ¡°Seems like she can¡®t get the movements right, either. Why don¡®t we switch to a real professional?¡± Bradley remained silent. Guinevere went on, ¡°She¡®s already tried a few times. I¡®m afraid if we go on, she might get herself injured¡­¡± Bradley suddenly pulled out his earphones and looked at her, ¡°When you first suggested for her to be your double, didn¡®t you consider the fact that she might get injured? Now that we¡®re in the middle of filming, you suddenly want to stop everything. What exactly do you want?¡± He bellowed unceremoniously. He didn¡®t want to tolerate Guinevere¡®s behavior any longer. Guinevere decided to take a step back, ¡°I was just concerned for her, that¡®s all. Since she¡¯s agreed to this, then we¡®ll continue.¡± With that, she stood up and found another spot elsewhere to sit. Her assistant immediately offered her a recliner. She leaned back and picked up a ss of beverage, sipping on it. She saw Ste fall from the artificial cliff time and time again, each fall harder than the previous. Some crew members could no longer take it. Especially the assistant, who whispered into Bradley¡®s ear, ¡°Shall we take a break and try againter?¡± Bradley kept silent and looked into the camera. ¡°We¡®ll see after she films this take.¡± If they were to stop right now, all of Ste¡®s efforts would have been in vain. Ste adjusted her posture and realized that charging from this distance made it difficult to carry out the required moves. If she could run from a further distance, it would give her more time to execute the actions she needed to achieve. She signaled to Bradley. Bradley paused briefly and asked, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± At that, she shared her thoughts with Bradley. ¡°Sure, feel free to y around,¡± Bradley said. ¡°Just be careful not to hurt yourself.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Ste nodded. Immersed in doing her task well, she wasn¡®t even paying attention to Guinevere. Guinevere saw how unaffected Ste was, and her good mood gradually soured. She thought that making things difficult for Ste would cause her to embarrass herself but didn¡®t expect that she would take it in her stride so well. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 She had originally intended for Ste to plead to her for mercy. After all, it wasmon for seniors to pick on juniors in the entertainment industry, and she had even tried to do it as subtly as she could in a bid to preserve her own reputation. As long as Ste said she couldn¡¯t do it, Guinevere was happy to smile and let things go. But since Ste insisted on pushing through, she couldn¡¯t me Guinevere for standing idly by and watching her struggle. Guinevere suddenly pulled out her phone to take a photo-a picture of Ste falling t on her face on set, which she uploaded on social media. Before she uploaded it, sh¨¦ pondered for a moment before deciding to block Weston from seeing her post. She did not want Weston to see E in any form or manner. That incident with Belle was like a thorn that pierced her heart. Why did the women that Weston had affairs with have to resemble Ste Sealey so much? Worse, out of all these kept women, E resembled Ste the most. It was almost as if they were the same person. The previous time she met E at Yvonne¡¯s ce, she could clearly sense some anomalies in Weston¡¯s behavior. He merely kept his feelings hidden in front of everyone. She would never allow a woman who could affect Weston so much to appear before him. At the Ford Mansion. Chris had time today to spend with Wendy, and he stayed at home to take care of Zack Perhaps because he had been overly close to Guinevere, he felt rather guilty and would alwayse back to apany Wendy whenever he found time. Their rtionship appeared as good as it was before. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chris also became more patient with Wendy. If it weren¡¯t for the asional avoidance and distraction that Wendy noticed in his eyes, she would have thought that they really went back in time to when they were young. She sat down on the couch with Zack in her arms, poking his nose gently as she said, ¡°Look at his eyes. They look so much like yours¡­¡± Chris carried Zack stiffly in his arms, ¡°Our son looks like me, after all. Naturally, our grandson looks like me, too.¡± Wendy smiled wordlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work these few days? You¡¯ve been returning home so early.¡± ¡°What, are you not happy with that?¡± Chris deliberately said. Wendy cupped her cheeks in her hands and remained silent. Chris felt slightly ufortable at being stared at like that by her. ¡°Why are you looking at me that way?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just suddenly feel like we¡¯ve both grown old.¡± Chris remarked casually, ¡°That goes without saying. Look, Weston even has his own child, and we¡¯re grandparents now. How could we not be old?¡± ¡°Is that so? Then why do I still feel that there are still so many young women flocking around you, as many as there were in the past?¡±. Wendy sighed. When she was in her prime, many men vied for her attention, even when Chris was around. She was the most beautiful in the entertainment industry, and she had as many pursuers as there were fishes in the water. Perhaps because of thepetition, Chris had treated her superbly, doting on her and caring for her like she was his precious treasure. However, with the passage of time, the number of people pursuing Wendy dwindled. Regardless of how beautiful she used to be, her age made her no match for those young, up anding beauts in the circle. Conversely, age was kinder towards men-women continued throwing themselves at Chris, whereas she had lost her market value. She and Chris were no longer as loving as they used to be, despite trying to keep up appearances. She knew very clearly that Chris¡¯ treatment was out of habit and routine and not truly from his heart. Chris heard herment and stiffened. ¡°What nonsense. You¡¯re the only woman in my heart Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Even as he patted Zack on the back, Chris was watching for Wendy¡¯s reaction-seeing that there was none, he presumed that she was just asking casually. Breathing a sigh of relief, he chuckled at her. ¡°Really? Are you getting jealous like a teenage girl at your age?¡± Wendy raised a brow. ¡°And I guess you¡¯re an expert on young girls?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just giving me rope to hang myself, huh?¡± Chris retorted as he returned Zack to her.¡± That said, you¡¯ll always be a young girl in my perspective.¡± As Zack put an arm over Wendy¡¯s shoulder and leaned on her, she smiled. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t listen to hearsay all the time. Don¡¯t you know how I feel toward you? It¡¯s been years, and you should start believing in me.¡± Despite her smile, Wendy felt cold inwardly. Are all men geniuses when ites to deception? Did he not feel guilty at all when he said something like that? *** Within the Ford Corporation offices, everyone in the meeting room was afraid to make a sound. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston was frowning as he listened to a proposal presentation, and there seemed to be a chilling pressure weighing down on everyone around the conference table. After all, everyone could tell that Weston was upset. ¡°Who¡¯s the head of the strategy department?¡± he asked icily after the presenter was finished. While everyone around the table was fidgeting nervously, a middle-aged man slowly rose to his feet. ¡°¡­ Mr. Ford, is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡®Is there a problem? I should be asking that, don¡¯t you think?¡± Weston snapped, and flung the papers in front of him at the man. ¡°None of this makes sense. What did I pay you for?!¡± It was natural that there was a gap in work effectiveness between the branch in Fern City and the headquarters at Ahn City. The employees there were naturally under the impression that they could get a passing mark by posting the same numbers they didst year, and naturally did not expect that Weston could be so demanding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ford. There may have been a mistake with the initial budgeting¡­¡± ¡°Save it-I don¡¯t need excuses. Just submit a new proposal before next week. I want results.¡± With that, Weston rose to his feet. Ben quickly issued further instructions before following Weston out of the meeting room. ¡°Mr. Ford, we have another appointment soon. I don¡¯t think we can make it back to Stardust Mansion tonight in time¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Weston replied. ¡°Just remind me to call her when she¡¯s done.¡± They would be sitting around a dining table by then, and there was a chance that Weston would get too busy. As such, he should give Ste a head¡¯s up so that she would not have to keep waiting alone back home. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford,¡± Ben said, and whipped out his phone to double-check the schedule for the rest of the day. He tapped on the usual chat group by reflex, and paused when he saw a particr image. He quickly looked up at Weston, but he had no idea if he should mention it. Weston stopped in his tracks and turned toward him. ¡°What is it?¡± Ben hesitated again, and then said, ¡°You should look at this, Mr. Ford¡­¡± He tapped on the image to show Weston. Weston frowned, and scowled the instant he looked at the screen-he promptly grabbed the phone and erged the image. He noticed right away that it was Ste, and it was a picture of her taking a fall. While he was under the impression that she was filming, he then saw that her cuts and bruises were not fake. Tapping out of the image, he saw that it was Guinevere who sent it, and the caption was: [The dedication of this extra! She leaped off from this end of the cliff, and was dangling off a cable for hours without protective gear! It really is hard to make money these days!) Naturally, it was only avable from Ben¡¯s ount¡­ Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Weston whipped out his own phone and swiped through it, but Guinevere¡¯s post was not visible from his ount. He chuckled coolly as a horrible re appeared in his eyes. Beside him, Ben was sweating bullets-he had almost never seen such a reaction from Weston before. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± ¡°Postpone all appointments for the day. We¡¯re paying the film crew a visit.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ben could not help trying to dissuade Weston. ¡°You might upset Miss Cohen¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that she¡¯s doing this on purpose?¡± Weston¡¯s expression turned darker. Ben promptly lowered his head. ¡°I mean¡­ You¡¯re going to draw a lot of attention if you suddenly show up for E Steele¡¯s sake, and she wouldn¡¯t want that to happen¡­¡¯ And that was the truth. Weston closed his eyes, remembering that dignity and reputation mattered more than anything else to Ste. The fact that he had forced her to stay with him was no different from taking away her wings, and if everyone realized that she was his, he could imagine how embarrassed she would be. He just could not get it-why would she keep those unnecessary moral codes? What was going on between them wasmon in society, and there was so much he could give her, and yet she refused everything. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her get hurt again,¡± Weston growled as if to himself, suddenly opening his eyes again. Ben watched his reaction and quietly sighed. Although he was Weston¡¯s longest serving assistant and one of his most loyal subordinates, he had no idea who Weston was actually more interested in-Guinevere or Ste. In the case of the former, aside from being in herpany out of courtesy, Weston appeared to have no intention of lingering around her unnecessarily. And yet, in the case of thetter, Weston was reluctant to even make her his legitimate partner -even on the most elementary level. Given what Ben knew about Weston, he was never one who willingly went with his family¡¯s arrangements, and yet his marriage to Guinevere was not a simple marriage of convenience between the Cohens and the Fords either. Naturally, Ben just could not understand why the legendary king ofmerce, known for being decisive and inspiring fear among the masses, would be so terrible in rtionships. *** After trying and failing countless times, Ste poised herself again and asked Bradley, ¡°Ready for another round?¡± At first, Bradley thought that it was ideal to have Ste make it through the sequence as soon as possible, but as he studied her condition, he could not help suggesting, ¡°You should take a break. Don¡¯t rush things.¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it,¡± Ste replied, wiping sweat off her brow. ¡°Let¡¯s go again-I¡¯ll make it this time!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Hearing her say that, Bradley naturally nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Just do what you can.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ste grinned. ¡°I know my limits.¡± Just as she finished, her assistant held out a bottle of water at her. ¡°Please have a drink first.¡± Ste took the bottle and slowly drank up half of it, before returning it to her assistant and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Nearby, Guinevere was watching them, her initial catharsis having since faded. She had wanted to watch as ¡®E Steele¡¯ made a fool of herself, only for everyone to offer a helping hand. That was something she simply could not understand-was everyone taking pity on her just because she appeared delicate? ¡®What a pretentious woman,¡¯ she thought to herself. In fact, she had never liked E, and now actually felt disgust toward her. It was not just her face either-E¡¯s very existence annoyed Guinevere! Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Feeling utterly grumpy, Guinevere flung her phone off to a corner. Her assistant was nearby, and when he heard the racket, he quickly sprang to his feet in panic, worried that Guinevere was upset about his work performance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Cohen?¡± If it had been any other day, Guinevere would have thought nothing of her assistant¡¯s overreaction. However, it was aplete eyesore for her right now. What was with that look? Was he worried that she was going to kill him? Was she really that intimidating? Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Guinevere never thought highly of her assistant before, but now, she was upset, especially with E¡¯s assistant serving as a stark contrast nearby. Had she been unfair to these people? Why were they all acting so afraid of her?! ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Mind your own business!¡± Even as those frustrating thoughts clouded her mind, she sprang to her feet and stormed off without looking back. Her assistant was left behind, turning pale and unsure as to how he had angered her this time. He traded nces with the other assistant, unsure of what he should say just then. *** Meanwhile, back at the film set, Ste leapt off the cliff directly, and it was finally a good shot. ¡°Cut!¡± Bradley yelled, and she promptly dropped limply on the ground. Seeing that, Bradley promptly ran up to her and helped her up, while medical personnel at the set also encircled Ste. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Bradley asked. Ste nodded. ¡°Just a little tired.¡± She was smiling as she spoke ¡ª despite being battered and bruised, she told them to rx, and not to worry about her. Bradley naturally felt a little guilty right then. Pausing for a moment, he then said, ¡°You should take a break over the next few days. I¡¯ll arrange for some extras to take over your parts ¡­ Your health takes priority-you must not push yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ste insisted. ¡°I just need a small break since I¡¯m not hurt. The doctors said that it¡¯s just cuts and bruises. Moreover, we¡¯re shooting a period drama-no one would spot a thing under these dresses!¡± Bradley could not resist a chuckle. ¡°Honestly, how naive could you be? Smiling even after you¡¯ve been put through the grinder?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ste replied. ¡°It took me great lengths to clear this sequence. Of course I can smile¡ªI¡¯ll only cry if I keep messing it up.¡± Bradely smiled begrudging and sighed at the sight of her face, which was caked with dirt.¡± You¡¯re really¡­¡± He could not find the right words to describe Ste, however, and so simply said, ¡°Anyway, your goal for the day is done. Now go and take a well deserved rest.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± *** Meanwhile, Guinevere was still sulking in her private room at the backstage lounge. Some of the film crew were standing outside the door, afraid to go in. They had no idea what put her in a bad mood out of nowhere. Moreover, E had seeded with her sequence and they could now film the rest. So, what had got her goat now? Naturally, after settling the matter with Ste, Bradley was told that Guinevere was throwing a fit. Scowling, he asked, ¡°Where is she now?¡± Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 ¡°At the backstage lounge, Mr Lane,¡± one of the assistants replied. Bradley nodded quietly and headed to the backstage to look for Guinevere. ¡°Miss Cohen¡­ I heard you¡¯re refusing to shoot?¡± he asked the instant he stepped inside Guinvere¡¯s private room, opening the door without flinching unlike Guinevere¡¯s wimpy assistants. ¡°Or perhaps you have another opinion to offer?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Guinevere was caught by surprise and looked up to see that it was Bradley. Her gaze changing right then, she said, ¡°Why would you say that? Wasn¡¯t my body double doing just fine?¡± ¡°She is, but I heard from others that you don¡¯t actually agree.¡± ¡°¡­ Who, me?¡± Guinevere rose to her feet. ¡°How so? And who said that?¡± Bradley certainly could not point fingers, and simply fixed his gaze upon her. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be forthright if you have any opinions. You know that my film schedule has been packed recently, and I won¡¯t be aware of your mood swings 24/7.¡± His words were sharp, but actually tolerant-Guinevere could tell that he was offering her a stool to get off her high horse. If she kept on acting like this, he might have to swap actresses. Be that as it may, Guinevere only felt burgeoning grief. She had merely taken maternity leave, and E Steele immediately popped up in the film crew after that. Who did she think she was?! She just had a face that resembled Guinevere¡¯s! So why was she everywhere? Was Guinevere fated not to escape her for the rest of her life? ¡°I¡¯m just curious-why would you take an interest in my stunt double when she has no experience in acting, director?¡± Guinevere said then, and as if genuinely interested in their connection, she brazenly asked,¡± You¡¯re single at the moment, right?¡± Bradley did a double take, and scowled when he realized what Guinevere was getting at. ¡°E Steele, your stunt double, may be inexperienced, but her performance today was plenty enough to show that she has surpassed seasoned actors. While experience is an established metric, it is not the only metric that matters, because overall performance takes priority.¡± While Bradley did not name anyone in particr, it was obvious to Guinevere that he was talking about her-she could have yed the martial arts sequence if she was willing to push herself, but the point is she refused. In fact, it was likely that after winning the best actress award and being fawned upon made her less driven to prove herself than before. One might say that she had bex. In reality, everyone working with her could see that, but none of them had the guts to tell that to her face. ¡°I¡¯m not here to discuss E with you,¡± Bradley said then, cutting to the chase. ¡°I may have no grounds to dismiss you since you¡¯re one of the investors, but your attitude could prevent me from working on this film seriously.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face dropped. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Just letting sleeping dogs lie,¡± Bradley replied. ¡°If I am forced to direct a film that is not up to my own standard, I would not call it my work-just an assignment I was paid to do.¡± And knowing that Bradley woulde good on his threat, Guinevere glowered. ¡°You¡¯re siding with E Steele as well, aren¡¯t you? Just because she got a little hurt filming a sequence as my stunt double, everyst one of you ising for my head?!¡± Bradley realized right then that Guinevere was not thinking straight, but countered regardless, ¡°Why would I side with E? Or perhaps you¡¯ve actually realized that you were bullying her just now?¡± It was not the first time that Bradley sensed the grievance between both women. He had been surprised to find out that Guinevere and E were acquainted, but while he did not dwell on the matter at the time, was it not obvious that there was some history between them? He asked about it once that possibility crossed his mind, only for Guinevere tough icily in return. ¡°Are you joking? Why would I have a grudge against her? As if she could be mentioned in the same breath as myself!¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Bradley said nothing, but merely kept his eyes fixed on Guinevere, as if he had seen through her in an instant. She made a face, but simply walked away to sit in front of her dressing table, staring at her own reflection as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This won¡¯t happen again.¡± Bradley left once he had her assurance, but as soon as he was gone, Guinevere swept every cosmetic product off the table, sending them crashing to the floor. Though she appeared in control just a moment ago, there was every sign of her losing control once again. She worked hard to calm her heartbeat, and took the bottle of pills from the pouch she carried everywhere, and took one Still, it took her a long while to calm down. Suddenly, her phone started ringing, and her eyes lit up the instant she saw who was calling. ¡°Weston?¡± she eximed his name in delight. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± After all, she did not expect a call from him at this hour-he should be at work right now, and they usually called each other in their spare time. However, Weston said something on the other end, and Guinevere¡¯s delighted expression soon stiffened. Then, after a long while, she grumbled in discontent, ¡°I know¡­ Is that all you have to say to me?¡± *** Shooting was over for the day, but when Ste was ready to leave work, she spotted Guinevere quickly removing her makeup and leaving. A film crew member nearby muttered, ¡°Why is our superstar leaving so early today, I wonder? ¡°She was just passing the time anyway¡­ Didn¡¯t you see the look on the director¡¯s face? It was simply terrible!¡± Ste did not say anything, since she was unwilling to talk about Guinevere with the others it was especially inappropriate to do so given her position. Hence, she quietly packed her things, and the others nearby left as well, since there was no point to talk to Ste about Guinevere when she refused to. Even so, it was likely that Ste would be shunnedter on since she was the type who was reluctant to badmouth others. That is not a problem early on, but as time goes by, everyone would realize that they have no leverage against her, which in turn would lead them to feel insecure. Meanwhile, Ste was done packing her belongings when she found Guinevere walking toward her. She seemed to be answering a call, and paused to nod at Ste in greeting when she saw her. Ste nodded politely in return since she could not pretend not to notice. She had no idea why Guinevere was acting as if they were on good terms, when things tended to get frosty whenever they met. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. However, as Guinevere walked past her, Ste could hear her saying, ¡± ¡­ That¡¯s fine. You cane and pick me up ¡ª just drive safe, Weston.¡± It appeared to be another call from Weston, but Ste did not pay it much heed. She was going to take a taxi after removing her makeup anyway, and she had told Weston not to send her a chauffeur this morning, since she was worried that one of the film crew might recognize her. This was not the training center, and there were all sorts of people in showbiz-who knows if someone would suddenly recognize her, not to mention that Weston was not a typical face in the crowd. Moreover, many would have their eyes on a superstar like Guinevere, and even slightest of hints might somehow be linked to Ste. As such, Weston was forced to agree with her choice. Be that as it may, while Ste presumed that Weston was spending the rest of the day with Guinevere, she had just left the film set when he called. ¡°Where are you?¡± he growled over the phone. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Ste did a double take. ¡°Hold on¡­ Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Weston replied, while gesturing for his chauffeur to drive straight ahead, and he soon spotted Ste hovering near a junction. She looked ever so adorable and docile as she waited obediently for the lights to turn green. ¡°No, I just thought that you¡¯d be busy with work¡­¡± Ste was going to say that she thought Weston would spend the day with Guinevere, but quickly stopped herself although she was on the verge of saying it. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I would be spending the next few days at home with you?¡± Ste did not answer at first, and said after a while, ¡°I¡¯m heading home, then. The lights have just turned green-I need to cross now. Talk to youter.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Weston replied, and watched as Ste hung up before telling the chauffeur to follow. She usually preferred shortcuts, and even though Weston had told her many times not to take quiet paths, she would agree to it, only to fall back to her old habits-it was no exception this time. After turning into an alley, Ste walked along until the end to a small road, where only a single car could pass. Still, it was not isted since a single wall separated it from a busy highway, and it was brightly lit so Ste had nothing to fear. Nheless, she had been walking when she suddenly heard a car honking from behind. She instinctively moved aside to make way for the car, but it was not moving past her even after a long time. She then turned to find a ck luxury car following her, as if it was intent on staying and watching her, with no ns to drive past her at all. Ste found that a little weird just then, and tightened her hold over her pouch as she strode ahead. Even so, the car was still following her, and she could not shake it off no matter what she did. That was when Ste became sure that the car was there for her, and so she started to move at a hurried pace, before eventually breaking off into a run. Naturally, there was no way she could outrun a car, and she eventually stopped when she reached a dead end. Panting, she quickly picked up arge stick she found nearby while staring warily at the car. Then, one of the doors opened, and a pair of long feet stepped out. Ste finally looked up then, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that familiar face. Throwing the stick to the ground, she muttered, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡± She did not realize it was Weston because he was using a different car- before, he would always be in his ck Cullinan whenever he picked her up. Seeing that she was sweating bullets, Weston strode up to her and took her pouch while asking, ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize my car?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to recognize them when you have countless?¡± Ste countered. ¡°Make time to visit my garage. Remember every car you see, so that you won¡¯t run off when Ie to pick you up next time.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste said nothing¨Cshe had had a peek of his garage before, and there were so many cars that she would have to spend endless hours there to remember each of them. ¡°You have so many cars you barely take some of them out of the garage. Why should I remember all of them?¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t force you if you promise that you can recognize my car the next time around.¡± With that, Ste followed Weston into her car, but once inside, Weston threw her pouch off to a corner, pulled her into his arms, and showered her with kisses. His kisses became even more unbridled and more feverish than thest as time went by, until he eventually stopped short of doing something more. Ste vaguely sensed that they were going to do something else soon, and she started to get restless as she always did during such moments. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 No matter how Ste tried to pretend, she could not hide the repulsiveness she was feeling. That was when Weston stopped, and started to offer her reassurance-he had be much more patient than ever before. Whatever he was doing, he would stop once Ste appeared upset, and pat her back reassuringly as if she were a child. Moreover, he would not continue if she insisted that she was ufortable, and it was the same this time. Holding his own forehead against hers and watching her flush and pant from his kisses, Weston asked, ¡°How many times have I told you not to take quiet routes when you¡¯re alone? Did I scare you just now?¡±, ¡°You did that on purpose?!¡± It was only then that Ste realized, since what had happened just now was clearly unusual. After all, Weston lingered inside his car and kept quiet, while his car followed Ste at a neutral pace. Anyone who saw that would be under the impression that he meant harm. Weston chuckled hoarsely then. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the one who keeps doubting me. I¡¯d rather you get spooked a little than to regret it when some thuges after you.¡± Ste sneered ironically. ¡°It¡¯s not as if I don¡¯t have a thug after me already.¡± Weston¡¯s gaze darkened when he realized that she was talking about him. He wrapped his hands around her waist then and asked, ¡°Who are you calling a thug?¡± ¡°Who do you think?¡± ¡°How am I a thug?¡± Weston held her up so that they were sitting face-to-face just then. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ste turned away, not willing to meet his eyes just then. ¡°You knew that I¡¯d get scared, but you did it anyway.¡± That was when Weston¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn, and he lifted her chin so that she looked him in the eyes. ¡°That¡¯s because I know that it would just be a case of false rm. If you keep going against what I say, however, it would be toote if you really run into a real thug-understood?¡± He spoke to her as if he was a father with a disobedient daughter, and Ste frowned since she disliked that feeling. ¡°I¡¯m an adult. I know how to take care of myself.¡± ¡°Do you really?¡± Weston growled. Ste saw a sinister glow in his eyes then, and in the next instant, he started to reach for her clothes. Shocked, she cried, ¡°What are you doing?! We¡¯re still in the car!¡± Nheless, the bulkhead separating the front and the back end of the car shot up as if on cue. Moreover, the backseat of the car was so spacious that the people at the front would not hear what was going on behind. Even so, Ste pressed her hands over Weston¡¯s, stopping him while pleading, ¡°Not here, please¡­¡± There had been more than one asion before when Weston had almost lost control in the car. Even if he would always stop at the veryst second each time, Ste did not put much hope on his self- control-he might not hold back the next time. Still, while he managed to catch her unprepared this time, Weston saw that she had misunderstood his intention and scowled. ¡°What do you take me for? Do you really think I¡¯m obsessed with sex all the time?¡± Ste pursed her lips in silence, but the look in her eyes made it obvious that she did. Weston sighed and smiled despite himself, and made her turn around, lifting her blouse just then and studying a bruise over her back. His smile vanished immediately as his eyes turned frighteningly cold. Ste flinched ufortably in response, since she was actually surprised that he would notice her injury. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Weston pinned her down as he studied the bruise closely, his slim, callused fingers moving over her back as he did. Ste felt utterly out of ce as every spot he touched seemed to jolt her. ¡°Stop looking. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 ¡°Not serious? It¡¯s turned blue!¡± Weston growled even as he stared at therge patch of bruise over Ste¡¯s back. The blood in the middle had clotted into ckness with only small tinges of red visible in between. However, the red somehow made her injury appear even more gruesome. ¡°Doing this to yourself¡­ Are you an idiot?¡± Unable to look anymore, Weston lowered her blouse. Nheless, Ste appeared upset at his usation. ¡°It¡¯s my job-and like I said, it¡¯s not serious.¡± Weston grabbed her by the arm and spun her around right then. However, he did not know that she was injured over the arm as well, and he promptly let go when he heard her gasp in pain, even as he withheld all the harsh words he was about to throw at her while watching her reaction. ¡°Did that hurt?¡± Ste nodded. Weston had to restrain his ring rage right then, and gently moved Ste so that she was seated in a comfortable position. Then, he helped her take off her jacket and carefully rolled up her sleeves. It turned out that her arm was the part where she was hurt the most-because she was falling headlong to the ground while being suspended with high-tension wires, she had shielded her head by instinct in the urgency of the moment. It was the same if she had expected any other vital anatomy was going to be hurt, so her arms were now a gruesome sight of purple-blue bruising. Most of her outer skin had peeled off as well, baring the dermisyer beneath while caking her blouse with sticky blotches of blood. To make things worse, Ste gasped audibly when Weston took her clothes off. Restraining his headache, he coolly reprimanded her, ¡°You deserved that.¡± However, although he was definitely cold and angry, Ste did not find it that way. She was quietly staring at Weston¡¯s somber visage, feeling for an instant that Weston genuinely cared for her. Be that as it may, she banished the thought from her mind in the next instant-if he really did care about her, he would not have hurt her repeatedly, or hidden her as if she must never be allowed to see the light. That was especially the case when Guinevere was around, who would me Ste for everything she could possiblye up with, while Ste was left with noeback. He was almost insistent in denying her dignity and keeping her vulnerable to everyone¡¯s contempt, and yet he would also try to heal her wounds, tenderly attending to the hurt she suffered. Even if he was the cause, he would protect her without regard to the consequences. It was an irony that left Ste feeling even worse. Perhaps because it had been a long time since anyone had protected her, anyone who showered her with the slightest warmth and affection would stir her emotionally. However, she would tell herself that Weston¡¯s tenderness was no love, but simply possessiveness. On the other hand, Weston watched as Ste kept quiet and moved off to a corner, he thought that she was upset, and noticed then that his tone had indeed been a little too overbearing. His expression turned mild right then. ¡°If I remember correctly, I¡¯ve told the film crew not to let you shoot sequences on high-tension wires.¡±| Realizing that Weston might be pursuing the matter, Ste quickly said, ¡°I volunteered-I¡¯d rather not slow the film¡¯s shooting progress.¡± ¡°But I remember that your parts are finished, ¡°Weston countered, not about to give in on the issue. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Ste said nothing, but simply looked Weston straight in the eye. After a while, she muttered, ¡°You probably know everything already, then¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have said a word if I didn¡¯t, would you?¡± Weston asked. ¡°So what if I told you? Are you going to straighten out Guinevere? She¡¯s your wife and the mother of your child, while I¡¯m just a toy to you¡ª¡±. Even before she could finish, however, Weston had seized her by the chin and kissed her. Before he knew it, he had grown to resent hearing such words from Ste-he refused to hear any words that were demeaning to her, be it from herself or anyone else. And yet, he would never change Ste¡¯s mindset even if he could stop everyone else from talking. To her, the world was ck and white, and if she could not clear the obstacles in her own head, she would simply loiter on the other end. It was also why as long as she had no legitimate reason to be at his side, she would never be happy, and would always belittle herself. Knowing that, Weston hugged Ste so fiercely he was almost crushing her in his arms. At the same time, he kissed her lips repeatedly, even as her bones started to ache from his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Ste mumbled, unable to stop herself from trying to push him away, only for Weston to tighten his arms around her. His kisses seemed to convey all his tenderness and fury, even as he savored her vor-taking it all in, be it her sweetness or bitterness. There was no telling how long had passed as everything outside the window seemed to run past them. Though the trees were caked with thinyers of snowkes after winter arrived, the interior of the car was just heating up. Soon, Ste was left gasping for air, trying to catch her breath even as she leaned on him. Weston¡¯s breathing was ragged as well, and he rested his forehead against hers even as he held her back, while talking tiny pecks on the tip of her nose and her cheeks. ¡°She¡¯s not my wife,¡± he said hoarsely beside her ear. ¡°I will never marry her.¡± This was not the first time he had told Ste this, just as he knew that she would never believe him. Even so, he intertwined his fingers with hers and added, ¡°I know what you want, but even if I can¡¯t give you that, you can have anything you want.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze lost its glow right then, and she stayed silent for a long time, until Weston¡¯s gaze became dull as well. He was painfully aware that Ste wanted nothing else from him other than his absence. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. And that was the only thing he would never give her. *** Guinevere was almost on the verge of a breakdown when she returned to Ford Mansion. ¡°He was just fine when I left in the morning¡ª how did Zack catch a fever?¡± The maids quickly carried Zack to Guinevere the moment they saw her return. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened either¡­ Zack suddenly started to throw a tantrum and refused to drink his milk. We never managed to calm him down¡­¡± ¡°We then noticed that his forehead was a little hot, and we realized that he had a serious fever after we used a thermometer!¡± Guinevere had rushed home because Zack had suddenly fallen sick. With Wendy and Chris away, while Weston was in Fern City, there was no way Guinevere could leave him alone at home. No matter how much she despised the child and had troubled feelings for him, the boy was still her son-and the only child she could bear in this life. As such, there was no way Guinevere did not love him at all. In fact, everyone else seemed to forget that Guinevere was suffering from terrible mood swings as well, and promptly passed Zack to her. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Guinevere felt a pang of heartache even as she held Zack in his arms. In reality, she rarely carried the boy so carefully, because everytime she did, she would be reminded of that night which had changed her life entirely. As a matter of fact, she had wondered to herself more than once-would her rtionship with Weston be so eerily cold if that night had never happened? Seeing that she was very worried, one of the maids said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. The family doctor will soon be here ¨C Zack will definitely be fine.¡± Even so, Guinevere was too distracted to hear her. *** After examining Zack, the doctor said rather awkwardly, ¡°Zack seems fine at the moment. However, he¡¯s a child, and he should be admitted to the hospital if this continues.¡± Guinevere promptly called Weston after the doctor left-he was the one who had called her about Zack, and yet she was somehow here, alone with the boy. She could not help feeling a little upset about that. Nheless, it took a while for Weston to answer a call, and he was clearly unhappy as he growled, ¡°What is it?¡± He said just three words, almost t in tone-but it left Guinevere taken aback. At that very moment, her mind was not on Zack¡¯s fever, but instead on why Weston had always treated her so coldly¡­ As if she had only realized that right then! It had been years, but Weston only ever tolerated her when necessary, and never once showed her any hint of tenderness. Would he really be treating her like that if she had feelings for him? Her fingers clenching on her phone, she asked, ¡°Where are you right now?¡± She tried to keep her voice calm andposed, but in her bones, she was still the Guinevere Cohen who always hated to lose. ¡°Zack is very sick. Would youe pick us up at the hospitalter, when you¡¯re free?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Fern City,¡± Weston replied. In other words, he would not be going. Guinevere took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°But Zack is looking really sick right now, and no one else is around. I¡¯ve juste home alone from the film set, too¡­ Don¡¯t you remember that?¡± On the other end, Weston rubbed between his brows just then. He was neutral toward Zack, and even if he was distant, he never spared any expense when it However, he never spent much time with Zack¡ª which made him simr to Guinevere in that respect, and he would only show up when necessary, never once going out of his way to be nice to the boy. ncing at Ste, who was sleeping beside him, Weston rose to his feet and left his breakroom, not willing to disturb her. Guinevere could hear him on the other end, and so asked, ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fern City,¡± Weston answered. ¡°I mean, what are you doing right now?¡± ¡°Heading to a meeting.¡± That finally gave Guinevere pause, and she finally stopped asking. ¡°Am I imposing?¡± The instant she said those words, Ben could be heard from the other end, ¡°Mr. Ford? Everyone is waiting.¡± Weston nodded in response. In reality, Ste had fallen asleep in his car when he was called to an urgent meeting. The sight of her sleeping soundly suddenly made him reluctant to send her home-keen on keeping her with him, he carried her to his breakroom. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Before Weston left, he gave Ben a look. Catching his cue, Ben arranged for someone to take care of Ste, and have them report to Weston once she wakes up. Meanwhile, Guinevere was still on the other end of the call, and her tone softened considerably when she heard Ben¡¯s voice. ¡°I won¡¯t impos¨¦ since you¡¯re working.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Weston replied. ¡°Tell me when Zack recovers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Weston hung up right after that, and Guinevere listened to the beeping tone after the call was cut off, before calling Xavier. She had actually wanted to call Henry Moore¡ªwhich used to be her first reaction to everything in the past, since he would help her no matter what it is. In fact, she was used to Henry agreeing to whatever she asked no matter the time and ce, which was why she thought nothing of Henry getting into a rtionship with another woman. However, Henry was currently wheelchair-bound, which meant Guinevere had to go to someone else, and Xavier was one of them, since she saw him return in the morning. Still, Xavier appeared a little impatient when he answered her call. ¡°Why are you asking me? Are you chauffeurs and maids all there just for show?¡± Nheless, he stopped ranting the instant he heard that it was Zack who needed a trip to the hospital. ¡°Fine. Wait up front, I¡¯ll be there to pick you up.¡± In the end, Zack was a child of the Ford family, and once he hung up, Xavier quickly picked up his car keys and rushed to Ford Mansion. It was basically in the neighborhood, and having told Guinvere to carry little Zack outside the front gates, he drove straight to the hospital after they got in. Guinevere, however, frowned when she saw that he was not driving to the private hospital she frequented. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the hospital.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not going in the right direction to¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m driving. I will decide on which hospital we¡¯re going to.¡± Guinevere was upset about that, but the edge in Xavier¡¯s voice kept her quiet. However, if Xavier were to be honest, he had no idea what he was doing either-he had set aside work the instant he heard that he needed to give them a ride to the hospital. Still, he remembered how repulsed Zeta Taylor was with him the other day, and despite feeling a little ufortable about that, he drove to her hospital anyway. While Guinevere carried Zack upstairs to the pediatrics department, he was settling the bill for them. Then, after hovering for a while, he somehow ended up outside Zeta¡¯s office. She happened to be taking a break, and was napping over her desk. She also left the door ajar, and Xavier stood outside, looking in through the gap. However, when Xavier was about to enter, a man suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Walking up to Zeta, he took off his coat and put it over her shoulders. He must be a doctor in this hospital as well, and he appeared more mature despite looking the same age as Zeta. There was a vague tenderness in his eyes as he watched Zeta as well. Even if they werepletely different, it was obvious what that gaze conveyed since Xavier was a man himself. Snickering but unsure as to what he wasughing about, Xavier turned to leave. *** Ste felt like she had been sleeping for a while, and did not even remember when she had fallen asleep. All she remembered was being lightheaded in the car, before waking up to an unfamiliar ce. It took her a while toe to her senses and realize that she was in a breakroom. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 The room was dimly lit while the curtains were closed, seemingly out of concern of disturbing Ste¡¯s sleep. She rubbed her eyes, shrugged off her nket, and rose to her feet. The instant she left the breakroom, someone promptly approached her. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re awake, Miss Steele.¡± Hearing Ben¡¯s voice, Ste paused for a moment before looking at him. ¡°How did I get here?¡± ¡°You fell asleep in the car, so Mr. Ford carried you up here.¡± Ste was naturally acquainted with Ben, since he was the one who had taken care of matters when she and Roger Sealey assumed new identities. It was obvious that Weston trusted him very much, or he would not have left her with Ben. Taking a seat on a couch and having a drink, she asked, ¡°Is Weston having a meeting?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ben replied. ¡°However, he will probably be done soon, and he is hoping to go home with you.¡± With that, Ben passed her a tablet, obviously having arranged something for her to do in the meantime. ¡°You can ask me directly if you have any request. Everyone in the secretaries¡¯ office outside are people that Mr. Ford trusts, so you don¡¯t have to feel constrained.¡± Ste nodded, but she still felt ufortable since she did not expect Weston to take her to his office. Was he really not worried that others would find out? However, Ben seemed to read her mind, and assured her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much, Miss Steele¨Cjust leave it to Mr. Ford.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Still, Ben found sympathy for the harshness of her situation even as he watched her. On one hand, Weston kept closing in on her, while on the other, she was also struggling with herself. To tell the truth, he had no idea why Weston was unwilling to let her go-he was willing to get her a new identity and give her a fresh start, and everyone would be happy as long as he let her 1. So, why was he refusing to do so? ¡°I shall be going back to my work if there is nothing else for now. Again, just tell me if you have anything you need, Miss Steele.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sullivan.¡± *** After Ben left, Ste felt a little freer, and decided to call Roger after a while. However, that was when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Ford, there¡¯s a report here¡­¡± Daisy spoke as she stepped through the door, and paused when she found Ste inside. ¡°Excuse me, but you are¡­?¡± Ste quickly sprang to her feet, while Daisy straightened and said, ¡°I¡¯m Daisy, Mr. Ford¡¯s private secretary. Are you his guest?¡± Though Ste¡¯s presence caught Daisy by surprise, she soon regained herposure and shook her hand in greeting, before speaking politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is Mr. Ford¡¯s private office. You should wait at the guest room up front if you have business with him¡­¡± It was obvious she thought that Ste was your average intruder who had snuck into Weston¡¯s office, which was why she was asking Ste to leave. She had only seen too many women who came to fawn over Weston using work as an excuse, and she was already being quite restrained. In the end, even if Weston Ford, the most powerful man of Ahn City, was beyond everyone¡¯s reach, there were still those who hoped to seize that almost nonexistent chance to shoot for the skies. Nheless, just as the air in the room turned awkward, Ben rushed into the room, ¡°Why are you in here, Daisy?¡± ¡°I have a report¡­¡± Daisy was surprised to see Ben, and turned back toward Ste. ¡°And thisdy¡­¡± Ben scowled right then. ¡°You¡¯re done here. Please step outside, and ask for permission the next time youe in.¡± Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Daisy¡¯s expression stiffened, but she said nothing. Still, seeing how respectful Ben was acting toward Ste, she could not resist letting her gaze linger on Ste before turning to leave the office. Even after she closed the door, she was left staring at the office for a long while. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Who on earth was that woman? To think that Weston would have a woman other than Guinevere, too¡­ Aside from Daisy, the other secretaries were interested in Ste as well, and they mobbed Daisy the instant she stepped out. ¡°Do you know who that woman in Mr. Ford¡¯s office is, Daisy?¡± Daisy shook her head, but her expression suddenly turned solemn. ¡°Are you girls done with your work?.Do you think Mr. Ford would appreciate your reaction when he returns?¡± Being the head of the secretary department, Daisy spoke on Weston¡¯s behalf most of the time. Seeing that she was being dead serious, the other secretaries traded nces, but they returned to their desks, leaving Daisy alone as she nced thoughtfully at Weston¡¯s office again. A man who never allowed any women to linger around him, suddenly bringing one to his office¡­ What could that mean? Daisy¡¯s expression turned a little troubled, but she returned to her work anyway. *** Ben stepped out of Weston¡¯s office soon after, and when he passed the secretaries¡¯ offices, he asked Daisy, ¡°May I have a word with you?¡± Daisy rose to her feet, just as the other secretaries turned toward them in response. Though they had no idea about the specifics, they were all naturally wondering if it was because of what had happened just now. Everyone knew that Ben is one of Weston¡¯s most trusted aides, and anyone whom he would personally serve was no pushover, let alone some skank. ¡°¡­ I guess the woman in Mr. Ford¡¯s office must be someone important, since she¡¯s able to order Ben Sullivan around,¡± one of them suggested. ¡°¡­ Is he in there serving that woman coffee or something?¡± ¡°You girls are letting your imagination run wild. Mr. Ford brought her to his own office, so it¡¯s not something we should be concerned about¡­¡± ¡°True. Let¡¯s not get ourselves into trouble.¡± *** Meanwhile, Daisy and Ben stepped out to the balcony. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Sullivan?¡± Daisy asked. Watching her, Ben said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re smart enough to know what I¡¯m going to say.¡± Daisy appeared taken aback that Ben would say something like that. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Ford doesn¡¯t want anyone else to know that the woman in his office has been there. If anyone asks, she was never here¨Cdo you understand?¡± In other words, Daisy was supposed to hide the woman¡¯s existence, and her eyes flickered in understanding. ¡°Even Miss Cohen¡­?¡± Ben frowned, and his eyes were suddenly sharp. ¡°Anyone.¡± Daisy immediately came to a realization, and put on a solemn expression. ¡°Alright, understood ¨Cno one will know that she exists.¡± *** After arriving at the hospital, Guinevere stayed with Zack as the doctor checked him. Fortunately, the boy was alright. Breathing a sigh of relief, she texted Weston¡ªshe did not call since he was in a meeting. His reply soon came, but it was just a single word. [Okay.) Guinevere stared at her phone for a long time, suddenly feeling as if she was possessed. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Guinevere found an emptiness in her heart, just as she felt threatened as if Ste Sealey were still alive. She closed her eyes, her mind filled with images of E Steele. There was no question that she had lost herposure at the film set, harassing E when they were just meeting for the first time. She should not lose self-control like that, but she just could not control herself. Even as she took a deep breath, she saw that Zack was about to burst into another crying fit just then, and she promptly frowned as she snapped, ¡°Alright, stop it! I know you¡¯re suffering, but so am I!¡± The doctor, who happened to be writing a prescription at the time, looked up at her in shock, confused as to why she would suddenly be so bad tempered. Pausing for a moment, Guinevere quickly adjusted her shades and added with a much milder voice, ¡°Be a good boy¡­ Mommy will y with you later, alright?¡± The doctor withdrew his curious gaze then, shaking his head, but did not dwell on the matter. In the end, every mother loves their child, and it is normal for parents to get impatient with a sick child. *** Later, Guinevere stepped out of the hospital with Zack in his arms, and soon spotted Xavier sitting at the hospital¡¯s pavilion and smoking. The entire hospital building was a no-smoking area, so he had to go elsewhere to do it. Frowning, Guinevere walked up to him and asked, ¡°When did you get addicted already?¡± Though she knew Xavier well despite theirck of contact, she never knew that he had be a nicotine addict. Xavier merely rose to his feet. ncing at Zack, he reached out to pat his head, but Guinevere took a step back in disdain from the smell of cigarettes. ¡°You¡¯re going to choke him!¡± Xavier chuckled. ¡°What, little Zack can¡¯t stand a little nicotine? He¡¯s not that weak!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°He¡¯s just a baby!¡± Guinevere red at him as she adjusted her hold on Zack. Xavier finally pulled back his hand at that. ¡°Is he fine now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home, then.¡± Nheless, Xavier barely walked a few steps beforeing to a stop. Watching him, Guinevere asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xavier said, and lifted a brow. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go meet Weston at his officeter.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Guinevere had no intention of humoring him, but stopped right away when he was finished Xavier chuckled. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯ll always overreact when ites to Weston, ¡°Why not?¡± Guinevere replied, suddenly smiling a little absent-mindedly. ¡°I¡¯ve loved him for so long¡­¡± However, her reply seemed to cause something in Xavier to snap, and he suddenly wheeled on her solemnly. ¡°When did you fall for him?¡± Guinevere¡¯s gaze turned distant just then as she searched her mind. ¡°In middle school, I think She could not pinpoint a specific moment, but simply knew that she always only had eyes for Weston even after so many years. Many men¨Cincluding Henry¨Chad caught her gaze, but those were just passing fancies. No one other than her would do for him In fact, she never imagined hersel¨ª being with any other man, and always felt that Weston was unquestionably hers. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s gaze suddenly turned nk ¡°Are you really going to stay in love with him after all that?¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Guinevere replied, ¡°Guess you still don¡¯t know much about women.¡± Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Guinevere smiled bitterly then. ¡°There¡¯s a sunk-cost facy when ites to love¡­ So, the longer you¡¯re in love, the harder it is to let go.¡± Then, as if remembering it just then, she turned toward Xavier. ¡°That¡¯s the same for Zeta. She loved you for years too, and she never gave up, even though you¡¯re pretty much infamous these days.¡± Xavier was taken aback that she would mention Zeta, and frowned even as he growled, ¡°Why would you talk about her for no reason?¡± And with that, he turned to leave, with Guinevere watching him from behind. Believing that he was getting grumpy over Zeta again, she shook her head but kept her silence as she followed him. Meanwhile, a bored Ste was reading her script in Weston¡¯s office. It turns out that his meeting proved to be an extensive one, and Ben had toe in a few times to reassure her, eventually telling her that the meeting was going tost another hour. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She tried to ask to leave, but Ben would refuse her on each asion, insisting that Weston had insisted that she stay before he went home with her. Naturally, Ste simply could not understand what had gotten into Weston-was he a child, insisting on leaving work with her? Ben returned to work after they spoke, though there was a slightmotion outside soon enough. Ste got to her feet, believing that it would be Weston, only to find an unexpected face: Xavier Ford. Why was he here? Nheless, Xavier did not spot her inside Weston¡¯s office, and instead headed straight to the secretaries¡¯ offices. It seems that he had recently taken a liking to Daisy-especially her aloofness toward others-which was just like Weston, not to mention she had turned down his attempts to invite her out on dates. In fact, the joy of the hunt had already taken his mind away from his unpleasant mood and Zeta, even as he moved to stand in front of Daisy. ¡°Long time no see,¡± he said in cheesy French, and when he saw that she was staring fixedly at her laptop, he grinned and quickly found himself a seat. ¡°Working, huh? Let me have a look¡­¡± He scanned the table on the screen, narrowing his eyes as he did. ¡°Oh, I think there¡¯s a little error over here¡­¡± Daisy would always ignore him no matter how he tried to talk to her before, and any response would just be a gesture of courtesy. This time, however, she frowned immediately and started searching the spot Xavier pointed out, eximing, ¡°No way!¡± Xavier could not help chuckling at how naive she was, and Daisy shot him an annoyed re in return, realizing that she had been tricked. Taking a deep breath to calm herself just then, she then said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Xavier Ford, but would you mind going to the conference room to wait for Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here for him-I came here for you,¡± he said, resting his chin under his hands as he stared flirtatiously at her. Daisy remained unmoved, however, and simply left to look for Ben. ¡°Mr. Sullivan¡­¡± Even Ben appeared to be put on the spot after Daisy told him about Xavier¡¯s antics. ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to team up on me, I was just going to talk to you a little,¡± Xavier eximed, not interested in flirting anymore when he saw how upset Daisy was with him. He loved women who put up a challenge, but Daisy was utterly resistant, making him lose interest or attraction toward her in general. Getting up on his feet, he walked up to Ben and asked, ¡°Wait, if Weston is having a meeting, shouldn¡¯t you be staying with him to take minutes?¡± Daisy began, ¡°Mr. Sullivan has something more important to do¡­¡± However, Ben wheeled on her so quickly right then that she realized in irritation that she had misspoken. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 It was all Xavier¡¯s fault for flirting with Daisy, leading to her almost blurting out the truth. On the other hand, Xavier could tell that she and Ben were hiding something. Walking up to Ben, he asked, ¡°What could be so important, Ben?¡± ¡°You may ask Mr. Ford that when he returns,¡± Ben replied. ¡°You¡¯re such a bore,¡± Xavier grumbled, but just before he was about to leave, he stopped in his tracks when he glimpsed a woman¡¯s figure in Weston¡¯s office. ¡­ Guinevere Cohen? How did she get here so quickly? He had just sent her home, too¡­ And she had managed toe before he did? It could not be¡­ With that in mind, he strode off toward Weston¡¯s office, catching Ben off guard. ¡°Mr Ford!¡± He cried in an attempt to stop him, but it was already toote-Xavier had opened the door and stepped through the doorway, locking eyes with Ste, who could not hide her surprise in time. ¡°You?!¡± Ste sprang to her feet as well. ¡°Xavier Ford?¡± Xavier stared at her for a while and straightened his neck tie. Then, after a long while, he chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you were actually this impressive.¡± Ste had no idea what he was talking about, and simply frowned at him as he entered. Ben simply could not hold him back. ¡°Mr. Xavier, Mr. Ford will finish his meeting soon. If you would please step outside for a moment-¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll stay here and have a nice chat with this littledy,¡± Xavier said, cutting him short. ¡°Mr. Xavier¡­¡± ¡°What, do my words not carry weight now?¡± Xavier growled, wheeling on him right then.¡± You may be Weston¡¯s assistant, but I am a board member and your superior.¡± Though Xavier had always been a sorry excuse for a person, he suddenly seemed to carry a commanding presence, and Ben naturally had to yield. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll inform Mr. Ford right now¡­¡± With those words, he gave Ste a long look, and she knew what he was trying to convey: improvise, because she was on her own now. ¡°Alright, you can stop looking at him now¨Cin the end, I¡¯m Weston¡¯s uncle, and I have no reason to hurt you.¡± Ste said nothing and returned to her couch, just as Xavier took a seat and studied her from head to toe. ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t expect that Weston would be ying snooker with you the other day, and now he¡¯s brought you to his office already¡­ What is that magic you possess?¡± ¡°You should ask your nephew about that one,¡± Ste replied. Xavierughed. ¡°Interesting response. Guess you at least have some degree of confidence.¡± Ste had no intention of continuing to entertain him, however, and simply got herself a drink while she resumed reading her script. Xavier frowned at her reaction, and knocked loudly on the table. ¡°How did you get acquainted with Zeta Taylor?¡± ¡°Met her at the hospital.¡± ¡°Why were you there?¡± Xavier pressed. There was a sh of disgust in Ste¡¯s eyes just then, and knowing that she would not respond, Xavier changed to another topic. ¡°How did you get acquainted with Weston, then?¡± ¡°By coincidence,¡± Ste replied shortly. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You might as well have kept quiet,¡± Xavier chuckled, realizing how stubborn and tight lipped Ste could be despite her soft, even-tempered appearance. Hence, he switched gears and instead asked, ¡°Do you know who Guinevere Cohen is, then?¡± Ste sshed her drink right then. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 It was an almost insignificant gesture, but Xavier could see that he had managed to elicit a guilty response out of Ste, and was therefore grinning broadly. ¡°So you do¡­ And here I was wondering how you were strutting around without knowing who Guinevere is.¡± Ste said nothing in return. Pursing her lips, she reached for a tissue to wipe the water sshed over the table. Xavier simply watched as she worked, having no intention of helping her at all. ¡°To be honest, I have nothing to say about this since it¡¯s normal for men to have an affair. Still, I could tell that you know enough to listen to advice, so I¡¯m telling you now, don¡¯t waste too much effort on Weston¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to tell her what to do, when you can¡¯t do the same to your own woman?¡± someone growled from the doorway just then. It was Weston, striding in through the door, his eyes fixed on Ste, who averted her eyes by instinct when she spotted him. Noticing her unnatural response, Weston¡¯s gaze cooled immediately, and he promptly turned toward Xavier, Getting the creeps from his nephew¡¯s re, Xavier blurted, ¡°What¡¯s with that look? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m yelling at her or anything.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Weston was not about to bear with his nonsense. Promptly walking up to Xavier¡¯s face, he growled hostilely, ¡°Nothing. I just want you to get out of here, right now.¡± ¡°Tut, tut. Yeah, I know that she¡¯s your baby¡­¡± Xavier, however, continued to tease Weston with an almost mocking edge in his voice.¡± However, you shouldn¡¯t go this far ¨C I mean, do you even care about your own son as much as you care about her?¡± Ste¡¯s pupils dted the instant Xavier mentioned Weston¡¯s son, just as Weston paused and toward her in reflex. Even so, she promptly turned away from him, unwilling to listen to the men¡¯s conversation. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Weston growled right then. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to make you leave.¡± ¡°Why do you always get so short-tempered when ites to thisdy?¡± It was only then that Xavier rose to his feet reluctantly, and sighed at length as if seeing through Weston. ¡°Do you even know where I¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± Weston was not bothered to spare him another nce, instead quickly walking up to Ste and tried to reach for her wrist¡­ But she avoided his touch without a word. She had zero interest in involving herself with the men¡¯s discussion, especially when it involved Guinevere and the son Weston had with her. Both those things only showed her status as a mistress who must never be revealed to the public¡¯s eye. Weston could tell what he was thinking, and his gaze darkened, projecting killing intent for an instant. Meanwhile, Xavier was still continuing behind him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much you want to fool around outside your home, but can¡¯t you at least pay some attention to your kid? Guinevere has just started working again, and Zack is so young. He needs you and Guinevere This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Are you done? Why don¡¯t you be Zack¡¯s daddy if you care so much?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± Xavier might usually be a half-baked person, but even he snapped at Weston¡¯s words right then! Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Xavier was aware that things had cooled between Weston and Guinevere, but he did not expect Weston to be so callous toward Zack. Walking up to Weston then, there was a stern look on his face as he growled, ¡°I am your uncle, and even if you¡¯ve lost your mind over some woman you have on the side, you¡¯re the only one who loses in the end.¡± Despite her silence until now, Ste could no longer bear to listen to their conversation, especially with the way they spoke of her. Scowling, she took a deep breath and rose to her feet. ¡°Since you two have so much to say, finish it in one go. I¡¯ll leave you two to it.¡± With that, she shook off Weston¡¯s hand and left right away. Xavier¡¯s lips curled up mockingly as he watched her leave. ¡°See? Treasure her, and she¡¯ll forget her ce and get obsessed with getting ahead of you. I¡¯m telling you, you don¡¯t have to go so far with women like her¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Weston had punched him squarely in the face. Unable to react at all, blood flowed profusely from his nostrils and stter on the floor, while he was sent wobbling, almost falling over. When he finally came to his senses, he glowered at Weston. ¡°Are you f*cking crazy?!¡± However, Weston quickly seized him by the cor and mmed him against the wall behind.¡± This is yourst warning. Don¡¯t spout that nonsense in front of her-I¡¯m not kidding here, dear uncle.¡± His eyes were charged with killing intent, and Xavier stiffened from his re even before he felt fury. He had never seen Weston acting so out of control, and over a woman at that! To him, Weston always seemed to be born detached-on the day Guinevere was wheeled into the delivery room, the whole family was waiting outside, but Weston was somehow calmer than everyone else. From that moment on, he knew that Weston was born to be a businessman, because he had no vulnerabilities and was innately aloof. But at this very moment, he well and truly felt that Weston was projecting every single emotion a persones across in life. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­¡± he began, but Weston released him before he could finish. ¡°There are things I don¡¯t have to go into detail about,¡± Weston said, straightening his sleeves with a frightening look on his face and staring down at him. ¡°You¡¯re smart-figure it out yourself.¡± Xavier straightened himself in response and spat out a blotch of blood. ¡°Funny, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re that far gone. What the hell did she¡­¡± Weston shot him an icy re before he could finish. Abandoning his sentence right then and feeling solemn now, Xavier growled, ¡°I¡¯ll remember that punch.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Weston replied casually, pulling a tissue from his desk and wiping his fingers he was a clean freak, and he certainly would go the extra mile with Xavier¡¯s blood being literally on his hands. Xavier¡¯s gaze cooled as he did so.¡±So, you¡¯re not showing your uncle any respect at all?¡± ¡°Respect is earned.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Xavierughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for such a hopeless romantic, but I should remind you your wife and child were at the hospital, and Zack¡¯s fever had yet to break while you were here, messing around with a mistress in your own office. Do you even care how serious this would be to thepany if word of this gets out?!¡± Impassive, Weston threw the tissue on his desk and asked, ¡°Do I look like I give a damn?¡± Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Utterly callous, Weston slowly continued, ¡°And here I thought you had eyes everywhere, that you knew that I never married Guinevere.¡± Xavier¡¯s face fell and he stared at Weston in disbelief. Weston chuckled at his reaction, his eyes conveying zero warmth. ¡°Oh, dear uncle¡­ Did you really think you¡¯re the only one in the world who could nt moles?¡± Feeling as if everything he had done turned out to be futile, Xavier glowered, but soonughed out loud after a long while. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about fighting you in that way. Hell, wouldn¡¯t you have destroyed me already if I didn¡¯t have something up my sleeve?¡± pping at Weston, he continued, ¡°That said, even if you¡¯re not married to Gwen, she¡¯s still living in your house and the only thing you don¡¯t have is your marriage certificate. Don¡¯t me me for not warning you¡ªbe careful, or if I get something against you, things would get ugly. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Despite the years of equilibrium they had maintained on the surface, both of them were clearly aware of the reality between them. Even if they were family during coborations, the slightest amount of profit would still drive a wedge between them. Naturally, there must be no mishap during vital moments such as splitting the family estates, or it would be aplete defeat for one of them. In the end, a glowering Xavier left Weston¡¯s office, and Daisy looked up at him in reflex. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Although he hade to flirt with her, she was nowpletely gone from Xavier¡¯s mind coolly shrugging off her greeting, he did not even look in her general direction. Daisy did a double take and watched as he left, never once sparing her a nce even as the elevator doors closed behind him. Even so, Daisy knew that she was just a passing fancy Xavier. Was there any type of woman he had yet to encounter, when he was so infamous for his womanizing ways? It was why she had always told herself to doubt the man¡¯s sweet nothings, but for some reason, she felt somehow disappointed when Xavierpletely ignored her. Still, she quickly tidied her messy emotions to focus on her work again. *** Standing in his own office, Weston was staring in the direction of the breakroom. Striding inside, he found Ste packing her things, looking like she was going to leave. He took her hand and asked, ¡°Getting annoyed after waiting for so long?¡± Ste pulled her hand out of his grasp. ¡°You¡¯re done talking with him?¡± Weston¡¯s face was twitching a little, and he reached out to hold her cheeks, preventing her from looking away. ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself with what others say. Just leave everything to me, and I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°How are you going to deal with it?¡± Steughed in irony. ¡°Moreover, he¡¯s not wrong.¡± Sighing, Weston rested his forehead against hers. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? You¡¯re not a woman I¡¯m keeping on the side, while Guinevere and I are not what you think.¡± Ste merely felt indignant at his words, and she took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m an adult. Don¡¯t try to trick me as if I were a child.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston paused, watching as she packed up and prepared to leave before catching her by the wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Home. You¡¯re done, aren¡¯t you?¡± Weston¡¯s expression eased since her words somehow cheered him up. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Don¡¯t you want a tour of my office?¡± Ste was surprised, and disbelief showed in her eyes. A tour around his office, given who she was? Was he not afraid that Guinevere would find out? She said as much, and Weston quickly frowned. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not what you think between me and her. I¡¯ll deal with everything in time, so believe me-I¡¯ll give you what you want, but now¡¯s simply not the time.¡± Ste, however, refused to believe him. He was sweet and tender before too, and she had unwittingly fallen for it. But now, she had learned her lesson. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Ste had already decided that she would not get hurt as long as she did not have expectations. Now, she would not be interested even if Weston gave her the indisputable truth, because she was no longer the Ste Sealey from the past. Everyone in the secretaries¡¯ offices stood up the instant they saw Ste leave Weston¡¯s office, and stood in a row to greet Weston despite their surprise. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Daisy did not expect Weston to lead Ste outside himself to the public¡¯s eye, even holding her hand as he did. There were many moles in thepany, especially those who belonged to Guinevere. In fact, Daisy had only presumed Ste to be Weston¡¯s mistress at best, and that they had not gotten past the honeymoon stage for the moment. Naturally, she never imagined that Weston would show zero inclination to hide her while so many were watching. While he was not introducing her to everyone, he had a hand around her waist, looking utterly possessive that anyone who saw them understood what he was conveying. ¡°Mr Ford¡­¡± Daisy began, approaching Weston just then. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± Sparing her a nce, Weston said, ¡°Don¡¯t let frivolous individuals enter my office as they like. Daisy did a double take and turned pale initially, thinking that he was talking about herself¡­ only to soon realize that Weston was talking about Xavier. She quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford¡­¡± Ben arrived soon after, a report in his hand as he hurried toward them. Still, he stopped nearby when he saw them. ¡°Mr. Ford, there are still certain matters that require your attention¡­¡± Weston in turn nced at Ste. ¡°Which do you prefer, to continue your tour around my office, or to wait for me downstairs?¡± Ben was left staring dumbly at him. Giving Ste a tour around the office building? Was that not inappropriate? Though he did not say that out loud, Daisy also looked up toward Weston and Ste in response, clearly thinking the same thing but not having the guts to say it out loud. After all, it appeared that Weston loved the woman named E Steele very much, which left Daisy feeling a little indescribably awkward-she had been working under Weston for years, but she had never seen him being so tolerant toward any women. Even Guinevere was treated as a respected guest at best! That begged the question: who on earth was E Steele? Nheless, Ste shook her head, refusing the tour right then. ¡°I¡¯ll wait downstairs.¡± Weston could read her mind, and so simply patted her head. ¡°Sure. Try to pass the time on your own.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ste replied shortly and got into the elevator, and Weston only turned away after the doors closed. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Ben began to report to him when he suddenly paused, and instructed, ¡°Send something over to Guinevere and Zack.¡± While Ben appeared taken aback, Weston continued, ¡°So that they don¡¯t cause a fuss.¡± Ben promptly straightened. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± | *** Downstairs, Ste had gotten into Weston¡¯s car and started reading her script again, when she nonchntly nced outside the window to find a familiar figure. Roger Sealey. She almost opened the door by instinct to call out to him, but quickly stopped when she remembered her situation. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 The car windows were tinted, meaning that Ste could see outside, but anyone out there could not see her. Even so, she felt anxious, worried that she had been spotted. After all, she had no idea what Roger would do if he found out that she was with Weston. She threw up her hands to cover her face, only to soon realize it was stupid and lowered them. That was when she noticed Roger carrying a backpack and heading inside an office building. Ste nced at the signboard upfront-it was aworkingpany that had a decent reputation, but what was Roger doing there? Suddenly getting a foreboding feeling, she whipped out her phone and called Roger. She watched as Roger took out his phone, watching the screen and allowing it to ring for a while before deciding to hang up. Ste gasped, and quickly texted him: [Where are you?] Roger¡¯s reply came immediately. [At school, in ss.) He lied to her! Scowling, Ste texted back: (What ss are you having?] Roger did not bother to text back this time. Putting away his phone, he headed straight into the office building. Ste was going to get out of the car and chase him down, but the sight of Weston in the distance, stepping out of his own office building, was enough to make her stop and watch as Roger entered the building. Weston entered the car soon, and upon seeing that she was looking everywhere but him, he grabbed her chin so that she looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s caught your interest?¡± he asked. ¡°I saw Roger,¡± Ste replied. ¡°So?¡± ¡°He went into the office building opposite yours. I have no idea what he¡¯s doing¡­¡± Weston seemed to know about it. ¡°It¡¯s just a smallworkingpany which is on the risetely. He¡¯s graduating soon, so it¡¯s normal that he would be interested inpanies like those.¡± ¡°But I thought he would be studying abroad¡­¡± ¡°I thought he didn¡¯t want to go?¡± ¡°He does.¡± Ste sighed-she knew Roger best. ¡°That¡¯s because he wants to be independent. I honestly don¡¯t know what to do¡­ If he ruins his future over that, I have no one but myself to me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an adult. He can choose for himself,¡± Weston countered, though he sounded like he was backing Roger¡¯s decision. That in turn left Ste annoyed. ¡°He¡¯s not your younger brother-of course you¡¯d say that. Can you say that if Zack were to give up on his dreams just to make a living in the future? Can you say the same when that happens?¡±. Weston frowned right then, because it hurt him that she wouldpare Roger to Zack. ¡°It¡¯s two completely different things. That¡¯s a poorparison.¡± ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s your son, and your family would go all out and stop at nothing to help him fulfill his dreams.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Weston rubbed between his brow and took her in his arms. ¡°You¡¯re being impatient, and he¡¯s just going to rebel harder if you get impatient with him. You used to be young like him, and you know that theContent is property of N?velDrama.Org. more you try to stop him from doing something, the more he¡¯s going to fight against you.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s different.¡± Ste shook her head, her gaze dropping as she said miserably, ¡°He just wants to ease my burdens in the future.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not burdening you now.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Ste buried her face behind her palms, suddenly feeling a little weary. ¡°For me, I would be very happy if I could see him persevere and take the path he wants, and not bepelled by circumstances to give up on what he wants.¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Having tasted the pain of being forced to give up her dreams, Ste did not want her only family to have to go through the same thing. Right now, she could be dancing or ying the piano on a grand stage. Instead, she was here, staying at Weston¡¯s side as a secret mistress and having to meet her worst enemy every day while she led a soulless life. Weston seemed to see through her then, and gently kissed her forehead in sympathy. ¡°Like I said, say yes and I can give you anything you want.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Ste pursed her lips and forced a smile, but kept quiet. She would be leaving Weston in a year¡ªif she said yes now, things would beplicated when she leaves. The opportunity she had won from Bradley Lane was different because she had done it by her own strength. However, if she were to take what she wanted by using her rtionship with Weston, she would be the very kind of person she had always held in contempt. Looking up pleadingly in his arms, she asked, ¡°May I go home for the night? I want to talk to Roger.¡± Weston¡¯s embrace slowly tightened, however, and while he did not refuse her directly, the air around them seemed to cool, making it obvious to Ste that he was not happy with that arrangement. She hence kept quiet for a long while, and said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want¡­ But today, just for a day¡­ Let me talk to him, please?¡± Her eyes became slightly red and teary-these days, she seemed to have learned what worked best against Weston, and she was getting adept at it. On the other hand, Weston did not want to think if her tears were real even as he watched her. In fact, she had already left him down in the dumps anyway, and he was helpless whenever he saw her like this. Sighing quietly, he said, ¡°You have one night. Settle it right away¨CI don¡¯t want you to waste more time on Roger when we have only one year.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste replied with a quivering voice. *** Since Roger was busy at the moment, Weston sent her directly to his apartment. She would have refused if Roger was there, and even though they knew that he was not, she looked around to make sure no one saw her after she alighted. Then, she told Weston, ¡°You should go. I¡¯ll ask your chauffeur to pick me up after I speak to Roger.¡± Weston kissed her cheek. ¡°Come to me if you¡¯re having problems.¡± Ste nodded, and Weston drove off. Entering the house, Ste wondered what she should do, and headed to the market to buy some food ingredients for the dishes Roger liked. The female owner of the store she used to frequent greeted her when she saw her. ¡°Long time no see! I thought you and your family moved!¡± ¡°No, I just went on a business trip.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± the woman said. ¡°Your brother hasn¡¯t been here for ages either. I thought you two have gone somewhere else to buy ingredients these days!¡± She sounded a little usative, but Ste took no offense, before suggesting casually, ¡°Roger usually doesn¡¯t cook, so he may be eating at the campus cafeteria¡­¡± The woman grumbled, ¡°No, I used to see hime by since he cooks on the weekends. I haven¡¯t seen himtely, though it really has been a while.¡± Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Ste picked a few ingredients, paid up, and headed home. She looked visibly troubled as she remembered what the woman had told her, just as she knew that no one hade home for a while the leaves of the potted nts were curling up and withered, indicating that no one had watered it for days. Roger was supposed to be home everyday even if he had sses in the morning. The house was also close enough to his campus, just as he used to cook for himself often. The store owner¡¯s words reminded her that Roger had gone for an interview without telling her¡­ was he hiding even more from her? Or did he have other ns? It was past nine when Roger reached home. As he put down his keys and turned on the lights, he entered the living room and was taken aback to see a person on the couch. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Ste?¡± He was hesitant, but walked up to her after changing out of his shoes, and saw that it was indeed Ste, asleep on the couch. There was a sh of delight on his face. Worried that he would disturb her sleep, he gingerly crouched in front of her, wanting to carry her to her room. The instant he touched her, however, Ste opened her eyes and saw him.¡±¡­ You¡¯re back.¡± She yawned drowsily as she sat up, while Roger sat beside her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me if you wereing back?¡± he asked, before remembering her text and call in the morning. ¡°Oh, wait-you did call me.¡± Ste stared into his eyes. ¡°Yes. You didn¡¯t answer, and texted back saying that you were in ss.¡± Seemingly feeling guilty, Roger averted his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s an important ss, and I forgot to call you back after that¡­¡± Ste¡¯s expression soured right away, but though she wanted to ask why he would lie, she could not say those words at the sight of his evasive gaze. ¡°You should eat. I made some of your favorites,¡± she said with a sigh, before remembering something. ¡°Wait, did it get cold already?¡± Roger followed her to the dining table to find it covered in scrumptious dishes, and a troubled look appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten, Ste¡­¡± Ste did a double take. ¡°Oh, nevermind then¡­¡± Still, Roger could not bear to let her effort go to waste. ¡°We can eat it tomorrow once we reheat it.¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t taste as good¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your cooking is the best.¡± Ste smiled as she put away the dishes, while Roger asked, ¡°What about you? Have you eaten yet?¡± ¡°I have.¡± with that, Roger helped Ste put the dishes into the fridge and quietly helped her with housework. However, he flinched inwardly when he saw Ste take a watering bucket to the potted nts on the balcony. Still, he acted casual and walked up to her. ¡°Now I feel like a murderer for forgetting to water them.¡± Ste stroked the leaves of the nts in turn and giggled. ¡°How poor is your memory? You¡¯d see them on the balcony everyday when you leave for ss ande home. It must have been a week since youst watered them?¡± Feeling a little guilty, Roger mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not as attentive as you are.¡± Ste smiled but said nothing despite feeling disappointed inside. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Even now, Roger was unwilling to tell the truth. However, Ste also realized that she was hiding a lot of things from Roger as well. When did they begin to keep so many secrets? Since neither of them had been home for a while, they cleaned it up before settling on the couch to watch a movie together. It was the usual familyedy they liked to watch, and the novel gags never seemed to get outdated despite the moviecking actual meaning. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. However, Roger¡¯s phone rang halfway through, and he got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m turning in, Ste. I¡¯m sleepy and there¡¯s still ss tomorrow¡­¡± He barely finished when Ste glowered. ¡°Are you going to ss, or to an interview?¡± Roger froze at her words, and he wheeled on her, asking, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you going to ss, or to work at someworkingpany?¡± It took Roger a long while to realize what she was talking about. ¡°How¡¯d you find out?¡± Putting the TV remote on the coffee table, she turned to look at him. ¡°Were you going to hide it from me forever if I hadn¡¯t exposed you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Ste¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that you¡¯d study abroad?¡± ¡°You decided that yourself! I never said yes.¡± ¡°But you obviously wanted to!¡± Ste eximed, unable to understand why Roger had changed his mind. ¡°Why do you have to be so stubborn?¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m an adult, and I want to make my own choices,¡± Roger growled, his temper ring already. ¡°What is wrong in trying to share your burden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that,¡± Ste replied. ¡°Have you ever thought about how much you¡¯ll regret,¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Roger properly cut her short. ¡°Never.¡± Ste sighed heavily then-nothing good woulde out of continuing to argue, so she asked, ¡°How did your interview go, then?¡± Roger¡¯s eyes shed, and he suddenly looked up at Ste. ¡°They gave me an offer, but I¡¯m going to turn them down-don¡¯t worry, I was there this morning to reject it.¡± That naturally left Ste confused. ¡°Why did you do that? Don¡¯t you want to work there?¡± ¡°I discovered later on that Weston Ford is one of its shareholders,¡± Roger replied icily. ¡°I refuse to have anything to do at anypany where he holds influence.¡± In fact, that was why Roger would be willing to get an interview at a smallpany despite his outstanding abilities. He was clearly above their paygrade, but Weston had his finger in every pie, and trying to escape his influence was basically impossible, which in turn reduced Roger¡¯s options considerably. On the other hand, Ste was left looking troubled and speechless by his exnation, while Roger walked up and put his hands over her shoulders. ¡°Right now, all I want is a stable job, and then we¡¯ll leave together-so that we won¡¯t have to see him ever again.¡± In the end, Weston was a never-ending nightmare for Ste. Roger did not have the power to avenge her at the moment, but at the very least, he would not allow her to be threatened by him-there was no chance. Ste felt her temples throbbing. Unsure what to say, she looked at her brother¡¯s serious visage, and eventually leaned her head on his shoulders silently Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 After a while, Ste said, ¡°Did it cross your mind that you¡¯d just end up an average Joe, earning an average sry if you start working so soon? That you won¡¯t be able to fight back if something happened to me? On the other hand, if you further your studies abroad, your options are limitless-and you wouldn¡¯t be constrained because you prioritized short-term profits.¡± She continued, ¡°For example, if you somehow end up working at thepany you interviewed for, you¡¯d be under Weston¡¯s control. There is no choice for you but to run at that point, and if he really found me, do you think you can stop him with you being as you are now? Roger¡¯s eyes twitched and slowly turned red, and seeing that he was shaken and his stubbornness slowly crumbling, Ste pushed on. ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t need you to relieve my financial burden-we have our savings, and I¡¯m doing just fine. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to pressure yourself. Just focus on your own future and keep climbing, as long as there are opportunities open to you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a big boy now, Roger. Try to look forward, and not just at what¡¯s in front of you.¡± Ste¡¯s words were soft, and yet it struck Roger like a hammer, clearing his head. It was true¡ªhe had been naive. He believed that staying with his sister was good enough, and it had never crossed his mind that even if he did, he was incapable of protecting her. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go so far away¡­ It¡¯s going to take a long time before I cane home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just growing pains.¡± Seeing that his tone had softened and knowing that he was caving, Ste spoke to him sincerely, ¡°I can¡¯t stay with you forever anyway.¡¯ Roger clenched his fist right then. ¡°Why not?! We only have each other!¡± Steughed. ¡°Now, now, you¡¯re sounding just like a child. Weren¡¯t you insisting that you were an adult just a moment ago?¡± Roger turned silent right then and said nothing else. After a long while, he asked, ¡°I need to think about this, okay? Give me time.¡± Ste nodded, since it was a big deal for Roger, and she should give him space since he was actually thinking rationally and not catering to his own whims. ¡°As long as you keep a calm head, I¡¯ll support you in whatever decision you make.¡± Roger looked up, taken aback-he was under the impression that she would insist that he study abroad. Ste seemed to read his mind then, and smiled. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to regret a choice you made in the heat of the moment for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Ste¡­¡± Roger suddenly could not decide on what to say, and simply walked up and rested his chin on her shoulder¨Cshe barely reached his shoulder in height, but he was reliant on her as he had been as a child. Patting his head, Ste then asked, ¡°You hadn¡¯t been home for a while, have you?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Roger promptly straightened, his gaze suddenly evasive. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Going to bed.¡± ¡°Hey! Exin yourself!¡± Ste promptly chased after him. ¡°Don¡¯t try to run!¡± *** Later at night, Ste returned to her own room andy in bed, knowing now that Roger would rationally think about his own future. It was certainly a huge relief to her mind after solving the issue. She stared at the ceiling of the room she was so familiar with, and remembered the constant nightmares she had for a long time since losing that child a year ago, after she and Roger arrived at Fern City. Tossing and turning in bed, all she saw was the bloody puddle of flesh that used to be a person, She closed her eyes now, but the familiar scene she imagined would appear did not appear at Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 There was nothing but emptiness in her heart. It seemed that time would ease her pain. She ced her hand on her chest and told herself that she would never forget this feeling no matter how long it passed. She knew what Weston had in mind. He probably thought he could make her stay by his side forever within a year. If he was still interested in her a yearter, he expected her to go along with him and stay with him. However, if he was no longer interested in her, he could use the one-year promise to chase her away. He always had control, but Ste did not want to go on like this anymore. At the same time, at the Ford Mansion The door was closed when Weston arrived. As it creaked open, it smelled of rust. The vi had been around for years. It became an icon of the city a century-old mansion and prosperous family that would never decline, The ck limousine drove in slowly as the butler waited in front and bowed. Weston got out of the car and looked at the closed door ¡°They haven¡¯te back yet? ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Ford are still abroad. Ms. Cohen and the young master are the only ones at home.¡± Weston nodded slightly and walked in. Guinevere knew he wasing back. He would always give her advance notice beforeing She held Zachary in her arms and led him milk Weston frowned when he saw this. ¡°Are you stable enough to hold him now? Guinevere nodded, ¡°Dr. Quirk has diagnosed me. He said I¡¯m mentally stable now. I might be able to remember what happened a year ago soon.¡± Weston paused, and his face turned inscrutable. ¡°Is that so?¡± he said and casually took off his tie then tossed it aside. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Guinevere observed his movements and felt amused. He probably wanted her to remember it as soon as possible, right? She did, but she refused to let things go the way he wanted. If it were not for Hayden, she would not want to admit that she used to be so hysterical just to get Weston to look at her. Guinevere closed her eyes. The memory of herst psychotherapy session was vivid in her mind She sat in the doctor¡¯s office in the hospital. It reeked of the smell of disinfectants. She looked at Hayden with a crazy look. ¡°I must have remembered wrongly¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± She covered her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. The psychological hypnosis forced her to face the memory she wanted to forget the most. She finally remembered everything. Every single thing. She rejected Zachary so much because he was not Weston¡¯s child. However, she gave birth to him. She thought Weston was with her that night, but it seemed like she had made a big mistake. She finally remembered. At that time, she had confessed to Weston, but he had rejected her. She had been chasing after him for years, but he had remained an unattainable dream for her. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 She had grown furious after his rejection. She did not understand what she was thinking back then she bad thought that even if she could not have him, she must make him remember her forever. Therefore, she had gone to Chris¡­ Guinevere closed her eyes tightly. Havden did not know what she recalled, but he knew she must have remembered the truth of the past. He continued to calm her down. ¡°Take a deep breath. You have to face the truth before you can truly let go.¡± Guinevere took a deep breath with him, but her heart was filled with hatred. She calmned down, but she could not let go. Whenever she thought about what she did on impulse that night, she just could not stop drowning in an abyss of regret. She wondered ¨C if she had not acted on an impulse that night, would things between them be different? Would they still get stuck in a dead-end like this? If she had gone to another man instead of Chris, would things with Weston be different? Even so, she could not let go. She wanted to question Weston. Why did he give her hope after something like this had happened? If he had been more ruthless, she would not be stuck in this situation. She had chosen this path from the beginning. There was no turning back anymore; she would not give him a chance to turn back either. ¡®Let¡¯s go to hell together,¡¯ she thought. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere suddenly stood up as Weston approached. She handed Zachary to him. ¡°Do you want to talk to him?¡± ¡°How old is he now? He can¡¯t even understand a word.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. He may not understand, but it¡¯s good for him to be close to his father.¡± Weston remained silent and hesitated a little before he reached out to pick up Zachary. He was a little stiff and expressionless as he looked at the baby in his arms. After all, this was an innocent child. Guinevere seemed to be trying to find a hint of fatherly love in him, but there was nothing at all. Then, sheughed at herself. Well, how could Weston have fatherly love for Zachary? Zachary was not even his child. He was at most his younger brother. This was when she discovered Weston¡¯s impable acting skills. She wondered how he could put up with it. ¡°By the way, Dr. Quirk said I¡¯m doing much better now. I might be back to normal soon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Weston carried Zachary for a short while before giving the baby back to her. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°However, Dr. Quirk also said that my amnesia might be permanent. It¡¯ll depend on my recovery¡­¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Is this what he meant by ¡°back to normal¡±? You can¡¯t even remember what you forgot. How is it normal?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Guinevere said, ¡°Dr. Quirk said it¡¯s fine as long as I can live a normal life. Forgetting the past isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± She stepped forward and handed Zachary to the nanny beside her. Then, she suddenly leaned on Weston¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to remember it?¡± Weston grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away slightly. ¡°It¡¯s all up to you. You can decide for yourself.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Guinevere sounded a little angry. ¡°We¡¯re getting married soon. Shouldn¡¯t we discuss these together?¡± Weston remained silent and fixed his dark gaze on her. Guinevere looked at his eyes and suddenly became a little obsessed. It was those eyes and that handsome face that enchanted her throughout her youth. Weston was a very desirable man. Why else would she have done something so stupid just to get his attention? She was too young and dumb. She could do anything to make him look at her. When she thought about it again, it was indeed really ridiculous. However, what was done was done. Guinevere refused to turn back. Although he pushed her away, she immediately hugged his waist again in the next second.¡± You¡¯ve been really cold to metely. You weren¡¯t like this before¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this,¡± Weston reminded her again. ¡°N-No¡­¡± Guinevere cut him off. ¡°You used to be more patient with me. Why can¡¯t you even spare a moment for me now?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m busy with the Fern City projects.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guinevere murmured, ¡°My birthday is coming soon. Will you celebrate my birthday with me?¡± Weston said nothing. Guinevere closed her eyes. She bit the bullet and said cruelly, ¡°My parents just called yesterday and asked about my birthday ns. I told them you¡¯d apany me to a charity dinner¡­¡± Weston suddenly stared at her as a cold glint shed past in his eyes. ¡°Did you decide for me before telling me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My parents kept asking me¡­ They were afraid that I was having a bad time here, so I panicked and made up an excuse in a hurry¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you don¡¯t go to the charity dinner, there are other ways¡­¡± She noticed the man¡¯s anger and quickly changed her words. ¡°I can arrange another n. You just have to cooperate with me, okay?¡± She had suddenly be so timid that Weston barely knew her anymore. ¡°Is this the life you really want?¡± he asked suddenly. Guinevere was slightly startled. She was unsure why he had suddenly asked that. ¡°Of course. Marrying you was a dream I had since I was a kid.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not married yet.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s only a matter of time, isn¡¯t it?¡± Guinevere said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re just like any other married couples now¡­¡± Weston rubbed his eyebrows and sat on the sofa. He casually ced his suit jacket on the back of the sofa chair and asked with a heavy tone, ¡°What are ordinary couples like?? Guinevere did not expect this question from him and paused for a moment. Then, she slowly walked up to him and said, ¡°Just like your parents. We¡¯ll be like them in the future. We¡¯ll still love each other even at old age.¡± Westonughed at what she said. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He had a pair of beautiful eyes. His smile made him more charming than his usual serious and cold look. Guinevere looked at him in a daze. However, she sobered up when she noticed his unsmiling expression. ¡°What were youughing at?¡±. ¡°Nothing. I just thought it was funny.¡± Weston stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do at the office. Since you both are alright, I¡¯ll be going.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Are you leaving already?¡± Guinevere was surprised. She hurriedly stood up after him.¡± I thought you¡¯d stay overnight.¡± Weston did not say anything. He nced at the watch and exined, ¡°I have to get the Fern City project moving. Besides, your parents can¡¯t wait any longer. The quarterly reports have to be sent to them. If we don¡¯t make it on time, you¡¯ll be the ones who suffer.¡¯ When he said that, Guinevere had no other reasons to keep him. She could only withdraw her hand angrily. ¡°I see.¡± Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Weston remembered something when he was about to leave. He turned around to face her and said, ¡°About the set¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes lit up when he asked about her work. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine on the set. The crew has been taking good care of me. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Weston nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve just resumed work. You¡¯d better not get any bad press.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You should understand.¡± Guinevere froze for a moment. She wondered if Weston knew she was giving E a hard time, but she quickly dismissed the thought. She figured Weston probably did not know that E was on the same set. They had not been in touch since they met at Yvonne¡¯s house. She felt she should not overthink things. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for years. I know how to deal with the media. There won¡¯t be any bad press.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Weston then turned to leave. Guinevere looked at his back as he left. Her eyes suddenly darkened. After he left, she took out her phone. ¡°Find out who E has been seeing in privatetely!¡± She felt that this was impossible, but she had to n ahead. If E did hook up with Weston, all her hard work would be for nothing. She had already gotten rid of Ste. There was no way she would allow E topete with her. Weston got into the car. Soon, Henry called him on a video call. Henry was still watering the flowers on the balcony. He looked rxed, but not in his tone. ¡°Gwen is making her move. What are you going to do?¡± Henry did not think the arrogant and proud Guinevere would go to such an extent for a love rival. He had to say that she had stooped a little too low. ¡°Send more people to protect E. Just let Guinevere do whatever she wants as long as she can¡¯t find her. However, if something like before happens again, teach her a lesson.¡± Henry understood Weston¡¯s n. ¡°You¡¯re determined to protect E and not care about Gwen anymore?¡± Weston frowned. ¡°I have one more year.¡± Henry seemed to have understood his meaning. He suddenly frowned and looked at him seriously. ¡°Tell me the truth, Weston. What¡¯s going on between Gwen and you?¡± ¡°What, now? Do you want to help her?¡± ¡°Do you think I will?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Weston remembered the old days. ¡°Didn¡¯t you almost fight me for Guinevere in high school?¡± ¡°I was young and impulsive.¡± As they spoke about the past, Henry seemed to be a bit nostalgic. ¡°But Gwen was not like this back then.¡± He sighed and suddenly teased him, ¡°You¡¯re such a terrible man. You¡¯ve ruined a good woman.¡± Weston shot him a sharp re. ¡°I¡¯ve never messed with her.¡± Henry snickered and did notment further. ¡°Anyway, if you really want E to have a safe life, it¡¯s impossible to get around Guinevere. You have to sort it out. Otherwise, she¡¯ll find out about E someday. Besides, they¡¯re working on the same set now. Guinevere can easily do something to E.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The man¡¯s mood was a little heavy. His brow twitched at the thought of the bruises on Ste the other day. He ended the call and ordered the driver, ¡°Go pick her up.¡± It was the same ce asst time. The car stopped at the crossroads. Ste ran to the front of the road after Roger went to school. She looked around and made sure no one was around before she got into the ck luxury car. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 As soon as she opened the door, Weston pulled her straight in. His arms were very strong, but it was not obvious in his clothes. He appeared slender and thin, but only those who knew him in private knew the beast under his shirt. Ste took his arm, which was a little hard to the touch. Before she realized it, she was already sitting on top of Weston, He took her by the waist and lifted her dress. Ste consciously pressed his wrist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She panicked. Weston nced at the driver, who immediately raised the partition. There was plenty of room inside the car. Both of them were alone again. Ste noticed a slight difference in the car interior and finally realized something. ¡°Is this a different car?¡± ¡°I changed the car thest time. Did you just notice?¡± Ste did not know much about cars, so she thought they were all the same. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Weston hugged her up. ¡°You haven¡¯t been home for two days, and you don¡¯t even recognize the car already. If you stay away from home a little longer, will you still recognize me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± Ste felt a little speechless. She did not recognize the car because she was not interested in it. How could she forget Weston unless she had amnesia? Weston chuckled, but did not seem to mind her attitude. Then, he lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Ste did not say anything; she refused to speak. Weston was in no hurry either. When they arrived at Stardust Mansion, he got out of the car with her in his arms. He carried her and strode inside. Joan was doing some housekeeping when they entered. She greeted them, ¡°Mr. Ford. Ms. Steele.¡± Weston answered with a gentle nod and strode to the bedroom without saying a word. Ste did not even dare to look at Joan. Weston¡¯s purpose was too obvious. She clutched the hem of his shirt and buried her head in his arms. She heard her heart beating loudly. She knew her heart was not pounding from excitement but from fear and dread. She froze and remained stiff when Westonid her gently on the sheets. Weston nced at her and gradually frowned. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Ste closed her eyes. Her voice was a little weak. ¡°If you want to do it, do it quickly.¡± The man took off his tie and tossed it aside. He looked down at her from above. He was in a hurry at first, but his impatient movement calmed down after she said that. ¡°You seem to be looking forward to this, huh?¡± He kneeled on one knee at the edge of the bed and propped his arms beside Ste. He dropped his head and stared at her. Even from this angle, Ste found his face attractive and delicate. He had a tight and broad jawline, straight nose, and deep eyes. She remembered the photos of him published in foreign financial magazines. His look was perfectly in line with the public¡¯s aesthetics. His handsomeness was simply universal. How could God love a man so much? Ste couldn¡¯tprehend it. ¡°Why are you distracted at a time like this?¡± Weston was displeased to see her eyes not focused on him. He tipped her chin. He was d to finally see his reflection in her eyes. He nibbled on her cheek gently andmanded, ¡°Look at me.¡± His eyes were intimidating. Ste became more nervous and twisted the sheets beneath her. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Weston noticed her tense movements. He lowered his gaze and picked up her hand. Then, he slowly smoothed her fingers and then intertwined his hand with hers. ¡°Do you feel so ufortable with me?¡± Ste did not say anything. She only pressed her lips tightly. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to my patience,¡± he suddenly whispered in her ear. There seemed to be a hint of disappointment in his low voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Ste. You should know what a grown man desires¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°I said just do it quickly. You don¡¯t have to beat around the bush.¡± ¡°How can I do with you like this?¡± Weston suddenly propped himself up and tucked her hair behind her ear. He looked at her face, which gradually whitened. The force of his hands increased. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before. The old you wouldn¡¯t reject me so much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my body¡¯s instinct. What can I do?¡± Ste found him a little pushy. ¡°I¡¯ve already agreed. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°No. I want you to be willing.¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, but I really can¡¯t.¡± As soon as she said that, a sudden sharp pain hurt her jaw. Weston tightened his grip and left a mark on her pale skin. The man¡¯s gentleness suddenly became very cold. He was like a predator looking at a disobedient prey. ¡°You should remember our one-year agreement. I can¡¯t rte you to the old Ste with the way you are now. The old you wouldn¡¯t be so repulsive with me.¡± As he said that, he suddenly curled his lips and whispered in her ear with a raspy voice, ¡°She¡¯d say no, but her body¡¯s reaction was simply honest¡­ Don¡¯t you want to be an actress? Can¡¯t you put on an act and fool me?¡± Ste did not understand what was going on either. She had done these intimate acts with Weston countless times. She just needed to close her eyes, but doing it with him seemed extremely difficult all of a sudden. She let go of her hands and stared nkly at the ceiling. She tilted her head slightly, and her eyshes fluttered hard. Weston held himself up and refused to miss a single expression on her face. He twirled her dark hair in his fingers. At this point, all his patience was gone. Even so, he forcefully held back all his surging emotions when he saw her like this. He suddenly leaned over her and asked in a raspy voice, ¡°Can¡¯t you even act?¡± Ste did not say anything. After a long pause, she answered ufortably, ¡°Sorry,¡± Weston lifted his arm in a sh and covered her mouth. Her apology hurt him. He felt a stab in his heart and held her. After a few moments, he finally calmed the stirring desires in his body. He propped himself up and took her into his arms. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it another way¡­¡± He took her hand and suggested, ¡°I taught you that before Do you remember?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Ste immediately opened her eyes, only to meet his deep gaze. She felt like the storm in his eyes was going to swallow her whole. Her hands were still in a ce where they should not be. After a long time, she reluctantly agreed with a nod and took a deep breath. Weston quickly closed his eyes. He never let her go throughout the whole time and hugged her tighter in his arms. The next morning, Weston got upter than Ste, which was umon. He always had incredible sell-control, butst night, he was a little reckless. Although they did not complete the act, he still put Ste through a lot of work Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Weston did not expect Ste to wake up earlier than him. When he woke up, there was no one lying beside him. He called out in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ste?¡± There was nothing but silence in the room. He lifted the nket and casually put on a robe. As he walked out, he smelled the nice aromaing from the kitchen. His eyes flickered a little. This familiar smell was not Joan¡¯s cooking. It was just as expected. He found Ste in the kitchen with an apron on. She was making some soup and looked very busy going in and out. It reminded him of the old Ste. When she heard some noises, she stopped moving and turned around, only to meet Weston¡¯s gaze. She smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re up? Breakfast will be ready soon. You can wait in the living room.¡± The man was suddenly lost in thought. This scene reminded much of the morning he told her about the divorce. Ste acted like this that day too. They went all out on bed the night before, but she woke up early the next day just to prepare breakfast for him. Her eyes were filled with her love for him. This time, he did not turn away like he did that morning. Instead, he walked into the kitchen and hugged her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed in her scent from behind. He wondered what kind of shampoo she used. It smelled really good, When he rubbed the tip of his nose against her skin, it tickled her a little. Ste felt ticklish andughed a little. ¡°Stop it. It¡¯ll be done soon¡­ Go wait for me in the living room first, okay?¡± It had been a long time since she spoke to him in such a sweet tone. Weston thought he was still in a dream. It was impossible for him to reject any of Ste¡¯s requests when she was like this. He nted a loving kiss on her cheek and finally released her reluctantly. Then, he turned and went to the living room. Even then, he looked back at her several times. He went to the couch in the living room, picked up the tablet, and started working on the day¡¯s work. Soon, the food¡¯s aroma became stronger and stronger. Soon, Ste ced the pot of soup on the table and told him, ¡°Come and eat now!¡± Weston put down the tablet in his hand and stood up. Ste looked young and refreshed with her hair tied in a bun. Her skin looked so supple and fine under the soft morning light. She wiped her hands, took off her apron, and then hung it on the wall. When she turned around, Weston leaned toward her to pick her up. She cried out in surprise before she found her feet dangling midair. The man stood in front of her the next second and looked up at her. Steughed a little. She put her hands on his shoulder and pressed her forehead against his. ¡°Stop messing around¡­ Let¡¯s eat first, okay?¡± She had changed so much overnight. This made Weston feel slightly surreal. The feeling made him feel like he would wake up from this sweet dream in the next second. He kissed her on the tip of her nose, then on her lips. Finally, he nted a kiss on the side of her neck and called out to her obsessively, ¡°Ste¡­ ¡°Ste¡­¡± Ste raised her head and seemed to enjoy his intimate touches. She seemed to be in love and comfortable. However, a glint of coldness shed in her eyes as she looked straight ahead. She reached her fingers into his ck hair and slowly rubbed and stroked his hair gently. Weston enjoyed it a lot and sighed in pleasure. Ste looked down at him with an expressionless face. It turned out that taming him was so easy.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Ste cut his face and smiled at him. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough¡­ Let¡¯s stop fooling around¡­ ¡°Thaven¡¯t cooked in a while. Try it and tell me if it tastes okay.¡± Weston (inally put her down. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Then, he pulled her to the table without a wrond and sat her down. Ste merched for his soup, but Weston squeezed her wrist. ¡°Let me do it,¡± he said. Ste¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at him with a bright smile. ¡°Why are you so nice today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only serving you soup. Is this called being nice to you? You¡¯re too easy to please.¡± Ste smiled, as if the smallest gesture would please her. Weston¡¯s feeling at the moment was indescribable. He had been looking for something to stop feeling lost, but he could not find it. He seemed to have seen it in Ste before, but he had lost During this time, he had been trying everything to keep Ste by his side. However, he still felt like something was missing. He finally realized what the missing piece was, but this was already good enough. He tooka sip of the soup and savored the familiar vor. He felt like he was drowning in her scent. It slowly filled the void in him. She had always had this power over him. He put down the bowl and suddenly sighed. ¡°Why are you so good at this?¡± He seemed like he was asking a question to Ste and himself. ¡°Why are you always so good at doing this to me?¡± She had always stirred him up and put his heart in turmoil before it could return to peace. Even Joan could tell that Weston was in a good mood today. He had the same stoic look, but the joy in his eyes was apparent. Joan rxed a little when she spoke to him, ¡°Mr. Ford, do you require any specific ingredient for dinner tonight?¡± Weston said, ¡°You can decide.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He stood in the doorway as he buttoned his shirt cuff. Then, he suddenly looked at Joan and urged, ¡°Remember to ask her what she likes to eat.¡± Joan nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡± She was about to say something when Ste suddenly came running out of the master bedroom. Joan smiled and stepped back. Weston looked at Ste with an affectionate look. Even he did not notice the look he had. Ste walked up to him. She stood on her tiptoes and reached out to straighten his cor.¡° Take care.¡± Weston replied, ¡°Okay.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve informed the driver that you can go anywhere you want today. If you¡¯re going to the set, remember to tell me in advance.¡± Ste froze for a moment. She seemed like she did not expect his sudden generosity. Weston looked at her dazed look and chuckled softly. ¡°Who do you think I arn to restrict your freedom?¡± Ste remained silent as she lowered her head and nudged him in his arms. The way she responded was the same as the old Ste. Weston resisted the urge to kiss her again and bade her goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m going to the office.¡± Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 ¡°Okay.¡± The door closed. Ste went to the balcony and watched as his car drove away. From the rearview mirror, Weston watched as her reflection lengthened and finally faded into a ck dot. He pressed his temple, but the joy on his face remained. The driver could tell that he was in a very different mood today. ¡°Mr. Ford, did something good happen? You seem really happy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston closed his eyes. Joan did not quite understand their matter, but she was happy to see them getting along nicely. When she came out after some simple housekeeping, she saw Ste sitting in the living room and sipping her soup. As she stopped in her tracks, her smile faded. Ste appeared happy and excited earlier, but she looked a little gloomy after that. ¡°Ms. Steele, do you need help?¡± Ste came to her senses and looked at Joan. She then shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going outter. Can you get me some clothes?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fern University. Steughed and teased Roger, ¡°You said you were already a grown-up, but now you need me to apany you to submit your documents.¡± Roger just came out of the printing room. Heughed helplessly at herment. ¡°If I do study abroad soon, we won¡¯t have much time like these together. Can¡¯t you think of it as spending more time with me?¡± ¡°Of course. I took half a day off from work today.¡± When Roger heard of that, he was a little puzzled. ¡°By the way, did they arrange amodation for you? I heard that the hotel next to the set is very expensive. If you live there, won¡¯t you spend more than you earn?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Bradley. He¡¯s a big shot. There¡¯s certainly no problem with the money. Anyway, I¡¯m the second supporting actress on the set. The pay is better than you think¡­¡± Roger was relieved to hear that. He suddenly sighed, ¡°I still don¡¯t feelfortable letting you go to that kind of ce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of myself. When you get abroad, you have to keep in contact with me at all times.¡± ¡°What about the time difference?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can call me at any time.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Roger smiled. He felt a little mncholic, but he refused to show it to Ste. When the two of them were walking to the school building, a random girl suddenly stopped them on the way, ¡°Hello, Robb!¡± Ste stopped in her tracks and looked at them with great interest. Thest time, a pretty girl had confessed to him, but he had rejected her. Roger could see the look in Ste¡¯s eyes. He felt a little troubled. ¡°May I ask what you want?¡± He looked at the girl in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m busy with some matters now.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take too much of your time¡­¡± This girl was not as pretty aspared to thest one, but she had an innocent and nice face. She was holding a pink envelope in her hand. With just a nce, Ste could tell that it was a love letter or something. She never thought there would be people who still wrote love letters these days. She seemed innocent and na?ve. This reminded her of her days in college. Everyonemunicated via text messages and confirmed their rtionship via texting. Roger¡¯s expression changed. He seemed to understand her intention, so he quickly rejected her. ¡°Sorry, I have no intention to get into a rtionship¡­¡± The girl handed out the love letter anyway. However, she froze a little when he said that. ¡°I know¡­ I don¡¯t need you to ept my confession now. I just wanted to tell you how I feel. Even if you don¡¯t like me, it¡¯s fine.¡± As she said that, she could not help but look over at Ste. Then, she asked with some uncertainty, ¡°Robb¡­ are you still single?¡±When Ste heard that, she knew the girl misunderstood their rtionship. Hence, she exined, ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend.¡± Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 ¡°I¡¯m his sister.¡± She emphasized, ¡°His real sister.¡± The girl breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Roger with hopeful eyes. Roger was a little anxious. He did not know what to do, so he looked at Ste for help. Ste shrugged, ¡°Why are you looking at me? Take care of your own business.¡± Then, she turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and wait for you. Come to me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Sis¡­¡± He felt a little helpless and wanted to follow her, but the girl persistently followed behind him. Roger sighed. He exined to her, ¡°I¡¯ve applied for the offer to study abroad. I won¡¯t be staying in school after that.¡± He thought that would make her stop, but she seemed more surprised and happier than he thought. She said chirpily, ¡°I¡¯ve applied to the same university as you. Don¡¯t you know? The corporation sponsorship found us suitable, so they epted us both!¡± However, she noticed Roger¡¯s face changed after she said that. She hastily exined, ¡°I¡¯m not confessing my love to you because of that. I already liked you a long time ago, but I never dared to confess. I didn¡¯t expect such a coincidence, so I mustered my courage to confess¡­¡± Roger became frustrated. He wanted to refuse, but he did not want to hurt her. She seemed gentle and nice. He hesitated a little and finally epted the envelope. ¡°I¡¯ll look at itter, but I really don¡¯t n to get into a rtionship anytime soon¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still have a chance as long as you¡¯re single, isn¡¯t it?¡± The girl smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother you too much. If you find me annoying, just let me know. I¡¯ll keep a distance, but I won¡¯t give up until the day you have a girlfriend!¡± She left after sayingContent is property of N?velDrama.Org. that. Roger watched her walk away and sighed again. When he found Ste, he told her about it. He seemed a little distressed. ¡°Sis, I really don¡¯t want to get into a rtionship¡­¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re at the right age to fall in love.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young. I should focus on my studies.¡± ¡°This is not an issue. You certainly can¡¯t spend all your time on books. You have to care about other things too, but¡­¡± Ste suddenly became stern. ¡°You can be in love, but you can¡¯t be a d*uchebag. Don¡¯t y with the girl¡¯s feelings. If you like her, then treat her well. If you don¡¯t, don¡¯t waste her time!¡± ¡°Sis, what do you think of me? Do you think I¡¯m Weston?¡± His face instantly changed when he identally blurted out the man¡¯s name. He quickly shut his mouth and apologized. ¡°Sorry, Sis¡­¡± Ste was still smiling as before without any reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Roger looked at her worriedly. ¡°Sis, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a long time, and we¡¯re doing fine now, aren¡¯t we?¡± She smiled. Looking at her smile, Roger was relieved. After that, in Justin¡¯s office. Justin was organizing his desk when Ste came in. He did not seem surprised by her arrival He gestured to her to sit down in front of him. ¡°I reviewed Robb¡¯s application yesterday. There are still some slight issues with it. It¡¯ll be fine after some small amendments. You can proceed with the procedure by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall.¡± Justin nodded. Ste saw him put away all the clutter on the table and asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Hall, are you spring- cleaning?¡± Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 ¡°No. I¡¯?n transferring to another university soon!¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Roger was shocked too. ¡°Mr. Hall, did you get a better offer?¡± he asked in disbelief. Justin breathed a sigh. He smiled and poured them some tea. Then, he sat on his chair and blew on the tea before taking a sip. He exined, ¡°Yes. I resigned not long ago. I¡¯m probably leaving here next month to teach at Ahn City.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste and Roger were very familiar with Ahn City. They exchanged a nce but said nothing. Justin continued, ¡°Bryce will also be moving there to study soon. I¡¯ve thought about it. He may need our company now. Tina¡¯sw firm is mostly focused on Ahn City. We have a lot of differences because of this matter, so we made this decision.¡± As he spoke, he gazed intently at Ste and wanted to see her reaction. However, Ste did not show any displeasure. Instead, she looked very d and relieved. ¡°It seems like you have a chance of getting back together with Tina.¡± Her reply made Justin startled for a moment. He was a little disappointed. ¡°Why do you seem like you really want us to get back together?¡± Ste hurriedly shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to interfere with your rtionship. I just feel that Bryce probably wants to see his mom and dad get along well.¡± Smiling, Justin shook his head and said nothing. He had epted the fact that Ste had never liked him. The only reason she agreed to marry him was to get rid of Weston. It seemed like she was getting along well with Weston. Either way, the public would not be able to ept her identity in this rtionship. If their rtionship was exposed one day, he hoped Ste would not get hurt too badly. After all, it was all Weston¡¯s fault. Roger appeared more upset than Ste. ¡°So I won¡¯t get to see you much longer?¡± Justin smiled. ¡°You¡¯re already going to study abroad. We won¡¯t get to see each other much anyway.¡± Roger did not say anything. He felt a little ufortable. Although he was a little upset that Justin fell in love with Ste, he really liked him as a teacher. He did not expect to have to say goodbye so soon. Since his parents¡¯ death, Roger felt like he was constantly parting with others. After bidding farewell, he might never see them again. Justin did not want to make the mood feel so heavy. He arched his brow and said, ¡°You¡¯re already an adult. Why did you make your sister apany you to fill out the form?¡± Then, he tipped his chin at him. ¡°Take these documents and stamp them at the student office next door. The office is a little busy now. Your sister can stay here and rest.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Roger hesitated slightly. Ste also felt ufortable. ¡°I¡¯d better go with him.¡± After that, she was about to get up. Justin was a little helpless and had no choice but to exin. He put the ss on his table and said, ¡°Rx. Even if we¡¯re alone, I won¡¯t do anything to you. I have something to talk to you about.¡± Roger then stood up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get these stamped. Sis, wait for me here.¡± Ste answered with a hum and sat down again. Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 After the door closed, Ste and Justin were left alone in the office. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Ste looked at Justin. ¡°Mr. Hall, is there anything else?¡± Justin suddenly looked at her very seriously. ¡°How are you getting along with Weston now?¡± Ste did not answer while she took a sip of hot tea. The green tea leaves slowly sank to the bottom of the cup as the tea aroma lingered in her mouth. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± Justin changed the question again. Ste finally answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll take a step at a time.¡± Justin nodded. After a short while, he told her sternly, ¡°I heard from someone in the circle that Guinevere is now investigating the women around Weston. Be careful.¡± Ste looked up at him and frowned. ¡°Weston said he¡¯d take care of it.¡± Justin smiled and did not say anything. ¡°There are too many men like that¡­ I¡¯ve lived longer than you, and I¡¯ve met more people than you. ¡°E, many men are like that. They¡¯re gentle and generous to their mistress, but when any conflict happens, many will side with the spouse and ruin the mistress¡¯s life. Of course, many do the opposite. With your situation now¡­ are you sure Weston will be on your side? Even if he will, do you know what kind of future you will face?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste suddenly tightened her grip on the cup in her hand. The hot cup caused a stinging pain in her palm. Her eyes were suddenly red as she looked at him and said, ¡°But I have no other choice. He¡¯s forcing me. ¡°Mr. Hall, I don¡¯t have a future anymore.¡± Justin feltplicated. For a moment, he had the urge to leave everything behind and take Ste with him. However, he knew it was impossible. Ste only showed her real emotions for a moment. She then quickly rposed herself and returned to her usual gentle yet distant look. ¡°Mr. Hall, no matter what, I have to thank you for taking care of me all this time. I hope you¡¯ll get what you want in the future.¡± Justin did not say anything. After a short silence, he said somewhat mockingly, ¡°At my age, I¡¯m lucky to have what I have now.¡± His words probably implied something, so Ste did not answer. After a long while, she could not sit still anymore. ¡°Robb should be back soon,¡± she said. Justin responded and casually moved his gaze. He identally saw a mark on her neck, and his eyes changed. He looked at Ste and felt a littleplicated. He was unsure if he should tell her, After a moment of hesitation, he decided to tell her. He pointed at her neck and asked, ¡°Do you need to cover it up?¡± Ste was confused at first, but when Justin brought her a mirror so she could see her reflection in it, she finally noticed it. ¡°What the¡­¡± The memory of the night before hit her. Although Weston and her did not make it to the end, he had forced her to do a lot of things. They were only separated for a year, but he seemed to have improved a lot about those things. They had never tried anything new before, but they tried it allst night. She wondered if Weston had learned all those from other women during the year. Everything that happenedst night was chaos. She did not expect Weston to leave a mark on her neck Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Fortunately, the mark was hidden under her jaw, close to her ear. Her hair was draped on her shoulder, so no one should be able to see unless they looked closely. That was why Roger had not noticed it. If Roger had seen it, the consequences would be serious. She would not be able to exin herself. After all, it was obvious to know where she got the mark from. It was impossible to fool Roger. Ste subconsciously tried to raise her cor a little to cover the red mark, but Justin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still easy to see, and it¡¯s more obvious now.¡¯ He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put on a scarf? It¡¯s winter anyway, so it won¡¯t raise suspicion.¡± Ste panicked. ¡°I¡¯ll go and buy one now¡­¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No need.¡± Justin took out a gift box from the drawer and handed it to her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, take this. It was meant for Tina, but I couldn¡¯t give it to her because we split up not long after. I don¡¯t need it anymore. If you don¡¯t mind, just take it. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be wasted anyway.¡± Ste hesitated a little, but she epted it in the end. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Justin rubbed his brow and felt a little troubled. ¡°I was going to get rid of this anyway,¡± he said and suddenly sighed a little. ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll probably throw it away.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give it to Tina?¡± ¡°With our rtionship now, I shouldn¡¯t give her anything else.¡± ¡°But I think¡­¡± Ste hesitated a little and said, ¡°Your rtionship with Tina doesn¡¯t seem to be as terrible as you said. It¡¯s not like the two of you don¡¯t have any feelings for each other anymore. Why don¡¯t you try to get back together?¡± Justin suddenly looked at her. ¡°E, did you misunderstand something? I¡¯ve divorced her, and that means I have no feelings for her anymore. I can¡¯t go on living with her. I¡¯m not the kind of man who would pursue you while having feelings for her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Ste waved her hand and tried to exin herself. ¡°I mean¡­¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Nevermind. I shouldn¡¯t interfere with your rtionship. I just hope you won¡¯t have any regrets.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s not talk about the two of us anymore,¡± Justin interrupted her. ¡°You should put on the scarf. Robb will be back soon.¡± Ste responded, ¡°Thanks for the scarf. I¡¯ll transfer the money to you, then.¡± Justin sighed andughed. ¡°Do you have to draw such a clear line between us?¡± Ste said with a smile, ¡°I thought you should know me by now.¡± The two of them were able to talk like normal friends again. Not long after, Roger came back with the stamped papers. He was a little stunned to see Ste wearing a scarf. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Ste said, ¡°I felt a little cold earlier. Mr. Hall had an extra scarf here, so he gave it to me.¡± Roger pursed his lips. He looked at her, then at Justin, but he said nothing. After he put all the paperwork together, they bade goodbye to Justin. When they got outside, Roger asked her, ¡°Did Mr. Hall give this to you?¡± Ste knew what was in his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. I¡¯ll transfer the money to him He put his arm around Ste¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I think you can find someone better.¡± Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Ste smiled helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel you think too highly of me?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Roger patted her shoulder and said sternly, ¡°You¡¯re so good-looking. You may be okay with normal men, but I won¡¯t ept them so easily!¡± He suddenly became solemn. ¡°I¡¯m serious¡­ Sis, if you do get a boyfriend, can you at least tell me?¡± Ste did not know why the topic suddenly changed to her and her future boyfriend. He pushed him on the back. ¡°Well, you should go to ss now. I have something to do. I¡¯lle back and see you in a few days.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to work, right?¡± Roger still could not ept it, but he did not reject it as much as before. He said to her, ¡°Stay safe.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know. Do well in your ss.¡± Roger had met Bradley before. Perhaps Bradley gave Roger a good impression of the crew and changed his mind. He seemed like a responsible person. Ste had to thank Bradley. She would have a hard time exining to Roger if it weren¡¯t for Bradley. After that, Ste got into the car. She looked at the scarf around her neck in the rearview mirror. She said to the driver, ¡°Go back to Stardust Mansion.¡± Then, she took out her phone and sent Weston a text message. (It¡¯s hard to hide the marks on my neck. Don¡¯t kiss there next time.] The tone of her message seemed shy and soft like the old Ste. She always wanted to do this but was afraid to do it. However, her expression when sending the message was cold and indifferent, completely devoid of emotion. At the same time, at the Ford Corporation building in the city center. Weston was dressed in a perfectly tailor-made suit. His gesture was full of elegance and dignity. He was very unhappy with thest shareholders¡¯ meeting, so he made everyone rework the n. Everyone was too afraid toin. They tried to show their best to Weston. The man sitting in the front was tall and cool. Every single action he made was intimidating. Only his face looked young and handsome. He had many years in the business, from which he developed a strong spirit and courage. Weston had always been a calm and reliable man. Although his face was too handsome, he had convinced many people with his strength. Everyone in the meeting was older than him, but they all looked at him seriously and respected him. Once everyone else finished their presentations, it would be Weston¡¯s turn to conclude the meeting. He seemed a little happier with the presentation this time. He tapped the pen nib on the table and did not look impatient. Thest person who finished the presentation breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Mr. Ford, are you ready?¡± Weston nodded and sent him down. Then, he connected his phone to the projector. ¡°This time, it¡¯s better, but there are still a lot of problems.¡± When he said that, everyone¡¯s heart pounded. They thought he would be angry, but they did not expect him to stop at that sentence. He did not make them redo everything again. Weston continued, ¡°Next, we¡¯ll need to improve on these few things.¡± As he spoke, a message suddenly appeared on the screen. The notification on his messaging application was disyed directly at the top. Clearly, he had marked the sender of the message as a favorite contact. Therefore, the message popped up directly. The fewrge words were clearly disyed on the screen for all to see. [It¡¯s hard to hide the marks on my neck. Don¡¯t kiss there next time.] Anyone without any vision impairment issues could see the message clearly. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 The office fell into silence since Weston started speaking. Everyone wanted to hear him clearly, so it was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop in the office. Even the slightest noise would echo in the space. When everyone sucked in a cold breath, the sound of their breathing could be heard clearly. Weston never showed his emotions to others. He remained stoic no matter what happened. However, his expression seemed a little stiff at this moment. Ben, who stood beside him, was shocked. He stood still, not daring to breathe. In the end, it was Weston who rposed himself first. He slid the message away and said, ¡° Let¡¯s go back to the topic.¡± His voice was calm, as if nothing had happened. Those who could be in the same meeting as Weston were naturally the senior management in Ford Corporation. They were experienced in their work and had seen a lot of things. Although they were shocked by the message, no one dared to discuss it openly, ¡°Maybe it was Guinevere¡¯s message¡­ That was everyone¡¯s thought. They did not expect Weston to have such a good rtionship with Guinevere. After all these years, Weston only had Guinevere by his side. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. They all wondered if Weston would be a loving couple with Guinevere, just like his parents, After the meeting ended, everyone left with different thoughts in mind. Only Ben looked at Weston with anxiety as he came forward to organize the files. When only the two of them were left in the meeting room, Ben looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Weston frowned. ¡°Just say what you want.¡± ¡°Was that Ms. Steele?¡± Weston paused for a moment. ¡°What do you think?¡± Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that it must have been Ste, not Guinevere. Weston never really interacted with Guinevere unless they were with their parents. They only appeared to be together in front of outsiders. Even Ben could not understand Weston¡¯s thinking. Weston gave Ben something to do and told him to submit them to his officeter. Ben did as told. When Weston texted Ste back, she never replied. Weston then learned from the driver that Ste was on her way back to the vi, so he did not call her back He looked at the time and waited until she arrived home. Then, he called her. The call connected quickly. Weston turned to his back and stood on the balcony. His voice softened as he called out to her. ¡°Ste?¡± That was what Ben saw when he came to look for Weston with the documents in his hand. He stopped in his tracks. Ben did not see Weston¡¯s expression at the moment, but he could imagine the affection and smile he had for her. His tone was so gentle. No one would believe that this was Weston! Ben suddenly felt like one of his guesses about Weston might be true. It seemed that Weston had finally fallen in love, All these years, he thought Weston had loved Guinevere. However, his reactions seemed neutral when it came to her. He thought Weston was born calm and would never be impulsive toward anyone. He thought Weston would always stay that way. However, to his surprise, Weston¡¯s emotions changed in front of Ste, just like any ordinary person. He would taste joy and sadness just like any others. He even called Ste¡¯s name in such an intimate and sweet tone earlier. He sounded like a normal man in love. Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Weston called as soon as Ste arrived home. She ran a few steps and sounded out of breath. As soon as she entered the house, she immediately answered the phone. When the call connected, she heard the man¡¯s voice calling out to her fondly. ¡°Ste.¡± Ste paused a little. In the past, only her parents would call her this way. Sometimes, she felt that God really favored Weston too much. God blessed him with all the good things. He was blessed with good looks, a distinguished family, and a perfect low and maic voice. Ste sat on the couch and asked, ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I was in a meeting earlier.¡± Ste suddenly lowered her voice. ¡°Did you see the text I sent you¡­¡± Weston answered with a hum and casually loosened his tie. He suddenly felt a little hot. ¡°I saw it.¡± Ste suddenly pretended to be fierce. ¡°Do you know that someone else almost saw me with the mark today? How do you expect me to exin it?¡± ¡°Just let them see it. There¡¯s nothing much to exin. We¡¯re adults.¡± Ste was unhappy. ¡°You make it sound so easy, but you¡¯re not the one embarrassed.¡± Weston could tell that she was deliberately picking a fight. This gave him a new feeling he had never experienced before. He let out a lowugh. ¡°Okay, I get it. I¡¯ll be gentler next time.¡± ¡°What? You want a next time?¡± The old Ste would never be so bold in front of Weston. Both of them knew what they were doing, but neither of them objected. What Weston wanted was not necessarily the old Ste, but the Ste that loved him. As long as it was Ste, it didn¡¯t matter how her behavior was when she loved him. Ben stood behind Weston and was dumbfounded. He had never seen Weston dote on a woman like that. The man kept his hands in his pants. His back looked tall and strong from behind. Weston sounded like it was only natural. ¡°Of course, I want a next time.¡± There was a hint of gentleness on his face. It was very different from his usual high and mighty look. Ben almost choked on his own saliva and coughed softly. This interrupted the two on the phone. Ste jerked up from the couch and asked him, ¡°Is there someone else with you now? I¡¯ll hang up¡­¡± Weston shot Ben a cold nce. That gave Ben a chill down his spine. It seemed like Weston was ming him for interrupting his good time. Ben immediately dropped his head and repented on his mistake. Weston then told Ste on the other end of the phone, ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just end the call first?¡± Ste acted like she was very considerate. ¡°It would be bad if someone else heard.¡± At this point, Ben saw a clear look of dislike for him in Weston¡¯s eyes. He sighed softly. It was not easy to work as his assistant. He not only needed to keep secrets at all times but also read his superior¡¯s mood. He had no choice but to retreat to the side first. Ste thoughtfully said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t interrupt your work anymore. The light in Weston¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. Atst, he answered, ¡°Be good at home.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± Weston chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re no different from a child to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me!¡± Ste felt speechless. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± She pretended to be angry and hung up the phone Weston chuckled again. He looked at the disconnected call and was lost in thought. After some time, he finally put the phone away and turned toward Ben. ¡°Where are the documents?¡± Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 ¡°Here you go.¡± Ben immediately handed the files to him. Stardust Mansion. Roger had a lot of documents rting to his application to study abroad. Ste made a copy of some important information. She had a lot of things to ask Westonter, which was why she acted so affectionate with him earlier. As she went through the documents, she found a very difficult problem. Weston helped resolve the issue of Roger and her identity. If Roger wanted to go abroad, they would need Weston¡¯s help. Ste sighed. After she made the preparations for her work tomorrow, she checked the time. Since it was about time, she sent Weston a message. (What time are youing back tonight?] Weston was in the car. He just went to see a client and was on his way back to thepany. He leaned back in the car and closed his eyes to rest. When he saw Ste¡¯s message, he replied almost instantly. [Soon. About an hour and a half.] Ste thought about it and sent her reply. (Why don¡¯t I pick you up?] There was no reply from him for a long time. Ste thought he did not see it. When she was about to call him, Weston finally replied to her text. It was just a punctuation mark-a question mark. Weston¡¯s face remained expressionless, but his emotions were in a turmoil. After a short pause, he called Ste directly. The call connected quickly. The man¡¯s low voice came through the phone. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I want toe and pick you up. Can¡¯t you read the text?¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m not asking about that¡­ Why would you suddenly think of picking me up?¡± Weston reminded her, ¡°I have a driver.¡± ¡°I know, but that¡¯s not the same. Haven¡¯t I ever picked you up from work?¡± The man shut his eyes and leaned back in the leather seat. His throat moved a little. ¡°I¡¯m a man, Ste.¡± ¡°So? Can¡¯t a man be picked up and dropped off?¡± Ste found his logic funny. ¡°Haven¡¯t you driven me to the training center before?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s different¡­ Forget it. I won¡¯t go if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± Ste pretended like she was about to end the call. Just as she expected, Weston stopped her. ¡°Wait.¡± Ste deliberately sounded hesitant while asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She heard the man on the other endugh helplessly. It seemed like hepromised. ¡°Can you drive?¡± ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the driver drive? You cane in the car.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insincere and meaningless. Why don¡¯t you juste back yourself, then.¡± Weston furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you on the road.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m good at driving.¡± (C Weston could not win against her argument. He had anticipated it too. ¡°Pick a safer car. There are plenty in the garage. If yo?¡¯re not sure, ask the driver.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll pick you up safely.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll wait for you at the office.¡± After hanging up the phone, Weston thought for a moment and sent Ste the full address of his office. Ste replied to his text with a series of ellipses. Westo Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Weston worried about Ste, so much like a father worrying for a child. While Ste went to the walk-in closet to change, he sent countless messages to her phone. It was mostly about reminding her to be safe on the road. Ste felt helpless looking at the messages and did not reply to him. When it was about time, she drove to the office to pick Weston up. Ben could tell that Weston was in a good mood. When Weston arrived at thepany, even the people at the front desk took a few nces at Weston. They had always liked looking at his handsome face, but Weston seemed very approachable today. They usually looked at him in secret, but Weston seemed less distant and cold than usual. ¡°Why do I feel like Mr. Ford is in love?¡± The receptionist could not help butugh. ¡°He looks different.¡± After Weston entered the elevator, the others secretly discussed him. ¡°I think so too. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s in love.¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t he and the star, Guinevere, been together for years? Why has this never happened before¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± While everyone was whispering to each other, Daisy came out. When the rest saw the president¡¯s secretary appear, they immediately shut up for fear of being criticized. Daisy did not say anything but looked at Weston¡¯s back thoughtfully. There was some traffic on the road. Ste arrived fifteen minutester than expected. The two of them met at the junction of the front of the office without letting anyone see. She watched Weston get into the car and exined, ¡°I was supposed to arrive on time, but I didn¡¯t expect the traffic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have high expectations for your driving skill. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re not on time as long as you get here safely.¡± Ste was unhappy. ¡°I¡¯m a good driver. At least I¡¯m stable.¡± Weston did not want to argue on this matter. He arched his eyebrow and said, ¡°Just drive slowly.¡± Ste seemed like she wanted to prove her skill. The road home was not crowded, but she deliberately drove quickly. Weston got into the car in a good mood, but as she drove, his face gradually turned gloomy. Atst, he could not hold back anymore and pointed out her mistake in the passenger seat.¡° How did you pass the driving test in the first ce?¡± Ste pressed her lips and did not say anything. After a short while, she refuted him. ¡°I was really good at driving, but I haven¡¯t driven in a long time. Maybe I¡¯m a little rusty. I¡¯ll just have to practice more often¡­¡± Weston nced at her. ¡°You want to drive often with the way you drive? Let the driver do it.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m an adult too! It¡¯s much easier to drive myself.¡± Weston was not going to argue with this. ¡°You can drive, but only if you have a driver with you.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between that and the driver driving me around?¡± ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re responsible for your own safety.¡± Weston took her safety very seriously, especially after thest incident. He would never let Ste be hurt again. ¡°If you were good at driving, I wouldn¡¯t restrict you from driving.¡± ¡°Why are you so unreasonable?¡± Ste stepped on the elerator angrily. Weston¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°You can¡¯t even control your emotions while driving. Do you still want to drive?¡± Ste retorted mercilessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you speed on the highway when you were angry thest time? I¡¯m just driving a little faster. I¡¯m not even speeding! I¡¯m much better than you!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Weston tugged at his cor and suddenly got a little angry. He rolled down the window and let the wind blow in from outside. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Weston finally calmed down and told Ste, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Ste stopped talking. She looked at the road ahead and focused on driving. Although she did not make it obvious, Weston could tell that she was angry. Weston was helpless too. They were getting along well before, but they were suddenly in a cold war again. Even so, he would warn Ste whenever she drove dangerously. Ste silently drove the car back with a stern face. Weston instructed her to drive almost the whole journey. Not long after, they finally arrived home. She parked the car directly in the garage, then got out of the car and left.. She was angry. Weston stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Why are you so angry today? I just said a few words about you. Now you¡¯re scowling at me?¡± Ste shook off his hand. ¡°How would I scowl at you? Anyway, I¡¯m just terrible at driving.¡± She sounded so disdainful that it amused Weston. He was less angry and wanted tough. He reached out and tucked the loose hair behind her ear. Then, he kissed her on the earlobe. ¡°I was just telling the truth. Why are you so mad at me?¡± Ste looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Am I really so terrible in your eyes?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He suddenly took her into his arms. He lowered his head and said in her ear, ¡°Whether it¡¯s driving, or¡­¡± He suddenly ran his fingers up and down her back at a slow pace. Ste¡¯s face turned red. She kicked him away. ¡°That¡¯s all you ever think about!¡± Then, she turned around and left. She was much morefortable getting along with him than before. Weston watched her back as his expression gradually softened. A hint of inexplicablefort appeared in his eyes. He walked behind her and followed her slowly. When Ste got into the elevator, he strode over and squeezed in. The space in the elevator suddenly seemed a little cramped. When the elevator finally opened, Ste went out first, Her feet were hanging in the air after walking just two steps. Weston had suddenly picked her up from behind. She eximed in shock and wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively. She looked at him, only to meet his dark gaze. Joan came up to greet them. When she saw this scene, she quickly dropped her head. Then, Weston ordered her, ¡°You can leave work early today.¡± ¡°Understood, sir!¡± Joan left in a hurry. Ste knew there was no escape today. When he put her on the bed, she suddenly took the initiative to hug him. She kneeled on her knee and wrapped her arms around his waist. Then, she leaned in and buried her face in his arms. ¡°I know I¡¯m a little rusty, but I¡¯ll get better at it. I promise you I will drive slowly and steadily. Don¡¯t let the driver follow me, okay?¡± Weston stroked her hair. How could he not tell Ste¡¯s n? It was just a way to get him to be less controlling with her. He knew her purpose. She was testing his boundaries. Even so, what could he do? He simply could not refuse her like this. He lowered his head and nted a kiss on her hair. Atst, he sighed. ¡°Just do whatever you want.¡± Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Ste thought it would take some effort to get Weston¡¯s approval, but she did not expect it to be so easy. Ste suppressed the difort in her heart. She put on a happy face and raised her head. Then, she kissed his throat softly and muttered, ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Weston¡¯s gaze suddenly became very dangerous. He pressed her shoulders and slowly slid his hand down. ¡°Are you going to thank me with just your mouth?¡± Ste suddenly blushed. She rested her forehead on his waist and muttered softly, ¡°I thought my mouth would be enough¡­¡± Weston¡¯s hand on the back of her head suddenly tightened. Weston could hear the implied meaning in her words. He chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­¡± He could not think of any words to describe Ste at the moment. She was in control of all his emotions. It took him a lot of self-control to resist the urge to hold her in his arms and ravage her. Weston¡¯s voice turned raspy. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Maybe someday.¡± She evened her breathing and tried not to show her disgust. ¡°Weston, remember what you promised me¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste looked forward to the snow the most. Whenever it snowed, the soft snow would dance as it fell and cover the ground with ayer of white. There would be a creaking sound when she stepped on the snow with her shoes. When she stepped on the snow, the ground would be smooth. However, people with poor bnce would always fall. She missed the carefree moments when she used to have fun in the snow. There seemed to be a hailstorm outside. It was hitting the window panes and making bursts of noise. Ste¡¯s eyes were moist, as if tears were in her eyes. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Her smooth skin glistened under the snowy glow as her long hair spread out on the bed. The view of her contrasted sharply with the bed sheets. This intense sh of colors hit the man hard. He drew everything from her greedily as he breathed in all her scent. Ste was forced to lift her arms and wrap them around his back. Then, she closed her eyes in a deep sigh. Weston felt that if he were to express his feelings at the moment in one sentence, he could only think of this vow-he was willing to give his life right at this very moment to make time stop. The snow outside continued falling. Fern City¡¯s weather was not as kind as the weather in Ahn City. When they woke up in the morning, there was already ayer of snow outside the window. Ste opened her eyes. Before she was fully awake, she felt a blinding white light in front of her eyes. A pair ofrge hands covered her eyes the next second. She closed her eyes again as the warm palm pressed on her eye. After a short silence, she asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°What time is it?¡± Weston held her in his arms. Their skin was close to each other without any barrier of warmth. It was as if they were meant to be this close. He said, ¡°Nine o¡¯clock in the morning.¡± ¡°That¡¯ste.¡± Ste opened her eyes immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to work?¡± Weston pressed a kiss on her shoulder. Ste flinched a little. Then, he lifted the covers. ¡°I don¡¯t have to go in the morning. You can get some rest.¡± Ste closed her eyes again. She was a little tired and felt sore everywhere. Their intimacyst nightsted for too long. It had been a long time since theirst intimacy. She kept hypnotizing herself to ept him, but she still instinctively rejected him. As a result, the whole process yesterday became very difficult. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Even so, Weston was extremely patient with her. Ste wondered while in between breaks had she ever seen Weston so gentle before? She searched her memory, but there seemed to be none. Their marriage was short-lived, just like the brief fireworks in the sky. It was gorgeous and unreal to her. She spent every day floating in the clouds. Although Weston treated her so coldly, she was able to find the hint of his gentleness and persevered in the rtionship. However, it seemed like she had deceived herself too much. Weston noticed that she was distracted. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He had paid close attention to Stest night, but she was too nervous and good at hiding her pain. She had endured it and refused to tell him.if she was hurt somewhere. Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Weston did not believe her. His tone was suddenly serious. ¡°If you¡¯re hurt, tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hurt.¡± Ste suddenly realized what he meant by hurt. Her voice softened. ¡°I just feel a little unwell¡­¡± Weston was relieved to see her frankness. He kissed her on the forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re not hurt. But if you are, you should take some medicine.¡± He paused for a moment and looked into her eyes. ¡°How are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I just feel a little sore,¡± Ste said. ¡°I can¡¯t lift my arms.¡± Weston smiled at that and massaged her sore muscles with his hand. ¡°Does that make it better?¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s much better.¡± Weston took her back into his arms and patted her back. ¡°Sleep a little longer.¡± They stayed up till verytest night and woke up at nine o¡¯clock the next day. Weston thought Ste would sleep a little longer; he did not expect her to be up so early. After he said that, Ste felt a little sleepy again. She gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep again. When she woke up, it was already noon. She seemed to have slept too much in the past few days. When she woke up, her temples were aching in pain. No one was around her, but there was a residual warmth. Not long after she woke up, the sound of footsteps came from the door. Weston came back again with a white porcin bowl in his hand. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± He was dressed in house clothes and did not look as distant as usual. He looked a little softer and more handsome. Ste could tell that he was in a good mood. She pursed her lips and watched him walk toward her. He urged, ¡°Get up and eat something.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯d slept for so long¡­¡± ¡°If you still want to rest, you can just ask the crew for a day off in the afternoon.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No, I should go over anyway. The crew¡¯s progress has been dyed for a long time. I can¡¯t hold them back.¡± Weston did notment. He knew it was unlikely for Ste to follow his orders at this point. He was learning to listen to her opinions and not make the decisions alone. Ste changed the topic. ¡°What¡¯s inside the bowl?¡± ¡°Joan made some food for you.¡± He took the spoon and put it in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s warm, not too hot.¡± Ste hesitated a little before she took a sip. Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Chapter 452 She suddenly wondered if Weston had taken care of Guinevere in the same way. Was this how he took care of his son at home? She noticed that Weston seemed to have be more caring than before since their reunion. She wondered who brought about this change. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Ste finished her food quickly. Weston took the bowl away. While he was leaving, Ste lifted the covers and got up. When she stepped on the floor, she was so sore that she fell to the floor on her knees. Fortunately, the bedroom was covered with a thick carpet, so it did not hurt. Ste took a moment to stand up and found that there was little strength in her hands. She propped her hands on the floor but fell again. This time, she did not fall to the ground. Instead, she fell into a familiar embrace. ¡°Idiot.¡± Weston¡¯s voice came from above her head. Weston strode in and grabbed her off the floor into his arms. ¡°How did you fall from the bed?¡± He picked her up and put her back on the bed. Ste was still weak and could only lean on his arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be this sore¡­¡± Weston picked up her foot and put it on his knee. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling so ufortable, are you still going to the set this afternoon?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m going!¡± Ste insisted. ¡°This is non-negotiable.¡± The man¡¯s hand paused for a moment. Then, he suddenly increased the force. Ste immediately hissed and drew a cold breath. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She frowned and grimaced. ¡°Non-negotiable?¡± Weston raised his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Since when do you talk to me with that kind of attitude?¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡± She repeated, ¡°So mean¡­¡± The man froze with a gloomy expression. ¡°Am I that mean?¡±, It was his first time hearing someone calling him mean. It stunned him. ¡°Yeah. Weren¡¯t you? I felt like you were going to scold me the next second¡­¡± ¡°When have I ever scolded you?¡± Weston suddenly felt a little helpless. His actions were much lighter. Ste refused to look at him and turned away. ¡°Haven¡¯t you scolded me already? You called me an idiot when you came in¡­¡± Weston did not know what to say for a moment and was speechless. He looked at the back of Ste¡¯s head and put her foot down. Then, he hugged her from behind. ¡°Then, tell me: Weren¡¯t you acting like an idiot?¡± Ste did not say anything. Even so, anyone could tell that she was angry. If it was before, she would never dare to act like this in front of Weston. However, she suddenly realized that Weston seemed to like it when she showed her temper in front of him without any fear. The more genuine she was, the more he liked it. He rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her behind the ear. ¡°Are you very angry?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Ste said grimly. Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 she heard the man chuckle in a low voice as he put his hand on her waist. ¡°You got so angry because I called you an idiot? What about those things you scolded me aboutst night?¡± Ste did not say anything. Weston then whispered in her ear and reminded her word by word, ¡°You called me an insatiable beastst night. You said I was a hungry wolf¡­¡± The more he spoke, the redder Ste¡¯s face became. She turned her head and covered his mouth. ¡°Stop it!¡± Weston gazed at her with his deep eyes and suddenly kissed her on her palm. ¡°Ste¡­¡± He called her name in a loving and husky voice. ¡°Just stay by my side.¡± He held her and hugged her tighter in his arms. Suddenly, he felt that this was what he had pictured his life to be like. At the set. Before Ste got out of the car, she checked the small mirror again. She armed herself and covered up all the marks before she left the house. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately, it was winter now. The costumes were very thick. If she took care of it, no one would notice them. She breathed a sigh of relief and told the driver to stop in front. She made another turn before arriving at the set. When she arrived, Bradley had just finished hisst scene. He saw hering and nodded to her. ¡°We can start shooting today.¡± Bradley was in a good mood. His rtionship with Ste had improved, so Ste asked straightforwardly, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Bradley said, ¡°Guinevere has finally gotten into character.¡± He suddenly paused and looked at Ste. ¡°Have your injuries healed?¡± Ste said, ¡°It¡¯s already much better. It¡¯s just some bruises. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The memory from thest time she helped Guinevere as a body double in an action scene was still vivid in her mind. Bradley did not ask her any further questions because she seemed so optimistic. He only said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn in the future. I still have a say in this crew.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ste said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Bradley shook his head. ¡°Go and get ready. If you can get the scene done in one try, you can get off work early.¡± Ste then went to get ready with the crew. Guinevere had just finished shooting when she heard a burst ofughter from Ste¡¯s side. Her face immediately turned gloomy. The makeup artist who was fixing her makeup trembled a little when her expression changed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Cohen. Did I do something wrong?¡± Her trembling tone was in stark contrast to the staff around Ste. Guinevere suddenly lost her temper. ¡°Why are you looking so afraid? Who are you showing this to? Have I ever hit you or scolded you? It¡¯s just makeup. Why are you showing me this pathetic look?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­.¡± The makeup artist immediately withdrew her hand and bowed to her with fearful eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just too nervous¡­ I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Cohen. I¡¯m so sorry. Do you need another makeup artist?¡± When she said that, it only made Guinevere angrier. She red at her coldly and said, ¡°Get out!¡± Then, the makeup artist left in despair. Guinevere became angrier to the point where her assistant did not dare toe forward. However, the next scene required a different makeup style, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet. The assistant reminded, ¡°Gwen, which makeup artist are we going to change?¡± ¡°I only brought one makeup artist. Who else could it be?¡± She vented her anger on the assistant. The assistant did not know what to do anymore. Suddenly, another assistant came running with her cell phone. ¡°Gwen, it¡¯s for you¡­¡± ¡°How many times have I told you! Don¡¯t let anyone disturb me while I¡¯m filming!¡± Guinevere roared at her. The assistant flinched and said softly, ¡°But Mr. Ford called¡­¡±. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Guinevere¡¯s face changed immediately She picked up the phone and heard the man¡¯s low voice through the phone. ¡°Are you still on the set?¡± Guinevere immediately took the phone and walked to a quiet ce. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be on the set for the next few days¡­¡± She was very happy. Weston rarely reached out to her, but he called her a lot in the past two days. She naively thought that their rtionship was improving. They fought previously because of Belle¡¯s incident and got into a cold war. Looking at it now, it seemed like they would always be together no matter how many people came between them. ¡°Weston, is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Mom said she couldn¡¯t reach you on your phone. She¡¯s looking for you.¡± Guinevere was a little disappointed to hear that. ¡°I see¡­ Don¡¯t you have anything to say to Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. me?¡± Weston paused and said, ¡°If you have any questions, you can contact Ben directly.¡± Then, he hung up straight. Guinevere¡¯s heart sank. She nced at the missed calls on her phone. Many of them were from Wendy. She did not know why Wendy was looking for her. The two of them had never gotten along. She called Wendy back. ¡°You were looking for me?¡± she asked straightforwardly. Wendy spoke calmly in reply. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls earlier? I even had to talk to Weston to reach you.¡± Her rtionship with Wendy was very awkward. Sometimes, she could not figure out how Wendy felt toward her. She seemed to hate her a lot at times, but she seemed neutral to her at other times. Guinevere patiently said, ¡°I was filming on set, so I couldn¡¯t answer your call¡­¡± ¡°You answer the phone whenever Weston calls, but you don¡¯t pick up when I do. Are you upset with me?¡± Wendy was being a little unreasonable. Guinevere was losing her patience. ¡°Do you have anything else? If not, I¡¯ll have to start filming soon.¡± ¡°So I can¡¯t call you if there¡¯s nothing?¡± Wendy seemed like she was trying to piss her off on purpose. Guinevere asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Wendy said, ¡°I¡¯ming over to visit this afternoon.¡± ¡°What?¡± Guinevere finally came to her senses and snapped. She stood up and asked, ¡°You¡¯reing to visit?¡± Wendy said, ¡°I¡¯m bringing Zack over too.¡± ¡°Are you crazy!¡± Guinevere blurted out without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s fine if youe by yourself, but why are you bringing Zachary along? Don¡¯t you know what this ce is?¡± ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t it just a set? I¡¯ve done a lot more movies in my youth than you. Don¡¯t talk to me in that tone.¡± Guinevere took a deep breath and asked her, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Wendy was ying with the souvenirs she had just brought. A few days ago, she traveled abroad with Chris. Chris thought their rtionship was stable again, so he went back to thepany to get back into fighting with his brothers over the family fortune. While she¡­ She nced at Zachary, who was sleeping soundly. She was back to the cycle of helping Guinevere with her kid. After Guinevere went to the set, she was left alone in therge vi. Wendy said in amusement, ¡°I¡¯m just bringing Zachary to visit you. You¡¯re his mother. What¡¯s wrong with me bringing him over? Why do you sound so unwilling?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Guinevere calmed down. ¡°He¡¯s still so young. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll get sick here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ve been taking care of Zachary. I know his body well.¡± Guinevere sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of him? I¡¯ve been taking care of him for thest few days. I act on the set during the day ande home at night¡­¡± ¡°Why are youining? You¡¯ve just taken care of him for a couple of days. Don¡¯t you know who¡¯s the one looking after him when you and Weston ignore him?¡± Guinevere got a headache from talking to her. She wanted to say something, but Wendy hung up on her. Then, Wendy texted her. [I¡¯ve taken Zachary to the car. You should be prepared.] Guinevere suddenly mmed her phone to the ground in a fury. It made a loud noise and drew the attention of the rest of the crew. She paled instantly and realized she had lost control of her emotions. She quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just dropped my phone by ident.¡± Her tone was cold and hard. Everyone looked at each other with scared expressions. They stood at the door and did not dare to come in. ¡°Gwen, do you need our help?¡± ¡°Go buy me a new phone.¡± ¡°Okay, Gwen¡­¡± Guinevere walked out and gave some instructions to her assistant. ¡°Wendy ising with Zacharyter. Inform Bradley about this, and tell him to move my scene forward. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to free up my scheduleter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Bradley frowned at her request. ¡°I¡¯ve only had a moment of peace, and she¡¯s making trouble again?¡± He had never seen such a difficult star as Guinevere! All she did was give him trouble all the time. Ste just came over from the shoot and saw his troubled face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°It¡¯s Guinevere again! She said her mother-inw would being over to visit the set. That¡¯s going to slow down the whole production!¡± Ste did not say anything. Guinevere¡¯s mother-inw was Weston¡¯s mother. Ste was married to Weston for a year, but Weston never wanted to take her to meet his parents. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Looking back now, she had been really blinded by love. She had thought it would be enough as long as she stayed by his side. She¡¯d wanted nothing else, but he had never wanted her to meet his family. This alone already spoke volumes. Only a woman blindly in love would be so deluded and not care about these. Ste took her job seriously and ignored the outside world, regardless of the situation. During the break, she had lunch with an actor she knew. She got to meet many people during this time. She was easy-going, so the crew had no issue mingling with her. She was well-liked by everyone. Not long after that, a ck car drove in. Guinevere had always traveled alone and never mingled with them. When the ck car stopped, Guinevere walked to the car while surrounded by a group of people. Wendy had arrived. She stepped out of the car with Zachary in her arms. Guinevere immediately stepped forward to take the baby and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to visit. How can I do that in the car?¡± Wendy avoided her. She seemed like she was deliberately trying to go against her. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Guinevere was displeased. ¡°There are so many people here, and it is the first time Zachary came to such a ce¡ª¡± Before she could finish what she wanted to say, Zachary pped his hands twice in excitement. ¡°As his mother, you know him less than I do.¡± Wendy took the child in her arms. ¡°He just likes to watch the fun. If you are tired, get in the car and take a rest. I will take him around.¡± Guinevere pressed her lips. She disliked Wendy¡¯s presumptuous proposition, but when she saw Ste, who was eating in the distance, she paused and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Wendy stopped immediately and nced at her, unable to make out her intention. Why did she change her mind so quickly? Anyway, she did not care about it and took Zachary for a walk around the shooting set. When Bradley saw Wendy, he brought his men to greet her. After all, she was Weston¡¯s mother. It was just a brief greeting. ¡°The fenced area might be dangerous, so don¡¯t bring the child there. You are free to go to other ces.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you for the reminder.¡± Wendy had always been dignified and graceful in public. Moreover, she had been a legendary figure in the entertainment industry. This was why Bradley was respectful toward her. While chatting with Guinevere, she walked over to Ste. Suddenly, Guinevere stepped forward and tidied Zachary¡¯s cor. ¡°We must keep him warm. A boy like him easily gets sick in this weather. If he catches a cold, his father will be very sad.¡± She said these in a loud voice so the people around her could hear her. Regardless, most of them remained silent and continued eating. Ste naturally heard her. She immediately felt as if she had lost her sense of taste. And every time she swallowed, she could smell blood. She was reminded of the child that was removed from her womb again. If it hadn¡¯t been for that kidnapping case, she would have had such a cute baby now. She froze. Seeing her not moving for a long time, the actress beside her asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, E? Are you not feeling well?¡± Ste¡¯s face was as white as a sheet. When she heard the actress, she shook her head nkly.¡± It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Then, she continued eating stiffly. Guinevere also noticed her sad face and was somewhat pleased. But on second thought, wouldn¡¯t it mean that she had feelings for Weston? Otherwise, why would she show this expression? She immediately feltplicated. She did not want to see E not react to her action. But at the same time, she did not want E to see her contempt toward her. She thought that she could only be at ease when E disappeared before her eyes like Ste. Wendy was a little nostalgic for the old days of filming and came over to greet these young actors. Many actors recognized her, and so did Ste. She remembered watching Wendy¡¯s dramas when she was a child and did not expect her to be Weston¡¯s mother. She stood at the end of the crowd and ate her food quietly. When other people were talking, she would observe with patience, not stealing the limelight. Her action caught Wendy¡¯s eyes instead. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Wendy walked up to Ste. ¡°I am E.¡± Wendy smiled. ¡°You look like a very quiet person. Howe you thought of bing an actress?¡± ¡°It was by chance.¡± Ste averted her eyes. She seemed reluctant to talk to her. Wendy thought that she was nervous, so she did not say anything. Then, she turned around and met Guinevere¡¯s somewhat cold eyes. ¡°Who were you talking to just now?¡± Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Chapter 457 ¡°An actress called E.¡± ¡°What do you think of her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not bad.¡± Wendy gave a nonchnt response while teasing Zachary. Zachary looked at Ste and suddenly gave a very happy cry. Wendyughed immediately. ¡°It looks like this little guy likes to look at beautiful women too. Look at how happy he is.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face turned gloomy before she picked Zachary up. ¡°He is still so young. What does he know about beauty and ugliness?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he? Children like handsome and beautiful people as well.¡± Wendy was a little dissatisfied when Guinevere gave her that look ¡°If you are tired, you can rest in the car. I will take Zack around the ce.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Guinevere gave Zachary directly to Wendy and left after casting a cold look at Ste. Wendy walked to Ste and sat beside her. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She is a bit hot-headed.¡± The spoon in Ste¡¯s hand shook. No one even dared to speak. The air froze for a moment. ¡°Why are you all silent?¡± Wendy felt a little strange when seeing these people keep their mouths shut and not dare to even breathe. ¡°Are you not daring to speak up because you think that I am talking bad about Guinevere?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­¡± Another person quickly echoed, ¡°It is just that¡­¡± She burst outughing. ¡°I was just kidding.¡± The other peopleughed nervously. Wendy did not care about the other people. She was only interested in Ste. ¡°A person like you will have a difficult path ahead if you want to continue venturing in the entertainment industry,¡± Ste said, ¡°I will ovee it.¡± She put down the lunch box, whereupon Wendy said immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You can eat while talking¡± Ste thought that it was not polite, so she said, ¡°I am already full.¡± ¡°Do you always eat so little?¡± Wendy did not find it weird because all the actresses controlled their diets to remain slim. The camera was a cruel thing. Even if one were considered a thin person among themoners, they had to be thinner to appear exquisite on camera. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before. Are you a novice?¡± ¡°Yes. This is my first time filming.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± LITT Wendy raised her eyebrows. ¡°What do your parents do?¡± For a novice like Ste to be able to act in such a big production as soon as she debuted, it would mean that her family must be well-off. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Or she must have her resources. However, such actors were generally not as gentle as her and should be morepetitive. Ste paused for a moment and said, ¡°My parents passed away a long time ago.¡± Wendy was a bit taken aback. ¡°I am sorry. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It has been a long time.¡± When they were talking, Zachary suddenly jumped on Wendy¡¯sp and reached for Ste while calling out, ¡°Ah.¡± Wendy smiled at once and said to her, ¡°Look, he seems to like you a lot.¡± However, Ste¡¯s face changed, and she stood up immediately to avoid his hands. Zachary¡¯s chubby arms were still stretched out in mid-air. He was still reaching for her in a daze. He did not know why she disliked him. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Zachary¡¯s chubby arms were still hanging in the air, showing his desire to y with Ste. Ste forced herself to suppress her disgust. She knew that this child was innocent, but she could not face him when she thought of the one she had. She even loathed him. Wendy rxed her facial expression. ¡°You don¡¯t like children?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve always¡­ I am very sorry.¡± She did not say anything else. She packed up and left in a hurry. Looking at her back, Wendy had a somewhatplicated expression. Ste strode to the sink nearby and opened the tap. The cold water flowing out of the tap chilled the surrounding area. She sshed the cold water on her face, her eyes red. She thought she would eventually forget, but she did not expect that she would think of her child the moment she closed her eyes. She would have had a baby.. The water kept on flowing, mixing with the tears on her face. In the winter, it was unbearably freezing. The phone suddenly rang. She only managed to answer it after tapping on the screen a few times with her freezing cold and red fingers. ¡°Hello?¡± A male¡¯s hoarse voice was heard from the other end of the phone. ¡°Did you have your meal on urne?¡± ¡°Weston¡­¡± She took a deep breath and did not answer him. Noticing the silence on the other end, the man frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She remained silent. He could only hear her shallow breathing getting heavier, as if she was trying to suppress something Sensing, the seriousness of the situation, le pulled his cor and stood up in his office. ¡°Is something wrong? Talk to me, Ste.¡± Ste chuckled and rested her head on her hand. Suddenly, she said, ¡°I saw Zack. Your mom brought him to the set. Do you sull remember our child, Weston?¡± Ste was a bit out of it at the end of the day. Wendy stopped by the set to say hi and took Zachary back afterward. Guinevere was also a bit tired. She looked very reluctant to entertain Wendy. Regardless, Ste did not care about it. She only knew that she had no way to face Weston calmly. When the chauffeur came, she told him directly, ¡°I still have something to do, so you can go back first.¡± ¡°But Mr. Ford said to let us bring you home safely.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not for now¡­ I have some personal matters to attend to.¡± The chauffeur looked reluctant, then Ste said, ¡°If Weston asks about it, you just tell him that it was my idea.¡± He still did not say anything. She frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call and ask him and see if he agrees?¡± Although he did not say anything, he did as he was told. After the man on the other end of the phone said something, the chauffeur hung up and looked at her. ¡°Okay, Ms. Steele. Please be careful.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She nodded and left without paying attention to him anymore. She knew that the moment she mentioned the child, their rtionship would return to the freezing point like before. So she knew that Weston would not refuse her request. She was indeed using his guilt to her advantage, which she found rather ironic. Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Would he feel guilty? She suddenly thought with self-deprecation. She thought she was the only one who was filled with guilt for that child. In the hospital, after the registration, she saw a familiar figure when she was just about to go to the clinic. She slowed down her pace subconsciously, wanting to avoid her, but Zeta saw her anyway. ¡°Are you sick, E? Why are you here in the hospital?¡± Ste forced a smile and looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just amon cold.¡± After saying that, she walked past her. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now. I shall go and see the doctor first.¡± Looking at Ste trying to avoid her, Zeta was suddenly reminded of something and grabbed her arms. ¡°Wait.¡± Ste frowned, and her voice sounded a little impatient. ¡°What is it?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Zeta pursed her lips and looked at her fixedly. ¡°I know I should not meddle in other people¡¯s affairs, but if you came for that, I think I can help you.¡± She was a doctor and knew that it was difficult for Ste to get that drug. She was also worried that Ste would try to get it through illegitimate means if she could not get it from the hospital. If this had to be the case, it would be better to help her out. Ste did not expect Zeta to say that, and her eyes flickered. ¡°I am sorry for my bad attitude toward you just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can understand. Come to my office.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste canceled her queue ticket and went to Zeta¡¯s office. Zeta took out a small white bottle from the drawer and handed it to her. ¡°The side effects of this drug are rtively smallerpared to the other drugs. Nevertheless, it can still be dangerous. You should take it ording to your tolerance to it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes shed, and she asked, ¡°Will it work?¡± ¡°It should be effective. But I cannot be completely sure of it because it still depends on your body.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ste held the white bottle in her hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°By the way, you can only take one tablet at a time. If you overdose, you will likely¡­¡± Zeta did not say it, but she thought Ste would know. This drug was originally meant for arousing sexual desire. She should be very clear about the reactions if she overdosed. Themon treatment used to alleviate this problem now was basically to stimte the production of specific hormones in the brain. It would achieved the therapeutic effect by boosting sexual interest and drive, so it would numb the senses of a person to a certain extent. ¡°By the way, you might experience hallucinations or neurasthenia. No matter what, the side effects of this drug are harmful, so I hope you can think carefully before using it.¡± ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Zeta looked at her leaving back and sighed. Ste was unsure if it was because of the conversation on the phone during the day, but Weston came back veryte today. She did not call him. After taking a shower, she took out the bottle of vitamins she bought from the pharmacy and emptied it, then refilled it with the pills Zeta gave her. She sat on the sofa in her bathrobe and poured herself a ss of milk. When she heard the sound of the car downstairs, she poured out a white pill. After some consideration, she poured out another one and swallowed them. When Weston came in through the door, he saw the frail woman sitting on the sofa. He suddenly did not want to get closer to her for a moment. He had never been afraid of anything all these years. But with Ste, he seemed to experience how it felt like to be afraid of disturbing her when he wanted to get close. ¡°I am home.¡± The man¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Ste responded. Her body stiffened, and she didn¡¯t turn around. Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Maybe it was because Ste¡¯s acting skills had been so greattely. Weston thought that their rtionship was improving, and they might one day go back to their old days. But the phone call reminded him that there was a life lying between them. That was something Ste would never be able to let go of. It was like a dead-end for Weston, and there was no way to get past it. He could only subconsciously ignore it and leave everything to time. When he thought of this, he sneered at himself. When did he be so powerless? It seemed that he was always the helpless one when dealing with Ste. She did not seem to want to talk to him about the baby either. She was ready initially, but she simply got up and walked to him. She adjusted his cor and took his coat. ¡°You are a littlete today. Busy day at work?¡± He lowered his head and looked steadily into her eyes, trying to read her emotions¡ªbut to no avail. She was indeed very good at acting, and she could hide all her emotions well. He suddenly grabbed her arm. ¡°Ste¡­¡± He wanted to say something, but he just could not. Instead, Ste took the initiative. ¡°I saw Zachary today.¡± He hummed in response. She smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried I¡¯d do something to him?¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t.¡± Her eyes twitched with anxiety. Yeah, she would not Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She would not do something like that to hurt an innocent person. But why would Guinevere be able to do it? Her child was innocent She did not understand why Guinevere could be so cruel to other people when she had a child of her own. He suddenly hugged her. He had never felt so heartbroken and apologetic before. ¡°I am sorry.¡± For a long time, he could not think of any words other than sorry. She did not say anything. Lowering her head, she leaned on his chest, only to say with amusement after a while, ¡°So you actually know how to apologize, huh? I thought you could never do anything wrong.¡± ¡°I am a person too. Why would I not make any mistake?¡± She nodded. ¡°Indeed. Maybe the things you do wrong are irrevocable.¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered, but he could not refute. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± She smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about what I¡¯d do to Zachary. The kid is innocent after all, and he¡¯s cute too.¡± She pretended to be rxed. The man raised her chin and kissed her, unwilling to listen to any more of her hurtful words. He hadn¡¯t realized until now that it wasn¡¯t him that Ste was hurting with those words, but herself. She was forcing herself not to forget the child in an almost self-mutting way. He kissed her passionately. Ste, however, did not close her eyes and stared at the man quietly. He sensed her gaze but ignored it. He pushed her onto the sofa. She did not resist and justy there. The man got on top of her. His hand explored upward from inside her shirt, but it reached the scar she got from her previous injury. Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Weston froze for a moment. He got up, bent his knees, and looked down at the long scar around her waist. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± His calloused slender fingers ran through her skin and the scar. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t know if it was the medication, but she felt an uncontroble itch and twisted her head to the other side. ¡°Not anymore. It stopped hurting a long time ago.¡± Weston did not believe her words and kissed her scar reverently. She disliked the way he worshipped her like some treasure; as though he loved her so much. Deep down inside, she knew he was the most heartless man one could ever meet. Her body heated up but her heart remained cold. The body, however, yearned for him uncontrobly. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck Surprised by her action, he looked down at her and suddenly noticed that her face had an unnatural redness. He frowned and asked in concern, ¡°Feeling unwell?¡± She shook her head, unable to speak. When she opened her mouth, she could feel her warm breath. After a while, she got up again and hugged his neck. Feeling that there was something different about her today, his eyes slowly deepened. He stared at the woman on the sofa and brushed her hair away from her face, revealing her small face in its entirety. ¡°Ste, do you really want it?¡± She shook her head. Her eyes were red and she seemed to be feeling guilty. Hence, he sensed that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Tell me.¡± He stood up immediately and pulled her into a sitting position. With hands on her shoulder, he made her look into his eyes. But she was unwilling to open them. She put one hand on his shoulder, while the other tugged the belt around his waist. He became increasingly aware that something was wrong. She looked like she was drugged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Tell me.¡± She took a deep breath and croaked ¡®I am thirsty¡¯ in a raspy voice. She seemed to regain her sobriety and looked straight at him. This drug was mainly for treatment, and as long as she did not get into that state, she could control herself well. She was only using this drug to stop herself from rejecting his touch. When he stopped, she could easily regain consciousnes. Weston was relieved when he saw the redness in her eyes dissipate. He touched her face and said, ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± And he got up and left. Staring at the tall figure, she closed her eyes and let out a breath. She suddenly hated herself a little: The man came back shortly and sat on the sofa. He let her lie in his arms and fed her some water. She took a sip from the ss he handed over. The man was still in his suit when she was only wearing her pajamas. When they leaned against each other, the warmth in her body had not subsided and transferred to him through the thin fabric. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down. He never deprived himself of that when he was with her., He had only stopped because he was worried that something might be wrong with her. Now that she was alright, he naturally wouldn¡¯t hide his desire. After putting down the ss, he hugged her from the back and kissed her neck Taking her hand, be interlocked his fingers with hers. ¡°Ste, you still have me.¡± The child would note back but he would always be with her. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Chapter 462 They might not have any more children in the future. He did not want them either. There was nothing wrong with just the two of them staying that way. Weston could not understand Ste¡¯s obsession with children. Even now, he only regretted a little losing the child. However, if there was a choice to do it all over again, he would have made a different decision. Regardless, there were no ¡®ifs¡¯ in this world. He never dwelled on the what-ifs but always seized the moment. Ste sniggered. It was because of him that she¡¯d be like this. She closed her eyes. Tears rolled down from its corners, but they quickly evaporated at her temples. She reached out and hooked her hand around the man¡¯s neck. It was as if the padlock was finally unlocked by the correct key. Everything was crazy. And dyed in charming colors. She knew there was no way she could turn back With him, she could only fight like Kilkenny cats and there was no way to retreat unscathed. Guinevere tried to call Weston but failed. He called her in the morning, but she could no longer reach him in the afternoon. It made her anxious. She could not understand. She had already kicked Belle out and Weston had not seen any other women during this time either, so why was he still so busy? When her manager saw her basically spending all her time on Weston, he could not help but remind her. ¡°Guinevere, we have just made aeback. This is our first movie. If the director is dissatisfied with our performance, it will likely affect our career¡­¡± Guinevere was already very annoyed. When the manager said that, her face turned gloomy.¡± You are just like those outsiders who think that I cannot do it. I¡¯ve simply bore a child. Why has your attitude towards me changed so much? Are you guys in some way prejudiced against ¡°Guinevere, I didn¡¯t mean it in that¡­¡± The manager did not expect that his advice would make Guinevere so angry. He thought that she might just be experiencing emotional instability afterbor, and she was supposed to know how loyal he was alter so many years. How could he do something against her? ¡°You did not mean that? Then what did you mean?¡± She stood up suddenly. ¡°Do you think that I should just stay at home with the child?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­¡± He was speechless. ¡°If you stay at home, I will lose my job.¡± She took a deep breath and calmed down a little. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just a little tired these days.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± He did not dare to say anything else. ¡°Get some rest. Your performance has been good. It¡¯s just that the director is a bit fussy.¡± She nodded. ¡°I used to be the best actress. It is only natural he demands more of me.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He sighed silently without saying anything. One of the trickiest things in the entertainment industry was the inability to clearly determine one¡¯s position. There was no eternal status in this circle, only eternal interest. Many divas, at one point, had also fallen from the altar. Although there was still a huge group supporting Guinevere, who was to be certain that it would stay that way? Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Guinevere had just gotten home when Wendy came with Zachary in her arms. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting home today.¡± ¡°Why not? This is where I live.¡± Wendy chuckled and reverted to her old, aloof self. Guinevere sometimes felt that she wasn¡¯t the one who had lost control of her emotions, but Wendy. Otherwise, why was she unable to figure out this woman¡¯s mind? She was about to return to her room when Wendy suddenly called her. ¡°By the way, the actress in the cast named E¡­¡± Hearing E¡¯s name, Guinevere stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°What are you asking her for?¡± She seemed very sensitive at the mention of that name. To her, that person was like a time bomb. Her face looked so much like Ste and even her name sounded so simr; if it were not for the DNA test that proved that they weren¡¯t the same person, she would¡¯ve really thought that Ste hade back for revenge with a new identity. ¡°Why are you so worked up? She is just an actress.¡± Wendy did not expect such a big reaction from her. Guinevere calmed herself. ¡°You are not in the entertainment industry anymore. Why are you prying so much?¡± Wendy did not like to hear this. ¡°When I was in the entertainment industry, my status was much higher than yours. The juniors had better stay humble.¡± Guinevere clenched her fists, having no desire to be humble in front of her. Smiling, she replied, ¡°Is that so? The new overthrow the old. After all, if you were really as good as you say, you would be acting with me. What kind of person keeps reminiscing about their former glory days? li couldn¡¯t be someone who¡¯s still going uphill.¡± Wendy¡¯s face instantly turned gloomy. Guinevere walked straight into her room. Just as she closed the door, her phone rang Her eyes twitched and she picked up the phone. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Did you find out anything?¡± ¡°That woman has been very quiet recently and has not met Mr. Ford. But there is one thing¡­¡± The person on the other side hesitated. Guinevere sald impatiently, ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°It seems that someone is investigating that kidnapper¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes widened immediately. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± She believed that the evidence would¡¯ve been gone after such a long time, not to mention that kidnapper was in a vegetative state and was simr to a living dead. Thus, all she needed to do was to wait patiently until the day he died and all the evidence of murder would vanish. Only Weston, Ste, and her knew the inside story of the kidnapping that day. Who else would try to investigate the incident? Could Ste have reallye back from the dead? Impossible. She witnessed the fall herself. They fell from such a high ce that day and even the kidnapper had been seriously injured to the point ofplete paralysis, his life hanging by a thread. Ste was in a poor physical condition and pregnant at that time. There was no way she could have survived. ¡°You must find out who exactly is the person secretly investigating the incident! You hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Cohen.¡± Guinevere hung up and became more and more restless. She wanted to call Weston, but no matter how many times she called his number, no one answered. This had never happened before. If he did not pick up, she would know that he was at work and would stop calling. Today, however, she knew she had to get through to him before she could stop.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 But when the call got through, and she heard the man¡¯s raspy voice, Guinevere did not know what to say. ¡°Yes?¡± Weston sounded a bit irritated. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Guinevere paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone when I called you just now?¡± ¡°I was in a meeting.¡± He nced at his watch. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± She was uneasy and a little sad because of his attitude. ¡°I just want to talk to you.¡± There was a long silence. ¡°Guinevere, I¡¯m in the middle of something.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Guinevere rubbed her eyebrows. ¡°Your mother brought Zachary to the set today.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Can youe once too?¡± He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I will let Ben arrange for it. If I have time, I will go.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes lit up. She realized that she seemed ever more submissive, hoping that Weston would actually look at her for once. ¡°So you are not returning to Ahn City for a while?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After getting confirmation from him, she was relieved yet felt a little depressed at the same time. ¡°Alright then, take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± After ending the call, her face changed instantly, and she started packing up, telling the chauffeur that she wanted to leave. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. When Wendy saw her going out, she called her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Guinevere said, ¡°I have to go out for something.¡± Then, she walked up to Wendy and looked at Zachary, who was in Wendy¡¯s arms. She pinched his cheek, saying, ¡°Mummy is going out, and she will be back soon.¡± Seeing her suddenly motherly demeanor, Wendy looked at her with surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Guinevereughed. ¡°What is so weird about me being nice to my son?¡± Wendy said nothing, and her gaze seemed fixated on her for a while. She had a feeling that there was something strange about Guinevere. Regardless, she thought little of it. As she stared at Guinevere, she shook her head and returned to her room. Guinevere only had the chance to go to the hospital when Weston wasn¡¯t in Ahn City. He had hired many bodyguards to surround the ward, making exiting and entering the ward a nightmare. It took some effort for her to get them to rx a little. When she entered the ward, a bodyguard in a ck suit came hurriedly and whispered into her ear. ¡°Ms. Cohen, you only have a few minutes. They will soon find out that something is wrong. If Mr. Ford finds out about this, he will tighten the security, and it will be even more difficult to get in¡­¡± ¡°I understand.¡± She waved at him, and he left immediately. Then, she walked to the bedside of the dying man. She wondered if he had been lying so long, so much so that he lost much weight and changed his looks. She almost couldn¡¯t recognize this man. She took out a vial from her bag and took a deep breath. In fact, she could¡¯ve just hired an assassin, but she didn¡¯t. It was a bit scary to do this kind of thing herself. However, she did not feel secure leaving this to others. She was worried Weston might discover it, and others would know her secret once it was exposed. Hence, she chose to do it herself to get rid of everything. The surveince camera in the ward was destroyed, so no one would know. She took a deep breath and injected the drug into the entry valve. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Her hands were shaking, but she had little choice. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. It was you who did a bad job after taking my money. You should have fallen to your death that day. There is no point in living like this now. Just let me help you to depart.¡± The ECG machine beside her suddenly emitted a piercing beep. She was startled, and the syringe fell out of her hand. But it did not matter. Hastily, she picked it up and shoved it into her bag. To be on the safe side, she had brought an extra vial. A small enough was sufficient to exterminate a healthy adult, let alone a dying man. Sure enough, the ECG rate fluctuated, and the wave gradually ttened into a line after the ear -splitting sound. She took a deep breath while watching the man struggling on the bed. After a while, it was a dead silence. She reached out her hand to probe under his nose. There was no more breathing. Half an hourter, she left the ward. What she did not know was that another man arrived shortly after. Wearing a mask, no one recognized Ben and blocked him. ¡°Sorry, no stranger here.¡± Ben took off the mask, and the man recognized him instantly. ¡°I am very sorry, Mr. Sullivan.¡± With a distant face, Ben said, ¡°Why were you not here just now? What did you do?¡± The bodyguard quickly exined, ¡°There was an ident just now, so we went to help out, and we had to leave for a while. But it was only a short while. There shouldn¡¯t be any idents ¡°Is that so?¡± Ben pushed him away and opened the door to enter the ward. The moment he saw the ashen face of the man on the bed, his eyes widened at once. ¡°Get a doctor! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The bodyguards panicked, not knowing what had happened. When they rushed in to take a look, they realized that the man had stopped breathing. In the meantime, Weston¡¯s phone rang. ¡°She has done it.¡± The man¡¯s face darkened, oblivious as to what had provoked Guinevere today to the point she decided to make an early move. Regardless, he had already moved that man to another ward. ¡°Keep an eye on her, and don¡¯t let her get away with it.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± When he ended the call, the car had stopped at the entrance of the vi, He purposely slowed down her pace when he entered the house. Weston looked at Joan as she came out. ¡°Is she asleep?¡± It was already veryte. He was busy attending a meeting today at the office, while Ste returned early and headed to bed after washing up. Joan nodded. Weston went straight into the bedroom and instantly saw Ste curled up under the nket. She was sleeping peacefully. She seemed to have stopped having nightmares for a few days, which was a good sign. After washing up, heid down next to her and took her into his arms. She was sleeping soundly. When he kissed her forehead, he suddenly discovered that her body temperature was slightly high. He touched her forehead. Her body temperature had been fluctuating for the past few days. A man¡¯s body temperature was normally higher than a woman¡¯s, so even if her body temperature changed, it was actually simr to his. Hence, it was hard for him to notice. He got up and took a thermometer to take her temperature. The touch of the cold instrument woke her up. She opened her eyes in some confusion and looked at the man in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Ste¡¯s husky, confused voice turned Weston on. He leaned over and nted a deep and passionate kiss on her lips. She was almost out of breath when he finally let her go. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ste asked, still in a daze. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s ufortable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Westonmanded. ¡°I¡¯m taking your temperature. Did you catch a cold?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°But your body has been hot and cold these past two days. Are you sure you¡¯re not sick?¡± Ste shook her head again. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°I feel fine¡­¡± she insisted. The medicine worked really well when she took itst night, and she hardly experienced any negative side effects. Even Weston noticed that she was especiallypliantst night, although he would have never suspected it was the effect of the drug. ¡°You must tell me if you¡¯re feeling unwell, okay?¡± he told her while stroking her hair gently. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ste replied simply, aroused by Weston¡¯s warm breath on her face. Ste usually took her medicine early in the evening before Weston came home because she didn¡¯t want him to see it. However, she did not anticipate himing home sote today, meaning that the drug had long taken effect without her having any chance of getting released. She wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck, barely able to contain herself any longer. Weston noticed that she had been so much more proactivetely. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste replied, puzzled. ¡°I have. I¡¯ve eaten a lot this evening.¡± ¡°Then why do you still look so hungry?¡± Ste knew what he meant instantly. She gave him a look and quickly withdrew her arms. Weston knew too well that she was just shy. He grabbed her hands and pinned them down above her head before pouncing on her with a deep, voracious kiss. It was well after midnight when they were finally done. Ste¡¯s entire body was soaking wet as if she had juste up from a swimming pool. She was leaning against Weston¡¯s shoulder with her eyes closed, drifting into sleep. Her scorching body temperature was also gradually cooling down. Weston gently listed her and carried her to the bathroom. He ced her in the bathtub and began to clean her body. Often, he¡¯d be remarkably patient once his carnal desire had been quenched, Ste could order him around and make him do anything, and he would obey her without as much as uttering a word. ¡°Lift up your arms,¡± he told her as he sat down behind her in the bathtub. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a scrub.¡± Ste lifted her arms, after which Weston proceeded to scrub her back. Then he said, ¡°Turn around.¡± Ste turned around to face Weston, but she crossed her arms over her breasts. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it all by now,¡± he teased her with a cheeky smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little toote to be shy? Just put your arms down.¡± Ste remained motionless. Weston got up and turned off the light. The bathroom was now only illuminated by the dim flicker of the scented candles. ¡°Now, would you put your arms down?¡± Ste still hesitated. Weston sighed and told her, ¡°If I wanted to do it, it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference even if you had a dozenyers of clothes on.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± he added in a deep gruff voice, ¡°we¡¯ve already done it twice today. I¡¯mpletely satiated, for now. So don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Ste stared at him, unsure if she should trust him, but ultimately decided she should give him a chance. Without saying a word, Weston went on to scrub her whole body. Once he was done, he quickly wrapped her up in a towel and carried her to the bed. He then took a quick shower himself and returned to bed. Weston pulled Ste into his arms, and they both fell into a deep sleep,pletely ignoring the endlessly vibrating phone on the nightstand. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Chapter 467 The next day, Ste was woken up by the sound of a familiar ringtone. It seemed someone had been trying to reach Weston sincest night. His phone had been ringing all night, but neither of them had paid any attention. Ste nced at Weston, who was still fast asleep. It was the first time that he slept more soundly than her. She reached over and grabbed his phone. Her eyes darkened when she saw the name of the caller on the screen. Just as she silently stared at the phone, Weston opened his eyes. Ste happened to look over, and her eyes met with his stormy ones. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering the phone?¡± he asked with a faintly hoarse voice while looking straight at her as though trying to plumb the depths of her soul. ¡°It¡¯s your phone,¡± she replied, handing it to him. Half propped up on his elbows, Weston pulled Ste into his arms so that she would lean on his chest. Then with his other hand, he reached out of the nket and answered the phone. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Finally!¡± came the angry voice on the phone. ¡°God d*mn it, Weston! I¡¯ve been calling you all night! I thought you were dead or something!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Weston, half-frowning. ¡°The kidnapper has died suddenly in the hospital!¡± ¡°And?¡± replied Weston. He¡¯d already known, so he wasn¡¯t surprised by the news. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Henry Moore sighed in relief. He could guess from Weston¡¯s tone that he¡¯d already found out about it. ¡°I just thought that it might be important to you¡­¡± Henry had no idea what exactly went on between Weston, Guinevere, and Ste, but he was pretty sure that the kidnapper must harbor some secrets. Weston wouldn¡¯t have kept him alive all this time, otherwise. Guinevere seemed very wary of the man too. She even visited him herself yesterday, although the visit ultimately cost him his life. ¡°What exactly is going on between you and Gwen, Weston?¡± he asked. ¡°What were you guys doing with a thug like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything when the dust settles,¡± Weston answered, his face glum. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± said Henry. ¡°I don¡¯t really care. I have no interest in getting roped into the mess between you and Gwen.¡± ¡°You can easily stay out of this as long as you can say no to Guinevere, but you can¡¯t do that, can you?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Henry hated the cynicism in Weston¡¯s voice. He pushed his wheelchair to the balcony and casually picked off a thorn from the cactus nt. ¡°You know full well that I would¡¯ve died long ago if it hadn¡¯t been for Gwen,¡± he said. ¡°I owe her my life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what goes on between the two of you,¡± Weston stated inly. ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think its a little too cold of you? Everyone knows Gwen would do anything for you! She¡¯s completely devoted to you! It¡¯s alle this far, Weston. Why don¡¯t you just settle down with her and stop messing around and making her feel insecure?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± replied Weston before hanging up abruptly. He turned to Ste and was met with her piercing gaze. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± he asked, hugging her tight. ¡°Wanna do it again?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ste scowled. ¡°Can¡¯t your brain think of anything else?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± he argued, ¡°it would be ludicrous of me not to think about it, considering the position we are in now.¡± Ste looked down and blushed deeply. ¡°You seem to be pretty close with Henry Moore,¡± she observed, resting her head on Weston¡¯s chest. ¡°Why? Are you interested in him?¡± he lifted her chin with a finger, his toneced with scrutiny. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you show interest in other men.¡± Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Weston was so blunt that it rendered Ste speechless for a moment. Then, she burst outughing ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ste asked incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s your friend! I¡¯ve nothing to do with him! Am I not even allowed to ask a simple question?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best that you¡¯ve nothing to do with him,¡± Weston held her in his arms and stroked her hair. ¡°I want it to stay that way.¡± He had no idea why he would be so possessive of her, and he simply couldn¡¯t bear to see her being even mildly interested in other men. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Ste. You¡¯re mine alone.¡± Ste merely found those words amusing and thought nothing of it. ¡°By the way,¡± she added casually after a long pause, ¡°I heard you guys talking about a¡­ kidnapper? What was that about?¡± The way she put it sounded as if she cared little about it, but Weston could clearly see that she was keenly interested from how her eyes darted in excitement. He sighed and kissed her forehead. ¡°Do you still remember that day¡­ when you fell from that building?¡± Weston had asked very carefully, aware that the incident was still a raw gash in their rtionship and caused them immense pain whenever the issue was touched upon. ¡°Of course, I still remember,¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°How could I ever forget?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Weston¡¯s voice croaked, ¡°Those thugs died, except for one¡­ you probably remember the guy.¡± Ste did indeed. It was the man who stood behind her, threatening that if she didn¡¯t quietly obey their orders, she would die a slow and agonizing death. He was on of those men who promised her that once Weston abandoned her, they would have their way with her, and once they were bored with her, they¡¯d kill her. They warned her that Guinevere Cohen would never give her an easy death. ¡°So what happened to him?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Is he still alive?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been in aa,¡± Weston replied. ¡°Just now, his condition suddenly worsened, and he died.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He then scrutinized Sie¡¯s expressions. He would immediately stop talking about this topic if he even detected a trace of her being upset or unsettled. But there were no such signs on her face. She simply stared into space, her eyes vacant. After a long silence, she finally said, ¡°I want to see him.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°I know. I just want to see his corpse with my own eyes.¡± Right now, Ste no longer harbored any hope that Weston would believe her if she told him it was Guinevere who had sent all those men after her. In fact, she was sure he wouldn¡¯t believe her. She realized that in her current state, she was so powerless that she couldn¡¯t even escape Weston¡¯s grasp, let alone seek revenge. If there came a day when she gained some strength and power, she would let them all pay their debts with their blood. She would never forgive nor forget those who had caused the death of her child. Weston noticed the sh of hostility in her eyes. His heart sank. But now was not that time. One day, he would exin everything to her when the time was right. The next morning, Weston told Henry of his ns. ¡°What?¡± Henry gasped,pletely astounded. ¡°E wants to see that guy? Why?¡± Weston did not answer him. He merely added, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about this, so make sure absolutely no one catches a whiff of this, understand?¡± Henry had been his closest friend for umpteen years now. They understood each other without having to say much. Henry was much more like family to himpared to his uncle Xavier. Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Thus, something dawned on Henry. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the most unlikely scenario that could happen just happened¡­¡± Whenever Guinevere couldn¡¯t get the kind of treatment she wanted from Weston, she would constantly go to him,ining and asking for help. Henry leamed of Weston¡¯s love life from her, and he could guess that this E he spoke about was the person that, ording to Guinevere, was a substitute Weston was using for Ste Sealey. It was understandable that anyone would be reminded of Ste when they saw E since they looked so uncannily simr, yet to Henry¡­ After all, he was the one who had done E¡¯s DNA identification and saw with his own eyes that Ste Sealey and E Steele were not the same people. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He simply could not believe that a man like Weston would fall in love with Ste¡¯s substitute. Besides, E waspletely unaffected by the kidnapping. Or was Weston trying to mold and shape E into the real Ste Sealey? ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about this,¡± Weston asserted without answering Henry¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m not joking, Henry.¡± Henry was momentarily speechless. He had never heard anyone use such a stern voice to deal with him, especially not from his best friend, Weston. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied, massaging his temples. ¡°I got it. Seriously though¡­¡± Al that moment, Henry couldn¡¯t guess what Weston was thinking or what he was trying to do at all. Meanwhile, Ste was now approaching from the other end of the hallway. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to youter,¡± Weston told Henry before quickly hanging up. Henry scowled and cursed under his breath as he heard the beeping tone. He could hardly believe it, but it seemed that the powerful and invincible Weston waspletely under a woman¡¯s spell Weston swiftly put his phone back into his pocket, but Ste had long been watching him when she walked over ¡°Who were you talking 10?¡± she asked when she reached his side ¡°Henry Moore,¡± he replied, not nning to lie to her He then took her hand and asked, ¡°Do you want me to go with you.¡± It was evident from dois pastures that he wanted to go with Ste. She saw no reason to refuse hui, yosh 100ded As they entered the hospital room, they saw the corpse of the kidnapper still lying on the patient¡¯s bed, yet to be taken care of. It was ghostly pale and gray. He was discovered deadst night and should have been inoved to the mortuary, but the body was still there because Ste wanted to see him. Ste scrutinized the lifeless face. Her brows then knitted. ¡°I don¡¯t think he looks like that man¡­¡± she muttered. That man¡¯s face had been carved in her memory. She could still remember it in detail. Although this dead man looked simr, Ste thought he somehow looked different. ¡°He must¡¯ve lost a lot of weight since he¡¯d been bedridden for so long,¡± Weston exined. Ste thought that made sense. She no longer wanted to dwell on it. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Weston asked as he walked to her side. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Satisfied?¡± she scoffed. ¡°He almost killed me! My¡­ My baby died because of him! Do you think I¡¯d be so easily satisfied?¡± LL ¡°What can I do to satisfy you?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s dead now. There¡¯s nothing more that you can do. Perhaps if the mastermind behind that kidnapping is caught, I might be¡­¡± Ste paused and nced at Weston. Her implications were clear. She had always been sure that Guinevere Cohen was the one who nned the kidnapping. ¡°I will tell you everything you want to know,¡± Weston tightened his grip on her hands, ¡°but not right now.¡± He didn¡¯t want to make any promises right now. He wanted to wait till the dust settled when this whole thing was over. Thest thing he wanted to do was to give Ste false hope. But from Ste¡¯s perspective, it was clear that Weston was just protecting Guinevere Cohen. He had never believed her that she was guilty. After a long silence, Ste pursed her lips. ¡°Forget it. I no longer expect you to believe me.¡± Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Weston suddenly pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Ste. Please just give me a little more time.¡± Ste closed her eyes. She no longer had any trust in him. The shooting had finally progressed up to the original schedule. Bradley too had been in a good mood lately. He feared that because of the rush, they might have to sacrifice the quality of the work. But after a short overtime stint, everything turned out surprisingly well, and they were even on schedule now. Guinevere had been uncharacteristically quiet these couple of days. She did not trouble Ste even once. That was because her mind was upied by the fear that her connection to the kidnapper might be exposed. But so far, there was still no news of Weston taking any action since the kidnapper died. Everything was quickly dealt with, and with news of the man¡¯s death being hushed, no one else caught wind of it. Seeing this, Guinevere could finally feel at ease. She did not raise their suspicion after all. Today Guinevere and Ste would be acting in the same scene. They¡¯d done that before, but this time their characters would be directly confronting each other head-on for the first time. Bradley hade and talked to Ste earlier, so she was mentally prepared. But even so, she could never help losing control of her emotions every time she faced Guinevere. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked slowly towards Guinevere. ¡°I hope you will guide me if I make a mistake,¡± she told her tly. The disdain on E¡¯s face was clear to Guinevere. From the start, E had never cared to keep up appearances with her. Everyone else would do anything to try to please her and get on her good side, yet E had always treated her with cold civility. ¡°Guide you?¡± Guinevere retorted. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare! Everyone on set loves you!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She looked almost convincingly humble and friendly when she said that, but her voice was unmistakablyced with derision. The first scene they would be shooting was when their master had just brought back Dahlia, the heroine of the movie yed by Guinevere, after having gone missing for many years. Sophie, a junior disciple yed by Ste, hadn¡¯t yet harbored any resentment towards Dahlia at this point in fact, she even wholeheartedly weed her senior But soon enough, Sophie noticed that Dahlia was hogging everyone¡¯s attention. For the first Lime in her life, bitterness rose in her heart. As time went on, that bitterness grew like vines that overcame her and eventually turned her to the dark side. In the next scene, Dahlia found out in the middle of her crucial training that the one who had been trying to harm her all this time¡­ was the harmless and innocent Sophie! Trapped in a water prison, Dahlia stared wide-eyed at the slowly approaching Sophie. ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± Dahlia hissed, coughing out a mouthful of blood. Ste was nowpletely in character as Sophie. Her makeup and costume were roughly unchanged from the scene when Sophie was still an innocent young disciple, but her expressions and her eyes glimmered with a terrifying aura. Even Bradley, who was behind the camera, was taken aback by the subtle change on Ste¡¯s face. He held his breath. Ste had managed to pull him straight into the story. ¡°Are you surprised to see me, Dahlia?¡± Sophie was now standing over Dahlia, looking down condescendingly at her. Dahlia was at the critical point of gruesome training, but now she was helplessly trapped by her own junior disciple. Her eyes were red. She was deste and utterly humiliated. ¡°How could you?!¡± she spat, ring at Sophie with fiery eyes. ¡°I¡¯m your senior! Let me go right now before it¡¯s toote to-¡± ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still speaking of all this nonsense!¡± Sophie bluntly cut her off. Then Sophie suddenly erupted into a peal of wild and maniacalughter. ¡°Oh, Dahlia! How I pity you! Things have gotten this bad, yet you¡¯re still so naive!¡± Ste lifted Guinevere¡¯s chin and was about to say the rest of her lines when Guinevere¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Wait!¡± she shouted, pushing Ste away. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± ¡°I think the acting was a little off just now!¡± Guinevereined. Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Ste¡¯s performance was so impressive that it drew everyonepletely into the story, so when Guinevere interrupted it so suddenly, everyone on set was floored. ¡°A little off?¡± asked Bradley, massaging his temples and trying very hard to suppress his rage. ¡°How so, Guinevere?¡± ¡°Sophie is a pure and naive character,¡± she replied. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be so shrewd and devious when she turns to the dark side. She¡¯s just a petty character! Didn¡¯t you find that E¡¯s performance didn¡¯t fit the character?¡± ¡°Perhaps it was a little unexpected,¡± said Bradley, ¡°but that¡¯s only because E¡¯s interpretation of the character was even moreyered and sophisticated than we thought.¡± For a moment in that scene, she even managed to outshine the heroine. It was also obvious that Guinevere had cut off the performance because she hated someone else standing out more than her. As a result, everyone just kept quiet. Only Bradley dared to speak up. ¡°I think her performance will enrich the film,¡± he argued after pondering for a while. ¡°It¡¯ll be more exciting now. We¡¯ll go with it.¡± Guinevere sprang up to her feet and stomped toward Bradley. ¡°I thought we agreed,¡± she bemoaned, her face filled with discontent, ¡°That you¡¯d find a suitable actress for this role. I said nothing when you suddenly cast thispletely inexperienced woman since her earlier performance was okay. But just now, it was obvious that her acting waspletely out of character. She doesn¡¯t fit the role one bit! Don¡¯t you think this will destroy the whole movie?¡± ¡°But acting is not a set of conventions,¡± Bradley resolutely rebuked. ¡°It¡¯s dynamic. It requires the actor to connect with the script and interpret their role. E¡¯s performance actually surprised me.¡± Clearly, he was not willing to back down. ¡°Bradley,¡± Guinevere continued, looking much more severe now, ¡°I still think it¡¯s best we go with our original n.¡± ¡°You think so? Well, I disagree because the performance just now exceeded my expectations.¡± Bradley hadpletely no intention of yielding to Guinevere¡¯s demands. This frustrated her more than sh¡¯ed ever been. ¡°Fine!¡± she snapped, hurling the stuff in her hand in a fit of rage. ¡°Go on with your ns then! I guess this movie doesn¡¯t need me anymore!¡± She then stormed oil the set. Everyone was in an uproar. No one thought that Guinevere would leave in the middle of filming. It was incredibly dramatic, even for a movie star like her. Ste stood still where she was, still immersed in her role. After a while, she massaged her temples and looked at Bradley. Bradley said nothing, but his deep scowl strained his face. This was surprising to the rest of the crew, because they had expected him to erupt like a giant volcano. Instead, he just stood there in silence. When he spoke, he merely instructed the crew to do what needed to be done without mentioning a word about Guinevere. The whole atmosphere was now cold and tense. Everyone was walking on eggshells in the terrifying silence. ¡°E!¡± Bradley barked as he approached her. ¡°You can go home early today.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But Mr. Lane¡­¡± Ste muttered worriedly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± Bradley interrupted her. ¡°I completely understand. Just go home and rest. Get ready for tomorrow. We¡¯ll be shooting a very important scene.¡± Ste nodded, albeit with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m going to be in the same scene with Guinevere again tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Bradley, sighing. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry. I guarantee the same thing won¡¯t happen again tomorrow.¡± Hearing that, Ste went back to the trailer. Not long afterward, she received a text message. It was from Weston. ¡°The crossroad,¡± it read simply. Ste instantly knew what he meant, but the very thought of him repulsed her. At that moment, she was in no mood to humor him. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Every time Weston wanted to pick Ste up, he would tell her to meet him at a certain ce. But right now, she dreaded being seen going into Weston Ford¡¯s car, especially not when she was working on the same movie set as Guinevere. Anyone at all could report it to her. After some consideration, she replied to the text message, saying, ¡°I¡¯m still in the middle of the shoot. Text meter.¡± After that, she got out and took a taxi straight to Fern University. Meanwhile, Weston¡¯s face turned gloomy. The driver, noticing this, carefully asked, ¡°Why are we going now, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Where is she going?¡± he asked, rubbing his temples. Through the tracker, he saw that Ste had just gone to Fern University, to which he told Weston. ¡°Follow her,¡± Weston instructed in a cold voice. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± Ste had no clue that she was tracked. Once she reached the university, she paid the taxi driver, got out of the car, and called Roger toe out and meet her. Roger had just participated in apetition and even won an award. This should¡¯ve been the time for celebration, but because he would be studying abroad soon, he had instead been preupied with exam preparations. Although he was an exceptional student, he was not as naturally talented as Ste in learning new languages. Having struggled very hardtely to brush up on hisnguage skills, meeting Ste was a great opportunity to loosen up and rx a little. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re finally here!¡± he eximed the minute they met. ¡°I almost died of boredom at the hands of French lessons!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be going abroad pretty soon,¡± Ste reminded him. ¡°With your level, you can hardly communicate with anyone, much less study anything!¡± Roger had a backpack slung on one shoulder. He had just gotten out of ss, and the two decided to go to the caleteria. A girl was following at a distance behind them. However, instead ofing up to them, she stood r, watching them. Ste quickly noticed her. She was the girl who confessed her feelings for Roger. ¡°Hey!¡± Ste called out. ¡°Are you heading to the cafeteria? Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡°Sis!¡± Roger grumbled, pursing his lips with frustration. The girl stopped in her tracks when she saw Roger¡¯s expression. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± she waved. ¡°I think I¡¯ll eat somewhere else.¡± She then turned and left. Ste watched her with a somber face. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± she asked Roger. ¡°How could you be so mean?¡± Roger rubbed his nose awkwardly as Ste scolded him, not wanting to argue. ¡°I just think it¡¯s better to be blunt and honest with her. I shouldn¡¯t lead her along since I don¡¯t have any feelings for her, right?¡± What he said did indeed make a lot of sense. ¡°Even so,¡± Ste sighed. ¡°If she really does like you, you should be kind to her even if you don¡¯t reciprocate her feelings.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I got it.¡± ¨C Roger then put his arms around Ste¡¯s shoulders, and they both headed to the cafeteria. Meanwhile, the girl stood nearby under arge fig tree, watching the siblings. Letting out a defeated sigh, her eyes tingled with mncholy. She had fallen in love for the first time in her life, yet the guy she had fallen for didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in her. But she still harbored a glimmer of hope. His sister seemed very friendly and approachable. Perhaps she could be her way to get closer to Roger? Ste had been to the cafeteria many times before. They quickly chose their favorite spot and sat down. ¡°So, how has your preparation been going?¡± she asked Roger. ¡°I¡¯m almost ready,¡± he replied, ¡°The only thing left is to pass this next exam, and I can be on my way¡± ¡°Really. That¡¯s a lot sooner than I expected¡­¡± It was only then that Ste felt the encroaching date of their separationThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Until now, the only thing on Ste¡¯s mind was to do everything in her ability to ensure Roger would have a better future. She didn¡¯t have the time to process how his absence would make her feel. But now, the reality of the situation had finally set in. Ever since their parents died, the two had never been separated. ¡°You know¡­¡± Roger grumbled gloomily. ¡°I can just study here¡­ I don¡¯t really have to go abroad.¡± It was obvious that he was feeling down too. ¡°Forget it,¡± he continued after a pause, sighing. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, and all the preparations are almost done. I won¡¯t back down now. Just wait for me, sis. I promise I¡¯ll study as hard as possible and get a good job. No one will dare bully you then!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Ste smiled. She picked up a barbecued pork rib with her fork and ced it on Roger¡¯s te. Ribs were his favorite food. Then her phone suddenly rang. She nced at it and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed. It was Weston. She hadn¡¯t told him abouting here. Roger¡¯s gaze instinctively followed Ste¡¯s eyes, and he asked with a frown, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°No one,¡± Ste shook her head, putting the phone into her bag. ¡°Just a prank call.¡± Roger went silent for a while before saying, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen this number many times before?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Roger had a photographic memory when it came to numbers. He was sure that he¡¯d seen this number always sending text messages to Ste in the past. If it really was just a prankster, why didn¡¯t she just block the caller? ¡°I guess pranksters are really persistent nowadays,¡± Ste replied with a shrug. Then she quickly changed the subject. ¡°By the way¡­ did Professor Hall really leave this university?¡± Although her attempt at changing the topic was too blunt, Roger still thought nothing of it. He soon forgot about the number and talked to Ste about Justin Hall. Lunchtime quickly went by. Roger went back home to rest. Ste found a quiet spot and finally picked up her phone, which had been ringing off the hook. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± a stern voice answered. Ste said nothing for a few seconds before replying nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m on the film set.¡± ¡°You know I hate it when people lie to me.¡± Ste heaved a long sigh. She knew then that he¡¯d found out she was lying. ¡°I¡¯m at the university,¡± she answered softly. ¡°I just came here to see Roger.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never stopped you from seeing him,¡± he said. ¡°Why did you have to lie?¡± Just as he spoke, a ck car slowly pulled out from around the corner. Ste quickly hung up the phone and looked around her. Seeing no one there, she rushed towards the car with her head hung low. The second she got inside, Weston pulled her into his arm, lifted her chin, and kissed her ferociously. Ste had gotten used to his abrupt kisses by now, but she still hated being so close and intimate with him. Sensing Ste¡¯s stark resistance, Weston grabbed her hands and held her in ce before kissing her even more deeply and ravenously. It was a long time before he finally had enough of her and let go. She was now panting and out of breath. ¡°I thought you were still at work!¡± she argued. ¡°If I was,¡± he said, rubbing her lips gently with his thumb, ¡°then I wouldn¡¯t have found out that you were lying to me.¡± He had, in fact, quickly settled all his work today to pick her up, worried that Guinevere would cause her trouble. To his dismay, not only did she sneak out to meet Roger, but she even lied about it. With those thoughts guing his mind, Weston¡¯s darkened eyes pierced into Ste¡¯s soul. ¡°What else are you hiding from me?¡± he demanded. Ste said nothing and just hooked her hands around the nape of his neck. ¡°What can I possibly hide from you?¡± she replied after a while. ¡°You know that I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to, right? Don¡¯t you always see through me?¡± Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Ste¡¯s lips were still bright red from the kiss, clearly showcasing Weston¡¯s violence and voracity. Her words were obviously overflowing with biting sarcasm, but they were also undeniably ttering. Ste was an intelligent woman, something that was in to see, judging by her recent behavior. She now knew exactly what to do and say to manipte Weston into getting what she wanted. Weston saw through every bit of this, but he seemed powerless to oppose it. She, too, knew about this, which was why she had been so bold in testing his limits. He sighed lightly and kissed the corner of her lips. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, Ste? You can always ask for my help whenever you¡¯re in trouble. I meant every word I said.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ I¡¯ll definitely remember that.¡± Though her words were reaffirming, the tone of her voice was dull and t. The problem regarding Guinevere couldn¡¯t be easier to resolve, especially because she didn¡¯t dare to cause another rift between herself and Weston, at least for now. Besides, the kidnapper had just died, so no matter what happened, she wouldn¡¯t have the audacity to confront Weston, fearing it might raise suspicion. Thus, all Weston had to do was intimidate her a little, after which she gave inpletely and even promised Bradley Lane herself that she would shoot the rest of the film without causing any more trouble. Weston pushed a strand of Ste¡¯s hair behind her ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m free this afternoon. Want to go somewhere?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Just take me anywhere you like.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± he chuckled softly. ¡°So as long as I¡¯m with you, you can go anywhere?¡± She clearly didn¡¯t mean it that way. Although he was the one so eager to twist the meaning of her words, she still did not argue with him. She just pouted a little and leaned gently on his shoulder ¡°So what is that¡¯s true?¡± she asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you happy?¡± Weston turned silent. His eyes turned dark and stormy, looking as if they were going to swallow Ste whole. She knew he was alwayspletely defenseless against her spontaneous flirts. As expected, he pinched her waist hard, disying the turmoil she had just created inside him. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± he asked, his voice so husky it sounded more like a growl. Ste suddenly listed her head and nted a kiss on his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°I know,¡± she murmured. She gazed at him with eyes burning with desire, just as the old Ste that Weston knew used to do. He looked back at her. She was still the same Ste whose heart belonged to him alone after all¡­ He swallowed. He went in and gave her a wild and passionate kiss, himself almost losing all control¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anywhere,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°I just want to do it in the car, then at home, then in bed¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Ste giggled and hit him yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± They were now at The Dog House¡¯s entrance. Since it was the most exciting club in Fern City, it was the ce you woulde to when you didn¡¯t know where to go. It never failed to bring all sorts of surprises. Thest time Ste was here, she was with Yvonne. But now, her husband Lucas had absolutely forbidden her to visit such a ce, which Ste found to be a shame. They had just stepped out of the car when someone immediately came up to greet them. For someone of Weston¡¯s stature, it wasThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. unsurprising that he got recognized anywhere he went and was always treated like a VIP. ¡°Please come this way, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston looked at Ste. He said nothing, but she knew instantly what he meant. He was asking if she would prefer the VIP entrance or the one everybody else used. After some consideration, she told him, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the private lounge.¡± Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 With the club packed to its brim like canned sardines, there was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t bump into an acquaintance here, which would cause more trouble. Ste definitely didn¡¯t want that. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about people recognizing us,¡± said Weston, stroking her hair gently, ¡°then just rx and have fun. Let me deal with the rest.¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t like this kind of ce anyway.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Why did youe here then?¡± ¡°Only because it looked exciting. We didn¡¯t even have that much fun thest time I was here with Yvonne.¡± Weston suddenly stopped in his tracks and gave Ste a strange look. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°Did you not like that pianist?¡± ¡°I was only enjoying the music he yed,¡± she grumbled, ring at him. ¡°Why did you have to use that usatory tone with me?¡± Weston had put it as if she had cheated on him with that pianist. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Just remember not to do that kind of thing again,¡±he warned her, pinching her nose. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it.¡± He had begun to show his possessiveness more boldly in front of her now. Ste said nothing. Though she didn¡¯t like it, she had no intention of disobeying him. As they made their way to the private lounge, Ste droned on about Yvonne. ¡°Thest time I was on the phone with her, she was fighting with her husband again. I wonder if they¡¯ve made up by now¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t clear whether Weston was listening to her. His expressions were calm, and he kept his replies short and simple. After a while, he rubbed his temples, looked at her, and asked, ¡°Is she so great that you have to keep talking about her?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± Ste nodded. ¡°She¡¯s probably the only friend I have in this city.¡± As she spoke, she suddenly turned gloomy. Ste had always felt like Yvonne was too good for her. She was such a vivacious, loyal, and kind friend, but as for Ste¡­ No matter how she looked at it, Ste realized that she was just a kept woman. By being friends with her, she was worried that she would cause Yvonne trouble, even if Yvonne had never taken any of these things to heart. With this in mind, Ste suddenly turned to Weston and told him, ¡°Can I ask you to keep the things between us between ourselves and not drag anyone else into it? You must know that she never meant to challenge you; she just couldn¡¯t sit idle while I was¡­¡± Weston snorted derisively as he watched Ste get so worked up trying to protect Yvonne. He went silent for a while before asking her, ¡°Do you really think of me as the kind of person who likes to harass people for my own amusement?¡± Ste pursed her lips and said nothing. Weston was exactly that kind of person in her mind. Even Yvonne was a little wary of him, proving that it wasmon knowledge that he was a ruthless man not to be messed with. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured her. ¡°I know she¡¯s your friend, so I won¡¯t do anything to her as long as you remain a good girl.¡± Their rtionship was on the mend right now. He didn¡¯t want any outsider toe between them and mess it up. He also hated seeing her being scared of him. Ste quietly let out a sigh of relief. She then suddenly realized something. ¡°By the way,¡± she began, ¡°if you don¡¯t like listening to me talk about these things, then I won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he interrupted her. ¡°You can talk about anything you like.¡± He then called the waiter and ordered a ss of wine and a mocktail. When the order came, he nudged the mocktail towards her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cautious when you¡¯re with me. Just rx.¡± Truth be told, he hadpletely no interest in what Ste was talking about, but if it made her happy, he would dly listen to her all day. Ste thought that none of this would ever have happened when they were married. She remembered always being careful of what she said, fearing that she might annoy or bore him if she said the wrong thing. Not once had she gossipped in front of him when they lived together as husband and wife, afraid she¡¯d waste his time. The man she was married to would never take time out of his working day to hang out with her in a club the whole afternoon the way he was doing now. It was something that she would never even dare to hope for back then. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Ste looked at the fruit punch before her and shook her head. ¡°I would like some wine, too.¡± He furrowed his brows, ¡°Are you not aware of the state of your stomach? Forget about even touching any alcohol.¡± This time around, Ste decided to be disobedient and insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll just take a sip. Yours looks really good¡­¡± He ignored her and picked up his ss of champagne, sipping on it before cing it back on the ss counter. He reached out to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt and leaned back leisurely That simple action revealed his corbones and effectively lent a wicked and unruly aura to the originally formal-looking shirt. ¡°If you want it,e and get it yourself.¡± His brow arched as he looked at Ste challengingly, ¡°If you get it, it¡¯s yours.¡± Ste knew that he was provoking her, but it sessfully incited the streak ofpetitiveness in her. She stood up, walked towards him, and was about to snatch the ss of champagne away when Weston grabbed it in the nick of time. As Ste stretched her arms towards it, Weston grabbed her waist and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Throwing yourself at me?¡± Ste shrieked instinctively the moment she found that she hadnded in his arms. She looked at him in slight shock as Weston looked back at her provocatively, ¡°Hmm?¡± Ste pursed her lips and said, ¡°You¡¯re really very different from how you were in the past.¡± Weston lifted her chin, his interest piqued at herment. ¡°Tell me. How am I different?¡± Ste shook her head and smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t recall the details. I guess people change with time.¡± Weston wasn¡¯t pleased with her half-hearted answer. ¡°Don¡¯t try to evade my question.¡± Ste tried hard to remember the past. Not the past during which she was married to Weston, but even earlier, when she had met Weston in school Like all the other girls in school, she had been struck by Weston¡¯s impressive and attractive aura She was certain that she had never seen any man like he was since then. Perhaps people were naturally drawn to people of superiority. Despite being disappointed in him, she had to admit that Weston bad what it takes tomand respect and admiration. ¡°In the past, you wouldn¡¯t be as¡­not serious as you were just now.¡± She thought about it and finally gave her assessment. Weston sat silent for a moment, not expecting her to say something like that. Instead of getting angry, he chuckled and pulled her onto hisp, ¡°Did I seem very serious to you in the This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. past?¡± Naturally, it did not ur to him that Ste was referring to the period when he was studying. He thought she was referring to him as being serious when married. ¡°It seems my behavior then was so dissatisfactory that you hold a grudge to this day.¡± Ste knew at once that he had misunderstood what she said. Her brows furrowed as she pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you.¡± His face darkened. ¡°Who else are you talking about, if not me?¡± He lifted Ste¡¯s chin, ¡°Have I ever mentioned that I don¡¯t like you talking about other men?¡± Ste pursed her lips and said after a moment, ¡°Fine, I shan¡¯t say any further.¡± Her pliant attitude made Weston even more unhappy. The more she evaded his questions, the more he felt she had something to hide from him. ¡°Were you with any other men before me?¡± Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Ste looked at him, slightly confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Weston looked straight into her eyes as if trying to peer into her soul. ¡°It was your first time on our wedding night.¡± He said it with certainty. He remembered that Ste was aplete wreck that night. It was easy to tell that she was a virgin. Given that she was just slightly over 20 years old, it was understandable that she was still a virgin. Yet, it did not necessarily mean that she never liked any other men before him. Weston was suddenly very interested in this topic, and he looked deeply at her, ¡°Did you like any other men before me?¡± Ste remained silent. Weston pinched her chin hard and turned her face towards him. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± Ste paused for a moment, then decided toe clean. ¡°Of course, I did.¡± She sensed Weston pinching her chin even harder, and he seemed suddenly intrigued. ¡°Do you even care about something so trivial?¡± Weston naturally wouldn¡¯t admit to the extent of his possessiveness towards her. He merely asked her in a displeased tone, ¡°Is that so? Seems like you can¡¯t forget about those men. How many of them were there?¡± Ste replied honestly, ¡°One, only one. But I liked him for a very long time.¡± Her admission of liking only one man made the expression on his face soften. But what she said after that about liking that one man for a very long time made his face stiffen, ¡°What about now?¡± Ste stared right into his eyes and shook her head. ¡°Not anymore. Not at all.¡± It was supposed to be an answer that would please Weston very much. Yet, somehow, her tone made his heart tremble with an inexplicable sense of dread. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Heluexed at histje and asked her, as if trying to induce torture on himself, ¡°Tell me what you like about him.¡¯ Ste pondered on his question seriously, ¡°Nothing in particr. He was the hunk of the school studied in, and many girls had a crush on him, including me.¡± ¡°So superficial?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am that superficial,¡± Ste smiled and said, ¡°After so many years, I haven¡¯t actually met another man who looks better than he does. He really was my cup of tea in terms of looks.¡± Weston¡¯s brows furrowed gradually. He instinctively wanted to ask Ste how she found his looks compared to this other man. He immediately held himself back and was in disbelief that he would even ask something so childish. The influence that Ste had over him was greater than he had imagined. Ste ignored his unpredictable mood and went on, ¡°I was still in my teens and getting to know the opposite gender. He was surrounded by many outstanding women from wealthy and prominent families of society. Yet, he never really paid much attention to them, and behaved like he was an ascetic¡­he did everything well and I oftenmented how biased the heavens were towards him in giving all good things to him. I think his only ws are the distance that he erects with other people, hisck of empathy, and heartlessness. Yet, even these, I realized might have been from my own biased perspective.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing to reminisce over the past. ¡°There was one time, some hooligans were giving me a difficult time and coincidentally, he walked by. I originally thought that he wouldn¡¯t bother extending a helping hand, but to my surprise, he helped me chase them away.¡± Even after so many years, she could not forget how Weston chose to help her at her time of need. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 It sounded exactly like something out of a cheesy romance novel. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Just like that, and you remember him till today?¡± Ste shook her head but nodded after that. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I suppose your first crush will always be the most memorable.¡± Sometimes, one can be touched simply because someone else offered an eraser or a pencil, not to mention offering help at a time of loneliness and need. To Ste, she felt like she was brought out of the darkness by a man with the face of an angel, and it ended up being a significant, unforgettable event in her life. However, the look on Weston¡¯s face told her he had probably forgotten about it. He was the man she was talking about Until today, Ste couldn¡¯t figure out what Weston thought when he rescued her from her plight. The man in front of her right now would probably never do something if it held no benefit for him. The atmosphere around them tensed up. Weston had been smoking during this period, and the frustration mounting inside gave him the sudden urge to smoke. He shouldn¡¯t have been so bothered by such things of the past. Who didn¡¯t have a crush in their youth? This was especially so for Ste, a woman that could be moved by a mere kind gesture. He had no reason to pick on her for something like that. After all, she was right by his side now. So why should he be so affected upon hearing her unreserved admiration towards another man? He stood up and headed out to the balcony for fresh air and a smoke break after informing Ste Weston hadn¡¯t smoked for a long time before this. He wasn¡¯t addicted, but he would smoke a cigarette or two whenever he was in a bad mood. Heter realized that each time he sumbed to his habit, it always had something to do with Ste. This woman was indeed capable of affecting his mood. At The Doghouse. The VIP private rooms were a distance away from the open zone. Straight down from the corridor was the smoking area. Weston had just entered the balcony and pulled out his lighter when he heard fighting soundsing from one of the private rooms. ¡°Let me go. Scram! Run as far away as you can!¡± Not wanting to get himself involved, he turned to leave. Suddenly, he saw the door to the private room kicked open, and a familiar figure flew out and copsed on the floor. The woman¡¯s hair was a disheveled mess, and she was crying desperately. ¡°Please! I beg of you! Please let me go¡­¡± That woman was Daisy, his secretary. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed, not expecting to bump into her here. Standing right before her, was a furious man who had rushed out of the private room. Having no intention of helping her up, he pointed to her nose and yelled, ¡°Do you think you can boss me around now that you have Ford Corporation¡¯s backing? You think you have a bright future ahead of you, that you earn more than I do; therefore, you can look down on me? I¡¯m telling you, Daisy, don¡¯t think that you¡¯re all that, just because you returned from overseas! You¡¯ll always be an ugly duckling, so quit thinking you¡¯ll turn into a beautiful swan one day and fly away. Even if you do, you¡¯ll eventually have to return to where you started!¡± The men yelled his speech nastily, his face contorted with rage. Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The rage that was originally in Daisy¡¯s eyes had faded, leaving only self-loathing and deep despair. She had studied hard, was a diligent student overseas, and gave it her all in her part-time job. She had never sumbed to her surrounding temptations and never bothered putting up a front, even before someone as powerful as Chris. She clearly knew that the only person she could rely on was herself. All she wanted was to earn, progress in her career, and improve her position in life. She had never wanted to distract herself with anything else. Yet, why was she unable to escape her fate? The man saw that she had turned numb, and it only drove him to raise his voice. He reached out to grab her hair, growling, ¡°I know you think you¡¯re all sessful now, surrounding yourself with outstanding men. Just look at yourself. If they were to know of your past and what your parents did, who would fancy a woman like you? I am the only one in this world who doesn¡¯t despise you. Which normal man wouldn¡¯t mind his woman doing those things you¡¯ve done?¡± With that, his tone softened as he continued, ¡°Even so, have I ever given up on you, all these years? Daisy, I am the only one who treats you the best. You should know, in the depths of your heart.¡± Daisy remained sprawled on the floor, her hair still in his hands. Inside, however, she refused to listen to him. She tried to recover from her shocked disorientation and looked at him through bloodshot eyes. ¡°Have you genuinely loved me and treated me well?¡± ¡°Why, of course!¡± The man thumped his chest confidently without any hesitation. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how I¡¯ve been treating you over the years? I¡¯m the only one who will love you and treat you right. The other men merely take you as a ything. For a woman like you with a tainted history, I¡¯m the only man who will never despise you! ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of love, would I have tolerated your past?¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes trembled as though seriously taking in what he said. A momentter, she asked, hesitant, ¡°If you really love me, why aren¡¯t you willing to cut ties with all those women? If you really love me, why is your name the only one on our house deed, despite us buying it together?¡¯ Things had gotten ugly with him; she wanted a break-up precisely because they never talked these things through. Yet, she did not expect him to have such a huge reaction to what she said. He flung her hand away in frustration and yelled, ¡°How shameless can you get? I¡¯ve been with you for so many years as the only man who wouldn¡¯t despise you, yet here you are being calctive over a house. Why are you so greedy and materialistic?¡± ¡°Daisy, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯re truly disappointing¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t changed!¡± Daisy disputed. He appeared unwilling to hear her say any further. ¡°Daisy, were you negatively influenced by other people? You never used to say such things!¡± He dragged her up from the floor as if intending to strike her. Weston did not want to interfere. However, Daisy used to be his secretary. What more¡­ Just as Weston was about to turn to leave, he suddenly remembered Ste telling about the man who helped her in her time of need and how fond she looked at that time. He stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the trash. Didn¡¯t she fancy courageous heroes to the point she could remember something so trivial even after so many years? What a child. Weston sneered deep down and stepped forward without further hesitation. ¡°Let her go.¡± His cold voice resounded along the corridor. Daisy thought that she must be hearing things. The moment she realized she was going to be hit, Weston Ford was all she could think of. Thest thing she would expect, however, was for him to appear right here. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the heavens answering the unspoken prayers, but when she turned around, she saw the man she never expected to appear¡­ walking right toward her. Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Chapter 480 She would never mistake that handsome, rugged face of his. He wore a white shirt over his broad shoulders that tapered down to his narrow waist. He looked just like the Olympian deity Apollo as he walked out from the shadows. It then dawned upon Daisy that for a man like Weston, not standing next to others was a form of mercy. The man before her was someone she should be familiar with, a face she¡¯s seen for countless years. Yet, he was mercilessly overshadowed by Weston. He looked just like a dancing clownpared to Weston. Daisy had never found him uglier than he was at that moment. ¡°President Ford, what are you doing here?¡± She mumbled in a low voice. A nasty look appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t be a nosy parker!¡± He warned as he stepped forward. Daisy stepped back in fear while Weston walked directly towards him and stretched his hand out, ¡°Stand up.¡± A glint shed past Daisy¡¯s eyes as she put her hand in his. She pulled on it and stood up. ¡°Thank you, President Ford.¡± The man¡¯s face contorted with fury. ¡°Daisy, what do you mean by this! Who is he? Is he your backer now? Come over to me right now!¡± With that, he charged toward Daisy, looking like he was about to strike her. Daisy instinctively shrunk back and hid behind Weston. She grabbed his sleeve and cried out,¡° President Ford¡­¡± Even her voice was shaking. Coincidentally, Ste walked out of the private room and saw the scene right before her. Weston was ying the part of a hero saving a damsel in distress as he stood right before another woman. Chris walked out of the private room right behind her, ¡°Oh yes, Weston¡­¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, he saw the scene before him and halted in his footsteps. Ten minutes ago. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Ste remained in the private room while Weston went out for some fresh air. The Dog House was a ce that Chris frequented. For a yboy like him, such entertainment venues were his favorite haunts. He was well-known in the circle for his gallivanting ways and the countless women he surrounded himself with. However, he knew in his heart that it was much easier to obtain news from such venues than navigating the corporate world. The meaningless gossip that women like to share was, in fact, hidden with useful information that many people might not even expect. Chris had never been the useless, good-for- nothing man he portrayed himself to be. Conversely, he had never cked off on his journey toward fighting for the family¡¯s inheritance. He was on his usual rendezvous with yet another beautiful woman when he saw someone who looked a lot like Weston. When he went over, he confirmed that it was really Weston who had brought E along. This made him grow even more interested in who E was to Weston. Weston never brought people to this ce, and he seldom came to this ce himself. He always scoffed at such things and never had strong desires in this aspect. In the private room. Ste heard the footsteps from outside and thought that Weston had returned. She lifted her head and saw a familiar figure instead. ¡°Chris Ford?¡± ¡°E Steele.¡± He said with a smile as he walked in. A staff member was put on the spot. ¡°Sir, this private room is¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Chris said with a wave of his hand as he turned to Ste, ¡°I know thisdy.¡± Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 The employee turned to look at Ste. Ste didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for her and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please, carry on.¡± With that, the staff member turned to leave. Chris walked towards Ste and sat down before her. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d treat you like some precious treasure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s justing out for an afternoon of fun. Is that considered as treating me like precious treasure?¡± Ste looked expressionlessly at him. The two had parted unceremoniously at Ford Corporation¡¯s building thest time, and Chris even attacked Weston. Yet, now that they¡¯d met again, Chris acted as if nothing had happened. It was evident that this man had outstanding mental tenacity. Chris smiled and said nothing as he poured a ss of wine for himself. He took two sips and asked, ¡°Where is Weston?¡± ¡°He went out for some fresh air.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried? He¡¯s been out for so long.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s a full-grown adult. What do I have to be worried about?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that another woman will seduce him? Beauties abound in this ce.¡± Ste smiled sardonically, neither confirming nor denying Chris¡¯ jabs. Initially thinking that Chris would only sit around for a while, to her surprise, Chris showed no signs of making a move even after ten minutes. In fact, he looked increasinglyfortable where he was and seemed to have no intention of leaving at all. Ste stood up, unable to take it any longer. ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for him.¡± Chris smiled and followed leisurely behind her, ¡°Finally anxious? I¡¯ve already said that beauties abound in this ce. If you don¡¯t keep a close eye on him, a man like Weston can be easily seduced by one of them.¡± Chris was very familiar with The Doghouse, and he managed to find the balcony that Weston had originally smoked at in no time. Both of them did not expect to witness the scene before them. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ste was stunned and stood rooted to the ground. That woman was Weston¡¯s secretary, and she saw her a couple of times in the office, looking vastly different from how she looked right now. Daisy, a white-cored elite, was supposed to be a sessful career woman that navigated her way aroundmercial skyscrapers while wearing sleek business attire, making swift and resolute business decisions. Yet, she now looked utterly out of sorts. Hiding behind Weston, her face was stained with streaks of tears on her face that made her look pitiful. Meanwhile, a man with his face contorted with rage stood in front of her, yelling at the top of his voice. However, since it was obvious that he was physically no match for Weston, he didn¡¯t dare to be too aggressive. He merely stood where he was and yelled as loud as he could. Before Ste could realize what was happening, she felt tension in the air. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a ck figure rushing out. Just as she tried to avoid the person, Chris bumped into her, and she almost fell. ¡°Daisy? What¡¯s the matter!¡± Chris rushed to Daisy¡¯s side, paying no attention to Ste, whom she had bumped into. Weston heard his voice and looked over. His brows furrowed slightly, but he collected himself and retracted his gaze. It wasn¡¯t a surprise to see Chris at such a ce. But why did he care so much about Daisy? That was something that Weston did not expect. Previously, he noticed that Chris had been very attentive toward Daisy. That being said, as long as it did not affect his performance at work, he couldn¡¯t be bothered about their personal affairs. He didn¡¯t want to interfere in his subordinates¡¯ private lives¨Cit had nothing to do with him as long as work was not affected. However, Daisy remained highly professional-she rejected Chris several times and even embarrassed him thest time. Hence, Weston believed that given Chris¡¯ character, he would back off knowingly. To Weston¡¯s surprise, it seemed that Daisy had a ce in his heart. Chris pointed to the man standing in front and yelled coldly, ¡°Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in The Doghouse. Are you tired of living?¡± Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 He looked just like a man protecting his woman. Chris had always yed the part of a personable and chivalrous gentleman in front of others, but in face of this hooligan, his fierce and aggressive side was on full disy, a trait of his that rarely emerged. Daisy had never been intimate with him and had never seen him like that. She stood still, dazed, and mumbled to herself. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± The man saw Weston¡¯s back-up and was stunned for a moment before hissing viciously,¡± You¡¯re asking me who I am? I am her bloody fianc¨¦!¡± Fianc¨¦? The word made the expression on Chris¡¯ face change as he turned to look at Daisy with aplicated look on his face. ¡°D*inn it. Weren¡¯t you single?¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes turned downcast as she wiped away the tears on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve already broken up with him, but he didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± ¡°Who needs an agreement in a breakup?¡± Chris finally understood the situation and looked at the man coldly. ¡°Did you not hear her? She wants to breakup with you.¡± ¡°Why must we break up just because she wants one? We¡¯ve been together for so many years!¡± His eyes narrowed as he went on, ¡°I knew it. You found yourself a rich and powerful man, and now you want to throw me aside, right? Do you really think you can climb the socialdder by relying on them? I¡¯m telling you, Daisy, these men only want to mess around. They might be willing to stand up for you now, but are any of them willing to marry you?¡± Tears glinted in Daisy¡¯s eyes upon his words. She was filled with self-doubt at that moment. Chris¡¯ relentless pursuit of her did not make her lose her mind, though-she knew he treated her merely as his toy, no different from all other women he had abandoned. Weston, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t that kind of man But now¡­ She looked at Weston, hesitant. He now seemed slightly different from the man she used to know Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He was now capable of having mistresses behind Guinevere¡¯s back. Are men all the same? Upon his words, Chris burst outughing and rubbed his wrists. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I hit someone. Don¡¯t force my hand.¡± The man¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t me me for not warning you. I¡¯ve yed with this woman countless times¡­¡± Before hepleted his sentence, Chris swung his fist at his face. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hit him! Please don¡¯t fight!¡± Daisy shrieked. Things would surely go out of hand when they started getting physical. She was about to step forward to stop the fight when Weston grabbed her arms and pulled her aside with frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t make things messier than they already are.¡± Daisy remained silent, although the internal struggle was apparent in her eyes. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°If you really intend to break up with that man, don¡¯t add to the mess. Let Chris help you resolve this.¡± Since Chris was here, he had no reason to interfere in other people¡¯s affairs. Daisy was merely one of his many subordinates. This left him feeling rather frustrated. He shouldn¡¯t have meddled with other people¡¯s affairs in a moment¡¯s recklessness-just because of something that Ste said. He was about to turn to leave when Daisy, trembling slightly with fear, grabbed his sleeve.¡± Mr. Ford, can you please stay? I¡¯m a little scared.¡± Weston flung her hand away without further thought and looked coldly at her. Daisy understood what he meant even when he didn¡¯t speak a word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ford. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± She looked at his sleeve and said, ¡°I¡¯llpensate you for this shirt.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Weston nced past her and looked at Chris. ¡°He¡¯ll help you settle this as well.¡± Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chris was a rtively good fighter, and he managed to bring the man down after a while. Recalling that there was a woman standing behind him, he looked at Daisy with annoyance.¡± Make yourself clear. Are you breaking up with this man today?¡± He never knew that Daisy was in such a terrible rtionship. Why was she willing to be with someone so unsavory, someone who had, in turn, rejected him so many times?¡± How was he inferior to this man? He felt a deep wave of disappointment engulf him. Although he originally didn¡¯t harbor deep feelings for this woman, he now felt utterly wronged and aggrieved. ¡°If you continue missing him and going back to him, I¡¯ll never interfere in your affairs from now on. If you intend to make a clean break, I¡¯ll make sure you keep your word and won¡¯t let this go until it happens!¡± He could tell that Daisy really wanted to break things off with this man, just that shecked the resolve to He had never seen a woman like that in his life. The women who surrounded him were all open-minded and were willing to let things slide. They weren¡¯t clingy and wearisome and knew how to keep the rtionship transactional-a win-win for all parties. This was his first time seeing someone as foolish as Daisy. Daisy¡¯s eyes turned red as she looked at the menacing look on the man¡¯s face. Determination washed over her as she took a deep breath. ¡°I nned on breaking up with him, but he didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± ¡°All right, I got it.¡± Chris rubbed his wrists and flung the man aside ruthlessly. ¡°Run as far away as you can and don¡¯t let me see you ever again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up each time I see you.¡± The man, disgruntled, crawled up from the ground and spat out some blood. Yet, there was nothing he could do in face of the tempestuous Chris except to concede for the moment. He red at Daisy and warned, ¡°Daisy, just you wait! You¡¯ll regret this someday!¡± Chris lurched towards the man, as if nning to strike him again. That was when the man finally stumbled out of the ce. The direction he left in was the direction that Ste walked from. When she saw a man leaving in fury, she instinctively dodged aside. Without anywhere to vent his anger, the man felt frustration rising in him upon seeing a beautiful woman who was a stranger to him. ¡°You women are all nasty creatures!¡± He even deliberately bumped hard into her. Ste, unable to avoid the iing force, bumped into a huge vase behind her. She gasped, feeling pain so severe that it made her see stars. The vase wobbled and crashed loudly onto the floor. Weston lifted his head and looked in her direction. When he saw Ste, he shuddered and rushed to her side. ¡°Ste!¡± Weston carried her in his arms, his brows tightly knotted with anxiety. ¡°Are you hurt? Do you feel bad? I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital¡­¡± With that, he hauled her into his arms. Ste shook her head. She bore with the iing wave of pain and took some time to recover. She collected herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Someone just bumped into me¡­¡± ¡°Where did he hit you?¡± Weston¡¯s voice was tense. If they weren¡¯t in a public ce, Ste suspected that he might¡¯ve just torn her clothes open to check her injuries. She pressed against his wrist as searing pain shot through her, yet she insisted that she was fine. Weston¡¯s face darkened as heartache and anger intertwined inside him. His face contorted with frightening anger, ¡°He better pray hard that you¡¯re fine.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 The man stood petrified, his feet rooted firmly on the ground. Weston¡¯s cold re shot towards him, a change from the frustrated look in his eyes. If looks could kill, the man was a dead man in his eyes. The intensity of Weston¡¯s re sent chills down the man¡¯s spine. He subconsciously shivered, and he exined anxiously, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Weston settled Ste down in afortable position and ensured that she felt all right before standing up and walking slowly towards the man. He lifted a leg and kicked it ruthlessly towards the man. The man crashed loudly on the floor. Weston¡¯s footnded right in his stomach, and the force was almost enough to rupture his internal organs. ¡°Who are you to bump into her?¡± A distance away. Daisy stared dazedly at the scene before her. She had never seen Weston in such a rage-he turned out to be absolutely terrifying when angry¡­ And all this for that woman. She looked at Ste withplicated emotions in her eyes. She thought that Weston reached a helping hand out to her because she was special to him. But right now, at this moment, she could deeply sense that Ste was the special one in his heart. All a stranger had to do was bump into her, and it was enough to send Weston flying into a rage, driving him to almost chop that man up into pieces. Just how much did he care for her? The man did not expect himself to get into such deep trouble. He copsed on the floor, unable to retaliate after getting kicked in the stomach. He threw up fresh blood and felt his body tearing apart from the inside. ¡°I was wrong¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I apologize to her! I¡¯llpensate her! Please spare me!¡± ¡°Spare you? When you bumped into her just now, did you think about sparing her?¡± Weston¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°If anything were to happen to her, you¡¯ll be in a sorry plight.¡± With that, he strangled his neck, pulled him up from the ground, and flung him to a wall.¡° Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way. Feel the pain she felt just now.¡± This was also Ste¡¯s first time seeing Weston so furious.. His eyes were burning red. His eyes which were originally deep and unfathomable like the night sky now had a storm brewing in their depths. Ste leaned against the wall and watched as Weston beat the man to near death. If no one stopped him, it was highly likely that Weston would take his life. Chris and Daisy were aware of that possibility and warned, ¡°Enough, Weston! Don¡¯t blow this out of proportion.¡± Chris had already beaten up the man just now and thought he was reckless enough. He did not expect Weston to behave even crazier than he did. Weston¡¯s previous nonchnce was simply because no one had rubbed him off the wrong way. When that happened, however, Weston was scarier than anyone else. Daisy was simrly taken aback by Weston¡¯s behavior. She immediately yelled, ¡°Mr. Ford, stop! You¡¯ll kill him¡­¡± She had no idea how things could descend to such a low. Here, the man she thought most rational was hitting another man to death just because he bumped into Ste. Was this the Weston she knew? Upon seeing that Weston had no intention of stopping, Chris turned towards Ste anxiously, ¡°Are you just going to watch as he beats the man to death?¡± Anxiety shed past his eyes.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Although he waspeting against Weston for the family inheritance, he did not forget his duty as an uncle in a time like this, even when it came at the expense of family ties. At the very least, he couldn¡¯t allow anyone to get the opportunity to me him because of such a stupid reason. Ste snapped back to attention and yelled, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Weston. You¡¯ll kill him if you go on like this¡­¡± she pleaded. Although Weston slowed down in his movements, he did not stoppletely-his eyes were bloodshot and filled with fearsome rage. Ste took a deep breath and said with her voice quivering, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll Her words finally made Weston slowly release his hands. He shook out his wrists and spoke coldly through gritted teeth at the man who was half-dead, ¡°You really should pray that she is fine. Otherwise, killing you a hundred times over today wouldn¡¯t be enough to make up for it.¡± The man¡¯s face was covered with blood, and he could no longer speak properly. He could only repeatedly stammer out his apologies as if traumatized by the beating, ¡°I was wrong¡­don¡¯t hit me¡­¡± Weston called for a staff member to bring him away. He walked towards Ste and carefully gathered her in his arms. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Ste nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Daisy and Chris were still behind him. Daisy couldn¡¯t help but step forward and say in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ford. It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, Ms. Steele wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡± Weston didn¡¯t even bother looking up. He was only concerned with checking Ste¡¯s body for wounds. ¡°Since you know that you¡¯re trouble, then clean up your mess quickly. I don¡¯t want to see this man around any longer.¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes shifted as if she understood what he meant. ¡°I will clean things up well.¡± He did not give her so much as a nce throughout their conversation. Instead, he simply hauled Ste up in his arms and left. Daisy¡¯s eyes were filled with hurt, and she made a move to follow behind them, but she felt a sudden weight on her shoulders. She turned back and looked into a pair of curious eyes. Chris looked straight into her eyes as his own narrowed, ¡°You rejected me not because of that man just now, not because of work, and not because of any other reason¡­ do you fancy Weston?¡± Daisy flung his arm away and cried, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsensel Mr. Ford is my boss. How could I have such thoughts about him? I¡¯m not one to seek office romance!¡± She reacted strongly, vastly different from her usual calm andposed manner. His words were like a pebble rippling through a quiet and calmke. As much as she vehemently denied it, what else was there for Chris not toprehend? He chuckled and wiped the blood off his first. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to deny it. I know a woman in love when I see one.¡± He looked slightly disappointed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this at all. Just now, what I did to stand up for you hardly gained your favor. Yet, Weston¡¯s behavior was enough to break your heart and make you miserable.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t¡­¡± Daisy felt helpless. She still wanted to exin herself, but Chris clearly did not believe her. ¡°Since you im that you don¡¯t like him, prove it to me.¡± Daisy tightened her grip on the bottom hem of her shirt. ¡°How do you want me to prove it to you?¡± ¡°You know what I want.¡± Chris bent over and whispered something into her ear. His voice was low and hoarse as he coaxed her. He saw the ice in Daisy¡¯s eyes melting, and the satisfaction of a predator conquering a prey emerged in his heart. He finally managed to get his hands on a woman who had been difficult to deal with from the start. Nothing else could beat such a feeling of aplishment for a predator like him. Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Unlike Chris¡¯s tense situation, Ste was well in Weston¡¯s arms as he made a beeline for his car from The Dog House. Along the way, many people cast curious nces at them. Ste subconsciously buried her face in his arms, triggering Weston¡¯s light chuckle. ¡°Still shy?¡± Ste kept quiet. A whileter, she whispered softly into his ear, ¡°Can you let me down so I can walk myself?¡± Weston carried her higher instead. ¡°Can you even walk by yourself, given your current state?¡± ¡°I just hurt my back. My legs are fine.¡± The moment she said that, Weston suddenly released his hold over her. ¡°Ah!¡± Ste¡¯s body descended abruptly, and she instinctively let out a yelp as she hugged his neck tight. She looked up into a pair of smiling eyes. ¡°Still want to walk by yourself?¡± ¡°You did that on purpose!¡± Ste sputtered indignantly. ¡°So what if I did?¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed as she adjusted herself, clearly dissatisfied. Her subtle movements, however, displeased him. Weston¡¯s face darkened as he patted her butt. ¡°Be good.¡± Ste¡¯s face blushed bright red. ¡°Let me go! I want toe down! It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t walk¡­¡± Weston threatened her in a low voice, ¡°If you keep squirming around, I¡¯ll really make you unable to walk.¡± Ste went silent. Why did she feel like there was a hidden meaning in his words? Given how thick-skinned he was, she believed he was definitely capable of fulfilling his threats. She dared not move and could only stay obediently in his embrace. He strode quickly to his car and settled her in the backseat. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because his threat was overly harsh, but Weston realized that Ste said nothing more after they had entered the car. He instructed the driver to start the engine and move off.. Ste curled herself into a tight ball and pressed herself against a corner as much as possible, refusing to talk and look at him. No matter what he said to her, she didn¡¯t utter a single word and persisted in ignoring him. Weston knew she was angry at him, but he found it hrious and simply let her be. He reached out a retrieved a bottle of ointment from the cab. Thest time Ste was injured from filming a fighting scene, Weston had prepared a bottle in the car just in case. He didn¡¯t think that it would one daye in handy. His eyes were dark as he surveyed the ss bottle in his hand. Since when did he care for a woman to such an extent and detail? He would never bother preparing such little things in the past. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll help you rub this on your wound.¡± Ste saw the ointment in his hand and was stunned for a moment, though she continued ignoring him¡­ save for a glint that shed past her eyes. There were so many details that she felt herself on the verge of being captivated. But which one was the real Weston Ford? How was it possible for someone so detailed and gentle to treat her so heartlessly in the past? Weston saw her remaining silent and reached out to pinch her nose. ¡°You¡¯re a full-grown adult and still throw such childish tantrums?¡± He reached out to lift her shirt up. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste pped his hand away and pulled her shirt back down. ¡°What are you trying to do? Don¡¯t get handsy.¡± Clearly, she was keeping her guard up. Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Finding her reaction hrious, Weston suddenly leaned in closer to her, kissing her on the nose. ¡°Which part of your body have I not seen? Why are you still so shy?¡± Ste pushed him away. ¡°No need. I can do it myself.¡± Weston¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at her. He had thought that she was angry because he refused to listen to her and insisted on carrying her all the way to the car. Now that he thought about it, it seems like there was another reason for her anger. Weston said in a teasing voice, ¡°Seems like I thought wrong. Are you jealous?¡± He had stood up for Daisy, reacting to the displeasure of hearing Ste talk about her first love. Who asked her to gush about how heroic and valiant her first crush was? He wanted to let her witness how anyone can do something so trivial, and, therefore, it was not worthy for her to remember for so many years. Who knew that she would be jealous over something so trivial? ¡°Jealous?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at him as if he just cracked the greatest joke of all time. ¡°You must be dreaming.¡± Weston didn¡¯t like her dismissive tone and pinched her nose, ¡°What? Does the great Ste Sealey not know how to be jealous?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do something so immature.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Weston leaned closer to her and whispered in a low voice that wasced with threats. Ste found that the man before her was behaving in a bewildering way. Why did he behave like he would get angry if she weren¡¯t jealous? ¡°Do you like to see me jealous?¡± Weston remained silent as he stared at her. Ste sighed. ¡°Fine, I am jealous. Are you happy now?¡± He knew that she was just cating him, but his facial features subconsciously softened at her words. He pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are the only one who can make me lose control.¡± The corner of Ste¡¯s lips lifted. She found his words ironic and bordering on hrious. As a man who was already a father, did he not feel shy saying something so mushy? Weston held Ste¡¯s arms up and lifted her shirt up again. This time, she did not stop him. ¡°Over here?¡± he asked as his long fingers touched her skin.. Ste inhaled sharply as intense pain shot through her back Weston stopped moving immediately, his heart aching at seeing her pained expression. The next time he tried to move his fingers, he did so much more gently. His warm palm rubbed the injured area gently as his eyes turned downcast. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Her previous wound hadn¡¯t even recoveredpletely, leaving light bruises in its wake. Yet now, she was bumped so hard that it aggravated her old injury. Although her skin wasn¡¯t punctured, the bruise was huge and jarring on the eyes. Weston¡¯s hands paused in mid-air as he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°I really should have broken his legs.¡± Ste¡¯s skin was fine and delicate, and he couldn¡¯t even bear to use much force on the bed. Who was that man to wound her like this? His actions were overly careful and gentle, like a feather brushing across the skin. Ste felt like a fragile doll made of ss and squirmed in difort. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so careful¡­ I¡¯m not an infant.¡± Weston remained silent as he focused on applying the ointment to her injury and gently rubbing her back A momentter, he said, ¡°Your skin bruises so easily. What¡¯s the difference between you and an infant?¡± He treated her so delicately, like she was his most precious treasure in the world. Complicated feelings started emerging in Ste¡¯s heart. The more he treated her well, the more it confused her. Was the man currently treating her like treasure the same man who had abandoned her so ruthlessly back then? Did all men have the same ability as he did, to dote on you to the skies when he loved you and throw you into hell without hesitation when he no longer did? Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Perhaps it was Weston¡¯s excessive tenderness that Ste suddenly felt drained and lethargic. She yawned slightly, and the corners of her eyes turned red like that of a little rabbit. Weston¡¯s movements slowed down as he let her lean against his shoulder. ¡°Nap for a while if you want to.¡± After she slowly shut her eyes and fell asleep, Weston carried her in his arms as if he were coaxing a little child. His arms wrapped around her back as he gently patted her. His thin lips leaned closer to her ear as he kissed it repeatedly in a way that spoke of inextinguishable sentiment and passion as he enveloped her in his embrace. Weston lowered his head and took every inch of Ste¡¯s sleeping profile. ¡°How good it would be if she were to be this well-behaved every day.¡± He chuckled lowly. ¡°Just stay by my side like this, all right?¡± He mumbled to himself, or rather, to Ste. Were those empty titles really so important to Ste? Aside from official status, he could give her everything. Shouldn¡¯t that be enough? He had no idea why women were always obsessed with such trivial matters. What he was capable of giving Ste was a lot more than the title of Mrs. Ford. But based on what he knew of Ste right now, even if he wanted to give her everything he could, she might not even want it. The thought made his face darken. After sending Ste back, Weston received a call from Chris, who asked him out for a chat. Weston instructed Joan to take good care of Ste before leaving the mansion. Chris had his own house in Fern City, but he seldom stayed there. He would usually spend the night in his own apartment ¨C just like Weston¡¯s original Golden Eve apartment, which he subsequently gave to Guinevere but had never stayed there from then. Weston knew that Chris treated Daisy in a special way but didn¡¯t expect him to bring her back to his own apartment. It seemed obvious to him that Chris truly cared for her. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The moment he stepped into the apartment, he saw Daisy seated on the living room couch, looking uneasily at him. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± He nced right past her and looked directly at Chris, ¡°Speak. Don¡¯t waste my time.¡± Chris tut-tutted disapprovingly, ¡°I know you have a lovely Lady waiting at home, and you can¡¯t wait to get back to her, but things still need to be settled. What do you say?¡± Weston remained silent as he settled down on the couch. Daisy, immediately feeling tense, straightened herself up as she greeted him again. ¡°Mr. Ford Weston looked up slightly, giving a half-hearted response. Daisy tensed up even further, unable to tell what this man before her was thinking and whether he was pleased or upset. Chris observed their interactions and remained silent, the look in his eyes elusive. He walked towards the bar counter and poured two sses of wine, one for Weston and another for himself. He had poured a ss of water for Daisy earlier. ¡°Try my concoction,¡± He offered to Weston. Weston did not reach out to take the ss from him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you, insisting on having a bar counter at my apartment so I can indulge in alcohol, even at home?¡± ¡°Just listen to yourself. What¡¯s wrong with drinking some alcohol? It¡¯spletely eptable,¡± Chris chuckled. Seeing him refuse to take the ss, he pushed it towards Daisy instead, ¡°Don¡¯t waste it. Many people only wished they had a chance to taste my concoction.¡± Daisy didn¡¯t reject him and received the ss with a soft ¡°thank you.¡± Both men leaned back leisurely. However, it was Daisy who finally gave in. ¡°Mr. Ford, how do you intend to deal with him?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 ¡°Which him?¡± Chris feigned ignorance. ¡°Well¡­¡± Daisy couldn¡¯t even bear to say his name. Chris cut her off and said with a half-smile, ¡°Oh, I remember it now. Your ex-fianc¨¦.¡± He turned towards Weston, ¡°Weston, what do you think?¡± ¡°None of my business,¡± Weston rubbed in between his brows. He paused for a moment before going on, ¡°But since he hurt my girl, I can¡¯t let him off so easily.¡± Daisy¡¯s face fell ever so subtly. Indeed, the reason he even interfered in this entire issue was because of E, not her. Chris looked at her; his interest piqued. ¡°Seems like you really want Weston to stand up for you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Daisy denied it vehemently. ¡°How would I dare to bother Mr. Ford¡­¡± ¡°Do you not dare and not want for that to happen?¡± Daisy did not know why Chris was bent on embarrassing her in front of Weston. Her eyes turned red as she nced at him, her fists clenched tight. Ever since Chris witnessed that scene, the cool and calm image she erected before him seemed thoroughly destroyed. Chris had just discovered that this woman wasn¡¯t as strong as she portrayed herself to be. He merely hadn¡¯t seen her vulnerabilities previously. Thus, he suddenly felt his interest in her waning. He initially thought that Daisy would be an insurmountable obstacle, but after defeating the final boss, everything started sailing smoothly, and he found it boring again. However, he couldn¡¯t bear to give it up just like that. It felt just like chicken ribs- unappetizing, yet a waste if thrown away. Chris sipped on his wine and ced it on the table. ¡°Tell me. How do you intend to settle this?¡± He turned to Daisy, ¡°He¡¯s your ex-fianc¨¦, after all. We should respect your opinion.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Daisy subconsciously nced at Weston and subsequently lowered her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I want to have a clean break with him, but I don¡¯t want anyone to get killed.¡± ¡°Given how much of a cheat and a scoundrel your ex-fianc¨¦ is, you can forget about having a clean break with him without involving lives.¡± Chris continued sipping on his wine as he remarked casually. His calm andposed tone made it sound like he hadpletely no regard for the lives of anyone. Weston,pletely uninterested in their rtionship¡¯s stories, brushed it off with some annoyance. ¡°Whatever you two intend to do, just be mentally prepared that I¡¯ll make his life miserable.¡± Chris arched a brow. ¡°I thought it was enough punishment that you¡¯ve beaten him up so badly.¡± ¡°How was that enough?¡± Anger once again shed past the depths of Weston¡¯s eyes. No one would know how he felt when he saw the terrible bruises on Ste¡¯s body. Chris chuckled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°I got it. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll give you an exnation regarding this matter.¡± With that, he turned towards Daisy. Daisy was still in a daze as she stared at Weston with mixed feelings. Suddenly, the ringing of a phone broke the silence. It was Chris¡¯ phone. He looked at the iing number and arched a brow, ¡°I¡¯ll take this.¡± With that, he stood up and left Weston and Daisy alone. This was Daisy¡¯s first time being in the same ce as Weston outside of work. She felt rather nervous and subconsciously ced her hands on her knees. She even began breathing more cautiously She couldn¡¯t hold herself back from asking a momentter, ¡°Mr. Ford, may I ask: What is your rtionship with Ms. E?¡± Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Weston sat silently for a moment as displeasure spread across his face. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with you?¡± Daisy expected such a response from him. A moment of silenceter, she asked hesitatingly, ¡°Then Ms. Guinevere¡­¡± ¡°This is not something that you should be meddling in,¡± Weston suddenly turned to look at her with the authority of a person used to being in a ce of power. ¡°Daisy, don¡¯t try to act smart. You know what you should and shouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°I know. I won¡¯t tell Ms. Cohen¡­¡± Perhaps it was because of what happened today that she felt that the distance between herself and both men had shrunk Thus, she gathered courage and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, you fancy Ms. Steele more, right?¡± She knew she was being a nosy parker and was ready to face Weston¡¯s wrath. To her surprise, he simply looked at her with a half-smile and said casually, ¡°Why can¡¯t she tell something that even you can?¡± It didn¡¯t take much to figure out who Weston was referring to. Daisy realized that Weston would bother reacting to her only when she was talking about E. She continued talking about her, ¡°Does Ms. Steele¡­know about Ms. Cohen¡¯s existence?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Weston¡¯s face suddenly turned cold as he turned to her sharply. ¡°What do you think?¡± He didn¡¯t even intend to talk to this woman, but¡­ Weston shut his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the image of Ste trying hard to hide her repulsion of him. He really wanted to know exactly how women thought. Daisy was slightly taken aback at Weston¡¯s question, but she answered anyway. ¡°It¡¯s different for every woman¡­ I don¡¯t know what Ms. Steele thinks, but if you wish to know, you should ask her personally.¡± ¡°Given her character, she would never give me an honest answer.¡± The corner of Weston¡¯s lips lifted sardonically, ¡°Tell me. What exactly do youdies want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about other women, but if it were me¡­¡± Daisy¡¯s face suddenly turned downcast, ¡°I just want a stable rtionship, I suppose. Someone to love me and dote on me, and not simply wanting to use me.¡± Her voice turned softer as she spoke, as if realizing that she was revealing too much of her vulnerabilities to Weston. Her eyes turned slightly red. Weston didn¡¯t think too much of it and instead started chewing on her words. Did he not dote on Ste enough? Did he not love her enough? He had never indulged a woman so much in his entire life. Not even Guinevere. Daisy went on, ¡°Every woman desires a rtionship she can call her own, but not every woman has the fortune of encountering one.¡± She smiled bitterly, ¡°After so many years with him if it weren¡¯t for his many affairs with other women, things wouldn¡¯t have ended like this¡­¡± Weston looked up at her, ¡°Do women care a lot about such things?¡± Daisy was slightly stunned at his question and felt slightly helpless as she counter-questioned him, ¡°Think about it this way. If Ms. Steele or Ms. Cohen were to behave like this with other men, I suppose you won¡¯t feel good about it, would you?¡± Weston knew that he would never allow Ste to behave that way. He abhorred even the thought of men looking at Ste for a moment longer. As for Guinevere, he had never considered the question with respect to her. If she were to find herself happier with another man, he would be happy to give them his blessings. Weston even thought that it was all for the better. Chris was back once he ended his call. The moment he returned, he realized something was off between the two of them. ¡°What did you two talk about while I was away?¡± Daisy remained silent as she subconsciously threw a nce at Weston. Chris put his arm around her shoulders, his long fingers carelessly tapping her arm. It was an unspoken warning. Daisy retracted her gaze, keeping her silence as she sipped on her ss. Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Weston did not want to stick around any longer and stood up while delivering his instructions, ¡°Settle this cleanly and don¡¯t make me step in. You know that I know no limits.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Chris reassured him. ¡°You can rest easy with me on this case.¡± Weston scoffed but didn¡¯t say anything further. He picked up his coat and turned to leave. At Stardust Mansion. Ste fell asleep in the car, and by the time she woke up, she found herself lying on the bed in her room. She opened her eyes blearily and rubbed them as she shook herself awake. That was when she remembered what had happened. As she nced at the clock, she realized it was already evening. She never expected that she¡¯d sleep for so long. A momentter, she heard footstepsing from the corridor outside. Ste subconsciously shut her eyes and smoothened her nket, pretending she was still asleep. The footsteps outside gradually became lighter. By the time they entered the room, they were almost inaudible. Although Ste had her eyes closed, she could feel Weston by her bedside, staring at her for a while. She had no idea why she decided to pretend to be asleep. Perhaps she just didn¡¯t want to face him. A momentter, she felt a warm touch on her forehead. It was a very gentle kiss. Even without opening her eyes, she could clearly sense the tenderness of the touch. Ste suddenly didn¡¯t want to wake up. She didn¡¯t want to face up to the fact that all his tenderness was but mere pretense. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He threw open her covers, and hisrge hands, cold from the air outside, started roaming boldly around her body. Ste found it itchy but refused to respond to his touch. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear with it. If Weston hadn¡¯t realized at the start that she was pretending to be asleep, he was now very certain she was awake. A smile shed past the depths of his eyes as he decided to y along. At the next moment, Ste heard his breath turn heavy before feeling his warm body next to her. The difference in body temperatures between men and woman were very stark, and she always felt the difference when hey next to her. His presence was so strongly felt that it was impossible to ignore. Yet, Ste continued pretending to be asleep as she turned her face away in an attempt to avoid physical intimacy with him. She hadn¡¯t expected that her turning away would give Weston a chance. He lifted his head slightly and bit her ear. His voice came hoarsely from his throat, ¡°Are you really still asleep?¡± Ste remained silent, only to harrumph in frustration a momentter. The implicit meaning behind what he said was that she was asleep and that he shouldn¡¯t disturb her. To her chagrin, Weston turned from bad to worse as he began unbuttoning her sleeping gown. He simply went overboard and bolder by the minute. Ste clenched her fists, almost unable to bear his aggressiveness. She gritted her teeth and stopped herself from making any noise. At this point, pretending she was still asleep was meaningless. Weston held his body up as he flipped the switch to the bedsidemp. The curtains were very thick. Although it was early in the evening, it was winter, and the sky had already turned dark. The harsh weather outside hardly affected the warmth in the house. Weston saw Ste¡¯s cheeks turning flushed, and a happy chuckle arose from deep in his throat. ¡°Ste, you need to improve your acting in pretending to be asleep.¡± Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Ste threw him a helpless look, ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me sleep in peace?¡± Weston reached out and pinched her nose, ¡°You fell asleep in the car all the way back home. Now, you still want to sleep more. How are you going to sleep through the night?¡± Before Ste could respond to him, he suddenly leaned in closer to her and said in a suppressed voice, ¡°Or do you want to do something else at night?¡± As he closed the distance between them, Ste could see his eyes glinting in the dim light and knew what he was going to say. As she had expected, he would only tease her in this regard. ¡°You think too much,¡± Ste red at him. Perhaps because she just woke up, her re bore no threat to him. In fact, it made her look even more captivating and mesmerizing. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened with pleasure as he pulled her into his embrace. He recalled what Daisy said and sighed. ¡°Ste, what else are you not happy with me about?¡± Ste was slightly taken aback by his question. ¡°Why suddenly ask me that?¡± Indeed, it was a rare urrence that Weston would ask about what someone else was unhappy about him. Weston furrowed his brows, clearly sensing the irony in her words. He reached out and pinched her waist. ¡°Seems like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡± Steughed and pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯m ticklish. Don¡¯t touch me there.¡± She paused for a moment before saying solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy with you in any way.¡± ¡°Are you acting, or is that the truth?¡± Weston pushed further. Ste remained silent. Weston understood her answer. ¡°If there is something you¡¯re unhappy with, you know you can tell me honestly.¡± ¡°Will you change, then?¡± Ste probed. Weston immediately found a loophole in her words. ¡°You refused to speak when I asked you just now, yet now, you¡¯re if I¡¯ll change. When did you be so slick?¡± Instead of replying to him, Ste shut her eyes. Her expression softened. Weston hugged her andbed his fingers through her hair. A momentter, he heard Ste ask him in a small voice, ¡°Roger will be going overseas soon. Can I visit him more frequently during this period?¡± He stopped moving. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Although her expression had softened, her willingness to be physically intimate with him was a clear indicator. He couldn¡¯t help but still feel disappointed upon hearing her request. He knew that Ste was merely putting up an act, but he would take whatever she gave him. Weston lifted her chin, ¡°I¡¯ll decide based on your performance.¡± The night was soon over. A thickyer of snow nketed the streets outside. Perhaps the effectiveness of Zeta¡¯s medicine helped both times to go by very smoothly. Ste could feel that Weston was delighted. Aside from her short bout of self-loathing when she first woke up, she did not feel as terrible as before. That made Weston feel like she had epted him, which in turn caused him to go even wilder with passion. When she woke up in the morning, Weston was no longer next to her on the bed. It snowed heavily in the morning, and the crew decided to stop work for the day. As such, Ste had the day to herself in the mansion to do whatever she liked. The snow on the streets swept away quickly in the wind, but just as quickly, another thinyer of snow began to form. It wasn¡¯t snowing yet when Weston left for work this morning, but the snow was now covered in ck streaks. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Joan anxiously looked out of the window. ¡°I wonder if the snow will melt by the end of the workday. We are far from the city center, and I hope the driver is extra careful¡­¡± Ste, dressed in casual home clothes, curled up on the couch, reading her script. However, Joan¡¯s words caused her to lift her head and look out the window. The snow appeared to have stopped falling, but the ice on the road still hadn¡¯t fully melted away. She pursed her lips. ¡°Joan, help me grab the car keys, please.¡± Joan immediately stopped what she was doing, asking, ¡°Ms. Steele, what are you nning? Just let the driver do his job. It snowed so heavily, and the streets are unsafe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fetch Weston from work,¡± Ste replied. Joan appeared stunned for a moment before a smile spread across her face. ¡°Ms. Steele, I¡¯m sure Mr. Ford will be delighted to know of your good intentions. But I¡¯m also sure he would prefer you remain safe in the house.¡± Ste pursed her lips again as she thought about the moment Weston paused at her request. She knew that it was the cause of their recent estrangement. If she didn¡¯t do something to please him, he might just not agree so willingly the next time she raised another request. Hence, she insisted, ¡°I¡¯m worried about his safety, too. Let me fetch him. Don¡¯t worry. I just watched the news and heard they cleared the snow away. With so many cars on the streets, they would¡¯ve surely dealt with it.¡± She added, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Weston about it. He surely wouldn¡¯t allow me to go. I promise to stay safe on the road.¡± Joan confirmed that what Ste said was true before agreeing with some hesitation. ¡°Ms. Steele, please stay safe on the road.¡± Ste picked a small white car that looked rtively low profile from the parking garage. Ever since she said that she wanted to drive, Weston had added a car that was suitable for female drivers and had better safety features. Although he did not verbally allow her to drive by herself, his actions rified his stance. He didn¡¯t like Ste doing something so dangerous, but if she insisted, he would clear the path for her to do what she wanted. Ste set off before the evening peak rush hour. Although the roads weren¡¯t jammed, she took some time because of the slippery and icy conditions. Thankfully, Weston was held back by a meeting and hadn¡¯t left the building yet. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste stopped the car in the Ford Corporation building parking lot and put on her hat and mask as she waited for Weston to get off work She thought she had to wait for a long time, but she soon saw the elevator doors open. A bunch of people walked out beside Weston. They were probably Weston¡¯s clients, and he was still busy talking with them. The client listened attentively to him and would nod agreeably from time to time. Even amidst a crowd, Weston shone brighter than the others. His looks turned him into a rose amongst the thorns in the entertainment and, even more, in the business circle, where he was like a Greek god. Seeing that others were around, Ste stayed in the car. She simply sat and waited, not wanting anyone to see her. Weston¡¯s gaze drifted towards her. Collecting cars and watches had always been the wet dream of many men, but these were simply ythings in Weston¡¯s eyes. Having dabbled in motor racing in his younger days, he was a collector of a massive fleet of limited- edition luxury cars. Now that he had be more mature and stable, these things no longer seemed attractive to him. Save for one, though-he had personally selected Ste¡¯s car, a model he found most suitable for her taste. It was why he could immediately recognize the vehicle in the lot. ¡°My assistant will exin the subsequent details to you.¡± Weston stopped in his tracks. The client paused for a moment. ¡°Mr. Ford, is something the matter?¡± ¡°I have something urgent to attend to.¡± Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Having a coboration with Ford Corporation was a privilege few could only dream of. The client seemed extremely satisfied. With only some minor details left, he beamed magnanimously. ¡°Sure. Mr. Ford, please go ahead and do what you need to do. It was a pleasure meeting you! I look forward to our next coboration!¡± Daisy was shocked, but she remainedposed as she said, ¡°Pleasee with me.¡± She nced at Weston. The original n was to have a meal with the client, and he had never mentioned canceling it. So why did he suddenly change his mind? For someone on Weston¡¯s level, his schedule was always nned down to the finest detail and seldom changed. Did something happen? She was slightly confused as she headed to the other side of the elevator in the parking garage after sending the client off in their car. That was when she saw Weston walking over to a white car. Daisy stopped dead in her tracks, uncertain if she should follow him. Ste thought she had to wait a little longer, but she saw Weston walking toward her. His ck suit made him look even taller and more aggressive than he usually did, and his eyes, dark as night, peered right into her soul. His gaze remained unwavering as it locked squarely on its target. His presence had always been overwhelming, especially in formal attire, which gave him an air of authority. He only had to stand there to give off a cold, proud, distant aura. Ste saw him walking toward her, and a thought suddenly came to her mind-liking this man was easy, but to keep doing so was exhausting. Even the bravest adventure seekers who strove to scale the highest mountain in the world couldn¡¯t stay on the snowy peak forever. They would freeze to death. So what kind of a woman could conquer a man like Weston? He seemed like the unstoppable south wind, one that never took no for an answer in the heat of passion. However, the same man could be cold as ice and heartless to the core when his passion wore away. She was immersed in her thoughts when a deep voice interrupted her. ¡°Why did youe today?¡± Weston went straight into the car. He shut the door with a m. Ste snapped back to attention and replied to him, ¡°It was snowing, and I thought ofing over to fetch you. I was free, anyway.¡¯ Her palms were resting on the steering wheel as she turned to look at him. He thought he would interrogate her and did not expect him to behave so mildly. Weston didn¡¯t have the intention of ming her. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean he approved of her driving over in the harsh winter, but he decided to be nice to her in light of her good intentions. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. As for everything else, he would make things straight with her tonight. ¡°You drove here on your own?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before that I drive pretty well. Nothing happened along the way¡­¡± Weston suddenly cut her off as he reached over to pull out the car key from the ignition.¡± Pretty well? You didn¡¯t even remove the keys.¡± With that, he flung the keys into the glove box. Ste¡¯s heart sank with the clink of the keys. She didn¡¯t expect to have made such a careless mistake! Quickly, she spoke up for herself. ¡°It was an ident. It won¡¯t happen the next time.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be the next time.¡± Weston grabbed her arm and pulled it away from the steering wheel. He intertwined his fingers with hers and said, ¡°During this winter, you must bring along the driver when you leave the house. Just because you didn¡¯t get into an ident today doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t the next.¡± Ste pursed her lips in silence. Weston wanted to dwell no further on this topic. He suddenly furrowed his brows and looked at her hand, ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡± Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Although it was bitterly cold and snow was falling heavily outside, it was warm andfortable inside the car, and her hands shouldn¡¯t have been that cold. Weston had changed the subject so quickly that Ste could tell he didn¡¯t want to continue arguing about her driving. She shook her head and said, ¡°My hands have always been this cold.¡± His brows furrowed even together. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He remembered that Ste did not have such a condition in the past. A thought came to his mind, and his face turned downcast. The air in the car turned colder. Ste used to hate such an atmosphere. Yet now, she did not want to reduce the guilt that Weston felt for her, and she looked straight into his eyes. She knew that Weston recalled something. Because of that child, because she stopped at nothing to keep that child who was ruthlessly taken away from her and ended up as a pool of blood¡­ She was left with such a condition after that time. Her limbs were cold throughout the year across all seasons and could never be warm no matter how much she covered them up. Weston snapped back after a long while. He held her hands and held them against his cheeks. Ste felt a warmth in her palms as she heard Weston¡¯s hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ll never allow you to be cold, ever again.¡± He looked into her eyes and promised, ¡°As long as you wish, I¡¯ll always be here with you. You can be warm with me.¡± Ste remained silent as she looked away. She wanted nothing more than to tell him that he was cold himself, and the chill was in his blood. No matter how warm his palms were, however, they could never warm her up. ¡°Why did you suddenly think ofing to the office to pick me up?¡± Weston lifted his hands and tucked her hair behind her ears. Thest time Ste came to fetch him, things ended acrimoniously between them, and they almost got into a huge fight. The trigger was that Weston didn¡¯t trust Ste¡¯s driving skills and thought that her driving by herself would be dangerous for her. He thought that was reason enough to stop Ste from driving and fetching him home, but he didn¡¯t expect her to drive her despite the snow and slippery roads. Weston wanted to interrogate her, but the sight of her safe and sound before him made him give up pursuing the matter. Ste sighed. ¡°For no reason whatsoever. I just wanted to leave the house. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯te next time¡­¡± Weston choked on her words and reached his hand out in mock frustration to pinch her nose.¡° Are you deliberately trying to anger me?¡± He did not wish to see Ste leave the house on such a cold day, but he wasn¡¯t happy hearing her say that she wouldn¡¯t pick him up next time. They had their whole lives stretched out before them. Ste¡¯s driving skills couldn¡¯t possibly be that poor, could they? Ste pushed his hand away. ¡°Are you going to keep treating me like an amateur driver?¡± Weston remained silent as he looked at her with a half-smile. Although he didn¡¯t respond, his silence was sufficient. Anger rose in Ste¡¯s heart. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± There was an observable difference in her attitude nowpared to the past -she dared to get upset with Weston and did not bother hiding her true feelings when she was angry. She no longer feared that he would get angry or displeased. Weston turned her face around and kissed the tip of her nose with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll just ignore you.¡± Weston lowered his head and remained silent. He grabbed her hands and gently rubbed her knuckles. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good that you¡¯re being slightly defiant.¡± Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Her hands were still cold. Weston lifted them to his lips and kissed them, but the look in his eyes turned elusive. Ste had a pair of beautiful hands that were so delicate and fair that her veins were slightly visible. Her skin tone was starkly different from his. He held her hands in his as memories of the past flooded into his mind. They weren¡¯t married for long, but they shared many intimate moments, one of which was certainly when Ste was on her period. She would be exceptionally shy whenever that happened. Things weren¡¯t that much better now. U Thus, this pair of hands came in handy. Weston¡¯s swallowed and asked, ¡°Do you find something missing from your hand?¡± Ste found his answer ridiculous. ¡°What is missing? Nothing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston kissed her ring finger. ¡°I think something¡¯s missing.¡± A ring He answered himself in his heart but did not say it out loud to Ste. He merely looked at her as though trying to pry into her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you somewhere, all right?¡± ¡°Pool again?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll find out when we¡¯re there.¡± It was a ce that would either make her very happy or ufortable. Ste did not expect Weston to bring her to such a ce. She was slightly taken aback. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Weston noticed her silence and reached out to hold her shoulders. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to head in?¡± Ste snapped back to attention and looked at him in shock, ¡°Did you bring me here¡­ to buy jewelry?¡± She actually wanted to ask if he was here to buy her a ring. But if it wasn¡¯t Weston¡¯s intention, then it would sound like she was overthinking things. It wasn¡¯t ideal, and their rtionship wasn¡¯t one suitable for rings. Weston could see through her hesitation at once. ¡°I don¡¯t remember us buying rings when we got married.¡± Ste was stunned for a moment as bitterness seeped into her heart. She didn¡¯t expect him to remember that little fact. Having gotten married in a rush, they had simply registered their marriage and didn¡¯t even have a pre- nuptial agreement. It was probably because Weston didn¡¯t find her much of a threat and thought he could extricate himself cleanly even without a pre-nuptial agreement. Till today, she just couldn¡¯t figure out what her marriage with Weston stood for. Like many women, she had once looked forward to marriage and wearing a wedding ring. However, when Weston asked for a divorce because of Guinevere, Ste found herself no longer caring for these things. She smiled and said, ¡°Since we didn¡¯t buy rings when we were married, what¡¯s the point of buying thern now?¡± Weston paused for a moment, knowing she must¡¯ve recalled all those unhappy memories of the past. He had no way of erasing or changing the past. The only thing he could do was to make things up to her as best he could, hoping those terrible memories of the past could be smothered. Aside from that, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else to help Ste let go of the past. ¡°You¡¯re not single right now. Isn¡¯t it normal to wear a ring?¡± Ste¡¯s gaze wavered, but she smiled a momentter. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not single, but I¡¯m not married either. There¡¯s no need for me to wear a ring, is there?¡± ¡°There is,¡± Weston cut her off and grabbed her hand. ¡°Letting others know you¡¯re not single will save you from unnecessary trouble¡­¡± Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 ¡°Sounds like you have much experience in this area.¡± Ste looked at him smilingly. ¡°Did you attract much attention when you weren¡¯t wearing a ring?¡± Weston caressed her head. ¡°There¡¯s no difference whether I wear one or not.¡± There were hordes of women who wanted a rtionship with him, whether he was married or not. ¡°But you wearing a ring can help block off many ill-intentioned men¡­¡± ¡°You should wear a ring with Guinevere,¡± Ste coldly cut him off. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The temperature in the car dropped a few degrees. Ste knew that the mere mention of her name at this point was akin to pouring a bucket of cold water over Weston¡¯s head. Yet, she still insisted on doing it to remind him that their rtionship wasn¡¯t a straightforward one. It was also not something she wanted. Weston sighed. ¡°How many times do you need me to repeat myself before you understand? I¡¯m not married to Guinevere.¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°When are you getting married to her? I¡¯ll send you a huge wedding gift.¡± Weston pinched her chin. ¡°Must you say all these today?¡± He had thought thating over to fetch him from work was a sign of peace, which was why he decided to bring her here to buy rings, but it didn¡¯t seem to seed in pleasing her. Ste shook her head. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll stop talking about her.¡± The corners of her lips twitched, but it was clearly not a smile. Weston rubbed in between his brows. A long whileter, he said hoarsely, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the Car¡± Ste had never been to such an exclusive-looking shopping mall. Weston held her hand and said, ¡°This is a new establishment, and you¡¯re its first customer.¡± Ste held his hand tight. ¡°What do you mean? You guys are open for business even before the official launching?¡± ¡°Ils doors are open specially for you today.¡± Ste was shocked. ¡°You made them open the mall for me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Weston stopped walking. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate crowded ces?¡± He had thought of bringing her to a boutique jewelry store, but given Ste¡¯s character, she would surely try to conceal herself and end up causing both to be upset and angsty. It was just like thest time he brought her to Musx, where she wouldn¡¯t stop squirming, worried sick about how people viewed her. Evidently, she cared a lot about the opinions of others. As he had expected, Ste began to hesitate. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t everyone know that the two of us ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Weston cut her off. He knew what she was worried about. ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed them ordingly. Don¡¯t worry about anything. They don¡¯t know who we are. We are just ordinary customers to them.¡± Ste nodded as she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Weston asked, ¡°What kind of ring would you like?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like rings.¡± ¡°tinum?¡± Ste shook her head again, ¡°Just a silver ring will do.¡± Weston stood silent for a moment as he turned a keen eye on her, ¡°Are you intending to not spend my money so that it¡¯s less troublesome when you eventually leave me?¡± His dark tone suddenly made Ste anxious. He had hit the nail on her head, but she did not want to admit it to Weston. Even though both of them knew it in their hearts, she wanted to continue acting as if she wanted nothing more than to stay by his side. She released his hand and looked at him calmly, ¡°Why would you think that way? I just think that diamonds are a consumer trap. Unless it rises in value, I¡¯m not very interested in such things.¡± She just didn¡¯t want Weston¡¯s ring. Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Weston remained silent. He stared at her for a long while before gathering her in his arms. He nted a kiss on her forehead and said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re thinking about our one-year timeline. Ste, please y your part as best you can. Don¡¯t let me catch you trying to leave me.¡± Ste¡¯s eyshes trembled as she shut her eyes. She leaned in his embrace and heard his heartbeat through his chest. After a long while, she said, ¡°All right.¡± Weston lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, ¡°Be more professional in your acting. Do you know what a woman who wants to stay with me looks like?¡± ¡°How does she look like?¡± ¡°She will want to spend my money.¡± Weston fished out a card and ced it in her hand. Ste refused to take it, but Weston pushed it into her palm and closed her fingers over it. ¡°Just use this if you want to buy anything.¡± Ste stared at the ck card in her palm, but she declined to nod in acknowledgment. Weston said empathically, ¡°I don¡¯t want you splitting things so clearly between us.¡± A storm raged in Ste¡¯s heart. She did not want money to be involved in her rtionship with Weston. Their marriage in the past arose precisely because she needed his help to settle Roger¡¯s medical fees. That was the reason she always felt inferior before him and in a position that demanded her to look up to him. Although they were husband and wife, she could only hide her admiration for him in her heart, quietly expressing her love for him over the years each day, never proiming it out loud, and neither seeking reciprocity. Having gotten used to giving and not receiving, she was uncustomed to feeling indebted to him. Ste held the ck card in her hand. After a long while, she finally nodded. She should learn how to think more for herself. In the jewelry store. Ste looked at the empty store and asked doubtfully, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t block off the entire ce?¡± The moment she asked, a couple walked past them, clearly looking like they were here on a shopping trip. Weston looked at her. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± Knowing that Ste disliked such special treatment, he decided it wasn¡¯t something he would do. Although the thought did cross his mind, he would¡¯ve rather done something in line with what Ste truly wanted. Soon, the two walked into a jewelry store. Ste recognized the brand-it had been aggressively advertising itself online-it was apparently a century-old brand that had recently be more essible to the masses¡­ to a certain extent. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Despite working with Ford Corporation to promote their brand to the masses, not everyone could afford their extravagant prices. A promotional slogan spread like wildfire on the web: Craft a ring that belongs to the one you love. Every single salesperson in the store had gone through rigorous selection. Dressed smartly in uniforms, even their smiles seemed exquisitely etched onto their faces, deliberately friendly and presentable. The moment anyone entered their doors, they woulde forward and greet them enthusiastically. ¡°Wee, sir and madam! Do you want to look around, or do you need any assistance?¡± ¡°Can we take a look around by ourselves first?¡± Ste replied. ¡°Of course, you can! All our best-selling ssics are disyed here. These are new items released this year¡­¡± The saleswoman brought them to a ss disy. Although Ste said she¡¯d look around, the saleswomen began fervently promoting the jewelry pieces to them. Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 ¡°What kind of jewelry are you looking for, Miss? Nes, earrings, rings, or bracelets?¡± All of the salespeople had gone through intensive training, and before Ste could react, she heard the saleswoman going on about the various ssic styles as if reciting a textbook. However, she soon noticed that the saleswoman kept stealing furtive nces at Weston and suppressing the wave of emotions that she was clearly feeling. Many of the saleswomen were young ladies with a keen eye for luxury goods. Being immersed in the luxury goods industry, she could tell at a nce that Weston was decked out in opulence from head to toe. Many other salespersons were also guessing who Weston was. Many people knew about Weston Ford. As long as they paid attention to finance or entertainment news, they would¡¯ve heard of the heir of the Ford family, whose wealth wasparable to that of small nations. Based on people who interviewed him in the past, he was apparently more handsome than many popr celebrities. It was just that the media seldom exposed his face. As such, although many had heard about him, they could not recognize him. They simply thought that Weston was some model or celebrity. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After a round of discussion, no one could arrive at a firm conclusion. ¡°Could he be a celebrity from overseas?¡± ¡°Possibly. A man of his looks couldn¡¯t possibly remain under the radar!¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably of mixed blood. He¡¯s so handsome! His features are so exquisite, and he looks young¡­ probably under 30?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the woman next to him? Is he married?¡± ¡°For all you know, they¡¯re here to buy rings¡­ ¡°Such handsome men are either already attached, married, or don¡¯t fancy women, to begin with¡­¡± The women whispered amongst themselves but because the store was rtively empty, the silence amplified their voices. Ste nced at Weston. He remained calm andposed, seeminglypletely unaffected by the voices. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, however, given that someone like Weston had always been the center of attention Even in the middle of arge crowd, everyone¡¯s gaze would involuntarily be drawn to him. He should be used to being the talk of the town. Ste suddenly remembered her schooling days when she could only see Weston from afar. He was always the brightest star in the night sky, and probably never realized that she was also amongst the crowd, looking at him. On the other hand, she was a speck of dust among the sea of uncountable stars in the universe who looked up to him. Weston was indeed unaffected by what the salespeople were talking about him. He put his arms around Ste¡¯s shoulder and walked to the innermost disy cab. He looked at the velvet box in the safe and asked, ¡°Do you like this one?¡± Ste¡¯s gaze followed his as itnded in the middle of the disy cab. It was a pair of silver-colored tinum rings. The difference between the thickness of the two rings was vast; the thinner one was set with a pink diamond in exquisite yet simple details. It was designed for a woman and looked nothing less than stunning. Ste¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. The saleswoman stepped forward immediately and smiled as she retrieved the ring ¡°You have an exquisite taste, sir. This is ourtest piece, the result of years-long craftsmanship from our famous designer. It¡¯s a limited edition, one design per ring item, representing your one and only love¡­¡± Ste didn¡¯t care much for the saleswoman¡¯s grandiloquent talk, but as a buyer, she found the ring very beautiful indeed. However, she didn¡¯t want a diamond ring. She looked at the price tag, which was as outrageous as she had expected. ¡°I don¡¯t really like it,¡± Ste said as she ced it back. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Weston looked at her. He clearly saw the excitement in her eyes, but here she was, rejecting it. ¡°Try it if you like it,¡± he persuaded while holding her hands. ¡°Yes! Try it if you like it!¡± the salesperson hastily added.¡° See how it looks on your finger! You have such fair skin and your fingers and long and sleek. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll look amazing on you! It will bring out your skin tone like nothing else would!¡± Ste gritted her teeth and rejected her, ¡°I¡¯m not young anymore, and pink is not a good color for me¡­¡± ¡°How are you not young?¡± Weston caressed her head and found her words hrious. ¡°What are you if not young?¡± He held her hand and directly slipped the ring on her finger. The saleswoman could clearly sense the hesitation in Ste, probably because she saw the price tag and didn¡¯t want to burden the man with such an exorbitant amount. . However, the man looked wealthy and would probably not hesitate to buy such an expensive ring for her. The saleswoman was filled with envy at that thought. ¡°It¡¯s worth every penny indeed! You look great wearing this ring, and pink brings out your skin tone very well! Sir, you have excellent taste!¡± The saleswoman had a hidden meaning in her praise: Not only did Weston have an eye for picking rings, but he also had good taste in women, too. Weston smiled as he turned to Ste. ¡°Do you like it? If you do, let¡¯s get it.¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed , but she quickly recovered and shook her head with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t really like this piece She tried to sound as casual as she could. Weston stared at her and reached out to caress her head.¡± Do you not like this piece in particr, or do you not like rings in general?¡± Instead of responding directly to him, Ste turned around and headed to another disy cab, ¡°Let¡¯s look at bracelets instead.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked on at her from the back. * At that moment, the saleswoman was struck by his cold and distant aura. She was suddenly worried about having done or said something wrong. Chapter 500 Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. 3/4 However, Weston immediately collected himself and walked toward Ste. He put his arm around her shoulders and said, ¡°Pick something you like.¡± He suddenly figured out it wasn¡¯t that Ste didn¡¯t want that ring, but rather, she didn¡¯t want him to buy a ring for her. Both of them kept the unspoken chemistry between them. After that interlude , they were no longer in the mood to continue shopping. The prices of those jewelry pieces were like peanuts for Weston and was no big deal to him. In the car. He wore a thin white silver bracelet on Ste¡¯s wrist. Although it wasn¡¯t a ring, at least her hand was no longer bare, and it looked much better to him. Ste stuck her hand out and let him tinker with the bracelet on her wrist. Upon seeing that he could not fasten the bracelet, she couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°You haven¡¯t unlocked the sp.¡± . Weston lowered his head and gave the bracelet a better look, finally noticing a tiny sp on it. His hands were used to making critical and pivotal Chapter 500 decisions. A simple signature on a document was enough to bankrupt or resurrect apany. That hand that could change one¡¯s destiny, however, was unable to deal with a tiny bracelet. ¡¤ Weston coughed. However, he quickly got the hang of things and managed to figure out how to adjust the bracelet to a suitable length and fasten it on Ste¡¯s wrist. ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to find a ring you like. Next time, I¡¯ll hire a dedicated designer to design one for you. What would you like?¡± Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Chapter 501 When Ste saw that he wasn¡®t going to change his mind, she got a little annoyed. ¡°Whatever. Just keep it simple,¡± she replied nonchntly. Weston didn¡®t say anything as he embraced her in his arms and kissed her. As they were kissing, she felt his tongue trying to pry her mouth open. Then, she heard him mutter, ¡°What do you desire?¡± She shut her eyes and acted like she heard nothing. He knew all too well what she wanted. She wanted freedom , to run somewhere far away from him and start a new life. If she was being honest, she wanted him and Guinevere to pay back for all the suffering she had endured. He knew what she wanted, but he would never give her that. On the set. The snow had fallen heavily these past few days, dying the shooting However, thanks to the entire crew¡¯s efforts, progress had been made, though she was worried that Guinevere¡¯s temper outbursts would disrupt the shoot. She had no idea what Bradley had said to Guinevere but after that day, Guinevere never again lost her temper. Many people thought that Guinevere had changed into another person, but no one dared to talk about her. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After all, she was a mighty and powerful woman. If it ever got to her that people were gossiping about her, they would have to pay the price. Moreover, some crew members were starting to distance themselves from Ste. Everyone knew that the reason behind Guinevere¡®s sudden burst of temper was because Ste outshone her by a good margin. A celebrity¡®s acting and movie storyline didn¡®t really matter. What mattered was that they shone in it. Whether it was beauty or acting skills because what they were scared of the most wasparison. Although pulling dirty tricks behind the opponent¡®s back wasmon, such an openpetition demanded a certain level of emotional intelligence. Ste was also proven to be a serious person. Despite the fact that she normally got along well and was unconcerned about others, she was very serious about her job and made quick progress. Not only did Guinevere note her progress , but Caspian did, and changed his mind about her. ¡°I really can¡®t tell that this is your first time acting. Your acting was quite awkward at first, but now, you¡®re amazing at it,¡± he told her one day,plimenting her. However, his manager dragged him away with a sour face before they could talk even more. Ever since then, she felt that everyone would keep their distance from her. Some side actors were still nice to her, as it didn¡®t ruin their career, so they didn¡®t really care about it. Tug¨Cof¨Cwarsmonly happened behind closed doors. They weren¡®t usually fought on the table, but in private. Ste could feel the people around her changing, but she didn¡®t care much about it. Ever since she had decided to walk this path, she was ready for this. Everything changed quickly in the circle. She¡®d get to the point where he couldn¡®t control her. It would be fine, so long she did her best and slowly but steadily worked her way up. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 On the other side of the film scene., Everyone could feel that the atmosphere was tensetely, but no one dared to ask Guinevere or Bradle y about what was happening¨Cafter all, the two held the highest status among the crew. Guinevere stared intently at the script in her hands, but she couldn¡®t concentrate. When her manager saw this, he whispered, ¡°E is a lot calmer, and others know how to be around her. See, if you¡®re generous, they will listen to you and...¡± Before he could finish, though, she shot him an expressionless nce. The manager consciously shut his mouth, suddenly realizing that Guinevere might get irritated. She rubbed her forehead in fatigue. She knew that they cared about profit the most, so they were trying hard to please her. But she didn¡®t want any of those. All she wanted was to be just like E, who needed to do almost nothing to have people stay by her side. It was unlike her situation, where she had to work her *ss off to get to a certain level where she¡®d be adored. Lately, however, she had little time to care about E, having another thing to worried about, After Belle left, there was this new girl, She didn¡®t know who that person was, but she was perhaps Weston¡®s secretary or assistant. The only person she knew who worked for him was Ben. As for the rest, she couldn¡®t recall much. Weston was very rigorous when it came to working and he never allowed her to interfere. Hence, she k new little about the people who worked for him. Otherwise, it wouldn¡®t just be Belle that she¡®d have to d eal with. The realization only made her feel even worse. She thought everything would be fine once Ste had b een gotten rid of, but then Belle appeared. And after she was gone, then came another unknown girl. What made her anxious was that E looked exactly like Ste. ¡°Bradley is calling for you!¡± Guinevere put down the script in her hands and stood up. ¡°Okay.¡± She really didn¡®t have the extra energy to deal with these messy things. There were only two things she could do: film, and the other, finding out the identity of the woman Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Weston had been with recently. ...and that thing with Bradley. As this was the third time, Bradley¡®s patience was at its limits, and he gave her a stark warning. She kne After all, Bradley had made slight changes to her and E¡®s part ording to her opinions. Although Ste was bugging her, she was devoid of any energy to further bother about the matter. After a day of shooting, Ste sat next to Bradley and saw his assistant suddenly appear from nowhere. Bradley frowned when he heard his assistant¡®s words.¡± You know I don¡®t go to events like these.¡± ¡°There¡®s no other choice. The organizer insisted. If you don¡®te...¡± ¡°Fine. I know.¡± Bradley was an artist, and he hated it the most when people employed dirty tricks. Even so, in order to get anything done, one had to have intelligence. Bradley, a man with a high EQ, had the ability to pacify people. Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 But he hated this kind of lifestyle. , Especially social gatherings. To him, it was nothing more than a ce to grab profits off of each other, disguised in a sea of beautiful dresses and tasty champagne. With the invitation card in his hands, he suddenly turned to Ste. ¡°E,e here.¡± Being called out suddenly, Ste stood up and walked towards him as she thought she must¡®ve made s ome mistake. ¡°Did I mess up my part?¡± ¡°No. You improved a lot actually.¡± A gratified look appeared on his face at the mention of this. ¡°It doesn¡®t ur to me that this is your first t ime acting. During your first shooting, it was obvious you were inexperienced , but I don¡®t see that anym ore. This career suits you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Bradley ...¡± She was shocked by his suddenpliments. Bradley hadn¡®t forgotten why he called the rookie over, and he handed her the invitation letter in his han ds. ¡°Are .you interested in attending?¡± Ste was stunned for a while before taking it and reading it. ¡°But such an event usually invites the big Chapter 503 2/4 shots in the circle...¡± Perhaps small¨Ctime actors like her didn¡®t qualify to attend such an event. Bradley replied, ¡°Don¡®t be nervous. It may look like it¡®s some sort of professional business meeting but everyone is there to have fun. Don¡®t take it too seriously.¡± He stopped for a beat before continuing, ¡°If you decide to be a professional actor in the future, you coul d use this opportunity to broaden your connections. I hate this too, but it¡®s an unfortunate necessity in t he entertainment industry.¡± Ste understood what he meant. ¡°Thank you. I will do my best and fight for it.¡± Bradley nodded his head in delight and patted her shoulder. ¡°Don¡®t disappoint me.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. At Stardust Mansion. Weston seemed to have some memories about the g that Ste was talking about. He put down the documents in his hand and looked at her. ¡°You want to go?¡± She nodded. ¡°I promised Bradley.¡± . The man paused in his actions for a split¨Csecond. Ste seemed to notice something was off with him and immediately walked to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Don¡®t overthink it. We¡®re just colleagues.¡± When he heard this, he lowered his head and chuckled before suddenly pinching her nose. ¡°Do I seem that unreasonable to you?¡°. Ste pursed her lips, didn¡®t say a word, and merely stared at him. Her eyes, however, told him that he was, indeed, that unreasonable. Weston stoppedughing , lifted her, and seated her on him. He was inside the study room with stacks of documents in front of him. Ste sensed danger and immediately shook his neck.¡° It¡®s quitete now, so quickly finish your work, o my ability to work or my ability in bed?¡± Was she that afraid that he would take that much time, till midnight? Did heck so much self control? She didn¡®t say a word, but she still held that hesitation on her face. . Seeing her like this made him doubt himself. No matter howte he worked, he would still have energy for her, and she didn¡®t even have to wake up. However, there were times when Ste forgot to take her medicine and awoke in the middle of her sleep. Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Ste nced at the stacks of documents on the table and felt her head throbbing. ¡°You must be very b usy since you came into the study the moment you got home. Let¡®s not let things get in the way.¡± She behaved like she was thinking for his sake. However, Weston didn¡®t let her go. ¡°So, are youining that I didn¡®t spend enough time with you?¡± ¡°That¡®s not what I meant...¡± Ste had been put in a tough position. He clearly knew what she meant but had deliberately made it di fficult for her. Weston let out a sneer, lifted her up, and ced her on the table. Her instinct was telling her that something was wrong. As she tried to escape, he held her waist and pushed her backward. He sat facing her like that. She didn¡®t feel safe sitting in that position and said anxiously, ¡°Stop messing around. Go do your work. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 504 ¡°It¡®s still early.¡± Weston¡®s voice turned deep all of a sudden. He reached his hands out to touch her hair, feeling its softness on his fingertips. The light inside the room was bright. The man looked down at her condescendingly and could see every line on her face clearly. Weston was a towering figure. Although Ste wasn¡®t as short aspared to other girls, she looked e xtremely tiny beside him. There was an obvious height difference between them. Even though she was sitting at the table, she was still shorter than him. He looked down and stared at her eyshes. Feeling his heart skip a beat, he leaned in to kiss her. Along with Ste was another actress in the same situation¨C Angelina Thompson. Her performance was also amazing but the difference between them was that she had just graduated as an acting major. * She performed very well in school, but because of her slightly inferior appearance to her ssmates, she never got a chance in getting good roles. Chapter 504 3/4 Angelina was gorgeous and attractive among the ordinary, but there was also no shortage of beautiful women in the entertainment industry. Even standing next to Ste made her look more like an ordinary person. That said, like Ste, she had a good personality and was very professional in her dealings. The next morning, after Angelina finished her scene, she headed to Ste to tell her about it. Instantly, Ste felt a little less nervous. She thought that she¡®d have to endure the whole day alone. ¡°I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t have anyone to talk to and I¡®ll just stand there like an idiot...¡± ¡°It¡®s fine. I was scared too. Hey, if I feel awkward, I¡®ll go to you so we can be together, alright?¡± Hearing this, Steughed. ¡°You¡®re putting your hopes on the wrong person. I¡®m probably more awkwa you.¡± ¡°You never been to these gs before?¡± Ste shook her head. Angelina let out a chuckle. ¡°What a coincidence . I have , never been to one before too. Will we be standing there like idiotster?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± The other guests heardughing and talking and subconsciously turned in their direction. Angelina wasn¡®t an important figure, so they didn¡®t care who she mingled with. But who would have thought that she¡®d receive Bradley¡®s invitation as well? Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Everyone knew well enough that Angelina was given the opportunity because of her outstanding performance. But some still talked bad about her despite knowing their skills couldn¡®t bepared to hers, thinking she must have gotten the opportunity by using dirty means. Just like Ste, she was b eing gossiped about behind her back. ¡°I can¡®t believe that Bradley has a thing for them. Normally on set, nothing suspicious happens, but he i s now alongside the lead actors...¡± ¡°They have quite the skill!¡± ¡°Right! Now that they¡®re serving the same man, let¡®s see how close they¡®ll get to each other.¡± Such gossips were a norm within the entertainment circle. It was as if some people were solely born to think of the worst of someone else. Although Ste was ustomed to the situation, she still felt a little ufortable. * When Angelina saw the look on her face, she tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡®t care what they say and just keep moving forward. As you move forward, many will stab you from behind, but they would slowly get smaller. There will always be people who will talk about you, and it¡®s not something you have to be con cerned about.¡±. Ste understood her friend and shed her a smile. ¡°By the way, do we need to do anything before going to the g?¡± ¡°Have you bought a dress?¡± Angelina asked. Ste shook her head. ¡°How about we go shopping after the shooting?¡± Without thinking, Ste agreed. But after calming down, she remembered that Weston would usually send his driver to pick her up. After some hesitation , she said to Angelina , ¡°Give me a second. I need to make a phone call.¡± She went to a corner and called Weston. ¡°I want to go shopping with a co¨Cworker on set...¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Is it a man or woman?¡± came his teasing voice from the other end of the call. ¡°Of course, it¡®s a woman.¡± She didn¡®t think that he would ask such a childish question. ¡°If it¡®s a guy, do you think I would dare to tell you?¡± ¡°So, you do n to go out with a male colleague?¡± Weston stood on the balcony and his back look huge and strong He just finished singing a few important docum ents, and there was a smile in his eyes. The workers in the office felt that his mood had lightened uptely despite his face showing barely any emotions, but he didn¡®t seem that depressed anymore. Weston was very satisfiedst night, so he agreed to her request. But not without giving her a time limit. ¡°Be home before nine.¡± Ste swiftly agreed. After a moment, Guinevere called him. His eyes gradually darkened, and he picked up the call without emotion. He was as cold as always. Guinevere was used to him being this way. ¡°There¡®s a g next week. Are you interested ining?¡± She asked him like usual. * Such banquets usually required guests to bring along a femalepanion. If he attended it, she would have to go along as well, as she was his wife. Weston rubbed his forehead with frustration. ¡°I¡®ve never been interested in events like that.¡± As if she had long guessed his answers, she sighed and said, ¡°I¡®ll go with someone else then. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 There was a slight mistrust in her voice. ¡°Okay,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Would you be mad if I went with another man?¡± Guinevere hesitated and asked again as she didn¡®t get her desired an swer. Weston lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. Although he didn¡®t show it, she could hear the nonchnt and half¨Chearted answer he gave her. ¡°Don¡®t ask such childish questions.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He had never restricted her from making any friends, with the agreement between them not to get involved in each other¡®s private space. When she heard this, she swallowed all the words she wanted t o say. ¡°I understand...¡± After hanging up the phone, Guinevere held back the surging anger and suppressed all the emotions. It was undeniable that Hayden was indeed talented. After a few times of treatments, she could wonderfully control her emotions. Thanks to his shrewd medical skills, now she haspletely remembered what happened before and knew Chapter 506 2/3 what happened to her and Weston¡®s rtionship. She shut her eyes, and it was as If she could hear Zachary¡®s cries. The noise buzzed incessantly around her ear, and it annoyed her. She finally knew why she despised him. But because she was his mother, she had no choice. Before having him, she knew he wasn¡®t Weston¡®s child. She knew that Weston wasn¡®t the man from that night, but a man who put her in so much pain that she hated him with her all. She wouldn¡®t be with Weston if it weren¡®t for the fact that she could bear only one child, the business ag reement with the Ford family, and Chris and Wendy¡®s marriage. Coupled with Wendy¡®s poor health, such a blow wasn¡®t something she could take. But even so, what was the point? Even if Weston wasn¡®t treating her truthfully, he could only stay beside her. Her ce was unshakable as long as Weston saw Zachary as his son and everyone knew she was his wife. ¡°Prepare a dress for me.¡± Guinevere stood up. ¡°Okay. Do I need to inform the media?¡± her manager asked immediately. ¡°What do you think?¡± She entered the fitting room, and rows of gowns and dresses were in front of her. Her eyes browse through the gowns and were unsatisfied. ¡°Are there any new branded gowns?¡± ¡°We have a fewrge foreign brands. If you¡®re willing to wear them, they are willing to work with you.¡± ¡°Of course. Also, I only wear limited edition gowns" Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Guinevere put her orders, and her manager nodded immediately. ¡°You¡®ll be the most beautiful woman o n that day!¡± he gushed. Besides her best actress title, she was also known for being a perfectionist. A gorgeous woman by design, she was willing to spend money on her face and figure and even had her clothes customized and tailored. Many A¨Clist film stars didn¡®t dare to provoke her because of her family background and Weston. So, for the past years, no one could overthrow her ce in the circle. The minute she appeared, she would stand out among all. No one dared to challenge her¨C in fact, they would go as far as to dress up simply in front of her. If Guinevere were to bepared to someone else, she would always win hands down, no matter who she waspared to. Soon, the person who had beenpar ed to her would be bothered by negative news. It could be said that Guinevere¡®s position in the circle was very domineering, and no one was allowed to provoke her. When Angelina and Ste went shopping, they didn¡®t Chapter 507 2/4 waste too much thought and energy on picking a gown as they knew that Guinevere would be there. As long as the gown looked fine, it was enough. Evidently, the two girls simply wanted to shop together. It had been a long time since Ste made friends. Since the conflict with Yvonne and Lucas, she had st opped contacting them. Yvonne seemed to feel that she was distancing herself. In order to not put Ste on the spot, she stopped contacting her, too, unles s it was necessary. Since she didn¡®t have many friends, she appreciated the times she spent with Angelina. Angelina, very outgoing and two years younger than her, was basically a normal girl. Ste felt very rel axed with her, and the two soon found themselves in the perfect gown. Since she was fair¨C skinned, Angelina suggested that she try on the red dress. But Ste felt it was too over the top and opt ed for the light gold instead, while Angelina went for a white gown. They chose somewhat basic dresses so that they wouldn¡®t stand out among the crowd. Despite that, be ing simple and humble folk, they were very satisfied with their uplicated purchase. The other reason they hade to shop besides picking out a dress was to rx. ¡°I really think you should try the red dress. When you were trying it on earlier, the other customers in the store were amazed! One girl even got mad because her boyfriend couldn¡®t stop looking at you!¡± As Angelina retold the story, she couldn¡®t help butugh out loud. ¡°If I were the girl, I¡®d break up with hi m!¡± Ste didn¡®t take it seriously and shed a smile. ¡°He probably wasn¡®t even looking at me. Plus, you¡®re just being a little much. There are so many beautiful girls on set. I know what I look like.¡± When Angelina heard this, her eyes widened. ¡°Don¡®t tell me you don¡®t know you¡®re beautiful.¡± There were indeed many beautiful women in the entertainment industry, but Ste clearly stood out. Perhaps she was unlike Guinevere, but in Angelina¡®s eyes, Ste was prettier. ¡°Maybe if you weren¡®t that beautiful, Guinevere won¡®t be so against you...¡± Ste didn¡®t reply, stopping in her tracks when she saw a fancy ck car driving towards her from afar. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Angelina sensed something was wrong and asked in concern, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± She shook her head and replied, ¡°Nothing. I have something to do. I need to leave now...¡± Angelina was weirded by this but suddenly saw the ck car in front of her, and her eyes widened in amazement. ¡° Wow! This is the first time I have seen a license te with such an awesome number... Isn¡®t this the kind of car only big shots with lots of money can affo Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Angelina wanted to tell Ste about the car, but she left in a hurry. As Angelina stared at her back, she was a little puzzled.¡± Why is she running so quickly as if a ghost is chasing her?¡± At the junction. The minute Ste got inside the car, she heard the man¡®s deep voice asking, ¡°Did you have fun?¡± She p ut the bag on the seat and looked outside the window. Seeing that Angelina didn¡®t follow her, she sighed a breath of relief. ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you that I¡®ll get a cab home? What if my colleagues see you?¡± Her tone was filled with usatory vibes. The man¡®s eyebrows scrunched into a frown, and he shifted his gaze away from the documents in his hands and focused on her. ¡°Do you think I¡®ll let you take a taxi back? Do you know how much news there¡¯s been recently? Your security awareness is so poor...¡± ¡°Then let me drive to work,¡± Ste interrupted him. After the words were released, the temperature in the car immediately dropped. The two had locked horns, with none willing to step back. After a moment of silence, Weston put aside the documents and rubbed his forehead as he said, ¡°I¡®m too tired to fight with you.¡± He then pulled her to sit on him. ¡°Ste , let me lean on you for a while.¡± She realized how bad her attitude was earlier. She was just thinking about how to apologize , when she realized that he had let it go. She sighed and put her hands on her knees. ¡°I was a little anxious just now because I am scared that people would know. I¡®m sorry. I shouldn¡®t talk to you like that.¡± Weston caressed her hair but didn¡®t say a word. But Ste understood what he was trying to say. After a pause, she turned to him and lowered her head to kiss him. Now, she seemed to have found a way to calm him down. Sure enough, the man¡®s eyes instantly softened. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned on him as she whispered beside his ears, ¡°I just don¡®t want to cause you unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s never trouble when ites to you.¡± He stared into her eyes. ¡°When have I ever resented you?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°You never did...¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He lifted his hand and flicked her on the forehead, ¡°At least you still have a heart.¡± Ste didn¡®t say a word but lowered her eyes as she tried to savor the silence they had. After a while, she seemed to remember something.¡° What should I do at the g?¡± ¡°So, now you remember me when you need my help?¡±. She leaned her head on his chest and said, ¡°I bought a dress earlier¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± He nced at the bag on the side and said,¡° Wear it and let me seeter.¡± At Stardust Mansion. Weston had never been interested in women¡®s clothes, but he frowned as he watched Ste wear the lig ¡°This is your fashion taste?¡± It seemed he really disagreed with her aesthetics. She had a beautiful figure, yet she¡®d keep wrapping herself up tight. He knew she feared the cold, and he¡®d barely seen her wearing such formal dresses. The cutting was simple, and the light gold suited her tone, but that was all to it. It was an ordinary dress, but it looked attractive on her. With her ck hair hanging free behind her back Weston closed up to her from behind and ced his hands on her waist. His voice sounded hoarse sud ¡°Do I look good?¡± she asked as she nodded. Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 She stared at herself in the mirror. , Standing close to each other in front of the mirror , she was looking into the mirror while he stared at her. After a moment, he met her eyes in the mirror. ¡°Yes.¡± Weston only muttered one word. Ste could sense the danger in his eyes. ¡°I¡®ve never seen you like this before...¡± His lips were now next to her ears, ever so lightly grazing them as he let out a hot puff of air with every exhale. Her heart drummed in her chest. Ever sinceing home, he never took his eyes off her. So, she didn¡®t have the time to take the medicines. She wasn¡®t sure if she could get into that state if he wanted to... Weston still hadn¡®t noticed anything wrong with her throughout the time she took the medicines. It was just that she was a lot more nervous than usual. ¡°You heart is beating so quickly...¡± His hand suddenly moved upward from her waist, and he frowned. ¡°Rx a little.¡± She inhaled sharply. ¡°I need a shower.¡± ¡°You did earlier,¡± he reminded her before suddenly lifting her chin and kissing the corner of her lips. ¡°Di d you forget?¡± She shook her head and pushed him away with some difficulty. ¡°I need a drink...¡± ¡°Sit here. I¡®ll get it for you.¡± He let go of her and walked out of the room. Immediately, she ran to the bedside table and opened the bottle of medicine. She poured out two pills and swallowed them. At that time, the sound of Weston¡®s footsteps got closer to the door and she quickly threw the bottle into the drawer and shut it. In the next instant, a shadow appeared behind her. He was looking down at her and asked, ¡°What are you doing squatting here?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She stood up quickly. Anxiety was written all over her face. He stared at her with the ss of water in his hand. The ck and blue silk nightwear made his figure appear big and strong as he stood before her. ¡°Water.¡± He handed her the water. She took the ss over and took a sip and the dryness in her throat eased a little. She took a breather , put the ss on the bedside table, and then sat on the bed. The next second, he climbed on the bed as well. Ste shut her eyes, thinking that he would make the move, but she saw him reaching for the bedside ta ¡°What is this?¡± Instantly, she held her breath and her heartbeat hastened. N?velDrama.Org content. But she quickly regained herposure and answered, ¡° Vitamins¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± He nced at the bottle, and it was indeed vitamins. ¡°You were looking at this?¡± ¡°Yes. My mouth is dry, so I need the vitamins...¡± She tried her best to make her voice sound calm. ¡°Huh?¡± He threw the bottle away and lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Which part is dry?¡± Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 His hand went up slowly along her wrist until it finally reached her shoulder. ¡°I feel that they¡®re... very moist.¡± As he spoke, his lips pressed on hers, and he chuckled.¡± What do you think?¡± Ste didn¡®t know how she held it in until the medicine took effect. All she knew was that the first half an hour was a hellish torment. She repulsed his touch so much that all she could do was lie straight on the bed with a pale face. Weston soon realized something was off. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± She shook her head, unwilling to speak. He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. ¡°Tell me, where do you feel ufortable? I don¡®t like it when people lie to me.¡± She sucked in a breath and forced a lie. ¡°Don¡®t mess up , my dress.¡± ¡°So, this is what she¡®s worried about,¡± he thought to himself. A teasing smile shed in Weston¡®s eyes, and he put his hand on the fragile straps and stroked it gently, ¡°In your eyes, is this cheap dress more important than me?¡± She shook her head, and her eyes turned red. ¡°I just bought it. Don¡®t ruin it.¡± He felt his heart ache when she said it. Perhaps it was because her face seemed pitiful... but at the same time, he really wanted to destroy it. Although he said that he wouldn¡®t tear it, the movements of his hands spoke theplete opposite. Ste didn¡®t have the strength to fight back at all. She too doesn¡®t know how she got through it. Maybe the medicine she took effectter because she felt like her mind was swept away by a storm that she let him do what he wanted She doesn¡®t remember what happenedter, but all she heard was a sickening rip. When she woke up, there was a mess all around, and she could smell the aftermath. Her chosen dress had been torn apart, with half under the sheets and the other half on the carpet. * Ste forced herself up to take a look at her slender arms stretched out on the quilt. Faint red marks could be seen on her wrist. Her fingertips picked up the light golden fabric that was thrown on Weston¡®s suit. With the movement of her getting up, the tie hanging on the bed frame also fell, and it fell on her should er, covering the bite marks left he left on her. Her body ached badly, but she could only care about the dress he tore. The next second, there was a wave of heat from the back. He pulled her into his arms. ¡°Awake?¡± Her back was against his chest, and the warmth made her feel a little restless. ¡°Don¡®t mess around... I have to go on set tomorrow, and you m ¡°Does your heart ache?¡± he asked her. Ste knew Weston was talking about the dress and deliberately shook her head. ¡°I¡®ll buy a new one.¡± ¡°Why do you look so sad?¡± He lifted her chin, and as he stared at her face, suddenly biting the tip of her nose lightly. ¡°It¡®s only a dress. I¡®ll get someone to send you a new one.¡± She immediately frowned and refused. ¡°No need. I¡®m just going to a business banquet. I don¡®t want to attract other people¡®s attention...¡± Nheless, he didn¡®t let her do as she pleased this time. ¡°You can buy one for yourself. But whenever you buy one, I will tear one. You know I have the energy...¡± ¡°You...¡± She paused and red at him. ¡°How are you this unabashed!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Chapter 511 A happy man would always show a side of him that waspletely different from usual. If those who knew Weston saw this side of him, they would be stunned. He kept his words. The next day, Ste returned to the vi, and Weston came back an hourte. When he came back, she was sitting on the sofa looking at the script in her hand when she saw him standing at the entrance with a delicately packaged box in his hand. She paused for a while and had a bad feeling. ¡°... You¡®re back.¡± He hummed, walked toward her, and carried her up from the sofa. Joan was at the side, and Ste couldn¡®t help but remind him,¡± There¡®s people around...¡± Seeing him frown, Joan said immediately, ¡°I¡®ll go to the kitchen now. You two can continue...¡± Ste was at a loss for words. Then, he lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Can I do it now?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Before she could finish, he had already kissed her. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. There was a good¨Cmorning kiss before leaving in the morning, and there must be a wee¨Chome kiss after returning home from work. Even if he didn¡®t stipte it, she had noticed that there would be at least two kisses every day. The kiss went on for a while, and the sound of lips mashing together and tongues entangling with each other was loud enough to make Joan leave the kitchen while feeling embarrassed. After a long time, Weston said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Open it and see if you like it.¡± When she heard this, she slowly opened the delicately packaged velvet box. She held her breath when she saw the dress inside the next second. It was stunning. No woman in this world wouldn¡®t fall in love with it if they saw such a beautiful dress. She held the box in her hand and was so stunned that she forgot to put it down as she was unable to describe how she felt at this moment. Such blood¨Cred color was scarce. Red was a very intense color. If the color was slightly lighter, it would lose its beauty; if it was ¡¤ darker, it would look old¨Cfashioned. It needed to be just right. Only the most standard red would give others a strong visual contact. It was solemn but not conservative, enthusiastic but not reckless. The surprise in her eyes was visible. Weston smiled and caressed her hair as he asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡± Her mouth was shut tightly. Even though she didn¡®t answer his question, he could see the answer from her expression. She reached inside the bag and carefully took out the dress. Upon taking a closer look, she saw the smart designs of the dress. At first nce, it seemed to be just a simple dress. However, the thin straps were made of strings of tiny pearls. No wonder it looked so bright. The material of the clothes was also very high¨C grade, soft, and dense, and there was almost no trace of the seams. Just by looking at the shape, one would know that it would look good on the person. No woman would dislike beautiful things. Ste was no exception. The words of rejection were at the edge of her mouth, yet she couldn¡®t let them out. Her fingers rubbed slowly on the skirt. Weston looked at her with satisfaction, took off the tie around his neck, and suddenly leaned in as he said, ¡°Answer my question. Do you like it?¡± Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Her eyes flickered, but in the end, she nodded reluctantly. ¡°It¡®s beautiful...¡± There was a light smile in the man¡¯s eyes, and he suddenly pinched her waist with both hands. ¡°Put it on and let me see.¡± Under his gaze, she blushed instinctively. How he looked at her was so unconcealed that almost everything was written in his eyes. He had always been good at hiding his emotions, not letting anyone see his true self. But in front of her, all his desires were written in his eyes, without a trace of hiding; they were all shown to her. ¡°I want to see what it looks like on you.¡± After a while, she stood in front of the same mirror and looked at herself. She felt a little strange looking at her reflection. How long had it been since she dressed up? She didn¡®t know nor remember. She was like every other little girl when her parents were still alive. She would spend a lot of time dressi ng up and clumsily learning makeup from those older girls, but she always had messed¨Cup makeup. Even so, it didn¡¯t stop her from loving dressing up. People who loved life would naturally love beautiful things. But after the death of her parents, she seemed to have lost this ability. N?velDrama.Org content. Most of the time, she focused on simplicity andfort, and she rarely paid attention to how she looked. Ste hesitated to move. Weston no longer urged her, but turned around, picked up a red ribbon from the gift box, then walked behind her. ¡°Do you want me to help you wear it?¡± Instantly, she came to her senses and pushed him away. ¡°No need. I can do it on my own.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted my help cause you¡®ve been standing still just now.¡± She gave him a fixed look and insisted, ¡°I can wear it myself.¡± It would be too embarrassing to let him help her wear it. But Weston didn¡®t care as he wrapped the red silk around his fingers. ¡°Isn¡®t it toote to say this now?¡± When Ste heard this, she pursed her lips. In a confrontation, she was always the losing one. After a moment, Weston gently held the ck hair on her shoulders, took off her nightgown, and then put on the red gown. His movements were swift, as if he was touching something valuable for fear of wrinkling her silky skin. Ste lowered her head and looked at the man¡®s solemn expression. It was as if he was dealing with a case with hundreds of millions at stake. He focused on his movements as he carefully lifted the string with pearls and diamonds up her shoulders. His purlicue had a thin callus as it caressed her skin, which felt different. It was like a rough stone on smooth satin. The thin rope was so tight that it might snap at any time. But it was extremely strong to connect all the bright pearls. It was just like her current mood. It was as if she was dancing on a rip. Looking at her in the mirror, Weston felt his mouth suddenly bing dry, his Adam¡®s apple rolled up and down with desire. He then pulled his bow tie open and threw it aside. Ste still lowered her head as she sized up the dress, but she never raised her head to look into the mirror. He suddenly walked behind her and lifted her chin. ¡°Look at yourself.¡± He hugged her from behind and wrapped his giant palms in front of her, his purlicue choking her neck. Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 The mirror reflected the tall man¡®s figure and the petite figure of the woman. The huge size difference made her look so vulnerable. A thought suddenly came to his mind where he wanted to make her his. That way, she would forget about the one¨Cyear deal and wouldn¡®t want to leave him. His thin lips moved down, resting on the back of her neck. His warm breath hit her skin, and Ste closed her eyes subconsciously while saying in a hoarse voice, ¡°Stop messing around...¡± He didn¡®t say a word but only chuckled in a low voice as his hands moved around her body, making her anxious. His thin lips pressed behind her ears while he whispered in a hoarse voice, ¡°I kind of regret letting you wear this dress.¡± She was beautiful, like the Siren. ¡°It¡®s veryte. I have to go to the banquet tomorrow, so I need a good rest...¡± ¡°Then I¡®ll try to hurry up.¡± Weston whispered, ¡°I try to make you go to bed earlier.¡± Facts had proved that man¡®s words were useless at such times. ¡°Do you want me to send you there?¡± ¡°No.¡± She frowned. ¡°I can go there by myself. Just ask the driver to take me to the crossroads. I¡®m meeting with someone else to go there together...¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The girl that went shopping with me that day....¡± She thought for a while and kept it simple as she didn¡®t want to get into many details. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She couldn¡®t understand Weston¡®s temper and was unwilling to let him affect the people around her. She had learned a lesson from the situation with Yvonne, and she didn¡®t want to let any of her friends be affected by him anymore. As if seeing through what she was thinking, Weston frowned and said in an affronted tone, ¡°Am I that scary that you don¡®t dare to introduce your friends to me?¡± ¡°That¡®s not what I meant.¡± She paused, tidying up her dress.¡± There¡®s only half an hour left... I¡®ll try toe back as soon as possible.¡± She changed the subject, and he didn¡®t feel like troubling her anymore. ¡°You don¡®t need me to apan ¡°No.¡± Her tone was firm. ¡°I don¡®t want those people outside to know about our rtionship.¡± He didn¡®t say a word but pulled her up from the sofa, lowered his head, and ced a kiss on her forehead. ¡°If anything happens, call me. You don¡®t have to deal with it alone, okay?¡± Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 At the banquet. It was buzzing with crowds and drinks. Before it started, the sight was already dazzling. Ste and Angelina followed behind Bradley, looking very much like those minor actors who came out to see the world for the first time¨Calthough they indeed were. Angelina tugged at Ste¡®s dress. ¡°E, why didn¡®t you wear that dress you bought before?¡± She could tell at a nce that the dress on Ste was expensive. It wasn¡®t the one they had chosen before, and she felt a little conflicted. They had agreed to wear ordinary dresses together, but Ste came wearing an expensive dress. It made her feel ufortable. Ste knew she had misunderstood but didn¡®t know how to exin it. She couldn¡®t possibly tell her that Weston tore up the dress and made her wear a new one he bought. ¡°Sorry. I ruined mine, so I had to change.¡± She was embarrassed. ¡°My... My family bought this for me.¡± She didn¡®t know how to describe her rtionship with Weston, so she lied, saying her family bought it. Angelina didn¡®t think much about it but just stared fixedly at her. ¡°It¡®s okay. I just think yours looks pretty... The other day, I asked you to try the red one, but you didn¡®t want to. See? Re d dresses look better on you.¡± She smiled sincerely, and her eyes were full of admiration. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. When Ste got in the car just now, Angelina had noticed her outfit. The dress perfectlyplemented Ste¡®s beauty, but at the same time, it didn¡®t feel excessive or over powering. One nce was all it took, and people wouldn¡®t be able to keep their eyes off her. Even Bradley was slightly stunned when he saw Ste for the first time. It was as if he couldn¡®te to his senses. After all, he had been in the entertainment industry for so long, and there were countless beauties he h ad met, so he quickly sorted out his emotions. But Angelina couldn¡®t help it and kept looking at her, thinking that she looked extremely beautiful tonight. Seeing this, Ste was embarrassed and said, ¡°You look good too...¡± As the two were whispering, Bradley reminded them, ¡°Don¡®t whisper to each other like children. It doesn¡®t look good to others. If you have something to say, say it freely.¡± Ste hummed in reply and subconsciously straightened her back. Angelina also stood up straight and adjusted her posture. After a while, she couldn¡¯t help but whisper in Ste¡®s ear, ¡°Do you think we¡®re embarrassing him?¡± Bradley saw her childish movements from the corner of his eye and said nothing. ¡°You two sit here for a while, and I¡®ll go say hello to the other investors.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Angelina was a little nervous. She sat on the spot, carefully looking at the celebrities who came and went. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 These people were famous, and they were all big shots in the circle. ¡°Look at that! It is said that he¡®s the richest man in the ce...¡± Angelina and Ste counted the present celebrities, and as they spoke, Angelina suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°By the way, do you remember the ck luxury car we saw on the street when we were shop ping?¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered, knowing that she was talking about Weston¡®s car. Her lips pursed slightly, and s he answered ufortably, ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± ¡°I went home and looked it up. It is said to be a global limited edition. There are only two in the world. One is now in a private museum, and the other is the one we saw on the street! Even the licence te is so bold. I have never seen such a serial number, and some people wouldn¡®t even get to see such a car in their entire life...¡± N?velDrama.Org content. The corner of Ste¡¯s mouth twitched, as if she was smiling, but she didn¡®t say a word. Angelina didn¡®t notice anything wrong with her and continued to gossip. ¡°I heard that the car belonged to the richest man in Ahn City, Weston Ford. You should have heard of him, right?¡± Anyone who had paid a little attention to the financial sector should be familiar with this name. It was just that he was a very mysterious big shot. Everyone knew the existence of a powerful man in the financial world, but no one knew his identity because Weston barely epted any interviews. His most widely known identity to the outside world was that he was Guinevere¡®s fianc¨¦. The more Angelina spoke, the more excited she became, so much so that she didn¡®t notice Ste¡®s fac e changing. ¡°Now that I think about it, maybe we saw him that day because he went with Guinevere. Although he doesn¡¯t usually show up on set, he would visit her. Didn¡®t Mrs. Forde to visit herst time? The two of them should be married. They even have a child by now...¡± Angelina sighed. ¡°I heard Weston is still very young¨Cnot even 30 years old¨Cand he has already achieved so much. It is really amazing... I wonder if I would be honored to meet him in my lifetime. It¡®s just that the only person who can make him appear is Guinevere ... After all, she is recognized as a goddess in the entertainment industry. She is so beautiful and unattainable . Forget talking to her¨C we could only look at her from afar...¡± As she spoke, she realized Guinevere had been making things difficult for Ste on set and quickly shut her mouth. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®ve said too much.¡± ¡°It¡®s okay.¡± Ste didn¡®t react. She took a sip of the juice ced before her and then put it back down. Before leaving, Weston had warned her not to touch any of the wine at the banquet. This kind of banquet wasplicated, and it may look bright and beautiful on the surface, but the ugly truth behind it was so dark and twisted beyond her imagination. Many people would take this opportunity to spike drinks. If she was targeted, the consequences would be unimaginable. Ste didn¡®t take his words seriously. Although there was some truth to it, Weston had also exaggerate d. She hade with Bradley. Besides, there was Angelina by her side anyway. The two girls could take care of each other. The situation he said probably wouldn¡¯t happen. But even so, she didn¡¯t drink anything containing alcohol. It was not because she listened to him, but because she wouldn¡®t risk her safety to make him mad on purpose. After some socializing, the two young actors were forgotten in the corner, chatting with some of their pee Ste felt at ease. She was here to meet new people, but there was no need to be shameless and curry favor with people of higher status. That seemed neither sincere nor of great use. The two soon became free. All the managers were racking their brains to promote their artists. Yates¡® manager had always been strict, but he left temporarily due to some reason. Yates finally felt like he could breathe again. Seeing this, he held a ss of red wine and walked toward Ste. ¡°E...¡± Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 He was wearing a white suit and dressed very ordinarily, except for a diamond button on his bow tie, which made him look like he had specially spent time picking out his outfit. ¡°I didn¡®t see the two of you earlier... Why are you drinking here alone? Why don¡®t you go and chat with everyone?¡± He was well¨Cmannered and spoke elegantly. Angelina stood up immediately, not expecting that he would talk to the two of them, and said nervously, ¡°It¡®s fine, Mr. Yates. We¡®ll just be here.¡± ¡°You don¡®t have to be so cautious.¡± He saw the embarrassment on her face, smiled, and interrupted her. ¡°Just call me Yates.¡± ¡°I don¡®t think that¡®s a good idea, Mr. Yates ¨C¡± Angelina quickly covered her mouth again before she could finish her sentence. He no longer troubled her but turned to Ste, sized her up and down, then expressed his sincere admiration. ¡°Your dress is gorgeous.¡± It suited her very well. That stunning red lit up her whole body. He had always known she was beautiful, but when she put on this dress, he realized that her beauty was so eye¨Ccatching that it was hard not to stare at her. Ste had heard Angelina¡®spliments countless times today, so she was immune to these words and smiled at him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Yates. You are very handsome today a s well.¡± Herpliments sounded official, with polite courtesy. Yates smiled and clinked sses with her. It was her senior who was making a toast to her, so she naturally couldn¡®t just drink juice. After hesitating, she eventually picked up the cocktail ss, clinked sses with him, and took a shallow sip. Yates didn¡®t notice her subtle movement. After all, in this circle, unless they were allergic to alcohol, it was verymon to drink a few sses. Those who didn¡®te from a wealthy family and wanted to climb to the top, especially, wouldn¡®t say no to drinks. Because of the manager, some things could not be exined too clearly in the past. After Yates drank his drink, he suddenly said to her, ¡°You should understand what I mean...¡± Her eyes flickered, and she nodded slowly. ¡°I didn¡®t take it to heart.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief and looked a little more rxed. ¡°I. thought you would hate me for alienatin g you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡®t have a choice. This is how it is. I can only listen to my manager...¡± His breath reeked of alcohol. Ste was a little surprised when she heard him say these and asked, ¡°Mr. Yates, have you had too much to drink?¡± Yates chuckled when he heard her words, and his eyes flickered. There were only E and Angelina present, so he stopped being so careful and said to the two of them, ¡°Sometimes, I actually envy your current state. You can choose how you want to act and do whatever you want. ...¡± : Seeing this, Angelina whispered in Ste¡®s ear, ¡°It looks like he¡®s drunk...¡± How could two minor actors like them do whatever they wanted? Only a star like him could have such freedom. Although an agent managed him, he was far better than the two, who didn¡®t even have an agent. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at the cocktail in her hand and said lightly, ¡°Mr. Yates, should we call your manager for you?¡± Yates shook his head and seemed to have sobered up. ¡°Maybe " Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Heughed at himself. ¡°Maybe I really drank too much.¡± After speaking, he gave Ste a meaningful look. ¡°Just pretend I never say it, okay? It¡®s a secret between the three of us.¡± Angelina hurriedly raised her hand. ¡°Don¡®t worry, Mr. Yates. We won¡®t let your manager know that you told us bad things about him...¡± Yates smiled and then looked at her, thinking she was surprisingly a very clever little girl, He nodded at the two of them. ¡°I¡®ll go now.¡± Looking at his back, Angelina sighed, ¡°Actually, he is a good person...¡± Ste nodded and said nothing. Angelina continued, ¡°It¡®s just that he keeps to his own, and he doesn¡®t seem to have any weakness. But his manager is a little scary, and seems to have a lot of power...¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered, but she remained silent. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Angelina sighed, ¡°Why do I feel like you have be quiet after he came?¡± Ste smiled and denied. ¡°No.¡± She could also feel that Yates was deliberately avoiding rumors with her. After all, in the film, the two of them had some romantic scenes together. Perhaps his agent worried that she would use this to make up scandals with him. But they had over-thought things. She didn¡®t even have a team behind her; how could she have the energy to make up scandals? Even if there were some scandals, with Weston around, the news wouldn¡®t spread out. ¡°If we be popr in the future, should we also find an agent?¡± Angelina was thinking way too far into the future. ¡°It¡®s still too early to think of these.¡± ¡°Hey, look over there! Guinevere seems to be watching you...¡± Angelina¡®s eyes suddenly lit up as she pointed in the direction Yates had left. Ste paused, then looked over. On the other side. Yates held the wine ss and walked to Guinevere¡®s side. Guinevere was chatting andughing with Bradley. When she heard footsteps approaching her, she looked over and saw Ste from a distance. She raised her ss and greeted her, sending her a friendly signal. Angelina was stunned for a moment. ¡°What¡®s the matter? She seems to be greeting you.¡± ¡®Don¡®t Guinevere hate E? Why would she suddenly be friendly toward her?¡® Angelina wondered. Even Ste didn¡®t know what was happening but naturally lifted her ss as a courtesy. Guinevere retracted her gaze and cast her eyes at Yates with a smile. ¡°I saw you and E chatting happily just now. What did you talk about?¡± ¡°It¡®s nothing.¡± He always maintained a decent smile in front of outsiders as he went over to say hello. After all, they were all actors in the crew. Guinevere nodded and didn¡¯t think much about it. Yates was an impable star. He had a particr reputation and status in the circle. Although he was far from her level, he was also a capable faction with certain power. He was able to get to where he was today all thanks to his agent, as they could be said to be impable to the outside world. Whether it was a minor actor like E or a senior like her, he could quickly get along with them. At the least, he did the superficial part perfectly, and no single fault could be picked out. Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Guinevere was naturally willing to be friends with such people. ¡°If there is more work in the future, you can directly arrange it with my manager.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Guinevere suddenly walked up to him andmented, ¡°You seem to have a good rtionship with E.¡± Yates was stunned for a moment, wondering why she had said that, and subconsciously shook his head. ¡°We¡®re just normal colleagues.¡± She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I heard that you want to act in a themed movie. After the filming, I can introduce you to a good producer . I won an award before. He produced that film...¡± He was taken aback by her action and was at a loss for words.¡± 1...¡± ¡°Don¡®t say anything. It¡®s my responsibility to take care of the younger generation.¡± She smiled charmingly at him. She had a charming face. But for some unknown reason, Ste¡®s face appeared in front of him, making him a little dazed. While in a daze, he heard Guinevere whispering, ¡°As long as you do me a favor...¡± Inside the washroom. There was a loud hustle and bustle outside. Ste came over to take a breather. At this time, no one would be willing to waste time on such trivial matters. She washed her face and sobered up. Just as she was about to go back, she turned around and bumped into a woman who came in the bathroom ¡°Ah!¡± The two collided. Ste took a step back and subconsciously apologized. ¡°I¡®m sorry... Are you alright?¡± ¡°Do you not look where you¡¯re going! Do you know how much my dress cost?¡± A familiar female voice sounded. Ste froze, as if she did not expect to hear this voice here. The woman lifted her head, and just as she was about to scream, she was stunned to see Ste. She didn¡®t seem to expect it to be her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Joyce¡®s voice was full of doubts. ¡°Who let you into this kind of banquet?¡± Ever since Mrs. Smith discovered her affair with Smith at Yvonne¡¯s training institution, she couldn¡®t bring herself to stay there. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. In addition, the training institution had to close its doors. After that, she never saw Ste again, and so she naturally wo she was an actress now. . Ste didn¡®t speak. She pursed the corner of her mouth and said, ¡°Please step aside.¡± ¡°Don¡®t go!¡± Joyce suddenly became interested and stood before her. ¡°Which rich man are you clinging o Ste frowned, and her voice suddenly became cold as she warned, ¡°Get out of the way. I don¡®t want to say it a third time.¡± ¡°You¡®re acting so tough, huh? It looks like you¡®ve got some man with lots of money...¡± Seeing her again welled up all the old and new resentment in Joyce. The embarrassing scene of that day was still vivid in her mind, so there was no way she could let Ste go like that. ¡°E, you acted so arrogantly before me, but aren¡®t you the same now? Stop pretending!¡± Ste frowned as she initially had no ns to care about her. But seeing the smug on her face, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°It seems that you and Smith are doing well...¡± Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 That one sentence reminded Joyce of her shameful identity, and her face immediately turned dark. ¡°Why does it concern you? Besides, aren¡®t you the same too! You must¡®v ee in here because you hooked up with some rich men,¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ste suddenly approached her. ¡°Really? What evidence do you have?¡± ¡°Is there a need for evidence?¡± Joyce refused to give in. Ste¡¯s eyes were piercing as she stared at her. ¡°Let¡®s not talk about how I got here. Remember how every one of us saw you getting beaten by Mrs. Smith? Maybe someone took a video and circted it in the group...¡± ¡°You...¡± Joyce suddenly panicked . ¡°Who took the video ? Who could be so shameless!¡± Ste said nothing as she stared at her, but there was not much hospitality in her eyes. ¡°Joyce, I don¡®t have any grudge against you. It doesn¡®t matter to me how you want to live your life, but if you mess with me again, you won¡®t be as lucky asst time.¡± Her solemn tone stunned Joyce for a moment that she didn¡®t even dare to refute. With that, Ste walked away. Joyce¡¯s eyes were dark as she stared at her back and gritted her teeth. Chapter 519 Immediately, she touched up her makeup and left with her bag. Only then did Guinevere slowly walk out of the cubicle. She looked at herself in the mirror as she recalled their conversation and curled the corner of her mouth. Smith had just finished entertaining a client when he saw Joycee over in a huff. He was a little impatient. ¡°What¡®s the matter with you this time?¡± Initially, after the messst time, he didn¡®t want to have any contact with Joyce anymore. Nevertheless, she had some dirt on him! He was a swindler who frequently changed his lover. However. he had a daughter at home, so he wouldn¡®t mess around too much. After realizing that Joyce had that intention, he didn¡®t n to let her have her way anymore, but he had no choice since she knew his secret. Joyce could hear the half-heartedness in his words and was repulsed by it. But she knew he wouldn¡®t do anything to her, so she hooked her arms around his and said, ¡°Nothing. It¡®s just that I saw someone I hate...¡± When Smith heard this, his face immediately darkened.¡± Remember your status. Don¡®t go out and cause trouble for me!¡± ¡°I was doing it for you,¡± She wanted to exin herself, but he Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. cut her off with annoyance. ¡°Enough. My wife doesn¡®t know that I took you out. Don¡®t cause trouble. None of us will have a good time if it gets to her ears!¡± She took it in but felt indignant in her heart. Why did she have to suffer such grievances? Although she had Smith¡®s dirt in her hand, she was in a weak position. She only had that one card in her hand and didn¡®t dare to y it easily. It was already good enough that she could use it to gain benefits. She wouldn¡®t go overboard as she was scared he would lose his patience with her. She was a little depressed. Just as she walked to a secluded corner, a beautiful figure appeared next to her. ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± Guinevere was so dazzlingly beautiful that people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her. When she appeared, Joyce immediately became a little nervous and hurriedly lowered her head to check her outfit, fearing it would too embarrassing. ¡°I¨CI¡®m just taking in the fresh air...¡± ¡°Don¡®t be nervous. I just wanted to chat with you.¡± Guinevere was holding a champagne ss. She looked gorgeous and aristocratic; her entire manner was unlike Joyce¡®s. After a while, Joyce immediately rejected her. ¡°No, I can¡®t do that. I can¡®t make trouble here...¡± ¡°You¡®re with him only for money.¡± Guinevere reminded her, ¡°And you don¡®t like E either, do you?¡± Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 As soon as Ste returned, she saw Bradley standing there, as if he had been waiting for her. Angelina also stood beside him and looked around, obviously looking in her direction. Seeing this, she walked toward the two of them. As soon as she walked in front of Bradley, she heard him ask,¡± Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went to the bathroom to get some air. What¡®s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He raised his chin and gestured to her. ¡°I¡®ll take you two to meet some peopleter.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°For real...¡± Angelina immediately grabbed her wrist with some excitement. Although Ste didn¡®t say a word, she could see the joy in her eyes. For someone like Bradley, the people he would introduce were naturally big shots in the circle. They did n¡®te for nothing. On the other side. Joyce was a little hesitant at first, but when she saw Ste standing next to Bradley, she became more and more uncertain.. So, the man behind her was Bradley. Who wouldn¡®t know a famous director in the industry? Chapter 520 2/3 ¡°If I offend Ste, I¡¯ll offend Bradley as well. I don¡®t want to take this risk....¡± She couldn¡®t take such a risk even if she was offered money. Guinevere had a little smile in her eyes. ¡°Who do you think is more powerful¨CBradley or l?¡± Joyce couldn¡®t wrap her mind around it. ¡°Do you have any grudges with E...?¡± Guinevere raised her ss to cover her expression. She shouldn¡¯t have done this by herself. She could always keep herposure . Perhaps she couldn¡®t keep her sanity because E¡®s face was almost identical to Ste¡®s. She didn¡®t even think about it; she just wanted to get rid of her. ¡°These are not things you should be concerned about.¡± She paused for a moment, and a hint of danger suddenly appeared in her eyes. ¡°I am not discussing with you. If things are done properly, I w ill not mistreat you. On the contrary...¡± She didn¡¯t continue, but not even the ss could cover the wicked smile on her face. Joyce immediately understood what she meant and looked like she was in a dilemma, but she still nodded. ¡°I understand. But Bradley...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle that.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Angelina found that Bradley wasn¡®t as serious as he was on the sets, so she asked a few more questions. Seeing Guinevere walking toward them, she immediately closed her mouth. ¡°Guinevere ising...¡± When Bradley heard this, he only nodded. ¡°Why do you look nervous? Are you afraid of her?¡± ¡°Of course not...¡± Angelina immediately lowered her head. Her actions suggested the opposite. Bradley smiled and looked at Ste subconsciously. ¡°E, perhaps you should excuse yourself.¡± He could see Guinevere¡®s hostility toward her. Although he didn¡®t know what conflict happened between the two, after spending time together, he understood Ste¡®s character and knew she was not the kind of person who would cause trouble. Guinevere was indeed arrogant, so he asked her to hide for a while. Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Ste shook her head. She seemed unaffected. ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± Bradley was relieved that she was not evasive about the matter, like Angelina was. Guinevere walked to the group. Before she could speak, Bradley spoke first. ¡°I saw you chatting with the producer earlier. What were you talking about?¡± He initiated the conversation with Guinevere. Guinevere smiled and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re paying attention to me too. I thought your attention was only on these two now.¡± As she spoke, she nced at Ste and Angelina. She seemed to be implying something, but she maintained her politeness on the surface. Bradley did not exin too much about Ste and Angelina to her. Instead, he talked about other preparations. Guinevere went along with him and talked about the same thing. Then, she suggested, ¡°The producer said he¡®d like to meet you. Why don¡®t we go over and talk?¡± Bradley hesitated a little upon hearing that. After a short moment, he nodded in agreement and left with Guinevere. He could tell that Angelina was very ufortable. Besides, Ste¡®s rtionship with Guinevere had been awkward and tense. Leaving with Guinevere at this time was the best choice. After they left, Angelina breathed a sigh of relief. She was still holding the wine ss in her hand, and her fingertips were a little pale. ¡°I was so scared. I was afraid that I might say or do something wrong,¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Is it that bad?¡± ¡°How is it not? Haven¡®t you seen the terrible things that happen to those who offend Guinevere...¡± Angelina was still chattering.¡° Mr. Lane isn¡®t the scariest in this crew. It¡®s Guinevere. If you identally upset her without knowing, she¡®ll quietly dispose of you without warning. Who wouldn¡®t be scared of her?¡± Ste smiled and said nothing. Angelina noticed Ste¡®s reaction and stopped talking about Guinevere. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about her anymore... It¡®s a headache. Do you see the actress over there? That¡®s my idol!¡± Angelina suddenly got a little excited and grabbed Ste¡®s hand. ¡°I want to go over and say hi to her...¡± ¡°Go ahead. She seems friendly.¡± Angelina hesitated for a while and finally gave in to the desire in her heart. She told Ste, ¡°I¡¯ll go over and ask her for an autographed photo. Will you be okay alone?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Ste nodded and watched her leave. Joyce hesitated a little at first. When she saw that everyone around Ste had walked away, she understood what Guinevere meant by her words earlier. Joyce was eager to give it a go. Besides, Guinevere would not let her go unless she did as told. Therefore, she mustered her courage and walked to Ste. ¡°E, I can¡®t believe you still have the guts to stay here!¡± Joyce¡®s voice was loud enough to attract the attention of the people around her. Smith was still chatting with another client about business and did not notice her leaving. She assumed that Joyce would be obedient and stay low. Ste frowned at her. ¡°Are you trying to cause trouble again?¡± ¡°I didn¡®t expect you to act like you don¡®t care about anything! I¡®ve underestimated you. No wonder you¡®re willing to get involved in other people¡®s rtionships!¡± Ste¡®s face immediately turned cold. She gave her a sharp look. ¡°Mind your words. You should know who¡®s the real homewrecker.¡± Joyce naturally knew the answer, but no mutual acquaintance that knew them both was present. She figured she could say anything she wanted. ¡°I didn¡®t think you¡®d call me out first! E, I didn¡®t expect you to be so disgusting. You hooked up with my man behind my back and refused to admit it! I¡®ve seen many people like you!¡± She became more resentful as she said that and raised her hand to p Ste. N?velDrama.Org content. Ste grabbed her wrist and shook her off. ¡°Stop being crazy here!¡± Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 The noise here soon attracted the attention of others. Angelina had just asked for an autographed photo when she heard a bigmotion over the other side. She heard from afar that Ste was arguing with someone... ¡°Who¡®s that? Why is she making trouble in a ce like this...¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. Maybe it¡®s another fiasco where the wife confronts the mistress.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°It seems like it...¡± Such a scene was quitemon in this circle. Everyone around was watching the show. Even Angelina did not expect Ste to get used like this. Her first reaction was to go to her side and defend her. ¡°Did you mistake her for someone else? E isn ¡®t such a person. She¡¯d never get involved in other people¡®s rtionships...¡± Ste¡®s eyshes fluttered. She paled a little. Joyce had already gone all out, so naturally, she would not stop right here. She continued to use her. ¡°Look at her! She¡®s silent! Isn¡®t she admitting it in silence? She¡®s a shameless woman who loves to get involved in married people¡®s rtionships. I don¡®t know how her parents raised,¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± A loud p sound. Ste suddenly walked forward and gave Joyce a hard p. Joyce was startled. ¡°How dare you p me!¡± ¡°What¡®s wrong with pping you? That was for my parents!¡± Ste could endure anything but people insulting her family. Joyce went all out and made a bigger scene. She covered the p mark on her face and yelled at Ste, ¡°Who do you think you are! How dare you hit me! Do you have a death wish?!¡± Angelina was frightened by such a scene. She saw that everyone was looking over at them and hurriedly grabbed Ste. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? She must have misunderstood something. Do you want to exin to her?¡± Angelina panicked and did not want the matter to get out of hand. Ste took a deep breath. She could sense the eyes looking at them and the unfriendly gazes. She slowly clenched her fists and finally gritted her teeth. She looked at Joyce coldly. ¡°We both know who¡®s the real homewrecker here. Are you sure you want to cause trouble here?¡± ¡°How dare you use me! Everyone, be the judge! How can a shameless woman like her participate in such an important event! How could she be such a proud homewrecker?¡± It turned out that empty vessels made the most noise. Joyce made such a loudmotion and attracted plenty of attention. Soon, manydies spoke on her behalf. ¡°I can¡®t believe they¡®re fighting here...¡± ¡°What else can she do? The mistresses out there are very brazen now. They always show off in front of the original spouses in the name of true love.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Whose mistress is this? Why is she so shameless...¡± Everyone looked at Ste and Joyce. The two women stood together. One was furious and going mad; the other one was angry too, but she still maintained her decency. In any case, Ste looked more dignified than Joyce. This was precisely why Joyce, the ¡®wife¡®, appeared to be a nuisance. This made the onlookers even more annoyed. ¡°She¡¯s acting all high and mighty... I wonder why she¡®s showing that face...¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡®s just an insignificant actress. She¡®s so proud to be another man¡®s mistress. Anyone can be an actress these days.¡± ¡°The world is going mad. How outrageous that a mistress can stand here without shame!¡± These words were basically mocking Ste. Ste clenched her fist and sank her nails into her palms. She took a deep breath and looked at Joyce. ¡°You should say those ? words to yourself.¡± Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°I didn¡®t expect a good¨Clooking girl like her would be a homewrecker.¡± ¡°Aren¡®t all the young girls like this nowadays? They have no shame! They wouldn¡®t stop at being just a mistress. They even shamelessly show up in front of their men¡®s original spouses now!¡± ¡°It¡®s funny looking at her cowering look as she gets yelled at...¡± ¡°Wait! Isn¡®t that one of the actresses in Bradley¡®s cast? I think she came with Bradley...¡± ¡°How can a person like that be an actress? I won¡®t watch her films...¡± ¡°I won¡®t watch it either...¡± The onlookers soon found a new way to attack her. Angelina could not bear their gossiping anymore. ¡°You don¡®t know anything about her. How can you say that? We¡®re colleagues in the same crew. She¡®s very quiet and obedient, except when she¡®s acting. There¡®s no way she would do something like this!¡± ¡°Who¡®s this?¡± ¡°She seems to be the same as the woman named E. They¡®re cast in the same movie. Bradley brought them both here.¡± ¡°Could it be that...¡± Some people showed a meaningful smile on their faces. Although they did not finish their sentence, many could understand the implied meaning. ¡°I never thought there could be real friends in this industry...¡± ¡°Who knows. Maybe they¡®re real friends or they¡®re both serving the same man...¡± They looked at Angelina as if she was Ste¡®s aplice. Angelina¡®s expression kept changing. She never thought she would get herself into trouble by standing up for Ste. Ste did not want to involve others in this. She looked at Angelina and said, ¡°I¡®m fine¡­ I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡± ¡°But you,¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°It¡®s fine.¡± Ste shook her head firmly. Angelina¡®s eyes flickered, and she held herself back. However, those people were still pointing at her. It seemed like they could condescendingly judge her morality without knowing the truth. Yates stood not far away and noticed the farce. He frowned and refused to believe that Ste was such a person. Just as he wanted to speak to her, his manager, Brooke, stopped him.¡± What are you doing?¡± Yates fell into a short silence before saying, ¡°I just want to say a few words for her. If this gets out, it¡®ll hurt the crew¡®s reputation. It¡®ll affect us too.¡± Brooke immediately saw through his mind. ¡°Are you doing it for the crew or justice?¡± Yates said nothing. Brooke rubbed his temples and felt a slight headache. ¡°I¡®m not trying to stop you, but you can¡®t control this situation. You¡®ll probably end up in bigger trouble.¡± How could Yates not understand this? He had been in the entertainment industry for years. He knew many had gotten into trouble for speaking up for another person. ¡°You¡®re a veteran in this industry. I didn¡¯t think you¡®d be this impulsive.¡± After saying that, Brooke looked at Yates meaningfully. ¡°You¡®re treating her a little differently.¡± Yates immediately restrained his expression and said apologetically, ¡°Sorry. This won¡®t happen again.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Brooke withdrew his gaze. It seemed like Ste was left to fight alone. She gave Joyce a cold look and suddenly smiled. ¡°It seems like you¡®re sure that no one here knows us...¡± She took out her phone and suddenly waved it in front of her. Joyce said suspiciously, ¡°Stop spouting nonsense here! I know you¡®re trying to get yourself out of this situation. But no matter what you say, everyone will know that you¡®re the shameless homewrecker that destroys other people¡®s family,¡± Before Joyce could finish her sentence, Ste interrupted her. ¡± Well, you keep saying I¡®ve destroyed your family and hooked up with your man. I¡¯ll have to ask... Who¡®s your husband?¡± Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Ste¡®s question was what everyone else wanted to hear. Everyone only saw the two women scolding each other but not the man in question. The man did not show up at all. The people in the circle were well acquainted with each other, but they had never met these two women. ¡°Who¡®s the man who has rtions with them?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know...¡± Many people at the scene knew each other. However, they had never heard of someone with such a wife or lover. Smith had noticed Joyce some time ago. When he saw her arguing with Ste, his face turned ashen. He wanted to go up and pull her away. However, he was toote. Everyone was already watching their argument. If he rushed over, he would be admitting to everyone that he had a mistress outside. Such a thing was not umon in the circle, but it was shameful to admit it openly. Besides, he was a businessman. If his business partners saw him get into such a drama, would they proceed with their business negotiation? If they had other options, would they stop coborating with him? Smith was sick of Joyce. Even so, he could not stand up at this moment. He was afraid to get into big trouble. He dropped his head more when he heard Ste¡®s question and refused to get involved in this matter. ¡°Smith, where are you going?¡± A man stopped him when Smith turned around to leave. He thought they were having a nice conversation and was confused at Smith¡®s sudden depart ure . Joyce heard the noises from the crowd and became a little nervous. She looked at Ste. ¡°This has nothing to do with him. You¡®re the one who seduced him ! Don¡®t drag him into this!¡± ¡°You¡®re still defending your husband at this point. It seems like you¡®re really deep in love with him.¡± Stell a curled her lips. ¡°There are so many men in the room. Should we question each of them for you?¡± No one expected Ste to be such a strong woman. Joyce was a little overwhelmed. ¡°What do you mean? Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°You¡®re using me in front of so many people. Shouldn¡®t you be more specific and make it clear? Ho w can you condemn me with just a few words of yours? That would be too hasty.¡± Some people gradually came to their senses when they heard Ste¡®s words. ¡°That¡®s right. If what she said is true, why isn¡®t she letting her husbande out to deal with this?¡± ¡°Besides, this is not a one¨Csided thing. It takes two to tango. Why is she defending her husband?¡± ¡°Who knows... If you¡®re really angry, why don¡®t you make him Chapter 524 3/3 step forward? Let everyone judge impartially,¡± someone said. The expression on Joyce¡®s face kept changing, then she finally turned pale. There was no way for her to call Smith out. If so broke the news to Mrs. Smith, she would be in trouble. ¡°Why is she suddenly quiet? Look at her face. Did we get it right?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡®s just trying to protect her husband. She¡®s not the third party! It¡®s the other woman who shou N?velDrama.Org content. Ste suddenly took out her phone and dialed a number. Then, she turned on the speakerphone. ¡°Hello, is this Mrs. Smith? I saw an acquaintance at a banquet ... ¡°Yes, it¡®s Joyce ... You can ask your husband where he is now..¡± Joyce was dumbfounded. Not long after, Mrs. Smith called back. ¡°Durn it! They¡®re really together!¡± Joyce did not expect Ste to call Mrs. Smith directly. She hurriedly stepped forward and wanted to snat Ste took a step back and looked at her coldly with the phone in her hand, ¡°Since you¡®re so arrogant, le Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 There was amotion outside the crowd. Mrs. Smith happened to be nearby. She knew Smith was attending the event. She had nned to wait for him to finish and go home with him. Smith had said he was bringing his secretary, but it turned out to be this little sl*t, Joyce! Mrs. Smith rushed to the scene in a fury and pped Jayce in front of everyone. ¡°You little b*tch. Didn¡®t you learn your lessonst time? What are you trying to do this time? What tricks did you use to make Smith bring you here!¡± Some of thedies recognized her after the fuss. ¡°Isn¡®t that Smith¡®s wife?¡± ¡°What¡®s going on? Why did she suddenly hit hier?¡± ¡°Was it all a show?¡± ¡°That means the little actress is right. She¡®s not a homewrecker at all. The other woman who made up the story and used her is the real homewrecker!¡± The situation suddenly became uncontroble. Guinevere was watching themotion at first, but her expression turned ugly at Mrs. Smith¡®s arrival. Joyce could not even do such a small thing well. What was the use of her? Feeling disappointed, she got up and left. Bradley followed behind her and frowned at themotion. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± ¡°I guess your actress caused some trouble.¡± Guinevere¡¯s tone showed a hint of sarcasm. Bradley looked at her with scrutiny in his eyes. ¡°You don¡®t seem surprised at all.¡± Guinevere said indifferently, ¡°I¡®ve seen this in the circle a lot, but I didn¡®t expect E to get used ... What¡®s wron g? Aren¡®t you going over tofort her?¡± The mockery in her tone was clear. Bradley did notment further. ¡°I thought we had spoken about this and made it clear before.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Guinevere smiled. ¡°Aren¡®t I cooperating with you now? I just introduced an important producer to you. Mr. Lane, you don¡®t think I¡®m going against you, do you?¡± Bradley said nothing, so Guinevere did not continue to stay any longer. Yates had been paying attention to themotion too. He was relieved to see Mrs. Smith¡®s arrival. He seemed d that Ste was not involved in a love affair. Yates believed in Ste, but his belief was slightly shaken because of Joyce¡¯s strong usation. Fortunately, Ste did not fail his trust. ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡®s Smith ?¡± Mrs. Smith scolded her while beating her up. Joyce sobbed, ¡°Smith... I¨CI don¡®t know...¡± Smith was annoyed and troubled by this. Since Mrs. Smith was here, it would not be long for the rest to know of his involvement. He had to bite the bullet. Smith went forward and tried to pull Mrs. Smith away. His wife was so angry that she punched and kicked him. Joyce tried to beg for mercy from Smith. However, Smith was already very upset from the situation and pushed her Joyce¡®s crying voice came. Ste shook her head and stopped paying attention to her. Angelina hurriedly walked to her. ¡°I was so scared. Thankfully, you called Mrs. Smith over...¡± Ste looked quite upset. Fortunately, she resolved this crisis. She only said, ¡°Let¡®s go to Mr. Lane.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Everyone thought this was the end of the farce. While Joyce exited the scene in shame, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up¡­ She thought Guinevere wasing for her, but she did not expect it to be Ste. She hesitated a little and called her name. ¡°E?¡± Then, she retracted her gaze. ¡°You must beughing at me. Are you happy now?¡± Ste sneered, ¡°You don¡®t deserve my attention with your situation now.¡± She suddenly walked up to Joyce and pulled her by the cor. She mmed her against the wall and q uestioned, ¡°Is someone behind this?¡± When she met Joyce in the restroom earlier, she could tell that she did not want to cause trouble. However, she changed her mind in just half an hour. Someone must have be en involved in this. Joyce did not expect Ste to be so keen. Her first reaction was to deny it. ¡°No! What are you talking about?¡± Her reaction was a telling sign. Ste could tell that something fishy was going on. She narrowed her eyes and looked at her sharply. ¡°I¡®ll give you one more chance, Joyce. Haven¡¯t you had enough of Mrs. Smith¡®s lesson?¡± Joyce did not know why Ste was like a different person. She did not even dare to look at her. She covered her face and tried to hide the p mark. Her eyes reddened as she said to her, ¡°You¡®ve won already. Why do you want to push me to the verge?¡± ¡°I just want to know. Did someone tell you something after we met in the restroom?¡± Otherwise, there was no reason for her to make a scene and use her. Joyce was indeed a little impulsive, but she was definitely not a fool. Joyce¡¯s eyes flickered a little. Then, she smiled. ¡°It seems like I¡®m not the only one who hates you... Yo u can handle someone like me, but can you handle someone like her?¡± As she spoke, she suddenlyughed. ¡°I didn¡®t expect to find another woman who hates you as much as I do!¡± Joyceughed so hard that tears fell. She wiped them with the back of her hand and said, ¡°I really hate your high¨Cand¨Cmighty look. One day, you¡®ll be aughing stock too! I¡®m waiting for that!¡± Ste was puzzled. ¡°What have done wrong to you? Why do you hate me so much?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to hate you? I just hate you and everything about you!¡± Ste pressed her lips. ¡°But I¡®ve never taken anything away from you...¡± ¡°So what? Your existence alone is the most annoying to me!¡± Ste suddenly lost interest in speaking. She was tired of this. She rubbed her temple and said, ¡°You¡®re so pathetic.¡± ¡°I¡®m pathetic? You¡®re the pathetic one!¡± Joyceughed hysterically. ¡°You¡®ve pissed off that important woman. I¡®m waiting to see what will happen to you!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ste was about to leave. When she heard Joyce¡®s words, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Are you implying right?¡± She turned around to Joyce with a sarcastic smile on her face. Joyce was stunned. She did not realize that she had given away such crucial information. ¡°W¨C Who said it was Guinevere...¡± Ste walked to her step by step. Her eyes gradually turned cold. ¡°Joyce, I¡®m telling you. Even if you try your best to see my fall, I still have many wa Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Chapter 527 ¡°Humans could be humble, but should never be despicable,¡± she enunciated slowly. ¡°Someone like you isn¡®t qualified to be my opponent.¡± In the empty restroom, there was a burst of apuse after Joyce left crying. ¡°That speech was so wonderful.¡± Guinevere came out of the shadow slowly and looked at Ste¡®s face. ¡°You really look so much like her...¡± She could not help but sigh. ¡°You¡®re really like that woman, but with a different personality.¡± If it was that old Ste, she would never be so harsh on Joyce. The old Ste was always forgiving and willing to let things go. E was different. She would fight back. Ste walked to her directly. ¡°Why are you targeting me?¡± This was the first time Ste had questioned Guinevere in so many days. She knew Guinevere was behind this. Otherwise, Joyce would not have changed so much. Joyce deserved her fate. However, the one behind her was unharmed. She stood in front of Ste and eyed her up and down. ¡°I¡®m really curious. Why do you have so many enemies?¡± Guinevere could not understand it. ¡°Aren¡®t you quite likable in the crew? Why are there so many people who hate you?¡± When Guinevere said this, she did not realize the jealousy in her own tone. ¡°Earlier, Angelina even spoke up for you. If Brooke had not stopped Yates, he might have stood up for you too. There¡®s Bradley too... E, why are you blessed?¡± ¡°You¡®re exaggerating. We¡®re just helping each other as friends. I¡®m more curious about your purpose. Why are you targeting me?¡± Guinevere¡®s question did not distract Ste, who insisted on saying, ¡°Before this, you deliberately threw a tantrum in the set for no reason. When you were acting with me, you deliberately made mistakes. You even made me work as your body double. I have been keeping track of these. Guinevere, tell me¨C did you do these on purpose?¡± Guinevere¡®s smile disappeared as she looked at her clear eyes. There was nothing but gloom. ¡°What else can it be? Well, I really hate you.¡± Ste¡®s mouth was set in a tight line. Guinevere had always pretended to be friendly in front of outsiders. It was the first time she had expressed her hate so straightforwardly. Ste got used to seeing Guinevere in a perfect mask and acting like a goddess in front of everyone. It was rare to see her reveal her true, ugly colors. ¡°Just because I have a face exactly like your old friend?¡± ¡°You already have the answer. Why do you have to ask me again? Is it really necessary?¡± ¡°You want to kill me just because of my face?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ste found Guinevere ridiculous. She was still the same as before. In the past, she deliberately set up a kidnapping just to test Weston¡®s love for her. She forced him to choose between them. She gambled with others¡® lives. Guinevere was still the same. She was as self-willed as before. ¡°Do you really think you¡®re so high and mighty that you could dictate the fate of others?¡± Ste¡®s voice suddenly became cold. ¡°I have to say you¡®re really just like Weston. You¡®re a good match for him. You¡®re both... disgusting Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 ¡°Disgusting?¡± No one had ever called Guinevere that. Her expression immediately turned ugly. ¡°Do you know who you¡®re talking to?¡± ¡°So what? Haven¡®t you considered the consequences when you did those things?¡± Ste shook her head and walked up to her. ¡°I know you¡®re an important person. Everyone is willing to tter you, but not me. I¡®m not going to y this boring game with you.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me now?¡± ¡°I¡®m just warning you. Guinevere, if this happens again, you¡®ll pay the price for it!¡± ¡°Who doesn¡®t know how to act tough? You¡®re just an insignificant actress. Do you know who I am? Do y ou know my status in the circle ? Even Bradley has to listen to me. Who are you to speak like this in front of me?¡± Guinevere seemed to have been provoked. She suddenly pushed her and threatened, ¡°Don¡®t you think you can show off in front of me because you have the same face as her! She was just a loser to me! You¡®re just a fake! Who do you think you are?!¡± She was very worked up and had lost her temper. She knew the woman in front of her was E Steele, not Ste Sealey. However, for some reason, she felt Ste was looking at her, not E. Guinevere quickly shook her head and tried to get rid of this thought. No matter how much they looked alike, they were not the same person. Guinevere did not believe it at first, but the DNA test could not be wrong. She could not go on worrying like this. She must quickly get rid of E, just like she did Ste. Then, she could have peace. ¡°Is that so? Then why are you so worked up because of a face simr to hers?¡± Ste suddenly smiled, as if she had realized something. ¡°You seem to be really bothered by the woma n who looks just like me ... What was her name again? Was it Ste ? You told me that she was so craz y about Weston that she jumped off a building... But Guinevere, if she was so insignificant, why are you overreacting when you hear her name?¡± Ste walked up to Guinevere and yed with a strand of hair.¡± Did you do something bad to her?¡± ¡°You¡®re spewing nonsense!¡± Guinevere pushed her away and huffed heavily. The image of Ste falling down the building that day shed before her eyes again. She remembered how Ste took the kidnappers with her and fell down the building. She was as beautiful as a desperate devil as she leaped off in front of everyone. Guinevere was reluctant to admit it, but she could not deny it. The image of Ste from that day had been imprinted deep in her mind. She could never forget it. Sometimes, she still dreamed of Ste covered in blood, asking her why she was so cruel to her. Her hands were clean and never stained with blood before that day. However, she began to have trouble sleeping and eating after that day. She reassured herself that it was a sign of clear conscience . However, after E came along, she realized she had no guilty conscience. She wanted to do the same thing to E an out of her life. She never wanted to worry about her again. ¡°You¡®re wrong! She deserved to die!¡± Guinevere shouted hysterically, ¡°She deserved it!¡± Ste¡®s eyes trembled. At that moment, all the hatred overwhelmed her. She deserved to die? Why did she deserve to die? She would have died if it weren¡®t because of her good luck. She was so close to death and almost died. Fortunately, death denied her and let her crawl back from hell.. In that case, she had to let Guinevere know. N?velDrama.Org content. Someday, she would pay the price for all her sins. It might not be now, but it was only a matter of time. Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Chapter 529 ¡°It seems like you really hate her a lot...¡± Ste said with a mocking smile. Guinevere was slightly startled. For some reason, she felt like she saw a glint of hatred sh past Ste¡®s eyes. However, she might have seen it wrongly. Ste was calm again in the next moment. ¡°I won¡®t let this slide so easily.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guinevere was amused. ¡°How are you going to deal with me? Can you afford to do it with your current status?¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ste suddenly took out a voice recorder. ¡°I¡®ve recorded every word you said to me earlier. Say, if I make this recording public, won¡®t it damage your reputation? Guinevere, you¡®re suppressing me just because I look like one of your enemies?¡± Guinevere widened her eyes in surprise. She reached out, wanting to snatch the recorder away from Ste. ¡°You sc*mbag! How dare you record that!¡± Ste had long anticipated her reaction and stepped back.¡± Don¡®t assume everyone is as simple¨C minded as you. You¡¯re brave enough to do such a thing, but you¡¯re afraid that others will have evidence?¡± ¡°E!¡± Guinevere trembled in anger. She had not been this angry for a long time. ¡°Do you know who¡®s behind me? I have the Ford and Cohen family¡®s support. Would the media dare to publish negative news about me?¡± ¡°It¡®s now the era of self¨C publishing. I know it¡®s easy for you to block audio posted online, but before that... guess how fast it¡®ll sp read. And how fast can you stop it?¡± Ste smiled nonchntly. ¡°You can have a team manage marketing ounts and control the news, b ut can you keep everything clean? Or do you want to make a bet...¡± Her confident tone made Guinevere panic. ¡°Have you considered the consequences? What¡®s in it for yo u? Do you want to go down with me?¡± ¡°You¡®re the one who started it!¡± Ste¡®s eyes turned cold. ¡°Don¡®t tell me you have nothing to do with Joyce¡®s sudden madness!¡± ¡°I¨C¡° Guinevere wanted to exin, but when she saw the look in Ste¡®s eyes, she knew there was no point exining. Besides, she had nothing to exin. She was the one who did it. Joyce would not have been so rash and brainless if it weren¡®t for her. However, Joyce¡®s reckless action was due to her own stupidity. Ste shook off her hand, not wanting to listen to her anymore.¡° You¡®re hoping your enemies would get bullied and beaten up while you just watch on the sidelines ? There¡®s no free lunch in the world.¡± Guinevere gritted her teeth and said nothing. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. It was halfway through the event. The grand finale wasing. The event was amercial party. Most of such events packaged themself as a charity dinner. This one was no exception. Meanwhile, a charity auction was the mostmon form of a charity event. Bradley attended the event representing the cast and crew. Therefore, he had prepared several items for auction. Most of the donated items werememorative and valuable in terms of cost and other aspects. The value of such items would generally be dependent on the fan¡®s support. The fans would basically pa all the additional cost of the auctioned item. However, the money would go to those who needed it at the end of the day. People like Guinevere would always shine in auctions like this. She had always been in the limelight at s malepanion even spent a fortune to win the bid for the historic agate bracelet. Everyone knew that Guinevere had Weston. She was probably married to him or had even given birth to his child. simply an unspoken secret in the circle. However, no one expected a married woman like her would attract a male partner to purchase a piece of priceless jewelry for her. This incident raised her charm and mour to another level. ¡°Who¡¯s the man beside Ms. Cohen?¡± ¡°He seems to be her admirer. He¡¯s also a famous rich boy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the winner in life! She has such an excellent and powerful husband and even gave birth to a child. She¡®s doing so well in her career and has a group of suitors!¡± ¡°It¡®s just¡­ I don¡®t think that man isparable to Weston. I heard Weston doesn¡®t appear in public because he¡®s too handsome. It¡¯ll cause widespreadmotion...¡± ¡°Isn¡®t that obvious? How many in the world are as impressive as a man like Weston?¡± Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Guinevere had gotten used to being admired wherever she went. She raised her neck with the grace of a white swan and walked to her partner. Everyone watched her with admiring eyes. However, a great regret surged in her heart at that moment¨Cshe wished Weston was here. Unfortunately, he had never liked to attend events like this. He would never apany her to such events. She put her hand on her partner¡¯s arm and slowly entered the dance floor. The soft music started to y. Bradley told Ste and Angelina, ¡°If you two want to dance, you can invite anyone to dance with you. I¡® m sure there are plenty of gentlemen here.¡± Angelina asked reflexively, ¡°What about you, Mr. Lane?¡± Bradley said, ¡°Well, I¡®m going to invite the producer to dance.¡± Guinevere had introduced Bradley to a top-tier producer in the circle. Although he had a good time talking to her, he did not want to limit himself to her. He also enjoyed chatting with another producer from before. After Bradley left, another male actor in the cast came over and invited Angelina for a dance. ¡°Would you dance with me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Angelina put her hand in his palm. Ste smiled and watched them leave. She did not realize something was wrong until everyone entered the dance floor . Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Perhaps no one dared to invite her to dance because of the previous farce. Many people turned their gaze to her but hesitated. None of them took the first step. Although she had cleared her name from Joyce¡®s usation, many remembered her face. It was under standable for them to be apprehensive. Besides, no one would want to be the center of attention at such a time. Ste was happy and did not mind it. It was just a dance, so she did not care much. However, when she was going to get some dessert while holding champagne in her hand, she heard someone next to her say, ¡°The other woman was deliberate ly throwing dirt at her, but I heard she¡®s a troublemaker in the cast...¡± ¡°Really? E?¡± ¡°It¡®s true. There¡®s no smoke without fire. There must be a reason behind her bad reputation. That mean s she¡®s a shameless person!¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡®ve heard that Ms. Cohen doesn¡®t seem to like her very much¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah. Earlier, someone heard them quarrel in the restroom ...¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Who is she? An insignificant actress like her actually dares to challenge Ms. Cohen...¡± ¡°Yeah. She must have a strong man supporting her. Otherwise, how can she be so arrogant in front of Ms. Cohen?¡± Sometimes, words could be scary. Just a little detail in the rumor could be magnified as the conclusion. Ste closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Since she wanted to join the entertainment industry, she should have known that this was only normal. It was human nature to worship the strong and bully the weak. She did not have Guinevere¡®s status or c enemies, it only made sense for most to stand by Guinevere¡®s side. ¡°Did she forget to bring her partner over?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know¡­ Doesn¡®t she know it¡®s embarrassing to be left out on the dance floor?¡± ¡°Maybe a minor actress like her doesn¡®t know the rules...¡± ¡°That¡®s not necessarily true. Her friend was invited to dance. She¡®s the only one left alone. If I were her, Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°Shh... Keep your voice down. She might hear you.¡± Ste wondered if they were deliberately speaking loud for her to hear. She had heard everything they said clearly. Even so, she remained impassive and let them say what they wanted. N?velDrama.Org content. What she did not know was that her indifference was a unique sight in the eyes of others. The dress she wore today made her seem like an angel from heaven. She usually wore simple and elegant clothes, but this red dress made her look charming and hot. Despite her look, the air of indifference to the world around her stood out. The contradiction made her seem like a fragile beauty. It made others unable to look away from her. That was what Yates saw. He saw Ste standing there surrounded by those people who mocked her. However, she simply ignored them and did her own thing. At that instance, he had a strong urge to walk over to her. That was what he thought and did. When she was in deep trouble earlier, he did not lend a helping hand. This time, Yates did not choose to ignore it. Before Brooke could react, he saw Yates walking straight toward Ste. ¡°Yates! Are you crazy? What are you doing?¡± Yates ignored him. He walked to Ste and greeted her with the standard gentleman¡¯s salute. ¡°Beautifuldy, would you dance with me?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. She did not expect Yates to invite her for a dance and immediately refused him without thinking much. ¡°Don¡®t bother if you¡®re just trying to help. If you dance with me now, you¡®ll get into trouble...¡± Yates, who was reaching his hand out, stopped abruptly. He did not expect Ste¡®s rejection. He smiled helplessly. ¡°I¡®ve already walked to you. Isn¡®t it more embarrassing to be rejected?¡± Ste said, ¡°No one¡®s watching now. It¡®s not toote for you to leave. Besides, your manager, Brooke, is angry...¡± Yates deliberately avoided looking at Brooke. He stubbornly held his hand in front of her and said, ¡°Dan ce with me.¡± Ste hesitated and looked around. She saw no one was looking, so she lowered her voice and said to him, ¡°I¡®m serious¡­ I don¡¯t want to make things more complicated.¡± If she danced with Yates at such a time, she could already imagine the negativements that would engulf herter. Yates seemed to be very stubborn and reckless. For once, he felt impulsive and desperately wanted to ask her to dance with him. Brooke hade over and said behind Yates, ¡°Did you drink too much? Excuse me, E. I¡®ll take him back now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste had no objections. Yates finally sobered a little and gave Brooke a reluctant look. In the end, he said nothing and withdrew his hand. It was hard to muster the courage, but Ste¡®s coldness had dashed all his courage. After they left, others finally noticed themotion here. Someone sneered, ¡°It seems that no one is willing to invite E for a dance. One guy finally came over b The onlookers who were watching the earliermotion all fell silent. Those who remained were Guinevere¡®s bootlickers, so they all attacked Ste verbally. They could see the two¡®s conflict and thought they could win Guinevere¡®s favor by belittling Ste. After one song was over, the dance floor moved on to the next song. Bradley said something to his partner and walked up to Ste.¡± Dance with me.¡± He said, ¡°May I have this pleasure?¡± Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Bradley could see Ste¡®s awkward situation. Ste shook her head. ¡°Don¡®t worry about me... Just this much... won¡®t hurt me. Besides, I¡®m not that fragile.¡± She smiled. Bradley, however, frowned. ¡°How can I leave you alone like this?¡± He did not expect things to go so badly. A small ident earlier made everyone reject Ste. It was only normal for the people in the entertainment industry to protect themselves and stay away from trouble. However, Bradley could not do the same. After all, she was his film¡®s actress. Ste was still hesitating. Bradley said to her upromisingly, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± He was so firm that it made Ste hesitate . Just as she was about to extend her hand, a tall shadow suddenly cast over her from behind. A slender hand reached out from the side and blocked Bradley. Ste looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes. He wore a mask, but she could feel his familiar aura behind his mask. It was Weston. Ste froze in ce. She had never thought Weston would ¡°Will you dance with me?¡± Weston had walked up to her. Before she could react, he had took her hand in his palm. Panic shed through her eyes momentarily. She looked at Bradley, who was eyeing Weston suspiciou sly. ¡°This is?¡± Bradley was looking at him too. ¡°Mr. Lane, I¡®ll dance with him...¡± Ste interrupted him and feared that he would notice Weston¡®s real id entity. Then, she dragged Weston into the dance floor without saying a word. Weston did not seem worried that others might recognize him. He gently embraced Ste and carefully pressed a kiss on her forehead. He simply ignored the gazes o f those around him. ¡°Those people are mocking you. Why did you just listen in silence and not fight back?¡± ¡°How can I fight back? They did that because they wanted to please Guinevere. She always wants to make my life hard.¡± Weston paused and suddenly looked down at her. ¡°Are youining to me?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I¡®m just surprised. You¡®re so bold toe here wearing a mask. What if someone recognized you? What would happen to your rtionship with Guinevere ?¡± She sounded like she was gloating at him. Even so, Weston could sense the slight jealousy in her tone. He tipped her chin in a surprisingly good mood. ¡°Well, since you¡¯reining to me, it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to ignore it. Tell me¨Cwhat do you want me to do with her?¡± ¡°Can you bear to hurt her?¡± ¡°I can, as long as you tell me to.¡± Ste sneered and did not take him seriously. Instead, she looked around nervously. ¡°No one will notice,¡± Weston said. ¡°Focus on the dance with me.¡± Ste felt like he was just too full of himself. ¡°Everyone is looking at you now. Weston, are you sure Guinevere won¡®t recognize you?¡± ¡°I thought you were hoping she¡®d find out about me. Why are you worried now?¡± Weston inched closer to of her concerns. He hugged her a little tighter and muttered, ¡°Who said no men would ask you to dance ¡°You...¡± Ste gritted her teeth. ¡°I don¡®t need you to help.¡± ¡°I know. If I hadn¡®te, some other men would ask you to dance, right?¡± Weston curled his lips coldly. ¡°If I hadn¡®te, were you going to dance with Bradley ?¡± His tone sounded a little threatening. Ste turned her head away and refused to answer his childish question. She questioned, ¡°How did you organizer let you in?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Enough. I know you¡¯re very powerful...¡± Ste suddenly felt speechless . ¡°You should hurry and leave after this. Someone might notice.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really worried that your rtionship with me will be known to others ..¡± Weston stopped mid sentence abruptly and watched Ste¡®s confident da ¡°You can waltz?¡± he asked. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Weston suddenly recalled something and chuckled softly. ¡°I almost forgot that Roger mentioned it before. You¡®re good at dancing. You¡®ve won many international awards too. Dancing should be a piece of cake for you.¡± Ste said nothing and was very nervous. Weston wanted to help her rx. ¡°Focus on the dance. The music has changed.¡± Before Ste knew it, she realized that the gentle and long music had suddenly be passionate. The palm around her waist suddenly tightened its force. She subconsciously followed Weston¡®s steps as he led the dance. Soon, they attracted a lot of attentio n. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Who is he? Where did hee from?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. He even has a mask! Why¡®s he being so mysterious?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably the mysterious guest tonight...¡± ¡°Really? Did the organizer set this up? If he¡®s the mysterious guest, why is he dancing with her...¡± ¡°I don¡®t know... Who¡®s that woman anyway?¡± ¡°There¡®s no way she¡®s just a simple actor. She has so many men protecting her. Her real identity can¡®t be this simple.¡± Guinevere also looked this way. It was no surprise that everyone¡¯s eyes would focus on Guinevere as she danced with her partner, and it was not surprising for them to be momentarily distracted to gloat at others¡¯ mistakes. However, she soon noticed that someone on the other side of the room was stealing everyone¡®s attention from her. The people were genuinely admiring the other pair¡®s dance. Guinevere¡¯s dance step gradually stopped. Her partner looked at her strangely. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Did I do something wrong...¡± Guinevere stopped dancing. ¡°It¡®s not that. I don¡®t feel like dancing anymore.¡± ¡°Are you tired? Let¡®s take a short break.¡± Guinevere suddenly became very irritated and impatient. She pushed him away and kept staring at the masked man. He gave her a very familiar feeling... Guinevere¡¯s expression was turning uglier. It seemed like she had recognized him, but she found it unbelievable. She walked to the side and took out her phone to call Weston. The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. Guinevere took a deep breath. Her hands were trembling. It was impossible! How could he be Weston?! How could Weston appear in a mask ande to an event like this?! How could he dance with E... That woman was E, not Ste! Besides, Weston had never seen E since they met at Yvonne¡¯s ce. How could they suddenly get together? Guinevere tried to convince herself. While consoling herself, she finally realized that her hands were shaking violently. She could not make a second call. After a long time, Ben picked up the call. ¡°Ms. Cohen, what¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Where is Weston now?¡± she asked straightforwardly. ¡°I have something to tell him.¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry. Mr. Ford is attending to some business. He¡®ll be back soon... Do you have a message for him ¡°Tell him right away! I have something important to ask him.¡± ¡°Yes, please wait a moment...¡± Guinevere ended the call angrily. Then, she waited for Ben¡®s reply. The masked man couldn¡®t be Weston! That was definitely not him! Ste noticed Guinevere¡®s reaction. Then, she turned to the masked man and finally noticed his attire. It was his usual ck suit for work. The gilt cufflinks revealed his extraordinary status. His mask was specially made and had covered almost his entire face. No one could see the handsome face behind the mask. They could only see his tall and strong stature. Even so, they could sense the powerful aura around him. Besides, his attire seemed to go well with Ste¡¯s red dress. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 ¡°Guinevere seems to have recognized you...¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. It was just a mask. The mask would not change the familiar feeling. Guinevere had been with Weston for years. How could she not suspect anything ? However, Weston seemed unbothered. He did not panic and did not even care if Guinevere found out. He held Ste in his arms and moved slowly. ¡°Don¡®t think about anyone irrelevant. Let¡®s finish our dance.¡± He did not n to be this impulsive. However, when he saw Ste was going to give Bradley her hand, he finally realized his possessiveness toward her. He could not stand seeing Ste dance with another man. All of her belonged to him. He wanted to be the only one i n her eyes and heart. She must focus her eyes on him only. She must not look at anyone else. He would not allow her to look at anything but him, regardless of gender, human, or object. He wanted her world to be all about him. He did not know when he had be so sick. By the time he realized, there was no way to save himself. He kept tightening his force on Ste¡®s waist until it hurt her. ¡° Let me go...¡± Their dance steps were disrupted. Weston rxed his grip a little. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. After a short dance, he took her in his arms and slowly led her to a quiet corner with no one else around. He rubbed her ears and asked affectionately, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡®ve just separated from you for a short while...¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°I thought you had been gone for a long time. Before you left, I told you to tell me your troubles. I thought we were apart for too long that you obviously forgot about that...¡± Ste moved her mouth a little and wanted to say something. In the end, she remained silent and only l ooked around. The people around them were looking at her. Everyone was just watching when Yates came over to invite Ste. However, their gaze changed when Bradley came over to ask her to dance. Yates and Bradley had a good reputation in the circle, especially Yates. For years, Yates had been known as the good guy in the business. Everyone that cooperated with him was amazed. Besides, he was never involved in any negative scandals or exposure. When a good man like him went over to Ste, people assumed that he was helping her. However, when people like Bradley reached out to Ste, they started looking at Ste in a different light. Bradley was a recognized genius in the circle. Even an actress of Guinevere¡¯s status would not necessarily gain his respect. He had high emotional intelligence and would never choose to please the strong and bully the weak. A man like him was willing to help Ste. This meant there must be something special about her. In addition, Bradley was the one who brought Ste over. Many began to ask about Ste from the actors in the same cast. For example, the man who invited Angelina for a dance lowered his head and said, ¡°You¡®re quite familiar to E in the crew. What¡®s her rtionship with Bradley...¡± Angelina let go of him at once. ¡°What do you mean? Do you doubt their rtionship?¡± Her tone was clearly unhappy. Although she was not very close to Ste, she considered Ste a friend. Angelina was a righteous person. Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 He smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I was just casually asking...¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling unwell. I¡®ll stop dancing.¡± ¡°Alright, then...¡± Angelina looked in Ste¡®s direction worriedly. She also wondered about the masked man¡®s identity. Ste was already at the center of attention. As soon as Weston appeared, she could feel the gaze coming from all directions Now, everyone was curious about her identity. ¡°Say, this little actress... Could she be the daughter of a rich family? She¡®s probably a low¨C profile person who rarely shows herself. Could it be that she¡®s here to experience the life of the entertai nment industry?¡± ¡°That¡®s possible as well. No one knows her...¡± ¡°Her temperament is nothing like an ordinary person¡®s.¡± ¡°How is she ordinary? She attracted the attention of so many bigwigs...¡± ¡°Not even Ms. Cohen has such a presence.¡± Those people who were deliberately belittling Ste earlier to please Guinevere felt a little restless. They were worried that Ste had a strong background. In that case, did they just get themselves in trouble? Meanwhile, on the other side, Guinevere was still waiting for Weston¡¯s reply. She paled and trembled with her nails deep in her palms. She had wanted to make a fool of Ste, but she did not expect to make her the center of attention instead. Anger, jealousy, and resentment grew in her heart. All she had was a face like Ste¡®s ¨Cshe hated that face so much. Why was there another face like Ste¡®s in this world? She should never exist in this world. Endless dark thoughts were screaming in her head. Guinevere knew she must not lose her temper, but she could not hide all her emotions perfectly. As she stared at Ste, a glint of hatred shed in her eyes. Ste... She clenched her fist tighter as her gaze became more and more vicious. If she could, she wanted to ki ll her. ¡°What the h*ll is Weston doing? Why isn¡®t he answering the call?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Ben repliedte and said on the phone, ¡°Mr. Ford is busy. He¡®s probably in a meeting... If you have any urgent matters, I¡®ll pass the message to himter...¡± Guinevere did not answer, but her face immediately darkened. Her grim face scared her male partner beside her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± he asked. Guinevere took a deep breath and hung up immediately. She kept ring at the two on the dance floor. The music changed from a soothing waltz to a passionate tango. The men and women were spinning on the dance floor. Weston held Ste by the waist and slowly swayed to the music. As they danced, he kept staring at her with deep eyes. In the past, she liked his eyes the most. It felt like she could easily fall into his eyes when he looked at her like this. However, her heart was silent now. She asked calmly, ¡°How are you going to end this?¡± ¡°Let¡®s finish this dance and leave the rest to me.¡± He did not seem to be worried about her concerns at a her nervousness. ¡°When you were about to ept Bradley¡®s invitation, I thought you liked dancing.¡± Ste remained quiet. Weston suddenly inched closer, as if to kiss her. Ste turned away immediately. A sense of embarrassment washed over her as she noticed the nces. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? Don¡®t you know the best?¡± Weston was so close that he was almost kissing her ear. ¡°Hey, stay away from Bradley, okay?¡° Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Ste had to hold back her emotions to not kick him. She said coldly, ¡°He¡¯s the director. I¡®m just an actr ess. I can¡®t avoid seeing him. How can you be so unreasonable?¡± ¡°Well, I¡®m just unreasonable.¡± He picked up a strand of loose hair on her shoulder and yed with it bet ween his fingers. The two of them were so close. When they spoke, the heat brushed against their ears. The distance made Ste feel oppressed. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. ¡°I¡®ll speak to Bradley after this. I¡®ll tell him that I¡®m going home first because I¡¯m not feeling well...¡± ¡°Good.¡± Weston lowered his voice and whispered into her ears,¡± That¡®s my good girl.¡± When their dance was about to end, a person who looked like an assistant walked over in a hurry. He looked like he wanted to say something. Ste could tell he was looking for Weston, but he could not make it too obvious. The man stopped and said, ¡°There¡¯s someone over there looking for you.¡± Weston frowned and looked at him. That man immediately said, ¡°Sir, Ben called about an urgent matter.¡± He instinctively nced in Guinevere¡®s direction and lowered his head at once. Weston had taken a long time to train his team of assistants. They were all capable at work and very lo yal. Ste understood it and said sarcastically, ¡°Looks like she¡®s panicking.¡± Weston suddenly held her shoulders. ¡°Do you think I¡®d let someone control me?¡± ¡°I don¡®t think so, but she¡®s going to freak out if you continue to ignore her call...¡± Ste nced at Guinevere from a distance. She found it ironic to see Guinevere constantly making ph one calls frantically. After she said that, she pushed Weston away and wanted to leave. However, he gripped her hand tightly and refused to let go. ¡°Ste...¡± Ste shook his hand away. ¡°You should take care of your business. I¡®ll speak to Bradley and meet you in the car.¡± Weston paused a little and looked at her. He urged, ¡°Don¡®t go anywhere.¡± Ste turned to leave without answering him. Weston watched her leave and unbuttoned his cuffs with a slight headache. After that, on the balcony. There was hardly anyone around. When the call finally connected , Guinevere¡®s voice became a little agitated. ¡°Hello? Weston! Where are you...¡± ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± His voice was as cold as ever. Guinevere then realized that she was overly agitated. She took a deep breath and calmed down. ¡°I¡®m fin Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You sounded in such a hurry. I thought you had something urgent.¡± Weston¡®s voice was soft and slow. H the railing and looked out at the distant scenery. At the same time, the music on the dance floor came softly. When he closed his eyes, the image of Ste running away filled his mind. Guinevere seemed to have heard the music from the other end. She frowned . ¡°Why is there music over there ?¡± It sounded so simr to the music at her side. An absurd thought gradually formed in her mind. She could not get the absurd idea out of her mind. She not calm down. Her voice trembled. ¡°Did youe to the party¨C¡± It was a question, but there was no tone of doubt. ¡°I don¡®t remember needing to report my schedule to you.¡± Weston cut her off softly, ¡°If there¡®s nothing else, I¡®ll hang up now.¡± ¡°Wait! Weston!¡± Guinevere stopped him at once and clenched her fists. ¡°Are you still not over Ste...¡± s freeze. Ste¡®s name had always been taboo between them. Guinevere would not have asked the question unless she was pushed to the verge. She knew things between her and Weston would change once she brought the topic of Ste up Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 She had been so hostile to E all this while because she thought Weston might have fallen in love with Ste. However, Ste was long gone. Guinevere would not fight with a dead woman, but E was different. E was a living person. Not only that, but she had a face identical to Ste¡®s. Therefore, E became the biggest threat Guinevere was worried that Weston would notice E one day.. Weston might use her as a recement. Guinevere did not want to see that happen. Weston fell into a long silence on the other end of the call. Guinevere was left without an answer for a l ong time. The wait was simply torturous. She almost wanted to beg him to tell her the answer Weston simply lit a cigarette. The smoke made his deep features look more defined. Then, Guinevere heard Weston snicker. ¡°You made me choose. I chose you. What more do you want?¡± It seemed like he had answered the question before. Guinevere suddenly recalled asking him the question previously. However, his answer seemed to be dif ferent from thest time. From Weston¡®s tone, she sensed he had made up his mind about something. At that instance, a part of her heart felt empty. An indescribable panic swept through her senses. ¡°The party¡®s over ... Weston, I want to see you, okay? I haven¡®t seen you in a long time... I miss you. Zack wants to see you too. He likes his daddy the most.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, he likes the nanny more.¡± With that, Weston directly ended the call. Guinevere felt a chill run through her body when she heard the disconnected beep from the call. She looked at the screen of the phone for a long time. Atst, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Investigate this! No matter what, don¡®t let him have an y contact with E...¡± ¡°Alright, Ms. Cohen...¡± As soon as Ste found Bradley, Angelina greeted her. ¡°E, are you okay?¡± The crew had a dedicated rest room. Angelina immediately took Ste¡®s hand. ¡°Who was the masked man earlier?¡± Ste hesitated a little and shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t know either.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. She seemed a little quiet and guilty for lying to Angelina . She could not look into her eyes. Instead, she turned to Bradley and said, ¡°I feel a little unwell. Can I go home now?¡± There was no reason for Bradley to stop her. He gave her a few nces and said, ¡°If you¡®re unwell, you can go home first. I¡®ll take care of it here.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mr. Lane.¡± ¡°You¡®re wee,¡± Bradley said and turned to Angelina. ¡°You can leave with her. The two of you can keep each otherpany.¡± Angelina knew he wanted her to apany Ste on the way home because he was afraid for her safe spoke first. She said, ¡°No. It¡®ll take too much time. I¡®ll be fine on my own.¡± Bradley interrupted her. ¡°Don¡®t be stubborn. We all saw what had just happened. I¡®ve asked someone to smear your reputation.¡± Ste¡®s eyes suddenly felt a little teary. Even though there were people like Joyce who hated her for no reason, there were also people like Ang She took a deep breath. Her eyes were a little red, but she did her best to resist the urge to cry. She looked at them and said,¡± It¡®s fine... My family is here to pick me up.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Angelina thought about it and uttered, ¡°Remember to call me when you reach home. Mr. Lane and I will be worried about you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since she had said her family wasing to pick her up, Bradley did not force her to stay. After they had exchanged a few words, Ste turned and left. As Bradley watched her leave, his eyes slowly deepened. Finally, he heaved a sigh. Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Weston¡¯s car was already waiting outside. While Ste walked over to the ck car, she kept looking around. After making sure that no one saw her, she was ready to get in The driver was already waiting ahead. He was not surprised by Ste¡¯s behavior. After the door closed, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Steele. We checked when we came here. There¡¯s no one here.¡± Ste nodded. Then, she put her bag aside and straightened her dress. Suddenly, her phone rang. She took a nce and saw it was a phone call from Roger. After a short pause, she answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± There was a lot of loud musicing from the call. Ste frowned at once. ¡°Are you at a bar?¡± She could tell where he was at once. Roger remained silent. Ste suddenly became anxious. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you so quiet?¡± After a long silence, a clear female voice sounded from the other end. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is this Robb¡¯s sister? I¡¯m his ssmate. He just got into trouble in the bar. Can you pleasee over?¡± Ste panicked at once. ¡°What happened? Where are you now? I¡¯ming over¡­¡± Once she had ended the call, she pulled the door open and wanted to get out The driver quickly stopped her. ¡°Ms. Steele, please wait. Mr. Ford ordered you to wait in the car. He¡¯ll be here soon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Can you take me to a ce first?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried, you can go with me. I¡¯m really in a hurry!¡± The driver said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Mr. Ford¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time! Talk to him while you drive.¡± Seeing her in such a hurry, the driver could only do as told. He stepped on the elerator and drove quickly. However, he kept an eye on his phone the whole time, fearing Weston¡¯s disapproval. He waited but received no reply from Weston, so he had no choice but to send Ste there first. When Ste arrived at the destination, she finally felt the coolness of the night. Her evening gown had a thin strap. As the cool air breezed past, goosebumps covered her skin. When she got out of the car, she sneezed reflexively. The driver wanted to say something, but she had walked off. He had no choice but to call Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Ste did not take these trivial matters to heart. She hurried to find Roger. She rushed to the bar in her high heels. Before she even entered, she could hear the loud music from inside. It was so loud that it seemed to deafen her ears. She could imagine how crazy it was inside through the thick door. Ste had never been to this kind of bar before. Even when she went to The Dog House, she would only go to a quieter and cleaner ce. It was her first time in a ce like this. When she got to the door, she was a little hesitant. The red evening dress made her look out of ce in a bar setting. However, it wowed the crowd and caught everyone¡¯s attention. As soon as she walked in, the two doormen standing at the door kept staring at her and never looked away. They noticed her pacing back and force at the door, so one of them stepped forward and asked, ¡°Pretty lady, why are you standing here? Are you looking for someone?¡± Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Ste nodded calmly. ¡°I¡®m looking for someone,¡± she said. Then, she walked past them and went straight in. The two men had wanted to strike up a conversation with her and ask for her number. However, they did not bother after seeing her coldness. Ste entered the bar and finally realized how noisy it was inside. She only felt the vague loudness outside the door. As soon as the door closed, the music was so loud and almost made her deaf. All of a sudden, she was in a different world. She was in a hurry to find Roger. However, the sea of people in front of her was an obstacle. Many people bumped into her in just a few short steps. She was still in her high heels, so she had to lift the hem of her skirt to walk to the side. She had wanted to call Roger, but she hesitated when she took out her phone. She could call him, but she knew it would be hard for him to hear her voice in this environment. It took her a while to find a slightly quieter ce. However, she suddenly realized everyone was looking at her with strange gazes. They looked at her with the gaze of a predator. Ste stopped in her tracks at once and looked down at herself. Her outfit was indeed very eye¨C catching. The red evening dress perfectly outlined her body curves. It was not too revealing but full of charm. Every move of hers had a striking brilliance. She frowned and covered her chest. She simply ignored the gaze and only wanted to find Roger quickly. Everyone on the dance floor was dancing, but it was a different vibe from the party she had attended earlier. The men and women danced with not much restraint. It was the perfect vibe to do anything they wanted. Ste tried her best to ignore the indecent scenes. She just wanted to find Roger as soon as possible. She had been with Roger since childhood. She knew Roger very well. Roger was very obedient and would nevere to a ce like this. Something must have happened. The next second, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw a young boy standing in front of her with a ttering smile. ¡°Miss, can I buy you a drink?¡± He was young, and he spoke a little irritatingly. He looked like a kid, but his hair was dyed red. He also had an exaggerated stud on his helix. Ste wondered if the stud would hurt his ears. She paused for a moment and wanted to refuse him. Then, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Have you seen this person?¡± She clicked on Roger¡®s photo and showed it to him. The young man named Rory raised an eyebrow, but he did not look at her phone. Instead, he smiled. ¡°Is this a new way to get my attention?¡± Ste dismissed her thought earlier. ¡°Sorry. I¡®m here to look for someone. If there¡®s nothing else, please move aside.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Rory suddenly blocked her path. ¡°Don¡®t go yet! You¡®vee to this ce, so you don¡®t have to pretend to be so noble, okay?¡± Ste was very disgusted with him. ¡°Move aside.¡± ¡°Gee. You¡®ve got a temper.¡± Rory¡®s gaze on her moved up and down a few times. ¡°But... I just love a lady with your personality. Girl, why don¡¯t you dance with me?¡± Ste instantly remembered that Weston had said the same thing to her at the party earlier. Her impatience grew stronger. ¡°Get lost,¡± she warned. Rory¡®s expression turned a little ugly. He only came to get her number because of the people around him that coaxed him. However, he had failed and gotten rejected so many times before he even started. Naturally, this had hurt his ego. His face turned grim. ¡°How can you be so arrogant!¡± He reached for Ste¡®s shoulder and led her to his group of friends. ¡°I¡®d like to introduce you to my friends...¡± Ste knew she was in trouble when he forcibly led her there upromisingly. She directly shook her hand off and hissed,¡± Get lost! Don¡®t mess with me.¡± Then, she turned to leave. Her rejection irritated Rory. He blocked her path stubbornly. ¡°I¡®ve got my eye on you today. You got a problem with that?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He reached out for her waist and would not let her go. ¡°This bar is my territory. You¡®d better behave. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 His hand was about to touch Ste¡®s face. Ste turned her head away with disgust in her eyes. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Rory was furious the next moment. ¡°Stop pretending!¡± He reached over and tried to kiss her. Ste felt disgusted, but she could not break free. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through. A figure rushed over out of nowhere. Then, a fist hit Rory in the face. ¡°Leave my sister alone!¡± Bang! It sounded so hard, as if he had hit him with all his force. Rory screamed and took a few steps back. He closed his eyes and slowly fell to the ground, wailing. The people around them were stunned by this suddenmotion. Everyone looked over here. Ste looked up and met Roger¡®s gaze. Roger clenched his fist with his eyes slightly red. He rushed to her and asked, ¡°Sis, are you okay?¡± A girl followed him and quickly came to help him. ¡°Careful!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Roger shook off her arm and looked at Ste. ¡°Sis, are you hurt anywhere? ce like this?¡± Roger did not care about her questioning tone at all. All he wanted to know was whether Ste was hurt. He nervously nced up and down before hissing, ¡°Who told you toe here? Why are you wearing such clothes?¡± He was relieved to know that she was not hurt. ¡°Sis, you scared the hill out of me...¡± Earlier, he saw someone like her in the bar that was in trouble. Therefore, he came over to see if it was her. It was indeed her. As Roger spoke, he took off his jacket and put it on Ste. Ste pushed his hand away and said seriously, ¡°Come with me.¡± Roger finally realized something and looked at the girl beside him coldly. The girl immediately dropped her head and touched her nose ufortably. Roger knew she was behind this. He pursed his lips and said with cold eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve told you a million times! Stay out of my business!¡± ¡°Sorry...¡± The girl lowered her head more. ¡°Robb, let¡®s go.¡± Ste recognized the girl beside him. She had confessed to him before. Ste took a deep breath and told him, ¡°You don¡®t have to me her. If it weren¡®t for her, I wouldn¡®t have known you were in such a ce, She said coldly, ¡°Since when did you be so ill¨Cbehaved ? You¡®re going to study abroad soon. Why are you getting into trouble at this time? Even if you want to rx, you shouldn¡®te to ces like this!¡± ¡°Sis, I¡®m not a kid anymore. It¡®s normal to visit a bar...¡± ¡°You can go to a bar, but not a bar like this...¡± Ste did not know how to describe the ce. There were many types of bars, but this was not the right ce for him. ¡°Besides, you have a girl with you. If something happens, you may not be able to protect yourself! You may even hurt the people around you!¡± The girl quickly waved her hand. ¡°Sis, don¡®t me him. I came along voluntarily...¡± Roger barked impatiently, ¡°Who¡®s your sis? Don¡®t spew nonsense!¡± Ste red at him. ¡°How can you speak to a girl like this? Was that what I taught you?¡± Roger fell silent. Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Roger fell into a long silence. Atst, he said, ¡°Sis, have you thought of the consequences ofing here alone?¡± After saying that, he nced at the girl beside him in displeasure. ¡°I said don¡®t follow me and don¡®t meddle in my business!¡± Ste could not stand watching Roger¡®s rude attitude towards the girl. She cut him off directly, ¡°You bettere out with me now. Right now! Otherwise, don¡®t bother calling me your sister anymore.¡± Roger shut up at once and followed her dejectedly. Just as the group was about to leave, Rory suddenly stood up unsteadily. He spat out a mouthful of blood and stopped them. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Are you going to leave after beating me?¡± he said as he spat more blood. ¡°It won¡®t be this easy!¡± Rory watched Roger¡®s back viciously. ¡°Hey, I¡®m talking about you! I saw you vomiting in the toilet earlier. Why? Is it because of these two women?¡± He wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and cursed.¡± Dimn it! You hit me so hard!¡± He had watched Roger before and saw him drinking heavily in the bar. After that, a beautiful woman came and stayed with him, but he simply ignored her. Rory was already upset to see this. Not long after, Ste came looking for him. Rory was jealous to see Roger surrounded by two gorgeousdies. ¡°You¡®re helping her out, huh? Saving the day, huh? He pushed Roger hard. ¡°Do you know who this territory belongs to?!¡± Roger staggered back a few steps, nearly falling. With widened eyes, Ste stepped forward to help him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The girl with them panicked too and hurriedly rushed to him.¡± Robb, are you okay? Feeling unwell?¡± Roger¡¯s face was as white as a sheet, and bullets of sweat rolled down his forehead. Seeing this, Ste became distressed and angry. ¡°We¡®re going to the hospital now!¡± Roger had been weak ofte and was unable to withstand such torture. ¡°You finally got out of the hospital after so long. Must you ruin your body like this?¡± Ste had paid so much for this surgery and recovery. However, it appeared he didn¡®t cherish his health at all. She was incredibly disappointed in him. ¡°I¡®m not restricting you froming to the car, but have you ever thought about your health? You¡®re unfit toe to ces like this!¡± Her tone made Roger a little ufortable. ¡°l¨C¡­ I just felt a little stressed, so I came to get some air...¡± ¡°If you¡®re facing trouble, you can talk to me directly...¡± ¡°Enough! Enough!¡± Rory interrupted them. ¡°Stop acting like some loving brother and sister here! I hear you. You¡®re his sister, right?¡± He walked to them and smiled a little frivolously. ¡°Not bad. I like girls like your sister ... The one beside you isn¡®t bad too... How about you choose one and let me have the other?¡± he said while putting his hand on Roger¡®s shoulder. Roger was about to push him away, but people had swarmed up and surrounded them. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Unable to move, Roger red at Rory angrily. Rory¡®s eyes instantly became cold. He rushed to Roger and pped him. ¡°Don¡®t be so arrogant!¡± Ste¡®s eyes reddened. She pushed him away, hissing, ¡°Stop! Don¡®t you dare touch him!¡± Roger was her only family. When she saw him getting hurt, only one thought coursed through her mind¨Cshe couldn¡®t let Roger get hurt. She did not want to be alone anymore. Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Ste clenched her fists tightly and looked very protective of Roger. Her aura shocked Rory. ¡°Are you crazy? I haven¡¯t hit him¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch him!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes reddened. She stepped in front of Rory and looked at him from above. Rory¡¯s heart trembled as he stood up. However, he was relieved to see his men surrounding them. ¡°You¡¯re just a b*tch. Who are you to call the shots? Your younger brother came to our bar himself. He even hit me earlier while I asked for your number. Is it necessary?¡± Ste took a deep breath to calm down. She nced at the injury on Rory¡¯s face and said, ¡°Tell me. How much do you want me to pay?¡± Rory chuckled. ¡°Pay? This can¡¯t be solved with money.¡± He pointed to his mouth. ¡°He knocked out a tooth. What about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for the tooth¡­¡± ¡°B*llshit!¡± Rory interrupted her rudely. ¡°You only have two choices right now. Either one of you must stay. The other woman can leave. We¡¯ll settle with this¡­¡± ¡°You b*stard ! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Roger clenched his fist and tried to pounce at him. The girl next to him pulled him and looked at him with a frightened look. ¡°Calm down¡­¡± Ste also turned to him. She hissed sternly, ¡°Stop giving me more troubles!¡± Roger froze and looked a little aggrieved. ¡±Sis¡­¡± ¡°I said stay there and don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t make trouble for me!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. In this instance, Ste¡¯s burst of powerful aura did not match her appearance at all. Roger could not refute. He could only look at her with red eyes. He knew he was at fault. He should not havee to this kind of ce alone. Not only that, but he lost his temper and caused more trouble for the people around him. Ste looked like a fury ball of fire dressed in red. ¡°I guess we have to settle this between us.¡± The way she looked at Rory sharply made him feel oppressed. He hesitated a little and stammered, ¡°Al-¡­ Just give me an answer! You and your younger brother are the same!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ste cut him off and turned to the girl standing next to Roger. ¡°Can you take him home?¡± The girl did not expect Ste to have such a strong aura either. She nodded in a daze, ¡°Okay¡­¡± Roger refused to leave ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving! I can¡¯t leave you here alone¡­¡± A loud p sounded. Everyone was stunned to see the woman in red walking straight up at the young man to p him without hesitation Stop calling me Sis.¡± Ste looked down at him, ¡°I don¡¯t have a younger brother like you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Get lost now! You¡¯re nothing but a burden here!¡± The harsh words and impatience in her eyes made Roger suffocate for a moment. ¡°Sorry, Sis¡­¡± ¡°If you really feel sorry, you better get out of here now and stop giving me more trouble!¡± Roger finally remained silent. He looked at Ste with hurtful eyes. Ste refused to look in his eyes and turned away. She looked annoyed. After the girl dragged Roger away, Ste finally breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Rory and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Rory was still stunned by her fierce aura earlier. When he heard her voice, he finally returned to his senses and said harshly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you go after you let your younger brother go?¡± Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Rory spoke and nced around at his men, who immediately understood and gathered around Ste. ¡°Well, since you¡®re sincere enough to atone for your younger brother¡®s mistake, I¡®ll grant you the opportunity...¡± Rory smiled mockingly with sheer arrogance on his youthful face. ¡°I don¡®t need you to pay for any medical bills. I don¡®t need that kind of money ... How about you stay with me for one night and I¡®ll let this slide.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Ste rejected him outright and frowned in disgust.¡° That¡®s impossible.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°That¡®s not up to you...¡± Rory suddenly approached her with an evil look on his face. ¡°You¡®re worth more than a medical bill.¡± Ste red at him sharply and put her hand on the bottle behind her, about to fight them. Rory, however, noticed her tenseness and spat impatiently,¡° These are all my men. If you don¡®t want to suffer, you better behave. I don¡®t want to hurt a beautiful girl like you...¡± He eagerly went up, only to let out an abrupt scream. ¡°Aaaa!¡± Before he could react, he was already kneeling on one knee, his face distorted in anguish. Weston solemnly stood behind him and restrained him with one hand on his head. He held him to the ground, and with a stone cold re, said, ¡°I see you do need a littlepensation for your medical bill.¡± With his tone heavy and murderous, an air of ruthlessness surrounded him. Rory did not know where he hade from. He did not recognize him. He struggled to get up, roaring, ¡°Who the f*ck are you! Let go of me!¡± Weston released his hand and waited until Rory stumbled to his feet. Then, he stomped on him. ¡°Scum,¡± he cursed coldly. Weston increased the force and rubbed Rory¡®s face hard against the ground. Rory screamed out in pain. ¡°Gaaa¨Crgh!!! Ow!¡± He instinctively looked at Ste with a face distorted in agony. However, Ste was staring at Weston, a trace of surprise shing across her eyes. The group of men, intimated by his powerful aura, were afraid to step forward. ¡°Why is there another guy?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know... He¡®s stepping on Rory. Should we help him?¡± ¡°You should go...¡± ¡°No, you...¡± Still in his usual low¨Cprofile ck suit, Weston reached up and tugged at his tie before casually putting his priceless wristwatch aside. He was still stepping on Rory¡®s head with his high¨Cquality handmade leather shoe. He nced over the men in the bar. ¡°You cane at me once.¡± His tone was contemptuous. It seemed like a different side of him. Ste stepped forward to stop him. She said with a frown,¡± Weston, calm down!¡± Rory¡®s men were all here. How could he beat all of them? He might be good, but he certainly couldn¡®t fight a crowd. Weston raised his eyes slightly and looked at her, the fury in his eyes still present. However, the moment their gazes met, the mes diminished a little. ¡°You have to let me vent my anger, or I¡®ll torment you tonight, hm?¡± As he spoke, he suddenly curled his lips into a wicked smile. His cold smile was chillingly murderous. This group of men had pissed him off, and he probably wouldn¡®t let it slide without doing anything. Ste had rarely seen such a wicked side of his. To her, he was always arrogant, aloof, and distant. She never thought he could be this angry and irrational. Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Weston¡®s face turned grim. He looked like a punisher ready to teach those who offended him a lesson N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. No one dared toe forward because of his powerful aura. They finally saw his face clearly when he lifted his face and drew a cold breath. The crowd on the dance floor also looked over. ¡°Oh, God. He¡®s so handsome...¡± ¡°Did you see the way he fought? He¡®s so handsome...¡± ¡°I didn¡®t expect him to be so handsome!¡± ¡°Is he doing this for his girlfriend?¡± ¡°I think so. Rory is always rude to the beautifuldies in his territory. Finally, someone came to teach him a lesson!¡± Indistinct chatters and murmurs rumbled around the room. Still on the ground, Rory could no longer stand listening to the crowd¡®sments about them. He staggered to his face and warned fiercely, ¡°Do you know who my father is?¡± He kept staring at the people around him. When he saw that his cowardly men did not dare toe forward, he roared angrily,¡± You cowards! My dog is more useful than you!¡± At least the dog wouldn¡®t just watch him get beaten! His men finally made their move after that. ¡°Where are you from? You¡®d better let go of Rory!¡± someone from the group shouted at Weston. Weston¡®s eyes dimmed. He cast a hard nce at him and repeated himself. ¡°I said,e at me all at once. Do you not understand?¡± ¡°F*ck you! You¡®re alone! How are you this arrogant?!¡± one of Rory¡®s men said. He was about to charge forward. Since someone took the lead, the other men behind Rory finally had the courage to charge at Weston. Weston moved quickly. Before the group could react, he dashed straight ahead and pinned the first man to the ground with a flying punch,nding the attack smoothly and fluidly without hesitation. While everyone was still standing in ce, he had already taken down several people. ¡°l¨Cis he some fighter?!¡± ¡°I think he¡®s a professional fighter ... he couldn¡®t be so powerful, otherwise!¡± ¡°Sh*t... It¡®s over... What do we do! Should we retreat?!¡± ¡°Are you sure? Rory might get angry!¡± ¡°Rory... What should we do now?¡± Thest guy had no choice but to look at Rory for advice. Rory saw Weston knock down two of his men easily. The two men could not even get up, getting punched squarely in their noses. This left him a little intimidated. Even so, he refused to give up his pride. ¡°There are so many of us here! I believe we can fight him!¡± Then, he yelled, ¡°Charge!¡± The group took advantage of the chaos and pounced at Weston. Weston snickered and smiled in contempt. ¡°Since you want to die, I¡®ll grant your wish.¡± His eyes suddenly turned sharp. A man tried to attack him from behind, to which he spontaneously tossed back. Then, he grabbed the bottle on the bar and threw it at Rory. There was a loud clink. Rory swiftly dodged behind one of his men and managed to avoid the attack ¡°He¡®s bleeding!¡± someone shouted, causing an even biggermotion in the bar. Weston looked back at Ste. ¡°Hide. After saying that, he went straight to attack the enemy. The Ste of old would have never imagined Weston getting involved in a group fight in such a ce. It was hard to picture his usual noble and arrogant gentleman side with his ruthless moves and powerful body. He was but a fearless fighter. At that moment, the cacophony of breaking ss and people talking and wailing blended together into a hum. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 The fight went on on the dance floor apanied by the unrelenting beat of the music. Somehow, ther e was a charm to this scene. Rory saw his men gradually getting knocked out from Weston¡®s punches, and he couldn¡®t stay calm any more. ¡°Who the heck is he...¡± Rory was upset. However, when he saw that Ste was alone, an idea suddenly shed in his mind. ¡°Nobody move!¡± he shouted after rushing to her without warning. ¡°Stop! If anyone moves, I¡®ll kill the old b*tch!¡± He put the broken bottle against her neck and hissed fiercely, ¡°If you move again, I¡¯ll hurt her face right now!¡± Just like he expected, the red¨Ceyed Weston instantly stopped fighting He turned around coldly and shot Rory with the menacing re of an enraged bull. The hostility in his eyes almost engulfed him. ¡°Let her go,¡± he said with his tightly pursed lips. At that moment, his dark eyes were zed, like ck ic e on a frozenke. Rory believed he could¡®ve been stabbed to death if his re materialized into a physical attack. ¡°Y¨Cyou! Kneel on your knees now!¡± With mustered courage, he blurted, ¡°If you kneel and apologize, I¡®ll let her go!¡± Rory could tell that Weston was immensely concerned about this woman. As expected, he stopped attacking. Seeing that, Rory became smug. ¡°Don¡®t you dare move! Aren¡®t you worried about her?¡± Weston wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice turned even sharper. ¡°Let her go.¡± Weston¡®s aura intimidated Rory. Even so, he still had Ste in his hands. As he thought of that, he felt slightly relieved. ¡°I¡®m not letting her go! So what? You better know when to stop, or I¡®ll...¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Rory suddenly stopped in his tracks. Then, with a yowl of pain, he released his grip on her. Ste could not care less when she saw Weston threatened . She found an ashtray and immediately smashed it on the fatal spot under Rory¡®s abdomen. ¡°God damn... It f*cking hurts...¡± Rory burst into an uncontroble bawl, unable to return to his senses fo r a long time. Ste dropped the ashtray. It fell to the floor and rolled around until it finally stopped right next to Weston¡®s feet. As she looked up, he was already in front of her. Weston came against the light. The light of the world shone behind his tall and strong figure. Ste found this a little dazzling and squinted ever so slightly. In the next moment, she was pulled into Weston¡®s arms. If you¡®re scared, hug me.¡± As Ste fell into a warm embrace, a low, mellow voice came from above, Weston held her tightly in his strong arms. His embrace was so tight that she could barely breathe. After a long moment, he finally let her go. ¡°Are you okay??¡± ¡°I¡®m fine...¡± Ste replied in a low voice. Before she knew it, Weston suddenly released her, walked to Rory, and mmed his fist right into his fa Rory didn¡®t even have the time to react. Weston punched him again. The blow was so hard that Rory barely had the strength to wail. Rory fell to his knees. Weston had no intention of stopping, however. He walked right up to him and ask Rory was so stunned he could barely answer in time. ¡°Which hand did you use?¡± Weston repeated his question, this time in a colder tone. Rory trembled in fear. ¡°I¨CI...¡± He faltered and was unable to speak. Weston sneered . ¡°Since you¡®re silent, it means you used both your hands to touch her.¡± Rory was still unable to understand the meaning behind his words. Before he could finish speaking, he f ¡°Aaaaa!¡± Rory screamed at the top of his lungs and watched helplessly as Weston broke his arms without hesitation. He snapped his arms so easily, like they were made of y. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Weston did it so quickly that no one around him could react in time. Before they realized it, Rory had dro Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 The extreme pain he experienced caused him to run helter skelter. The man¡®s eyes turned red, and he started cursing. ¡°You slut! I¡®ll ask my father to kill the two of you! Tru st me, I... ...¡± Then he saw the handsome man in front of him snigger. He was a very good¨C looking man. Disregarding the way he had just fought, he was undoubtedly more handsome than many popr male stars. The indifferent smile he wore only made him look even more sinister. Weston smiled, squatted down in front of him, and patted his face. ¡°Kid, didn¡®t your father teach you tha t careless talk leads to trouble?¡± Rory gaped at him, eyes widened. Before he could say anything, he felt a sharp pain in his chin. ¡°Argh... Ow...¡± This time, he couldn¡®t even make a sound. Everything he wanted to say was stuck in his throat. Only his mouth was open, and he was drooling fun nily. Disgusted, Weston withdrew his hand but not the force he exerted on his foot. ¡°Repeat what you just sa id.¡± ¡°Wh¨CWhat?¡± ¡°Are you interested in my woman?¡± Daring not to say anything, Rory could only keep shaking his head. ¡°No, I wouldn¡®t dare...¡± The man¡®s face had be very gloomy. When Ste realized that someone might actually get killed, she reacted and ran to Weston quickly. ¡°W eston, let¡®s just leave this ce.¡± The man looked down and met her gaze. Her gaze was firm, but there were remnants of pleas in it. Sensing her fear, he loosened his grip. ¡°Are you scared?¡± He returned to his indifferent self and wiped his fingertips with a tissue with movements so graceful it was as if he hadn¡®t just dislocated t he arms and jaw of a man. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®m in control.¡± He seemed to be reassuring Ste. But when he turned to Rory, he was not so patient anymore. His face only showed mockery and ruthles sness. ¡°I shall teach you a lesson about things your father never teaches you.¡± He threw the tissue to Rory and condescendingly stared at him.¡° I never teach for free. Go back and tell your father that if he wants to pay, he can check the survei nce footage ande to me directly.¡± Rory¡®s mouth was full of blood. The tissuended right over his face. He had been beaten so many tim es tonight that he was unable to even move. He could only grunt in pain to show he was alive. Weston took Ste by the arm without looking at him and brought her out of the bar. It was a frigid night. On the pavement, she stumbled behind him. ¡°Weston...¡± Weston ignored her. Ste was still wearing the evening dress and high heels from the party, making her look a lot like an enchantress. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. However, her voice, as delicate as it usually was, was muffled by the wind Weston walked straight to the ck Cullinan in front of them as if he did not hear her. He opened the car door and pushed her into the car. ¡°Get in. With just two words, he made his intention clear. Without saying anything, she got into the car. In the car. The man¡®s face was frighteningly stony. She knew that she was in the wrong, but her mind was on Roger at the moment. Thus, unable to spare some concern about the Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 The person on the other end replied quickly. ¡°Ste? I am Robb¡¯s ssmate¡­¡± ¡°How¡¯s he? Is he alright? Is he sick again?¡± Her anxious voice drew Weston¡¯s attention. His lips curled in mockery at the thought of her actually thinking of another man after he¡¯d fought for her like this. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to look at him. His calloused thumb brushed the corner of her lips, while he The woman on the other end of the phone sensed something. ¡°Ste, are you with someone else? Are you still with the red-haired man?¡± Roger snatched his phone from his ssmate before she could say anything. He sounded worried. ¡°Don¡¯t move an inch, Ste. I¡¯ming right now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± She stopped him immediately and nced at Weston, ¡°I¡¯m already out. Everything has been taken care of.¡± She winked at the man, telling him not to make a sound. Roger was on the other end of the phone, and she didn¡¯t want him to notice that she was with Weston. ¡°Really?¡± He was skeptical but asked out of concern of Ste being in the bar, ¡°Ste, is something holding you back? You can simply say the codeword, and I will call the police, alright?¡± He was really worried about her. Not only did Ste see him as his only family member, but he was also who sustained her. It was the same for him. Ste was the meaning of his life. ¡°I am fine, really¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have taken care of the matters over there,¡± Ste said helplessly. ¡°Rest well, and don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll meet you tomorrow.¡± ¡°No. You must let me see you first. Tell me where you are.¡± Ste paused for a moment. She was in the car, and Weston was right behind her, so naturally, she couldn¡¯t turn on the camera. ¡°Roger, listen to me. I am busy now. You just need to know that I have taken care of it. Don¡¯t make it hard for me, okay?¡± ¡°Ste¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Roger began to hesitate. The most important thing was that he remembered the p she gave him earlier. She said that he became a burden each time he misbehaved. He was scared that he might drag her down again. Amid the deadlock , Weston suddenly leaned closer to her. She took a deep breath and felt a warm embrace from the back and his breath against her ear. He approached her neck and started kissing her slowly. The tingling she felt was electrifying, and goosebumps immediately sprouted on her skin. Finally, he stopped at her tiny earlobe. Nibbling on her earring, he said, ¡°Hang up the phone.¡± He lowered his volume to the lowest he could, almost talking in an airy voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you keep talking. I don¡¯t mind him hearing¡­¡± After saying that, his lips started moving downward, attempting to remove the thin red strap on her shoulder. Things were getting out of control ¡°Hello? Ste?¡± Roger¡¯s call snapped her back to her senses. ¡°I will go to you tomorrow. You better think about how you¡¯re going to exin why you were at the bar.¡± After that, she hung up the phone. Just as the phone beeped, Weston¡¯s warmth engulfed her from the back like a passionate wave that overwhelmed her entire body. ¡°Ste, you look gorgeous tonight,¡± Weston cooed. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Fortunately, Ste hung up the phone right before he made his voice heard. When she turned her head, she met his smiling eyes. His voice was low and loving, but his gaze was unmistakably clear. At that moment, Ste realized that he was just ying a trick on her To make her anxious. ¡°You are so annoying,¡± she reacted immediately and pushed him away while shooting him a cold look and looking away in silence. Weston hugged her from the back and rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°You care a lot about that brother of yours, though.¡± It was not his first time saying this. She sensed the threat from the voice and frowned. ¡°He is my family! You can¡¯t be so ? unreasonable.¡± His eyes were dark. He had not said anything yet, but she was already worried about what he would do to Roger. His face remained the same when he brushed her hair away on her cheek and fiddled it between his fingers. ¡°In your eyes, am I so unreasonable that I¡¯d harm your brother?¡± Ste did not say anything but her silence was enough of an answer. The man suddenly chuckled. Hisugh seemed in, but it somehow made her heart tighten. ¡°What are you going to do with that man?¡± ¡°Which man?¡± He let go of her and leaned back, raising the back of his hand to block the light in front of him. That was the image she saw when she looked at him again. The man¡¯s vest was open and his white shirt was unbuttoned. Perhaps the fight had creased it up a bit, yet he did not look at all disheveled. Instead, he looked charming in an evil way. ¡°Raise the partition,¡± he moved his thin lips andmanded. The chauffeur responded immediately and raised the partition Only the two were left in the space, and they could clearly feel each other¡¯s breathing. Ste felt out of breath every time she was alone with Weston, Plus, after what happened in the bar¡­ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After thinking about it, she took the initiative to sit beside him. ¡°For what happened tonight¡­ I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡± He suddenly put his hand down and looked at her calmly.¡± What trouble did you cause me? Tell me.¡± She paused for a moment, confused by his attitude. But she still answered honestly, ¡°Roger is always a bit impulsive. I apologize on his behalf.¡± ¡°What do you take me for, apologizing on his behalf?¡± ¡°He is my family¡­¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Weston suddenly reached out and cupped her chin with a slowly increasing force. ¡°Am I an outsider to you?¡± The man was suddenly no longer as light-hearted as before. His eyes were gloomy. She struggled subconsciously, not knowing exactly what she had done to anger him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± But it was this struggle that annoyed him even more. Gritting his teeth, he held her on top of himself and kissed her The rear seats of the vast Cullinan was incredibly spacious it was like what he said-a convenient spot to get many things done. Things were, on the other hand, quite the opposite for Ste, who felt incredibly ustrophobic as she was being held on hisp. She tried to ask him to release her, but he took advantage of the moment and conquered her mouth, and she could only utter a single-syble murmur. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 ¡°Mmph¡­¡± He kissed her with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Ste opened her eyes and stared down at his that were closed. When she looked down, she could see how he was meticulously kissing her. As if everything was unimportant, kissing her seemed the She wanted to push his shoulders away, but he held her hands that rested on his shoulders with one hand and put them above her head. His kiss moved away from her lips but did not leave her skin as they worked their way down her chin. Seeing that things were about to get out of hand, she suddenly tightened her grip on his shoulders and pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired¡­¡± The man looked at her in dissatisfaction . He was always a little colder than usual when he was interrupted. ¡°Weren¡¯t you very energetic when you were concerned about Roger ?¡± His husky voice that so clearly voiced his dissatisfaction rang in her ears, She was stunned, thinking how unreasonable he was at that moment. ¡°Of course, I would be concerned if he was hurt in that situation¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m hurt too,¡± interrupted Weston. He pulled her hands and put them on his face. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard a single word from you asking about me?¡± ¨C She was unsure of his attitude just now, but now, it had dawned upon her-he was asking for her attention. Ste was speechless for a moment and simply looked at him, reminded of the year they were married. She would walk on eggshells around Weston no matter what he was doing. Even if it was just a mild cold, she would be on edge and kept observing the changes in his body. She would ask him if he felt ufortable when he knitted his brows. Every move he made swayed her heart. Weston was injured when he shielded her and confronted many people in the bar. But Ste¡¯s mind was all about how Roger was doing now, not even caring about him. Worse, she was now worried about whether he would kill that red-haired man. ¡°Are you using me now?¡± she asked, speaking her mind. The man froze for a moment. ¡°I am only warning you.¡± He tightened his embrace. Knowing she had hit the nail, she began seriously examining the man. ¡°You like me, don¡¯t you?¡± Ste always thought she was merely his pet, but he now seemed to be showing signs that he might have fallen for her. How ironic. When she gave him all of his heart and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, Weston scorned her-he lied, deceived her, and turned her into a wedge between him and Guinevere. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. When the kidnapper made him choose between the two, he abandoned her without hesitation and left her to face death alone. He was such a cold blooded man, but when he finally fell in love with her, her heart was already like dead ashes. The man¡¯s body stiffened for a second but rxed soon after. He ruffled her hair and looked into her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t sleep with someone I hate.¡± 1 Sheughed suddenly. She wasughing, but her eyes were not, and so were her lips. It did not show much of an arc more like mockery or self-deprecation. He held her waist. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ste looked at him and felt that it was just funny. ¡°Apparently, those words are true,¡± she said, her tone light.¡° A man clearly distinguishes between like and dislike, and he can be very casual with what he likes¡­¡± Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Outside the car, the wind blew with a fury, emitting faint howls and a low, eerie, roar. Not a sound could be heard inside the car. The moment Ste said that, the two fell so silent they could hear each other¡¯s breathing. After a long time, the car arrived at the Stardust Mansion. Before getting out, she heard the man¡¯s voiceing from her side when she put her hand on the door handle. ¡°Sit there and don¡¯t move.¡± Upon hearing that, she withdrew her hand. He got out first and headed over to her side so he could open the car door and carry her out of the car. ¡°Ah!¡± She eximed in surprise and hugged his neck out of instinct when she felt nothing under her feet. She looked at his serious side profile -he did not seem to mind her subtle resistance. ¡°This dress gets wrinkled a lot,¡± Ste reminded softly. She was telling him that she wanted toe down and walk on her own. He swept a nce at her, as if not understanding her hint, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a dress.¡± Only then did she let go of her hand. N?velDrama.Org content. Once returning to the vi, he put her on the couch and went straight to the second floor. She sank into the couch, not wanting to move. After thinking about it, she sent a message to Roger to tell him that she was safe, then she left her phone on the table and closed her eyes in exhaustion. Maybe because many things happened today, she started dreaming. She dreamed of many years ago ¨C She dreamed of the time when her mom and dad died. It was the darkest moment of her life. It was a gloomy day, just like tonight. Before long, it was raining heavily Five years ago, in Ahn City, The rain got heavier and heavier and Ste was the only one left at the tomb Her face was clean, but her eyes were red with tears mixed with the rainwater. With a raspy voice, she said, ¡°Father, mother, I will take care of myself, don¡¯t worry.¡± After that, she ced a daisy in front of the grave. Finally, she took a deep breath and left. The churchyard was silent. Roger was devastated by the death of his parents and was still in the hospital room, so she had to take on all the responsibility ¡°Uncle Michael? Aunt Diana?¡± she yelled and frowned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they here?¡± Ste¡¯s parents were the most sessful among the Sealeys. They were usually very helpful to their rtives so they had a good rtionship. After her parents passed away, it was Michael and Diana busy taking care of her. Diana had gone out for an emergency, so it was Michael apanying Ste now. It was not until two hours ago that he hurried back to the hotel, saying that he wanted to give her time to say goodbye to her parents for thest time. Ste frowned and walked down the hallway with her cell phone. When she was about to call him, she suddenly heard a vague sounding from another doorway. ¡°Mi- Michael, be gentle¡­¡± ¡°Huh, you don¡¯t like me to be rough?¡± Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 551 The womanughed coquettishly. ¡°Michael! You are so naughty. My roommate is still crying in front of the grave! Why don¡¯t you go andfort her?¡± The man chuckled immediately. ¡°How many times have I made you cry? I shall make you cryter.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ Michael!¡± Theirughter could be heard clearly through the door panel. As if struck by lightning, Ste stood still at the room¡¯s doorway. The woman in the room was her roommate, who was very close to her. And the man who was having sex with her was her uncle, Michael. He was clearly very considerate and caring toward Diana and even swore to Roger that he would treat them like their own children. However, the funeral had just ended, and he was already having sex with her roommate who attended the funeral. Ste was dumbstruck as she stood in the doorway. Her whole body was trembling. She could not believe that her uncle would do this to her aunt and that her roommate would do this to her! Bang! R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The door sprang open. The two people on the bed froze. Michael, in particr, stunned at the sight of Ste at the door, subconsciously picked up the nket and covered her roommate. ¡°Ste, why did youe back?!¡± you, Uncle Michael. How could you do this to Aunt Diana?¡± The man¡¯s face turned ugly as the woman in the nket shrieked and leaped into Michael¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t me him, Ste. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Michael interrupted before she could finish. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s not.¡± Then, he looked at Ste coldly. ¡°Since you found out, then I will be straightforward with you. Don¡¯t tell Diana about this, Ste.¡± He stared at her intensely with patience. ¡°Diana and ¡­ It¡¯s not like what you think. I will take care of this, you¡­¡± Her eyes were burning with anger. ¡°You still want to hide it from Aunt Diana?¡± Diana had been good to her, and she couldn¡¯t take Michael¡¯s side just because he was a Sealey. Just as she wanted to take out her phone, Michael grabbed her wrist and flung it violently. ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble? I am your kin! How can you side with an outsider ?¡± ¡°What are you arguing about?¡± Their argument drew Grandma and Grandpa Sealey¡¯s attention. They appeared in the doorway with unhappy faces. When she saw theming, she started crying. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma¡­¡± Her parents had been very loyal to them and helped Michael immensely. In return, they were very good to Ste as well. At least on this matter, she did not think that they would not keep business and personal separate. Nheless, it was her parents¡¯ funeral. Michael had gone too far. She could not help but move forward. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± ¡°What are you fussing about? The guests haven¡¯t left. Do you want to disgrace the family?¡± Grandma Sealey scolded her fiercely before she could say anything else. Before she had time to react, the old woman walked up to her and pushed her. ¡°What are you yelling for? Do you want everyone to know that your uncle is screwing around at your parents¡¯ funeral?¡± Ste looked at the two people in front of her with consternation. Were they still the most loving grandmother and sensible grandfather of the past? In the Stardust Mansion. The woman closed her eyes and mumbled, ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandma¡­¡± Weston walked to her in his ck pajamas and knelt down. He pushed her wet hair off her forehead, frowning. ¡°Ste?¡± The man¡¯s whisper did not wake her. She knitted her brows even tighter, and her voice trembled.¡° I didn¡¯t mean it. Don¡¯t kick me out¡­¡± ¡°Ste!¡± He increased his volume, and his eyes darkened.¡± You are only having a nightmare.¡± Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Ste refused to listen to him. Immersed in her illusions, the istion and helplessness she felt were unforgettable. Maybe it was because of the incident in the bar that she was too worried about Roger that her memories of her predicament surfaced. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s Uncle Michael who did something wrong. Instead of ming me, why don¡¯t you me the wrong person instead?¡± The roommate immediately looked aggrieved. Her eyes were red when she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe at first. But thinking that Ste was alone here, I came to apany her. How would I know that I would meet Michael ? I didn¡¯t know what happened to me. Perhaps I lost my mind. I just couldn¡¯t refuse him when I saw him¡­¡± Grandma Sealey¡¯s face turned gloomy the moment she heard that.¡¯¡°Both Michael and Diana are at fault. If it wasn¡¯t for her inability to control her man, he wouldn¡¯t have been seduced by a young woman!¡± Grandpa Sealey, who was beside her, echoed, ¡°Indeed, it was your aunt who failed to please her man. So stop standing up for her. We are at your parents¡¯ funeral¡­¡± Apparently, they knew that it was the funeral! Ste clenched her fists. She was just turned eighteen, the age of adulthood, and her parents died in a ne crash¡­ The immense shock had even caused Roger to fall sick. Now, she was left alone to face it. She thought that her rtives would be her support, but out of her expectation, she discovered such a scandal. ¡°But Aunt Diana has been very good to us, and she always Ste¡¯s parents were very close to Diana, a very gentle and elegant woman. She clearly had a good rtionship with Micheal. Why did it turn out like this? : ¡°She bes a part of the family after she is married to Michael, and she is obligated to be good to us. Is it really necessary to bring this up?¡± Annoyed, Grandma Sealey interrupted her, ¡°Anyway, this is no big deal, so don¡¯t tell Diana about this. It is your parents¡¯ funeral today, and I don¡¯t want to make it sound too bad!¡± Before Ste had time to recover from the shock of losing both her parents, she was shocked again by the stark difference in the behavior of these rtives. ¡°You guys never used to be like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Grandpa Sealey also snapped. ¡°I know you parents are gone. There is no point in dwelling on those meaningless things. From now on, you have to take up the responsibilities of the family, so don¡¯t embarrass us, okay?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. The embarrassment they meant would be the action of her exposing the scandal of the family. Ste¡¯s parents were both professors. Since she was young, she was taught to be honest and that making mistakes wasn¡¯t a scary thing. However, she also had to bear the consequences. She should also never run away from her mistake, let alone cover it. Being educated that way, she had always thought that the people around her would think the same. But now, she discovered that she was actually living in a world that her parents had worked so hard to hide. She and Roger had been living in a utopia they created, one that shielded them from the wind and rain. They were flowers in a greenhouse that had never been trampled by storms. Hence, a tiny, ugly truth was enough to totally confuse her. They were obviously her most trusted rtives, so why did it be like this? She looked at the few people in front of her, and she instantly grew up. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Perhaps these people had been pretending all the time and it was only now that their true faces were revealed. What¡¯s more, this happened right after her parents died. The funeral wasn¡¯t even over yet, and they were already jostling to take off their masks. Her parents were the most sessful of the family. As university professors, both their economic and social status came as a great benefit to the family. It was why they pretended to be nice so that they could deceive them. However, the moment they were gone, that beautiful reality instantly burst like a bubble. Ste was a young girl who had just turned adult. Everything was too hard for her to ept. ¡°No. Father and Mother were very close to Aunt Diana. I cannot let you deceive her like this!¡± She took a deep breath; her heart twisted in anguish, but she suppressed her emotions and forced herself to put on a cold face. Looking at the people in front of her, she bravely said,¡° I will not be in cahoots with the likes of you and lie. I must tell her everything!¡± She was still too young at that time, and all her emotions were written on her face. Her righteousness stung them right in the heart Sure enough, their faces changed immediately. ¡°Ste! Must you go against us? You are a Sealey. How could you side with someone else!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Seeing her insistence, her roommate became worried that she would expose the scandal, and she quickly cowered beside Micahel. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­ Michael, I¡¯ll apologize to your wife. I shouldn¡¯t have fallen for you, and I shouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with my good friend¡¯s uncle¡­¡± ¡°No. As long as I am here, I will not let her do anything to you,¡± Michaelforted the roommate gently. The scene stung Ste¡¯s eyes. Apparently, the family she had trusted and respected so much were wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing. They were actually toxic. Michael, her good uncle who had always spoken gently to Diana was now doing the same to another woman. Diana must be terribly blindsided to be devoted to such a man! Seeing Ste¡¯s stubbornness, Grandma Sealey¡¯s face turned ugly, ¡°I know you are sad because of your parents¡¯ death at the moment. I forgive you for your nonsense. Now, get back to your room and stay there! You can onlye out after the funeral is over!¡± ¡°Why? They are the ones in the wrong!¡± ¡°Because you are my granddaughter and your father is my son! Your parents are gone now, so you should listen to me!¡± seemed like a total stranger now. ¡°Maids! Send her to her room, and don¡¯t let her out without my permission!¡± Ste never thought that they would treat her this way. Trapped inside the hotel room for a whole week, she had zero contact with the outside world. Having just turned into an adult, she hadpletely no idea how to face such a situation. Roger was still in the hospital, and she did not know how he was doing. In the end, she could only protest by going on a hunger strike to demand her family let her go. However, no one cared at all. After the death of her parents, not a single person in the family cared about her and Roger. Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Ste was locked up for the entire duration of the funeral. On thest day, it was Michael who came to unlock the door. ¡°Ste, must you be so stubborn? As long as you keep this a secret, you won¡¯t have to suffer.¡± Michael was the youngest son born to an aging Grandma and Grandpa Sealey. Naturally, he was spoiled. Although only ten years older than Ste, she had always respected him, believing that he was a decent gentleman. Unexpectedly, this was what he did to Diana. To make matters worse, the woman he had an affair with was her roommate. Ste closed her eyes. Her lips were chapped from dehydration. With a raspy voice, she said, ¡°Why did you treat her that way?¡± ¡°Our rtionship is not what you think.¡± He suddenly knelt in front of her and raised her face. ¡°Your look totally different from your parents, yet you are just as stubborn.¡± He rxed his gaze. ¡°That part is indeed a bit like a Sealey.¡± ¡°I am a Sealey!¡± She pushed his hands away weakly. ¡°How is Roger?¡± ¡°Now you are thinking of him.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He is alright. As long as you keep your mouth shut, we are all still a family, eh?¡± Ste slowly clenched her fists into balls. ¡°Impossible. You will get exposed one day.¡± ¡°One day, but not today or tomorrow.¡± He stood up. ¡°Ste, I am your elder, so there is something I must tell you. Although you are an adult now, you are still incapable of handling the assets your parents left you. Therefore, I shall keep it for now.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°No way! Father¡¯s will clearly states that¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Read it again carefully.¡± He suddenly took out a document. Ste¡¯s face paled as she read it. On the paper, it clearly stated that therge inheritance would be temporarily held by Michael. Only after they got married could they get the money back. She understood it immediately, ¡°You have never regarded Father and Mother as your family! You have only coveted their property!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± He stood up. ¡°In fact, if you hadn¡¯t discovered the affair with your roommate, I would¡¯ve still let you and Roger live a good life, just like how it always was. But since you found out, you have no choice but to ept it.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to us?¡± Her eyes were red. ¡°We are a family, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Right, we are a family, but why are you so disobedient?¡± He squatted down in front of her again with a sorry face.¡± Unless you are not a Sealey¡­¡± Ste didn¡¯t get where he was getting at but heard him say,¡± Roger¡¯s diagnosis is out. Would you like to take a look?¡± He handed her the report. After a nce, she threw it away. ¡°It¡¯s impossible ! He can¡¯t possibly have this disease..¡± ¡°You guys have nothing at all to fight against me.¡± She looked up at him in tears. ¡°I will not stay in the family.¡± Without her parents, it was just an empty shell to her. It rained heavily that night. The sky poured down its contents in torrents of great fury. Ste left the house in only a thin ck dress. She had chosen to leave this ce, it seemed. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only But in fact, everyone knew all too well that she was forced to leave. Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Chapter 555 The vi shone with warm light through the veil of rain, yet Ste was walking alone in the dark and wet. When her heels were stuck in the grate, she took them off and trounced forward barefoot. The long road had no end in sight, and the rain showed no sign of easing. In the frigid cold, her body temperature dropped, and she suddenly lost all her energy. Suddenly a bright light shed and came straight at her. Feeling stiff and frozen from the cold, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to run from the luxury car that sped toward her. How great if everything could just end now, she thought longingly. She was exhausted. Perhaps she had been too well protected in the past, but after her parents died, it was as if she had beenpletely drained of blood. Her mind was copsing, and she couldn¡¯t handle so many changes alone. It was simply too tiring to walk on the path without anyone else. However, there was no stopping, and she could only continue trudging down the road. The wind whistled in her ears, and the cold raindrops fell on her body with no respite. Continuing her walk would be an arduous journey, and although her feet were torn with bloody blisters, she could only stumble helplessly and aimlessly into the cold rainy night. ¡°Father, Mother. Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± Ste¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat, and she kept mumbling. The man had been squatting in front of her for a while now, trying to wake her up. But her dream was too deep. Trapped in that state, she couldn¡¯t hear him no matter how he shouted. After an unknown duration, a light appeared at the end of the road. She rushed to it, and the blinding light came straight to her, The ck Cullinan had no intention of slowing down. She stood in ce in the blinding rain and finally saw the person in the driver¡¯s seat. A dazzling light shed in her eyes, and she clearly saw Weston appearing in front of her. In her dream, however, he shouldn¡¯t have known her, much less appear on the mountain road outside the Sealey mansion. But here he was, simply appearing out of nowhere. Therge car barreled down the road, straight toward her. waiting for the massive vehicle to hit her, but the next, she had fallen into a familiar embrace. Her eyes jerked open when the prickly cedar filled her nostrils, awakening her from her dream. ¡°Stay back!¡± Gasping for air, her body was drenched in sweat, and her clothes clung to her body, making her feel ufortable. Weston cupped her chin and looked steadily into her eyes. After seeing her sober up, he asked, ¡°Are you awake?¡± She was still a bit confused and looked at him. ¡°Weston ¡­¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She felt like she had just been fished out from the water. The red dress she wore stuck to her body like it was part of her skin. She raised her hand and brushed all her bangs aside. ¡°What happened to me?¡± ¡°You were having a nightmare.¡± He kissed her forehead, his voice unusually soft. ¡°You kept calling your parents in your dream? Were you missing them?¡± Ste closed her eyes in silence. Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Ste never talked to Weston about her family. Even though Ben had submitted aplete and detailed report of Ste¡¯s background when they first got married, Weston didn¡¯t pay much attention to it because he wasn¡¯t interested at all. All he knew was that Ste had long severed all contact with her family and left her home with Roger before surviving on their own. Seeing how tormented she had looked in her sleep just now, Weston realized that he knew too little about her. He even assumed that Ste¡¯s emotions were probably stabilizing gradually since it wasn¡¯t that often that she had nightmares about her baby Little did he know that her mind was gued by another nightmare. She was only in her early twenties. How could she have gone through so much in her young life? He turned glum. He took her hand and kissed it gently before telling her, ¡°You should go wash up a little, okay?¡± Ste was still in a daze. When she finally woke up, she felt like all her energy had been sapped from her body. She needed Weston¡¯s help to even stand up. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± she asked, her voice raspy. ¡°About an hour,¡± replied Weston after ncing at his watch. He didn¡¯t want to bring up the subject of her nightmare, so he just kissed her forehead and reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should get some rest.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she responded simply, but just as she was about to take her first step, Weston suddenly picked her up. Rather than resisting , Ste leaned against his shoulder quietly. She just didn¡¯t have an ounce of energy left. With practiced efficiency, Weston carried her to the bathroom, gently ced her in the bathtub, and then started filling it with warm water. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ste protested meekly, slightly distressed because she was still wearing the red evening dress. ¡°You¡¯ll ruin the fabric of this dress if it gets wet¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you another one,¡± he replied nonchntly. He then let her hair down and continued bathing her with the same seriousness he¡¯d approach a multibillion -dor contract But Ste took no notice of this. Once she¡¯d regained her senses, the only thing preupying her mind was the incident in the bar. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you¡¯re going to deal with Rory ¡°What did you dream of just now?¡± They both spoke simultaneously. They looked at each other in silence before Ste finally shook her head. ¡°Nothing in particr. It was just a normal dream¡­¡± The hand that was wiping up her body stopped abruptly. Weston frowned. It seemed that he saw through her lie right away. ¡°You were crying in your sleep,¡± he stated. Ste balled up her fists. In fact, she had no idea what she was saying in her sleep and had no interest in continuing the topic. ¡°What exactly are you going to do with Rory?¡± she persisted.¡± And what about Roger? He¡­ he was really drunk. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean to cause any trouble¡­¡± Weston tossed the towel in his hand into the bathtub, creating a ssh ¡°Even now, all you can think about is Roger ?¡± he hissed, his eyes staring right into her soul. ¡°Is he that important to you? More important than your own life?!¡± Ste pursed her lips and looked coldly at him, not understanding what he meant. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After a long pause, she finally replied, ¡°He¡¯s the only family I have¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before!¡± Weston nudged her chin up with his fingers. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I ever noticed how heartless you can be?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flickered as she saw the wounded expressions on his face. ¡°I never knew how impulsive you could be either¡­¡± ¡°Is Roger the only thing you care about?¡± he interrupted her.¡° You really would do anything for that guy, huh?!¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I told you he¡¯s the only family I have. Of course, I¡¯ll do anything for him!¡± She saw his eyes turn violently dark. He kept his prating gaze fixed on her as he snarled, ¡°You really do know how to provoke me.¡± The grip of his hands on her body grew tighter and tighter. She drew a sharp breath as an aching pain rippled through her body Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Instead of crying out, Ste simply endured the pain. But Weston could see that she was hurt, so he let her go. ¡°Wash yourself,¡± he snapped before getting up and stomping out of the bathroom, leaving Ste alone in the bathtub. Weston closed the door behind him. Now, all that remained in the bathroom was a thick cloud of mist. Ste couldn¡¯t see very clearly. For a good while there, she just sat like a statue in the bathtub. As the minutes passed, she finally slid down until the bottom half of her face was underwater. She breathed out, creating bubbles in the water. She closed her eyes, but the scenes from her nightmare came flooding back. She didn¡¯t want to remember all those things¡­ but all she could do now was hug herself tight. Meanwhile, Weston stood on his bedroom balcony with a ss of champagne in hand. The sight of Ste whimpering and sweating in her sleep still ran fresh in his mind. He didn¡¯t mean to be so cold to her, but the thought of her willing to risk her life for Roger made him burn with rage. In this state, it would be best for him to just be cold and distant right now, as he feared that he might really hurt her. Once his tempestuous emotions finally simmered down, he picked up his phone and called Ben. ¡°Get Ste¡¯s background information and send it to my email,¡± he instructed. By then, it was already midnight, and Ben was about to go to bed, so he was a little confused by this sudden demand. ¡°Ste¡¯s background information¡­?¡± he asked. Ever since Ste changed her identity, Ben had always been cautious about how to address her. He would make sure that he called her Miss E even when he was alone with his boss, just to prevent anyone from overhearing and thus exposing her true identity. N?velDrama.Org content. But now, he wasn¡¯t quite sure if Weston wanted Ste¡¯s background information¡­ or was it E¡¯s? Weston merely frowned and said nothing. That brief silence unsettled Ben, who quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯ email you both sets of background information right away!¡± Weston hung up the phone immediately, Soon afterward, twopressed hiles were sent to Weston¡¯s email Weston went inside and opened his notebookputer to check his email. He then clicked on those files¡­ Ste Sealey grew up in apletely normal family. Both of her parents were college professors, and they raised her in a safe and loving environment. Her parents had a good reputation among their friends and family. Ste and Roger themselves were excellent children that never got in any trouble. But Weston had to pause when he learned which university Ste went to. She had, in fact, attended the same university that he did! Indeed, they must¡¯ve surely bumped shoulders with each other, since Weston was only a few years older than Ste. But s, he simply didn¡¯t know her at all at the time. The year Ste turned eighteen, her parents tragically died in an air crash where no survivors were found. Not long afterward, Ste and Rogerpletely left the Sealey household, even though she still had her grandparents and an uncle who was only ten years older than her, and all signs pointed to them being a tight-knit happy family. Yet for some reason, Ste and Rogerpletely severed their connection to the family from then on. Now that he thought about it, Weston recalled that when they got married, Ste only told Roger about it. He didn¡¯t think much of it then, though. He simply assumed that she must be at odds with her family for some reason. But looking at it now, he was sure that something fishy that he didn¡¯t know about had to be going on. Even when news got out that Ste had died falling from a building, no one from her family showed up to look for her. It was almost as if her family didn¡¯t care for her existence at all. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Chapter 558 It was clear Weston knew very little of Ste¡¯s past life. The sound of rushing water filled the bathroom. After soaking in the bathtub for a while, Ste finally got up and turned on the shower. She had no idea Weston recently loved letting Ste soak in the bath. He would even help her clean her body with a curious fervor as if the activity gave him a lot of pleasure. But Ste never liked soaking in the bathtub. Now that he had gotten angry and left the room, there was no reason to keep soaking. So she got out and took a shower instead. The water soon stopped flowing. Ste opened the door and walked out¡­ As soon as she stepped into the bedroom, her eyes met with Weston¡¯s, and she stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°You¡¯re not in bed yet?¡± she asked, breaking the silence. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Weston looked coldly at her and said nothing. He seemed to be trying to ignore her. Ste¡¯s eyes glimmered. She, too, said nothing. Weston was getting more and more unpredictable these days. She had no idea what kind of mood he was in right now, but she was pretty sure that she made him angry in the bathroom. But that would be bad, because she still had something to ask of him. Knowing this, Ste had to swallow her pride and try to cheer him up. She took a deep breath, softened her expression, and turned her gaze towards him. ¡°Is the cut on your face okay?¡± she asked. When he was helping her in the bathroom just now, she noticed that a little bit of the soapy water had sshed onto the cut on his face. He stormed out before she could clean il, and Sie feared that it mighi be getting worse. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to bed yet,¡± Sie continued, inching closer towards him, ¡°then let me take care of the cut for you,¡° So you did notice that I was injured 100,¡± he finally responded with his icy stare fixed on her. Ste knew that those words wereced with sarcasm, but she merely pursed her lips and did not argue with him. Seeing no response from her, Weston suddenly got up and turned on his heels to leave, but Ste quickly grabbed his arm and stopped him ¡°If you knew that you were injured,¡± she said, ¡°then why did you have to help me in the bathroom? You need to take care of that cut now, because I saw it got sshed with water. It¡¯ll fester if you don¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Ste started nagging as if truly worried about him, but Weston turned his back on her and did not respond. At a loss, Ste took a step forward and gently tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Just let me take care of the cut on your face, okay?¡± Weston finally turned around to face her, looking straight into her eyes. After a long, tense silence, his gaze moved downward and stopped at the hand that was holding onto his sleeve. ¡°I thought you only care about Roger,¡± he said. ¡°After all, his injuries are far more serious than mine.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t tell if it was sarcasm or disdain in those words. After forcing herself to calm down, she slowly exined, ¡°Well, he¡¯s a grown-up now. He can look after himself. He¡¯s got a friend to take care of him as well anyway. I can just go see him tomorrow. But right now, your wound needs to be taken care of Before she could finish speaking, she was startled by his terrifying scowl. He suddenly took a step forward and pinned her against the wall. She looked up at him. The cold of the wall bit into her back. There was nowhere to run or hide from him. Like it or not, she was forced to meet his fiery gaze. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± she started meekly. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do back in the bar¡­¡± ¡°So you do realize why I¡¯m angry at you?¡± His gaze sent shivers down her spine. His whole body seemed to be surrounded by a bloodcurdling aura. ¡°Do you know what he would¡¯ve done to you if I hadn¡¯t got there in time?!¡± he asked. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let him go so easily!¡± What really irked him was how Ste would help others without once considering her own safety. ¡°But things would¡¯ve gonepletely out of hand if you did more than what you¡¯ve already done¡­¡± Ste argued, deliberately ignoring the first part of his sentence. She thought of how violent Weston was in the bar. He could¡¯ve almost killed Rory. Thinking of this, she shook her head and added, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been so brash.¡± Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Chapter 559 ¡°I have no reason to be calm when ites to your safety!¡±. Weston blurted out. They were both stunned and speechless by the sudden outburst. Ste looked up at him. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, she could¡¯ve sworn that Weston just admitted how much she meant to him. Weston seemed to realize what he¡¯d just said. The fire in his eyes dimmed, and he quickly let her go. He took onest look at her and, without saying anything, turned and marched into the inner room, mming the door behind him. Their bedroom was a massive suite with an inner room where their bed was. It was the door to that room that Ste stared at as she sighed softly If she let him stay angry this way for long, things would only get much worse. Besides, that guy that she got into trouble with didn¡¯t seem an average guy. Judging by the way he threatened to tell his father about them, it was possible that he was from a rich and powerful family. Ste weighed the pros and cons. Then she thought Weston¡¯s injuries might have worsened because he was helping her in the bathroom. Hence, she decided to go downstairs and look for Joan. ¡°Joan, can you please help me get the first aid kit?¡± Joan had actually long been in bed, but she was woken up again by the sound of Weston¡¯s caring home. She meant to ask Weston and Ste if they needed anything, but seeing that they rushed straight into their room, she thought it best not to disturb. But just as she was getting ready to go back to bed, here Ste was, looking for a first aid kit. ¡°What happened?¡± Joan asked, ¡°Is it anything serious? Should I call the doctor?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a shallow cut. I can take care of it myself.¡± Joan then disappeared into another room and returned with the first aid kit. Ste sorted out the kit¡¯s contents and headed toward the bedroom. She knocked on the door. There was no response. ¡°I¡¯ming in, okay?¡± Ste said. She turned the doorknob and discovered that it wasn¡¯t locked. The door opened with a click. Ste stepped into the pitch-dark room. Weston would usually leave a nightmp on for her because she would often wake up in the middle of the night from the night terrors she suffered. But he didn¡¯t this time. Ste stopped in her tracks. She suddenly realized that Weston Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. had slowly learned her quirks and habits till they were on the back of his hand. He had been helping her even in the areas of her life where she never realized needed help. But as realizations that came toote tended to do, it left a . bitter taste in her mouth. She had no idea how to feel about all this. Quietly, Ste ced the first aid kit on the nightstand and headed to the bed, but on her way, she tripped on something and lost her bnce. She fell to the floor with a loud thud. Luckily for her, the room was covered in a thick carpet, so it didn¡¯t hurt. Still, her fall did make a noise, and surely enough, Ste heard a rustling sounding from the bed. The next second, themp was suddenly turned on, flooding the room with a warm yellow light. Ste had to squint to adjust her eyes to the brightness. When she finally looked up, she was greeted with Weston¡¯s inky gaze. Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Weston¡¯s eyes were still cold and distant, but they fixated on her. He was now sitting in bed and seemed to have no intention toe over and help Ste up to her feet. It was clear to her that he was still angry. He was mad over her recklessness in going to a ce like a bar and even provoking someone there, causing him trouble. Knowing this, she did not expect him to come to help her, and she slowly got up herself. Now that themp was on, she could easily pick up the first aid kit and ce it in front of him. She sat down on the bed and slowly untied his nightdress without looking at him. She pulled his sleeve down to reveal arge, fresh wound on his shoulder. With his entire shoulder exposed, Ste could clearly see his bulging muscles. His body looked strong and smooth, even more, impressive than some fashion model¡¯s. Weston remained silent. Ste said nothing either. As she focused on the wound, her eyes were caught by the bruises on his knuckles. It was in that he didn¡¯t pull his punches when he beat up Rory. Ste paused, then got the antiseptic, the iodine, some cotton swabs, and the gauze from the first aid kit. Then she proceeded to clean his wound. The second the alcohol touched the wound, an acute stinging sensation coursed through Weston¡¯s body. But he remained expressionless . All he did was quietly fix his gaze on Ste¡¯s face. It was as if time stood still. Only the clock on the wall was ticking. Each of Ste¡¯s touches was very gentle, as gentle as a feather brushing against his skin. The sting caused by the antiseptic was nothingpared to the tickling sensation induced by Ste¡¯s touches. Wherever she touched him, she brought about an inexplicable tickling that brought him over the edge. After taking care of the wounds on his arm, Ste looked up at Weston¡¯s face once again. She discovered it was full of cuts and bruises too, not as much as the ones on Rory, of course, but it was evident of the severe damage he had taken. Those cuts exposed to water when he was in the bathroom had been somewhat bleached white. Without saying a word, Ste reached her hand up to clean them with the antiseptic¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± he suddenly asked, grabbing her wrist. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious ?¡± Ste responded. ¡°I¡¯m cleaning your wounds, of course!¡± She had just taken care of the cuts on his arm, so naturally, it was now time to move on to his face. Was that not to be expected? Ste wondered why he needed to ask her such a stupid question. sensation coursed through Weston¡¯s body. But he remained expressionless . All he did was quietly fix his gaze on Ste¡¯s face. It was as if time stood still. Only the clock on the wall was ticking Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Each of Ste¡¯s touches was very gentle, as gentle as a feather brushing against his skin. The sting caused by the antiseptic was nothingpared to the tickling sensation induced by Ste¡¯s touches. Wherever she touched him, she brought about an inexplicable tickling that brought him over the edge. After taking care of the wounds on his arm, Ste looked up at Weston¡¯s face once again. She discovered it was full of cuts and bruises too, not as much as the ones on Rory, of course, but it was evident of the severe damage he had taken. Those cuts exposed to water when he was in the bathroom had been somewhat bleached white. Without saying a word, Ste reached her hand up to clean them with the antiseptic¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± he suddenly asked, grabbing her wrist. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious ?¡± Ste responded. ¡°I¡¯m cleaning your wounds, of course!¡± She had just taken care of the cuts on his arm, so naturally, it was now time to move on to his face. Was that not to be expected? Ste wondered why he needed to ask her such a stupid question. Hearing this, Weston let go of her hand. He still looked gloomy, though. He didn¡¯t say that he would allow her to go on, but he didn¡¯t stop her either. The truth was, he hated it when people touched his face. It didn¡¯t matter how close that person was to him; he still loathed Even Ste could work out during their short marriage that Weston had a strong sense of personal boundaries . But right now, she didn¡¯t think much of it since she was focused on getting his wounds cleaned up. So she went on and carefully applied the medicine to his face. As she did so, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how much luck had been on Weston¡¯s side. With this wless face of his, it didn¡¯t matter how many bruises or scars he got-it only served to make him look more striking and add more character to his look On the other hand, Rory got just a few more bruises than How different these two people were! Once Ste was done treating his wounds, she was about to clean everything up when she saw Weston glumly lying back down in bed. Apart from the few words he uttered just now, he had been practically silent the whole time. Ste opened her mouth to say something, but she hesitated, and no words came out. She just turned around and went out of the room to return the first aid kit to Joan. When she got back into the room, all she could see was Weston lying there with his eyes closed. Her shoulders slumped instantly. She was utterly exhausted. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Ste kept quiet and climbed into bed. She opened the nket andy her body down. She had nned to talk to him about Roger tomorrow, but then the moment shey down in bed, Weston immediately turned over to the other side with his back facing her. It was obvious that he was still mad. She could almost feel a cold aura emanating from him. They were both lying in the same bed, yet it felt like they were on the opposite ends of the world. Ste stared at his back, recalling the days when they had just gotten married. Weston was not used to sharing a bed with someone else, so the minute they were done having sex, he would instantly get up and leave. This man never failed to leave indelible impressions on her. He would make her feel the utmost joy she could never have imagined, then drag her down to the deepest depths of hell where anguish and sorrow thrived. For countless nights, she would stare quietly at his back, not daring to touch him. But now, with a cold and indifferent heart, she gained the courage to inch closer to him with an appearance of warmth and tenderness. She was willing to do anything to get what she wanted from him. It was much easier now when she felt nothing N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. for him, now that she didn¡¯t care for pleasing him at all. In fact, it was only when she was unsure about her feelings for him that she found it hard to do these things. She suddenly realized that perhaps she¡¯d spent so much time with him that she could now act the way he wanted her to without a second thought. But she was willing to do it, as long as she could get what she wanted Weston could probably sense her leaning closer to him because he suddenly moved even further away from her. But this did not deter Ste. If this happened in the past, she would¡¯ve been utterly heartbroken. She would¡¯ve spent hours upon hours thinking about what she must¡¯ve done to offend him. But now, she remainedpletely unruffled. All she had to do was inch ever closer to him and hug him from behind. She could feel his body tense up the moment her hands wrapped around his waist. But he did not push her away. This emboldened her. She got even closer to him and brushed her chin lightly against his back. ¡°Please stop being angry with me¡­¡± she murmured. Weston didn¡¯t respond, but his breathing got heavier. Ste knew that he wasn¡¯tpletely unmoved by her gestures, so she nuzzled against his neck and whispered in his ear, ¡°l know you¡¯re just worried about me¡­ I promise I¡¯ll never do anything reckless like that ever again, okay? Besides, wasn¡¯t it natural for me to be worried about Roger? He¡¯s my brother, you know. You can¡¯t possibly be jealous of him¡­¡± Her voice got gradually softer the longer she spoke, and she even sounded very meek and docile. Weston¡¯s emotions were still in disarray, so even if he nned to ignore her, that trembling nasal voice of herspletely drove him off the rails. ¡°So now you¡¯re telling me who I can or can¡¯t be jealous of, huh?¡± He then finally turned over to face her and pulled her into his arms. After a long pause, he asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t he going abroad soon?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ste¡¯s heart suddenly wavered. She looked up at him and hurriedly added, ¡°But you mustn¡¯t interfere with his studies!¡± Seeing her getting so anxious for Roger frustrated Weston. But he endured it anyway. ¡°Why are you so worried that I¡¯d harm him?¡± he asked, teasing her lips with his fingers. She was always so distressed whenever it came to Roger¡¯s affairs as if he was the most important man in her life. Ste gazed into his eyes for a long time before her expression gradually softened. She leaned gently against his chest and purred, ¡°I know you¡¯d never do such a thing¡­¡± With her voice warm and gentle, it was as though shepletely trusted him. She knew Weston liked that, even if he never told her so. She knew now that whenever she acted as if she trusted him, he would always give her whatever she wanted. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Chapter 562 A thin, wry smile crept upon Weston¡¯s face. His eyes glinted with cynicism. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°You¡¯re buttering me up to make me feel bad so I won¡¯t hurt Roger, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re doing,¡± he added, pinching Ste¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of pulling those tricks on me.¡± Judging from his tone, Ste could tell that he wouldn¡¯t do anything to Roger, so she sighed in relief. ¡°But you said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? He¡¯s going abroad soon. I don¡¯t have much time left to be with him. Plus, you know he¡¯s always sick, so it¡¯s only natural that I worry about him.¡± She then looked up at Weston and added, ¡°If you have just one family member left in this world, you¡¯d be as anxious as I am¡­¡± At that moment, although they were snuggling each other in bed, Weston suddenly felt as if there was a vast distance between them. He raised her chin and looked deep into her soul. ¡°If he¡¯s the only family you have left, then what am I?¡± He touched her chest with his finger. ¡°What am I to you¡­ here?¡± Ste hesitated, then smiled. ¡°What do you think you are?¡± she replied, throwing the ball back into his court. Weston¡¯s eyes turned turbulent. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. The smell of alcohol wafted into her nose. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to ept this intimacy. They¡¯d just gotten home and even fought just now, so she didn¡¯t have the time to take the pill, which meant his touches right now repulsed her. This resentment towards him was rooted at the bottom of her heart, not something that she could set aside so easily. Weston could feel her body stiffen up too. He suddenly stopped and asked her, ¡°Why are you so tense? Are you still in shock from what happened?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± she shook her head, her face pale. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel well, that¡¯s all¡­ Can we do it tomorrow instead?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about that at all,¡± Weston replied, ying with the strand of hair that fell on her cheek. ¡°But now that you mention it, I¡¯m starting to get the urge¡­¡± Ste noticed that twinkle in his eyes which made her pause. ¡°Then give me a minute,¡± she begged. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up a little.¡± ¡°But you just came out of the bath!¡± he quickly interjected. Ste was about to get up, but Weston pinned her back down on the bed. ¡°You just made me angry, you know. Aren¡¯t you nning on doing something to make up for it?¡± His keen eyes peered down at her like an excited child. Ste took a deep breath to ignore the repulsion surging up from inside her. She closed her eyes and slowly exined, ¡°I wasn¡¯t that thorough just now. I think I need to clean myself up a bit more¡­¡± By then, even her voice was trembling. Weston sensed that something was wrong, so he held up her chin and demanded, ¡°Open your eyes. Look at me.¡± Ste reluctantly opened her eyes, only to see Weston gawking hawkishly at her as if she was his prey. Suddenly a deep sense of powerlessness engulfed her-a mix of the defenselessness she felt in the nightmare, the despair when she fell off the rooftop, and the sight of her own child turning into a puddle of blood¡­ Her entire beingpletely rejected this man for who he was. He had kissed her, hugged her, done things much more intimate than that with her for so many times now, yet all these things from the past still swirled in her mind, and there was no way for her to stop them. Weston got up and took a good look at her. That look on her face told all the truth he needed to know- she rejected him. His face turned glum Ste closed her eyes. After a long time, what she feared would happen didn¡¯t happen. She opened her eyes again. When she saw Weston looking crestfallen, she knew that her expressions just now had frustrated him. She got up in a hurry and grabbed his arm, exining , ¡°Please don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯m really just too tired, I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± She dreaded Weston finding out that she had been taking those pills. She dreaded him discovering that she could only have sex with him with the help of a drug¡­ Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Chapter 563 That secret of hers was something that would wound any man¡¯s ego. To learn that the woman he was with had to take contraceptives to even ept his touch-it was something of a shameful discovery for any man, let alone someone as possessive as Weston, In Weston¡¯s eyes, though. Sie¡¯s panicked look made him think of something else. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really worried about getting me angry,¡± he said, his expressions much softer now as he stroked her hair, But he still fixed his gaze on her Ste said nothing, but her anxious look gave him all the answers he needed. He sighed softly ¡°I was just worried about your health. I¡¯m not a savage animal, you know.¡± Ste finally sighed in relief ¡°Just give me a second. I won¡¯t be long. I¡¯ll be ready for it when I¡¯m back Weston gazed at her silently for a while, then kissed her forehead gently. ¡°Let¡¯s just get a good rest tonight.¡± He then held her in his arms andy back down on the bed. Ste tried to struggle for a while, but he held the back of her head ¡°Stay still,¡± he warned. She could feel the change in his tone, so she instantly stopped moving. That whole night, Weston truly did nothing to her. Her stiff body slowly and gradually rxed and she finally got a good night¡¯s sleep. The next morning, Ste woke up in an empty bed. Weston was no longer around. She massaged her temples. After a while, she decided to go out and meet Roger. They agreed to meet in a cafe. Roger was already waiting for her when she got there, but he wasn¡¯t alone. The girl Ste metst night was there too. because of what happenedst night. Ste sat in front of them and said hello to her brother. She then turned to the girl next to him, paused, then chuckled and eximed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I even know your name yet!¡± The girl had been nervous to finally meet Ste, but seeing his sister addressing her in a friendly manner cheered her up significantly. ¡°Hello,¡± she chirped. ¡°I¡¯m Riley Bale. I¡¯m Robb¡¯s¡­¡± She paused and turned to Roger. Sensing his calm demeanor, she added, ¡°I¡¯m his ssmate.¡° R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous,¡± Ste assured her with a smile. ¡°I really want to thank you for your callst night. If you have time to spare, I¡¯d like to treat you to a nice meal!¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Riley declined, waving her hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Really! I¡¯m Robb¡¯s close friend, after all! I was worried when I saw him drinking alonest night, so I thought I should call you¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your close friend?¡± Roger cut her off impatiently. ¡°I don¡¯t ever recall being your friend.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Riley stuttered, clearly embarrassed. ¡°Is that how you treat a girl?¡± Ste snapped at Roger. ¡°That is not how our parents raised you!¡± Roger went silent immediately. Now Riley wasn¡¯t upset at all because she had just spotted his weakness. In fact, she was even smiling sheepishly So it turned out that he was very obedient to Ste. Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Roger¡¯s expressions turned sour when he noticed Riley¡¯s smile. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± he barked. ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Riley, looking very innocent. ¡°Was I smiling?¡± ¡°You!¡± Roger had always been cold around Riley, but she¡¯d never taken it to heart and gotten discouraged. Instead, she merely persisted with a big smile on her face. Steughed as she looked on at the interaction between those two. Then she turned to Roger, and the warmth on her face disappeared. She had be stern and serious. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care ofst night¡¯s problems,¡± she told him a little coldly. ¡°If you ever step into a ce like that again, don¡¯t me me for beating you up!¡± Roger gripped the coffee cup in his hand the second he heard her speak ofst night. ¡°Sis¡­¡± he began. ¡°How did you deal with that Rory guy? What did he do to you?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s all been dealt with anyway, so don¡¯t ever go near that bar, and if you ever see that guy again, just avoid him. Understood?¡± Stepletely trusted Weston in this regard. She knew without a doubt that it would take him hardly any effort to deal with that Rory guy, much less the bar owner. But Roger had no idea that Ste was with Weston Ford right now. Neither did Ste want to enlighten him about it. Sure enough, he stared suspiciously at her and asked, ¡°How exactly did you deal with that guy, Sis? Don¡¯t tell me you¡­¡± He dreaded the thought that Ste must¡¯ve sacrificed her body in exchange for his safety. Ste could guess what he was thinking from his look. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Just what the heck were you thinking?!¡± she yelled, pping the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that those guys would hurt you or threaten you, or they might ckmail you in exchange for something¡­¡± But Roger had a good reason to think that way. Ste looked especially stunningst night. Even Riley noticed it too. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that Robb would be worried,¡± Riley interjected.¡± I, too, would be worried to death if I had a sister as beautiful as you are!¡± Riley had always been good at ttering people, but Roger found it annoying. ¡°Stop trying to tter my sister,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m telling you now that we¡¯re never going to be together.¡± For Ste¡¯s sake, he remained polite and gentlemanly when Riley confessed her feelings for him before, but he found that the longer he got to know her, the bolder she got. She had even been persistently following him around everywhere. The thought of him having to spend a lot of time with her when they went abroad gave him a headache. Riley looked morose for a little while, but in a bat of an eye, she regained her chirpy energy again. ¡°You¡¯re still single now anyway!¡± she said. ¡°So there¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t pursue you! Besides, I never gave you any trouble at all. In fact, if it hadn¡¯t been for my quick thinking in calling your sisterst night, your body would be floating in some river right now!¡± ¡°You!¡± The two started quarreling again. Ste rubbed her temples and turned to Roger. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you okay?¡± His health was still the thing that worried her the most. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied. ¡°I felt a little out of sortsst night, but I¡¯ve seen the doctor, and he said I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste argued. ¡°You have to go to the doctor again today. I want to hear that you¡¯re fine with my own ears.¡± Riley was confused as she listened to them talk, so she asked,¡± What¡¯s wrong with Roger? You¡¯re making it sound like it¡¯s something serious!¡± Ste nced at Roger, not answering Riley¡¯s question. His health problems had never been a secret, but she still respected his privacy. It waspletely up to him whether or not he wanted to talk about it. ¡°It¡¯s a type of leukemia,¡± Roger stated simply, not even looking at Riley. ¡°What??? Leukemia?!¡± Riley gasped, her eyes as round as saucers. ¡°But that¡¯s awfully serious! Why haven¡¯t you ever told me about this?!¡± She had been pursuing him for so long, yet she never had an inkling that he was suffering from such a serious illness. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Chapter 565 He looked just like apletely normal guy to her. He seemed healthy, and he was very smart. In fact, he was renowned as one of the hottest guys on campus! Roger never talked to anyone about his illness precisely because he hated this look people would give him. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll finally stop pestering me now that you know I¡¯m ill,¡± he said irritably. ¡°What?¡± Riley was stupefied. She simply couldn¡¯t find any sense in his words. ¡°Why would I stop pursuing you after I find out you¡¯re sick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if it¡¯s me or you who¡¯s ill here!¡± snapped Roger. ¡°I¡¯m not a normal healthy man! There must be something wrong with your head if you¡¯re going to pursue someone like me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that!¡± Riley snapped, the stress in her voice clearly audible. ¡°I like you in your entirety! What does it have to do with you being sick?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You¡­¡± Roger was speechless for a while, but then he looked away and added, ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s none of my business anyway.¡± Steughed as she saw that his ears had turned red, but she said nothing. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± she reminded Roger. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get to the hospital, okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± Roger sprang up to his feet. ¡°Are we still going? I told you, Sis, I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to say,¡± she argued. ¡°It¡¯s for the doctor to say.¡± ¡°But the doctor did say that! I really did go to the hospitalst night! Just ask Riley if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Roger nced at Riley so she would back him up, but Riley hesitated, not knowing how to react. Although they really did go to the hospital togetherst night, she didn¡¯t hear the doctor saying that he was fine. Ste immediately understood what was going on when she saw Riley¡¯s reaction, ¡°Have you forgotten what I told youst night?¡± she yelled, scowling at Roger. ¡°No matter what happens, never take your health lightly!¡± ¡°But, Sis¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re noting to the hospital with me, then don¡¯t ever call me your sister again!¡± She called for the waiter and paid the bills, then stormed out of the cafe without even looking back. Roger quietly watched her leave, uncertain of what to do. ¡°Why are you so reluctant to go to the hospital with your sister?¡± Riley couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I just don¡¯t want her to worry too much,¡± he replied, his head hanging low as he stared at the half- empty cup of coffee. ¡°Every time the doctor says there¡¯s something wrong, she¡¯d overreact and worry herself sick. I just don¡¯t want to see her like that¡­¡± Apparently, it made him feel like he was a burden to her. Riley didn¡¯t know how close the two siblings were, so she just sighed. ¡°It¡¯s totally normal for Sis to worry about you since you¡¯ve got a condition. Why don¡¯t you just go with her and put her at ease?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call her Sis!¡± he red at her. ¡°She¡¯s my sister, not yours!¡± He then turned on his heels and left the cafe. Riley scampered after him, trying to keep up. ¡°Wait for me, Robb!¡± Now that Ste and Roger had changed their identities, all their old medical records had also been wiped out. But even without previous records, the doctor¡¯sprehensive understanding of Roger¡¯s condition remained unchanged. ¡°You again?¡± the doctor asked, squinting at Roger. ¡°Weren¡¯t you here yesterday? What are you doing here today? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Doctor,¡± Ste began in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯d like to consult your expert opinion. My brother had a major operation before. Will he really be fine after drinking so muchst night?¡± Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Chapter 566 In order to put Ste at ease, Roger sat obediently before the doctor and allowed the nurses to do whatever they needed on him. Only after his vitals had been checked and given the all-clear did he turn to look at Ste helplessly. ¡°Ste, do you feel more assured now?¡± Ste ignored him the entire time and instead had her eyes fixed on the medical report in her hands. The doctor reminded them, ¡°As much as the surgery went sessfully, he still needs to upkeep healthy daily habits and not drink too much alcohol¡­¡± That was when Ste asked Roger, ¡°Did you hear what the doctor said?¡± Roger nodded guiltily, ¡°I won¡¯t do that again¡­¡± He thought things would be over just like this, but right after Ste settled the bill and walked along the corridor with him, she asked in a seemingly casual manner, ¡°Why did you get yourself drunkst night?¡± Roger halted in his footsteps, a glint shing past his eyes.¡° Nothing much¡­ I was just in a bad mood¡­¡± ¡°Why were you in a bad mood?¡± Ste stopped walking as well as she fixed her gaze on him.¡± Since you¡¯re feeling bad, then tell me. What made you behave so recklesslyst night?¡± Ford Corporation building. Weston was going through official business documents when someone knocked on the door to his office. Ben walked in and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, the manager from one of the distributors wishes to meet you.¡± Weston¡¯s hand paused in mid-air. ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± A middle-aged man soon walked in. The moment he saw Weston, he shed him an over-eager smile. ¡°Mr. Ford, it¡¯s been N?velDrama.Org content. a while!¡± Weston put down the pen in his hand and nced indifferently at him. ¡°Have we met?¡± The smile froze on the man¡¯s face, but that didn¡¯t stop him from his exerting a condescending tone. ¡°Have you forgotten ? You met my sonst night.¡± Weston remained silent as the man continued, ¡°The one with the bright red hair¡­¡± Weston¡¯s brow arched. ¡°That¡¯s your son?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The man nodded profusely as he nced outside the door. The red-hair boy outside got his cue and walked in reluctantly.¡± Dad, Mr. Ford¡­¡± His face was covered with gauze, and with his red hair slicked back and tucked into a hat, he looked vastly different from his usual shy appearance. However, as a kid bordering adulthood, being shy was typical for boys his age. The man smiled sycophantically. ¡°Pardon me, Mr. Ford. I understand all that happenedst night. It¡¯s all my son¡¯s fault, and I didn¡¯t teach him well. I¡¯ve brought him here today specifically to apologize to you¡­¡± ¡°Apologize ?¡± Weston stood up and pushed the pen forward on his desk. The metal casing scratched noisily against the table, making the atmosphere in the room tense. ¡°I thought you were here to ask forpensation for your hospital bills.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± the man said as he waved his hands profusely. ¡°My son was at fault. He was insensible! Please be magnanimous and spare him¡­¡± The redhead knew how serious the matter was and stood there silently with his head bowed. Afterining about what happenedst night and expecting his father to stand up for him, he did not expect his father to lose all his senses after watching the surveince camera footage and insisting on making him apologize in person. That was when he knew he was in big trouble for offending a very powerful and influential figure. Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Chapter 567 He never expected that the man he sawst night¡­ would turn out to be Weston Ford. Even his father had never seen Weston Ford in the flesh. He had only seen Weston from afar one time at a business event, but Weston did not know him at all. The redhead had frequently heard his dad praising Weston for being a young yet capable entrepreneur, yet he never expected Weston to be so young and good-looking. ording to his limited knowledge, sessful people in the business world basically looked like his father: pot-bellied, greasy, almost bald, and almost always surrounded by scantily d women. In business circles, wealthy men who were not ugly were considered hunks. However, it was his first time seeing a truly handsome businessman like Weston. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ford. I was blind and offended you by identst night. Please forgive me¡­¡± He immediately stepped forward upon his father¡¯s signal and gave Weston a respectful and reverent apology. Weston remained silent as he toyed with his pen, which twiddled around his fingers. The man immediately got his hint. ¡°I was just discussing outside with your assistant Ben about the shares of some of our chain stores¡­ Mr. Ford, if you¡¯re interested, I can give them to you!¡± He was a sensible man, after all. However, Weston remained unmoved. The redhead standing at the side began feeling upset at the sight of his father fawning all over Weston. He took a cautious step toward his father and whispered in his ear, ¡°Why are we giving him benefits when he was the one who hit me? What¡¯s more, I didn¡¯t even get the upper handst night. Isn¡¯t an apology sufficient?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. red at him coldly, ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Do you want tond yourself in the hospital?¡± It was all his fault for neglecting to teach his son. He was almost an adult, yet he remained clueless about such things . The redhead felt indignant but dared not utter a word. He inched back to his position and stood in ce silently. He couldn¡¯t really catch what his dad said to Weston, but he knew that Weston was only appeased after his dad promised to make him apologize to Ste. Their family assets even took a hit while trying topensate Weston. That was when the redhead began to regret it. If only he knew the oue of his actions, he would never have provoked Ste in the first ce. Both of them eventually left the President¡¯s office. Coincidentally, Ben brought another person over. It was a beautifuldy, and the redhead couldn¡¯t help but sneak a few more nces at her. His father immediately knocked his head hard. ¡°Have you been taught enough of a lesson? You better watch your roving eyes, lest I gouge them out of their sockets one day!¡± Guinevere followed right behind Ben, suppressing her anger until she could ask Weston for an exnation. Upon hearing themotion in front, her brows furrowed as she asked Ben,¡± Who are the two of them?¡± Ben said indifferently, ¡°Two insolent suppliers who don¡¯t know their ce. They¡¯re not important. Mr. Ford is waiting for you in his office. I¡¯ll bring you in right away¡­¡± Guinevere retracted her gaze. However, when she walked past the redhead, curiosity got the better of her, and she subconsciously nced at him. The redhead dared not look at her and followed the middle-aged man in front of him out of the ce. The middle-aged man huffily said, ¡°You better rein yourself in when you¡¯re outside. If you see another woman, find out if she¡¯s attached, lest you might encounter the woman of another bigshot! You can¡¯t afford to offend any of them, do you understand? This is especially so for exceptionally beautifuldies. Don¡¯t bother craving after them; they¡¯re probably all taken!¡± The redhead was clearly indignant and upset by his father¡¯s words, but he had no choice and could only nod obediently. ¡°I got it¡­¡± Guinevere overheard their conversation. She retracted her gaze, but her eyes had turned cold. Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Both men had just loll Weston¡¯s office, Ben clearly called them insolent, probably for offending Vieston, Yet, the man imed that it was they who¡¯d offended Vieston¡¯s woman Guinevere herself had never seen these two men, clearly indicating that the woman they were referring to¡­ Was someone else When she entered Weston¡¯s office, Guinevere said to Ben, ¡°CO and be busy with your work.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ben hesitated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Just call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Guinevere turned to look at Weston, who was going through some documents, ¡°Weston,¡± she called out as she shut the door behind her, He did not reply As if he hadn¡¯t sensed her arrival at all, he continued on his work without so much as looking up at her, Guinevere took a deep breath to calm hersell down at his obvious negligence of her, ¡°Weston Ford, don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°What do you want to hear?¡± He flipped a page of his document, his expression unchanged. Guinevere clenched her fists. ¡°Where exactly were you atst night?¡± She refused to believe that the masked man fromst night had nothing to do with Weston. The corners of Weston¡¯s mouth lifted as he spoke with a slight tinge of sarcasm. ¡°I made myself clear, but you don¡¯t seem to understand.¡± ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t interfere with your whereabouts, but¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s nails dug into the flesh of her palm as she forced herself to keep calm. ¡°I just want to know if you were the man fromst night? You had just rejected me, and you agreed to attend the banquet with someone else the next moment. Do you know how others will see me?¡± ¡°Is what other people think of you so important?¡± Weston put down the document in his hand and rubbed between his brows. ¡°What¡¯s more, you had a partner. You didn¡¯t need me at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes shifted, ¡°It¡¯s because I was certain that you wouldn¡¯t agree, which was why I found someone else¡­¡± She suddenly realized something mid-sentence, and she eximed with joy, ¡°Weston, are you jealous? There¡¯s really nothing between that man and me. I only invited him because of his status in the industry. I have no feelings for him. I only agreed to his invitation at the veryst minute because you said you couldn¡¯t join me due to work. If this bothers you, I¡¯ll cut off all contact¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your work in any way.¡± Weston cut her off coldly. ¡°As for your rtionship with him, I won¡¯t interfere in that as well, as long as you know how to handle the media.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face froze. ¡°What do you mean? What do you mean by not interfering in my rtionship with him?¡± She was in disbelief. ¡°Do you mean to say that no matter what I do with other men, you wouldn¡¯t care?¡± Weston lifted his hand and nced at his watch, ¡°Gwen, I thought we agreed on this we never interfere in each other¡¯s work.¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t the same! This falls outside of the boundaries of work! You could¡¯ve been jealous! You could¡¯ve cared!¡± Guinevere was clearly agitated. ¡°We¡¯re about to be husband and wife. You should be jealous. You should care! How could you not?¡± Weston¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Guinevere finally recalled why she was here upon seeing his cold and distant side profile. She took a deep breath and pressed her palms together, ¡°I¡¯m not here to argue about these things with you. I just want the honest truth from you: Did you or did you not attend the banquetst night?¡± He looked into her eyes unflinchingly, ¡°What is the purpose of finding out the answer to your question?¡± Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Guinevere suddenly clutched her chest and stepped back a few steps, ¡°¡­was that man really you? You wore a mask to the banquet toe to E¡¯s rescue?¡± His response was way more hurtful than directly admitting to it. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She understood Weston well enough to know he¡¯d never hide things from anyone, and he would¡¯ve never said anything like that if he really didn¡¯t do it. The realization made her throat constrict so tight that it almost choked her. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from blurting,¡± When did things begin between you and her?¡± She added a momentter, ¡°Is it because she looks like Ste Sealey ¡­ because E looks like Ste, that you treat her so differently?¡± Her eyes turned red. ¡°I asked you yesterday if you¡¯re in love with Ste, and you refused to give me a response. I¡¯m asking you one more time: Are you in love with her?¡± Weston remained silent as he did previously. Guinevere went on with her one-sided interrogation, ¡°You¡¯re in love with Ste, which is why you paid so much attention to the woman who looks like her, right?¡± He pursed his thin lips and remained silent. The air around them was tense and cold as ice. ¡°Indeed ¡­you always be like this when we talk about her¡­¡± Guinevere shook her head and smiled bitterly, ¡°You fell in love with her after she died¡­ that¡¯s why you are willing to do everything for just a woman who merely looks like her¡­¡± What was this? Was E considered Ste¡¯s recement? Then what about her? Anger simmered in her heart. ¡°Why are you not saying anything? Are you admitting to what I said?¡± She began yelling hysterically, ¡°Tell me! Are you in love with Ste Sealey?!¡± ¡°Enough,¡± he finally spoke. He tugged at his necktie and sounded annoyed. ¡°Gwen, this isn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°How am I usually like?¡± Guinevere rebuked him, her heart filled with indignance. ¡°I know I¡¯ve always been proud, thinking you¡¯ll cajole me and make me happy. I gave Ste the chance to strike, thereby causing you to fall in love with her. Had I not been so proud and the first to take the bow, would things have be like this?¡± Tears began falling down her cheeks. She had thrown aside everything today to look for him so she could seek an exnation. ¡°Was it because I gave Ste a chance back then that she managed to earn a ce in your heart?¡± Weston looked ndly at her. ¡°What kind of answer do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want an answer. I want you.¡± She suddenly walked toward Weston and hugged his waist, burying her face in his embrace. ¡°Hug me.¡± He lifted his hand and ced it on her lower back. ¡°As you wish.¡± Weston hugged her, just as she wanted him to. Like countless times in the past, he once again satisfied her requests. Yet, when it vited his baseline principles, he would refuse to yield. Things have been like that for many years, so why was she suddenly dissatisfied? Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Guinevere couldn¡¯t feel a single ounce of warmth and asked tearfully, ¡°Were you that superficial when you hugged Ste?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention her name again.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Guinevere wiped away the tears on her face and looked up at him. ¡°To you, her name is taboo. Is it because you don¡¯t want to hear her name or because you don¡¯t dare to?¡­.because your heart aches each time you think about her, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She suddenly spoke right into his heart. ¡°Do you regret choosing me when you had to choose between us?¡± So what if Weston did choose her back then? He might havee to regret it now. Weston grabbed her arms and pushed her away. He lowered his head and looked right into her eyes, ¡°Or, you might have gotten it all wrong. I didn¡¯t choose anyone back then. Long before things blew up, I had already made arrangements downstairs . Those kidnappers wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring Ste away.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°Do you mean that you¡¯ve never given up on her? Back then, you only chose me because of circumstances?¡± She had never considered this possibility, and she felt her head buzz. Suddenly, sheughed wildly. ¡°Turns out that that¡¯s the truth¡­you chose me just so that they would lower their guard? You¡¯ve already arranged things such that they would never be able to take Ste away, right?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Guinevereughed crazily, ¡°So, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve been imagining things all along¡­¡± She had thought that she was important to Weston, which was why he chose her. Ste probably thought that, too, which was why she lost all hope and was willing to die alongside the kidnappers. None of them were willing to believe that Weston cared for Ste. Guinevere wiped away her tears, ¡°But, so what? She thought the same as I did till the point of her death. She didn¡¯t believe you; she didn¡¯t believe that you would save her, so she chose to jump off the balcony!¡± ¡°Weston Ford. She¡¯s dead. So what if you have feelings for her? She¡¯s already dead, and she¡¯s never coming back! I¡¯m the only one left for you!¡± She looked into his icy gaze, and her heart turned bitter. She rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Weston¡­I feel terrible¡­¡± Weston reached out to hold her steady, ¡°Gwen¡­¡± At the Ford Corporation¡¯s office building. An ambnce was waiting downstairs. Many employees witnessed Weston carrying Guinevere and walking out In the secretary¡¯s office. Daisy had just ended a call when she saw Weston, his face dark and surrounded by a cold aura. He was carrying Guinevere and heading out. She stood stunned for a moment before snapping back to attention. ¡°Mr. Ford, do you need any help?¡± Weston walked right past her. ¡°Don¡¯t block the way.¡± Daisy stood around awkwardly. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Afterward, she saw Ben walking anxiously over, asking, ¡°Mr. Sullivan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ben didn¡¯t turn to look at her but instead hurried out with his phone at his ear, ¡°Take care of things in the office. Ms. Cohen just fainted, and Mr. Ford is sending her to the hospital. Push back all of today¡¯s meetings!¡± ¡°All right, Mr. Sullivan¡­¡± Overwhelmed , Daisy looked at them walk away as mixed feelings grew in her heart. She thought that she had grown closer to Weston after what happened, but to her surprise, things hadn¡¯t changed at all, and Weston had continuedmunicating with her strictly on a professional basis. Daisy stumbled back to her desk, still in a daze. Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Everyone around her fell silent. It wasn¡¯t until another secretary seated next to her asked, ¡± Daisy, do you feel unwell?¡± did Daisy snap back to attention with a shake of her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± As the work day was almosting to an end, her phone rang, and she saw an iing text from Xavier. ¡°Dinner?¡± Daisy was slightly annoyed, but upon recalling how Xavier had helped her, she decided to reply anyway. ¡°Sure. Come over and pick me up.¡± She had just clicked on ¡°Send¡± when the sound of familiar footsteps could be hearding from the other end of the corridor. Xavier walked toward her and waved the phone in his hand. ¡°Turns out that it was a good idea for me toe in advance. At least you have enough of a heart to agree to a meal with me.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Daisy was slightly taken aback at his appearance. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xavier took over her bag. ¡°Since it¡¯s a date, of course, I have to prepare in advance.¡± A serial sweet-talker, a man like him, would naturally avoid telling Daisy that he was actually here because of Weston. His spy in thepany informed him that a representative from a distributor who had never appeared before came looking for Weston. This made him curious, and he naturally wouldn¡¯t give up the chance to snoop around. He was just about to begin investigating the distributor when he saw Weston carrying Guinevere out. He decided against creating more trouble for Weston, and instead came over to look for Daisy. Daisy took his word for it that he had speciallye looking for her, and she felt touched amidst her mixed feelings.¡± Don¡¯t do this again. It¡¯s better that we meet outside of the office. It¡¯ll be hard to exin things if Mr. Ford sees us¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so hard to exin?¡± Xavier found her concerns unfounded and lifted his hand to caress her face. ¡°Is there a need to exin anything, given our rtionship now?¡± Daisy tightened her grip over her bag and nced at the secretary¡¯s room behind her. The secretaries in the room were smart enough not to stare at them, but she knew that they were probably gossiping under their breath about her. Her silence made Xavier furrow his brows. ¡°What? Do you want me to announce our rtionship in front of everyone?¡± Daisy shook her head. ¡°That thought didn¡¯t even ur to me ¡°What do you mean?¡± The two entered the elevator, and Xavier leaned against the wall. He chuckled, ¡°Are you worried about Weston knowing about us being together, or are you worried about that ex fiance of yours?¡± Daisy cut him off immediately and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that I don¡¯t harbor any special feelings for Mr. Ford. Please don¡¯t malign me! If Mr. Ford were to hear about this, he would misunderstand, and I don¡¯t want that happening¡­¡± The smile remained on Xavier¡¯s face. However, it hinted at something else. ¡°You¡¯re just worried about Weston getting the wrong picture. What about me? What if I misunderstand?¡± He suddenly lunged forward and trapped Daisy between his arms. ¡°I am a man with a fianc¨¦e as well. Isn¡¯t it sincere enough that I announce you as my girlfriend to the world ?¡± Daisy turned her face away. ¡°Indeed, it is sincere, but it has nothing to do with Mr. Ford.¡± For someone like Xavier, who was often surrounded by women, be it rich heiresses, celebrities, or models, he had never actually publicly admitted any of them as his girlfriend To the outside world, Zeta was his official fianc¨¦e. But to Daisy, he was willing to bring her along to private gatherings and introduce her to his brothers, so long she agreed. Daisy knew that he was being serious about their rtionship Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Chapter 572 That was the highest level of eptance one could expect from a man like Xavier Ford. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Still, Daisy had her own concerns. ¡°What about that fianc¨¦e of yours?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°Both of you are bound by an engagement contract. How will you exin things to your family if you have a rtionship with me?¡± ¡°You are worthy of being Weston¡¯s secretary, after all-alert and clear-minded.¡± Xavier lifted her chin. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be frank. As long as you are willing, I can bring to rest all your concerns. Of course, this will have to be based on firm determination on your part. I can¡¯t possibly up- end my life¡¯s peace and stability for an unsophisticated, fickle-minded woman. What do you say?¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t like me as much as you im,¡± Daisy smiled. ¡°I thought you would treat me at least like how Mr. Ford treats E.¡± The way Xavier treated her was more like how one would treat a favored pet. Xavier shook his head andughed carelessly. ¡°You can¡¯t get Weston out of your mind, can you? Do you care how he treats E?¡± Daisy collected herself. ¡°Whatever it is, I will never be the other woman¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to discuss Weston Ford anymore. The elevator doors slid open with a ding. Xavier held her waist and walked out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. But you must tell me. Who were those people looking for Weston?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself. I heard that they are from a distributor¡­¡± Daisy replied nonchntly. At the hospital. Hayden was getting ready to clock out on time when he saw a man carrying a woman in the distance. A bunch of bodyguards in ck were making way for them, and the entire scene was enough for him to guess who the man was. He sighed and called Lucas. ¡°We might have to cancel our dinner ns today. Guinevere is here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas looked at Yvonne. He had answered the call in the study, and Yvonne was working by his side. She wore a pair of ck-rimmed sses, making her face look extra petite. His fingers tapped on the desk. ¡°I got it.¡± With that, he ended the call. The beep of the dial tone told Hayden that Lucas would be off to keep his beloved wifepany, whereas he had to work overtime in misery. By the time he put his phone aside, Weston had arrived by his side. ¡°Dr. Quirk.¡± His voice was cold and distant with nary a hint of anxiety. He nced down at Guinevere in Weston¡¯s arms. ¡°Her condition was triggered again?¡± Weston nodded as he calmly ced Guinevere on the bed behind the curtain. Hayden saw how Weston skillfully maneuvered Guinevere and his gaze deepened. He quickly walked over to Guinevere by the bed. At the sight of the woman shutting her eyes tight, as if strongly detesting her surroundings , Hayden furrowed his brows. ¡°Is she conscious?¡± He remembered the first time he treated Guinevere and realized how much her condition had stabilized. Why was her condition triggered again today? He saw Guinevere opening her eyes, and he walked toward her. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Guinevere looked past him toward Weston, who was behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Hayden turned around to look at Weston. ¡°The patient is emotionally unstable and wishes for you to stay. Please make a decision only after she¡¯s fully conscious.¡± Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Chapter 573 ¡°Do I need to be with her during the treatment process?¡± Weston asked. Dr. Hayden nodded, but his brows furrowed into a frown when he looked at Guinevere. ¡°Given her current situation, she needs someone she can trust by her side, or it¡¯ll be hard for me to keep her under control. If she were to hurt herself, it wouldn¡¯t be good¡­¡± Weston sat down by the bed. Guinevere immediately grabbed his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Stay with me, all right?¡± Hayden¡¯s eyes glinted as his gaze deepened. ¡°Ms. Cohen appears to be very dependent on you.¡± Weston remained silent. ¡°Please begin,¡± he said after a while. He looked up at Hayden. ¡°Do whatever it takes to get her back to normal.¡± On the other side of the hospital. Ste finally felt rest assured upon confirming that Roger was fine. Her face turned solemn when she saw Roger hemming and hawing. ¡°What is it that you find so difficult to confess even to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Both of them settled down on the chairs along the corridor. Riley had gone to the washroom, so they decided to wait for her there. Anger simmered in Ste¡¯s heart at Roger¡¯s silence. ¡°After you did something so dangerousst night, you¡¯re still unwilling to tell me why? Do you still treat me as your sister?¡± ¡°Of course I do! You¡¯re my only family, I just¡­¡± Roger stammered for a long while before saying, ¡°Ste, I don¡¯t really want to pursue my studies overseas.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Ste raised her voice. ¡°Everything has been prepared, and you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t want to study overseas?¡± Disappointment filled her eyes, causing Roger¡¯s head to hang down low. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was just a random remark¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Ste sensed that she had overreacted, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°Can you tell me the reason for that sudden thought? Haven¡¯t we agreed on this previously? Are you in some sort of trouble?¡± ¡°None of the above.¡± Roger shook his head, struggling over whether he shoulde clean. Upon seeing the look on Ste¡¯s face, he gathered his courage and said, ¡°Ste, I realized that one of the institutions sponsoring me overseas is rted to Weston Ford ¡­ although he might be clueless about which student he actually sponsors, I can¡¯t stand the thought of him sponsoring even part of the trip.¡± The air around them turned silent the moment he exined himself. Ste remained quiet for a long time. Roger snuck a peek at her face, trying to guess what she was feeling. However, Ste didn¡¯t have much of a reaction. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± was all she said after a moment of spacing out. Her reaction was so calm it made Roger feel lost. ¡°Ste, we had agreed previously that we¡¯ll never have any connection with that man. If it makes you feel ufortable, I can choose not to study overseas. It¡¯s not like I was desperate for this chance in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such things,¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°I know that you really like Compassvale University. To be honest, what you are concerned about doesn¡¯t really affect me.¡± ¡°Ste, haven¡¯t we agreed to never let that person affect our lives anymore?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only student he¡¯s sponsoring. It¡¯s very normal that a bigpany does some corporate social responsibility. They are obliged to do so, to enhance their corporate image and reputation.. and you earned this schrship based on your merit, not some underhanded means. It is a chance you deserve. As long as you hold your head up high and be honest, the sponsor doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Roger said, ¡°But I just don¡¯t feel good about it.¡± Ste was about to say more when Riley came out of the washroom ¡°Sorry for making you guys wait!¡± ¡°What took you so long?¡± Roger furrowed his brows. Riley stuck out her tongue yfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I saw a famous celebrity over there and went to check things out¡­¡± ¡°Did you know? Guinevere Cohen is here at the hospital too!¡± Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Chapter 574 When Riley walked out of the washroom , she saw Weston carrying Guinevere into the hospital. She didn¡¯t notice Guinevere at first and was instead attracted by the handsome man, gushing over how lucky she was to see someone so good-looking at the hospital. That was when she realized that the woman in the handsome man¡¯s arms was Guinevere Cohen¡­ Guinevere was a prominent celebrity known as the ¡®film queen.¡¯ It was easy to recognize her immediately. She was excited to share what she saw, but Roger¡¯s face had turned stiff. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Something was wrong. Thinking she must¡¯ve said something wrong, Riley apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you wait so long She had indeed made them wait, but it was only for a couple of minutes. She had always been carefree and easy-going, constantly worried about whether she had upset others. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Roger stood up, his face clearly upset, though he didn¡¯t say much. Ste remained silent as well. Riley immediately felt anxious, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did I say something wrong¡­?¡± Ste nced at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t imagine things. Roger is just in a bad mood, and it¡¯s not because of you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Riley still felt uneasy. Seeing Roger sitting alone in front, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ste, can you tell me more regarding Robb?¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Just things that he usually likes. I want to avoid angering him.¡± Ste, in turn, couldn¡¯t hold back her reminders to Riley.¡± Don¡¯t give in to him too much. He has quite a tantrum. You¡¯re precious to your parents, too. Don¡¯t put yourself at a disadvantage over a man.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Riley widened her eyes. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard a sister talk about her brother like this. He¡¯s your brother, after all. Don¡¯t you wish that other women treat him well?¡± ¡°Of course, I hope others will treat him well.¡± Ste rubbed in between her brows and sighed. ¡°But being a woman, I don¡¯t want to see other women suffering. I know him best; he has the ability to get obsessed over the slightest thing. As much as I hope that he has a loving girlfriend, I can¡¯t possibly be jeopardizing another girl¡¯s life, can I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll jeopardize mine!¡± Riley interjected, smiling. ¡°I like his temperament¡­ Wicked yet cool¡­¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°I really have no idea what young people are thinking nowadays.¡± Both women chatted merrily. None of them noticed the person looking at them from the other end of the corridor. Weston was getting some fresh air on the balcony when he saw Ste walking past him. He was about to walk toward her when he saw Riley next to her, and he changed his mind. He texted Ste. ¡°Where are you?¡± Ste sent Riley into the car. She was about to get into the car herself when she saw the text. Her face stiffened. She didn¡¯t reply, but she didn¡¯t get into the car either. She looked at her surroundings and made sure no one was around before saying to Roger, ¡°Head back to campus and send Riley back. I have something else to attend to.¡± Roger immediately lowered the window. ¡°Ste, aren¡¯t youing with us?¡± ¡°I have something to settle. Somest-minute work just cropped up at the studio.¡± Roger looked disappointed. ¡°You were just talking abouting to school with me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve visited your school so many times. You¡¯re no longer a child. Why? Don¡¯t you dare to return by yourself?¡± Riley immediately added, ¡°He¡¯s not alone, either. I¡¯ll be with him!¡± She leaned against the window and said to Ste, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± ¡°Who needs you to take care of me?¡± Roger red at her, dissatisfied . ¡°Plus, she¡¯s not your sister but mine. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re close with her.¡± He had said this many times, but Riley had never taken him seriously. Over her dead body, would she be so obedient! The sight of the two bickering with each other put Ste¡¯s heart at ease. She shut the door and watched the car speed away into the distance before pulling out her phone. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Chapter 575 At the hospital. Weston returned to the ward after smoking a cigarette. Hayden heard a noise at the door and signaled to Guinevere, who was lying on the hospital bed. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± Guinevere was anxiously picking on her nails, but she immediately sat upright at Hayden¡¯s signal. ¡°Weston?¡± she called out anxiously. N?velDrama.Org content. Her eyes fixed on Weston as he walked to her side. The sight of him finally calmed her down. Hayden looked at Weston. ¡°Seems like you can¡¯t just walk off now.¡± Guinevere grabbed his hands, allowing him to go no further. Weston looked at the clock on the wall and sat by her bedside. ¡°Continue the treatment.¡± Outside the hospital. Ste nced at her watch and called Zeta. ¡°Dr. Taylor, are you free now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost out of medicine. When will be a good time for me to hop over and get more supplies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little busy today¡­.¡± Zeta nced at her schedule. ¡°Do you have time today?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a good time?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Zeta pressed her phone against her ear with her elbow as she typed on the keyboard with her fingers. ¡°Now?¡± The sound of fingers tapping the keyboard came through the phone, and Ste heard her say after a moment, ¡°Yes, right now. I have an online conferenceter and need to go overseas tonight. I do have some time right now.¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°I see¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to bump into Guinevere in the hospital. If she guessed correctly, Guinevere was at the hospital and Weston would certainly be by her side. She didn¡¯t want to risk it¡­ ¡°Dr. Taylor, how long will you be overseas?¡± ¡°For a month or so. Why do you ask?¡± Zeta put the phone against her other ear, oblivious to Ste¡¯s concerns. ¡°How much longer can your pillsst?¡± ¡°Probably another three to five days.¡± ¡°That should be enough.¡± Although she was still a virgin, she knew how these things worked. What¡¯s more, as a doctor, she had friends who specialized in this area and knew it was normal that a person would be engaged in three to five times of sexual activities a month. She naturally concluded, ¡°I think that should be enough for one month.¡± Ste remained silent. Given Weston¡¯s frequency, however, the pills would be gone in a week. How would she hold out for the remaining three weeks? If she didn¡¯t take the pills, she couldn¡¯t even ept a kiss from him. Weston would surely sense that something was wrong. Ste said rather carefully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Taylor. I¡¯m afraid the pills might notst one month¡­¡± Zeta put aside what she was doing and said hesitantly, ¡°If he has such high demands, try communicating with him instead. It¡¯s not good for you to take so much medicine.¡± She could finally understand why Ste was in such misery. Ste looked like a woman with a low sex drive, sometimes evening off as cold. Yet, her other half was needier in this aspect. If they couldn¡¯te to an agreement, Ste would be in for a hard time. These things would require both parties toe to an agreement, though the men were the ones who couldn¡¯t get things going in some cases. There were also cases where the man had such a high sex drive that their female partners found it hard to swallow. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Chapter 576 ¡°You must discuss things with him in advance,¡± Zeta said without further thought. ¡°These drugs will take a toll on your body if you keep taking them.¡± Ste asked in a light voice, ¡°Is now the only time I cane over to get the pills from you?¡± Zeta furrowed her brows, knowing that it would be tough to change Ste¡¯s mind at this moment. ¡°Yes, I only have time right now. If you can make a trip here, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the office¡­¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°All right, then.¡± Even if there was a good chance she¡¯d bump into someone she didn¡¯t want to see, the thought of having to endure the torture over the next month made her decide to step into the hospital again. The hospital was sorge, anyway, and she might not necessarily see them. In the office. Zeta said, ¡°This is enough for one month. Come find me again if you need more.¡± She handed the pill bottle to Ste. Ste was about to reach out to take the bottle when Zeta suddenly stopped her, ¡°I¡¯m being serious. It¡¯s not that I want to interfere in your private life, but this drug has its side effects, not to mention hormone pills¡­ You should think this through. Do you have to ruin your own health just for a man?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not because of a man. I just¡­¡± Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. There was no way she could ept Weston just like that. Without the drug¡¯s effect, she wouldn¡¯t stand physical intimacy with him. VU If she didn¡¯t take the pills, there was no way she could fulfill their one-year agreement. She had no idea what Weston would do to deal with her and Roger. ¡°It¡¯ll just be for a year¡­¡± Ste looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t need these pills in a year.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°One year?!¡± Zeta furrowed her brows. ¡°What exactly¡­¡± She was about to ask what exactly was going on, but as a doctor, not probing into her patients¡¯ private lives was a professional ethic. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve made clear to you the pros and cons. You make your own decision.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste took the pills and thanked Zeta before turning to leave. She had just opened the office door when she saw the door of a ward on the other side of the corridor opening. Everything stopped moving at that moment. Out came a tall, towering figure, a man she was painfully familiar with Weston was destined to be the center of attention wherever he went. That perfect side profile of his was enough to enchant even the hardest of souls. He was carrying a woman in his arms, a woman with whom Ste was very familiar. The moment she took a look at her face, she recognized that it was Guinevere. Aside from Guinevere, no other woman had the honor of being carried in Weston¡¯s arms in public. The two of them heard themotion on Ste¡¯s side and looked over. Ste stepped back instinctively and used the door to block her from her sight. ¡°What¡¯s the matter ?¡± Guinevere looked at Weston, confused. Weston retracted his gaze. ¡°Nothing.¡± With that, he left with her in his arms. Ste hid behind the door while staring at them from their backs. Standing in a blurry daze, she felt like she had just been given a tight p. She was like a pitiful and miserable clown, always hidden in the shadows. Each time she wanted to leave the shadows, she would find herself trapped by Weston. Thest time she asked him if he was in love with her, he didn¡¯t deny it. Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Chapter 577 But, so what if he¡¯d fallen in love with her? His love was ludicrous, to say the least. He loved her, yet he forced her to do something she didn¡¯t want. He loved her, yet he ensnared her in a trap that she would never escape from. He loved her, yet he made her life living hell¡­ Ste waited till both of them left beforeing out of the room. She thought that Weston didn¡¯t see her, but the next moment, she saw Weston suddenly stop in his tracks and turn around Their eyes locked. Ste waspletely stunned, not expecting him to suddenly look over. Weston remained calm as he fixed his gaze upon her. He retracted his gaze and remained silent as he continued carrying Guinevere into the ward. In the ward. Hayden followed behind him into the ward. ¡°The treatment has taken effect, just that I am still not sure why it suddenly rpsed. My suggestion is to do a thorough check-up and find other physiological reasons¡­¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, Weston cut him off.¡± Tranquilizers.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Give her a tranquilizer shot,¡± Weston looked straight into his eyes. ¡°She is still emotionally unstable. Calm her down first.¡± Hayden didn¡¯t expect him to raise such a simple yet violent request. ¡°Although tranquilizers can stabilize her for the moment, it wouldn¡¯t solve the mental issue. My suggestion is to tackle the root problem¡­¡± Weston looked at him in silence. His lips were pursed into a thin line. I understand. I¡¯ll get the nurse over to inject a sedative. Mr. Ford, will you be by her side, or do you need a care worker? ¡°Find a care worker.¡± Weston nced at his watch and sat down next to Guinevere. He pulled out his phone and texted Ste. ¡°Wait for me at the parking lot.¡± Hayden snuck a few nces at Weston but didn¡¯t say anything further as he busied himself with the necessary arrangements as per Weston¡¯s instructions. Guinevere heard Weston asking for a care worker, and her eyes turned downcast. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stay with me?¡± Weston said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to be with you. Just tell her if you need anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything except for you to be by my side¡­¡± Weston looked at her silently. He didn¡¯t even need to say much to reject someone. Just one look was enough to establish the cold, hard distance. Guinevere retracted her hand. ¡°If Ste were lying on this bed, would you leave just like that?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Before he gave her an answer, sheughed self-derisively.¡± What¡¯s the point of me asking that? She¡¯s already dead. There¡¯s no point for me to ask something like that¡­¡± She had deliberately said those things. Since Weston put her in such misery, she also wanted to make things difficult for him. Her mind was set on the thought of Weston being in love with Ste If that were the case, she would use Ste to provoke him. Weston immediately saw through her intentions but didn¡¯t react much. He simply tucked her hands into the covers and asked the nurse to give her the injection. Guinevere furrowed her brows. A momentter, she shut her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Weston stood up and left the ward. In the parking lot. The driver reported to him that Ste was already in the car. Weston wasn¡¯t in a hurry to head over. Instead, he lit a cigarette. There weren¡¯t many people in the parking lot. His cigarette lit up in the darkness like a solitary star in the night sky. Puffs of smoke engulfed his handsome face. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Weston stood up and turned around to see Ste getting out of the car and walking toward him with a strange look on her face. She appeared so suddenly and quietly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting into the car?¡± Ste had wanted to leave the hospital when she first received his text, but she decided against it and went to the car to wait for Weston. She knew that Weston wouldn¡¯t let her go when they returned to the mansion. She subconsciously grabbed her bag tight, and the thought of the pill inside gave her a sense of security. Weston didn¡¯t pay attention to her subtle movement and simply locked his eyes on her. ¡°I was smoking.¡± His Adam¡¯s apple moved as he asked her, ¡°Why did you get out of the car?¡± Ste didn¡¯t reply to his questions but asked rhetorically.¡± Isn¡¯t Guinevere in the hospital ? Why did you come out and not keep herpany?¡± It sounded more like a confrontation or a reminder rather than an actual question. Weston¡¯s eyes were dark as his lips pursed a tight line and fell silent Both had nothing else further to say to each other, and they simply stood where they were in silence. It was cold in the parking garage at night. Bone-chillingly cold. Ste simply stood there, tucking her stray hair behind her ear, and exposing her cheeks flushed red because of the cold. She opened her mouth but did not utter a thing. ¡°Let¡¯s head home first.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Both of them spoke at the same time. They looked at each other and fell silent again. Weston stepped forward and held her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Ste wasn¡¯t sure if she was right, but he felt Weston¡¯s tone soften when he spoke about ¡°home.¡± She nodded stiffly, ¡°All right, let¡¯s go home.¡± In the car. They were silent throughout the entire journey. It was like an implicit agreement between them not to mention Guinevere. They knew that the moment her name was mentioned, silence was the only response. The atmosphere was like ice between them, and there was nothing that could break the ice. It was already past midnight by the time they made it home. Ste saw the text that Roger sent her, informing her that he had arrived on campus safely. Riley also sent her regards, which brought momentary warmth to Ste¡¯s hollow eyes. The next moment, she tensed up again. That was because she saw Weston removing his coat right before her. He flung his coat on the rack at the door and turned toward Ste. ¡°Shower?¡± -. Ste tightened her grip over her phone. ¡°Sure.¡± Weston suddenly crouched down before her and ced his hands over her ankle. ¡°Lift your foot.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ste almost lost her bnce as she held his head for a quick moment before retracting her hand. She remembered that Weston hated people touching his head. But Weston did not react to her touch. Instead, he concentrated on helping her put on her slippers, then stood up before bringing her to the washroom by holding her hand, Ste thought he would be physically intimate with her in the washroom, but he was very well-behaved and did not touch her in that way. It was like he really just wanted to have a shower. Typically, Ste didn¡¯t like to soak in a bath and preferred a quick shower. Weston, on the other hand, really enjoyed soaking in with her. His hands caressed her entire body, but not in an overly passionate manner. He simply rubbed her skin lightly, in an attempt to make her rx. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Ste¡¯s eyes narrowed, guarding herself against sinking into his trap. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay back in the hospital and keep Guineverepany?¡± The moment she spoke, she felt the pressure on his hand lifting from her body. The atmosphere that barely managed to warm up turned icy once again. The bathroom was still steaming with the heat of the water, but it felt as cold as a freezer. The thorn stilly between them. In fact, it sank deeper with every minute. As much as they tried to disregard it, the thorn refused to disappear, and they were constantly wounded by it. It became a gap between them that they were unable to fuse. Weston switched off the tap, and the hot water stopped pouring out He lifted Ste¡¯s chin, ¡°Do you really hope I¡¯ll keep herpany at the hospital?¡± Ste looked straight into his eyes, ¡°I just think it¡¯s more suitable for you to stay by her side.¡± A storm was brewing in his eyes, and his aura overwhelmed Ste. There wasn¡¯t much space in the tub, to begin with. He looked into her eyes as if fixing his re on prey in a cage. She was a trapped animal with nowhere to run. Ste didn¡¯t like him surveying her with that look. She turned her face away, trying to avoid his gaze. Weston suddenly reached out and lifted Ste who was seated in front of him. The water sloshed around them, and Ste was wet from head to toe as she was pinned against the bathroom wall, trapped between his arms. She felt herself getting lifted high into the air, and the uneasy sensation of her feet leaving the ground made her arms instinctively wrap themselves around Weston¡¯s neck.¡± I¡¯ll fall¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Weston held both her hands together and held them above her head. Her back touched the cold tiles behind her, which were wet from the condensation of the hot steam. Droplets glistened on the wall next to her, reflecting the dim light in the bathroom. Ste felt a little ufortable as she called his name.¡° Weston¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Weston lifted a knee and nudged it against her as he lowered her head and bit her corbone lightly. ¡°Aaa¡­¡± Ste inhaled sharply at the slight twinge of pain. Weston gritted his teeth and released his jaw upon hearing her yelp. ¡°I forbid you to say something like that from now on,¡± his hoarse voice said, inches from her ear. He tapped on the bite mark on her corbone. ¡°This is your punishment.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. A wave of bitterness overwhelmed her heart. She could only look at Weston in silence. Weston saw her eyes turn red, and his tone softened.¡± Feeling aggrieved?¡± He lifted his hand and wiped at the corner of her eyes. Her eyes were just slightly red, and there weren¡¯t any tears. Weston¡¯s heart ached as he crouched over to kiss her as if trying to absorb all her tears. Ste sensed a change in his mood and began resisting his advances. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± She had met Weston at the hospital¡¯s parking garage and had no chance to take the pill before they got out of the car. She had reached her limits in bathing with him. His increasingly bold moves made her no longer able to tolerate things. She gritted her teeth and looked deep in misery Weston could sense her resistance and stopped. ¡°Ste?¡± Before Ste could stop him, he pressed his lips against hers. Unlike the soft, tender kiss just now, this kiss felt more like a punishment She opened her eyes and stared at the man before her. The tenderness was gone from Weston¡¯s eyes, leaving behind only pitch-ck darkness. It felt as if he wanted to crush all her words of resistance in between their locked lips. He was single-minded in torturing her violently, his posture clearly refusing to take a ¡°no¡± for an answer. He was on the brink of losing all self-control. His arms were like steel shackles, trapping her in ce with such force that it hurt. Panic began trickling into Ste¡¯s heart at the sight of him losing control over himself. ¡°Weston, let me go¡­¡± Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Dim lights hung from the ceiling above them. It was as though a web of fear shrouded them, suffocating every inch of Ste¡®s body. The kiss he was giving her reminded her of that day on the balcony. Weston stood right before her, his handsome face uttering such cruel words. He said that he chose Guinevere. His reason was that Guinevere feared heights, which meant he wanted her to die in the hands of the violent and wicked kidnappers. Ste vividly remembered the hopelessness she was drowning in at that point. She remembered the feeling of the warm blood flowing from her body after she jumped from the building. She saw herself losing the child she had treasured more than anything else. The life that she humbly received from Weston was reduced to a pool of blood. That was her only child in her entire life. She was unable to protect her family and unable to save her only child. ¡°My baby... I¡®m sorry...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Ste shut her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. Those tears seemed to scald Weston as he immediately released his hands. ¡°Ste?¡± Ste didn¡®t reply to him. Instead, she mumbled repeatedly under her breath, ¡°I¡®m sorry...I¡®m sorry... ¡°It¡®s Mommy¡®s fault for failing to protect you...¡± She was shivering all over, hugging herself and refusing to let go Weston realized that her body was heating up and immediately became alert. ¡°Ste, you¡®re running a fever!¡± All that pent¨Cup torment she had undergone over the past few days finally erupted. By the time Weston carried Ste out of the bathroom, she was already semi-unconscious due to the high temperature. She was in a daze, her mouth still spouting confused words. She felt terrible, as if her body was being roasted in an oven. Weston carried her to the bedroom and wrapped her up in the sheets. Her temperature was so high that carrying her felt like he was holding on to a boiling pot. Weston ensured she was covered well with the nket and touched her forehead, to which his face instantly turned dark. ¡°Joan, fetch me the thermometer.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Perhaps they had spent too much time in the bathroom, and the water had long turned cold. Ste¡®s body condition was already weak, to begin with, and the sudden dip in temperature made her s usceptible to fever. Fatigue was etched in Weston¡¯s brows as he instructed Joan to contact the family doctor. He then got up to measure Ste¡¯s temperature. He filled a basin of water and began wiping her down. Ste was considered weaker than the average woman. The moment she had a fever, she would lose consciousness very quickly. She leaned in his embrace , frail, and mumbled in a daze. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°My baby...¡± ¡°I didn¡®t do anything wrong...Granny, don¡®t chase me away¡­¡± ¡°Second Aunt, I¡®m sorry...¡± Weston realized that she tended to dream of past memories whenever she was asleep. She always seemed to be in misery, and the words she spoke in a daze always sounded painful. It was close to dawn, and the sky was beginning to brighten. Fatigue washed over Weston like a damp cloth, yet he couldn¡®t fall asleep. . Ste was still running a fever. So he made the family doctor rush over and had Joan prepare the fever medicine in water so she could drink it. Ste¡¯s eyes were shut tight as she leaned against the headboard. Weston held her up and leaned her against his chest. He held a bowl in his other hand, scooped up a spoon of medicine, and fed it to her. ¡°Given Ms. Steele¡®s condition, she probably can¡®t swallow any pills now. She can only ingest liquid medicine for now ...¡± Joan reminded him. Weston saw Ste swallow the spoonful, only to see her suddenly spitting it out a momentter. Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Cough, cough... The ck liquid dripped from the corner of her mouth onto her corbone, a stark contrast to her pale face. Weston grabbed some napkins and wiped her mouth, coaxing tenderly into her ear. ¡°Be good, take some medicine so you¡®ll feel better, all right?¡± He wasn¡®t sure whether Ste heard his words, but she simply hummed in response and turned her face away. Weston fed her another spoonful. Ste¡®s brows furrowed tightly in a sign of protest. Before she could swallow the medicine, she coughed persistently as if she had choked. Cough, cough, cough... Weston ced the bowl on the bedside table and patted her back gently. ¡°Slow down.¡± A momentter, Ste recovered herself but remained semi-conscious. She shut her eyes and fell back asleep. Weston looked at her weak state and sighed helplessly.¡° You really do know how to torture someone.¡± Ste wasn¡¯tpletely knocked out and could hear what he said. She was caught in between a state of alertness and confusion, and she could even make out that familiar musk of his cologne. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they¡®d been nailed shut, and they were unable to open. It was like a nket of thick mist surrounded her; even if she managed to open her eyes, she wouldn¡®t be able to see anything anyway. Her temperature was still high, and Weston had to get Joan to fill another basin of water to clean up the medicine residue on her body and fetch another dose of medicine. ¡°Those with high fever may not be able to drink anything ...¡± Joan reminded. ¡°We might need to give. Ms. Steele an injectionter.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed upon seeing Ste shudder subconsciously at the mention of the word ¡°injection.¡± She feared needles. He made this discovery long ago when Ste donated her blood to Guinevere. ¡°Give her the medicine first,¡± he said. ¡°But she might refuse it entirely¡­.¡± Joan hesitated. ¡°She spat it all out.¡± Weston didn¡®t say anything further as he simply stared at Ste, who was sound asleep. He picked up the bowl, took a spoonful of the medicine, and covered her lips with his. Ste wasn¡®t conscious and therefore did not have her guard up against him. Weston pried her mouth open and fed the medicine to her through his mouth. Bitterness filled her entire mouth. Ste furrowed her brows, but before she could react to what was happening, she felt an inexplicable force sending the medicine into her throat. The warmth swept past her throat so swiftly that she was forced to swallow it down. Cough, cough¡­ Cough, cough, cough... She began coughing again, but thankfully, she did not spit out the medicine this time. Weston saw that the method worked and fed her the rest of the medicine with his mouth. Joan immediately turned around and left the room without a word. Although an elderly woman, she wasn¡®t exactly traditional or conservative. ¡°Mr. Ford and Ms. Steele share such a great rtionship ...¡± shemented as she left the bedroom and s The two of them were left alone inside. After feeding her thest mouthful , Weston ced the bowl on the bedside table. The moment he turned back, he saw Ste with her eyes open. He had no idea when she¡¯d woken up. Her eyes were bright as they stared right at him as ifpondering over something. Ste had a pair of beautiful eyes, bright and crystal clear. Coupled with the dazed look on her face, it made one yearn to dote on her and love her. Weston¡®s heart trembled as a ridiculous idea popped into his mind. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Before they were divorced and were still in a good rtionship , Ste always couldn¡®t help but praise him for his beautiful eyes. Both of them were uninhabited at that time, and they were truly immersed in their rawest of emotions. Ste would always stare into his eyes, immersing and losing herself in the depths of his eyes. But what Ste didn¡¯t know was that her eyes were equally stunning Despite seeing countless beauties in his time, Weston couldn¡®t deny that she had a stunning pair of eyes. ¡°What happened to me?¡± Ste coughed and asked. Weston snapped back to attention and sat down next to her. ¡°You caught a cold, and you¡®re running a high fever now. Lie back down.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I didn¡®t mean that...¡± She looked straight into Weston¡®s eyes. ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± He felt uneasy under her stare, a feeling that felt foreign to him. However, he remained calm as he replied, ¡° Feeding you medicine.¡± Ste pursed her lips as if not believing his words. Its corners were slightly brown from the medicine. She pointed at the corner of his lips. ¡°Why do you have the medicine stain on your mouth?¡± Weston paused for a moment. ¡°You fell asleep just now and refused to drink the medicine. I had to find a way to make you take it.¡± Realization dawned upon Ste, and her mouth tightened into a thin slit. Both of them had clearly been a lot more physically intimate previously. Yet, a simple kiss was capable of making her feel ufortable. She felt her heart leap. Then, lowering her eyes, she clenched her fists tighter. She could not afford to develop feelings for him. Wasn¡®t the past enough of a painful lesson? This man could simply make others develop feelings for him so easily. Conversely, he could also break their hearts instantly. Her face paled as she tried to change the subject. ¡°Were you here taking care of me all this while?¡± Weston said, ¡°Yes.¡± He kissed her forehead. ¡°You weren¡®t difficult to take care of.¡± Ste smiled at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± He stood up, his brows furrowing. He would rather she throw a tantrum or have a cold war with him than sh him such a fake smile. He pulled a napkin and wiped away the medicine stain on her mouth. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± Ste knew he was referring to Guinevere at the hospital, but she remained silent. He wiped his mouth clean and chucked the napkin into an ashtray. After which, he reached out to wipe away the fine hair on his face. Perhaps it was because she was not feeling well that Ste was being exceptionally obedient. She was even happy to receive his touch and rubbed his fingers against hers. Weston¡®s heart leaped , and he felt something crumble. He wrapped her entire face in his palm. ¡°Ste...¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Her face was very petite, small enough to fit in his palm. The exquisite feel of her face against his hands made his voice hoarse. ¡°Don¡®t look at me like this.¡± Her gaze was like a thick nket of mist enveloping him. When she looked up at him, it felt like she was under hisplete control. Ste¡®s behavior was irresistible to him. Ste had no clue looking at him that way had driven Weston mad. She blinked innocently at him, her fa rubbing against his palm. ¡°How am I looking at you?¡± Her face was silky smooth, unlike his slightly coarse and rugged fingers. The difference in textures seemed to cause sparks to fire between their skins. Ste blinked, confused. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± She looked in a daze, her face still pale, and a mist enveloped her eyes. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened as his throat tightened. ¡°Time to take your temperature.¡± He was still struggling to keep alert. Knowing that Ste was still ill, he didn¡®t allow himself to be consumed by passion and lose all of his senses. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 With that, he took out the thermometer, threw the sheets open, and stuck it under Ste¡®s armpit without any warning. Ste felt the chill and struggled instinctively. Weston pressed her arm down. ¡°Don¡®t move. We¡®ll need to do this again if the measurement is inurate.¡± When Ste was still in a daze from her fever, he had to take her temperature so many times. ¡°Why don¡®t you just use a thermometer gun?¡± Ste asked. The moment she asked that, a thought came to mind, and she kept quiet. Weston nced at her. ¡°You remember?¡± Ste kept silent and scrunched her nose. When Weston was sick previously, she tried to use the thermometer gun to take his temperature but ended up breaking it because she didn¡®t know how to use it. Joan probably hadn¡¯t found the time to buy a new one. A moment¡¯s silenceter, Weston looked at the time. ¡°All right, it¡®s done.¡± He parted the sheets again to retrieve the thermometer. However, Ste immediately said, ¡°I¡®ll do it myself.¡± She sat up, crinkling the sheets as she did so. She took out the thermometer and nced at it. Weston stood there and asked, ¡°How high is it?¡± Ste paused and didn¡®t say a word. She actually didn¡®t know how to read the thermometer. She only knew that she needed to look at the silver line, but she didn¡®t know which lin e it was. In fact, she thought she could see many lines reflecting in the thin ss tube and couldn¡®t find the most obvious one. ¡°98 degrees, I suppose.¡± She felt like her body temperature had returned to normal and randomly blurted out some number. Weston looked calmly at her, ¡°98 point...?¡± Again, Ste gave him a random number. The corners of his mouth lifted. ¡°You can see the decimal?¡± ¡°Isn¡®t it written on the scale¡­¡± Ste insisted. Weston saw through her immediately. ¡°You don¡®t know how to read off a thermometer?¡± Ste kept silent. He was right. N?velDrama.Org content. Her parents had never taught her how to use one when she was young. She also didn¡®t know how to identify counterfeit notes. She was clueless about things that r equired her to use her sight as a gauge. Weston chuckled and sat next to her, wrapping her in his embrace. ¡°I¡®ll teach you.¡± She did feel much better than before, but she could still sense the heat spreading from her back because she still had a fever. Men usually had higher body temperatures than women. She couldn¡¯t concentrate as she felt Weston leaning into her ear and speaking in that lush, deep tone of his, like a cello. ¡°Very simple. Just look at this. There is a very obvious silver line here.¡± Ste pursed her lips and looked at where he was pointing. After adjusting her angle several times, she finally saw what he was talking about. ¡°It¡®s very simple indeed¡­¡± Weston kissed her cheeks. ¡°Something so simple, and you only figured it out now?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I just never had a chance to learn it...¡± ¡°Just like how you don¡®t know how to y billiards?¡± Ste remembered the day when Weston brought her to the club to y billiards. On second thought, Weston had indeed taught her many new things. Aside from the hurt he caused, she had learned an unfathomable amount of things from him. Including one painful lesson too many. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Her thoughts were still all over the ce when Weston said, ¡°You still have a mild fever.¡± He kept the thermometer away. ¡°The family doctor will be hereter.¡± ¡°There¡®s no need to go to such trouble.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°I¡®m fine now.¡± She looked at the clock and noticed that it was in the wee hours of the morning. If the family doctor were toe, Joan probably wouldn¡®t have much time to rest. ¡°Let¡®s not bother others...¡± ¡°Have you ever considered the fact that they might be very happy to be bothered?¡± Weston lifted his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°If they weren¡®t bothered, the family doctor wouldn¡®t have a reason to exist, and I wouldn¡®t need to hire Joan at such a high sry. They¡®d be out of a job if you don¡®t have any needs.¡± His words rendered Ste speechless. Perhaps she was still notpletely alert yet because of her mile fever. She pulled the sheets high up and wriggled in. ¡°I want to sleep and don¡®t want to see anyone else...¡± His eyes shifted. ¡°You¡®re an adult, but you¡®re still afraid to see the doctor?¡± Ste shook her head. She was just worried about injections. She hated injections . Even though she didn¡®t say it out loud, Weston knew what she was thinking and rubbed her head affect ionately. ¡°Don¡®t worry. He¡®ll just be here to do a check¨Cup.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Nheless, Ste refused to believe him. ¡°You¡®re lying just so I¡®ll be fooled into getting an injection...¡± Weston stared at her before lowering his head in a chuckle. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Ste asked, upset. ¡°Nothing.¡± Weston rubbed her head again and stood up to leave. When he returned, a first¨Caid kit was in his hand. Ste saw him sit by the bedside , where he unwrapped her sheets and pulled out her leg. She quickly held his wrist down. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Weston didn¡®t look at her. Instead, he ced her leg on his knees. ¡°Your foot¡®s injured. If I don¡®t treat it, you might not even be able to walk tomorrow.¡± Ste was stunned for a moment as she followed his gaze and saw a tiny blister on her foot. A strange feeling urred in her heart. He had managed to discover such a small injury on her foot. She had dressed up magnificently for the banquet , and Bradley and Angelina were both impressed by how stunning she looked. Yet, she was the only one who knew how painful the heels were for her feet. Before her parents passed away, she had been doted on like a princess and was never willing to try out such things that made her ufortable. Subsequently, she was so consumed with making a living for herself and Roger that she found herself no time to dress up. Things like high heels that were beautiful but impractical were not things she could be bothered with. Ste had thought that she disguised herself very well, yet Weston could still sense it. She pressed his hand down to stop him. ¡°Let me do it myself.¡± She retracted her legs to avoid his touch. Weston furrowed his brows, dissatisfied with her actions. He almost forcefully pried his hand away from hers.¡° You¡®re still running a fever.¡± Her cheeks were still slightly flushed. Weston easily overcame her weak struggles and ced her leg back on his knees. He lowered his head and focused on treating her blister. He moved carefully and delicately, cautious about treating it well. Ste was resistant at first, and her face was tensed up. Momentster, she found herself lowering her g She didn¡¯t know what ointment Weston had applied on her. It felt cold at first but heated up on her skin quickly after. His slightly coarse fingers rubbed gently around the blister on her ankle, which made the pain in that area more bearable for Ste, although it still felt slightly ufortable. Weston saw her rx and lifted his head to look into her eyes. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Ste could see her own reflection in his eyes and nodded her head in a daze. ¡°Yes.¡± Weston lowered his head again, focussing on rubbing the ointment on the ankle. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Chapter 585 The arches of Ste¡®s petite feet curved in a gentle slope. The feeling of her legs on his knees brought a subtle, inexplicable feeling to her. Somehow, the action felt rather suggestive to her. Perhaps because a woman exposing her feet had always been regarded as an act of intimacy, emphasized further by the stark contrast between his dark suit trousers and her fair skin . Ste suddenly felt uneasy and instinctively wanted to pull her legs back. Weston grabbed her ankles and furrowed his brows.¡° Behave yourself,¡± he warned. Ste¡®s face flushed a bright red. Weston would always warn her with those words at times like this. Somehow, after he said it, the air between them changed. Weston looked calmly at her until it made her cheeks flush bright red. He asked, ¡°Is your temperature ri sing again?¡± Ste was sure he¡®d done that on purpose. ¡°That¡®s quite enough... you¡®ve applied enough ointment...¡± She pulled her leg back as she eximed. Weston immediately grabbed hold of her leg, his thumbs resting on her inner thigh. He didn¡®t move any further, but Ste could sense the turmoil that churned in the depths of his eyes. She struggled against his hold in an attempt to extricate herself from the suffocating atmosphere. Weston suddenly leaned in real close to her and rubbed his nose against her ear. ¡°Help me wipe my hands.¡± Ste trembled and heard him go on before she could respond. ¡°My hands are all wet.¡± Ste¡®s felt her breath catch in her throat. She red irritably at him. ¡°This is ointment!¡± Where did the watere from? Weston put his hand right in front of her eyes and said unflinchingly, ¡°Is that so?¡± His long and slender fingers were poised gracefully before her face. It made Ste¡¯s face flush even redder as heart-thumping memories came flooding back into her mind. She threw open the sheets and covered her body with them. She stuck a hand out, pulled out a piece of napkin , and flung it in his face. ¡°Wipe it yourself.¡± Weston chuckled lowly and grabbed the napkin before wiping his fingers with it. Ste refused to look at him. Her head was still buzzing, and her face was still feeling warm. As shey on the bed, fatigue washed over her. Weston wiped his fingers clean. To begin with, he was a clean freak and wouldn¡®t allow the strong smell of ointment to linger on his fingers. A momentter, he sat back down and pulled the sheets off Ste¡®s head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of suffocating yourself to death?¡°. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He lifted his hand and pinched her cheeks. He could still feel the warmth from her fever. His brows furrowed. ¡°Still having a temperature?¡± Ste shook her head and snatched the sheets back. ¡°No, the fever has subsided. I¡¯m rather tired, and I want to sleep...¡± ¡°The doctor will be here soon. Stay awake for a while more.¡± Ste shook her head and whined in a rare moment of childishness. ¡°I don¡®t want to wait anymore! I really want to sleep...¡± She really needed some rest, and she shut her eyes, as if ready to fall asleep at any moment. Weston chuckled at the sight of her behaving so childishly when she was unwell. ¡°All right, then. Take a nap first. I won¡®t bother you until the doctor comes to check on you.¡± Ste remained silent as she snuggledfortably under the covers. Momentster, her breathing slowed as she fell fast asleep. Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Weston sat by her bedside and looked at her. He simply stared at her till Joan knocked on the door.¡± Sir, the doctor is here.¡± Weston signaled her to ask the doctor to wait outside. Ste fell asleep very quickly, but perhaps she had felt warm that she instinctively stuck her foot out of the sheets. Weston stood up, looked down at her, and lifted his hand to touch her fair feet. Ste immediately sank back into the covers. A whileter, she turned around such that her back faced him. The corners of Weston¡®s mouth curved upward in a silent smile. His deep eyes twinkled in the dark. Ste was left all alone in the bedroom. She opened her eyes and stared nkly at the ceiling above her. She had to exercise so much self¨Ccontrol to suppress that disdain inside her when she was interacting with Weston. It seemed Weston believed her act. She sat up, fished out the medicine that Zeta gave her from her bag, and popped two into her mouth. Whether Weston would eventually do anything to her, she could not tolerate the torture any further. It turned out that being touched by someone hated to the core could be so revolting. Ste was still running a fever, and her body was still fighting the virus inside of her. This meant that the medicine took more time to take effect. She fell asleep after that, and amidst her grogginess, could sense that Weston brought someone into her room. She recognized one of their voices as that of the family doctor who diagnosed her with mental issues. One of them sat next to her bedside and listened to her heartbeat. Another person stood a distance away and spoke to Weston. She did not open her eyes but could hear what they were talking about. ¡°How has Ms. Steele been recently?¡± That was the psychiatrist who had imed that she had emotional issues. Weston said, ¡°She appears normal , just that she would talk in her dreams.¡± ¡°What does she say, specifically?¡± Ste clenched her fists as Weston¡®s answer confirmed her suspicions. She apparently tended to say things she hid deep in her heart when she was dreaming. Therefore, he always knew that she cared very much for the child she lost and could never ept him a He knew everything. ¡°When a person is under extreme stress and unable to find an outlet to vent, she might release the pressure in her dreams. To reduce such symptoms, Ms. Steele would first and foremost have to lower her guard. But from what I can see of her condition now, that appears to be very difficult for her...¡± The psychiatrist said with a heavy heart, ¡°What¡¯s more, for severe mental illnesses where a patient suppresses herself to an extreme degree, it might result in pathological changes. When that happens, counseling alone would be insufficient for treatment, and various medications might be required...Oh yes! Has Ms. Steele¡®s health been in good condition recently? Weston lifted his hand and rubbed in between his brows.¡± Her immune system is very weak.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t go on,¡± the psychiatrist said. ¡°Her health will be affected, sooner orter.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I got it.¡± The doctor seated next to Ste took her heart rate. A momentter, he put down the apparatus with a s Weston walked to Ste. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Her cold is much better, and her fever has subsided. It shouldn¡®t be a problem. But...¡± The doctor hesitantly said, ¡°Is Ms. Steele under some kind of medication?¡± Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Weston furrowed his brows. ¡°No, she¡®s not.¡± ¡°Except for some vitamins,¡± he added a littleter. ¡°I see,¡± the doctor nodded. ¡°My suggestion is for her not to take any supplements or health products without proper consultation from a doctor. If she were to take any medication without proper understanding of her Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. condition, it might result in an unnecessary burden on her health. She seems fine at the moment, but some people might experience certain side effects even with ordinary vitamins. It¡®s better to be safe than sorry.¡± Ste tensed up at their conversation. No one realized that her fists were clenched tightly under the sheets. After a long while, the doctors finally left the room. She felt the bed sink on the other side and heard his low voice. ¡°Since you¡®re already awake, there¡®s no point pretending you¡®re asleep.¡± Ste¡¯s eyelids trembled. She didn¡¯t expect Weston to see through her. She slowly opened her eyes. ¡°How did you know?¡± Her voice was hoarse, and her lips were chapped. Weston didn¡®t say much. Instead, he stood up and walked to the kitchen to grab a cup of water for her. After seeing that her lips were moist from the water, he said, ¡°Your eyes don¡®t move like that when you¡®r e deep in sleep.¡± When he entered the room just now, he saw her eyshes trembling and knew that she wasn¡¯t asleep, and was merely putting up an act. He had thought that she just didn¡®t want an injection, the reason she had pretended to be asleep. Afterward, he began to suspect that she had other motives. ¡°Ste, what exactly are you hiding from me?¡± Ste remained silent. Weston went on, ¡°If it¡®s because of what happened at the hospital today, Gwen and I...¡± | ¡°You don¡®t need to exin yourself.¡± Ste cut him off and said solemnly, ¡°I am very clear about our rtionship and my position in this entire situation. Don¡¯t worry. I will do my best to fulfill your desires this year, and it won¡®t affect your rtionship with Guinevere¡­¡± He had cheapened her countless times and in myriad ways, even threatening her with her loved ones so she¡®d stay by his side. Wasn¡®t it just so that she would do his bidding and not create trouble for him? Anger shed through his eyes as he reached out to pinch his chin. ¡°Must you speak to me like that?¡± Ste didn¡®t know why he suddenly became angry, but she softened her tone and said, ¡°I¡®m sorry, I¡®m not feeling very well...¡± Weston released his hand upon sensing her temperature rising again, ¡°... Rest well.¡± He didn¡®t want to pursue matters while she was still ill. That night, Weston never returned to the bedroom but went to the study instead. He might have been working or resting, but Ste didn¡®t bother trying to find out. She only knew that the two pills she took just now made heat up ufortably. She wanted some water but couldn¡¯t make a sound past her throat. Towards thetter part of the night, she finally sensed someone feeding her water. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see Weston by her side. ¡°Weren¡®t you at the study?¡± Her eyelids drooped drowsily as she asked in a daze,¡° Why are you back again...¡± ¡°I was at the study, but I remembered that there is a silly girl who¡®s still not well whom I¡®m still worried about, so I came over to take a look.¡± Weston had no idea when he became so soft¨C hearted and concerned about Ste¡®s health, worried that something would happen to her during the nig Indeed, the moment he entered the bedroom , he could see her sleeping fitfully. After feeding her some water, Ste felt much better, but she could still feel her body emanating heat due to the effects of the medicine. She suddenly hugged his arm and cried, ¡°I feel awful...¡± Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Weston felt how warm her body was, and his face darkened. ¡°Has your fever returned?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t have a fever now...¡± She rubbed her face against his chest and repeated for emphasis, ¡°I feel so ufortable. Help me...¡± Physical intimacy was not foreign to them, as they had been husband and wife for a time and were now in such a peculiar rtionship. Her actions betrayed her intentions, and Weston could tell what she wanted. At that rare moment, he was sl ightly taken aback. ¡°Are you sure? Your condition now Ste threw caution to the wind and hugged him. ¡°I really feel very ufortable...¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She lifted her head, and Weston saw tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°Kiss me, please.¡± Weston gulped, trying to swallow through his constricted throat , finding the look she was giving him irresistible . He pressed her shoulders down and warned, ¡°I might lose control. Tell me to stop if it hurts.¡± He could never resist her, especially in times of physical intimacy. Towards thetter part of the night, even when Ste cried out for him to stop, he was unable to do so. Perhaps because of the medicine or other reasons, Ste was much more passionate than she usually was. Her health was in poor condition, yet she chose to provoke Weston. Weston was clueless about her medication and simply thought she was asking for it. Early next morning , Joan left the house in a hurry, not wanting to disturb both of them. They had made such a ruckusst night that even a maturedy of Joan¡®s age felt embarrassed and did not know how to face them. Weston slept all the way till noon, which was a rare urrence. It was also his first time waking up and not seeing Ste by his side. Her side of the bed was empty when he woke up. He rubbed the space between his brows, got out of bed, and found Ste in the kitchen. Ste was standing at the counter, wearing a pink apron, and busying herself around the kitchen. Joan had gone out to stock up on kitchen supplies. She nced into the fridge and saw many things she could busy herself with. The sight of her in the kitchen appeased the slight annoyance in his heart when he did not see her by his side when he woke up. He did not alert Ste to his presence. Instead, he went to the bathroom to wash up and drank a cup of iced water before heading to the kitchen again and folding her into his embrace. ¡°Good morning.¡± He rested his chin in the crook of Ste¡®s neck and inhaled the mild fragrance of her hair. Finally, he croaked in a low, hoarse voice, breathing warm air into her ear,¡° What are you doing?¡± Ste instinctively trembled at his sudden attack but rxed a momentter and smiled silently. Weston hugged her waist, which was so slender he was worried he might snap it into two if he were to exert any more force. He said in a silky -smooth voice, ¡°Whipping up something for me to eat?¡± Ste knew he was deliberately speaking into her ear, and she felt her knees almost give way. She collected herself and continued what she was doing methodical She went on to chase him out of the kitchen, ¡°Go out. I¡®ll be done in a minute.¡± Weston lowered his head to see how she deftly ced the noodles in the boiling water and refused to let her go. Ste began chopping up vegetables and frying two eggs. ¡°Can you don¡®t hug me so tightly? It¡®s hard fo around.¡± Weston saw the bright red marks on her neck, and his eyes turned dark. He knew that if he continued hugging her, he might just eat something other than the noodles she was preparing. Thus, he acquiesced and finally let her go, pecking her lightly on the cheek before turning around toward the living room. Ste had always been an excellent cook, and she managed to whip up two bowls of noodles and fried eggs in no time. ¡°I saw many things in the fridge, but those ingredients require more work that I¡®m unfamiliar with. Just make do with these simple noodles I prepared, all right?¡± Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Ste spoke mildly as if she had completely forgotten the conflict fromst night. It seemed she just wanted to turn the page and never mention it again. Things had always been like that between them, sweeping things under the rug and pretending those is sues never existed. After they were reunited, Weston had wanted to return to the way they used to interact, but he always felt a barrier with Ste. She appeared to excel in acting, but there were times that he could sense that they were simply fooling the mselves. Today was a rare break for them, in which they weren¡®t busy with anything after breakfast. So, they decided toze in the hall and watch television. Weston sat on the couch and folded her in his arms. Ste leaned against his chest and switched channels aimlessly, bored out of her mind. She had no idea what Weston liked and assumed he must enjoy watching financial news that she was completely uninterested in. When she flipped to a financial news channel, however, she heard Weston say, ¡°Watch something you like.¡± Ste began switching channels again. Serial dramas weren¡®t something she fancied, either. She did catch some romantic dramas in her youth, just like what many young girls did during her time. After her parents passed away, she hardly found herself in the mood to watch such flicks that felt so disconnected from reality. Now that she had joined the crew, there was an impetus for her to watch more dramas and movies to better improve her skills. Various different programs began ying on the screen. Advertisements, variety shows, period dramas... Ste¡®s eyes zed over all the programs , but nothing truly caught her attention. Suddenly, she paused as a glint shed past her eyes. She saw an adorable little girl on the screen and simply stared at her. It was a beautiful, adorable female toddler dressed in overalls and a hat with wings on top. Her mother was standing next to her as they yed together. The little girl listened obediently to her mother¡®s instructions, and she lifted her chubby hands as she asked innocently, ¡°Did I do well?¡± ¡°It looked fabulous. I love everything you do!¡± The mother lowered her head and kissed her cheeks. The little girl smiled brightly, shing her dimple. Ste¡®s grip over the remote control tightened as an inexplicable feeling washed over her. She didn¡®t even know whether the only child she had and lost was a girl or boy. If it were a little girl, she might have been as intelligent and adorable as the girl on the screen. It was a simple advertisement , yet it made Ste¡®s eyes well up with tears, and she was unable to extricate herself from her overwhelming emotions. Weston sensed that something was wrong. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± Ste didn¡®t let him catch a glimpse of her eyes.¡° Nothing. I don¡¯t want to watch the television anymore.¡± Weston looked at the screen, saw the adorable little girl, and realization dawned on him. His eyes turned dark and heavy. He wanted to ask her if having a child was so important to her. However, he instinctively felt such a question would be too cruel to ask. Yet, he couldn¡®t understand Ste¡®s undying desire for a child. ¡°Forget it if you don¡®t want to watch it anymore,¡± With that, he switched the television off. Suddenly, he lifted Ste¡®s chin. ¡°Let¡®s try for another child.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ste¡®s eyes widened as she looked at him, bbergasted. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I¡®m not.¡± Weston lowered his head and rubbed his nose gently against hers. ¡°Let¡¯s try for another child. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Ste was at a loss as she stared at her own reflection in his eyes. A momentter, she said self¨C derisively , ¡°You¡®re truly forgetful. I¡®m of the extremely rare Hh blood group and can only have a single c hild my whole life. I lost that only child I ever had...¡± ¡°So what?¡± Weston leaned closer to her. ¡°We can always try.¡± She could tell that he was serious about it, and she furrowed her brows, detesting the thought. ¡°Don¡®t jo ke about such things! I¡®ll never have another child in my lifetime, and I will never have the chance to be a mother!¡® Agitated all of a sudden, she shoved him away. ¡°Whatever you say or do will never change this fact!¡® Her reddened eyes were filled with tears now. Ste yelled almost hysterically , ¡°Please don¡®t suggest something so foolish next time! You know better than anyone else that I¡®ll never have my own child, and I¡®ll never be a mother like those women on television!¡± The trauma she had gone through almost took her life. She had wanted so badly to have a happy family and a child to call her own. She would do everything she could to raise her child well, be it a girl or a boy. She would give her child everything. But she would never force her own thinking on her child. She would watch her child grow up well. As her very own flesh and blood, her only hope was to see her child growing up happily and healthily. All she wanted was a child of her own. Weston pulled her into his embrace. ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± He said into her ear in a hoarse voice,I never gave up on you. I never nned for them to take you away the day you were abducted.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He knew that his exnation was toote and too little. In fact, Ste might not even be willing to hear him out. But at that point, he simply couldn¡®t think of anything else better to say. Indeed, his words only made Ste struggle harder against him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you say that! You just want me to return to what I was in the past, the Ste Sealey who was blindly in love with you!¡± ¡°But I¡®m not Ste Sealey. I¡®m E Steele right now...¡± She suddenly calmed down and took a deep breath. Then, looking at the man before her, she said, ¡°Yes, I am E Steele now, and I don¡®t need a child. Ste shook her head, torn betweenughing and crying. She was clearly emotionally distraught. ¡°You¡®r e right, I don¡®t need a child at all... I don¡®t like children , the only thing they know is to cry...¡± All of a sudden, she grabbed Weston¡®s cor. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a son? His name is Zack. He¡®s s o adorable, and he looks so much like you...¡± ¡°You suggested that we try for another child, but you already have a child of your own... how could you say something like that so casually?¡± She was beginning to bber. Ste looked at him in doubher eyes still teary. The look on her face shattered Weston¡®s heart. ¡°If I were to say that Zack isn¡®t my child, would you believe me?¡± If the child wasn¡¯t his, who then did it belong to, she thought to herself. Her? She pressed her forehead against his chest and suddenly banged it hard. ¡°I¡®ll never have my own child again; I¡®ll never be pregnant again...¡± Her voice was wracked with sobbing. Weston¡®s hands trembled as he pressed against her back to hold her tighter. ¡°You will...¡± But he knew all too well that those were mere words offort. In the study Weston stood on the balconhis back facing the shelves as he fixed his gaze on Ste, seated on the sw the garden. He had one hand in his trousers pocket, and her tears stll stained his white shirt Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Listening to the report on the other end of the phone, his expression was inexplicable as he asked, ¡°How is Zachary?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Weston¡¯s sudden question stunned the housekeeper for a minute before he replied, ¡°Zack has been doing fine these days!¡± The person who was on the phone was the housekeeper in the vi. He had worked in the Ford family for many years and knew all the twists and turns inside. He knew well that outsiders thought Weston and Guinevere were very affectionate, and they had a son together. But only those who worked in the Ford family knew that Weston rarely came home. Although Guinevere had a busy career, she insisted on returning home every day, as if to dere her status as Weston¡¯s wife. She seemed to be very obsessed with the title of Mrs. Ford. The two of them were not so caring to Zachary. Guinevere was slightly better. At least she would put up an act of being close to him in front of Wendy. But Weston seldom came home and only asionally asked about Zachary. He was their only child and the first grandson of the Ford family. In terms of ostentation , there was no one more striking than him. But there was always an unspeakable sense of weirdness about the boy. Weston hummed, but a tearful Ste appeared in front of his eyes, and an absurd thought appeared in his mind. ¡°I can take him for a while.¡± ¡°What?¡± The housekeeper thought he had heard it wrongly and then nodded ecstatically. ¡°Sure! Ms. Cohen will be thrilled when she finds out!¡± As the housekeeper spoke, he nced toward the second floor. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell her now. She¡¯s almost finished her work, and she should be able to go with Zack¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her.¡± Weston interrupted him. ¡°I will send someone to pick Zachary up. He will be with me during this time. I don¡¯t want anyone bothering us.¡± ¡°But-¡± The housekeeper wanted to say something, but the man just hung up the phone. The housekeeper looked at the phone, feeling inexplicable. It was great that Weston was willing to take Zachary with him, but why didn¡¯t he want to tell Guinevere¡­ At this time, Wendy came downstairs with Zachary in her arms. ¡°Who called?¡± ¡°It was Mr. Weston.¡± The housekeeper took Zachary from her arms. ¡°Our young master will go to his father in a moment!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wendy frowned. ¡°Weston wants to pick Zachary up?¡± Even she was a little surprised. She knew her son the best, and he was never a tender man, yet he had the idea of taking care of Zachary? ¡°Does Guinevere know about this?¡± ¡°Mr. Weston said to not tell Ms. Cohen first.¡± Wendy pursed her lips but said nothing. After a moment, she said, ¡°Get the car. I¡¯m going out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It rainedst night, and the surrounding was moist. Ste had calmed down a lot. She had been keeping a bnce between things with her and Weston, but when he suddenly mentioned the child, she had lost all control. She shouldn¡¯t have screamed at him like that. She should be obnoxiously obedient, not challenging him. She closed her eyes to adjust her state, and she became a little dazed after a while. What she didn¡¯t notice was that he was already standing behind Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Weston called out her name, but she didn¡¯t respond. So, he walked in front of her and picked her up from the swing. There was a stone table in the small garden, which had been cleaned by Joan just now. He put Ste on it and trapped her between his arms.¡± What are you thinking about?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low as he leaned close to her ear and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hmm?¡± The hot air he exhaled caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. She shuddered for a moment, then returned to her senses instantly. The minute she raised her head, she stared into a pair of deep dark eyes. ¡°Nothing,¡± she answered. Weston¡¯s charming face was right in front of her. His face was elegantly beautiful, perhaps because he had mixed genes. Especially those eyes, they looked like God had carefully carved them. No matter from which angle, he looked unbelievably handsome. He seemed pleased by her reaction as a smile appeared on his face before he lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Why do you always like to daydream?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t daydreaming.¡± ¡°How should I punish you for lying?¡± Ste paused and asked, dissatisfied, ¡°Is this also punishable? Aren¡¯t you too petty¡­¡± Weston didn¡¯t speak, but under her gaze, his eyes darkened, and a hint of danger shed. She immediately had the feeling that something terrible would happen and instinctively wanted to run away, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back again. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± She hit the back of his hands, which were trapping her like a metal cage. She couldn¡¯t help struggling. ¡°Stop messing around and let me go!¡± He naturally wouldn¡¯t let go. Instead, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± After speaking , he put her on the stone table and lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist. With his other palm sping the back of her head, he leaned over her involuntarily and kissed her affectionately. The air was filled with electric flint, as if it could detonate the surrounding oxygen. She didn¡¯t know how long they had kissed, but she felt that her brain was beginning tock oxygen, and it was getting hard to breathe. Fireworks were bursting inside her mind, then they extinguished before lighting up again. She had no room to think about other things, like seeing him and Guinevere in the hospital, or the child they were talking about¡­ Weston didn¡¯t give her the time to get distracted. His lips were chasing after her every time she backed away as he didn¡¯t want to leave her lips and kissed her with everything he had. She was struggling to break free at first, but she stopped after thumping him on the shoulder a few times. Instead, she did as he wished-she wrapped her hands around his neck and subconsciously pulled him toward her. He opened his eyes and looked at her quietly. Different from her passive eptance before, he felt her initiative. It might be the signal of reconciliation she was sending out, indicating that the cold war between them was about to end. Of course, Weston epted it. He kissed her deeper and deeper, and the original peck became a messy entanglement. He didn¡¯t stop until he felt every trace of air in Ste¡¯s lungs squeezed dry, then he slightly widened the gap between them. ¡°Remember to take a breath.¡±N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She didn¡¯t say a word, but her breathing was heavy. Weston raised his hand, tucked the little hair beside her cheek behind her ear, and then kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Hence, Ste closed her eyes obediently. ¡°Is this all right, then?¡± She was so obedient that there was no way he could be cold to her. He pressed his forehead on hers and chuckled lightly.¡± Why are you so smart?¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her again without giving her the chance to react. It was a little cold outside, and the cold breeze drifted in the pavilion. The weather was chilly because it was spring. Ste felt his changes. She knew what would happen next, and she was a little nervous. He was still biting on her lips as he asked her in a hoarse voice, ¡°Can we?¡± She shut her eyes, knowing what he was asking about. She took a deep breath and nodded nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the bedroom first¡­ okay?¡± After speaking, she buried her head in his neck, looking shy. Weston cocked his head to the side, feeling a burst of warmth on his cheek while he chuckled. ¡°Are you shy?¡± She didn¡¯t respond but instead took a bite on his neck. He wasn¡¯t angry and lifted her instantly, holding her bottom with one hand. ¡°Hold on to me tighter.¡± He couldn¡¯t see her face, so he didn¡¯t realize that her expression didn¡¯t match her actions. She should be shyly leaning against his neck and snuggling into his arms, like how he had imagined she would be. But Ste¡¯s eyes were clear. There was even a bit of extraordinary calmness. The two went into the bedroom. She felt him peck the side of her ear when she wasid down on the bed. He used a little strength to avenge the bite earlier but restrained himself because he didn¡¯t want her to hurt. Ste heard a clear male voice whispering in her ear,¡± Help me unbuckle it.¡± Following his movements , she sat up, put her hands on his waist, and unbuckled his belt. She had always been so well-behaved, especially regarding this kind of thing. Although she was shy at times and unwilling to make a move, she was highly obedient. Weston caressed her head, and his fingers suddenly tightened on her hair as he pressed her down. There was a sh of rejection in Ste¡¯s eyes, but she still held back and lowered her head. She was so submissive that he suddenly lifted her chin and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°Do you feel forced?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± She looked at the man¡¯s unchanged expression, and her eyes shed. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want that answer. Then, she turned her head to the other side and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because I have to do it¡­¡± She seemed to be throwing a tantrum. Weston released his grip and kissed her on the tip of her nose. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ste raised her head and looked at him with hazy eyes. Her look of feeling wronged but was still forced to be obedient softened his heart. ¡°When have I forced you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never forced me, but you¡¯ve always threatened me.¡± She sniffed. The tip of her nose was red, and she looked like a little squirrel that had suffered so much grievances. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 She knew that Weston couldn¡¯t stand seeing her like this. Sure enough, the man picked her up and put her on hisp. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t do it.¡± He kissed her forehead. ¡°Now just lie down and enjoy, okay?¡± Looking at Ste¡¯s reddened cheeks, he lowered his head and gently rubbed the tip of her nose. She opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Can you go wash up first?¡± Weston looked down at her. ¡°When did it be so difficult to serve you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have OCD? Go clean up first¡­.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He chuckled in a low voice. The bathroom door was closed. She let out a breath and sat up instantly before taking the medicine bottle from her bag and swallowing one. It had rainedst night, and the weather outside was nice. When the light shone through the drawn curtains during the afternoon, the light in the room turned orange, with a sense of warmth. When she was put onto the bed again, she couldn¡¯t help but think about how absurd it was for them. In this matter, Weston had never had any restraint. Especially when they were married, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to her, but he focused on her body. Ste wasn¡¯t keen on this kind of thing, but since she loved him wholeheartedly, she was willing to do it to please him. Maybe she had loved him with a very lowly attitude, and she just wanted to see him indulge in herself in every possible way that she ignored her feelings. After reuniting , Weston suppressed himself for a while and never touched her, but ever since the first time it happened, he had been out of control. The urge seemed to be more challenging to control than before. The curtains were so thick that the light outside could not shine through. The hazy sight set the mood even more than a dark or bright scene. Ste¡¯s body was soaked with a thinyer of sweat. The medicine had started to work. She raised her hand and let Weston kiss her fingertips. He held her knee and pushed her up. When his fingers reached her ankle, he suddenly remembered that she had just applied medicine. The ce where she was hurt hadn¡¯t healed yet, and when he lowered her head, he could see a little blood oozing out from there. He lost interest instantly. He got down from her and immediately cuddled her in his arms. He then lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go today.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Hearing this, she opened her eyes immediately. The steaming heat made her ufortable, but she still looked at the man in front of her with some doubts.¡± What¡¯s wrong? Did I do something wrong¡­¡± she instinctively asked. She was doing this to please him. If he had stopped suddenly, it must be because she had done something wrong Perhaps she had acted too obediently and proactively, which bored him. He liked the way she was before, with a bit of shyness. Hearing this, Weston looked into her eyes fixedly, lowered his head, and took a bite on her nose with a hint of punishment. ¡°¡­ Does it still hurt? If it does, I won¡¯t keep going.¡± The look on her face earlier was so irresistible that he had forgotten about her physical condition for a moment. Besides the injury to her ankle, she had just recovered from a cold, so she couldn¡¯t stand his torment. Ste had initially thought that her performance was not good enough, causing him to lose interest, but she didn¡¯t expect that he was just worried about her and was a little stunned for a while. After a while, she turned her head to the other side and said, ¡°It hurts a little.¡± Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Chapter 595 She had originally wanted to say that she was not in pain and could continue. But seeing how Weston cared about her, she suddenly felt that it was unnecessary. If it were in the past, she would appreciate that he stopped , but now that she had taken the medicine , she would only suffer if he stopped. She didn¡¯t want to be bewitched by his gentleness, and she tried to use this unbearable torture to constantly remind herself not to be immersed in these gentle illusions. If he left one day, what would be left to her would only be a hundred times more cruel than it was now. It was rare for her to admit that she was in pain, and he seemed to enjoy it. He carried her in his arms and gently patted her back as heforted her. He was treating her like a fragile treasure. Ste nestled in his arms, which should have been a very secure embrace, but she only felt like she was drifting. The pervasive heat gnawed at her, and the closer he got to her, the more ufortable she felt. As soon as night fell, she went back to the bedroom to sleep. Weston gave her plenty of time to rest. The man was no longer around when she woke up the following day. She felt much better, and her consciousness had be clearer. She saw a ck card on the bedside table. She was stunned. Before this, Weston also gave her a card, but she had never really used it. She knew that he was doing this to remind her. Her eyes shed, then she reached out and put the card in her wallet. The crew was already finishing their work, and she rushed over after receiving a call from Bradley. Angelina was already waiting for her on set. When she saw hering, she hurriedly greeted her. ¡°Where have you been these two days? You didn¡¯t reply when I sent you a message¡­¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. After leaving the banquetst time, she texted them that she got home safe but didn¡¯t contact them again. She was worried that Ste would be upset because of what had happened at the banquet. Initially, she had wanted to invite her to shop together, but Ste never answered her phone call. Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I had something to do in the past two days, so I didn¡¯t have time to answer the phone. By the way¡­¡± She asked, ¡°What is the progress today?¡± ¡°They¡¯re almost done. After Guinevere finishes her part, it will be your turn.¡± Ste nodded and went to change her clothes. When Bradley saw this, he walked over and asked Angelina, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She looks fine,¡± Angelina answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Mr. Lane. We will do well.¡± Bradley chuckled and said, ¡°Make fewer mistakes, and I won¡¯t be this worried.¡± Guinevere was putting on makeup, and when she heard a burst ofughter outside, she rubbed her brows frustratingly. ¡°E¡¯s here?¡± The make-up artist was drawing her eyebrows. She was already scared of making any mistakes. But when she heard the question, her hand shook, and one of her eyebrows was drawn crookedly. Seeing that Guinevere¡¯s face had suddenly turned cold, the makeup artist quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± Instantly, Guinevere clenched her fist. Was she that scary? Why would they joke around E but walk on eggshells with her? Were they doing this on purpose? Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Guinevere was in a bad mood and said impatiently,¡± Enough. It¡¯s only a crooked eyebrow. I just asked you one question. Did you have to be that scared?¡± ¡°No, no. I am to me¡­¡± The makeup artist kept apologizing. ¡°It was my mistake. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Guinevere clenched her fists. ¡°Enough is enough. Get away!¡± When her manager saw this, he could only go forward tofort her. ¡°Howe you change so much whenever E appears? How can shepare to you? Stopparing yourself to¡ª¡± ¡°When have Ipared myself with her? Why do you even think she deserves to bepared with me!¡± She suddenly raised her hand and pped on the makeup table, saying, ¡°Do all of you think that I care about E that much? Or is it because she stole my limelight at the banquet, so you think I¡¯m targeting her?¡± ¡°Guinevere, don¡¯t say that. None of us feel that way¡­ Besides, E was embarrassed at the banquet, and she didn¡¯t steal the show. So, why would we think she can bepared with you?¡± Guinevere calmed down a little when she heard this.¡± Indeed. Women like her are always involved with some men and stirring up drama¡­.¡± Her manager immediately added, ¡°Yes, unlike you. You have Mr. Ford, who loves you, and no one can compare to that. You don¡¯t know how much those people envy you.¡± His words made her feel a little vain, but at the same time, a wave of uncontroble anger stirred up inside her. Because she knew very well in her heart that Weston was very different from the image he portrayed to the public. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t as loving as how these people thought it was. Until now, they weren¡¯t married. Some time ago, Wendy had brought Zachary on set to let everyone know she had a son with Weston. After giving birth, she had the idea of letting out the news to the media. But her manager stopped her, saying that she and Weston hadn¡¯t gotten married yet, and it would hurt her reputation if they were exposed at that time. So, she gave up. She only revealed the news to certain crowds to let people know they were married but had never officially dered it. With this, she could pressure Weston. If it was revealed that they didn¡¯t get married, she could say that she had never spread the news and me others. But Wendy¡¯s sudden appearance with Zachary had confirmed the news. This put her in a very passive situation, so she could only pretend they were a loving and harmonious family. Although this was what Guinevere had wanted, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little apprehensive. What if the truth was exposed one day? She immediately clenched her fist. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. No. It was impossible. She would never let that happen. She couldn¡¯t stand to see how people¡¯s gaze on her would turn from envy to pity. She could only ept if others looked up and were jealous of her, but not if they pitied or looked down on her. Not even Weston. In the dressing room of the other actors, Ste was doing her makeup when she saw an assistant hurry over. ¡°Is there any other makeup artist? Something happened on Ms. Cohen¡¯s side. Who would like to go over and help her with makeup?¡± Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 No one came forward. Ste didn¡¯t say a word but exchanged nces with Angelina Angelina merely shook her head and shrugged, as if she was not surprised. Guinevere¡¯s good reputation was all faked. Everyone knew she was hard to get along with. It was just that she was willing to bribe people with money, and most people in the circle were also keen to say good things about her. Meanwhile, those who weren¡¯t short of money, or were annoyed by her and were unwilling to say good things about her, were all suppressed by her, so the public refused to believe the negativements about her. After all, she had a strong status-she had such a powerful family background, and she was married to Weston. Anyone withmon sense wouldn¡¯t dare to offend her. Like right now. The makeup artist had angered Guinevere . Anyone who went over would have to clean up the mess and might even get scolded. So, no one dared toe forward. When the assistant saw this, she panicked. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only If she couldn¡¯t find a makeup artist, Guinevere would get mad at her. Therefore , she had no choice but to beg one by one. After finally finding one makeup artist, they hurried over. After they left, someone from the crewined in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s like this every day! She keeps nitpicking. That makeup artist has just finished my base makeup. What should I do now?¡± ¡°Stop talking. If it gets to her ears, you¡¯ll only suffer¡­.¡± Another actor reminded the girl. ¡°Why are you all so afraid of Guinevere? I heard that she¡¯s nice.¡± The rest just smiled and said nothing. Fortunately, Guinevere only released all her anger on the makeup artist. After that, she didn¡¯t cause trouble for the other staff, and everything went smoothly until the filming After the filming started, Guinevere restrained her temper and finished filming smoothly, perhaps because Bradley was there. Next, it was Ste¡¯s turn. Usually, Guinevere would leave after her part was done. But she stayed back today and watched Ste. In front of the camera, Ste could feel someone was staring at her, and she felt a little ufortable. The set had an unwritten rule. Except for Bradley and other producers, no one could give off-site guidance casually because it would affect the actors¡¯ performance. But Guinevere didn¡¯t intend to abide by this rule, or perhaps she purposely went against it. When Ste was filming , Guinevere whispered to the people around her. ¡°Did E miss a word in these lines here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­.¡± Immediately, she frowned. ¡°What do you mean? She did miss a word!¡± The person next to her paused before quickly agreeing with her. ¡°Yes, it seems that she did.¡± They weren¡¯t exactly quiet, so Ste couldn¡¯t ignore them. Bradley noticed it and cast his gaze toward Guinevere. But it was as if she didn¡¯t seem to see it. She still held the script in her hand, turned the page over, and continued to point at the filming site. Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Guinevere¡¯s manager held the fruit in his hand and fed it to her mouth. Her favorite drink was ced on the table next to her. This leisure she was having was in stark contrast to Ste¡¯s current situation. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ste was wearing thick makeup. Because it was a costume drama, her clothes had some weight. Plus, she had to doplex movements, so she was exhausted. ¡°Isn¡¯t E¡¯s backflip too simple?¡± Guinevere spoke again. ¡°Mr. Bradley said it just for the sake of it. Later, he will let a stunt double do it¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Guinevere clicked her tongue. ¡°But won¡¯t the effect look subpar?¡± She often used a stunt double. Bradley knew she was trying to stir up drama again but was doing it with some subtleness. Seeing the frown on his face, she stopped and quieted down. Bradley rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. ¡°Let E continue.¡± Ste knew that Guinevere was trying to mess with her head. The masked man who had suddenly appeared at the banquetst time had made her suspicious . Maybe she had already known that person was Weston, so she was going against her now. She took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions, knowing that this day woulde anyway. After having that mindset, she immersed herself in that character even quicker. ¡°¡­ We used to have such a good rtionship, but ever since the appearance of Dahlia, all your eyes have been on her. What did I do wrong that you¡¯re treating me this way! This scene was close to the end, and Sophie, whom Ste was acting as, finally broke down. Everyone knew that she was the viin and med her. ¡°Are you still the innocent and pure Sophie from before?¡± Tears pooled around Ste¡¯s eyes as she smiled. ¡°If you had just looked at me for once, you¡¯d know I was under a spell¡­ but you never did! All of you only paid attention to Dahlia. No matter what she did wrong, you all will protect her! ¡°But if I didn¡¯t do what all of you wanted, you guys would start treating me harshly! ¡°Just because I¡¯m not talented like her, and I didn¡¯t get lost when I was a child, and because my life isn¡¯t as miserable as hers, she is right in everything, and I am wrong in everything! You guys were at fault first. Why should I be med?¡± ¡°You are so stubborn!¡± The master, who had always doted on her, was disappointed in her. Ste¡¯s heart was broken, and demonic energy suddenly appeared around her body. The disciples immediately stepped back with wide eyes.¡± Sophie is enchanted!¡± She had suddenly be the enemy. ¡°You will pay for what you did!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. Although it had been nned long ago that the editing team would apply red eye drops and reshoot the scene for close-up special effects, Bradley felt that her performance was good enough that there wasn¡¯t any need for special effects. ¡°Cut!¡± he called out. Ste was still immersed in Sophie¡¯s emotions and couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. Even Guinevere wasn¡¯t in a rush to find problems in E¡¯s acting. Instead, she looked at her with a dignified look as she didn¡¯t expect her progress to be so significant. At first, she did see that Ste had some talent in acting, but she had been in the industry for so many years after all, so she didn¡¯t take her seriously. Who would¡¯ve thought that in just short filming, she could get to this high level! She didn¡¯t expect this at all. Her expression was ugly as she thought to herself that if Ste maintained like this, her acting skills were likely to beat hers in the finale. Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Especially now that many people liked viins in movies. Ste¡¯s character would most likely shine if the editing team edited it well. Guinevere merely sneered and left the ce. When the rest saw that she didn¡¯t cause problems for Ste, they thought that she had finally recognized Ste¡¯s acting skills and were d for her. Angelina was the happiest when she saw that Bradley was delighted. She quickly walked up to Ste and said,¡± Fortunately , you were not affected by Guinevere . I was worried for you just now, but I didn¡¯t expect you to perform so well!¡± She yed a minor role but contributed a lot ofedic relief. This was also a vital part of the movie. Even a serious movie would have some rxing parts. Angelina yed the kind of minor role that would leave a deep impression on the audience as long as she yed it well, simr to Ste¡¯s. It was just that Ste¡¯s character had more emotional elements. Therefore, the two could understand the source of each other¡¯s pressure very well. They were afraid that they would not perform well and that the audience would not like them, saying that they were stealing the show. Ste hadn¡¯t expected that her filming would go so smoothly. Maybe it was because she had spent a lot of time figuring out the role whenever she had the time, no matter how quickly she could get into character. She nced in Guinevere¡¯s direction and said to Angelina, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You must do well too.¡± Backstage. Guinevere gritted her teeth and wanted to push everything on the table to the ground. She suddenly thought of something as she ced her hands up and stopped. She took a deep breath , followed the method Lucas had taught her, and gradually calmed down before a sneer appeared on her face. On the side, Davis, who had always known her, felt a little scared. ¡°Guinevere, have you been a little tiredtely?¡± She said nothing and just stared at herself in the mirror. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew clearly that the man who had appeared at the banquet that night was Weston. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She didn¡¯t know when E had hooked up with Weston. She knew that E wasn¡¯t as simple as she seemed on the surface. She was a great actress, and even someone like Weston was bewildered by her. No wonder she was so bold on set. She had Bradley protecting her, and now, Weston. Guinevere couldn¡¯t sit still like this any longer! ¡°Guinevere !¡± Her assistant suddenly barged in with her phone in hand. ¡°What happened?¡± Davis immediately shot a look at the assistant, telling her that Guinevere was in a bad mood through his eyes. The assistant shut her mouth and was a little hesitant. But when she saw the coldness on Guinevere¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and only whispered in the manager¡¯s ear. The manager¡¯s expression changed, and he asked the assistant to leave first. When Guinevere had calmed down a little, he said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry at these unimportant people. It¡¯s not worth it¡­ By the way, the people from the Ford family said that someone took Zachary out.¡± Since Guinevere had given birth, her temper had be more and more elusive. As a mother, she naturally loved her children. But sometimes, she just hated him so much. Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 The others didn¡¯t overthink it but thought she was just depressed after giving birth. Hence, she didn¡¯t react much when hearing someone had taken Zachary out. Guinevere was already annoyed, but she was even more irritated after hearing it. ¡°It must be Wendy who took him out to y. Why are you making a fuss about such a small matter? Get E in here.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Davis was taken aback and asked, ¡°Why do you want to see her?¡± ¡®Could it be that she is still mad and wants to trouble her? ¡®he thought. Guinevere sneered coldly, ¡°I just want to exchange some knowledge about acting with her.¡± No one with a brain would believe her. But since she had said that, the manager had no choice but to go out and talk to Ste. Ste wasn¡¯t surprised when she saw Guinevere¡¯s manager walking toward her. Since the banquet had ended that day, she had known Guinevere would confront her one day. It was just that she didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon. Davis was relieved when he saw that she wasn¡¯t the least shocked. ¡°Seems like you knew Guinevere would want to see you.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Seems that you knew too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart person, so I won¡¯t go beating around the bush with you¡­ It¡¯s not good to go against Guinevere. You know what I mean.¡± ¡°Of course, I know that,¡± Ste said. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°No matter what, we are all from the same crew. Her mood hasn¡¯t been stabletely. I hope you can tolerate her¡­¡± ¡°Of course. She is my senior, and I won¡¯t say anything over the line.¡± Ste smiled. Seeing her being so eloquent, he didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Guinevere is waiting for you backstage. Just keep your mouth shut and take in whatever she sayster. You won¡¯t be mistreated.¡± ¡°Thank you for that.¡± After he had left, Ste was left alone backstage. She looked at herself in the mirror and spaced out. After a while, she picked up the makeup on the table and began to put it on. She wasn¡¯t good at these and had always let the makeup artist do it for her. But after some observation , she had learned a trick or two. Mainly because she had just finished filming, and her makeup hadn¡¯t beenpletely removed, all she needed was a little touch-up. Her makeup was heavy and so delicate that she didn¡¯t look like herself anymore. She didn¡¯t want to always be the one who suffered passively. This time, she wanted to take the initiative and strike. When Guinevere saw Steing over, she smiled coldly, with a bit of irony. ¡°You even went to touch up?¡± She walked in front of Ste and closed the door. ¡°Sit.¡± A star like Guinevere had her special lounge , while the rest were crowded together in one. Ste found a ce and sat. ¡°I did. So what?¡± Guinevere was stunned seeing that Ste had admitted it so frankly. ¡°You¡¯re done with your scene, yet you went to touch up beforeing to see me?¡± Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 ¡°I¡¯ve finished my scene today, but I have an appointmentter, so I fixed my makeup. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste looked at her with a smile. ¡°You know what I¡¯m asking about.¡± Guinevere clenched her fists as she saw the provocation in her smile. She stopped beating around the bush and asked, ¡°It was Weston the other night, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ste looked confused, and she shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Guinevere took two steps forward and stared at her coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you of what happens to homewreckers, do I? I¡¯m sure you know whether Joyce¡¯s usations against you are true or not.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I proved if her allegations are true or false?¡± Ste looked at her in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Joyce is the mistress. What does it have to do with me?¡± She wanted to ask Guinevere a question. When she was still married to Weston, was Guinevere not acting like a homewrecker? In any case, Ste was Weston¡¯s legal wife. Even if Guinevere dated him first, they had already broken up at that time. Weston was married to her, so Guinevere was clearly the third party. How could she say these to her with such a straight face? She only did that because she thought Ste was dead. She thought she was speaking to just E. Guinevere did not know anything. In that case, she should give her a taste of what she had gone through back then. Guinevere said in displeasure, ¡°I mean, although you didn¡¯t steal a man from Joyce , you know what you did!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I hope you can exin.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Guinevere gritted her teeth and red at her. ¡°I know you¡¯re with Weston! Why aren¡¯t you admitting it?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about..¡± Ste stood up. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Where are you going? Is Weston picking you up?¡± Guinevere mocked. Ste stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°If you¡¯re unsure about Weston,you could have asked him instead. Why make things difficult for me?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll ask him, but I¡¯m also sick of you homewreckers! Is that a problem?¡± Ste turned around and looked at her with interest. ¡°Do you hate homewreckers so much? Does that mean you¡¯ve never ruined anyone¡¯s marriage?¡± Guinevere paused for a moment and seemed to have understood what she was implying. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just heard that the woman who looks like me ¡­ She seemed to have gone through some of the things you¡¯re saying now.¡± Ste smiled meaningfully. Guinevere widened her eyes at once. ¡°Did Weston tell you about her?¡± She paled and trembled in great anger. She should have known¡­ This E looked so much like Ste. Weston probably saw her as a recement. All those feelings of guilt he had for Ste were transferred to her. He might have told E about everything about Ste. That was why E acted like she had no qualms in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? All you have is just your face!¡± Guinevere found it funny. ¡°You should know your ce. Weston treats you differently because you look like Ste. Who are you to stay by his side?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just answer yourself? With my face¡­¡± Ste looked at the bottles and jars on her dressing table and gently tapped her finger. ¡°If Weston didn¡¯t need me at all, you wouldn¡¯t be here to warn me, would you? It seems like you¡¯re terrified of that woman, Ste¡­¡± She smiled charmingly and said with a curious tone,¡° You¡¯re panicking just because of my face. It seems like that woman named Ste was a great threat to you.¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Ste propped her chin up and nodded softly. ¡°It was probably more than an ordinary rtionship issue, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Guinevere turned her back to her and pressed her temple. It seemed that Weston had told her a little about Ste but not the details. She sneered, ¡°She was just a stupid woman who threatened Weston with suicide because she couldn¡¯t get him. Do you think Weston really loved her? He¡¯s just feeling guilty because of her death. That¡¯s why he¡¯s seekingfort in you.¡± Ste did not say anything, but her eyes had turned cold. Guinevereughed again and said, ¡°You¡¯re as naive as her. If Weston really loved Ste, why did he divorce her and be with me? In other words, I¡¯m more important than any of you.¡± Ste curled the corners of her mouth with an unchanged expression. Guinevere noticed that Ste was unmoved, then her eyes changed. ¡°I¡¯m not actually targeting you. I just want to show you the right way¡­ Besides, you¡¯re going to be in the entertainment business. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to be my enemy.¡± ¡°Is there some kind of lesson you¡¯re trying to instil? I¡¯m all ears.¡± Ste smiled. Guinevere said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you around Weston anymore.¡± ¡°You should talk to Weston about that.¡± Ste said with an innocent look, ¡°He¡¯s so powerful. If you can¡¯t even negotiate with him, how can a nobody like me refuse him?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Guinevere seemed annoyed by her andughed mockingly. ¡°I think you¡¯ve never wanted to refuse him. With a man like him by your side, you¡¯ll only try to please him more to climb thedders!¡± ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve said that, maybe I shouldply with your wishes. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be meaningless for me to bear such a reputation?¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡¯ll consider your advice and climb the ladder with Weston¡¯s power.¡± She saw Guinevere¡¯s face suddenly turn cold and felt nothing but pleasure. When Guinevere had pushed her to the verge back then, had she ever thought she would be in this situation one day? Guinevere kept staring at Ste¡¯s face and muttered,¡° You¡¯re not like her¡­ You¡¯re not like her at all¡­¡± E was nothing like Ste, except for her face. E had apletely different personality from Ste. Ste would never talk to her like that. ¡°Only your face is like hers. Nothing else about you is simr . Aren¡¯t you afraid that Weston will find out one day? Wouldn¡¯t he lose interest in you after learning that you¡¯re so different from Ste?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a question forter.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°I only live in the moment. After all, just like you said, I¡¯m just a nobody and a small actress. If I refuse Weston, you can easily crush me in minutes. At least now, he¡¯s around to protect me. You¡¯ll have to consider what he¡¯d think before you attack me, right?¡± Guinevereughed out loud at her reply. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re somebody? Have you slept with him?¡± Her expression suddenly turned fierce and vicious. ¡°You seem confident about him protecting you. You must¡¯ve served him well.¡± Ste knew Guinevere was getting defensive. She deliberately looked at her eyes and said nonchntly,¡± Well, men¡­ aren¡¯t they all the same?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She said indifferently, ¡°They only care about how they feel in bed, but I don¡¯t really care. I only care about the benefits I could gain from him¡­ Well, Mr. Ford is good ¨C looking and has a great body. He¡¯s an outstanding man, and not many men areparable to him. I have nothing to lose.¡± She sounded incrediblyfortable and spoke like she was thinking about Weston¡¯s performance in bed. ¡°I enjoyed myself most of the time, but sometimes, it¡¯s just too tiring¡­¡± Then, Ste frowned, as if she was distressed. ¡°Ms. Cohen, you should quench his desires. Don¡¯t always let him torment me. I have work to do too¡­¡± Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Ste¡¯s words provoked Guinevere and made her furious. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re such a shameless woman!¡± Guinevere grabbed Ste¡¯s neck savagely. Ste pped her hand away immediately. ¡°Let me go! What are you doing?¡± ¡°You shameless woman! I¡¯m his wife! Who do you think you are? How dare you show off in front of me! You¡¯re just a despicable mistress!¡± Guinevere roared at her, ¡°If I want to, I can publish the surveince recording of our conversation earlier! You¡¯ll be judged and despised by everyone else! Do you think you can stay in the entertainment business then? You¡¯ll just be a woman who¡¯s hated by many and be scorned everywhere you go!¡± Guinevere wanted to tear her to pieces. When Ste had agreed toe to this meeting earlier, she had thought about it already. Indeed, Guinevere might record their conversion. However, a prideful woman like her would never make their conversation public. How could a proud and arrogant woman like her be willing to destroy her public facade as a nice woman? How could she let the world know that her beloved husband was the same as any other man outside? No one must know that her husband could not stand the temptation and had a mistress. If this got out, it would ruin her image as a sessful career woman. Others would no longer look at her with envy. Instead, she would appear as a grumpy woman with a cheating husband. Ste¡¯s words had certainly made Guinevere calm down. She refused to let others know about her sad life in the Ford family. She would never let anyone think that she had a bad life there. She took a deep breath and calmed down. Then, she looked at Ste like she was pitying her. ¡°Everything you have now is just because of your resemnce to Ste. You¡¯re just a recement! I feel so sorry for you¡­¡± Ste looked at her in surprise. ¡°Do you think every woman takes Weston¡¯s love as important as you do? What¡¯s wrong with treating me as a recement or not? All I want is the benefits he gives¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s your real intention! You don¡¯t love him at all! You¡¯re just sticking around for glory and wealth!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. Who doesn¡¯t want glory and wealth?¡± Ste sighed. Fortunately, she had passed the age where she thought true love was the most important thing Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the past, she had asked for nothing. As a result, she could not protect those she had wanted to protect the most. He had trampled on her sincere heart and given her no right to speak. Only a powerful person like Guinevere would say something so hypocritical. She had loved Weston sincerely before, but what had he given her in return? When she was still married and in love with Weston, Guinevere had never shown any respect to her. She swore she would never give others her sincere heart again after losing the child. She would never fall in love with a hypocritical person ever again. Guinevere did not seem to have expected her to be so assertive about it and went speechless. After a short silence, she narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡° What if I tell Weston about this? Will he still keep you by his side?¡± Ste shrugged indifferently. ¡°You can tell him. So what? Besides, we¡¯re never equal.¡± She felt it was funny. ¡°He can ruin my acting career at any time, but he can give me glory whenever he wants. Rather than worrying about what I¡¯m doing wrong, I might as well go with the flow. Maybe my attitude is exactly what he likes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Guinevere raised her hand, wanting to p her. Ste said, smiling, ¡°You can p me now, but I don¡¯t know what others will say when I walk out with this mark on my face. It¡¯ll be hard to exin to Weston if he sees it, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± She even threatened her using Weston¡¯s name? ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you.¡± Ste smiled nonchntly. Guinevere¡¯s face turned ashen. She covered her chest and took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t be toocent ! You can be arrogant, but so what? You¡¯re just a mistress!¡± ¡°¡®I don¡¯t care about that. Besides, I don¡¯t n to stay with Weston that long¡­¡± Ste seemed troubled. ¡°If you can get Weston out of my life, I¡¯ll even thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Guinevere roared in anger. Ste looked at her cold and sullen face and felt happy for a moment. Then, she felt sad for her. As she turned to leave, she heard Guinevere call after her. ¡°Do you know what happened to Belle?¡± ¡°That woman from Lowe Garden?¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. ¡°You actually knew? I guess Weston does tell you everything¡­¡± She seemed to have suddenly regained her confidence and sense of superiority. ¡°Although you¡¯re now acting in the same cast as me, you¡¯re just the same kind of person as Belle. I just need to say the word, and he¡¯ll treat you like Belle.¡± Ste¡¯s face gradually turned grim, but she said nothing. Guinevere was right. She was no different than Belle. Belle might willingly stay with Weston, while she herself was forced to stay with him. Ste knew she was walking on the edge. If she was not careful, she might end up worse than Belle. Moreover, Guinevere hated her so much. Ste¡¯s silence made Guinevere feel victorious. ¡°I just wanted to give you a word of advice. I know you¡¯re smart. A man like Weston is unlikely to have a happy ending with you. He just wants to try something new.¡± She walked up to Ste and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be too harsh, but E, I don¡¯t want you to be the next Ste. Do I have to remind you what happened to her?¡± After all, thest person who went against her was already dead. After Ste hade out of Guinevere¡¯s dressing room, Angelina immediately came over. ¡°E, how was it? Did she give you a hard time¡­¡± Her meeting with Guinevere had been brought to Bradley¡¯s attention. He hade to ask her about it because he was worried that Ste might get hurt. He was the one who had sent Angelina over here. Ste saw Angelinaing and shook her head. She said, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m fine. We just had a few words.¡± Angelina looked at Ste like she was an idiot. ¡°Everyone knows she doesn¡¯t like you. What did she say? Did she bully you?¡± ¡°No, really¡­¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ste. I still have something to do¡­¡± ¡°No, we agreed to go shopping together today.¡± Angelina took her arm. ¡°We only bought some evening dresses thest time. Let¡¯s go shopping again today! The rest of the cast will be there too.¡± Ste froze for a moment. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Ste shrugged indifferently. ¡°You can tell him. So what? Besides, we¡¯re never equal.¡± She felt it was funny. ¡°He can ruin my acting career at any time, but he can give me glory whenever he wants. Rather than worrying about what I¡¯m doing wrong, I might as well go with the flow. Maybe my attitude is exactly what he likes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Guinevere raised her hand, wanting to p her. Ste said, smiling, ¡°You can p me now, but I don¡¯t know what others will say when I walk out with this mark on my face. It¡¯ll be hard to exin to Weston if he sees it, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± She even threatened her using Weston¡¯s name? ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you.¡± Ste smiled nonchntly. Guinevere¡¯s face turned ashen. She covered her chest and took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t be toocent ! You can be arrogant, but so what? You¡¯re just a mistress!¡± ¡°¡®I don¡¯t care about that. Besides, I don¡¯t n to stay with Weston that long¡­¡± Ste seemed troubled. ¡°If you can get Weston out of my life, I¡¯ll even thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Guinevere roared in anger. Ste looked at her cold and sullen face and felt happy for a moment. Then, she felt sad for her. As she turned to leave, she heard Guinevere call after her. ¡°Do you know what happened to Belle?¡± ¡°That woman from Lowe Garden?¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. ¡°You actually knew? I guess Weston does tell you everything¡­¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She seemed to have suddenly regained her confidence and sense of superiority. ¡°Although you¡¯re now acting in the same cast as me, you¡¯re just the same kind of person as Belle. I just need to say the word, and he¡¯ll treat you like Belle.¡± Ste¡¯s face gradually turned grim, but she said nothing. Guinevere was right. She was no different than Belle. Belle might willingly stay with Weston, while she herself was forced to stay with him. Ste knew she was walking on the edge. If she was not careful, she might end up worse than Belle. Moreover, Guinevere hated her so much. Ste¡¯s silence made Guinevere feel victorious. ¡°I just wanted to give you a word of advice. I know you¡¯re smart. A man like Weston is unlikely to have a happy ending with you. He just wants to try something new.¡± She walked up to Ste and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be too harsh, but E, I don¡¯t want you to be the next Ste. Do I have to remind you what happened to her?¡± After all, thest person who went against her was already dead. After Ste hade out of Guinevere¡¯s dressing room, Angelina immediately came over. ¡°E, how was it? Did she give you a hard time¡­¡± Her meeting with Guinevere had been brought to Bradley¡¯s attention. He hade to ask her about it because he was worried that Ste might get hurt. He was the one who had sent Angelina over here. Ste saw Angelinaing and shook her head. She said, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m fine. We just had a few words.¡± Angelina looked at Ste like she was an idiot. ¡°Everyone knows she doesn¡¯t like you. What did she say? Did she bully you?¡± ¡°No, really¡­¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ste. I still have something to do¡­¡± ¡°No, we agreed to go shopping together today.¡± Angelina took her arm. ¡°We only bought some evening dresses thest time. Let¡¯s go shopping again today! The rest of the cast will be there too.¡± Ste froze for a moment. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Chapter 605 ¡°But I did tell you. I even texted you about it. Have you checked your phely?¡± Ste shook her head in confusion and rubbed her brow.¡± I¡¯m sorry. I really have something to do¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Angelina let go of her in slight disappointment.¡± If you really have something to do, you¡¯d better go back first.¡± Ste¡¯s heart softened at Angelina¡¯s disappointed look.¡± Okay. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Angelina immediately smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± After arriving at the mall, Ste realized that most of the young actresses in the cast were there. They came to a newly built and fully functional mall. Many had gone to the cinema. The crew was filming next to this mall, so people usually came over to rx. They did not worry about being recognized by others while shopping at night. This mall was known to be the ce where some celebrities woulde to shop. Many fans would come here to meet their favorite star on purpose. Therefore, the security of the mall was great too. Angelina wore a mask and said, ¡°Actually, no one will recognize me. I don¡¯t know why I have to be fully covered.¡± Ste nced at the other actresses that were also wearing hats and sunsses. She said, ¡°It¡¯s better to wear them if everyone else is wearing them too. Better be safe than sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Angelina nodded. The crew had split into small groups. Those who were close grouped and shopped together. After shopping for a while , Angelina suddenly put her hand on her stomach and said, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not feeling well. You can go to the store first. I¡¯lle backter¡­¡± Ste helped her carry her bag and watched her go to the bathroom. Then, she went shopping in a random store by herself. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After she had agreed to go shopping with Angelina , she had told Weston she would bete tonight. Weston did not say anything about that. He told her that the driver would wait for her at the same ce. Ste was not used to Weston¡¯s sudden change in attitude. He was suddenly so easy to talk to and nice to her. However, she did not think much about it. She still had her ck card lying in her bag. Weston might be unhappy if the card remained untouched. Ste thought about it and decided that this was a good opportunity to use his card. Anyway, she just had to let Weston know she was not intentionally separating things between them. If he wanted her to act like it, she would do it. Ste went into a random clothing store. She had not heard of the niche brand before. When she went in, she saw two staff at the front desk ying with their phones with their heads down. The cashier¡¯s side was empty too. No one was around. There was no sales assistant around either. It seemed like the store did not have a good business. She was happy that the store was quiet, so she just browsed around the store. She would feel ufortable with an overly enthusiastic saledy around her. Ste found a simple trench coat with an elegant cut in camel color. It seemed to suit her style. The fabric was textured, but it did not look particrly luxurious. She had her eyes on it at first nce and asked the staff to help her get a suitable size to try on. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Before she could finish speaking, a sudden noise came from behind her. She turned back and saw Guinevere walking in with several other people. Some actresses from the cast surrounded her and followed her around. They were usually on good terms, so they ttered her and asked, ¡° Ms. Cohen, do you like this brand too?¡± Guinevere saw Ste when she came in. She only nced at her once, then ignored her. She replied faintly, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a very niche brand. I don¡¯t like to wear the same clothes as others.¡± Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter 606 The actress next to her immediately said, ¡°Of course! Ms. Cohen, you have great taste!¡± ¡°Yeah. Who doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re the benchmark for thetest fashion? Many tried to imitate your style, but they can¡¯t do it well!¡± The staff who looked bored earlier all looked this way. They knew Guinevere was a big shot at first nce, so they hastened to service her with a good attitude. ¡°Hello, beautifuldies. How can I help?¡± Ste finally realized that these people were just judging a book by its cover. They would not treat everyone coldly. She curled the corner of her mouth in a sarcastic smile. After realizing that, she put down the long trench coat in her hand. When she was about to turn to leave, she heard Guinevere say something behind her. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s someone over there buying clothes too.¡± Guinevere sounded like she was reminding the saledy about her. The salespeople had already noticed Ste when she came in. They did not pay attention to her because she was just looking around. They were in a hurry to close a big sale now, so they had no time to serve Ste. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The saledy said impatiently, ¡°I know ¡­ Does she want to try on the coat? She¡¯d better check the tag price before deciding whether to try¡­¡± Her tone seemed neutral, but what she said was rude. She was close to calling Ste broke and unable to afford the coat. Ste¡¯s expression tensed a little. Then, she frowned. She did not check the tag price earlier, and there was no need to check anymore. Many luxury stores would evaluate their customer¡¯s spending power, but they would not directly judge them this way. It was humiliating to the customers. Besides¡­ Ste nced at Guinevere. Guinevere happened to be looking at her too. Ste smiled and nced casually at the price tag on the trench coat¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the tag price¡­ I¡¯ll try this.¡± Her original n was to buy an item and use the card. She did not want more trouble. Since Guinevere insisted on annoying her, she should take the chance to make her upset too. The saledy was stunned to hear her quick answer and felt like she might have offended someone important.¡± Okay, I¡¯ll get my colleague to help you¡­¡± The other saledy was good at reading the room too. After all, they were in the service industry. It was impossible to really ignore Ste in the shop. Seeing that she might buy the coat, another saledy hurried to her and served her with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for earlier. I¡¯ll get your size now. May I know your usual size? Do you like it loose or fitting¡­¡± Ste did not mind her earlier attitude and casually quoted a size. Then, the saledy turned around and went to the storage room. Ste nced at Guinevere and went straight into the fitting room. Guinevere refused to give up and picked out a dress too. She suddenly stopped before she entered the fitting room. Then, she looked at the saledy and whispered something in her ear. The saledy¡¯s face changed at once. Meanwhile, in the fitting room. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Ste removed her jacket, then took the trench coat and a matching white shirt from the saledy. She wore a turtleneck sweater inside, but it did not match the coat well. Therefore, the saledy got her a matching shirt to try on. However, she did not expect the size of the shirt to be a little smaller. It fit well except around her chest, which felt a little tight. Ste nced down and pursed her lips. She had been wearing this size, but this time¡­ it seemed like she had grown a little. She wondered if it was because of Weston. She could not button the part on her chest because it was a bit tight. She wanted to ask the saledy to get another size for her. Then, there was a sudden knock on the door. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am! Are you done?¡± Ste frowned. After a short moment, she said, ¡°The white shirt is a bit small. Can you get me a bigger size?¡± When the saledy heard that, she recalled Guinevere¡¯s reminder earlier. Her expression turned ugly, and she barged into the fitting room directly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no bigger size. You can try at another store!¡± Earlier , she had thought Ste could afford the clothes here. She did not expect her to be the kind of person who would take photos in the fitting room and get the imitation product online! If thedy hadn¡¯t told her that Ste had done this in several stores, she would have served her well. Ste did not expect such a sudden change in her attitude. She said with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m still changing. Can you go out first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t have your size! Please try at another store!¡± The saledy insisted and repeated herself. Then, she reached out to grab the long trench coat from her and even tried to remove her white shirt. Ste avoided her hand in annoyance. ¡°Is this your store¡¯s service attitude ? Can you touch the customer¡¯s body as you like?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The saledy was already impatient enough and wanted to serve Guinevere only. When she heard Ste¡¯s question, she red at her and said in disdain, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss! I hope you understand your position! We¡¯re a high-end shop! We only serve those who can afford the clothes here! You¡¯re not in our customer group!¡± She was no longer implying her dislike for Ste. She was mocking her directly and looking down on her. It was as if she owned the store. Ste was not someone who liked to have a head-on conflict with others. Even so, she understood others would only take advantage of her if she continued to endure the mistreatment. She did not bother looking at this person in front of her and walked to another saledy. ¡°What¡¯s your comint number here?¡± Her tone was so cold that even the group of actresses waiting outside looked over. They all recognized her, but none stepped forward to help. They were clever. After working with the cast for so long, they could tell that Guinevere disliked Ste. They were kind enough not to join in on hurting her. When the saledy heard that Ste wanted toin about the service, she faltered and did not tell her the phone number. She said vaguely, ¡°It¡¯s no useining to us¡­ Besides, our service has been good. You¡¯re just not the right customer group we aim to serve Let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time.¡± This saledy was not as arrogant as the other saledy before, but she was the same kind of person. Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t tell me theint number?¡± This saledy still had some concerns. She did not want to receive anyints . When she saw the saledy earliere out of the fitting room, she hurriedly cast her nce for help Guinevere had already exposed her as someone who would only try and not buy genuine goods. Instead, she would buy imitation clothes online. Why was she so stubborn and even wanted to comin about them! Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Seeing that things were not going to end well, the saledy earlier eased her tone. ¡°Miss, you may have misunderstood. We didn¡¯t mean anything. Didn¡¯t you say the shirt is a little small? Our clothes are all custom sizes. Besides, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re buying it. If you continue trying but in the ende up with reasons to not buy, wouldn¡¯t it waste both our time?¡± The only thing she didn¡¯t say out loud was that she felt Ste was the kind of person who would try all sorts of clothes but not buy them. Ste frowned and pointed to the coat behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll just take the long trench coat in camel color. Wrap it up.¡± The air froze after she had finished her sentence. The saledies did not move and exchanged nces. Ste looked at the two saledies in front of her. ¡°Is it hard to understand what I said?¡± At the same time, someone pushed open the door of another fitting room. Guinevere came out of the fitting room and said, ¡°Since she wants it, why not let her buy She said, smiling, ¡°She¡¯s an actress with our crew. Maybe she¡¯s financially capable ¡­ It¡¯s just five- figure clothes. She might be able to afford it.¡± She looked like she was trying to help Ste, but she was trying to intimidate her with the price. Ste turned around and nced at her. Her lips twitched a little. Before she said more, another saledy hurriedly said,¡± Sorry, miss. We really don¡¯t have a sizerger here. Our store is a store for high-end and custom-made goods. We only have one piece of each. You should reconsider.¡± ¡°I said, wrap it up.¡± Ste cut her off and took out a card from her bag. She put the card on the counter. ¡°Also, give me yourint number.¡± Guinevere was just watching the show at first, but she began to change her mind after seeing Ste¡¯s card. Her expression turned ugly. Everyone else in the store also shut up and stared at the card Ste had just taken out. Many people present were quite knowledgeable. The actresses in the crew and the staff in the luxury store naturally recognized the kind of credit card only rich people would use. A card like this had no upper limit. Those who used it were super wealthy. It was impossible to get this kind of card unless one was extremely rich. Among those in Ahn City, Guinevere¡¯s fiance was one of them with such a status. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. No one expected Ste¡¯s background to be so strong. She wasparable to Guinevere. Everyone gasped and knew they had offended her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. We¡¯ll wrap it up for you now! Is there any other style you like?¡± Their attitude changedpletely. Ste did not want to waste more time with them. She only told them to wrap the long trench coat. Guinevere¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly as she clenched her fists in anger. Everyone else recognized that the card was unusual, including her. Guinevere was sure that the card could only be Weston¡¯s. She had thought Weston was just treating E as a recement. She had known he might spoil her, but she had never thought he would give his supplementary card to her. She took a deep breath and red at Ste fiercely, wanting to tear her to pieces. Guinevere had never asked Weston for money. She felt she was different from those stupid women who were proud of their husband¡¯s wealth, so she had never asked for a single penny from him. She did not expect Weston to give Ste his supplementary card! The two saledies suddenly became very attentive and served her well. The way they looked at Ste had changed, and their arrogance earlier was gonepletely. Instead, they put on a more pleasing and ttering smile than when they had served Guinevere earlier. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Chapter 609 ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss. It was all just a misunderstanding . Do you need anything else? Do you need tea or any drinks?¡± Ste felt ufortable with the saledies¡¯ big change in attitude. She frowned and declined. ¡°No, thanks.¡± As expected, people would simply change because of influence and bend for power. Sometimes, life was just so absurd. ¡°Wrap this coat for me. Also, I need yourint number.¡± Ste insisted. The saledy looked embarrassed but did not dare to say anything. She just kept apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ We¡¯ll apologize sincerely!¡± These people simply ignored Guinevere and left her aside. The group of actresses also started whispering to each other. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say E got her resources because of the director? Why does it seem like it¡¯s not just the director¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a neer, but she got such a big role for a debut film. Maybe she¡¯s from a powerful family.¡± ¡°Yeah. If she were just an ordinary girl, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get close to the director at all.¡± ¡°Is it possible that E is ady from a rich family herself?¡± Those who had thought Ste had gotten her role from connections saw a trace of suspicion and fear rising in each other¡¯s eyes. What if Ste was really some wealthydy who hade to experience life? That meant they had offended her, right? Besides, they had never offered her any help either Guinevere clenched her teeth in anger. She could not allow these people to change their attitudes toward Ste so easily. She nced at the ck card with cold eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have this card.¡± Guinevere calmed down and chuckled. She leaned on the counter and took off her sunsses. ¡°I only know of a person who has this card in the entire Ahn City¡­ I happen to know him, so I¡¯m wondering¡­ Where did you get your card from?¡± The shop fell into a dead silence after Guinevere¡¯s words fell. No one spoke for a moment, and everyone looked at Guinevere in a daze. The saledy¡¯s expression kept changing. She seemed surprised to see Guinevere¡¯s face behind the sunsses ! They heard about a film crew that was filming nearby. They knew some celebrities woulde to the mall and shop. They might asionally meet them by chance, but they had never thought they would be so lucky to meet Guinevere in person! Everyone believed in her words because of her status. Earlier, Guinevere had imed that Ste looked around in other stores and only bought imitation goods online. Maybe the card was a fake too¡­ As the saledy thought of that, she returned to her senses and looked at Ste with strange eyes. She had panicked when she saw the card earlier. Once she had calmed down, she felt that something was strange. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was indeed rare to see such a card. Only a few people in Ahn City had them. Besides, the card was obviously specially made. Guinevere imed she knew someone who had the card. From the tone of her voice, it was obviously not the woman in front of her¡­ There was a good chance that E did not own the card. Therefore, the reason that she had the card became intriguing Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 The saledy¡¯s mouth twitched. She looked at her with doubts. However, after the lesson earlier, she did not act first but pushed the POS machine to Ste. ¡°In that case, please swipe the card first and enter the PIN!¡± Ste hesitated for a short moment. Then, she entered a series of numbers without changing her face. The POS machine beeped. ¡°Incorrect PIN.¡± Guinevere immediately smiled in relief. She rxed andforted herself. She was too worked up and had thought Weston had given the card to E. Maybe E had just taken the card without him knowing. She should not have doubted Weston. The saledy¡¯s face turned a little ugly seeing that. She fixed her eyes at Ste for a short while and said, ¡°Sorry, the PIN is incorrect.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. At first, they had only looked down on her because they had thought she would keep trying on clothes and buy fake imitations instead of genuine goods. However, after knowing that she had secretly taken someone else¡¯s card and the fact that the card might be fake ¡­ The nature of the two scenarios was very different. ¡°Miss, the PIN is wrong. Please try again.¡± Ste frowned and entered a chain of numbers again. However, it was still wrong. The saledy took a breath and looked at Ste with aplicated expression. ¡°If you enter the PIN wrong too many times, the bank might freeze the card¡­ Miss, are you sure this card is yours?¡± Ste seemed like she had not expected her to ask such a question. She looked up at her. ¡°This card is mine. What do you mean by your question?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything. If this is your card, you should know the PIN, right?¡± ¡°I forgot!¡± Ste frowned and looked at her impatiently.¡± Are you suspecting that this card is not mine?¡± She asked straightforwardly, so the saledy also stopped beating around the bush. The saledy was very confident because of Guinevere¡¯s ims, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m so sorry. The owner of the card has to swipe the card in person. If you¡¯re using someone else¡¯s card, you might not be able to make a purchase¡­¡± ¡°I said this card is mine!¡± Ste raised her voice in displeasure. ¡°Then why can¡¯t you get the PIN right?¡± ¡°I said I forgot!¡± Guinevere sneered beside her and walked to the cashier.¡± Wrap this up for me.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss.¡± The actresses around were watching Ste¡¯s misery. No one came forward to help her out. Ste frowned with an irritable and restless face. Her expression kept changing, so others thought she was a credit card thief. When Guinevere looked at her reaction, she was sure that she must have secretly taken the card from Weston. Unexpectedly, she heard Ste say in the next second,¡± Let me try again.¡± ¡°Miss, I advise you not to test your luck. You¡¯ve entered the wrong PIN twice¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ste quickly punched in the numbers. This time, the correct PIN prompt could be heard. The air in the store froze. Ste arched her brows. Her expression waspletely different from her restless look earlier. She looked at Guinevere provocatively. ¡°Ah, I think I got it right this time.¡± The smile on Guinevere¡¯s had not faded and went stiff. She seemed to have realized something and looked at Ste in disbelief. Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Whatever that had happened earlier was all just an act! E had deliberately acted like she was restless and anxious. She had made everyone think that she had stolen the card to mess with her! What annoyed her more was that Ste actually knew the password! Did Weston really give the card to her? How could that be? Guinevere clenched her fist and red at Ste intensely. Her eyes were bing bloodshot. Ste looked at the stunned saledy. She could tell how shocked she was by her expression. The saledy froze for a long moment and paled. Her palms were sweating. ¡°W-What¡­¡± Ste smiled. Then, her phone rang suddenly. She nced and saw it was Weston who had called. She hesitated for a second and immediately answered it. ¡°Did you forget the password?¡± Weston¡¯s deep voice came from the other end of the call. When Ste had entered the wrong password earlier, the bank had sent a text message notification to him. Ste twirled her long hair and said in a nonchnt manner, ¡°Yeah. I identally forgot.¡± Weston chuckled and walked to the balcony. ¡°How can you forget my birthday? Did you do it on purpose?¡± When he gave her the card , he had already told her the password. She would never forget his birthday. Therefore, Weston assumed Ste was just ying around on purpose. Her action was quite in line with her recent character Ste smiled and said casually, ¡°I got the password right in the end. If I had gotten it wrong a few more times, they¡¯d think this card was not mine¡­¡± When she said this, everyone present immediately knew she was speaking to the owner of the card. A thinyer of sweat covered the saledy¡¯s forehead. She held her breath and guessed it must be some influential and powertul man on the other end of the call. Ste said with a smile, ¡°They almost look me as a credit card thief carlier¡­¡± Weston put a hand in the pocket of his suit trousers. When he heard that, he frowned slightly. ¡°Are you in trouble? I¡¯ll send someone over now.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No need. It¡¯s been resolved.¡± Weston responded with a hum and looked at the time on his wristwatch. ¡°I have an urgent meeting. When will you be done? I¡¯ll go pick you up.¡± Ste refused faintly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just let the drivere over.¡± After she hung up, she nced at the saledy and said in a neutral tone, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No! No more! I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± The saledy flushed. She did not think Ste would get the password right and even speak to the card owner directly¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll wrap it up for you now!¡± As she said that, she hurriedly brought the long trench coat over. When she went to find the box, she identally bumped into Guinevere, but she could not be bothered. Guinevere paled when the saledy had bumped into her. She walked to Ste suddenly and questioned, ¡°Who were you speaking to?¡± Guinevere locked her eyes on Ste. There was a hint of resentment in her voice. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The other actresses from the same crew nced over. Then, they looked at each other in dismay. Earlier, Guinevere had said that only one person had that card. Everyone thought of Weston. However, how could E have anything to do with Weston? Even so, judging by Guinevere¡¯s reaction¡­ it was hard to tell. Ste smiled. She seemed entirely unaffected by Guinevere¡¯s anger. ¡°Who do you think it was?¡± Ste¡¯s knowing tone and the way she looked annoyed Guinevere. She grabbed her wrist in anger. ¡°Are you provoking me?¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°If I really wanted to provoke you, I would¡¯ve asked him to pick me up directly.¡± Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 The tension in the store rose. No one had expected things to escte this way. Guinevere sneered coldly. ¡°Well, you should ask him to pick you up. I¡¯m curious to see if the card owner is the man I know.¡± She knew Weston was the one who gave the card to Ste, but she had be irrational because of her raging fury. She could not break through the thin obstacle between her and Weston. She knew that if she confronted Weston, things would not end well. However, she could not stand looking at E¡¯s face. E¡¯s face was no different from Ste¡¯s, but their personalities werepletely different. She could not stand seeing E provoking her continuously with Ste¡¯s face. If she could, she wanted to rip her apart alive. She could not stand the idea of Weston seeing someone else as more important than her. All these years, she could not have Weston¡¯s love or favor. She could not believe that another woman could do it. Moreover , E was just an insignificant recement. Ste sat at the front desk and propped her chin. She said nothing and looked at the saledy who packed up her purchase respectfully and brought it to her. Then, she smiled and tapped her fingers quickly to send a text on the phone. ¡°Maybe I should tell him to pick me up. He said he¡¯s just finished his meeting, and the mall should be on the way ¡°You!¡± Guinevere widened her eyes in shock. ¡°How dare you!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡®How dare she text him! What would these people think of me if Weston dide to pick her upter?¡¯ Guinevere¡¯s current situation was like a spouse in denial after the mistress provoked her in person. Guinevere had always been prideful. She would never let something that hurt her image happen. ¡°Stop! I¡¯m telling you to stop!¡± She suddenly screamed and rushed to Ste to snatch her phone. ¡°Did you really text him?¡± Ste had expected her reaction and took a step back to avoid her. She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just looking at my credit limit. Why are you so worked up?¡± ¡°Then who did you text just now?¡± ¡°I was just typing. I didn¡¯t text anymore.¡± She smiled and showed her the phone screen in a quick shake. ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious.¡± Guinevere¡¯s reaction was within her expectations. She breathed a sigh of relief after learning that Ste did not text Weston. Then, she felt tricked and red at her angrily. ¡°You¡¯re ying me again!¡± Earlier, Ste had pretended to forget the PIN. At one point, she had thought E had stolen the card from Weston. Now, she had pretended to be calling Weston just to trick her! Guinevere knew what Ste was up to. Even so, she could not control her emotions. She was provoked and irritated. ¡°You¡¯d better wait and see. I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Ste did not say anything and looked like she did not care about her threat. However, her indifferent look only drove Guinevere crazier. She had lost control of her emotions. ¡°Excuse me, Miss¡­ This is your coat¡­¡± The saledy walked to Ste in fear and handed the shopping bag to her. Another saledy also wittily gave Ste the phone number she had requested repeatedly. ¡°This is our comint number¡­¡± They knew they could not avoid theint this time. If they continued to be stubborn , more problems might hit them. They stopped fighting with Ste and regretted listening to Guinevere! They had thought a big star like her was trustable. When they thought of that, the saledy nced at Guinevere with a hint of resentment. If she hadn¡¯t believed her words, this would not have happened. She had actually thought Ste was a vain and poor woman with little money, which had led to this fiasco. Even so, she did not dare to be too obvious. After all, they could not afford to mess with Guinevere either. Ste reached for her shopping bag and did notment much. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going.¡± After that, she bade goodbye to the group of actresses too. Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 The few people stood up at once. ¡°E, goodbye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°See you at work tomorrow!¡± They were good at adapting ording to situations. Their attitude to Ste suddenly changed after they knew she had an extraordinary status. Guinevere watched as Ste left the clothing store. Then, her face turned grim. She looked at the group of actresses that tried to tter her and hissed in an unpleasant tone, ¡°You guys seem to like E a lot.¡± ¡°No, no. We don¡¯t¡­¡± They could not afford to offend E, but they could not afford to offend Guinevere either. They felt stuck in a tight situation. It was a dilemma. They had to pick a side in such a situation. After all, staying neutral would lead to nothing. They were very distressed too. However, when they saw Guinevere¡¯s gritted teeth, one actress wondered, ¡°Who¡¯s E? How can she put Ms. Cohen in this situation¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Doesn¡¯t Ms. Cohen knew only one man who has that card? It¡¯s someone she knows too. So who is it?¡± ¡°Only her fianc¨¦ has such a rank, right? I can¡¯t think of anyone else¡­¡± ¡°So where did E get her card from? Could it be Ms. Cohen¡¯s fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say that! Ms. Cohen¡¯s fiance loves her so much. Why would he look for a mistress outside?¡± Guinevere obviously heard their discussion. She walked to them and warned coldly, ¡°Can¡¯t you stop gossiping?¡± The group shut up immediately. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Cohen. We didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Guinevere looked in the direction Ste had left with vicious eyes. ¡°This shameless double. One day, I will expose her true colors.¡¯ She was just lucky because Weston found her interesting. Besides, she had the same face as Ste. That was why Weston treated her nicely. She would not let her have her way! Ste saw Angelina wandering in the guest area after she came out of the store. When Angelina saw her, she stood up. ¡°Where were you? I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± Ste said, ¡°I was just shopping in the store.¡± Angelina walked to her and saw the shopping bag in her hand. Then, she nced behind her curiously. ¡°Why was Guinevere in there too?¡± ¡°I ran into her when I was shopping¡­¡± ¡°Did she make things difficult for you?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Nah.¡± Angelina breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I was so worried. I couldn¡¯t find you aftering out of the washroom. I thought you were lost¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Ste asked. Angelina was stunned for a moment. Then, she patted her head. ¡°Right! Why am I so dumb? I was in a hurry and panicked¡­ I didn¡¯t even think about calling you¡­¡± Ste¡¯s mood lightened a little seeing Angelina like this.¡° Sorry. I saw a long trench coat and bought it. What else do you want to buy? I¡¯ll shop with you.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Angelina took her arm and asked, ¡°What did you say to Guinevere in that store just now?¡± Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Ste smiled and shook her head without saying anything Angelina seemed to have understood her silence. ¡°Never mind¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about her. I feel a little hungry after going to the toilet¡­¡± Then, she smiled and held her. ¡°Shall we go eat something nice?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°How about some garlic noodles?¡± Ste said, ¡°I can¡¯t really eat heavy food. I¡¯ll just apany you but not eat, okay?¡± ¡°How can I eat that alone? Wouldn¡¯t it be strange for you to stare at me while I eat?¡± Angelina shook her head and said, ¡°Come on! Just try it! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it!¡± She took her to the food court next door and ordered two tes of garlic noodles from the owner. She ordered slightly spicy for Ste and medium spicy for herself. Angelina looked like she knew her way around. She probably came to this food court often. Ste frowned. ¡°It smells a little strong, and it¡¯s a little pungent¡­¡± ¡°Garlic noodles are like this. They smell bad but taste good!¡± Angelina was very enthusiastic and gave her a small portion. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Try it first! You don¡¯t have to eat it if you don¡¯t like it after trying.¡± Ste felt bad declining her after what she had said, so she gave it a try. Ste had been mildly anorexic since the loss of her baby. Weston had deliberately ordered Joan to take care of her diet. She was not allowed to eat anything unhealthy, particrly these street foods. Besides, she rarely had the time to eat out and try street foods. She did not really pay much attention to her diet. Ste had not thought she would like the food, but it was surprisingly good. Despite the pungent smell, it was really tasty, just like Angelina said. After she finished the small portion, Angelina winked at her. ¡°Am I right? Isn¡¯t it yummy?!¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not bad.¡± While eating, they wereughing and chatting about interesting things on the set. Ste had finished her food before she realized it. It had been a long while since she felt this good and satisfied to finish her food. She even craved for more. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Joan would be mad knowing that Ste ate more outside than her home-cooked food with good ingredients. Although Ste always praised Joan¡¯s cooking, she rarely ate a lot. However, she could finish arge portion of the unhealthy street food. Angelina saw Ste smiling andughed too. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Ste rubbed her face. ¡°I just feel like I haven¡¯t had this much fun eating in a long time¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating!¡± Angelina was easygoing and had a stress-free life. Besides, she came from a wealthy family. Her parents were open-minded and let her do whatever she wanted. Therefore, she could not understand why some people could not eat due to stress. For her, there was nothing more important than food. ¡°We can always eat out often in the future, but¡­¡± Angelina looked a little distressed. She put down her cutlery and said, ¡°I can¡¯t eat too much! The camera is very cruel! Recently, Mr. Lane said I might have gained a little weight.¡± ¡°You have to control your calorie intake,¡± Ste said.¡± You can satisfy your cravings asionally, but you need to eat nutritious food at all times.¡± Angelinaughed at her. ¡°Why are you talking like my mom? If I can¡¯t have all these, what would be the point of living¡­¡± She had finally had enough and ordered another biscuit.¡° I¡¯ll have to get back on the treadmillter¡­ or my face will be swollen tomorrow!¡± Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 ¡°It¡¯s because you love eating so much.¡± ¡°What do you know? Good food is the most important to me! It¡¯s worth the extra hours of cycling for this delicious meal!¡± Not all girls were always fighting. Sometimes, friendships between girls were also very pure. Ste feltfortable hanging out with Angelina. Before she knew it, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night. She nced at Weston¡¯s urging text. The driver was already waiting for her, so she had to say goodbye to Angelina. When Ste went home thest time, Angelina had noticed the car Weston drove when he picked her up. It was a worldwide limited edition Bugatti. When she looked it upter, it seemed Weston was the only one in Ahn City who owned the car. However, Weston was Guinevere¡¯s fianc¨¦. Angelina had not associated him with E yet. When she saw a ck RV picking Ste up today, she instinctively asked, ¡°By the way, remember the car that came to pick you upst time? Who was that?¡± Ste hesitated shortly and asked, ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No reason. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Angelina suddenly lowered her voice and looked around the road. When she saw that there was no one around, she mustered her courage to ask, ¡°Are you some kind of wealthydy who came to experience life on the set?¡± Angelina had heard some of the rumors about E. Since she was close to her on the set, she found some of the gossip outrageous However, some made her feel unsure For example, although this ck RV looked low profile, it was obviously not cheap. She had figured it might be as expensive as the car Guinevere often used to travel to the dou Could E tave a strong family background like Guinevere? Ste stronie her head ¡°You¡¯re everthinking. I¡¯m just.¡± She did not kusow how to exin or introduce herselt. Stse stuck in an awkward position to outsiders, she was a nxere Uurd party between Weston and Gulivere Even though she had once been married to Weston, Ste was already dead in the eyes of the world. E was the only one who existed in the world. Like what Guinevere had said, most would only think Weston kept her as a recement for Ste ¡°Anyway¡­ it¡¯s not like what you think.¡± ¡°I know! I know!¡± Angelina stopped asking more questions and looked understanding of her circumstances. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t reveal anything to the rest of the crew.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not¡­¡± Angelina seemed so sure, and Ste knew she had misunderstood. Ste could not exin and simply went with the flow.¡± Well, please keep the secret for me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°By the way, where¡¯s your house? Let me take you home.¡± Ste offered to give her a ride. Angelina felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my friend.¡± After saying that, Ste¡¯s eyes suddenly turned a little darker. If Angeline found out who she really was one day, would she still be friends with her? Just like what happened with Yvonne. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne knew Weston was the one who had forced E to stay with him. However, she could no longer be friends with her. Lucas would not let Yvonne get close to her. He thought she was the kind of woman who destroyed other¡¯s families. Perhaps, he feared she would be a bad influence on Yvonne. With Angelina¡¯s character, she was probably from a wealthy or strict family. Perhaps, her family would not let her associate with a woman like her either. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Angelina noticed that Ste¡¯s expression had somehow be a little sad. She wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she had already arrived at her house then. When she turned her head, she saw Ste was back to her usual self. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Angelina thought she had seen it wrongly earlier and shook her head to push the strange thoughts out of her mind. She said with a smile, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go back first. Be safe on the way home!¡± Then, the car moved again and drove away. The driver nced at Ste in the rearview mirror. ¡°Miss E, you seem happy today!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste looked at him reflexively and smiled.¡± You can tell.¡± ¡°There was a strong smell when you got in the car earlier. Did you go for supper?¡± The driver wanted to say she smelled bad, but he rephrased his sentence to something more subtle. Ste responded, ¡°I had some garlic noodles.¡± The driver continued to chat with her. ¡°Is it good? It smells pretty strong. I¡¯ve heard my daughter talk about it a lot, but it smells too strong, so I don¡¯t like it very much Ste suddenly looked at him curiously. ¡°Did Weston tell you to chat with me?¡± The driver shut up. After a short while, he said embarrassedly, ¡°Am I being too obvious?¡± Ste looked at him with a smile but said nothing. The driver exhaled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never received such an order before. Mr. Ford told me to pay attention to your mood and report to him if I noticed you had fun doing something The driver was quite honest. Ste shook her head and said nothing The driver added, ¡°Mr. Ford really cares about you.¡± He reckoned if a man was so concerned about the woman¡¯s emotions, he must love her a lot. The driver knew about Weston¡¯s affair with Guinevere , but it was normal for a man to have other lovers outside. Based on his observation, Weston had never treated Guinevere this way. He did not even bother to please Guinevere, who was a big star and also a household name. Instead, he loved Ste more. He felt like she should not be so ignorant of his feelings. Ste knew these people around her were speaking for Weston. After all, Weston was the one paying their sry. It was the same for Joan too. Joan might seem to have her back, but her employer was Weston. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She did not feel secure talking to them, so she did not say much. When Ste went back to the Stardust Mansion, Weston was still out. It was just Joan and her. She saw that Joan was still busy, so she ordered, ¡°Joan, go take a break first. If I need anything, I¡¯ll call you.¡± She had learned how to deal with them. She had stopped using a considerate tone but took on a more commanding one. As expected, Joan nodded and went to rest. She was left alone in the vi. Weston was not home yet, so Ste rxed a little. She took off her heels and threw them at the entryway. Then, she went to the bedroom. A gust of wind came when she opened the door. She smelled the smell of garlic noodles on her body and frowned. She nned to take a shower first. When Weston came back, he found no one in the living room. Joan had gone to rest, and Ste¡¯s shoes were lying around in the entryway. Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Weston called Ste¡¯s name once, but no one answered. He loosened his tie, took off his suit jacket, and casually left it in the entryway. When he walked to the master room, he heard the sound of watering from inside. His eyes turned to the bathroom. Then, he strode forward and walked toward the bedroom. He could see Ste¡¯s reflection on the ss door of the bathroom. She was undressing, unaware of his arrival. The man¡¯s hand was on the doorknob. He wanted to open the door and enter directly, but he suddenly stopped and looked straight at Ste¡¯s every move reflected on the ss door. As she bent over and raised her hand¡­ Weston¡¯s eyes deepened slowly. He gulped, and then let go of the doorknob. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Weston¡¯s raspy voice was low and hoarse. He saw the reflection on the ss door and froze for a moment. Then, Ste¡¯s voice came. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Weston heard her voice tremble slightly and curled his lips in a good mood. ¡°You sound nervous.¡± For some reason, he loved to see Ste panic or at a loss. He loved seeing her panicking because of him. Her cute frightened look made him want to squish her into a ball. Ste had wanted to rx, but Weston hade back suddenly. She was at a loss as to what to do next. When she noticed that Weston did not move and stood still, she awkwardly asked, ¡°Can you do me a favor? Weston had never left. Hearing her request, he said, ¡°Just tell me.¡± Ste squatted down and looked around in the bathroom. She realized she did not bring any clothes or a bathrobe in, so she said, ¡°Can you get me a set of pajamas?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She did not hear any answer from the man. After a long while, she heard deepughter. ¡°Sure. Which one?¡± Ste was so embarrassed that she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Despite that, she put on a calm face and said, ¡°Anything will do.¡± Weston could imagine Ste¡¯s cute frightened look through the ss door that separated them. Maybe her face was flushed red already, but she pretended nothing had happened and talked to him calmly. Weston stopped giving her a hard time and went to the closet to get her pajamas. When he took her pajamas, the phone he casually ced on the bedside table beeped. He took a nce and stopped. His men told him about Ste¡¯s experience at the clothing store in a detailed report. She had probably been mistreated and felt aggrieved. That exined why she said someone almost took her as a credit card thief when he called her earlier. The man always wore an impassive face, but this time, his eyes turned cold in anger. However, he said nothing and went to the bathroom instead. He stopped at the door and knocked. ¡°Ste? There was no sound nor answer from inside. Weston frowned and opened the door without thinking. The bathroom was full of hazy hot air. He saw Ste curled into a ball in a corner. Just as he was about to walk over, Ste turned around in a panic. She heard the door open and screamed, ¡°Why did you come in suddenly!¡± Weston saw the remaining foam on her body and paused. ¡°I called you earlier, but you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t hear it!¡± Ste frantically tried to cover herself with something. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me again?¡± She was not overreacting pretentiously. That was how she would react to anyone who barged in suddenly. Weston put a hand to his brow and sighed. ¡°Haven¡¯t I seen all of you already?¡± Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Ste did not say anything. She pushed him and yelled,¡± Get out first!¡± Although she was pushing him with all her strength, the push was like a tickle to Weston. She could not push him away. Instead, she almost slipped as she leaned back because of the slippery bathroom floor. ¡°Ah!¡± Weston caught her reflexively and quickly held her in his arms, which prevented her from falling to the tiled floor. ¡°Be careful,¡± Weston reminded. Ste finally steadied herself and stood on her feet. She leaned into Weston¡¯s arms, terrified. Even so, she still kept her hands in front to cover herself. Weston chuckled at her defensive look. ¡°Now that you look like this, does it still matter even if I see everything or not?¡± Ste remained silent and pursed her lips tightly. She looked like she would not let go of her hand no matter what he said. Weston then looked at her and observed her closely. Ste¡¯s hair was a mess. She had just untied it and draped it over her shoulders. It was a little wet and had not been washed. The heat in the bathroom rose and made the air between them a little hazy. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Weston directly picked Ste up in his arms. ¡°You¡¯re so clumsy.¡± ¡°I can shower by myself¡­¡± Ste knew he wanted to bathe her again. She refused and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Weston nced at her. ¡°What if you fall again?¡± ¡°I slipped because of you!¡± Weston gave her a faint nce. Ste sensed the danger in his eyes and shut her mouth immediately. She let him do all he wanted. Weston suddenly smelled something strange after he set the shower temperature. He turned to her. ¡°What¡¯s that smell on you?¡± Ste lowered her head and sniffed at her shoulder and armpit. She rubbed her nose and asked, ¡°Do I smell bad?¡± Weston frowned. Ste exined, ¡°I had garlic noodles today.¡± Weston was rendered speechless. He had wanted to help her to remove her inner shirt but froze at her reply. Ste could see the shock in his eyes and quietly snickered in her heart. She knew Weston was a clean freak and always avoided food that smelled strong, especially if it smelled terrible. He was picky and demanding about taste and would never tolerate the stench of street food. His demands for hygiene were strict and harsh. He could not stand even a speck of dust. Ste felt like a walking stink ball after she had finished the meal. Weston must be suffering from the smell on her at this time. She was pleased to see his suffering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem? If you don¡¯t want to do it, I¡¯ll bathe by myself¡­¡± With that, she kindly offered to bathe herself and reached for the showerhead in his hand. However, Weston grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her back into the tub. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Weston¡¯s expression was ugly, but he still did not let go. His hands did not stop and carefully cleaned every part of her body. He was so serious and treated bathing her like a big project. He paid the most attention to the hair because it smelled bad Ste was happy to be served, but Weston took it too seriously. She could not stand it anymore when he shampooed her for the third time. She protested, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°I have to wash you clean. Otherwise, you aren¡¯t allowed to go to bed.¡± Weston gave her a cold look and continued to wash her hair. Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Ste wanted to tease him, but she regretted it. ¡°Stop it. My scalp is turning white from being wet for so long¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Weston¡¯s hands were full of foam. ¡°Do you want to sleep in the study tonight?¡± Ste had wanted to tell him that she was fine with that. However, she quickly swallowed her words as she saw the cold glint in his eyes. She suddenly called out to him, ¡°Weston.¡± Weston did not respond. ¡°¡­ Weston?¡± Ste hesitated a little and stared at Weston¡¯s serious side profile. Then, she reached out and flicked the water to his face. ¡°Ugh.¡± Weston frowned when the water hit him. He gave her a deep look with a little warning. Even so, Ste knew he was not angry. She looked at him with a smile. ¡°Weston?¡± When he did not respond, she kept calling him. Weston knew she wanted to y and simply ignored her. He focused on bathing her and vowed to wash the smell off her. Ste had never seen Weston so headstrong and focused on doing something. She was determined to mess with him. Therefore, she changed her tone and called him softly, ¡°¡­ Weston?¡± It seemed like her real mischievous nature was revealing. It was her nature before her parents had died and before reality and hard life had suffocated her. Weston¡¯s hands stopped for a moment. He looked at her darkly and warned, ¡°Stay still.¡± Ste smiled and was a little more obedient this time, but only on the surface. She looked at his serious look as well as side profile and suddenly felt yful. She stretched out her arms, as if unintentional, and she sshed all the water in the bathtub on him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I got your clothes wet¡­¡± Seeing that he did not move, Ste reached out and diligently wiped the wet spot. However, she only made him wetter. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll clean it for you now¡­¡± Weston¡¯s face grew dark, just like the dark spot on his suit pants. He looked at her with deep eyes. He knew she was ying little tricks with him, but he did not stop her from pranking him. Ste noticed the change in his expressions and sensed danger, so she stopped before things got worse. ¡°Keep going.¡± Weston said, ¡°Why did you stop?¡± He looked at her with the bath ball in his hand and did not move. Ste rubbed her nose. ¡°I really did it by ident¡­¡± She squatted down slowly and tried to hide her face under the water. Weston frowned and grabbed her. ¡°Idiot. It¡¯s all bubbles. It¡¯s dirty.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste went with the flow and leaned against the bathtub. Then, she suddenly lifted her foot and sshed Weston with the water. Sheughed, and her face turned a little red. Weston looked at her steadily, his hair dripping with water. He was wearing only a white shirt with the bottom tucked into his suit pants. It was his usual look, the typical look of an elite president. His white shirt was soaked through the waters, revealing his curves through the wet fabric. A drop of water slowly trailed down his perfectly-lined jaws and dripped into his corbone. He was good-looking and the perfect work of God. Ste felt a little ufortable from his intent gaze. She vaguely felt like she had identally overdone it and hurriedly put her foot down. However, she was toote. She wanted to move, but Weston grabbed her ankle directly and pressed her foot hard against the part of him that she dared not to look straight at Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Ste curled her toes and flushed red. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± She moved her ankle, only to sense that the thing under her foot was bing hotter. She held the edge of the tub with both hands and wanted to jump up. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯ll stop¡­¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a littlete to say that now?¡± Weston looked at her with a half-smile. He pressed her leg down with a stronger force and let her feel it more vividly. Ste took a deep breath and stammered as she scolded him, ¡°Y-You b*stard! Don¡¯t be a rascal¡­¡± Weston nced up slightly and gave her a look. His face was still calm andposed, but it was completely different from the raging storm inside. The part Ste was stepping on did not look ferocious at all, but it was clearly strong and awakened. ¡°Who¡¯s the one who kept teasing me? I thought this was what you wanted.¡± His voice was a little low and husky. ¡°Y-You¡¯re full of nonsense¡­¡± Ste was still trying to defend herself stubbornly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who comined about my stench first. I told you to stop bathing me, but you didn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s all your fault¡­¡± Ste became braver and dared to show some temper in front of him. Weston rubbed his brows and looked at her in amusement. ¡°Okay, fine. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll clean you up first.¡± Then, he reached out to her hair again. Ste disliked the way he was so disgusted by her smell. She quickly shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m already clean! Believe me! There¡¯s no smell at all¡­¡± The water on the end of her hair sshed everywhere as she shook her head. Weston tilted his head behind slightly, as if he was avoiding the water from her hair. Ste pouted and looked at him with a grimace. She asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m dirty?¡± Weston raised his knuckle to his brow. He helplessly grabbed a towel for her and said, ¡°Dry yourself.¡± Ste was rendered speechless and looked at him with a hint of resentment. Weston suddenly chuckled and pinched her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold. Hurry up.¡± He could tolerate Ste¡¯s temper. He would rather have her angry orining at him as long as she remained responsive to him. He could tell that Ste might be acting. However, it did not matter anymore. Even if it was her borate plot, he was already deep in it. Ste reluctantly went to get dressed, only to find that the pajamas Weston had brought earlier were wet after the sshing. She picked up the pajamas in speechlessness and shook them in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Weston reached out and pinched her nose. ¡°Who was the one ying in the shower earlier?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me anyway,¡± Ste said stubbornly. Weston gave her a faint look. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you some clothes. Dry yourself before you catch a cold,¡± he reminded her. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ste pouted. ¡°Am I so weak? Why are you so worried about me catching a cold¡­¡± ¡°You should know your health the best.¡± Weston nced at her lightly. Ste felt a little guilty and stopped talking. After he went out, she quickly stood up and covered herself in a towel. She wanted to go out to change and let Weston make a trip for nothing. She did not expect to see Weston as soon as she got up. She looked at Weston in shock. Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 ¡°Why are you so quick?¡± Weston threw the clothes on her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to get you clothes? Put them on.¡± ¡°You should go out first¡­¡± Ste took the pajamas off her head. ¡°Get out.¡± After that, she noticed the change of emotions on the man¡¯s impassive face. ¡°I thought you wanted me to bring you clothes and help you wear them?¡± Weston teased. ¡°I did not! I didn¡¯t say that!¡± Weston curled his lips and strode in to close the bathroom door. His intention was clear. Ste took a few steps back with her pajamas in her arms. She kept retreating until there was nowhere to go. Then, Weston pressed her against the cold wall. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s enough? I¡¯m going to get dressed¡­¡± She pushed him with some difficulty. Weston¡¯s breath lingered on the top of her head. ¡°Calm down.¡± His voice suddenly turned deep. Weston suddenly reached out to her and picked her up. He pressed her against the wall and cushioned the back of her head with his big hands. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her passionately. ¡°Woo¡­ Umph¡­¡± Ste whimpered, but her voice was swallowed in their kiss. Her whimpers soon turned into low murmurs and moans. The water in the bathroom was both hot and cold. Weston had always been unrestrained in his intimacy with her. He might¡¯ve continued with his mad folly if it were not for Ste¡¯s body. Fortunately , Ste remembered to take medicine when she returned, but since it had taken effect, she felt listless, though it wasn¡¯t too unbearable. However, in the end, she was so exhausted that she barely had any strength to move. Weston noticed something was wrong with her, but he knew she would never tell even if he asked. Thus, he only used more strength, nted a gentle kiss on her forehead, and held her even harder. Only when he held her in his arms could he truly feel that she was by his side. In a daze, Ste felt Weston¡¯s hand on her belly at the peak of their intimacy. Although he was relentless and exerted brutal strength before this, he became very gentle when he reached that fragile ce. She was so tired at that time that she could not think much. Weston looked at her belly, seeming like he was seriously considering nting a tiny new life there. Ste always thought Weston¡¯s suggestion of having another child was a joke. However, his expression seemed to say otherwise. He did not seem like he was joking but seriously thinking about it. It was a silent night. Ste was fast asleep, but Weston never closed his eyes. He lit a cigarette but quickly put it out after some thought. Just as he expected, Ste did not sleep well. When it was almost morning, she suddenly frowned and mumbled something in her sleep. Maybe she never noticed it herself, but she always had horrible nightmares about the lost child or her begging the old rtives not to kick her out. Between the two, though, she mumbled about her lostContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. child the most. Weston held her in his arms,forting her softly. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m right here.¡± Sometimeter, Ste finally calmed down and fell asleep. Weston sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her with a dark, inscrutable gaze as he ced his hand on her belly. It was just about having another child. As long as he wanted it, there had to be a way. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Ste slept soundly that night, perhaps from the effects of the medicine. Recently, however, she seemed gued by more and more fatigue each time she woke up. Perhaps she¡¯d been taking too much medicely, or perhaps it was Weston¡¯s insatiable appetite. The next morning, Ste heard a baby cry before she woke up. It startled her, and she thought she was still in a dream. After a while, the baby¡¯s crying became extremely clear, as if it wasing from the living room. Quickly, she lifted the covers and ran out of the bedroom without her slippers. She rushed to the living room and shouted, ¡°Baby!¡± Then, she saw Weston standing there with a baby in his arms. When he heard her running, he looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Ste thought she was still dreaming. She froze at the door, unable to stop staring at the baby in his arms. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Weston paused a little and introduced the child. ¡°This is Zachary. Come and meet him.¡± Ste jerked her head up and put her hand on the door frame, looking at him in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you like kids?¡± Ste fell silent and almost dug her nails into the cracks of the door. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± she asked, her nails screeching noisily on the door, She liked children, but only her own child, the child who was gone before she could meet him. Her feelings were not for charity, and there was simply no reason why she should like Guinevere¡¯s child. Weston had Zachary picked up yesterday. The butler from the Ford mansion did not know about Weston¡¯s property here. They only knew Weston took Zachary with him, but they did not know where it was. Of course, it was not Weston who looked after the baby. Joan was the one who cared for him all night. Zachary, however, cried nonstop this morning, and Weston hade to pacify him. He did not think it would wake Ste up. He believed that Ste would be happy to see the baby, so her reaction took him by surprise. With the baby in his arm, Weston walked over to her.¡± You don¡¯t like him?¡± Ste could see the baby¡¯s crying face as he approached her. She closed her eyes and turned her head away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. That¡¯s the child you had with Guinevere. He has nothing to do with me¡­¡± ¡°Last night, you said you wanted children.¡± ¡°I never said that!¡± Ste growled, annoyed. Weston paused a little. Zachary, his face flushed red, refused to stop crying. Weston turned to Joan, ¡°Take care of him.¡± ¡°Okay, sir.¡± Joan hurried forward and took Zachary away from him. She gently patted her back and coaxed, ¡°Good boy. Let¡¯s get us some milk, shall we?¡± As the cries of the child faded, Ste breathed a sigh of relief and slumped weakly against the door frame. After noticing how pale she¡¯d be, Weston strode forward and picked her up in his arms. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ste said nothing. She leaned on his shoulder and looked at him as he put her on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s still early. If you¡¯re not feeling well, you should rest,¡± Weston said. Ste shook her head and looked at him intently. ¡°Why did you bring Zachary over?¡± ¡°You were mumbling in your sleep about wanting a baby.¡± Weston reached out and tucked her messy hair behind her ear. Ste sneered suddenly, not knowing whether to cry orugh. ¡°Is that why you brought Zachary here? Are you asking me to treat him as my own child? Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Ste found him unbelievable and unbearable. What was he even thinking? Why would he insult her like this? ¡°Do you know how painful it is for me to lose my baby? If it wasn¡¯t for you and Guinevere, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my baby!¡± All of a sudden, she screamed hysterically, pulled the pillow behind her, and mmed it hard into Weston.¡° You b*stard!¡± Weston remained still, allowing her to vent her frustrations on him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste relentlessly poured her frustrations until she was a little tired. Then, she reached out and tidied her messy hair. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see him, he¡¯ll never appear in front of you again,¡± he promised her. Ste suddenly looked at Weston with hollow eyes. ¡°Must you make me into that person?¡± Weston pursed his lips tightly and remained silent. ¡°Do you have to turn into someone who hates even children?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were nk and out of focus. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my inind that I¡¯ll stay with you for this year. Why must you torture me like this?¡± She thought that they¡¯de to a mutual agreementst night, and she was going to treat him with the same attitude until the one-year contract expired. She could embrace Weston with the help of medication, but why did he have to do this to her? Why did he have to open her wounds over and over again? The child was a pain she could never forget. Weston actually had the nerve to bring the child he had with Guinevere, and even asked if she liked the baby¡­ How could she like the baby? She hated them! She hated all of them for taking everything away from her. Meanwhile, in the living room. Zachary wailed and bawled the entire time. Joan thought he was hungry and made some milk for him, but he threw up all of it after two sips. Zachary¡¯s crying, however, just simply wouldn¡¯t stop. Joan had experience with children, but every child was different. It had been years since she hadst taken care of a child, and she panicked for a moment and was anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, little master. Are you hungry?¡± It was not like he was hungry either¡­ What was wrong? Could it be the diapers? But she had just changed his diapers! What could the problem be? Joan was afraid if the baby kept crying, something would happen to it. She hurried to the bedroom and knocked on the door. ¡°Sir, Ms. Steele? The baby won¡¯t stop crying. What should I do?¡± Ste had calmed down a lot. When she heard Joan¡¯s request for help, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°You should go to your son first. I¡¯ll lie down for a while.¡± ¡°Have a good rest,¡± Weston said. He stood up and tucked her in. He looked at her eyes quietly and suddenly leaned over to kiss her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anything about you and Guinevere,¡± Ste said as she closed her eyes. After a while, Weston responded with a single word. ¡°Okay.¡± She listened to his footsteps leaving and finally fluttered her eyshes and opened her eyes. However, the scene of her meeting Zachary wouldn¡¯t stop ying in her mind. She had actually met him once in the crew before, and at that time, she had mixed emotions and did not give him a good look. When she saw Weston standing in the living room with the baby in his arms, their harmonious appearance made them look very much like a father and son. No, they were, in fact, father and son. Ste covered her eyes with her hand as she let out a cynical chuckle. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 All things aside , Zachary did indeed resemble Weston a lot. The men in the Ford family all had the same delicate eye and eyebrows. Ste couldn¡¯t help but think of her own child¡­ If her child could be born, would he resemble Weston too? He would probably look a lot like Zachary if it was a boy. If it was a girl, maybe she would look more like herself. However, Ste would never know. After all, her child would never be born. It was dead from the day Weston abandoned her. His child with Guinevere would be the star in everyone¡¯s eyes and loved by them. But what about her child? Her child did not have a good life and died prematurely before it even came into this world. As for her, she had experienced a lot of setbacks herself, trying to keep the child. At first, Weston asked her to get an abortion. The more Ste thought about it, the more ufortable she felt. She felt suffocated. Right. She was the only one who looked forward to having a child. For Weston, perhaps, things would be better without it. Ste suddenly found herself at a dead end. The awful sensation suffocated her. The same despair that once drowned her engulfed her once again. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Lost, she had no idea what to do. All she could do was curl into a ball. Back in the living room. Joan paced back and forth anxiously, unsure of what she should do next. She saw hope when Weston finally came out. ¡°Sir, what should I do? The baby won¡¯t stop crying!¡± Weston nced at Zachary. Joan thought the kid wanted to hug him, so she handed Zachary to him. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not used to the people here. If he continues to cry like this, won¡¯t it be bad for the child?¡± Weston said nothing and looked at the baby in his arms. After a short moment, he told Joan, ¡°Contact the butler and send him back to the Ford mansion.¡± ¡°Ford mansion?¡± Joan was startled. ¡°Isn¡¯t he staying here for a while?¡± When she saw all the bags in the car earlier, she thought Weston was nning to keep the child for a while and improve their rtionship. She had also believed that Weston would get E acquainted with Zachary. Hence, she couldn¡¯t understand the thinking of these wealthy folk. Why would he let his mistress care for his spouse¡¯s child? However, looking at Weston¡¯s attitude, E had probably rejected him. When she thought about it again, it only made more sense. Weston¡¯s family owned arge business, and they could take good care of Zachary with just a nanny. Besides, Zachary¡¯s mother was a big star. It was not their turn to worry. ¡°Okay, sir. I¡¯ll contact the butler now.¡± ¡°Waaa! Waa-Waaaaa!¡± Unable to understand what was going on, Zachary¡¯s tiny face was full of snot and tears. Joan, a mother herself, found the baby¡¯s cry a little unbearable. ¡°He can¡¯t just keep crying like this¡­ It breaks my heart¡­¡± Weston seemed like he finally understood something. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you sensitive to a baby¡¯s cry?¡± Joan paused for a moment and then shook her head helplessly. ¡°Sir, all mothers are the same. They can¡¯t bear to hear their child cry. It is a mother¡¯s instinct¡­¡± Weston¡¯s mouth was set into a tight line after hearing that. Ste stayed in bed for a long time. After some time, she suddenly felt a weight beside her sinking into the sheets Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Weston sat beside her and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten someone to send Zachary back.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ste answered, her voice somewhat muffled. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Get yourself something to eat?¡± Weston¡¯s indifferent tone made it sound like sending Zachary away was just a trivial matter. Ste suddenly pulled the covers down and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Weston, for someone like you, is a child a mere tool and heir for its family?¡± Believing that Weston loved Guinevere very much, she never expected that he would cheat on Guinevere by staying with her without Guinevere¡¯s knowledge. She thought Weston valued his child with Guinevere, but from how they interacted, it seemed he didn¡¯t really care about the child. In fact, he seemed a little unfamiliar with the way he hugged the baby. Weston frowned. ¡°What kind of answer do you want from me?¡± ¡°I just want to hear the truth.¡± ¡°The truth is, he¡¯s not my child.¡± Weston suddenly stood up and looked at her. ¡°So I don¡¯t understand that feeling.¡± Weston had told her that many times, but Ste never took it seriously. She looked at the man¡¯s eyes in silence. There was nothing but calmness inside. Ste suddenlyughed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re a really bad liar.¡± Apparently, he was attempting to so tantly and casually deceive her. Weston knew Ste wouldn¡¯t believe a single thing he said. Thus, he stroked her hair and urged, ¡°Get up and eat something. You have a bad stomach. You have to eat breakfast.¡± Ste paused for a while before nodding. ¡°You go out first. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Weston did not say anything. He got up and went out, giving her some time alone. Ste quickly rposed herself. When she walked out of the room, she seemed normal again. Suddenly, she felt that her acting had improved. Noticing the strange behavior, Joan became a little cautious around her. ¡°Miss E, you¡¯re up? What would you like for breakfast?¡± She knew the child earlier was not Ste¡¯s child and that the tension between Ste and Weston was rising. Fearing she might say something wrong, she decided to be extra careful. Ste behaved like usual and acted as though the earlier incident had never happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the usual.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± Joan was about to leave when Ste recalled something and asked, ¡°By the way, Joan, can you make garlic noodles?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joan stopped in her tracks and thought she had misheard Ste. ¡°My colleague took me to eat garlic noodles yesterday. I think it¡¯s pretty good,¡± Ste exined. ¡°Um¡­¡± Joan knew how to cook it, but Weston had given her special instructions to pay attention to E¡¯s diet. She had to help improve her appetite but also ensure the meal didn¡¯tck nutrition. It was okay to eat garlic noodles, but it was not a nutritious meal. Joan felt troubled and turned to Weston for help. Weston remained expressionless. He poured a ss of milk for Ste and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have it yesterday?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ste mixed the sd beside him. ¡°I had it yesterday, but can¡¯t I eat it again today? Besides, it¡¯s quite tasty. I haven¡¯t eaten so much in a long time¡­¡± Hearing this, Weston put down the toast in his hand and nced at her. ¡°With your current condition, you shouldn¡¯t be so willful when ites to food.¡± ¡°How am I willful?¡± Ste lost her appetite immediately. Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Joan hurriedly calmed them down. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can make it less pungent. It¡¯s okay to eat a little.¡± Weston and Ste just had an unpleasant altercation over Zachary¡¯s matter. He wanted to avoid another conflict with her if he could. ¡°Only once a week,¡± he conceded. Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Although Ste was a bit dissatisfied , she knew that he could outright forbid her from eating those things if she kept arguing. So, after much contemtion, she decided to negotiate.¡± Last night¡¯s meal doesn¡¯t count. Let¡¯s count from now. Once a week?¡± Weston stared at her in silence, his eyes seemed to be telling her it was up to her to decide. ¡°I will take it as a yes if you won¡¯t speak,¡± Ste continued R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The man rubbed his brows helplessly. ¡°I won¡¯t take care of you when your stomach aches.¡± Although Weston said that, he knew that it would be impossible for him to ignore her when she was sick. Joan, who was nearby, let out a sigh of relief. She thought that they would quarrel because of Zachary, but nothing seemed to happen. At the same time, it confused her somehow. Didn¡¯t Ms. E have feelings for Mr. Ford, even for a bit? She didn¡¯t seem jealous at all. This was Weston¡¯s son from another woman! ¡­or was it that the rich were all like this? Joan shook her head. The world of the affluent was simply tooplicated. They had a peaceful breakfast together. Then, Weston answered a call. Ste looked at him from his back as she wiped her mouth. After a while, he walked to her. ¡°Did you meet someone yesterday?¡± She smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a littlete to be asking now?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I bumped into Guinevere in the fashion boutique yesterday. She seemed to know about us already. ¡°Did she give you a hard time?¡± Although Weston had learned about the incident, he still wanted to hear it from her. ¡°Of course she did. Look at who I am now¡­¡± Steughed. ¡°She even said that you were simply using me as a stand-in for Ste.¡± Speaking of this, she became sentimental. ¡°She¡¯s so arrogant. How would she react if she found out that I am Ste and that you actually saved me, then changed my name and forced me to stay by your side? To such an arrogant woman, you must¡¯ve been really cruel to her. I am very curious about how you turned a person like Guinevere into a madwoman after she met you.¡± This was in no way apliment. However, Weston knew all too well that she was trying to be sarcastic and did not want to dwell on the matter, and he simply pped his forehead instead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°Tell you what?¡± Ste was confused. ¡°Oh, you mean Guinevere already knew about our rtionship? My bad. I was too tired yesterday, and I forgot to tell you. Anyway, now that you know, what are you going to do?¡± She looked at him eagerly, anticipating his response. Weston, however, disliked her showing that face. ¡°What do you think I¡¯ll do?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe our one-year contract will end earlier?¡± Ste spoke her mind with a smile. The man saw right through her. ¡°You just want to leave me that badly, huh?¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± She was still dutifully ying the role of someone who loved him dearly. ¡°Of course, I want to stay by your side. It¡¯s just that I wouldn¡¯t be so shameless to stay by your side if you didn¡¯t need me.¡± ¡°Do you really mean it, or are you acting?¡± he asked suddenly Ste said nothing. After a while, just as she was about to answer him, the man interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t answer me.¡± Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 He knew that she wouldn¡¯t give him the answer he wanted. Almost instantly , Ste got tired of ying her ¡°deep ¨C affection ¡± trick on him and asked directly, ¡°So what are you going to do about it? I will cooperate.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Indeed, she had deliberately provoked Guinevere since getting her enraged would increase the chances of ending the one-year contract earlier. Looking rather distraught, Weston remained silent. ¡°You were too bold. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to escape from me once she finds out about this?¡± He had hit the nail on the head. Ste couldn¡¯t admit or refute him. Weston suddenly stretched out his hands and cupped her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. ¡°I know what¡¯s on your mind, Ste. A year is a year, and I will absolutely keep my word. But if you have something else in your mind, I can always extend that year¡­¡± ¡°You¡ª¡±Ste¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you saying that I am mean by forcing you?¡± He parched his lips a bit, but his face remained stiff. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, do you? I want you, so I¡¯ll keep you by my side no matter what it takes.¡± It was one of those rare days where the cast was given a day off. Weston¡¯spany, however, wasn¡¯t always so free. Ste heard that the project in the western suburbs was nearingpletion. Often hearing him asking about its progress on the phone, she reckoned it a huge project so huge that even the Cohens were involved. Nheless, she wasn¡¯t interested in those things. She simply focused on reading her script. Weston came out from the study and found her sitting on the sofa. ¡°I am going to the office for a while. Stay at home and behave yourself.¡± She nodded. ¡°Take care.¡± He did not reply. It was then that she put down the script in her hands and walked to him, resigned to her fate. She took the tie he handed over to her. ¡°You are almost thirty, but you still can¡¯t get your tie right?¡± ¡°You have lived for over twenty years, so why do you drag your feet while trying to tie a tie?¡± asked the man tly. Ste was speechless. She realized that though he did not like to talk, it didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t eloquent with his words. However, it had to be said that it would be impossible that a very decisive man in the business industry wasn¡¯t articte¡­ except when he was toozy to care about anyone. Ste, who was not used to doing such things in the past, could actually tie a Windsor knot easily now. This was all thanks to Weston for making her learn all sorts of skills she had never been exposed to before. ¡°Done.¡± She tightened the knot and helped him fix his cor. ¡°Fetch me the jacket,¡± he demanded. Ste obediently went to get his suit jacket. His wardrobe was in no way less modest than hers. In fact, it was even more luxurious. She opened it and was greeted by rows of bespoke suits. Thinking that they were the same and there was not much difference between them, she randomly grabbed a ck jacket, something he usually wore. But just as she took it down, something fell out of the pocket andnded on the floor with a thud. She took a look at it and found that it was a ring box. She stared at the box for a while, then picked it up and opened it. In it sat a pink diamond ring. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Ste recognized it at once-it was the one she saw at the shopping mall and liked. Not wanting Weston to buy her a diamond ring, she had said she didn¡¯t like it and ended up with just a bracelet instead. It did not ur to her that he would buy this ring back. She stared at the ring for a while before quickly putting it back in its original ce, pretending she didn¡¯t see it. For someone like Weston, buying a diamond ring was casual. It did not mean anything. Never again would her heart waver for these petty gifts. In the hallway, Weston rubbed Ste¡¯s head and kissed her cheek. ¡°Wait for me toe home.¡± She nodded. ¡°Can I go out with my colleague?¡± He paused. ¡°Are you referring to the colleague who brought you out for tea?¡± She looked at him warily. ¡°It was me who asked her out. Don¡¯t trouble her.¡± ¡°Am I that unreasonable in your eyes?¡± He pinched his nose. ¡°Alright, but you must tell me in advance. You are only allowed to eat junk food once a week, so don¡¯t exceed your limit.¡± ¡°Okay, alright¡­Why do I suddenly feel like I have a dad?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The man squinted dangerously. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Ste said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you head to the office now? The chauffeur is waiting for you outside.¡± ¡°There is no rush. I still have one more thing to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± He lowered his head and studied her with an intense gaze. Even though she hated him, she had to admit that he did possess the best-looking eyes she had ever seen. Even without opening his mouth, he was captivating enough , just by gazing at her with his beautiful eyes. It was as if they could talk. Every time he looked at her like this, she had an illusion that he loved her deeply. She lowered her eyes slightly, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. ¡°Happy now?¡± Weston smiled pleasantly and kissed her ear, ¡°Good girl.¡± And he left. She stood on the balcony and watched his ck Bugatti slowly leave the vi. Only then was she relieved. Her heart could only be at ease when he was not around. Whenever he was home, she would be wary of him since he¡¯d get horny. She even had to find a chance to take her medication whenever she could. Thest time she took medicine, it worked. However, Weston suddenly settled down a lot, and it tormented her. Zeta had also told her that this medicine had side effects if she took too much. In fact, she had been feeling way less energetic and a lot sleepier than before. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She still needed to find another way to solve this problem, or he would eventually discover that she relied on the drug to get intimate with him. The weather today was nice, so she stayed in her study to read her script. The current project she was currently working on was nearingpletion, and due to her excellent performance, the director had given her other scripts in advance, nning to rmend her to other colleagues, Correspondingly , she should then gain some fame atier the movie¡¯s release. If things went well, she might even be an instant hit. Ste, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t expecting much. Without high hopes, there wouldn¡¯t be any disappointment. All she wanted was to work on her career diligently. Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Bradley often described her as a paradox-contradicting qualities mixed together in one body. She was obviously an ambitious person, but her clear eyes looked unambiguous. She did not likepeting with anyone, but she would never back down and give up on progress. At Ford Corporation¡¯s skyscraper The project in the western suburbs was in full swing, with endless meetings being held one after the other. Being the biggest project of the year, thepany had attached great importance to it, making the employees feel the tension in the atmosphere. As long as the project went well, Ford Corporation would progress to another level. As it was already the top corporation in Ahn City, it could make a name for itself in Fern City if the project was sessful. Then, Weston would undeniably be the youngest and richest man in the country, catching everyone¡¯s attention. His fame would only rise. By then, people would still dig into his personal life even if he tried to keep a low profile. Hence, it was important for the public rtions department to keep up with the public opinion. ¡°Mr. Ford, I have prepared all the materials for the meeting. Do I hand it directly to Mr. Sullivan, or¡­¡± The staff in the secretary department were all working on a tight schedule. Daisy sorted the documents in her hands and knocked on the door of the CEO¡¯s office. Always very professional when it came to working, she never allowed her personal feelings to get in the way. Weston was no different. He marked a few important points on the papers and told her to prepare for the next meeting. Before she left, though, she swept a nce at him. However, noticing that he had no intention to talk to her, she paused for a while, failing to say what was in her mind in the end. What she probably had to do now was to do the job as best she could, not get involved in the matter between Xavier and Weston. She also couldn¡¯t make a decision for them. ¡°Anything else?¡± He took a sip of the coffee and looked at her with little expression on his face. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she hurriedly muttered as she snapped back to her senses. In the area near the third motorway, an agent was in a ck car, holding a tablet. As he read the scripts and decided on the next film Guinevere would star in, he suddenly received a message. ¡°Guinevere, Zack was not in Ford Mansionst night.¡± ¡°I know. I think Wendy took him somewhere.¡± Davis frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange¡­¡± ¡°How so?¡± Guinevere was getting impatient. ¡°Stop bothering me with such things when we are working!¡± ¡°Guinevere¡­¡± Davis wanted to tell her that Wendy seemed to have been in Ford Mansion the whole timest night at first, and Chris was abroad on a business trip. So, apart from Weston, nobody would take Zachary out. But looking at her impatient face, he said nothing more, convincing himself he was thinking too much. ¡°By the way, did you inform Mr. Ford that you wereing?¡± She put down her mobile phone immediately and gave him a stern look. ¡°Do I need to inform him in advance ? Think about our rtionship. Do you really think that¡¯s necessary?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, Guinevere. I just heard that Mr. Ford¡¯s been very busy these days. It will be a waste of time if he is not there, so I think it¡¯ll be better to tell him first.¡± Although he tried to make it sound as sensible as possible , she still figured out the meaning between his lines. ¡°Are you mocking me? You think Weston and I are not on good terms, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Feeling that it was getting increasingly difficult tomunicate with her, he stopped talking. ¡°Mr. Ford will be delighted to see you.¡± Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Guinevere had no idea why she was going to meet Weston. Having just had a showdown with E yesterday, she didn¡¯t know what E would say to Weston. What she knew, though, was that she deeply missed this man. Once they arrived at the office, the quick-witted receptionist instantly informed the CEO¡¯s office. Daisy happened toe down with the papers, and when she saw Guinevere, she was startled. ¡°Ms. Cohen?¡± She took the initiative to greet her. If it were in the past, she would¡¯ve never gone beyond the scope of her job, but somehow, she felt a bit guilty when she saw Guinevere-perhaps it was because of her knowledge of Weston¡¯s affair with E that she didn¡¯t know how to face Guinevere. Truth be said, it had nothing to do with her-she was simply an ordinary employer of thepany, and there was nothing she needed to be worried about in the first ce. Guinevere looked at her. ¡°Where is Weston?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford is preparing for a meeting now. Do you need me to bring you to him?¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t disturb him since he is busy. I can wait in his office.¡± ¡°Alright, Ms. Cohen. Pleasee with me.¡± After saying that, Daisy escorted her to Weston¡¯s office. When they were in the doorway, they both stopped in their tracks. Guinevere looked at Daisy and said, ¡°You can leave me now.¡± Daisy was a bit stunned. Knowing that Guinevere was chasing her away, she suddenly felt a sense of repulsion welling within her. Nheless, Daisy still nodded, saying, ¡°Okay. Please call me if you need anything.¡± Guinevere did not reply. She opened the door and entered the office directly. Daisy stood in front of the door, sensing hostility in Guinevere¡¯s actions. Her heart skipped a bit. She thought that she hid it very well, but Xavier saw through her and publicly announced her feelings for Weston. This made her embarrassed to face Weston Could Guinevere see her feelings toward Weston? Guinevere did not think much about it. She had always been very confident and never once regarded other women as a threat. Maybe it was because of yesterday¡¯s incident that she had lost her confidence and felt that all the beautiful women around him were dangerous. Only now did she also realize that there were many beautiful women around him. Never losing to anyone in the entertainment industry for so many years, she was constantly confident about her appearance. However, she discovered that he did not seem to care about how a woman looked, at least not as much as she thought he did. The fact that he would get E as a stand-in made her feel that he was very different from the Weston she knew. ¡°Are you still working?¡± She gathered her emotions and took the initiative to speak. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Weston was reading a document and frowned in annoyance when he heard some noises. ¡°Anything?¡± Apart from Guinevere, 110 one could enter his office without permission. Of course, Xavier liked to do this as well. Regardless of how harmless they tried to portray themselves, it was very easy to see through their ambitions. Weston never exposed them, though. Guinevere came in. ¡°Nothing. I am simply dropping by because you were too busy.¡± Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Weston paused for a moment. He suddenly looked at her and said, ¡°I thought you were here to ask me something.¡± Guinevere was taken aback, but she quickly put on a smile. She was sure that E had told him about their confrontation Did E think that she would make a scene with him? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She wasn¡¯t that stupid. She could¡¯ve used that method to deal with Belle, but E was obviously a trickier character. Her face remained calm. ¡°There is nothing in particr. It is just that I don¡¯t have much shooting these days, so I thought ofing to see you. We haven¡¯t met for a long time, have we?¡± Weston then put down the file in his hands and looked at her. His eyes were questioning her, but she pretended not to see them. Instead, she arranged the lunchboxes she brought on the table. ¡°I made these myself. Do you want to try some?¡± ¡°Since when do you cook?¡± He raised his brows. They had known each other for many years, and the arrogant Guinevere never had to cook to impress anyone. All the rich kids grew up the same way. When they had too much, they tended to be selfish and cold. ¡°That was then. We¡¯re talking about now,¡± Guinevereughed. ¡°I think it¡¯s a pleasure to cook for someone I like.¡± When he heard that, he was momentarily lost in thought. Ste used to enjoy cooking and always prepared various dishes for him. He didn¡¯t recall having any favorite dishes. Ste had perhaps spoiled him until he became a picky eater with fixed preferences. It was just that after they got together again, she would only cook when she wanted to beg him for something. No longer did she cook for him voluntarily. She did it only when she wanted to see Roger or to inquire about Roger. Guinevere got no response and noticed that Weston did not look right. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you not like it?¡± She was a bit nervous, having made all the dishes yesterday in a hurry with a lot of help from the cook. She even tried them and ensured they tasted good before bringing them to Weston. This quickly made her realize that she actually didn¡¯t really know what he liked. The man looked up and put down the pen in his hand.¡± You don¡¯t have to do all these for me. Just do your job.¡± She felt that he was being thoughtful and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true, but the two of us are getting married after all, and I¡¯d like to try what it¡¯s like to be someone¡¯s wife.¡± The corners of his lips curved upward, but his face remained stiff. ¡°What¡¯s so good about being my wife?¡± His seemingly unintentional remark made Guinevere straighten her back. ¡°Weston, you should know that I have been preparing to be Mrs. Ford for many years.¡± He looked at her suddenly. ¡°It is a title that¡¯s within your reach.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Guinevere replied. ¡°Everyone thinks that I am Mrs. Ford now. Besides, we have Zack¡­ You are right. I have everything I want, so I will not dwell on the little things that don¡¯t matter.¡± This was what she came for. She was telling him that as long as she was Mrs. Ford in everyone¡¯s eyes, they were all insignificant , whether it was E or Be. She did not care. She also believed that someone as smart as Weston could understand her meaning. Weston didn¡¯t respond and simply kept quiet. After a while, he asked, ¡°Is this really what you want?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Guinevere smiled. ¡°What is there to doubt? My heart has never changed.¡± Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Weston remained silent. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Guinevere rxed her facial expression. ¡°Did someone tell you something?¡± It¡¯s okay. I know a lifetime is a long time, especially for men, she thought to herself. ¡®It is perfectly normal to grow new interests, but it doesn¡¯t mean he has no feelings for you. We should respect the changes in emotions. I believe that you still care for me the most and put Zack and me as the priority, so I will never put those irrelevant people in mind.¡¯ Guinevere squatted down in front of me and put her head on his knees. ¡°Weston, you¡¯ll always stay by my side, right?¡± In the Stardust Mansion. Ste¡¯s eyelids suddenly twitched, and her eyes felt sore. She put down the script in her hands and looked at the time. More than two hours had passed. She took out her mobile phone and saw an iing message from an unknown number. There was an address and a weird sentence in the message, Her gaze intensified. After a while, she put her mobile phone face down. ¡°Where are you going, Ms. Steele?¡± Joan asked when seeing Ste going out. ¡°I will call the chauffeur for you.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I am just going for a stroll.¡± Before Joan could react, Ste grabbed her jacket and left. ¡°Ms. Steele!¡± Joan chased after her for a while. Ste thought for a while and stopped. Then, she said, ¡± I¡¯d like to have garlic noodles tonight. Can you make them for me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Ford say that you can eat it only once a week?¡± Ste said, ¡°Yes. just this once.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Joan was a bit troubled. ¡°Please, I¡¯m craving it,¡± Ste insisted. Joan hesitated, but after some consideration, she agreed. ¡°Okay. You should inform Mr. Ford when you go out, or he will be worried.¡± So, it was actually his disguised form of surveince. Ste knew that Joan was only doing her job and didn¡¯t make things difficult for her. ¡°I will tell the chauffeur.¡± Joan seemed relieved. The chauffeur, now an old acquaintance of Ste, sent her to the mall and waited for her in the parking lot. Ste strolled around casually. When it was almost time, she went to the location where they had promised to meet. Lively music could be hearding from the exquisitely decorated restaurant. This ce offered good privacy. Upon entering, Ste was greeted by a receptionist, and she verified her phone number. She was then escorted to the private room. The interior design was quite unique. There was a jukebox at the center, and the space around it was divided into beehive-like partitions that, although densely packed, were very spacious. The ce also had an outstanding view, and the surrounding area could be seen from the inside, making it the perfect spot for public figures to get together. Ste quickly saw a stylish and elegant woman sitting in a corner. Wearing sunsses and a limited edition dress, she held a white porcin tea cup and slowly sipped on it. Evidently, her graceful manner went beyond words. Hearing the sound of the door, she looked up and nodded at Ste. ¡°You are here.¡± Ste nodded. She had never expected Wendy to ask her out for tea, and when she read her message, she was a bit perplexed. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Ste had only met Wendy once on set. It was only a brief meeting but she actually asked her out for tea? Moreover¡­ After a brief survey of the private room, she noticed that they were the only upants there. It seemed the other cast members didn¡¯t receive her invitation. Seeing Ste¡¯s reaction, Wendy chuckled. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll eat you up?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I am just a little ttered ¡­ since you are a celebrated veteran, Mrs. Ford.¡± Wendy was in no way a lesser woman whenpared to Guinevere. In fact, she was more sessful- she was the unbeatable queen of film, with no one else garnering that many domestic awards as she had in the twenties. Her poprity spread across the continent, where almost everyone had heard her name. She was considered a superstar who had influenced a few generations. However, she was a person that chose to retire at the peak of her career. People¡¯s impression of her remained at her most glorious moment. So even after she had retired from the industry for many years, many still knew her. Ste always felt that God had always favored Weston, bestowing him with apelling face. Regardless, with parents like Wendy and Chris, it wasn¡¯t umon that people like him to look more attractive than them. Chris had a handsome face as well. As for Wendy, she was famous for her beauty in the entertainment industry. Such abination was a sure-fire recipe for producing good-looking children. Evidently, Weston inherited the best of them. ¡°You are E, right?¡± Wendy ordered a cup of rose tea for her. ¡°Try this. It¡¯s good for the skin. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Ford.¡± Wendy frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. It makes me feel old.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Senior?¡± Ste asked tentatively. Wendyughed. ¡°Just call me Sis Wendy.¡± ¡°Okay, Sis Wendy.¡± Wendy suddenly sighed. ¡°How nostalgic. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve heard that.¡± No matter how morous the entertainment industry was, it was an extremely elitist scene. Almost everyone called her Sis Wendy at that time. Whether the older seniors or the directors and the producers, they were all respectful toward her. It was just that no one called her that anymore after she got married. For many years, people had just addressed her as Mrs. Ford. At that time, she actually felt thrilled to voluntarily take off her crown to be a vassal of a man. Now, the very mention of it made her sick. Ste did not think much and said subconsciously, ¡°If you were to return to the big screen now, many people would surely still love you.¡± Wendy was caught off guard and raised her brows self deprecatingly. ¡°Return to the big screen? I can¡¯t go back at my age.¡± After saying that, she ran her fingers through her hair. Although she had taken good care of her appearance, the inevitable signs of aging were clearly visible. She was fifty, after all, and no matter how beautiful she was, she would not be as vibrant as her younger days. Ste siniled. ¡°The entertainment industry should have more people like you. People regard youth as the only beauty standard nowadays. However, all ages have their charms. When you were young, you led an entire generation. Why don¡¯t you try once more?¡± Although Wendy thought those words had a ttering connotation , she was still happy to hear them. ¡°You are ttering me. But how can an old woman lead new trends?¡± *** The pair drank tea and chatted casually about some work matters before going into the main topic. Wendy smiled and looked at her. She was very kind, but her words made Ste freeze. ¡°Last night¡­ you met Zachary, right?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Ste jerked her head up and looked at Wendy in astonishment. Wendyughed. ¡°Don¡¯t get nervous. I am not here to confront you; I just want to confirm it.¡± Ste tightened her grip on the teacup but did not say anything ¡°I am sorry,¡± she said after a good while. Without needing many words, their attitude answered everything Wendy slowly rxed her face. ¡°You should know about the rtionship between Weston and Guinevere, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°I never wanted to get between them. I ¡­¡± Before she could finish her, Wendy interrupted, ¡°I am not here to use you of anything. Why are you exining yourself to me?¡± Wendyughed again, handed Ste a tissue, and pointed at the corner of her mouth. Ste raised her hand to wipe it but found nothing there. Wendyughed again and tapped her finger on the table.¡° You are with Weston now, right?¡± Not waiting for an answer, she nodded to herself. ¡°I should have noticed it earlier. Weston grew up before my eyes. He is my son, after all. I know what is in his mind.¡± After saying that, she took a sip of the rose tea and sighed, ¡°His rtionship with Guinevere is not like what the outsiders think. As a mother, I only hope to see my child happy, so you do not have to be too nervous. I am noting to pick a fight with you. I just want to meet you to see what sort of woman can make my son happy.¡± Her words sounded nice, but they somehow felt like a sharp knife. Her morals and conscience were condemning her. Whatever the story between her and Weston, Weston¡¯s mother did not know anything. From Wendy¡¯s perspective, Ste was the pathetic third wheel between Weston and Guinevere. But she used words to make Ste excuses. This made Ste feel ashamed. ¡°I am very sorry.¡± Ste stood up. ¡°I have something up and can¡¯t stay any longer.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She was simply unable to stay for another second. Each passing moment was a torment to her. Wendy did not expect that Ste would try to escape. ¡± E!¡± She stood up and blocked her path. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No. The fault is mine.¡± Ste did not dare to look into Wendy¡¯s eyes. Wendy looked at her sympathetically. ¡°I know you are feeling guilty. I told you, I am not here to confront you. You don¡¯t have to feel burdened.¡± Ste still could not take it. ¡°Sorry.¡± Wendy did not stop her after seeing her insistence.¡± Alright. I just came here to tell you that I don¡¯t hold any prejudice against you. On the contrary, I know you are someone who can make Weston happy. No mother wants to see her children unhappy. I am no exception.¡± Ste quickly fled, unable to listen to another word. Wendy¡¯s face gradually turned gloomy and became highly inscrutable as she watched Ste leave from her back. Ste received a message from Wendy as soon as she left the mall, telling her that she did not wish anyone to know about their meeting. After replying to reassure Wendy, she turned off her phone and wandered around the mall for a while before heading to the parking lot. She was ready to get in the car but did not see the chauffeur-she could guess what he was doing, so she did not urge him and waited beside the car. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind. ¡°E?¡± Ste was stunned and looked back. When she saw Yvonne appearing behind her, her eyes shed with joy.¡± Yvonne? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came out for a stroll. What a coincidence! I can¡¯t believe I ran into you!¡± It had been a long time since they met, and Yvonne took her arm warmly. ¡°I heard that you started acting. How is it? Are you getting along fine?¡± ¡°Great. How about you? Are you still nning to start another training center?¡± Yvonne shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing that anymore. I want to do what I like.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°By the way, do you have time?¡± Yvonne asked her excitedly. ¡°Do you want to go for a drink?¡± Ste paused for a moment, hesitating as she subconsciously looked behind her. Yvonne knew what she was thinking and reassured her. ¡± Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be just the two of us. No Lucas.¡± ¡°If he knows that you are with me, he might be very angry,¡± Ste joked. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Yvonne said disapprovingly. ¡°I never restricted him from making friends. So, why should he restrict me from making friends ? Besides, he¡¯s been pissing me off lately, and I don¡¯t want to hang out with him¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t made up yet?¡± Ste asked about their current rtionship. Yvonne grabbed her arm as she walked and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get some drinks and find a ce to sit and talk. I¡¯m parched.¡± Ste was dragged along by Yvonne. She swept a nce at the ck car. The chauffeur still hadn¡¯t returned, so Ste withdrew her eyes and left with Yvonne. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Yvonne was very familiar with this area and asked Ste if there was anything she wanted to eat. Ste said, ¡°Anything. Up to you.¡± Yvonne took her directly to a restaurant she often visited. ¡°Sit here. I need to go to the restroom.¡± After ordering the food, she stood up and left her seat. Ste recalled what Wendy said to her just now and felt disturbed. She might have been able to justify herself in front of Guinevere because she knew Guinevere was the third party between her and Weston from the very beginning, but that wasn¡¯t so for Wendy. She waspletely oblivious about the entire thing, and she also didn¡¯t know about her past with Weston. Ste also couldn¡¯t understand why Wendy was suddenly being nice to her. She was very sure about one thing, though, that she should not ept her kindness. ¡°What are you thinking about? You were so lost in thought.¡± Yvonne came back and sat in front of her. Without waiting for her answer, Yvonne said excitedly, ¡°Guess who I met just now?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Wendy!¡± She grabbed Ste¡¯s hand in excitement. ¡°You know Wendy Thomas, right? You are a novice in the entertainment industry. She used to be my idol!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flickered , and she replied, ¡°I know. She is great.¡± Yvonne sighed. ¡°She is very beautiful. She is old now, yet her aura is still so outstanding. No wonder she could marry into the Ford family!¡± The Ford family was among the richest of the rich in Ahn City, not to mention Weston being an outstanding heir. This transcended them to a level that no one could surpass. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Although Chris Ford was the most desired man among the popr actresses in his heydey; his heart was set on Wendy Thomas and no one else. Wendy was a normal working-ss girl who somehow found her way into the entertainment industry because of her stunning looks. She didn¡¯t just have luck on her side, as she also happened to be an incredibly talented actress. Unsurprisingly, she quickly gained a foothold in the entertainment industry and achieved superstardom at a young age. Soon afterward, she married into one of the country¡¯s wealthiest and most prestigious families, cementing her position at the top of the social pyramid. In fact, her love story with Chris Ford back then was much talked about, and their wedding was so lavish that it was considered the wedding of the century. ¡°What an enviable woman!¡± Yvonne eximed . ¡°She¡¯s really got it all, hasn¡¯t she? A sessful career and a happy family¡­ and unlike other celebrities who married into rich families, she didn¡¯t keep on pumping out baby after baby. Instead, she only ever had one child, who had turned out even more impressive than both his parents!¡± Ste said nothing, only wearing a thin smile on her face. ¡°Oops¡­¡± Yvonne pped her forehead, finally realizing her mistake. ¡°I totally forgot¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Weston Ford. Sorry.¡± She was so excited when she saw the legendary Wendy Thomas that shepletely overlooked the fact that her son was Weston Ford, the man forcing E to be with him against her will. To think that she even praised him to the skies! His horrible treatment of E alone was bad enough to negate all of his aplishments! Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bah!¡± Yvonne spat. ¡°Forget what I just said! It doesn¡¯t matter how impressive he is when he¡¯s a total a**hole!¡± ¡°I see you changed your mind pretty quickly!¡± Ste observed,ughing. Yvonne¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°How have you been getting ontely?¡± she asked Ste, not referring to her career, of course, but her rtionship with Weston. Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I think Guinevere Cohen has found out about us,¡± she said. ¡°What?¡± Yvonne gasped so dramatically that everyone around them turned their heads towards her. ¡°But how did she find out?¡± she asked, her voice a lot more subdued this time. Ste shook her head silently. ¡°Has she done anything to you?¡± Yvonne asked anxiously. Just as she finished her sentence, she realized how dumb her question was, so she quickly added, ¡°Oh, my God! She must¡¯ve tried to kill you or something! Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything to me,¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°No way!¡± Yvonne responded incredulously. ¡°We¡¯re in the same social circle, so I know her! You have no idea how possessive she is over Weston Ford! It¡¯s not just because of his cold personality that no one dares to even go near him; it¡¯s partly Guinevere¡¯s doing too! She would never let any other woman touch her man! I simply can¡¯t believe she hasn¡¯t given you any trouble yet!¡± ¡°Who knows why,¡± Ste shrugged. She had no desire to talk about those two anymore. ¡°This is all Weston Ford¡¯s fault!¡± Yvonne berated, indignant on her friend¡¯s behalf. ¡°No matter how you look at it, none of this would¡¯ve happened if it weren¡¯t for him! So he should be the one to deal with this! You¡¯re powerless now. You can¡¯t possibly stand up against Guinevere Cohen on your own!¡± Yvonne balled up her fists in rage and continued, ¡°If he still wants to call himself a man, he would never let Guinvere do anything to you!¡± At that moment, the waitress brought their dessert to the table. Ste had just drank a full cup of chamomile tea, and she had now lost her appetite. ¡°All I really want from him is to set me free,¡± she said, poking at the custard with the tiny spoon. Just then, as she nced outside the window, she saw a familiar figure shing across her view, and her gaze instantly locked on it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yvonne asked, sensing something wrong. Ste turned to Yvonne and, without changing her expression , replied, ¡°Nothing, just someone following me around¡­¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Yvonne was now nervous. ¡°Did Guinevere send someone to follow you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s Weston Ford.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yvonne raised her brows, perplexed. ¡°Why on earth would he do that?¡± Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 ¡°He probably wants to know who I¡¯ve met, what I¡¯ve done, what I¡¯ve said¡­¡± Yvonne frowned and remarked, ¡°This guy sounds like a¡­¡± She wanted to say a pervert, but she didn¡¯t wish to frighten Ste. Ste , however, had long known how deranged Weston could be, and she knew precisely what Yvonne was thinking. ¡°He has always been a pervert.¡± Ste shook her head. Yvonne sighed. ¡°Why exactly do you think he¡¯s doing this?¡± she asked. Thousands of women out there would be more than willing to be with him, so why did he have to force E to be his lover? And why even go to the creepy extent of sending people to follow her around? ¡°Do you think he¡¯s worried that you¡¯d run away?¡± ¡°Where am I supposed to run to?¡± Ste found the thought amusing. ¡°He¡¯s probably just doing this to show he owns me.¡± Nheless, Yvonne was still worried that Guinevere might do something to E. ¡°Does Guinevere know that he forced you to be with him?¡± ¡°Rather than believing that I was forced to be with him,¡± Ste massaged the throbbing headache she was having on her forehead, ¡°I think she¡¯d rather prefer to believe that I wanted to stay with him. The thought of Weston Ford forcing another woman to be with him might be insulting and humiliating to her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Yvonne responded. ¡°Her pride would never let her admit that Weston might fall in love with someone else¡­¡± It had been a long time since they had a chance to chat, so it was natural that they would talk about their respective partners. But it was obvious that Ste no longer wanted to talk about Weston, so Yvonne changed the topic to her husband, Lucas. ¡°He¡¯s been really good to metely,¡± she said, scooping a spoonful of custard into her mouth. ¡°You remember how I caught him having dinner with another woman, don¡¯t you? Well, it turns out that she really was just his patient. I guess I just get a little too jealous sometimes¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s unsurprising,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like the guy who would cheat on you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Yvonne agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were little, and he¡¯s only ever been interested in me.¡± ¡°You mean you guys were childhood sweethearts?¡± ¡°I guess you can say that,¡± Yvonne giggled. ¡°He¡¯s actually the son of my family¡¯s driver. We practically grew up together. He¡¯s always been a quiet introvert.¡± Ste never knew that they hade from such different backgrounds. ¡°How did you guys end up together?¡± she asked. ¡°Because he¡¯s so handsome?!¡± Yvonne gushed, her tone implying how obvious the answer should have been to Ste. ¡°He¡¯s the best-looking guy among all the kids that I grew up with. We went to the same elementary school, high school, and even the same university, and he was still the guy that appealed to me the most! I¡¯ve always been following him around, so it was natural that we¡¯d end up together.¡± Yvonne had never questioned any of this. To her, Lucas had always belonged to her, and there had never been a shred of doubt in her mind about it. She was also certain that Lucas would never be interested in other women. She was his only one, and she was a hundred percent sure of it. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The only reason she blew up in anger when she saw him with another woman was her habit of being possessive of him. Even though she was fully aware that Lucas would never cheat on her, she couldn¡¯t help but be jealous. ¡°He must have been treating you like a princess,¡± Ste observed, a little envious of her friend. If she hadn¡¯t had him wrapped around her finger, she wouldn¡¯t have been so quick to lose her temper. Yvonne was about to say something, but she was suddenly cut off by a voice that sounded very familiar to Ste. ¡°Ste¡­? Is that you?¡± Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Ste¡¯s breath was instantly sucked out of her chest. She turned slowly towards the voice and her eyes widened. Aunt Diana¡­ She almost blurted out those words but managed to stop herself in time. The woman walked up to her with eyes red and teary, saying, ¡°Is it really you, Ste? I thought I¡¯d never see you again¡­¡± Yvonne waspletely clueless as to what was going on, so she asked, ¡°Who is this, E?¡± Ste stood up abruptly and shook her head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know me? How is that possible? I¡¯m your aunt Diana! Have you forgotten me?¡± The woman wiped away her tears and turned around to address the man behind her. ¡°Honey,e here! Isn¡¯t it Ste?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± muttered Ste. ¡°You¡¯repletely mistaken. I truly don¡¯t know who you are¡­¡± The man walked up with his hands full of shopping bags, and when his eyes fell on Ste, he was visibly floored. But his reactions were much more subdued than the woman¡¯s. ¡°Please forgive us, but you look very much like my niece,¡± he exined after a long bout of silence. ¡°My wife must¡¯ve mistaken you for her.¡± ¡°Your niece?¡± asked Yvonne. ¡°Does your niece happen to be Ste Sealey?¡± ¡°Yes! Do you know her?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yvonne nced worriedly at Ste. ¡°Yes, I do know your niece. But this woman is definitely not her. She¡¯s called E Steele.¡± ¡°E Steele?¡± The man raised his brows as he looked at Ste. ¡°Even their names are simr!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ste replied while avoiding eye contact with him. ¡°What a coincidence . Anyway, I¡¯m a little busy, so I¡¯ve got to go now¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± the woman interrupted, obviously still unconvinced. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not my niece Ste?¡± ¡°She really is someone else,¡± Yvonne reassured the woman. ¡°She¡¯s definitely not Ste Sealey because I used to know her too. When I first met E, I was just as shocked as you are. I thought they were the same person, but it turns out they really are different people.¡± Hearing this, the woman finally calmed down a little. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± she shook her head slowly.¡± Ste is dead. How can I still think that¡­¡± The woman almost copsed, but the man rushed up in a hurry and held her still in his arms. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked with a look of concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± The woman then looked up at Ste with eyes full of anguish. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to see Ste before she died,¡± shemented. ¡°I never had a chance to find out why she ran away from home¡­¡± Ste mustered up all her self-control not to look back at her aunt. It was clear now that in that family of hers, the only one who genuinely cared for her was Aunt Diana. It was a shame that she was kicked out of the Sealey family before she even had a chance to talk to her. She heard that Michael Sealey somehow found a way to move abroad after she was kicked out, taking Aunt Diana with him, and they hadn¡¯t returned to this country for a long time. Perhaps he was scared that Ste might tell his wife what he had done to her. She still remembered that when her family was notified of her death, none of them showed up or asked any questions, as if her existence meant absolutely nothing to them, dead or alive. But Aunt Diana was different. She tried her best asking around for news of what happened to her. She simply wouldn¡¯t believe that Ste really was dead. Michael Sealey, on the other hand, was d that Ste died. Now, no one would ever expose his secrets, and he would forever be his wife¡¯s family¡¯s favorite son-inw. In fact, he only decided to return to this country with his wife because he¡¯d learned that Ste was dead. He red at Ste onest time. A skeptical man by nature, he would never have believed that such a wild coincidence was real. But he did read about Ste¡¯s death in the news with his own eyes, so all he could do was gawk at the woman called E Steele quietly. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, wrapping his arm around his wife¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb them. She¡¯s really not Ste. Let¡¯s go home.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Diana looked at Ste and nodded reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for bothering you¡­¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ste replied simply. ¡°Oh!¡± Diana began to tear up again. ¡°Even your voices sound identical ! How can you not be the same person?¡± Seeing his wife was losing control of her emotions, Michael quickly pulled her away and took her home After what had just happened, Yvonne was no longer in the mood for dessert. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you done with your food, E?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. We should get going.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yvonne replied, then suddenly added, ¡°I never knew that Ste had a family¡­¡± As she was paying the bills, she held up Ste¡¯s chin and said, ¡°You do remember Ste, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s the woman who looked just like you and was also a teacher at my training center.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember her. I¡¯ve had so many people mistaking me for her.¡± Yvonne sighed. ¡°At the time,¡± she recalled , ¡°she was all alone. I never saw anyoneing to visit her back then. She also worked herself to death, so I thought she didn¡¯t have any family left, but I guess I was wrong¡­¡± Yvonne shrugged, then continued , ¡°Tums out she does have people who care about her. In fact, by the looks of it, those two looked quite wealthy too, so I have no idea why Ste had to work so hard back then.¡± This was especially evident considering how attached that woman seemed to Ste. ¡°Who knows?¡± uttered Ste , looking like she was in a daze. Soon, it was time for them to part ways. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to text and call me!¡± Yvonne reminded Ste. Yvonne didn¡¯t think much of it when they lost contact for quite a while, but now that she suddenly bumped into E again, she realized how much she liked her as a friend and how much she wished to stay in contact with her. ¡°Okay,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°As long as Lucas doesn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t even mention him!¡± Yvonne then looked Ste in the eyes and earnestly added, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care what people say. The most important thing is that I want to be your friend! Just remember that and forget the rest, okay?¡± As they got to the parking lot, Yvonne ensured that Ste safely got into the car before letting the driver take her home. Once Ste had settled down in the car, she couldn¡¯t help but notice how sweaty the driver was. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from running around just now?¡± she asked. The driver blinked a couple of times speechlessly. ¡°Uh, no¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting inside the car all along¡­¡± Steughed. She had no desire to interrogate him. ¡°Drive on,¡± she told him, staring out of the window. 1 Because of the time she spent with Yvonne just now, she got home prettyte that evening. Weston suddenly called her to say that he had a meeting and told her not to wait for him. But Ste didn¡¯t n on waiting anyway. Joan made her a big bowl of garlic noodles that evening, and she gobbled it up to her heart¡¯s content. Then she took a quick shower and studied the script for a while before turning in and going to bed. She had just closed her eyes for a few minutes before feeling familiar warmth. It wasing from the heat that lingered on Weston¡¯s skin. Ste frowned. She wanted to escape him, but the suffocating warmth followed her like a shadow, pestering her to no end. ¡°Stop it!¡± she snapped. ¡°I want to sleep!¡± With an irritated sigh, she turned her back towards him, fully intending to ignore him. But Weston still pursued her relentlessly and eventually found her lips. He kissed its corners, then sniffed it again. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 There was no way Weston would let Ste get her way. ¡°What did you have for dinner today?¡± he asked, pinching her nose. Ste wrinkled her nose and snorted before replying,¡± Garlic noodles. Why?¡± ¡°Did you forget what I told you?¡± ¡°No,¡± she argued. ¡°You told me I could eat it once a week, didn¡¯t you? Well, I used up that chance today.¡± Ste stirred and stretched, then yawned and turnedzily towards Weston. ¡°You promised me yourself that I could have it once a week,¡± she reminded him. ¡°So you must make good on your words.¡± Weston leaned down and bit the tip of her nose yfully. ¡°When did you learn to be this sly and use my words against me, hmm?¡± Just then, Ste sensed a faint smell of smokeing from Weston¡¯s body. ¡°Have you been smoking?¡± she asked, frowning. ¡°Why? Does that upset you?¡± Ste turned up her nose and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t say I particrly like the smell¡­¡± Weston paused and emitted a soft, quiet chuckle. ¡°You really do know how to get your way, don¡¯t you?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Ste turned over and nonchntly asked, ¡°Has Guinevere been talking to you then?¡± ¡°You know,¡± Weston began in his gravelly voice as he pressed his hand gently on her head, ¡°sometimes I just feel like opening up your skull to see what exactly is inside your mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Ste yawned. She had no desire to talk to Weston right now. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± But Weston had other ideas and pinched on her nose. He was definitely not going to let her fall asleep just yet. ¡°Stop it!¡± Ste grunted in annoyance. ¡°I really am sleepy right now! Stop bothering me¡­¡± Weston gazed at her wordlessly for a while, then he suddenly got up and announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Ste made no reply. Shey still until Weston was gone, then out of bed to get the pills from her handbag and quickly swallowed them. It had been an exhausting day at work, so Weston didn¡¯t n to bother Ste at all. He just wanted to come home and fall asleep with her in his arms. But when he got back into bed, he suddenly sensed that Ste¡¯s body was warmer than usual. Her health had been so fragiletely that it gave Weston cause for much anxiety. He was suddenly not sleepy anymore as he ced the palm of his hand on her forehead. ¡°Did you catch a cold again?¡± he asked her. By then, the pills had begun to kick in, and Ste became overwhelmed by Weston¡¯s intoxicating scent that enveloped her. She opened her eyes, but all she saw was a blur. ¡°You smell so good¡­¡± she murmured hazily. Weston chuckled hoarsely. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t like the smell of cigarettes on my body?¡± he quizzed. ¡°And now you¡¯re saying that I smell nice? Which one is the truth then, hmm?¡± Ste stared at his Adam¡¯s apple rolling up and down as he spoke as if mesmerized by its movements. The pills were now in full swing, and she could no longer control herself. She wrapped her arms around him lustfully, nuzzled up to his neck, and brushed her lips ever so gently against his ear. ¡°Hurry up and hold me!¡± she whispered urgently. Weston¡¯s eyes darkened dangerously. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing right now?¡± he cautioned her. Ste nodded. ¡°Why are you still hesitating? Are you too tired today?¡± Hearing that she was questioning his strength, Weston¡¯s expressions changed immediately. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get much sleep tonight,¡± he stated rhetorically. As a sessful businessman, Weston always prided himself on doing what he promised. The only ce he would ever pull any tricks was in bed with Ste. But he was not in bed when he said thest sentence, and true to his words , Ste did indeed get very little sleep that night. The next day¡­ Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Most people on the film set noticed that Ste must not have had a good night¡¯s sleep since the dark circles under her eyes were so prominent. Luckily, because she would be filming scenes in thetter part of the movie when her character had turned evil, she would basically be wearing heavy makeup, which meant her drained look wouldn¡¯t affect the filming much. But then the makeup artist was taken aback when she saw the marks on Ste¡¯s neck. ¡°Whoa¡­ what are those red patches?¡± She suspected that they might be hickeys, but E was such a young actress who was just starting out. She couldn¡¯t possibly be so reckless and started dating already, could she? Ste looked into the mirror and frowned when she saw the red patches. She must¡¯ve really lost controlst night. She reminded Weston time and time again not to leave any marks on her body. Usually, she could stop him when she was still rtively clear ¨C headed, but she waspletely under the drug¡¯s spellst night. Weston evidently did not hold back ¡ªher whole body was pockmarked with red marks left by him. ¡°They¡¯re just rashes from my allergy,¡± she exined calmly, though she was flustered inside. ¡°My skin is really sensitive , so this happens every time the seasons change¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± the makeup artist nodded, though she didn¡¯t seem all that convinced. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to use the mildestpound on you then.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Ste quietly sighed in relief. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Once she had changed into her costume, she made sure to pull up the cor to cover her neck. Fortunately for her, it was a period drama, so the costumes covered most of her body, enough to conceal all of the hickeys. As long as the makeup artist did not spread rumors about what she saw, no one would find out about this. The shooting soon started, and although Ste didn¡¯t get much rest the night before, she still gave an outstanding performance. Being herst day on set, she shot the scene of her character¡¯s final confrontation with the heroine. She would be defeated by the heroine, of course, and she would end up dying a miserable death. Unlike the stereotypical viin, her character¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t be some triumphant scene but a rather tragic and bittersweet one. Her character, Sophie, was never purely evil and had merely been led astray because of a single misstep. *** The shooting was done for the day and Ste was removing her makeup when Bradley Lane suddenly approached her. ¡°You did really well today,¡± he told her, standing behind her as she was removing her makeup. ¡°You clearly showed the character¡¯s desperation and tenacious determination to see through to the final judgment.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ste replied, sounding a little uneasy because she didn¡¯t want Bradley to see the hickies on her neck. But Bradley didn¡¯t sense anything wrong. He just smiled and added, ¡°You know, it was actually a huge gamble on my part when I decided to cast aplete neer with absolutely no experience. Who would¡¯ve thought that not only did I win my bet, but you even managed to surpass my expectations!¡± ¡°I will never forget your kindness and support, Mr. Lane.¡± ¡°Stop being so formal! Anyway, what¡¯s your next n? Have you decided on which role to take up next?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± Bradley advised. ¡°Take your time and consider it carefully. I hope you¡¯ll have a long and sessful career instead of just epting any role hastily for the sake of poprity.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll be meticulous.¡± Although it was still too early to tell, Bradley had been really impressed with Ste¡¯s conduct so far. ¡°I¡¯m the one who discovered you,¡± he said, ¡°so I hope that you can go really far in this industry.¡± The crew members around them started to realize that they were having a private conversation , so they started to slip away to give them some privacy. Ste gathered up the hem of her heavy costume and got up to her feet. When she turned around, however, Bradley noticed she was still wearing heavy makeup. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you removed the makeup yet?¡± he asked. Ste was actually afraid that Bradley would see the hickeys on her neck, but she wasn¡¯t going to tell him that, of course. Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Ste made a mental note not to ever let Weston be so reckless with her body. ¡°What kind of film do you n on directing next?¡± she asked Bradley, trying desperately to change the subject. ¡°Me?¡± heughed. ¡°I see that you¡¯re getting bolder now, huh? You even dare to ask me about my future ns! Well, I don¡¯t mind telling you anyway.¡± Ste waited for his answer enthusiastically, then she heard Bradley¡¯s light chuckle before he stated, ¡°My current n is to have no future ns!¡± Ste was speechless. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°After what I¡¯ve gone through directing this movie,¡± he added earnestly, ¡°I do believe I¡¯ve earned a rest. This movie really has taken a toll on me.¡± He let out a heavy sigh, then continued, ¡°I definitely would not be working with a demanding actress next time.¡± Ste knew exactly who he was referring to and just smiled without expressing any opinions on the matter. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Bradley, ¡°you¡¯re done for the day, so go home and get a nice rest. Make sure you¡¯re ready for yourst scene.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lane.¡± ¡°Good,¡± replied Bradley. ¡°I¡¯d better go shoot the next scene now. I wonder if Angelina is ready yet. I should go talk to her before we start.¡± Ste nodded and Bradley was about to leave, but he stopped and turned around suddenly and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, there¡¯s something else that I forgot to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your brother came here to find you, but you weren¡¯t here, so I told him to go back to his sses and I¡¯d tell you he was hereter.¡± Ste sprang up to her feet the moment Bradley mentioned her brother. ¡°When did hee?¡± ¡°Yesterday,¡± answered Bradley. ¡°Are you two in some kind of a tight spot right now? Your brother looked extremely worried about you.¡± ¡°Not particrly ¡­¡± Ste then became anxious. ¡°What did he say to you? Did he tell you why he was looking for me?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to be in any sort of trouble,¡± Bradley recalled. ¡°He said he just wanted to see you, that¡¯s all.¡± Ste paused, then asked, ¡°Did he¡­ ask you where I live?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bradley then eyed her suspiciously. ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡± Ste calmed herself down and in a serious tone asked Bradley, ¡°Could you help me with something please?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If my brotheres here again and asks you where I live, could you tell him that I am staying at a ce that the crew has arranged for me?¡± Bradley stared straight at her without giving an answer. Ste sighed and exined, ¡°I¡¯m renting a ce on my own right now, but my brother is always worried about my safety. He¡¯s been insisting on staying with me, but I¡¯m afraid that it would distract him from his studies ¡­ He¡¯ll be studying abroad soon, so to put his mind at ease I told him that I¡¯m staying at a ce that the crew has arranged for me.¡± ¡°I see¡­ But why can¡¯t you just tell him the truth? He¡¯s an adult. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°We grew up together,¡± Ste sat down slowly. ¡°We worry about each other a lot. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re overreacting, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± A bitter smile crept up on her face and she added, ¡°We are both each other¡¯s only remaining rtive. I completely understand why he would be so worked up about my safety.¡± If she had been in his shoes, she would be just as restless as he was, if not more. ¡°So you¡¯re going to reassure him with a white lie?¡± Bradley didn¡¯t quite understand such a tight bond between a brother and a sister, but he could sympathize with Ste¡¯s dilemma. ¡°Next time hees looking for you, I¡¯ll cover for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lane.¡± ¡°So where do you actually live right now?¡± Ste paused. She didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d ask the question. ¡°I¡¯m renting a ce in an apartmentplex just two blocks away like the other actors.¡± Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Ste would often overhear the cast members chatting and gossipping. From there, she learned that most of them lived in an area just two blocks away. Not only was it near the film set, but the rent was cheap as well, so even though the facilities there were quite old, it was still a pretty good ce to stay. ¡°You live there?¡± Bradley¡¯s brows knitted in concern.¡° Then your brother was right to worry about you. I don¡¯t think there are any securities there. It¡¯s pretty dangerous for you to live there alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not that bad,¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Everyone¡¯s there, and we all take care of each other and watch each other¡¯s back.¡± Bradley had more things to say on the matter, but Ste changed the subject again, so he knew instantly that she had no desire to discuss it any further. He soon left, leaving Ste alone in the dressing room. She then went on to change her clothes and remove her makeup. She was about to leave when Angelina suddenly burst into the room. ¡°E! E! Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done for the day. What about you? Wanna go home together?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Angelina nodded. ¡°Just give me a minute. I¡¯lle find you once I¡¯ve taken off my makeup.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste was waiting for Angelina in the hallway when she saw Guinevere approaching from a distance. She had just finished filming. Ste stood aside , giving Guinevere a wide berth to pass through. Guinevere was in a good mood, buoyed up by the ttery her entourage kept feeding her. But her expressions soured the instant she saw Ste. Her manager was exining her schedule to her, but Guinevere¡¯s sudden silence distracted him. He followed Guinevere¡¯s gaze and frowned when he saw E Steele. He was absolutely puzzled by Guinevere¡¯s hatred for E. She had never done anything to offend Guinevere, she had just been a hardworking actress all this time, and her attitude had been pleasant throughout . In fact, the two barely ever interacted with each other apart from the scenes that they were both in. So why did Guinevere despise E so much? Was she too immersed in the role she was ying? That might be possible, but it still didn¡¯t fully exin Guinevere¡¯s sheer antipathy towards E. Nheless, things wouldn¡¯t look good for Guinevere if she got into a fight with someone right now, so he thought it best to distract her from E. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way, Gwen.¡± ¡°Why? Are we going to make a big detour just because she¡¯s there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± the manager chuckled wanly. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be upset, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°What should I be upset about? I¡¯m not going to be bothered by a mere stand-in.¡± Guinevere made sure to emphasize thest words of her sentence when she was passing by Ste. Her manager was utterly stumped. Didn¡¯t E act as her stand -in for just one short scene? Why did she have to bring that up again? But Ste alone could grasp what Guinevere¡¯s words were really implying. Still, it didn¡¯t bother her one bit. In fact, she smiled in amusement, stepping aside to let Guinevere go through. The more indifferent Ste looked, the more it dismayed Guinevere. She snorted haughtily before stomping away from Ste. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Soon afterward, Ste could clearly hear Guinevere¡¯s voice from a distance saying, ¡°I went on a date with Westonst night, and I was so exhausted that I got up Jate this morning. So sorry to keep you guys waiting!¡± The crew could clearly hear how chirpy she sounded, so naturally, they knew exactly how they should react. ¡°You guys are such a sweet couple!¡± one of them gushed. ¡°Thanks, but I really shouldn¡¯t let my private life affect the filming progress. I¡¯m really so sorry, guys¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Your performance was exceptional today! All you needed was one take!¡± The conversation went on and on. Ste¡¯s expressions remained unchanged, but the glimmer in her eyes faded. So that was the real reason why Weston got home sotest night. He was on a date with Guinevere. Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 She had assumed that he¡¯d been really busy at work today, which was why he came homete at night. But in fact, he¡¯d been amodating two women simultaneously while handling a multi-billion dor project. Ste had to begrudgingly admit that he was a rather impressive man. She shook her head, wondering why she¡¯d waste her time thinking about all these meaningless things. She picked up her phone and called Roger. ¡°Sis?¡± he answered almost instantly. ¡°Roger,¡± she replied as she got into the car. ¡°I heard that you came looking for me on set. Why didn¡¯t you call me first?¡± Roger had juste out of the cafeteria, with Riley close on his heels. He was initially delighted to see that Ste was calling him, but hearing her question made him pause. ¡°I was nning to give you a surprise,¡± he exined,¡° but you weren¡¯t there, unfortunately. Anyway, where do you stay right now? Can you give me your address? That way, I can go straight to your house when I want to meet you next time.¡± ¡°You should let me know in advance next time you¡¯reing on set,¡± she told him. ¡°I¡¯m not the boss there. If you show up suddenly and go straight to Bradley Lane like that again, you might cause dys for the shooting.¡± ¡°But Bradley Lane didn¡¯t seem to mind¡­¡± ¡°He was just being polite,¡± argued Ste. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take advantage of people just because they are being gracious to you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Roger relented. ¡°I got it¡­¡± ¡°Have you finished your sses yet?¡± ¡°One more lecture, and I¡¯m done for the day.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll go see youter then. I¡¯m done with filming for the day myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Roger¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you then!¡± ¡°Okay. Are you with Riley right now?¡± Ste was obviously teasing him. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± he snapped, grunting vaguely. Steughed when she heard the beeping tone. She then turned to the driver and said, ¡°Take me to the mall. I¡¯ve got some things to buy.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Steele.¡± Ste soon arrived at the nearest mall. She thought of buying a new set of clothes for Roger, but as she walked past a familiar storefront, she paused and stared at the locked door, lost in thought. Thest time she was there, the staff mistreated her, and she was humiliated by Guinevere Cohen. Although she managed to turn things around in the end, the ce still evoked bad memories in her mind. Nevertheless, it did surprise her that in a short period of time since then, the store was now out of business. An employee of the retail outlet next door was standing nearby weing the customers. When she saw Ste standing there, she approached Ste and struck up a conversation with her. ¡°Hello, there!¡± she chirped. ¡°Were you trying to shop there? That store recently closed down because of their bad service. Why don¡¯t you look around our store instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking to buy men¡¯s clothes, ¡± Ste replied. ¡°Ah, no worries. We¡¯ve got that too!¡± Ste liked the employee¡¯s amiable attitude, so she followed her into the store. ¡°Did that store close down because someone made aint?¡± Ste asked. She remembered asking for their customer service number, but she didn¡¯t actually call them. All she wanted was to give them a scare. But it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if someone else made aint about them, judging by how bad their service was. ¡°I think they must¡¯ve offended someone important,¡± the employee replied. ¡°I heard that there was an incident in the store two days ago. Soon after that, their store was closed, and two employees were fired¡­¡± ¡°How many days ago?¡± Ste interrupted. ¡°When was it exactly?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The employee replied, and a strange look shed across Ste¡¯s face. Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 It happened to be the exact day she bumped into Guinevere Cohen. Was it mere coincidence, or did someonesh out on her behalf? ¡°This is ourtest design, Miss. May I ask how old is the man you¡¯re shopping for?¡± ¡°He¡¯s eighteen.¡± ¡°Ah, perfect! Our new designs have been especially popr among youngsters. They¡¯re modern, fashionable, and made of high-quality materials that¡­¡± Ste listened to the employee intently, hoping to find a set that would suit Roger best. Then, someone appeared outside the store, waving his hands frantically at Ste. However, she didn¡¯t notice him at all. ¡°Excuse me, Miss, but is that gentleman over there your friend?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ste turned in the direction the employee was pointing, and her eyes met with Michael Sealey¡­ She froze. Her pupils shrank. Outside the store, the man in a ck suit was smiling radiantly at her. He seemed to be saying something, but she couldn¡¯t make out his words due to the ss between them. She guessed it must probably be a polite greeting or something Ste took a deep breath to calm herself down and turned to the employee to excuse herself before putting the shirt in her hand down and walking out of the store. Michael stood at the store entrance as if waiting for Ste. His back was facing her. He should be about forty now, yet age had done nothing to him save for endowing him with an air of maturity. With a sessful career added to the mix, it wasn¡¯t hard for Ste to understand why her roommate chose to be with him, even if it meant throwing her honor and decency out the window. But she was no longer Ste Sealey. She was E Steele right now. Even if it was true that she would be facing the rtive who had betrayed her, all she could do right now was to put on a mask of friendly politeness. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± she smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet you here!¡± ¡°Quite a coincidence, indeed, ¡± echoed Michael. He gazed at her with what seemed to be a warm smile on his face. But it didn¡¯t matter how harmless he looked; Ste had seen his true colors a long time ago. ¡°Is your wife not with you today?¡± Ste asked, tilting her head to look behind him. ¡°She¡¯s still a little shaken emotionally, so she¡¯s still resting at home.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Michael Sealey,¡± he cut her off before she could finish. ¡°I just want to apologize once again for mistaking you for someone else that day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she replied briefly. ¡°I get mistaken for her a lot, actually. I must really look like the woman named Ste¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t just look like her,¡± Michael interjected, eyeing Ste up and down. ¡°You¡¯re basically identical to her in every way. Even your names sound simr. If I didn¡¯t know that Ste died a long time ago, I would¡¯ve thought she¡¯s standing before me right now.¡± ¡°But the dead don¡¯te back to life,¡± Ste shrugged.¡± You both should try to move on from her death. If Ste knew that so many people cared about her, she would¡¯ve been happy.¡± ¡°Happy?¡± Michael¡¯s sunny countenance was suddenly clouded over. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. In fact, I¡¯m afraid she might bear a grudge against me.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Ste pursed her lips, ¡°that¡¯s a private matter of your family. I¡¯m just an outsider ; it¡¯s best I don¡¯t poke my nose in it.¡± Michael took a step back, smiled, and said, ¡°I saw you buying a man¡¯s suit just now. Is it for your boyfriend? You¡¯re not married yet, I presume?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste denied before she could think about it. ¡°Oh?¡± Michael raised his brows. ¡°Then who is it for? Don¡¯t tell me that you happen to have a brother too?¡± Ste could see that his eyes were full of suspicion. She couldn¡¯t admit to that, of course, so she tried changing the subject. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m a little busy, so¡­¡± ¡°Why do you seem so scared of me?¡± Michael interrupted her again before chuckling. He suddenly stepped closer to her and stared her down. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Michael Sealey was a man who yearned for total control in all circumstances. Ste had always looked up to him as an affable and friendly man in her young ignorant days, but she finally realized that he was actually your ssic two-faced hypocrite. ¡°Of course not. Why would you think that way? We aren¡¯t close, and just because I look like your rtive¡­¡± She left her sentence hanging as a sign of her tacit rejection, and Michael caught her hint. ¡°Pardon me for bothering you. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°Please, give me a chance to express my apology,¡± Michael insisted sincerely. ¡°Really, there¡¯s no need.¡± Ste furrowed her brows to express her annoyance. ¡°All right, in that case, I shan¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± Michael knew that it was time for him to draw the line. ¡°But please, at least let me give you a ride?¡± Ste opened her mouth to reject him, but before she Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. could speak, someone put an arm around her shoulders, and she felt herself being pulled into a familiar embrace. ¡°This is¡­?¡± A low voice asked from above her head. Ste looked up and stared right into Weston¡¯s eyes. He wore a smart suit; his face was exquisite as usual, with his entire appearance as eye-catching and stunning as they came. His gaze softened as he looked back at Ste. ¡°Have you been waiting for long?¡± Michael¡¯s interest was piqued the moment he saw Weston, who had suddenly appeared. ¡°Is this¡­ Mr. Ford of Ford Corporation?¡± Weston turned to look at him. ¡°It seems you know me.¡± ¡°Of course, the illustrious Mr. Ford. Famous even overseas,¡± Michael stuck his hand out. ¡°I¡¯m Michael Sealey, General Manager of Chroma Inc.¡± Weston shook hands with him, though he looked disinterested in the man. With his other hand still around Ste¡¯s shoulders, Weston pushed her into his side with more force. ¡°Done shopping?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Nothing really caught my eye¡­¡± ¡°Thien, let¡¯s head back.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Hang on!¡± Michael stopped them with a smile on his face. ¡°Meeting here all together shows that we have an affinity. Why don¡¯t I treat you both to a meal?¡± Weston didn¡¯t reply to him immediately but instead lowered his head toward Ste. She remained silent as she subtly drew a cross on his palm with her finger. Weston chuckled lowly and grasped her finger in his palm. He turned to Michael and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have somewhere to go. If you have any issues, feel free to make an appointment with my assistant.¡± His response clearly expressed his unwillingness to entertain Michael. Keeping things business-like and professional was sometimes akin to a rejection. Michael naturally understood this and epted Weston¡¯s name card with regret in his heart. ¡°Pardon me for bothering you two.¡± The expression on Weston¡¯s face remained unchanged, clearly unaffected by Michael¡¯s presence. Michael turned to nce at Ste a few more times before finally taking his leave, though he said nothing more. The view of his back disappearing in the distance made Ste finally heave a sigh of relief. Weston continued holding her shoulders and pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Nervous?¡± Ste shook her head, her face dark with displeasure. He remained silent as he guided her in another direction. When they were in the car, Ste shut her eyes before suddenly turning to him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking me who that man was?¡± Weston looked back at her. ¡°Should I be asking you?¡± Ste chuckled, ¡°In the past, you cared about someone like Justin Hall. I thought you would question me¡­¡± Weston furrowed his brows, ¡°You seem to think I¡¯m a man who gets jealous easily.¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Ste¡¯s silence was akin to an agreement. Weston steered the wheel and chuckled to himself. ¡°Do you take me as a three-year-old kid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you behave like one in front of Mr. Hall?¡± Weston scoffed. ¡°Seems like you do care about that man, still standing up for him at a time like this.¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°There you go again¡­¡± She just couldn¡¯t understand why Weston held so much animosity against Justin. In all senses of the word, things were impossible between her and Justin Weston clearly did not want to dwell on Justin any further , remaining silent as he steered the car into the freeway. That was when Ste remembered to ask him, ¡°Why did you suddenlye over to fetch me?¡± Weston looked mildly at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel nervous about facing your uncle alone?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­¡± Weston¡¯s brows arched. ¡°I know that he¡¯s your uncle and that you don¡¯t share much of a rtionship with him.¡± Ste pursed her lips and fell silent. Indeed, given Weston¡¯s identity, he could find out every single detail about her family background. ¡°Since you already know about him, there¡¯s nothing much for me to exin¡­¡± Ste¡¯s heart was heavy, and she remained silent throughout the ride. When they drove past Fern University, she suddenly called out to him to stop the car. ¡°Drop me off here. I agreed to meet Roger.¡± Weston looked at her disapprovingly. ¡°You¡¯re falling right into Michael¡¯s trap if you really meet Roger now. He still doesn¡¯t fully believe that you¡¯re E. If he finds out about Roger, your true identity will be exposed.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ste understood what he meant and remained silent, pursing her lips in thought. A momentter, she texted Roger to tell him that something had cropped upst minute, and she was unable to meet him. Weston nced at her and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. ¡°Even if you were to stop Roger from going to find Michael, Michael might still take the initiative to find Roger. There are many ways to prove whether you are Ste Sealey, one of which involves looking up Roger.¡± St shut her eyes. ¡°Is there a way to prevent Michael from finding Roger?¡± ¡°At this moment, it probably won¡¯te to his mind that Roger is studying at Fern University. However, since Chroma Inc¡¯s business focus has shifted domestically, the chances of bumping into him will inadvertently increase. Unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless Roger goes overseas,¡± Stepleted his sentence, knowing what he implied. This issue couldn¡¯t be dyed any longer. She suddenly remembered something. ¡°He recognizes you too!¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Will he go around shooting his mouth off after seeing us together?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°He¡¯s a smart man. He knows what to say and what not to say.¡± ¡°How are you so confident that he won¡¯t expose your extra-marital affair to the world?¡± Weston chuckled lowly. ¡°Whether or not this is an extra marital affair is one thing. Even so, so what if the world knows about it?¡± His arrogant tone left Ste with an unsettling feeling.¡± Aren¡¯t you worried about the Cohen¡¯s?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t vex yourself over these things. Just focus on staying by my side.¡± The car drove into Stardust Mansion. Weston parked the car and leaned nearer to Ste, lifting her chin. ¡°Your excessive worrying about these issues makes me think that you¡¯re trying to find opportunities to leave me the moment you can.¡± Ste turned her face away. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. I¡¯m just worried about circumstances, that¡¯s all.¡± Weston looked at her, trying to figure out the inner workings of her mind. He turned her face back to him and kissed the corner of her lips. ¡°Just do as I say.¡± Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Weston kept to his word and only allowed Ste to eat junk food once a week. From then on, all the meals that Joan whipped up were nutritious. They tasted delicious, but Ste never had much of an appetite and often ate just a little before returning to her workstation. Joan felt perturbed at the possibility that her cooking skills might have deteriorated . She nced at Weston, who was seated on the couch, and asked, ¡°Sir, shall I cook something else and send it to Ms. Steele?¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± Weston looked in the direction of Ste¡¯s workstation. ¡°Let her be.¡± Joan nodded and went off to busy herself with other things. Ste would be shooting the film¡¯sst scene tomorrow, and she was taking it very seriously. She nced at the clock and noticed that it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night. She stretched her arms out and saw a dim lighting from the corridor outside. That indicated that Weston was probably still awake, and her heart sank. She took out the bottle of medicine and pondered for a moment before popping one. She had just swallowed the pill down with a gulp of water when her door was opened. Weston stood by the doorway, wearing a deep blue robe.¡± Still awake?¡± He had washed up and was ready for bed; his usually neat, slicked-back hair drooped casually at the side of his forehead, softening his sharp, handsome features. Ste put down the script in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just about to sleep.¡± Weston nodded and turned to leave, though he left the door ajar behind him. Ste walked into the bedroom and saw Weston already on the bed. When he saw her enter the room, he put down the book in his hand. ¡°Go take a shower,¡± he told her. Ste nodded and walked into the bathroom. The warm water sshed on her body, apanying the rise in her body temperature as the medicine took its effect. She shut her eyes and stood under the shower, trying to recall what time she had taken the medicine. Perhaps it was because she had been taking so muchtely that she felt its effects more intensely during this period. Conversely, she would feel more tired after the medicine¡¯s effects faded. There were still two more weeks before Zeta was scheduled to return from her business trip. Only until then was she able to get her hands on some new medicine. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They had sex tilltest night, and Weston didn¡¯t intend to do anything to her tonight. A while after the shower stopped running, he saw Ste walking out dressed in a robe. Before he spoke a word, she threw open the covers and dove into bed. Her slightly cold skin touched him, carrying with it moisture fresh from her shower. The temperature began rising. He furrowed his brows and pressed the back of his hand on her forehead. ¡°Do you feel sick again?¡± Ste shook her head. The smell and temperature of his body surrounded her and stole her senses. She rubbed her forehead submissively against his palm and crooned, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep Although that was what she suggested, her actionspletely contrasted with her statement. Weston grabbed her arm and surveyed her. ¡°You didn¡¯t get enough restst night, and you¡¯re still trying to create trouble for yourself tonight?¡± Ste remained silent as she reached out to unravel his robe sash. Weston grabbed her wrist before she could do any further damage. He flipped her around, and both of them instantly changed positions. He hovered above her, and even amid her hazy daze, she could feel his intense stare. Weston lifted her chin and gave her a hard kiss. It was like a raging fire encountering light, gentle rain, vaporizing it in an instant, then repeating itself again in endless torrents. The next morning. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Ste woke up eventer than before. Her whole body ached as though her limbs no longer belonged to her. Her knees felt weak, and she almost copsed on the carpet when she got up. As usual, Weston woke up earlier than her, and he was already seated at the dining table when she came downstairs. Joan had prepared breakfast and was walking out of the kitchen when she saw Ste. ¡°Ms. Steele,¡± she greeted. ¡°Awake already?¡± Weston put down the book in his hand and nced in her direction. ¡°Have some breakfast.¡± Ste nodded and walked toward him, her footsteps heavy. She sat down and nced at his book resting on the table. She asked with curiosity, ¡°What book is that you¡¯re reading?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She also saw him reading this bookst night, but its cover was in anguage she did not recognize. Weston said coolly, ¡°A French book. Eat something first.¡± He caressed her head and put the book away. Ste retracted her gaze and sipped at her milk. It was warmed to a perfect degree and slid down her throat with rtive ease. The sensation gave her momentary reprieve from her fatigue, but her voice was still hoarse. She cleared her throat as arge hand reached over to brush away the crumbs at the corner of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re as messy as a child.¡± Ste lowered her head and grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. Weston retracted his hand and lowered his gaze at her,¡± I¡¯ll be going to work in half an hour. You better say whatever you want to say now, or you¡¯ll have to hold it in for the rest of the day.¡± He had always been able to see through her in one nce. Ste coughed and looked up at him. ¡°That clothing store in the mall¡­ did you do it?¡± ¡°Phrase your question clearer.¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°The employee of that shop was fired, and the shop closed down as well¡­¡± ¡°And so? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± he said nonchntly as if it didn¡¯t matter to him one bit. Ste suddenly looked up at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t even specify which shop it is. How do you know which I was referring to?¡± 1 Weston held her hand and used a napkin to wipe her fingers. After her fingers were all clean, he flung the napkin aside and said, ¡°Since you were bullied in the first ce, what¡¯s wrong with me bullying them back?¡± It was him, indeed. Ste let him wipe his hand and hold her wrist. His slightly calloused thumb rubbed back and forth on the back of her palm. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t bother yourself with such trivial matters¡­¡± she said quietly. ¡°As long as it makes you happy,¡± Weston chimed as he lifted her chin to make her look into his eyes. ¡°Tell me, are you happy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Ste looked back into his eyes and said slowly. She went on cautiously, ¡°It was clearly Guinevere who created trouble. You promised that you would never let her make things difficult for me. Are you breaking your promise now?¡± Her crystal clear eyes held no trace of other emotions. Weston looked deeply at her as if he could see through herpletely. ¡°Do you know what you look like right now?¡± He answered his own question, ¡°You look like you¡¯re jealous.¡± Ste kept herself calm, defiantly arguing back. ¡°Do you know what you look like right now?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re guilty.¡± Weston found herment hrious. ¡°Hah! Guilty?¡± ¡°Yes. You promised that you wouldn¡¯t let Guinevere do anything to me, yet she provoked me multiple times. Aside from dealing with some unimportant people, you¡¯ve never actually dealt with her harshly,¡± Ste exined, going straight to the point. ¡°You want me to deal with her harshly?¡± ¡°I just think that it¡¯s wrong to promise something that you can¡¯t fulfill.¡± Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Weston¡¯s eyes turned dark. ¡°Where did you learn this from? Negotiation and keeping scores.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already suffered in your hands once, and I needed to learn how to protect myself.¡± Ste suddenly leaned closer and positioned her chin in his palm. She looked innocently at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you like me?¡± She turned her face up at him, shooting him a look that looked dangerously like the look she gave him last night. She waspletely at his mercy, with tears falling down her cheeks, either from ecstasy or unfulfilled desires. Weston pinched her chin and bit the corner of her lip. Only after she yelped in pain did he finally let go. ¡°As you wish,¡± he said. At Fern University. Ste saw Roger holding a book in his hand and sprinting towards her. She immediately strode to him with brisk steps. ¡°Slow down! Why don¡¯t you have an umbre with you?¡± Roger rushed under the shelter of her umbre, cing one arm over her shoulders and the other taking over the umbre from her. Both of them walked in the rain towards the entrance of the school. ¡°I saw that it was just a short walk and didn¡¯t want to keep you waiting.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste looked at him helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this next time. You haven¡¯t fully recovered, don¡¯t expose yourself to the rain.¡± ¡°All right, I got it,¡± Roger had her nag about this for the umpteenth time. Ste red at him, which made him say solemnly, ¡°I really got it. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Ste heaved a sigh of relief. He was too young and energetic, often neglecting his own health. He seldom took her words seriously and would only pay more attention whenever she pretended to be angry. ¡°Why did youe alone today? Where is Riley?¡± Ste asked. Roger rubbed his nose and said, clearly ufortable with the shift in topic. ¡°Why are you asking about her? She¡¯s not your sister.¡± Ste red at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you treat her better?¡± ¡°Why must I? She¡¯s not my sister.¡± ¡°But she likes you. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± ¡°So what? Must I like her back just because she likes me?¡± ¡°Roger Sealey!¡± Ste raised her voice. Roger immediately piped down. ¡°All right, all right. Let¡¯s stop talking about her.¡± The two walked out of the school entrance and hailed a cab. When Roger heard the destination Ste had in mind, he asked, ¡°Ste, did you strike it rich? Why are we going to such an expensive ce?¡± Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 651 ¡°Yeah, I received my pay and wanted to treat you to something nice since you¡¯re about to go overseas.¡± She went on hesitantly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite Riley to join us? By way of expressing my thanks to her.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Roger shrugged. Ste had already made reservations at the restaurant. After cing her order, she thought about it before saying solemnly to Roger, ¡°If you really don¡¯t like Riley and see no possibility of being with her, find a time and make things clear with her. The longer you drag things out, the greater the hurt you¡¯ll cause her. Do you understand?¡± Roger furrowed his brows. ¡°Why do you keep talking to me about her? I¡¯m about to go overseas. Let¡¯s not talk about outsiders!¡± Ste reached out to rub her head. ¡°You brat! Do you really know that you¡¯re going overseas soon? Now that you¡¯re all grown up, I can¡¯t always be by your side, and you¡¯ll get to know new people. Riley will be going with you on your studies abroad. It is imperative that you handle your rtionship with her, leave no regrets or hurt her, do you get me?¡± Roger was beginning to get annoyed with her nagging.¡± Then I¡¯ll just stay here and keep you company!¡± He was saying it as a casual remark, but Ste¡¯s face fell immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it! Do you think you¡¯re still a child, making such immature remarks whenever you please? Don¡¯t joke about your future!¡± Roger didn¡¯t expect her to be so agitated. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Okay, I get you¡­¡± Ste didn¡¯t know how sincere he was. She pondered about it for a moment and eventually decided to tell him, ¡°I met Michael two days ago¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Roger¡¯s eyes widened, and he almost stood up.¡° Isn¡¯t he supposed to be overseas?¡± ¡°Yes, he recently came back,¡± Ste pressed his shoulders to sit him back down. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Hear me out. I met him at a shopping mall yesterday, and he was with Diana. They recognized me at first, but I told them I wasn¡¯t Ste Sealey, but E Steele. They barely believed me, though. I think Michael has his doubts.¡± Roger began to get worried. ¡°Whatever it is, it is rather unbelievable that there are two people who look so alike.¡± ¡°Looking simr might be something that could be overlooked, but if they see you in Fern City, then they would never believe me¡­¡± That was what worried Ste the most. Roger was still rather hesitant. ¡°So what if Michael knew? We¡¯ve cut all ties with him a long¡­¡± ¡°Do you remember how he treated us back then?¡± Roger fell silent the moment Ste asked him the question. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Of course, it was still in his mind. Back then, their parents died in a ne crash, and he was bedridden from the trauma. Ste was left to host the funeral alone and clean up the Sealey family¡¯s mess. As young and ignorant children who had barely mingled with society, they werepletely taken advantage of by the older family members, who even chased them out of the family. They did not even leave them a single cent for Roger¡¯s medical bills. They wouldn¡¯t have been so impoverished and destitute if it weren¡¯t for Michael. They wouldn¡¯t have had to bow down to Weston Ford just so they could settle the medical bills, and they wouldn¡¯t have found themselves in their current, sorry plight. Past memories came flooding back into Roger¡¯s mind, making hatred arise in his heart. ¡°If I were to see him in the flesh, I certainly won¡¯t spare him!¡± He wanted to ask Michael why he was so cruel to them back then. In retrospect, he had been so nurturing to them when their father was still alive. Ste shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s doing very well now. You should try your best to avoid appearing before him. If he were to know that I am Ste Sealey, he would surely find a way to deal with us.¡± Since they had decided to start afresh, they shouldn¡¯t get involved with anyone from their past. Roger understood her rationale and nodded. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he saw two people entering the front corridor. His eyes froze as he trembled violently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ste followed his gaze and was about to turn her head when Roger reached out to turn her head around. ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t look!¡± But it was toote. Ste saw Weston and Guinevere at the entrance. He was in an impably sleek suit, making him look all tall and handsome, while the stunning woman next to himtched onto his arm. They were like a match made in heaven. Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Roger was still unaware of things between Ste and Weston. As such, his first response upon seeing Weston and Guinevere was to avoid having Ste see them, lest the sight of them would ruin her day. However, since Ste had spotted the two, he saw no need to continue the charade. He looked at his sister with concern. ¡°Ste, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just an unabashed couple. You¡¯ll easily find a better man in the future.¡± Ste¡¯s face remained expressionless as she retracted her gaze. She shook her head and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should be bothered by.¡± Roger remained silent as he surveyed Ste nervously. Ste looked up and smiled at him. ¡°Are you worried about me because you think that I still have feelings for Weston?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Roger immediately denied her im. He furrowed his brows and went on, ¡°How could a man like him be worthy of my sister?¡± ¡°Therefore, just avoid them the next time you see them.¡± What Roger really wanted to do was to give Weston a good beating, but he knew that it would only serve to create trouble for Ste. Thus, he chose to remain silent instead. At the reception counter. Guinevere hooked her arm around Weston¡¯s. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be very busy during this period. To think that you actually have the time to treat me to a meal¡­¡± When she received Ben¡¯s call, she became exceedingly ttered and overwhelmed. After all, ever since that incident with Ste, she had been the one taking the initiative rather than Weston. This was, in fact, the first time he invited her out. Was it because she took the initiative to seek reconciliation at his office thest time? Her parents were right-all men were the same. They might fancy novelty, but they would be even more appreciative of a generous woman. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g If she were to micro-manage, it would only serve to annoy him further. But if she were to give him the freedom he wanted, it would make him like her even more. What she needed right now was to be even more understanding to him than E. Given her status, Guinevere had to disguise herself whenever she went out so she would not be recognized. It was a natural choice to reserve a private room, which happened to be opposite the cubicle Ste and Roger were dining in. After seeing both of them leave , Roger heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°They¡¯re finally gone.¡± Ste, who was initially nonchnt about their appearance , suddenly burst outughing at the look of hatred on Roger¡¯s face. ¡°What are youughing about? How could youugh about this!¡± Roger looked at her, confused. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡¯ The two are bound to be together,¡± Ste shrugged casually. ¡°Me, angry?¡± Roger scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m raging! I can¡¯t believe I used to think Weston was a decent man who could care for you.¡± He must have been blind back then to even call Weston his brother-inw when he ended up not caring about Ste a single bit. ¡°If I weren¡¯t sick back then, I would have beaten him senseless!¡± The waiter began serving them their dishes. Ste poured him a cup of water. ¡°Didn¡¯t you punch him once already?¡± Roger took over the cup from her and took a huge gulp. ¡°I was sick back then and didn¡¯t exert full strength¡­¡± The fire burning in his heart showed no signs of subsiding. ¡°You¡¯re the one who officially got married to him, yet rumors are spreading everywhere about how Guinevere is Weston¡¯s first love. How could that woman be so shameless?¡± Whatever it was, his sister was the one who registered her marriage with Weston. Why did she have to be the one to retreat the moment Guinevere appeared? What did they take his sister for? ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s stop thinking about these people,¡± Ste patted his head affectionately. ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy our meal. After you go overseas, we¡¯ll have very few chances to share a meal.¡± Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Roger finally decided to swallow his words. Anger boiled in his heart. He really did not want to go abroad under the sponsorship of Weston¡¯s company. But he knew that Ste would be distraught if he told her his true thoughts. Left with little choice, he could only hide his true feelings deep inside. In the private room. Guinevere shrugged off her coat and sat opposite Weston. She smiled and said, ¡°This is our first official date after I gave birth. What a day to remember.¡± Weston browsed through the menu and handed it to her.¡± See what you¡¯d like to eat.¡± He had never been warm or emotional toward her. Guinevere had long been used to his temperament, and though her smile waned a little, it did little to douse her excitement. ¡°I heard that this restaurant serves great caviar, and coincidentally, it¡¯s currently the caviar season. Shall we give it a try?¡± ¡°You decide.¡± Guinevere nodded and ced her order. She suddenly remembered something. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to eat?¡± She never knew Weston¡¯s taste preferences. Thest time she cooked for him, she had no idea if it was to his liking, though he finished the meal. Weston¡¯s tone was mild. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes shifted; her enthusiasm slightly doused. ¡°Then I¡¯ll order a portion of steak.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After she ced the order, both of them fell silent with nothing else to talk about. Guinevere tried to search for amon topic. ¡°Have you been very busy at work recently? I heard my parents say the western suburb project is progressing very quickly. Do take care of your health.¡± Weston nodded, his mouth glued as he continued reading the documents in his hands. Guinevereined in a well- measured coquettishness, ¡°You¡¯re on a date with me, but your mind is still on your work. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± Weston put down the documents in his hand. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Guinevere cupped her chin in her palms. ¡°This movie of mine is almost don¡¯t filming. I¡¯ll have some time after the promotional period. I heard there¡¯d be a break period after this phase of the project is over. Shall we go on a holiday?¡± Weston ced his hands on the table, his fingers lightly tapping on the surface. His eyes were deep and dark as usual, and his thoughts unfathomable to others. Guinevere felt inexplicably uneasy, being stared at by him in that way. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just think that perhaps you might not have the time.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Guinevere countered with a smile.¡° I¡¯ll especially carve out time for the holiday. As long as you have the time, we can set off anytime!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston picked up his cup and sipped on it. His movement revealed his wristwatch , the one that he had been wearing a long time ago. Guinevere remembered the watch , the one Wendy had given him during hising-of-age celebration. Weston might look nonchnt about many things, but he merely chose to hide his thoughts in his heart. That thought made her gaze soften affectionately. She believed that she would have a ce in the heart of such a sentimental man. ¡°Weston, do you have anything to say to me?¡± Guinevere said tenderly, ¡°If you are unable to make time from work, it¡¯s fine. I can wait for you. We don¡¯t need to go on a holiday immediately.¡± Weston remained silent as he stared at the cup in his hands. His long fingers tapped on the ss. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be busy figuring out how to make life difficult for others in the crew.¡± The smile on Guinevere¡¯s face disappeared in a sh.¡± What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be busy spending all your time thinking about how to deal with other people and wouldn¡¯t have the energy for anything else,¡± Weston repeated, something that he rarely did. Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Guinevere was in disbelief as her face paled. She snapped back to attention and asked incisively, ¡°Did someone tell you something?¡± ¡°Seems like you know exactly what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Weston looked up at her. Guinevere took a deep breath and suddenly chuckled rather self-derisively. ¡°So the purpose of this date was actually to seek justice for E Steele?¡± Before Weston could reply, she went on the defensive and folded her arms around her chest, saying with an air of indifference, ¡°I knew at that time that she wouldin to you, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so quick about it¡­ how petty.¡± She surveyed her nails and went on, ¡°Weston, I can understand that men like you fancy a little novelty outside, but isn¡¯t this rather bad taste on your part?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Weston remained silent, letting her go on. Guinevere poured a cup of water and took a couple of sips. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want history repeating itself,¡± Weston said leisurely but with a trace of coldness in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know very well what you should be doing.¡± Guinevere kept sipping on her water in an attempt to douse the rage rising in her throat. Trying to act magnanimous, she said, ¡°Of course, do you think I¡¯ll stoop to E¡¯s level? She likes creating trouble for you, but I don¡¯t. I just find it tiresome for you.¡± She shrugged and said with feigned nonchnce , ¡°E obviouslyined to you that I picked on her during the shooting, right? She probably misunderstood me. Why would I bother picking on someone who poses no threat to me? That¡¯ll only serve to devalue me.¡± ¡°Try to think of something else to say that sounds more convincing,¡± Weston didn¡¯t make things explicit, but his tone made his thoughts clear. Guinevere saw the waiter serving their dishes and had to keep her temper in check. ¡°Hello, Sir and Madam, your orders are all served. Please enjoy your dinner.¡± After he left, the two were once again alone in the private room. Guinevere turned to look at Weston. ¡°Weston, are you thinking of making me apologize to her?¡± ¡°If you really did what you did, isn¡¯t an apology necessary?¡± Weston picked up the fork and knife leisurely and talked like he was chatting about the weather, but the imposing tone was hard to ignore. Guinevere knew that he wasn¡¯t negotiating with her and her fists clenched so tightly around her cutlery it was as if blood would begin oozing out any moment. The next second, she released her grip and said, ¡°It was just a misunderstanding . A simple exnation will do. I¡¯ve never picked on her. She¡¯s the one overthinking things.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t pinpointed any particr incident, but it seems like you¡¯re very clear about what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Weston said mildly, cing the steak he had sliced into her te and exchanging it with her uncut one. Such a thoughtful and gentlemanly move had be a habit to Weston. But Guinevere couldn¡¯t stop her heart from melting, ¡°I know. She just thinks I bullied her that day at the mall, right?¡± Guinevere knew that there was no point hiding from a man like Weston. He was a brilliant man and would never be fooled by anyone. Many a time, he merely wasn¡¯t bothered to expose another person¡¯s lies. Therefore, she decided to admit it openly. ¡°I did act rashly that day, but I wasn¡¯t targeting her. I mistakenly thought she was one of those vain girls who loved to buy imitation goods online because she couldn¡¯t afford the authentic ones. I know I¡¯ve always looked down on people like that, which is why I intervened. I didn¡¯t expect her to misunderstand me.¡± She picked up her wine ss and clinked it against Weston¡¯s ss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll settle this. When it comes to things between women, I know better than you.¡± Weston remained silent as he picked up his wine ss and sipped on it. However, a momentter, he looked up at Guinevere and said, ¡°I won¡¯t allow E to be poor and shabby, so don¡¯t mistake her as vain and unable to afford such things.¡± The smile stered on Guinevere¡¯s face faded instantly, and she could not force a smile no matter how she tried. Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Guinevere picked up her wine ss and finished the remaining contents in one gulp. She looked back at Weston. ¡°I know what you mean. Sure, I can apologize to her, but you must promise me one thing.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Guinevere took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile,¡± I don¡¯t want someone insignificant ruining our rtionship. I¡¯m not as immature and insensible as E, and I¡¯m fine with you wanting to cate her. She¡¯s just another toy of yours that you¡¯ll lose interest in soon, after which she¡¯ll be nothing, and there¡¯s no need for me to stoop to her level¡­¡± ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Weston cut her off, his tone betraying his annoyance. Guinevere paused for a moment, pretending that she did not hear what he said. ¡°I want you to take some time to go on a holiday with Zack and me. His grandmother keeps talking about the three of us getting together for family bonding.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. with that, she ced her hand on the back of Weston¡¯s and gently tapped her fingers coquettishly on it. ¡°Well?¡± Roger came out to meet Ste over his lunch break and had to return to campus soon. After their meal, Ste was to send him back to school. She called for a cab and was about to enter it when Roger said, ¡°Ste, I can head back by myself. You don¡¯t need to send me back.¡± Ste paused mid-stride, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Roger said helplessly , ¡°Please, I¡¯m a full-grown adult. Will anything happen to me on a cab back to school?¡± He was right, but didn¡¯t Roger always like to stick with her? Why did he suddenly stop her from sending him back to school? Roger saw her pause in her movement, lifted his hand, and waved it in front of her. ¡°Ste, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be independent from now on and won¡¯t let you worry.¡± Ste looked at him, d to see him behaving maturely.¡± Good that you think that way.¡± With that, she shut the cab¡¯s door and looked at it drive off. In the car. Roger looked back at Ste who slowly disappeared into the distance and heaved a sigh of relief. He said to the driver , ¡°Send me to this cake shop before going to this school.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Riley, he would have wanted to spend more time with Ste. It was all because she kept demanding this particr cake and made him bring it back for her. He felt frustrated inside, but for some reason, he did not reject her request. After seeing Roger off, Ste was fully intending to leave. She did not want to bump into Weston and Guinevere. But, as Murphy¡¯sw states, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. She had just turned around when she saw the two exiting the restaurant. She immediately took a sidestep to avoid them. But it was toote. Guinevere was holding onto Weston¡¯s arm and looking up at him to say something. She felt a sudden movement from the side, looked over, and locked eyes with Ste. Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Guinevere¡¯s face froze. A momentter, she instinctively furrowed her brows. Naturally repulsed at the sight of Ste, she was about to say something when she remembered that Weston was still next to her. She collected herself, pretended not to see Ste, and continued talking to Weston. ¡°The dishes were not bad today. What did you think?¡± Weston couldn¡¯t see Ste from his angle. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the car?¡± he said mildly, ignoring her question. Guinevere held onto his arm intimately. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a stroll together, okay?¡± Weston frowned and nced at his watch. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Guinevere knew that it meant that he needed to return to work. She tightened her grip over his arm, saying coquettishly, ¡°We haven¡¯t been on a date for so long, and it¡¯s so rare that we leave Zack behind at home to just enjoy each other¡¯spany. Can¡¯t you stay with me a while longer?¡± ¡°Where do you want to go for a walk?¡± The two of them began walking over. Ste retracted her gaze upon hearing their conversation. She did not want either of them to notice her presence. Guinevere clearly wanted her to hear their conversation as she deliberately led Weston toward Ste. When she walked past Ste, she suddenly slipped.¡± Ahh!¡± She shrieked, prompting Weston to instinctively reach out to steady her. ¡°Be careful.¡± Guinevere identally bumped into Ste, and Ste stumbled a few steps back. She stepped aside hurriedly with a hiss of pain. Weston looked over at her. Ste immediately lowered her head so that he wouldn¡¯t see her face. She didn¡¯t say a word and turned to leave. Guinevere saw Weston noticing Ste and immediately leaned into his arms, moaning in pain, ¡°I think I sprained my foot¡­¡± Weston turned back to look at her, his brow furrowing,¡± Can you still walk?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably not¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I probably sprained my ankle. What should we do?¡± Weston didn¡¯t say anything further but simply hauled her up in his arms. ¡°Be more careful next time.¡± From the vantage point of being in Weston¡¯s arms, Guinevere looked incisively at Ste. Ste couldn¡¯t be bothered to spare both of them another gaze and simply walked in the opposite direction. Guinevere suddenly thought of something and looked in the direction that Ste left, ¡°I think I identally bumped into someone just now. Why did she just leave without a peep?¡± Weston remained silent. When they arrived at the parking lot, he settle Guinevere onto the seat and instructed the driver to start the engine. Guinevere was rather confused upon seeing him looking like he was leaving. She grabbed a corner of his shirt.¡° Aren¡¯t you going back with me?¡± ¡°Are you not done with acting yet?¡± Weston looked down at her, his eyes looking both sympathetic and heartless at the same time. Guinevere sat silent for a moment. ¡°What do you mean? I really identally sprained my foot just now.¡± Weston pulled his arm away. ¡°I hope you took to heart what I said just now, that you truly understand what I mean, and stop spending unnecessary energy on things that you shouldn¡¯t be doing.¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes shifted. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Do you think I was pretending to sprain my foot? Yes, I did exaggerate things, but I really injured my ankle. I merely needed your help to carry me back to the car. Was that asking too much?¡± Weston rubbed the middle of his brows. ¡°Go home and have a good rest.¡± The look of him not even willing to say more to her made tears well up in Guinevere¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you going to look for her right now?¡± Both of them knew who she was referring to. Weston paused for a moment and left without turning back and replying to her. Guinevere clenched her fists as she looked at his retreating figure. She suddenly yelled out loud, ¡°Weston Ford, remember what you promised me!¡± It¡¯s all right, she said to herself. He might find Ste novel at this point and spend all the time he wanted with her, no problem. He would eventually return to her and Zack. She didn¡¯t need to be anxious or worried. She could wait. On another street, Ste pulled the strap on her bag and headed towards a taxi stand. Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Ste¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Sensing that it was a message from Weston, she did not take her phone out. After walking a few more steps, a call came as if the texter knew her thoughts. She didn¡¯t pick up the call, but her phone kept ringing. Hence, she stopped walking and took a deep breath before answering the call. ¡°Hello?¡± A low male voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Come to the car and wait for me.¡± ¡°Hello? I¡¯m at¡­¡± He had hung up before she could finish. Ste furrowed her brows, feeling anger boiling inside. She ignored him and continued walking. The next moment, a ck car pulled up to her. She recognized it as the one in charge of fetching her around. As she expected, the car stopped right in front of her, and the windows rolled down to reveal the driver¡¯s familiar face. ¡°Ms. Steele, Mr. Ford instructed me toe over to fetch you. Please get in.¡± ¡°I have something else to attend to,¡± Ste instinctively rejected the ride. The driver looked at her pleadingly, clearly being put in a difficult spot. At that, Ste sighed and decided to get into the car. The car quickly drove towards a premium apartment, losing no time at all. In the parking garage, Ste looked at the driver and asked, ¡°Where are we?¡± The driver shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself. Mr. Ford gave me this address and said that he woulde over soon. He asks that wait here for a while for him.¡± Ste was annoyed to no end. She let out a deep breath in frustration and lowered the windows to seek some fresh air. She had just calmed down when she saw Weston¡¯s shy luxury car driving in from the entrance. She paused for a moment and retracted her hand that was on the door handle. She leaned back into her seat and stayed still Very soon, Weston was at her door. Ste wound up the window. His cold but handsome face was right outside it. Seeing Ste clearly bringing the windows up, he rubbed his forehead and nced at the driver. The driver immediately caught his hint and unlocked the car door. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ste heard the sound of the doors unlocking. At the next moment, his hand reached over and hauled her into his arms. The driver immediately shut the door and drove off. The two of them were left in the parking garage. Ste struggled against his grip. ¡°Let me go!¡± Weston pressed her into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Stay still.¡± Ste had no choice but to stop moving obedient, but her resistance was clear on her face. ¡°Let me go, do you hear me?¡± Weston steadied her in his arms and carried her toward the elevator. The elevator doors opened to reveal an empty carriage. He strode right into it and pressed a button. Ste started struggling in his arms again. ¡°Let me go! I can walk by myself!¡± Weston ignored her and continued holding her in his arms. After arriving at a specific floor, he put her down, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her. He kissed her so hard that her lips bled. He only pulled himself back a little when he felt the sharp taste of blood in his mouth. Ste kept struggling against his hold, yelling and kicking him. ¡°Let me go! I said, let me go!¡± Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Chapter 658 She continued thrashing around violently in Weston¡¯s arms. He held her even tighter in his arms and didn¡¯t say a word but continued kissing her with abandon. He kissed her so hard and so intently as if he didn¡¯t want to know what Ste really wanted to say. He kissed her single-mindedly with the goal of making her forget about everything else. Ste punched his shoulders hard. In turn, he pried her mouth open and soaked in her essence, until his jaw felt sore, which was when he slowly began releasing her. Ste felt the air leaving her lungs as she slowly stopped resisting and sunk into his embrace. Her eyes looked soulless as she simply let him be. Weston sensed that she had stopped struggling and became gentler with her. The fearsome biting and tugging ritual slowly melted into soft, tender kisses. His violent over burst was reined in, and she felt he was treating her like a precious treasure. Ste remained in his arms as her strength left her body. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried desperately to swallow them. A tear rolled down her cheeks into the corner of her mouth. Her eyes and the tip of her nose were red, making her look poignantly hopeless. The look on her face made Weston stop whatever he was doing. He leaned his forehead against hers, still panting as he rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and apologized hoarsely. He had lost control of himself. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He instinctively wanted to coax her, but the cold look on her face and the thought of her ignoring him earlier and wanting a fresh start with another man made it a behavior he was unable to ept. The annoyance and frustration brewing inside him made him lose all his senses. He only had one thought: To kiss and possess her to rid her of all those nonsensical thoughts. But what he did had clearly hurt her. Weston rubbed her nose affectionately with his and apologized quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes looked vacant and soulless, and his apology elicited no response from her. A momentter, she looked up at the man before her.¡± Can¡¯t you just stay by Guinevere¡¯s side?¡± Why must hee looking for her and bother her? Why must he torture her? Isn¡¯t it good that he and Guinevere remained together? They were a match made in heaven. Why must he force her? Ste had never been to this apartment before. She sat on the couch with warm tea in her hands, but she didn¡¯t drink it and didn¡¯t say a word. With her head slung low, she remainedpletely silent. She had been to Weston¡¯s Golden Eve Apartment, and the furnishing here was simrly cold and minimalistic as if it had been newly refurbished. Weston walked over from the counter and sat down opposite her. He was silent as well as he poured himself a ss of champagne. He swirled it and took a sip. He leaned back against the couch, the first two buttons of his shirt undone because of Ste¡¯s struggle from earlier. His outstretched arms made the top of his shirt open up to reveal his chest. His tanned chest had scratch marks on them, a clear indication of Ste¡¯s violent resistance against him just now. A long whileter, the air between them finally rxed. Ste took a deep breath and said hoarsely, ¡°Can I go now?¡± Weston sipped his wine and said, ¡°Stay here until you¡¯re done throwing a tantrum.¡± Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ste looked up, her eyes aching with tears. She tried her best to blink them back. ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum¡­¡± A whileter, she added, ¡°I wanted to avoid you both¡­¡± ¡°Are you deliberately saying that to anger me?¡± Weston lifted her chin and gradually tightened his grip. ¡°I had no idea you were there.¡± Ste turned her face away, removing her chin from his fingers. Her evasiveness was clear to him, and he was lost in a daze staring at her petite chin. Ste said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you two to be there. Had I known, I would never have gone there¡­¡± Weston couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with what she said, but he somehow found her words intolerable. ¡°I met her to fulfill your request. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Weston was unable to hold back a second more as he put his arms under her shoulders and hauled her up. He didn¡¯t know which part of her body he touched that made her hiss in pain and furrow her brows. Weston paused for a moment and released his arms.¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± He suddenly recalled that Guinevere had also bumped into Ste when she tripped and sprained her foot. He furrowed her brows and pressed Ste back down on the couch. Then, he turned her around and lifted her shirt to check her injury. Ste found her entire body turned around, and a chill ran up her back. She widened her eyes. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± She instinctively reached out to push his wrist down to stop him from going further, thinking he wanted to be physically intimate. Weston saw her agitated response, and his face darkened. ¡°What did you think I was trying to do?¡± Ste buried her face in the couch and turned her face to the side towards him. She gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resistance. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have sex at such a time His eyes turned pitch-ck. ¡°Am I such a person in your eyes, someone with nothing else in his mind besides sex?¡± Ste remained silent as she gritted her teeth, her posture a clear answer to his question. Weston was so frustrated with her that he was on the verge of bursting intoughter. His tongue brushed his mrs as he suddenly leaned against her back and looked over her shoulders. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already convicted me in your heart, why don¡¯t I just do as you wish? Otherwise, I might let you down.¡± Ste caught his hint and began struggling. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± Weston reached out his hand onto her neck, and leaned into her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. ¡°How am I going to let you in a yearter if you keep behaving like this?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes had be bloodshot from suppressing the indignance she was feeling inside. She could do nothing but force herself to swallow it. His words made her realize that everything between them was nothing but a transaction. She had no right to express her genuine thoughts and feelings. A momentter, Ste took a deep breath and collected herself. ¡°There¡¯s no protection here,¡± she forced herself to say through gritted teeth. It was a sign of submission. Yet, Weston did not feel the joy of victory at all. His patience was wearing thin. Perhaps because he had a taste of how she was like when she loved him, her slipshod attempts and look of humiliation could no longer satisfy him. ¡°Your acting skills are fabulous. No matter what I¡¯ve done to you, you will still do it with me as long as I can satisfy your needs?¡± She should have been angry or jealous or demanded an exnation from him. She shouldn¡¯t have acted the way she did from the start. She shouldn¡¯t have been there, bumping into him and Guinevere and calmly saying she should have avoided them. She was sensible, so sensible to the point of abhorrence. Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Given Weston¡¯s temperament, he¡¯d find a way to make her regret disobeying him if she wouldn¡¯t do it of her own ord. She didn¡¯t want to end up settling this in bed, so she turned around obediently, leaned against the couch, and lifted up her white, long-sleeved shirt. Unlike what Weston did just now, pressing her down and forcefully lifting up her shirt, the feeling was different this time, now that she had taken the initiative. Ste had her back toward him and could not see him swallowing through his constricted throat and his eyes darkening with desire. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She was like an obedientmb, leaning there and allowing someone to have his way with her. However, Weston knew very clearly that she was actually a wolf that hadn¡¯t yet matured. She was pliant and obedient now simply because she wasn¡¯t capable enough. Her eyes were filled with an unwillingness to concede defeat. She gave her all when she loved him, but Weston had no doubts that she would leave him the moment she had the chance. He remained unmoving behind her. Ste turned around to nce at him. She was still kneeling on the couch, and her posture only worsened the entire scene. However, Ste didn¡¯t seem to realize it and even looked at him innocently as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She saw the pitch-ck darkness in his eyes as he cursed under his breath. She felt a force on her neck, pushing her head back. He said in a threatening voice from above, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, then stay still. Don¡¯t seduce me.¡± Ste bit her lip and turned her face around. How was she seducing him? He had finally managed to apply the ointment on her back, and when Ste stood up, she saw him fling the tube of ointment away and charge into the washroom. She looked at his hastily retreating figure and had a guess as to what he was doing there. A glint shed past her eyes as she remained silent. Ste took out her phone and asked Roger if he had safely arrived at school. Roger replied to her very quickly that he had arrived safely at school. She heaved a sigh of relief. Amid the onught of frustrating issues, only Roger could offer her slightfort and reprieve. After he was done settling down overseas for his studies, she would be able to give her all to her career and focus on acting She was lost in her thoughts when the water from the washroom stopped flowing. Ste kept her mobile phone aside and saw Westoning out of the washroom. He was indeed inside, taking a shower. Beads of water hung from the ends of his hair as he strode toward Ste. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the area where I applied the ointment. It¡¯ll probably get better in time.¡± Ste nodded with less resistance than before. In fact, she looked slightly expectant. Weston dried his hair with a towel and sat next to her. He noticed the change in her disposition and kissed her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re in the mood for sex now that I¡¯ve finally managed to calm myself down?¡± Ste was bbergasted. ¡°What are you thinking!¡± She wrinkled her nose, her ears turning red ¡°Doesn¡¯t that expression of yours mean that you want to do it?¡± Weston pinched her cheeks. Ste was rendered speechless by his words, and she pushed him away, not wanting to talk to him. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve applied the ointment, can I go now?¡± She turned her face away. ¡°Go? Where will you go?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± Weston lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes.¡± If you encounter something like this again, don¡¯t just turn around and leave. You can lose your temper with me.¡± Ste suddenly realized what he was talking about and smiled self-derisively. ¡°Are you trying to make things easier for me as a third party?¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Ste felt a pinch in her chin and knew he was angry. She refused to look at him, her expression hard and stubborn. A momentter, Weston sighed, ¡°Ste, what exactly do you want?¡± Ste said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want further trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll solve all of your troubles,¡± his eyes turned dark,¡° But I hope you know what I want.¡± The only thing he yearned for was for things to return to the past. Ste looked straight into his eyes, ¡°I was your wife back then. Who am I to you now? I can¡¯t behave confidently in the way you want me to in front of other people. I still want my dignity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said I can give you everything you want aside from status.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t care for status!¡± Ste yelled. The next moment, she saw Weston¡¯s face change. The apartment felt empty. Ste sat at the bedside and stared dazedly at the key in her hand. She and Weston parted ways acrimoniously again just now. He left the key with her and said he had transferred the apartment under her name. She didn¡¯t fully understand what he meant by that. Did he give her an apartment because she served him pretty well during this period? She smiled self-derisively and chucked the key into the drawer. Just as well, she thought. At the very least, she now had somewhere to go if she didn¡¯t want to see Weston. Spring application for overseas studies was drawing nearer. The time to say goodbye hade when both of them initially thought there was still much time to spend with each other. Ste didn¡¯t see Weston over the past few days, and she enjoyed the free time that came along with that. She took a day¡¯s leave from the crew and returned to the apartment next to Fern University to help Roger pack his things. Roger stood at the door and looked at Ste busying herself around the apartment. For the first time, he did not take the initiative to take over the chores around the house, simply standing by and watching. ¡°When you go overseas, there¡¯ll be no one helping you with yourundry. You must learn to do these things yourself.¡± Roger chuckled and walked toward her. ¡°You make it sound like you never made me do chores around the house here.¡± Although Ste was worried about his health, she never spoiled him. Roger was more diligent than the typical young man. At the very least, he was good with household chores. Ste didn¡¯t want him to overtire himself, but she wanted even more so for him to be able to manage his own life well. She categorized his clothes and ced them neatly in his luggage case. She suddenly recalled that the last time she helped him pack his clothes was very long ago when he first went to university. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She did it with her mother, or rather, her mother was the only one busy packing his clothes, whereas she was just making mischief at the side. Her mother wanted to teach her how to fold clothes, and she had gleefully agreed to it but ended up ying around instead. She thought that her parents would protect her for her whole life and would also help her with her clothes her whole life. Before she turned eighteen years old, she never knew how to do any household chores. Like Roger, both of them were pampered and too sheltered. After that day, she grew up overnight and slowly became like her mother, and the shadow of her parents left their imprint on her. Roger¡¯s eyes suddenly went red, and he turned around.¡° You must take good care of yourself and protect yourself here. Watch for your health, and don¡¯t overwork yourself during filming. An entertainment circle is aplicated ce. You must hold onto your principles and never do bad things for the sake of money. I¡¯ll graduate in no time, and the prospect in my industry is pretty good. We wouldn¡¯t need to worry about money then¡­¡± Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Chapter 663 ¡°All right, I got it. You¡¯re so naggy.¡± Ste cut him off and flung the coat on him. ¡°Remember to bring along more clothes. I heard that it¡¯s very cold there. Call me often, don¡¯t keep thinking that overseas calls are expensive.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Before the atmosphere became too depressing, Ste wiped the corner of her eyes and said, ¡°Riley is still waiting outside. Don¡¯t bete now.¡± Unlike Roger, who had been sheltered all his life and never went overseas, Riley¡¯s family was very open minded and pretty well-off. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She had gone on solo overseas trips many times, and it was obvious that she grew up in a very positive family environment. She was a confident, bright girl, and Ste felt relieved at having Riley apany Roger on his overseas studies. Upon hearing themotion in the room, Riley stood up from the couch she was sitting on. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked. She saw Roger¡¯s reddened eyes and felt a pinch in her heart. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just going overseas? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± Roger remained silent. He shot her a look and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure who will end up being the one taken care of.¡± Riley didn¡¯t stoop to his level and instead hooked her arm around Ste¡¯s arm. ¡°Ste, don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of him and make sure he ends up round and fat!¡± Ste could hold back a chuckle. ¡°If he does anything wrong, you must tell me. Don¡¯t let him bully you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry!¡± Roger said, rather unhappily. ¡°Who¡¯s the bully? What¡¯s more, you¡¯re my sister. How could you side with outsiders?¡± Riley nced at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s about time for us to head to the airport. Shall we¡­go? The car is waiting downstairs.¡± Roger collected himself and looked solemnly at Ste.¡± Ste¡­I¡¯ll be off now.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t want me to see you guys off there?¡± Ste stepped forward. She had wanted to see them off at the airport, but Roger rejected her proposal , saying that if she were to do that, he would surely end up not leaving. Roger nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call you once I arrive.¡± ¡°Sure. Remember, don¡¯t forget to call me. Otherwise , I¡¯ll get worried.¡± After seeing the car drive off, Ste¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red, and she turned around to blow her nose. She was sadder than she imagined she¡¯d be, though she felt inner joy at the oue. She was trapped in this small ce with nowhere else to go. Unlike her, Roger had broader horizons. After they left, she was the only one left in the apartment. Ste sat on the couch unmoving for a long time, staring at the furnishings around the house. A photo of their family hung on the wall, with no dust clinging to it as it was wiped thoroughly every day. She stood up, walked toward the photograph, and reached out to caress every face in the photo. ¡°Dad, Mom, I haven¡¯t let you down, have I?¡± She lowered her eyes. ¡°But perhaps, I have embarrassed you. I will leave Weston Ford as soon as I can. I don¡¯t want such a shameless status for myself, too.¡± She shut her eyes and leaned her forehead against the wall, feeling thankful that she did not introduce Weston to her parents back then. She had wanted to find time to bring Weston to visit her mother¡¯s grave, but all she ended up with was a divorce agreement and Guinevere showing off before her. The thought of the past would dissipate all the moments she had shared with Weston thus far. It was a constant reminder that those sweet and tender moments were all phony. The man had never changed. He had always been amorous yet heartless and cruel. He would dote on you when you were a novelty to him, but when you snapped back to reality, the would be no escaping, save for slow and gradual suffocation. Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Ste was immersed in her memories when the sound of footsteps came from outside the door. She immediately lifted her head and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Ste furrowed her brows and walked over cautiously. ¡°Is it Roger? Did you forget something?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She nced at the clock and noted that it was past the boarding time of their flight. It couldn¡¯t possibly be Roger and Riley. Who could it be, then? They weren¡¯t familiar with the neighbors, and Roger didn¡¯t tell her of any expected deliveries. She held her breath and wondered if it could be Michael outside the door, someone she had been worried about and thinking of over the past few days. During this period before Roger went overseas, she had been on tenterhooks, worried that Michael would find her out and expose her true identity. There was suddenly no more movement outside. Ste didn¡¯t say anything further and simply stood there. A momentter, she heard a familiar low voice of a man.¡± It¡¯s me.¡± Ste heaved a sigh of relief and opened the door.¡± Weston?¡± Wearing a ck coat and standing in the corridor, his towering figure made the passage seem narrow and short, and his imposing aura of grandeur stood in stark contrast with his surroundings. Ste turned sideways and invited him in. ¡°Come on in.¡± Weston walked past her right into the apartment. Ever since thest time they parted ways acrimoniously, Weston had been staying in his office and never returned to Stardust Mansion. Ste adhered to their agreement and went back every day on time, except today. She decided to stay the night here because of Roger but didn¡¯t expect to see Weston. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Ste shut the door and turned around. Suddenly, he turned to face her and pressed her against the door, kissing her hard. Weston shut his eyes and concentrated on the kiss. He pulled her into his arms, pried her mouth open, and reveled in her fragrance. Ever since their fight and the cold war, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for days. Weston was busy with work and did not return to Stardust Mansion for a few consecutive nights, and his movements had a tinge of urgency in them. He did not contact Ste , and neither did Ste contact him as if she did not intend to break the ice with him. The thought made Weston tighten his grip over her, with a slight punitive tone to his aggressive actions. Ste was pressed against the wall, her family photo hanging right above her head. Her parents were smiling warmly and kindly as they looked innocently ahead. Guilt suddenly coursed through her veins. While catching their breaths, Ste stopped him pantingly, ¡°Enough, stop for a while¡­¡± ¡°Not enough,¡± Weston held her chin and kissed her again. ¡°How could so little be enough after kicking me aside for so many days?¡± St remained silent, her tongue feeling sore as her palms pressed against his chest. Even though she did not explicitly reject him, she remained in a resistant posture. The kiss was barely enough to douse Weston¡¯s raging emotions. He leaned his forehead against hers and said in between pants, ¡°Tell me, how many days has it been?¡± Ste shut her eyes, her eyshes trembling. ¡°Four days ¡°Seems like you remember it clearly,¡± Weston rubbed his nose against hers. ¡°Four timester, all right?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± He chuckled quietly. ¡°You¡¯ll seeter if I¡¯m really crazy.¡± He pulled her arm and wrapped them around his waist. Ste was forced to hug him for a long time. After calming herself down, she said, ¡°Roger just left today. I¡¯m not really in the mood¡­¡± Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Chapter 665 She was being honest, and Weston could tell. He ced his hand on her back and caressed her hair. It wasn¡¯t exactly necessary for them to have sex. Simply holding her in his embrace like this had the same effect on him. Weston lowered his head and kissed her hair. ¡°Did you send him off at the airport?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I was afraid that if I were to do that, he might not be able to leave. For all we know, I might leave with him in a moment¡¯s rashness¡­¡± She was joking, but she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her scalp and was forced to lift her head to look into his deep, dark eyes. The warm, affectionate atmosphere faded, leaving behind the precursor of a fearsome storm. ¡°Even if you wanted to leave , you wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± He really didn¡¯t like how Ste always talked about leaving. ¡°Even if you were to leave with him on the ne in a moment of rashness, I will have a way to bring both of you back.¡± Ste¡¯s heart sank, bit by bit. She knew that Weston was capable of doing what he imed. Sending Roger overseas like this was her limit. She shut her eyes and leaned into his embrace. ¡°I know, I won¡¯t leave. You¡¯re here. I won¡¯t go anywhere else.¡± She spoke honeyed words against her conscience and felt his body stiffen up. Ste didn¡¯t know if he believed her or not. She hugged him tightly. Weston looked down at the woman in his arms. He knew clearly how genuine her words were. Yet, he never wanted to expose her. He rested his chin on her head and rubbed gently against it. He sighed deeply. ¡°Why do you always have a way with me.¡± She seemed to always use this trick against him. ¡°Remember your words,¡± Weston released her and lifted her chin, making her look straight into his eyes. He said emphatically , ¡°I¡¯m here. You won¡¯t be going anywhere else.¡± That afternoon was one of their wildest. In the dusk of the evening, the setting sun shone into their apartment which was in an utter mess. Ste had no idea how many times she fainted. She was in and out of her consciousness; everything only ended when she ran out of energy. The air of intimacy was still strong in the room when she finally opened her eyes from a deep sleep. The first thing she saw was the ceiling above her. She blinked, her eyes feeling rather dry and her throat tight and constricted as if she swallowed sandpaper. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As shey on the couch, her body dotted with bites and love marks was covered merely by a thin nket. Ste looked down and took a nce, her temples throbbing. Her first thought was that it would take her ages to put on makeup this time, and she would be at a loss as to what to say if others were to ask. There wasn¡¯t much space on the narrow couch. The moment she moved, the man hugging her to sleep was also awoken. He didn¡¯t open his eyes but instinctively reached out to pull her back into his embrace. ¡°Sleep a while longer.¡± Ste reached for her phone on the coffee table and looked at the time. ¡°It¡¯s almost 6¡­¡± Her voice was hoarse, as expected. What else could it be, after an entire afternoon of wild activity with no rest in between? Weston naturally knew what happened to her voice, and the corners of his mouth lifted wickedly. His hand rested on the back of her neck as he gently pulled her down on his chest. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything on tomorrow. Sleep with me a while longer.¡± Ste struggled against his hold. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything on, but I still need to go for filming tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll send you there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that,¡± Ste rejected him directly. He looked up at her and patientlybed his fingers through her hair. ¡°You do.¡± Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Ste couldn¡¯t be bothered about him. She leaned into his embrace, slightly more alert than before. She unlocked her phone to check out the latest flight timings. Roger¡¯s flight was scheduled tond in around half an hour. She locked her phone andid back down on the couch. Weston lowered his head and kissed her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve assigned people to watch over him. Nothing will happen to him.¡± Ste gradually clenched her fists tight. ¡°You just need to make sure his flightnds safely. There¡¯s no need to keep watching him.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes suddenly opened as he nced at her. His pitch ¨C ck eyes still looked sleepy, and it softened his usual aggressive aura, though it was still keen and sharp as usual, incisively seeing through her thoughts. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯ll do something to him?¡± Ste pursed her lips, remaining silent. Weston toyed with a lock of her hair, his tone mild and unfathomable. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly interested in him; I merely saw how worried you were for his safety and decided to send some people over. If you think it¡¯s unnecessary, I¡¯ll call them back.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡± His voice wasced with fatigue. It was always easy to negotiate with a satisfied man. Ste knew this was a good chance, and she rested on his chest, looking down at him, ¡°Can you don¡¯t ever send your people over to watch him from now on? I want him to concentrate on his studies overseas. If there¡¯s always someone watching him from the side, I¡¯m afraid he might discover something one day and interrupt his studies¡­¡± Weston didn¡¯t say anything and simply looked at her. He stretched out his long arm and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you perform.¡± He put one hand around her waist and caressed her cheeks with another while looking leisurely at her. Ste pursed her lips and sat up. ¡°I still owe you one.¡± She said. She didn¡¯t forget what Weston said just now ¨C Four days, four times. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He always meant what he said. Even a shortfall of one was uneptable. She shall make it up to him. The consequence of wild abandon was having her entire day¡¯s schedule turned topsy turvy. By the time Ste woke up, it was already the next day afternoon. It was soon time for her to report to the crew. Her hair was in a disheveled mess as she rushed to the washroom, gritting her teeth through the pain and aches around her body. After she was done washing herself up, she saw Weston sitting in the living room waiting for her, looking all fresh and alert. When he saw her rushing out for a change of clothes, he leisurely put down the book in his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. You don¡¯t need much time to head over from here. You even have some time for lunch.¡± Ste ignored him as she hurriedly changed into her clothes and looked for her scarf. ¡°I need to arrive earlier for make-up.¡± She stood before the full-length mirror, pondering over how she could cover up the marks on her neck. Weston stood up and walked toward her. Standing behind her, he lifted her hair and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll help you dry your hair, alright?¡± Ste had her scarf in one hand and a hair tie in another, trying to pull her hair into a bun. ¡°I can do it myself. It¡¯ll be faster.¡± ¡°I already told you that you don¡¯t need to rush,¡± Weston looked at her through the mirror. Ste lifted her eyes and looked into his through the mirror. ¡°And whose fault was it? If it weren¡¯t for you last night¡­¡± she argued, clearly upset. She paused for a moment, staring at the hickeys on her skin whileining about Weston¡¯s behaviorst night. Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Chapter 667 ¡°If I don¡¯t head over earlier to prepare, other people might see these marks. How will I exin myself then?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin yourself to anyone,¡± Weston found a hairdryer and switched it on. A gust of warm air blew out of it as hebed his fingers through her wet hair. Ste could only stand in front of him obediently, letting him have his way with her. After he was finally done drying her hair, she grabbed her bag and was ready to charge out of the apartment. Weston stood at the door and pressed her shoulders down. ¡°You really don¡¯t need me to send you there?¡± ¡°No need, just the driver will do.¡± Ste hurriedly changed into a pair of shoes. Weston carried her up, crouched down, and sat her on one of his knees. He used his other hand to put a show on her feet. ¡°So clumsy.¡± ¨C Ste¡¯s feet were hauled off the ground, and she found herself sitting on his thigh the next moment. Their body sizes stood in stark contrast. Her whole body was securely nestled in his arms. She instinctively reached out to hold onto his arm to stabilize herself, and she could feel his firm muscles through her palm. They were like bands of steel that held her in ce. Ste lowered her head to see Weston helping her with her shoes. She stood up and said, ¡®Thank you. I¡¯ll be off then.¡± Weston pulled her wrist and looked down at her. He didn¡¯t say a word but was clearly hinting at something . Ste pursed her lips and turned around slowly. She stood on tiptoes and kissed the corner of his lips. ¡°Will this do?¡± Weston lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss. A momentter, he released a panting Ste. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± The movie¡¯s filming phase was soon ending, and the crew¡¯s atmosphere was slightly different than usual, more solemn. Ste arrived one and a half hours earlier than scheduled, but there were already people beginning preparation work. She didn¡¯t have much time and was soon ready for her make-up and hair as she sat there waiting for the make up artist. ¡°Here so early today?¡± The make-up artist carried her briefcase into the room and was shocked to see Ste. ¡°Bradley isn¡¯t even here yet.¡± Ste looked at herself through the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m slightly nervous, so I wanted toe early and run through my lines once more and find that feeling. I¡¯d hate to dy everyone¡¯s progress.¡± The make-up artist was in awe of her professionalism.¡± Since you¡¯re the first to arrive, I¡¯ll help you with your make-up first.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Aside from Guinevere, who had her own dedicated make up artist, everyone else in the crew shared the same make -up artists, and they often had to wait for their turn. After a while, other actors arrived sessively. The filming process went by rtively smoothly. The final episode wasrgely Guinevere¡¯s scenes, which were filmed very quickly. She was originally prepared for Guinevere toe to her looking for trouble, but she didn¡¯t expect to see Guinevere behaving so professionally from the start to the end of filming. In fact, Guinevere was clearly immersed in her role. She was not awarded the Best Actress in vain, after all. In no time, Ste was simrly immersed in her own character as well, thanks to Guinevere¡¯s outstanding acting It was as if it wasn¡¯t Guinevere who stood before her but the senior warrior with whom she had a love- hate rtionship. After the scene was filmed, Bradley was immensely pleased with it. He nodded profusely and praised Guinevere non-stop. ¡°Very good. This is the standard we go by.¡± He looked into the camera screen and waved his hands at Ste. ¡°E performed pretty well, too. Take a break for now. There¡¯ll be an important fighting scene tomorrow. Go through the moves with the trainer and familiarize yourself with them. Please watch out for your safety.¡± Ste heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Sure. Thanks, Bradley.¡± She was about to leave when Guinevere suddenly called out to her. ¡°Hang on, E. I have something to say to you.¡± Ste halted in her footsteps and turned to look at her.¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Guinevere walked toward her, looking stunning and exquisite as usual, no different from how she usually was. But Ste had an inexplicable feeling that something was off. Guinevere stood before her and said, ¡°We¡¯re almost done filming the movie, and there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to say to you. If I¡¯ve offended you in any way previously, I¡¯m very sorry.¡± With that, everyone on set fell silent. No one expected the reason for Guinevere to call out for Ste to apologize. Almost everyone broke out in cold sweat for E, thinking that Guinevere was creating trouble for her. Even her manager was ready to step forward to stop her. None of them expected Guinevere to apologize to E. ¡­ Is she all right? Since when did the arrogant and bossy Guinevere bow down to anyone? What in the world was going on? A glint shed past Ste¡¯s eyes as she nodded calmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart, what¡¯s more, you didn¡¯t really offend me anyway. I don¡¯t know what you are apologizing for.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Guinevere¡¯s eyes turned dark, but she covered it up with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s good that you weren¡¯t offended. I was still worried that there might be a misunderstanding between the both of us. After all, the conflict between our characters in the movie is rather significant . I¡¯m afraid we get so immersed in our roles that we might bring that rtionship from reel to real life.¡± She nuanced her words very carefully by shifting the me onto their professionalism. ¡°Whatever it is, I should still apologize to you,¡± Guinevere leaned closer to her ear and whispered, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been rather busy during this period, and need to bother you to serve Weston on my behalf. It¡¯s saved me quite some time and energy. In fact, I might have to spend some money hiring a nanny from elsewhere.¡± Ste knew that her apology was but an act put on for others to see. She smiled back at Guinevere and said, ¡° There¡¯s no need for that. He¡¯s very generous inpensating me, too. I didn¡¯t want to do such tedious work to begin with, but he¡¯s the one who refused to let me go.¡± Guinevere gritted her teeth, but her smile remained stered on her face. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind.¡± Guinevere had just stepped away when Angelina walked toward Ste and eximed in disbelief, ¡°E, what just happened? Was I hallucinating or did she actually apologize to you?¡± Ste remainedposed, guessing that Guinevere¡¯s apology was probably Weston¡¯s doing. However, she really didn¡¯t care for such an unwilling, insincere apology. She didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic any further, and instead asked Angelina, ¡°You¡¯re done filming your scenes?¡± ¡°Almost done,¡± she was not done with talking about Guinevere. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange? That¡¯s Guinevere we¡¯re talking about, and she actually apologized to you! The sun¡¯s rising from the west!¡± Everyone else on set was discussing what Guinevere had just done. ¡°Has Guinevere really changed in character recently?¡± ¡°Seems so. She treats the crew members much better nowadays, and she even took the initiative to apologize to E just now¡­¡± ¡°For all you know, it¡¯s really because she just gave birth and has post partum depression, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°We should sympathize more with someone who just gave birth¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not easy going throughbor and taking care of a baby¡­¡± In the washroom. Ste removed her make-up and overheard everyone talking about Guinevere. Just a simple apology was enough to turn the tables on public opinion about her. For people like them who were used to being in high positions, bowing down once was like a huge compromise for them. She shut her eyes, her face paling. Everyone seemed to have forgotten how Guinevere treated her previously. Indeed, such things had a time limit; no one would remember the injustice you faced except for yourself. Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Chapter 669 When she opened her eyes again, beads of tears hung on her eyshes, and she felt a chill running down her spine. She would never forget how Guinevere once almost took her life and killed her only child. Now that Roger had gone overseas, she had nothing else to worry about. At this point, nothing else could stir her up more than the thought of exacting revenge. Because of Bradley¡¯s schedule, the crew brought forward the dinner to celebrate the end of filming. Ste couldn¡¯t find any reason to reject the invitation and joined the dinner with Angelina. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Weston did not return to Stardust Mansion over the past few days, and she did not contact him. Her phone remained silent, and she did not receive multiple missed calls. As much as the atmosphere in this crew was considered rtively harmonious, it was inevitable that the members were divided ording to rank and status. Ste was naturally relegated to the same table as Angelina, whereas Bradley was seated with Guinevere. However, as their tables were very near to each other, Guinevere proposed for dinner to be her treat, and she would cover all expenses for the night. Everyone was eager to sing their praises of her, clearly knowing her well-established position in the industry. Everyone familiar with the industry learned how important it was to get into her good books. ¡°Thanks, Gwen, for watching after the entire crew during this period. Here¡¯s a toast to you.¡± With that, he subconsciously nced toward Ste. Ste, however, was oblivious to the look he shot her. His eyes turned bleak as he lowered his head to sip his wine. The manager observed him the whole time, and his brows furrowed, looking solemn. One of the actors, possibly rather tipsy from too much alcohol , offered to drink on Guinevere¡¯s behalf. ¡°Gwen has to take care of her baby! How can she drink? It won¡¯t be good for breastfeeding.¡± Everyone exchanged nces, not expecting something like this to happen and worried that Guinevere might be offended. Guinevere sighed. ¡°What are you guys thinking? My child is almost one year old. It¡¯s about time to wean him off. What¡¯s more, my child takes form milk. It¡¯s fine for me to drink a little.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Mr. Ford dotes on Gwen so much; he couldn¡¯t bear to let her suffer!¡± A female actress who was rather advanced in years and a mother herself recalled her own experience in child rearing and chimed in, ¡°Infants are notoriously hard to take care of. It¡¯s sometimes truly torturous! Thankfully, Gwen, you have a husband who loves and dotes on you.¡± Guinevere turned bashful at the mention of Weston. ¡°He does treat me pretty well.¡± Everyone began teasing her. She responded to all of them with a smile and finally raised her ss. ¡°Let me share some good news with everyone. Zack is about to celebrate his first birthday. If everyone doesn¡¯t mind, please join us at his party. It¡¯s been great working with you over this period, and I¡¯ve long treated everyone like family, and that¡¯s why I want to share this joy with everyone.¡± Everyone around the table was stunned for a moment before standing up. ¡°We¡¯ll be there. We¡¯ll be there!¡± They weren¡¯t silly, after all, and knew what kind of people would attend Zack¡¯s birthday banquet. For all they knew, a golden opportunityy in wait. Everyone at that table was cheering and toasting away, whereas Ste¡¯s table behaved more mildly. Angelina didn¡¯t think much of things and only cared about eating the food before her. Ste was bored to tears with Guinevere¡¯s performance at the other table. She pulled out her phone and realized that she had missed multiple calls from Weston. She replied to one of his messages: ¡°I¡¯m at a dinner gathering.¡± She thought he wouldn¡¯t reply quickly, given that she had missed all his calls. She didn¡¯t expect him to call her back right away. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Chapter 670 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Ste¡¯s eyes darkened as she whispered to her colleagues seated next to her, ¡°I¡¯ll take this call.¡± Angelina was still busy eating and said in between chews, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Ste left the table in a hurry. On the other end, Yates looked pensively at her retreating figure and said to his manager, ¡°I¡¯m a little tipsy. I¡¯ll head out for some fresh air.¡± His manager furrowed his brows. ¡°You didn¡¯t drink much just now. Sit down.¡± Yates¡¯ face fell. ¡°Do I not have freedom of movement now?¡± He was already repulsed at how his manager overly interfered with his life, especially over these few years when he finally gained a footing for himself in the industry. The more that was so, the more he felt himself living under other people¡¯s control. The manager clearly sensed Yates¡¯ annoyance and found him rather ungrateful but couldn¡¯t confront him about it either. He could only warn him in quietly. ¡°You better watch yourself. You know how you earned your good reputation and how far we¡¯vee, step by painful step. I hope you remember all of that and don¡¯t ruin everything just because of a moment¡¯s rashness!¡± Yates remained silent, his face dark as he stood to leave the table. Guinevere noticed themotion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The manager immediately shot her a smile, ¡°Nothing. Yates can¡¯t really hold his liquor, so he¡¯s heading out for some fresh air.¡± Guinevere arched her brow, ¡°Then he needs to drink more. How can a man like him not know how to hold his liquor?¡± The manager simply chuckled. Guinevere saw the direction in which Yates left, and the corner of her lips lifted as a look of disdain shed past her eyes. At the end of the corridor. There weren¡¯t many people on the small balcony. Ste walked over and nced around her before answering the call. ¡°Hello?¡± A man¡¯s low voice sounded from the other end, ¡°Where is the dinner.¡± Ste told him the address and was greeted with a long moment of silence. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the wine she drank just now, but she was soon out of patience and rubbed in between her brows. ¡°Is there anything else? Otherwise, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± Did he call her so many times just now just to listen to her breathing? Immediately after that, she heard Westonugh in frustration, ¡°Ste, are you doing this on purpose?¡± Ste shook her head to wake herself up. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, so I thought you had nothing else to talk about ¡­¡± ¡°If I had nothing else, why would I call you so many times? Ste, don¡¯t y dumb.¡± Ste leaned against the railing and stared at her toes.¡° Don¡¯t you always use me of being silly? For all you know, I really am dumb.¡± Silence ensued on the other end, clearly stunned by her words. Her words harmed herself as much as they served to harm her opponent. Ste lowered her head and chuckled, her hair falling down her shoulders as darkness shrouded her. From an angle, it didn¡¯t seem like she was on the phone. Rather, it looked more like she was spacing out. Her slender and lithe figure looked ethereal in the dim light. It was the scene that Yates saw when he came over. He slowed down, loathing to ruin such a beautiful scene. He stood there for a moment before finally stepping forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel lonely staying out here by yourself?¡± He said. Ste jumped back in shock and immediately straightened her torso. She looked back. Weston¡¯s low voice sounded from her phone, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Ste pursed her lips and pointed to her phone. That was when Yates realized she was on the phone and looked vexed. He gestured to her and pointed to his own mouth before turning to leave with a wave of his hand. Ste exhaled. Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Chapter 671 It wasn¡¯t until Weston questioned her again that she came to her senses and answered, ¡°It was nothing. It was just a colleague from the crew.¡± He paused for a while, then Ste said, ¡°I¡¯ve been out too long, so I¡¯ll hang up first. We¡¯ll talk about it later!¡± She was getting braver and dared to hand up on him directly. Weston put down the phone and stared at his phone screen with darkened eyes. On the balcony. A gust of wind blew, making Ste more awake. She shook her head. Fortunately, Yates hade to remind her just now; otherwise, standing here for too long would lead to suspicion. Just as she was about to leave, she saw him walking out of the bathroom and smiling at her. ¡°You¡¯re done with your call?¡± She nodded. Yates went up to her and walked side by side with her.¡± Did I scare you just now?¡± Ste smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It was too dark just now, and I didn¡¯t see you on the phone. So, I thought you were standing there alone. Sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ste looked down and deliberately kept a distance from him. He saw it and said helplessly, ¡°Am I a monster that you have to avoid me like this?¡± She was stunned by his sudden question and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you. But your manager probably wouldn¡¯t want you to get too close to me.¡± ¡°¡­ You can tell?¡± Yates suddenly turned around, shoved his hands in his pockets, and gazed into her eyes as he stepped back slowly. Ste could only slow down and follow his pace when he was walking backward. ¡°I think everyone could tell. But I understand that the entertainment industry isplicated, so it¡¯s alright to be on guard¡­¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± He looked down at her face; his eyes flickered. ¡°After so many years, I should have a little personal space. I can discuss work matters with him, but I don¡¯t want him to control me too much.¡± When she heard this, she raised her head, somewhat surprised. Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t talk to her about this. These were his feelings. ¡°I don¡¯t know the situation between the two of you very well¡­¡± She pondered her words before saying, ¡°How about you go back and discuss it with your manager?¡± Yates sighed, ¡°You seem to be very wary of me.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± She smiled before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. The two of them strolled. Fortunately, no one passed by in this corridor. The night was hazy, and it was hard to tell who they were anyway. Yates stared at her and suddenly stopped in his tracks.¡± E.¡± He called out her name. She looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but Yates felt slightly different from his usual self. He raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear.¡± Your hair is a little messy.¡± Before Ste could react, she saw that he had reached out his hand and immediately took a step back. ¡°Yates¡­¡± She was startled. She didn¡¯t expect him to do that all of a sudden. She didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°I can do it myself.¡± After speaking, she stroked her hair a few times and lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Angelina and the others are still waiting for me, so I¡¯d better head in now¡­¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A trace of hurt shed in his eyes as he saw the refusal in her actions. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Yates didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. He looked at her and felt like doing it, so he did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized as he saw the frightened look on her face. Ste avoided his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the private room first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get some air, so I won¡¯t be going in for the time being.¡± He rejected her invitation. Ste nodded and turned around to leave. As she walked, she quickened her pace, as if afraid of being caught up by the people behind her. Her heart was beating a little faster, not because she fancied him, but because she feared the trouble coming along. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew Yates¡¯ actions just now meant something But she had no interest in rtionships, and she had never even nned to develop a rtionship with people in the circle. Besides, she couldn¡¯t have anything going on with other men at all with Wenston around. Even if she got out of his control one day, she wouldn¡¯t choose people from the entertainment circle to date. It was too troublesome, and there would be many difficulties and challenges. Besides, with his personality , Yates wasn¡¯t suitable for dating, and they were in the same crew. If word got out, it would likely be regarded as rumors, and his manager would never allow such a situation. What was he thinking? Just as Ste was about to enter the room, she heard Guinevere¡¯s voiceing from behind her. ¡°Bravo. You got a new man so soon.¡± She stopped and looked back at Guinevere. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Guinevere put her arms on her chest and tapped her delicate manicure on her forearm. ¡°How does it feel, flirting around with Yates?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t cast your dirty thoughts on others. There¡¯s nothing between us; we just ran into each other.¡± Guinevere chuckled when she heard this and looked at Ste as she said, ¡°I¡¯m quite curious. If you said that I have dirty thoughts, then what does it make you for someone who willingly became someone else¡¯s lover?¡± Ste didn¡¯t say a word, but her eyes were cold. ¡°This is between us. Don¡¯t involve innocent bystanders.¡± ¡°It seems that you are quite protective.¡± Guinevere clicked her tongue. Her words wereced with sarcasm.¡± Are you in a hurry to look for someone new because you knew Weston would grow bored of you? Although Yates is not as good as Weston in terms of family background and career, he is easier for you to control.¡± Ste red at her coldly and raised her eyebrows suddenly. ¡°You are wrong. I still prefer Weston. There aren¡¯t many who are as good as him. Besides, he¡¯s rich. Why do I need to look for another man?¡± ¡°What did you¡­¡± Guinevere¡¯s face changed instantly. Nevertheless, she remembered Weston¡¯s warning and took a deep breath while looking at her. ¡°You won¡¯t be happy for long.¡± With that, she knocked her out of her way, opened the door, and walked straight in. Ste looked at her leaving view and was still a little puzzled. ¡®Did she actually just let me go? That wasn¡¯t like Guinevere at all.¡¯ After a while , Ste returned to her seat. Angelina saw that she looked terrible and, with a mouth full of food, asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a tummy ache? I also find this dish a bit spicy.¡± She forced a smile and answered , ¡°No. I was just a little bored.¡± Just as Guinevere sat down, Yate¡¯s manager came over.¡± Guinevere, did you see Yates when you went out just now? Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Chapter 673 He went out to look around but couldn¡¯t find him. He had thought Yates had gone looking for E, but she was back, and Yates wasn¡¯t, so he was a little worried. Guinevere took a sip of wine, looked at Brooke, and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He probably went somewhere else. Just give him a call.¡± ¡°His cell phone is still with me¡­¡± Brooke said anxiously, ¡°I can¡¯t let anything go wrong right now.¡± Guinevere nced in Ste¡¯s direction and suddenly uttered, ¡°Yates is already this old. His fans should be able to ept it if he is in a rtionship, right?¡± Brooke didn¡¯t know why she said this and was a little wary. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing¡­¡± Guinevere raised her chin in the direction of E and said, ¡°If the two of them are together , you have to tell me. I don¡¯t want Yates to misunderstand me because of my fight with E.¡± Brooke¡¯s face dropped immediately. ¡°How can you think such a thing? Yates has nothing to do with E! They don¡¯t talk much, so how can they be together?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guinevere covered her mouth with a surprised expression and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Maybe I was mistaken.¡± Brooke sighed and went out to look for Yates. But the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Why did Guinevere say that just now? Did she see something? It must be that the two of them were having a thing right under his nose! Brooke was filled with rage instantly. As soon as he entered the corridor, he saw Yates walking in his direction. He walked to him angrily and shouted, ¡°Where have you been? Do you know that so many paparazzi are watching you currently? What if someone took pictures of you!¡± ¡°Just let them.¡± Yates was speechless and walked past him. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Stop right there! Did you meet with E just now?¡± Brooke chased after him. ¡°I called you just now. Why didn¡¯t you answer? Was it because you were with her?¡± Yates did silence his phone and went to see E. He felt guilty at first, but Brooke¡¯s aggressive tone annoyed him. ¡°This is my private matter. Why does it concern you?¡± ¡°Yates, what is with this attitude of yours?¡± Brooke was done with him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s the reason you¡¯re famous today. I can give you everything and take them away from you. With your status, many people can take your ce¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± Yates cut him off. ¡°Can you tell me something I don¡¯t know?¡± With that, he pushed the door open and walked in. Brooke had wanted to say something, but he could only hold it in and re at him as everyone watched them. It seemed like Yates did have something with E. Brooke knew him well enough to know that Yates had feelings for her. The two had worked together for many years, and Yates had always been rational. Without a doubt, it was E who had seduced him! After all, that woman was not at all restless at the banquet. Thinking about it, he nced in her direction , his face gloomy. At the billiard hall. Weston¡¯s face was dark. He was casually smearing powder on the snooker cue, but his whole demeanor became icy after he looked at his phone. Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Weston put away his phone, leaned over slightly, and with one shot, he cleared the table directly. Xavier was stunned and immediately pped his hands.¡± Your skills are unmatched.¡± He walked to him, looked at the scene in front of him, and sighed, ¡°Are you determined to win a meal from me?¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word but walked to the bar and took a sip of the champagne. The white sportswear highlighted his tall figure and flexed the tight muscles on his arms. The waitress on the side stared at him a few times, then quickly looked away, feeling a blush creep on her face. Whenever Weston came, it would be a feast for their eyes. Usually, the men who came there were middle-aged, fat, and disgusting. Men with charming faces like Weston often stood out from the crowd and attracted attention. Weston leaned against the bar, took out his phone, and nced at it again. On the screen, it was shown that Ste was walking in the corridor with another man, who seemed to be her colleague. He thought of the male voice that had suddenly interrupted his conversation with Ste earlier, and his eyes darkened slightly. From the picture, both were keeping their distance. But the man¡¯s hands were on her cheek, as if trying to fix her hair. The action was so loving. And Ste didn¡¯t even push him away. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. After taking a few more nces, he deleted the photo and threw his phone on the table, making a loud noise. The waitress on the side was startled by him and straightened up quickly, not daring to breathe out loud. On the other side, Xavier took a shot, and the ck billiard ball rolled to the other side, missing the hole. He hissed and raised his head, only to see Weston¡¯s gloomy face. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy I missed it? Why the long face?¡± Ignoring him, Weston grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and threw it aside. ¡°You can y on your own. I¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°Wait! Where are you going?¡± Xavier put the snooker cue aside and followed him. ¡°We just started not long ago, yet you¡¯re bored already? Is there something bothering you?¡± Weston pushed him away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to get any words out of me. I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Xavier chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re still mad aboutst time?¡± He yfully shoved Weston¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯m your uncle; can¡¯t I say a few words about you? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m stopping you from looking for women outside.¡± Weston shot him a nce and took off the wrist gear. Seeing this, Xavier instantly backed away. ¡°Fine. I know you love that woman. We won¡¯t talk about her anymore, okay?¡± Fascination was written all over his eyes as he stared at Weston. Ste was indeed different to him. Because of her, he had received a beating from Westonst time. Although there waspetition between both, they rarely spoke about it. They were frenemies, as one would say. Yet that was the first time Weston had fought with him for another person. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you¡ª Zachary¡¯s birthday party ising soon. I¡¯m pretty sure the Cohen family is up to something. You should hide your precious E. Otherwise, there will be troubleing for her.¡± ¡°Are you reminding me or warning me?¡± Weston threw away the things in his hand, turned to get his phone, and nced at the time before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice: Don¡¯t be too interested in her.¡± ¡°Or else?¡± Xavier looked at him calmly. The man didn¡¯t answer but downed the whole ss of champagne in one gulp. ¡°You can try to find out the consequences of angering me.¡± Xavier stared at Weston¡¯s figure slowly walking away, and a somewhat ironic sneer appeared on his face. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Daisy came out from the side and wiped his sweat with a towel. ¡°Mind your tongue and don¡¯t provoke him. You just made up with him. Do you want to fight with him again?¡± She had been watching the two ying billiards by the side just now. As Xavier¡¯spanion, she did her due diligence ¡ªshe carried his clothes , brought him water, and wiped his sweat for him. At work, she was his secretary. But after work, she was his girlfriend. Xavier suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and looked at her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got into character so easily. Are you being caring to me?¡± Daisy frowned, broke free from his grip, and said, ¡°I was just giving you a friendly reminder. Whether or not you listen to me is entirely up to you.¡± As she spoke, she turned around and was about to leave. Xavier stared at her slender back with hazy eyes. She was dressed in a caddy suit today, and her hair was tied into a high ponytail, which was his favorite style. He had always liked women who were confident and beautiful. Her figure was very much to his taste. Xavier stretched out his hand, pulled her back, and ced her on the billiard table. ¡°Really? So, were you reminding me just now for my own good, or were you just worried you wouldn¡¯t get to see Weston again?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Daisy instantly turned furious and interrupted him angrily. ¡°Can you stop talking nonsense! There is nothing between Mr. Ford and I!¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± He ced his finger on her lips to shut her up and asked, ¡°Why are you so angry every time he¡¯s mentioned?¡± Daisy turned her head to the other side, ignoring him. She had already tried her best to restrain herself from looking at Weston just now, but she couldn¡¯t help being attracted by his every move. It was just as she had imagined. Besides being resolute and decisive at work, he was also a handsome, charming man who could achieve excellence in any matter. The yboy, Xavier, had his charms, but she prefered Weston, who had such overwhelming good qualities. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and put her head in Xavier¡¯s arms. ¡°I just don¡¯t like you making assumptions about me.¡± He smiled and lifted her skirt. The skirt was very suitable for him to do something naughty He whispered beside her ears, ¡°Come with me to a banquet in a few days.¡± ¡°What banquet?¡± Daisy cooperated with his actions and tried to keep up with him. Xavier smiled. ¡°Weston¡¯s son¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. At Stardust Mansion. Weston hade back earlier than Ste did, which was a rare sight. As soon as Ste put down her bag, she saw the man sitting in the living room and paused. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word. She bent down to change her shoes and stood up when she heard the man¡¯s low voice. ¡°You¡¯re finally back after being out for so long?¡± Ste nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few hours. I came back before the curfew.¡± He paused and continued to read the book in his hand, but he didn¡¯t turn the page. ¡°Did you have a good time at dinner?¡± ¡°It was okay.¡± She took off her coat, hung it on a hanger beside her, and went straight to the bathroom. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Weston put his hand on the coffee table and looked at the closed bathroom door. His eyes darkened. Inside the bathroom. The shower was turned on, and warm water enveloped Ste. She was standing under the shower head, and just as she closed her eyes, the door was suddenly pushed open A gust of cold air came in. She opened her eyes instantly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She subconsciously covered herself and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m taking a shower! Get out first.¡± Weston didn¡¯t listen to her but walked in directly and pressed her against the bathroom wall. ¡°Do you have nothing to tell me?¡± ¡°What am I supposed to tell you?¡± Ste held his arm and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Let me take a shower first, okay?¡± ¡®I haven¡¯t taken the medicine yet. He can¡¯t possibly want to do it here, right¡­?¡± Although it wouldn¡¯t be the first time the two had fooled around in the bathroom, she was now conscious, and if he came to her directly, it would only be stiff and painful. He didn¡¯t say a word but stared at her. Ste felt that there was something wrong with him. He wouldn¡¯t look like that if it was just an ordinary plea for sex. He looked like he was mad at her. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She noticed something wrong with Weston and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± He pinched her chin. ¡°What are you nervous about?¡± The water from the shower head sprayed down on their body. The dark blue silk bathrobe on the man had turned ck, with arge water stain. His figure had be apparent, and she couldn¡¯t help but look away. ¡°Who is Yates?¡± Ste¡¯s body trembled, and she responded instinctively,¡± You were following me!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Weston squeezed her chin with a bit of strength and said, ¡°So, you did fool around with him.¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± She frowned and pried open his hand. ¡°I just met him by chance and chatted a bit with him. Can you stop using me of something I didn¡¯t do?¡±. His face was dark, and he suddenly stretched out his hand to push away the wet ck hair on her face and pinched her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t let other men do this to you. Do you hear me?¡± Now, she was even more sure that he had sent someone to follow her. ¡°How can you do this? I was only there for work; why did you send someone to watch me!¡± ¡°Why? Are you upset that I found out about you two?¡± ¡°Can you be reasonable!¡± She pushed him away with force. ¡°We¡¯re just normal colleagues.¡± ¡°Then why did you let him touch your face?¡± Weston seemed to care a lot about this matter as the thin calluses on his fingertips rubbed against her skin back and forth. ¡°I didn¡¯t let him touch me¡­ It was all too sudden that I didn¡¯t have time to react. But I backed away after that!¡± Ste exined with a frown. The man¡¯s eyes flickered, and he looked at her quietly, knowing that she would not lie about this kind of thing. After a while, he opened his lips and said, ¡°Stay away from him.¡± Ste turned her head to the other side, ignoring him and feeling slightly annoyed. While fighting with him, she has forgotten to cover herself. The man¡¯s eyes lingered on her neck, and his eyes darkened. Before she could wait until he left, she felt something hot licking her neck. Her body trembled, as if she had been shocked by something Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Chapter 677 She lowered her head and saw a head buried in front of her, gnawing at something intently. Ste shut her eyes, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and tightened her grasp slowly. Besides the noises of water, there was a mix of other noises from the bathroom. Only after some time had passed did they gradually stop. Joan was initially cooking in the kitchen, but the noisesing from the bathroom were too loud. After serving the dishes, she quickly returned to her room with a red face. In the bathroom. When Ste was carried out from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she was a little anxious. Even with no strength left, she still instructed Weston, ¡°Take me to get dressed first¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want Joan to see her like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s back in her room. No one would see you.¡± Hearing this, she was relieved He carried her to the dining room, sat down, and let her lean against his arms. , Ste struggled to sit up but was held down by him. ¡°Why are you moving around?¡± She nced at him and answered, ¡°To eat.¡± ¡°Do you still have the strength?¡± The man teased. She had no strength indeed; even her wrists were sore. But after floundering for so long, she was a little hungry. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡± As he spoke, he fed her. This wasn¡¯t the first time Weston had fed her. When she was sick before, he had also fed her soup. But now that she was conscious, she felt a little weird, and after taking a few sips, she interrupted him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± She was perfectly fine to feed herself. Being fed like this by him made her feel like she was his daughter. Weston frowned and ordered, ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t fight him, she could only finish the meal awkwardly. Seeing that she was done, he put down the bowl contentedly, picked up a tissue, and wiped the corner of her mouth. Ste pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Can you let me down now?¡± He didn¡¯t say a word but rubbed the corner of her mouth and suddenly said, ¡°I have some things to deal with in a few days, and maybe I won¡¯te back. So you have to stay at home alone and be good.¡± She was stunned for a moment and remembered Guinevere¡¯s invitation to her son¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± Okay,¡± she answered . An indescribable feeling washed over her when she found out Weston would attend it. He was a little dissatisfied with her response. ¡°You seem to not want me toe back.¡± ¡°Who says¡­¡± She buried her head in his arms to hide her face. He caressed her hair and kissed her head. ¡°I¡¯lle back after I¡¯ve dealt with things, and we¡¯ll go out to have some fun.¡± He seemed to be negotiating with her and even offeredpensation. Ste clenched the hem of his bathrobe and suddenly asked, ¡°Are you going on a business trip? What are you going to do there? Why will you be gone for so long?¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered as he thought she didn¡¯t want him to leave , and his actions became gentler. ¡°I have a job, but I won¡¯t be there for a long time. I¡¯ll come back after I¡¯ve dealt with it.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g When she heard this, Ste¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but she sneered in her heart with irony. He could¡¯ve just said that he was attending his son¡¯s birthday. Did he think that she was stupid? She didn¡¯t expose his lies but merely nodded. ¡°Juste back quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Chapter 678 The Ford family had discussed Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet. It was obvious that the child was essential to the two families, especially to the Cohen family. It wasn¡¯t suitable for Weston and Guinevere to get married during the cooperation period. The child had be a bond between the two families, so both parties had agreed that they should organize a big party so that everyone in the circle would know their unbreakable rtionship. Among the rich, they liked to exclude each other, but they also liked to form alliances with the powerful. The higher their rank was, the more cunning they were. Wendy hugged Zachary in her arms and asked the butler going in and out of the house, ¡°When will Weston and Xaviere back?¡± The butler instructed the gardeners to remove all the flowerpots , then stood straight and looked at her. ¡°Mr. Weston and Mr. Xavier are already on their way. Ms. Cohen still has work today, so I guess she will be a littlete.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about her¡­¡± With Zachary in her arms, Wendy sat on the sofa. ¡°Just arrange everything ording to the original n.¡± ¡°Okay. Will do.¡± As soon as he had finished speaking, Xavier walked in from the door. ¡°Wendy, are you frowning because you¡¯re too stressed about the banquet?¡± He walked in with a smile and stopped in front of Wendy. ¡°Let me hold him!¡± He teased Zachary. Zachary stepped on Wendy¡¯s knee and jumped as he giggled. He still hadn¡¯t learned how to speak, and his drool was everywhere. A frown appeared on Wendy¡¯s face as she quickly wiped the drool away and scolded Xavier, ¡°You¡¯re a grown man and you¡¯re so clumsy. Be careful to not drop Zack.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t insist and retreated his hands with a smile.¡° When ites to this matter, no one can be as delicate as a woman. Fortunately, Chris has you, so there isn¡¯t room for any other woman.¡± There was a hidden meaning in his words. Wendy raised her eyes and nced at him. ¡°Are you still short of a wife? Your fianc¨¦e is waiting for you to marry her. As long as you get married, you can also have children.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry; I¡¯m still very young.¡± Xavier sat down beside her. He seemed to like to fool around and had a good rtionship with his family. But he knew that he needed to fight for his family property. ¡°Wendy, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from the door. ¡°Mr. Weston and Mr. Chris are here.¡± Weston and Chris got out of the car at the same time. The father and son were walking side by side, discussing something important. Wendy was in a daze as she watched them walk inside the house together. A long time ago, the two of them were the source of her happiness. One was her beloved husband, and the other was her excellent son. ¡°Ah!¡± Zachary yelled, and it immediately brought Wendy back to reality. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±. She carried Zachary over to wee them. Chris was delighted to see Zachary and reached his hand out to hug the child. ¡°Come and give Grandpa a hug.¡± Zachary giggled happily. He reached his chubby little arms out and was instantly swooped into Chris¡¯s arms. Zachary was smiling and bouncing in his arms, looking very happy. Wendy calmly looked at the two and said, ¡°Zack loves his grandpa more. I¡¯ve never seen him this happy before.¡± Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Chapter 679 After speaking, she nced at Weston, who remained emotionless next to her. ¡°Zach doesn¡¯t like his father much. It¡¯s as if Chris was his father.¡± The minute her words fell, Chris froze and angrily shouted at Wendy, ¡°Nonsense ! This isn¡¯t something to joke about.¡± She smiled. ¡°It was only a joke. Why did you have such a big reaction?¡± Chris didn¡¯t answer her but handed Zachary to Weston.¡± Carry your son.¡± A sneer appeared on Weston¡¯s face as he took Zachary and stared at the boy in his arms. Under his intense stare, Zachary panicked and started to kick his feet around in the air. Although Weston was handsome and looked like a younger version of Chris, it was obvious he wasn¡¯t as friendly as Chris. Zachary scrunched his eyebrows and let out a loud cry. Seeing this, Wendy immediately carried him back into her arms. ¡°Are you hungry? Butler! Take him upstairs and feed him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Downstairs. The child¡¯s crying gradually subsided, and they began to talk about business. ¡°Since everyone is here, I¡¯d like to make an announcement.¡± Xavier scrunched his eyebrows and had lost his patience. He didn¡¯t like children and was only waiting patiently earlier. ¡°Before the birthday banquet, I need to tell you about this. I n to cancel the engagement.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wendy widened her eyes and looked at him.¡± Whose engagement are you going to cancel?¡± Xavier frowned. ¡°Who else?¡± Besides Zeta, who else would he marry? ¡°The girl from the Taylor family?¡± ¡°Yes. Before the birthday banquet, I will exin it to her family.¡± Chris didn¡¯t have such a big reaction. He rubbed his temples and asked, ¡°Are you sure? The marriage contract between you has been set since you were young. Dad personally promised it. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not wise to go back against it now.¡± Weston didn¡¯t give many reactions. He poured himself a cup of tea and quietly drank it with little interest. Xavier smiled and put his hand on the back of the sofa.¡± When there¡¯s no feeling, the only solution is to cancel the engagement. It¡¯s a new era now. Let¡¯s get rid of the old fashioned ways.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Dad would be mad?¡± Chris asked with a stern face. ¡°Dad is old now. Don¡¯t think that just because he spoils you, you could do whatever you want! You know very well how close he is with the Taylor family. Wealthy families like theirs that existed in a pyramid hierarchy usually had legendary figures at the top of the pyramid. Mr. Ford and the other two patriarchs from the Taylor and Cohen families had a tight-knit rtionship. Moreover, Mr. Taylor had saved Mr. Ford before, so to repay him for saving his life, Mr. Ford had promised him the engagement. When the Ford family finally had Xavier, Mr. Ford hurriedly settled his marriage arrangement with the Taylors. So, to cancel it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Xavier picked up his jacket and shook it. ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision. Plus¡­.¡± He turned to look at Chris. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy I¡¯m breaking off the marriage deal with the Taylor family?¡± Chris¡¯s eyes flickered, and he became mad. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Xavier merely smiled, not exposing it. This was a critical moment for dividing the family property. If he married Zeta, he would have the Taylor family as his robust support system. If Weston married Guinevere, everything would be settled. But now, there were more variables. This was Chris¡¯s opportunity. Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Chapter 680 He had initially thought Xavier would be a threat, but who would¡¯ve guessed Xavier would take the initiative to terminate the engagement. Chris was relieved, but he couldn¡¯t show it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be involved with your matters. Just as long as you don¡¯t make Dad mad, I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Xavier smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring my girlfriend to the banquet and introduce her to all of you.¡± Wendy sneered at the side when she heard this. ¡°No wonder you want to cancel the engagement.¡± Xavier merely smiled and put on his jacket. ¡°I wish all of you could help me put in a few good words at the banquet so Dad wouldn¡¯t be too mad.¡± After that, he turned to Weston and asked, ¡°Can we have a word?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡± Xavier put on a face, as if his words had hurt him. ¡°You¡¯re not interested in my matters but you are in Guinevere¡¯s, right?¡± Weston didn¡¯t say a word and shot him a nce before standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two went to the back garden, leaving only Wendy and Chris in the living room. Chris was buried deep in his thoughts. Wendy nced at him and said, ¡°There¡¯ll be a good show at the birthday banquet. If Xavier announces the termination of his engagement with the Taylor family, Dad might beat him up.¡± Warren was getting old and was no longer in the core power circle. Most of the decisions were left to the younger generation. He would step down in a few years, but most shares were still in his hands. Now, only Xavier posed a threat to Chris and Weston. Without the Taylor family¡¯s support, Xavier was nothing. Chris pondered aloud, ¡°Could it be that he really has no intention of fighting over the property?¡± Wendy chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s your brother. How could you not know?¡± Hearing the resentment in her tone, Chris returned to his senses, walked over to her with a smile, and took her into his arms. ¡°Are you angry again? I¡¯ve been busy with work these days, and I don¡¯t have time to apany you. After I finish this project, I¡¯ll take you out, okay?¡± In the back garden. The gardeners were mowing thewn. Weston stopped in his tracks. ¡°Just say it here.¡± Xavier also stopped and stood behind him, looking like a wounded puppy. ¡°Just because I said something about your sweetheartst time, you still hate me until now? You already taught me a lesson, yet you still won¡¯t forgive me? Why are you so cold to me now?¡± ¡°Get straight to the point.¡± Xavier sighed and said, ¡°I know the project in the western suburbs should be almost finished now, right? And you earned about this much money for the Cohen family¡­¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. As he spoke, he stuck out a few fingers and waved them around. Weston looked at him. ¡°Your source of information is quite good.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve lost so badly to you if I didn¡¯t have all this information.¡± Xavierughed. ¡°No matter what, they are outsiders after all. How about you and I work together?¡± Weston sneered. With irony in his eyes, he asked, ¡°What can you bring to the table?¡± Xavier restrained his smile. ¡°Earlier, I said I would cancel the engagement between Zeta and me, so you don¡¯t have to worry that I will fight with you to get the family property. As for the project in the western suburbs ¡­ you and Guinevere aren¡¯t married yet, so she¡¯s still an outsider.¡± ¡°This is what you wanted to tell me?¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to consider.¡± Weston interrupted him.¡° I already had a deal with the Cohen family. I¡¯ll go with the original n.¡± He wouldn¡¯t go back against his promise to them. Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Xavier frowned at once. ¡°You should think about it carefully. Your rtionship with Guinevere seems to have deterioratedtely.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with her.¡± Weston said, ¡°If you really want to have this slice of cake, I suggest you look elsewhere.¡± After saying that, he turned to leave. Xavier shouted behind him, ¡°We¡¯re a family after all. Must you give the Cohen family all the benefits? Why? Is it because of Guinevere or your child with her?¡± He had thought Weston would not value Guinevere so much with E around. It seemed like Weston ced a lot of importance on the Cohen famiy. Weston simply ignored Xavier and walked away. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Xavier watched Weston leave and gradually clenched his fists. He still could not read Weston. He thought he had had him figured out, but it seemed like he was back to square one. In the Ford mansion¡¯s living room. As soon as Weston came home, Wendy turned to him and asked, ¡°IS Guinevere filming herst scene today?¡± Weston stopped in his tracks and walked toward her.¡± Maybe.¡± ¡°What do you mean by maybe?¡± Wendy frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about her career at all?!¡± Weston said nothing. He took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you already care about her a lot? That¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy was a little annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s herst scene today. Let¡¯s go visit her today.¡± Weston said nothing and looked at Chris. Chris understood the cue and said to Wendy, ¡°Gwen isn¡¯t a child anymore. Why would she need us to visit her? She¡¯ll be home soon. We can wait for her at home.¡± Wendy red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about Guinevere the most? Why don¡¯t you care about such a huge deal?¡± Chris did not say anything. He felt a little guilty and did not dare to show much concern for Guinevere in Wendy¡¯s presence. ¡°Why are you making it sound weird? Don¡¯t I care about you the most?¡± Wendy smiled and did not respond to that. She stood up after a while and said, ¡°Fine. You two won¡¯t go, right? I¡¯ll go, okay? Otherwise, the Cohen family will im we¡¯re neglecting her again.¡± After Wendy had left, Chris finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, he felt a gaze on him and looked up to meet Weston¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Chris rubbed his nose. Weston said nothing and leaned back on the sofa. He crossed his leg and looked a little wicked and unruly.¡± How do you feel whenever you see Mom and Guinevere together?¡± Chris¡¯s face changed. ¡°Didn¡¯t we promise not to bring this up again?¡± Weston curled his lips without any smile in his eyes. Chris¡¯s eyes flickered at Weston¡¯s expression. He reminded him, ¡°You mustn¡¯t tell anyone about this. If it gets out, it¡¯ll be the end of me! Weston, you have to think about our family.¡± ¡°Am I not doing enough for the family?¡± Weston closed his eyes. ¡°Dad, how much more do I have to do so you¡¯ll be happy?¡± Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Meanwhile, on the set. Everyone was tense and nervous for thest scene. The set had been emptied for a fight scene. Ste had just changed into her costume. Then, Guinevere came walking toward her and called out, ¡°E. Are you ready?¡± Ste stopped in her tracks and looked at Guinevere.¡° Almost.¡± Guinevere fixed her gaze at Ste for a few moments.¡± Did you join the show business because of me?¡± Ste paused a little before she answered, ¡°What?¡± The question had stunned her. Guinevere crossed her arms and looked like she was humiliating her. ¡°You asked Weston to give you resources and a role. Didn¡¯t you do that because you wanted to be like me, an actress?¡± Steughed suddenly. ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face changed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°There are plenty of talented and powerful people in the show business, but Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. not many are as high and mighty as you.¡± The old Ste would never speak to Guinevere like that. She used to keep a low profile, but after Roger had gone abroad, she had nothing to worry about and would not give in to Guinevere anymore. Guinevere shot her a cold look. ¡°Very well¡­¡± Ste had thought Guinevere would take it personally, but thetter only gave her a few nces and sneered a few momentster. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll be able to staycent.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left. It was as if she did not care about Ste. Ste did not bother wasting time with her either. She went back to the dressing room. Angelina hurried over. ¡°E, did you have a conflict with Guinevere again?¡± She still did not believe Guinevere¡¯s sincerity when she had apologized to Ste the other day. It felt like she had some hidden ns. Ste shook her head. She noticed that Angelina¡¯s hair was loose and fixed it for her. ¡°She didn¡¯t give me a hard time.¡± Angelina was half convinced. ¡°If she makes things hard for you, don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡±. Ste smiled. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­ By the way, are you done with filming?¡± Angelina nodded. ¡°Mr. Lane said you should go over to shoot once you¡¯re ready. There¡¯s an action scene today. I heard you need to step on the trampoline . You must be careful!¡± ¡°Okay. I know.¡± Thest scene also symbolized Sophie¡¯s ending. In this scene, the female lead, Dahlia, would kill Sophie and finally get her revenge after so many years. The moon was bright in the sky. Ste acted with difficult martial arts moves and was immersed in her role as Sophie. She spat out a mouthful of blood before Sophie¡¯s death. The blood packet exploded just at the right time. The red color added a touch of seducing charm to her. Everyone present held their breath. Sophie¡¯s last scene was stunning Sophie fell from the high ground andnded near Dahlia. She fell on her back at Dahlia¡¯s feet with a sword pointing at her. ¡°Have you ever regretteding this far?¡± Guinevere was immersed in her role as Dahlia too. She looked down at Ste in a condescending manner. Sophie curled her lips and managed a mocking smile.¡± Regret?¡± She spat out a mouthful of blood and said with firm eyes, ¡°I never regretted it.¡± At the end of the sentence, Guinevere had killed her with the knife. At that moment, blood spurted into the air. Sophie¡¯s life hade to an end. ¡°Cut!¡± Bradley shouted. He took off his headphones and pped. The scene was perfect. The shot earlier was very tense. The scene of the destined tragedy was tragically beautiful. As Bradley apuded, the rest of the cast came back to their senses and apuded too. Ste was still in a trance. She was still lost in the emotion of thest scene. She looked up at the sky with blood stains stuck to the corner of her mouth. She could hear the sound of apuse in her ears, but it suddenly reminded her of the feeling when she had fallen from the rooftop on that day. Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief as well. She looked at Ste with a strange flicker in her eyes. ¡°Congrattions, E.¡± Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Guinevere¡¯s voice startled Ste and brought her back to her senses. She looked at her and frowned. ¡°Thank you.¡± Why did Guinevere take the initiative to congratte her? Did she lose her mind? Guinevere looked rxed. It was as if she was not going to target her anymore. She turned around and walked away after congratting her. Bradley shouted from the side, ¡°Clean up the scene and get ready for the next one.¡± The filming for the finale was half done. Ste got up from the floor. Bradley was done giving his orders and then came over to Ste. He told Ste, ¡°Your scenes are officially over. You don¡¯t have toe back from tomorrow onward.¡± They had held the closing party and celebration in advance. This meant this would be herst day here and a formal farewell to the crew. Ste felt a little emotional, and there was a little bit of emptiness in her heart. ¡°I¡¯lle back after I¡¯ve changed clothes to watch the filming of the finale¡­¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Bradley patted her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no one backstage now. The gift for the cast who are done is there. You can go get it from the tool room. I¡¯ll save a seat for youter. You¡¯ll be able to see how I usually film the scene.¡± Ste nodded. Angelina and the rest were still filming, so Ste went backstage by herself. Guinevere watched Ste walk backstage. A glint shed in her eyes. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Cohen! We¡¯ll teach her a lesson this time¡­¡± Meanwhile, on the other side. Wendy had just arrived on the set and wanted to meet Guinevere. Since Guinevere was still filming, Wendy waited in her dressing room without telling anyone. Creak. The door creaked open. When she was about to speak, she heard a stranger say, ¡°Is everything ready backstage?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll make sure to crush E!¡± Wendy¡¯s face changed. She shut up at once and hid aside as she listened quietly. ¡°We have to do it properly! We can¡¯t let anyone notice anything.¡± ¡°Of course! Leave it to me! Ms. Cohen, don¡¯t worry. The crew had a martial arts scene today. With the stack of props backstage, it¡¯s normal for idents to happen!¡± ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t let anyone suspect us. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man took the money and left smiling. After a while, no one else was in the dressing room. Wendy waited a little longer before holding her breath anding out. Wendy knew Guinevere would never tolerate E with her jealousy. She just had not expected her to act so quickly. Of all days, she had chosen to attack E on thest day of filming. Wendy thought about it and then walked backstage. Ste had just pushed the door open and walked backstage. Then, she heard a rush of footsteps behind her. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She turned around and was surprised to see Wendy.¡° Wendy? What are you doing here?¡± Wendy looked at her and immediately put her index finger to her mouth and shushed her. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything! Keep your voice down!¡± Ste frowned looking at Wendy¡¯s nervousness. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wendy took her hand and dragged her aside. She hesitated for a moment before she whispered in her ear.¡± Be carefulter. Someone has tampered with the prop here. They might hurt you.¡± Ste widened her eyes in surprise. Wendy looked at her and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve offended someone. Be careful.¡± Ste took a deep breath as her eyes trembled a little. After a short moment, she calmed down. ¡°I see. Okay. Thank you, Wendy.¡± She suddenly looked at her with some confusion.¡± Wendy, how did you know about this?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Wendy sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me about that. You should think carefully about who you¡¯ve offendedtely.¡± Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Ste lowered her eyes and remained silent. She did not have to guess. No one but Guinevere would target her. At the same time, in the dark area backstage. The man¡¯s view was blurred because of the obstacles. He muttered to himself, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t shee in yet?¡± While in a daze, he saw someone walk in and instantly perked up. It was Wendy. However, his vision was blocked, so he thought it was E. He slowly cut the rope he had prepared. Swoosh! A noise sounded. It was the sound of heavy objects moving, which was hard to be picked up by regr people. By the time they realized what was going on, the big crystal light on the ceiling had fallen and was falling toward Wendy! When she came over, she had blocked Ste from the man¡¯s vision. The man did not notice two people standing there. He only saw Wendy and directly made the move. Wendy did not know she was in danger. She heard the creaking sound from above as she was about to say something She had a bad feeling As she looked up, she saw the crystal ceilingmp falling toward her. ¡°Careful!¡± Ste reacted first and shouted. Wendy was stunned and could not move. Ste pushed Wendy away without hesitation and saved her. The two of them rolled to the ground. In the next moment, the ceilingmp hit the ground with a loud noise. Crash! The crystalmp broke into pieces. The floor was covered with fine ss shards and debris. A sharp pain came from Ste¡¯s ankle. She drew a cold breath and furrowed her brows in pain. It took her a while to recover from the pain. Wendy was still stunned. She paled in shock and kept gasping for air. It took her a while to calm down. She took a deep breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked and looked at Sie, trembling Ste shook her head. ¡°How about you? Are you hurt?¡± Wendy shook her head too. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Both of them stood up from the floor.. Ste limped and reached out to support Wendy. Then, Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Wendy finally noticed her strange posture. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The ss fragments might have hurt my ankle.¡± Wendy rushed to check on her injuries. ¡°We can¡¯t let this be. We have to call the doctor right away!¡± As soon as she said that, sounds of rushing footsteps came from the distance. The noise of the crystal lamp falling was so loud and startled the rest of the crew. ¡°What happened?¡± Ste looked at them and exined, ¡°The crystal ceilingmp fell!¡± ¡°Did anyone get hurt?¡± ¡°My ankle is hurt.¡± The group rushed over to deal with the scene. Wendy looked at Ste steadily. Both of them had stern faces. At the same time, the other side. Guinevere had just finished filming when a man came running to Bradley in panic. He said something in his ear. Bradley looked at him. ¡°Calm down. Take your time to exin.¡± The man took a deep breath and started exining to Bradley about the ident. Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Bradley stood up at once. "What? How could this ident have happened? The tools were stacked well! Did anyone get hurt?" Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He could not finish the rest of his sentence and rushed backstage. Guinevere was not surprised at all.She slowly got out of the filming area, put her longsword aside, and went to sit on her resting bench.Her assistant came to her and wiped her sweat. "Ms.Cohen, something is going on there.Should we go over and take a look?" "What''s there to see? It''s none of our business.." Davis was curious too.He stretched his neck and looked over at the source ofmotion. "There seems to have been an ident backstage.Something fell in the tool room.I don¡¯t know if anyone was hurt.." Guinevere curled her lips but did not show many emotions on her face. "How can a big crystal ceilingmp fall suddenly?" "I don¡¯t know either,, " Davis snorted. "I''ve seen the tool room before.The crystalmp is quite big.It would be terrible if one got hit by it.Even if it didn¡¯t hit them in the head, they''d probably be half dead.." The assistant shivered in fear. "What if it hit one in the face? It''d be bad to have a disfigured face.." The majority of the crew were actors.Their career depended on their face. An ordinary person who became disfigured would find it hard to bear, let alone them. Guinevere remained indifferent the whole time.She was a little happy in her heart. If that happened, that would be great. E might be lucky enough to escape, but she might be disfigured from the crystalmp that had crashed on her.She wondered how she could use her face and continue to gain sympathy from Weston as Ste''s recement then! Guinevere really despised E and looked down on her.She felt she was less respectable than Ste. E had treated her so arrogantly just because her face looked like Ste''s. She was just taking advantage of Weston¡¯s guilt toward Ste! Guinevere still stubbornly believed that Weston only had feelings for Ste because he was unable to forget her after witnessing her death. Guinevere believed that Weston was not really in love with Ste.If he had really loved her, he would not have divorced Ste back then. Weston had chosen her instead of Ste. That meant she was more important to him. Guinevere truly believed that. Guinevere hated E. It was not only because she was with Weston, but because she was also a constant reminder of Ste¡¯s existence ¡ªshe was there because Weston missed Ste. Guinevere refused to admit Weston¡¯s deep feelings for Ste. Meanwhile, in the hospital. Ste¡¯s ankle was wrapped in a thick bandage.She felt a little helpless about the situation. "I¡¯m really fine.You don¡¯t have to go through all this trouble.." Wendy looked at her, feeling bad. "Anyway, you were hurt because of me.I¡¯m sorry.." Ste shook her head. "It had nothing to do with you.." Ste knew who the perpetrator behind this was. Wendy did notment further.She only said, "Well, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so cruel.She actually wanted to kill you.." ¡®She didn¡¯t expect this?¡¯ Ste curled her lips. She was not surprised at all.She just did not expect Guinevere to choose such a time to attack her.She chose to do it on the set and on herst day here. Ste was not surprised that Guinevere had tried to kill her. After all, she had done it once.She was just doing it again. Wendy suddenly took her hand. "Thank you for saving me.If you hadn''t reacted in time, the crystalmp would''ve crashed on me.." Ste came back to her senses. "It¡¯s nothing.She wasing for me anyway.If you hadn¡¯t warned me, I would¡¯ve been hit directly.It¡¯s what I should''ve done anyway.." Wendy was very pleased. "You''re such a good girl.." She slowly held her hand. "I like you.No wonder Weston is so happy when he''s with you.." Ste furrowed her brows. "Wendy.." "I know you¡¯re feeling ufortable because of Guinevere.You feel like a third party, don¡¯t you?" Ste¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment.Then, she turned her head away. This was the main reason why she did not want to make new friends or get too close to others. Only she knew she did nothing wrong.She had aclear conscience, but others would only view her as a shameless mistress. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Ste did not want to talk about her rtionship with Weston. Wendy tried to convince her. "I¡¯ve told you before.Weston¡¯s rtionship with Guinevere isn¡¯t like what you think.." She hesitated a little when she saw Ste¡¯s indifference and suggested, "E, if you don¡¯t mind, I''d like to take you as my goddaughter.." Ste widened her eyes at once. "What.." Wendy patted the back of her hand. "If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t be standing here right now.You saved my life.I can¡¯t repay you with anything, so if you don¡¯t mind...I¡¯ve always wanted a daughter.." Ste was still in shock and dumbfounded. There was a sudden sound of footsteps at the door. Bradley came in with the test results. "Your injury is nothing serious.Go back to rest.Don¡¯t get your wound wet.." He frowned with an ugly expression. "Don¡¯t worry.We''ll pay for all the medical expenses.I¡¯ll also talk to the staff responsible for this area and investigate why the crystalmp fell for no reason.." He had always been careful about safety, especially when it came to the actors and actress''s safety. The crew never cut corners. Bradley had sent people to check the tool room countless times and ensured that nothing could go wrong. Unfortunately, Ste still encountered such an ident inside. Bradley thought maybe it was just bad luck. "It¡¯s really strange.It was fine when I asked you to do the inventory yesterday, but this happened today.." Ste and Wendy both knew Guinevere was behind this.It was no ordinary ident. But the both of them said nothing. "There are still scenes to be filmed on the set,, " Bradley said. "If there¡¯s anything else, please contact me.." He wanted to leave after seeing that Ste was alright. Ste said, "Mr.Lane, could you please pass a message to Angelina? Tell her not to worry.." "Okay, sure.." Bradley looked at her for a few moments and then at Wendy. "Do we need to tell Guinevere you were here?" Wendy had nearly gotten into the ident too. Bradley was a little confused and wondered why Wendy was in the tool room with Ste. Wendy said to him, "That''s not necessary.Don¡¯t make her worry.I''ll be backter on my own.." Anyway, going back and forth would be a waste of time.She might as well surprise Guinevere at the birthday partyter. A hint of sarcasm shed across Wendy¡¯s eyes. However, her eyes were kind and affectionate when she turned to Ste. "You''ve saved my life, E.If you get in trouble in the future, I¡¯ll definitely help.." Ste pursed her lips tightly.She tried to refuse subconsciously, but as she thought of something, her eyes turned gloomy.She knew it was difficult to go against the current, but if she remained idle, her fate would be in the hands of others. Previously, she had wanted to stay low and not make any trouble.She did not want to make a fuss, but what did she get in return? Others ended up taking advantage of her kindness and bullied her for their own interests. Ste could not just sit back and wait. She had to make Guinevere pay for her actions. "Okay.Thank you, Wendy.." Wendy smiled and patted the back of her hand. "You¡¯re such a good girl.." Guinevere was all dressed up for Zack¡¯s birthday party.She was in a very good mood.She had just finished filming her movie and was done dealing with E. Two good things had happened at once.She was glowing in the mirror.Her assistant kept praising her. "Ms.Cohen, you¡¯re so beautiful! There¡¯s not many in the show business who areparable to your beauty.." Guinevere smiled and was done dressing up. When her assistant helped her up, she asked, "Are my parents here"All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Chapter 687 "They¡¯re here.I think everyone¡¯s downstairs.." Guinevere ordered, "Take Zack out.By the way, where¡¯s Wendy?" "Madam seemed to have gone out for her business.She¡¯ll probably be backter.." Guinevere furrowed her brows. "Why is she still not here?" After all, this was Zachary¡¯s birthday party.It was an event to show how much the Ford family valued her son and her. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Wendy and Zachary spent the most time together. Why was Wendyte at such an important time like this? How could she bete? Meanwhile, at the door of the room. Weston stood there all dressed up in a suit.He looked at her with a faint gaze. "It¡¯s time.¡± "Are you not ready yet?" he asked as a reminder. Guinevere immediately wore a different expression and looked at him with a pretty smile. "Of course, I''m ready.." She walked to him graciously and took his arm. "However, Zack¡¯s grandma isn¡¯t here yet.Shall we take Zack down and let my parents meet him first?" Weston responded, "As you like.." Guinevere leaned her head on Weston¡¯s shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Our child is one year old in the blink of an eye.In half a year, we can finally get our marriage licenses and be a small family legally.." Weston did notment on that. Guinevere continued saying to herself, "My parents talked to me on the phone yesterday.They said your western suburbs project is going very well.You''ve also made a big concession to our family.My uncle and aunts who didn¡¯t join the project are regretting so much now.." The more she spoke, the more she felt guilty for doubting Weston all this time.She never should have been jealous of that trivial E. Aman would always prove his love with money. This saying was definitely true. Weston might be spending some time with E, but so what? Shares and business interests were the most important thing to him, but he was willing to give her family such a big stake in the project. That fact alone showed that she was the most important person in his heart! Soon, Guinevere and Weston appeared at the entrance of the stairs. The guests downstairs gradually quieted down and looked at them. "Look! They''re such a sweet couple!" Mrs.Cohen looked over at Guinevere with a smile. "Gwen isn¡¯t so obedient at home.She¡¯s only obedient in front of Weston!" Mr.Cohen kept nodding in agreement too. "We¡¯re d to see them ¡® getting along well.." The Cohen family had made a lot of money from the western suburbs project. That was not all¡ªWeston even offered to give them a stake in his project, which was a huge bonus.This made them a little overconfident and full of themself. They were in the Ford family¡¯s territory, but they acted arrogantly. "Where¡¯s my good grandson? Why didn¡¯t you take him out?!" Guinevere said, "I¡¯ll bring him downter.He¡¯s still crying and clinging to his grandmother.He¡¯s always making a lot of noise!" She held Weston¡¯s arm and walked to the living room. Mrs.Cohen was smiling the whole time. Then, she suddenly asked, "Where¡¯s Zack¡¯s grandmother? Why haven¡¯t I seen her? If she¡¯s not here, Zack will surely cry!" "She can¡¯t bete for such an important birthday party!" "Of course, I won¡¯t bete.." Wendy¡¯s voice came from the door. Everyone turned to the voice and saw Wendy with a woman next to her. Wendy looked grand and elegant in her limited-edition dress. Guinevere¡¯s eyes changed as soon as she saw the woman next to Wendy. She trembled and reflexively clutched onto Weston¡¯s suit. ¡®E...Why is she here?!¡¯ Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Chapter 688 The air froze for a moment. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Guinevere thought she was hallucinating. Why else would she see E at the Ford mansion? Why was she standing next to Wendy? When did the two of them get together? Besides, E should be in the hospital by now! The person she had sent out said the job was done. She had thought E would be hurt and stay hospitalized for at least ten days or half a month.She might not die, but she should have been badly injured. How could she be standing here alive and well? How could that be?! The other guests had not seen E before and were a little curious about her. No one spoke first. Guinevere returned to her senses and finally reacted. Weston was standing right next to her.She looked up sharply to see his expression and called out, "Weston.." Weston remained silent and looked straight in front. Weston¡¯s eyes were fixed on Ste as soon as she entered the room.He didn''t conceal his gaze at all.He focused all his attention on her and no one else. Ste stood at the door and looked at the various expressions of the people inside. Suddenly, she found it interesting.She was particrly curious about Weston and Guinevere, who stood next to each other like a perfect couple.She wondered how they felt about her appearance here. Wendy held her hand with a smile. "I¡¯m sorry for beingte.I picked up a friend on the way.I¡¯m d I made it in time.." Mrs.Cohen was a little displeased, but she did not say anything. After all, it was Zachary¡¯s birthday party.She stood up and walked to Wendy. "It¡¯s okay.You werete, but it didn''t affect anything.By the way, Wendy...who''s this?" She looked at Ste and asked the question that most people in the room wanted to ask. Wendy smiled. When she was about to introduce Ste to the rest, a quarrel suddenly came from the courtyard outside. "You fool! How dare you bring her here today! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" It was Warren¡¯s voice.He was clearly furious. Mr.Cohen and Chris looked at each other in dismay. They stood up and asked, "What''s going on outside?" The butler hurried over and reported the situation. "Mr.Warren is lecturing Mr.Xavier outside.He seems really angry.." Wendy and Chris exchanged a nce. They vaguely knew what had happened. Xavier probably said he wanted to break off his engagement with Zeta, so he had made Warren angry. As the group walked out and reached the pavilion, they heard Warren lecturing Xavier angrily. "Pve spoiled you too much! You¡¯re already a grown-up.Why are you still so immature?! How can you easily call off an engagement whenever you want?" Warren was standing beside the fountain.His hair waspletely white.He wore a ck plush trenchcoat and looked unruffled.His age had left traces on his face.He was old, but his voice was still full of vigor. "You can say all you want, but why did you bring her back? What is this? Are you trying to embarrass me?" He pointed to Xavier in front of him.Then, he pointed to Daisy next to Xavier with disgust in his eyes. "You¡¯re betraying Zeta for a woman like that? How am I supposed to exin to my oldrades in the Taylor family?!" Xavier had known this would happen, but he did not expect Warren to be so furious. "Dad, it''s the 21st century! Free love is a thing now.I don¡¯t want to spend my life with a woman I don¡¯t love.." "How dare you!" Warren lifted his hand and directly pped Xavier in his face. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Daisy had thought Xavier was just introducing her to his family, and she did not expect to get into trouble.She was at a loss and her expression turned ugly. "Dad, calm down.Remember that it¡¯s Zack¡¯s birthday party today.." Chris saw that things were going bad and quickly stepped in to interrupt them.He held Warren¡¯s hand and urged, "Don¡¯t make a scene now.Everyone¡¯s here.." Warren took a deep breath and trembled in a fury. "Does he know that there''ll be a crowd today? If he knew everyone wasing, why did he still do such a shameful thing?!" Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He heaved heavily and nced at the ck car parked on the side. The ck car was parked on the side quietly with the windows half wound down.It was the Taylor family¡¯s car. They hade to congratte the Ford family.It was supposed to be a celebration and big event, but Xavier¡¯s actions had humiliated them. Zeta sat in the car and looked at the two figures standing together.She remained quiet the whole time. When she saw Xavier and Daisy standing close together, a throbbing pain overwhelmed her heart. Zeta¡¯s two elders hade over too. They had wanted to get out of the car and meet Zachary, but it seemed unnecessary now. "They don¡¯t take us seriously.Let¡¯s leave the gifts and leave!" Warren was so angry that his heart ached. "I feel so ashamed about this...I''m sorry about my ungrateful son!" He was extremely regretful. In Warren¡¯s early years, he was too indulgent to Xavier because Xavier was bornte into the family.He did not even pamper Weston, his eldest grandson, as much.He had spoiled Xavier and made him a willful adult! He was ashamed to meet his old friends from the Taylor family. "I''m really sorry.I¡¯ll formally apologize again some other day after teaching this brat a good lesson.." "No need.." The two elders from the Taylor family doted on Zeta, especially Zeta¡¯s grandmother.She took Zeta¡¯s hand and said, "We don''t care about a young brat like that!" Zeta smiled at her grandmother. "Grandma, I¡¯m fine.Don¡¯t worry about me.." Zeta¡¯s grandparents had never approved of the marriage. They only agreed for Warren¡¯s sake. Besides, Zeta loved Xavier. This time, Warren could not refute no matter how they scolded Xavier. "Zeta, I¡¯m sorry.Whether you¡¯re with Xavier or not, we still think of you as family.This won¡¯t change.No matter how brazenly Xavier acts, no one can surpass you!" Zeta smiled. "It¡¯s okay.Mutual consent does matter in love and rtionships.Please just ignore the matters between Xavier and I.I hope this won¡¯t affect your rtionship with my grandparents.." Xavier heard her say that and looked up at her with an inexplicable gaze.He kept his gaze at Zeta the whole time, hoping to see something in her eyes.He had thought he would see anger, resentment, or sadness. However, she said nothing and was as calm as usual.He curled his lips with his eyes full of sarcasm. "As expected of a doctor.You¡¯re indeed very calm.You''re already so good at smoothing things over at such a young age.You remain indifferent even though you''ve been abandoned¡ª" "Shut up!" Warren yelled at him before he could finish. "Why don¡¯t you reflect on your disgusting actions before you talk about others?" Zeta heard hisments and said nothing.She only nced at him once and then withdrew her gaze. "The gift is here.We have something going on, so we¡¯ll leave first.I hope Zack grows up healthily.." This time, Zeta had lost all hope in Xavier. Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Chapter 690 The ck car drove away from the vi slowly. Warren walked to Xavier again and kicked him hard. "You fool!" He scolded him again, "As long as I am alive, don¡¯t ever think of bringing her home!" Daisy had kept her head down the whole time.She had thought others would respect her with Xavier''s recognition of her, but aftering here, she had finally realized she was still insignificant. None of them took her seriously. Xavier wiped the corner of his mouth. "Dad, haven¡¯t you been urging me to get married? I¡¯ve brought her to see you.Why are you still unhappy?" "How could you.." Warren put his hand over his heart and staggered a few steps back. Seeing that, Chris went to help him. "Dad, don¡¯t be angry.Xavier has always been like this.Don''t be angry with him.." Xavier stood still.He was a little worried seeing Warren''s face pale from anger. However, he stood still and did not move after thinking about it. "Dad, I have never asked you for anything.Please, just this once, let me get what I want.I don¡¯t want an arranged marriage without love.." As he said that, Daisy looked at him with red eyes. From the time they had gotten together, Daisy had always been the weaker one in their rtionship. Xavier was her savior.He had helped her deal with her ex-boyfriend that had kept giving her trouble.He had brought her to apletely different social circle. She was able to raise her social status because of him.She was a little touched, but...She instinctively nced at Weston. Weston remained aloof and indifferent.He was fully dressed in a suit and stood next to Guinevere.He looked unbothered, as if themotion here had nothing to do with him.He was always high and mighty. No one could pull him down from the top. Daisy retracted her gaze with an unreadable expression on her face.She wanted to leave everything behind and be with Xavier, but something was bothering her.She was a little reluctant and resentful. Weston was just within her sight, but he was so far away and not within her grasp.It was so tormenting and painful for her.She held Xavier¡¯s hand and said nothing. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Xavier nced at her and understood her intentions.He held her hand tightly and reassured her, "It¡¯s okay.I¡¯m right here.." Warren saw their interaction and went silent. Atst, he sighed heavily. "Forget it.Do whatever you want.Whatever.I don¡¯t want to care about you anymore.." After that, he walked past the couple and went inside. "Today is Zack¡¯s birthday party.I don¡¯t want a fool like you to steal the limelight.Whatever it is, let¡¯s talk about it another day.." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.It seemed like Warren hadpromised. They could not help but turn to Daisy. Their attention had shifted from Ste to Daisy. Everyone was curious about Daisy¡¯s origins. "Who is this woman?" "I don¡¯t know.I''ve never seen her before..." "Xavier argued with Warren because of her.She¡¯s quite something.." "Yeah.Xavier must have seen many kinds of women before.He¡¯s always involved with scandals all day, but he finally fell into this woman¡¯s hand.." "I thought he¡¯d still marry Zeta in the future.It¡¯s normal to have a marriage arrangement between prestigious families.Xavier is always surrounded by women.I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d give up his marriage arrangement with the Taylor family for a woman like her.." Xavier put his arm around Daisy''s shoulder and looked at Chris. "Chris, you must be d.Now, I¡¯m no longer a threat to you.." Chris¡¯s expression did not change. "You made Dad so mad.Why would I be happy? Besides, it¡¯s Zack¡¯s birthday party day.Behave yourself and control your woman.Keep your mouth shut too.." "Come on.I know you must be relieved.Why are you still pretending in front of me?" Chris nced at him coldly.Then, he strode away to look for Wendy. Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Daisy was clouded with worry. "Is this really okay?" "It¡¯ll be fine.." Xavier held her hand in his. "Don¡¯t you understand my feelings now?" Daisy lowered her gaze and nodded. "I know.I''ll spend the rest of my life with you.." "Good girl.." Xavier stroked her head. The fiasco was put to rest. Zachary was still the main star today. Guinevere was upset with Xavier''s actions earlier.He had drawn everyone¡¯s attention away. However, she was still the most upset about E.She held Weston¡¯s arm the whole time with a grim face. "Why did your mother bring E here?" she asked in a questioning tone. Guinevere dragged Weston to a secluded corner. Weston was not paying attention to her.He looked past her in deep thoughts. After a few moments, he replied, "You should ask her yourself.." Guinevere took a deep breath. "Weston, I only have one question...Did you know she wasing?" All Guinevere cared about was Weston. Weston pursed his lips. "What do you think?" "You can¡¯t do this to me.." Guinevere suddenly grabbed his wrist and looked up at him. "You¡¯re interested in her because she¡¯s new and interesting.Maybe you''re trying to make up for the guilt from before.I know you wouldn¡¯t let her embarrass me at a time like this, right?" No matter how ridiculous it was, they were still at Zachary¡¯s birthday party. Weston could not be so rude to her and let Ee over. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. As she spoke, she suddenly hugged Weston and buried her head in his arms. Ste came out for a breather, but she did not expect to see such a scene as soon as she went out.She stopped right in her tracks. The sound of footsteps startled Guinevere and Weston. Guinevere raised her head only to find Ste standing right there.She paused a little. Weston frowned and wanted to push her away.However, Guinevere hugged him tighter. "Weston, let¡¯s go in.." Ste calmed down quickly and was back to normal.She even smiled at them. "I''m so sorry.Am I interrupting? I''ll go in first.Please pretend I was never here.." Then, she waved at them and turned to leave. Weston stared at Ste intently.His eyes were dark and unreadable.He was about to chase after her, but Guinevere hastened to grip his hand tightly. "Zack is still with my parents.Why won¡¯t we go and see him together? After all, this is his birthday party.We''re both always busy with work and don¡¯t have much time for him.No matter what, we have to spend some time with him today.." Weston stopped in his tracks and responded with a hum. Atst, he could only look in the direction Ste had left with gloomy eyes. Guinevere followed his gaze and looked over too. A trace of viciousness shed across her eyes. Meanwhile, in the living room.Wendy went over to Ste when she saw her return. "Where did you go?" "I went out for a breather.." "Come! I''ll take you to meet my friends!" Wendy took her hand. "When it¡¯s almost over, I¡¯m going to announce to everyone that you¡¯re my goddaughter" Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Ste hesitated a little. "Are you seriously going to make me your goddaughter?" "Of course.." Wendy¡¯s tone was firm.She said decisively, "It¡¯s hard to meet someone 1 like.I really want to keep you by my side.." Ste curled her lips and did not say anything.She closed her eyes and thought about Guinevere and Weston¡¯s happy faces earlier. The scene stung her like a thorn. Guinevere and Weston were now a happy family of three, but what about her? Her dead baby had turned into a pool of blood.She would not let them stay happy for long. Ste was in the bathroom.She looked at herself in the mirror with tired eyes. Behind her, Guinevere walked in slowly. The harsh sound of high heels hitting the floor was annoying to her. "I''d underestimated you.You¡¯re shameless enough to appear at an event like this.." Guinevere took a look at the decor around her. The white dress she wore made her look magnificent.She was like a high and mighty queen. "Do you know what this ce is? It¡¯s Weston and my home.Today, it¡¯s Zack¡¯s birthday party.What is a shameless third party like you doing here?" Ste looked at her in the mirror.She met her gaze and smiled. "Well, someone brought me here.." "How did you get close with Wendy?" Guinevere cut to the chase. Ste shrugged. "Maybe you should ask her.." Guinevere sneered. "What if she finds out? Do you think she¡¯ still think highly of you once she knows you''re Weston¡¯s lover?" "Well, why don¡¯t you tell her?" Ste looked unbothered. "If you don''t try, you wouldn''t know how she''ll react, right?" Seeing Ste so unconcerned, Guinevere clenched her fists tightly. "E, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so shameless!" Ste watched Guinevere getting all worked up on this and found it hrious. Why was she not so righteous when she had gotten between her and Weston before? Ste was an actual couple with Weston and his legal wife. At that time, Guinevere intruded in their rtionship as the third party and pushed her away. However, she could not understand why she had to step aside for Guinevere. Ste would have to let Guinevere have a taste of her own medicine. Soon, it would be her turn to know how painful it was to be betrayed. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "What are youughing at?" Guinevere had almost lost control of her emotions.She exhaled and calmed down after a deep breath. "If you¡¯re smart enough, you should get lost now! Otherwise, things may not end well.I¡¯m sure you want to keep your career and future in the show business.It¡¯s not rare to be a mistress, but what if someone else finds out? By then, your reputation in the industry will be ruined.Those who have been involved in such affairs never have a good ending!" Ste said nothing and turned on the faucet. As the cold water sshed on the back of her hand, she stared at the water flowing down from her fingertips.Her eyes remained indifferent and unconcerned. "My future?" As she spoke, she suddenlyughed. "Well, it¡¯s fine.Weston promised me.He said he wouldn¡¯t let our rtionship affect my career.." "what.." Guinevere¡¯s nails were sinking into her flesh.She could not stand it whenever Ste bragged about Weston¡¯s affection for her.It felt like a sharp de ripping through her flesh. Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Weston would never interfere with her career. Besides, she had never asked him for any help. And yet, this woman¡ªthis despicable woman! Guinevere was pissed. The guy she had sent out said he had done the deed, but he did not do a good job. E should be lying in the hospital, badly injured. Instead, she stood in front of her unharmed! "Don¡¯t be too full of yourself, E.You¡ª" Ste suddenly cut her off before she could finish. "Do you have other tricks other than spewing all these threats to me? You tried to attack me, but you only dared to use dirty tricks without anyone knowing. Are you disappointed because the crystalmp didn¡¯t kill me?" Guinevere widened her eyes in shock. "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t know what you mean.." Ste smiled.She walked straight to Guinevere and picked up a lock of her hair and twirled it around her fingers. "You have such a beautiful face, but such a cruel heart...You didn¡¯t expect me to be so lucky, did you? I even escaped the big crystalmp.." Guinevere pushed her hand away fiercely. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! Don¡¯t nder me!" Ste looked up and nced at the ceiling. "There are no surveince cameras in the bathroom.Why are you so afraid of telling me the truth?" As she spoke, she took out her phone. "Besides, I¡¯m not recording our conversation.." Guinevere¡¯s face changed. Indeed, she was wary of this. After all, she had not expected to be yed thest time she had made E admit she was a mistress. E had made her unintentionally say something to her disadvantage. Otherwise, she could have destroyed E with that recording. This time, she was worried that E would do the same thing again. Ste saw through her fears.She said in a mocking tone, "You''re so cautious.That exins why Weston doesn¡¯t like being with you.." Ste hurt Guinevere right on almost all her weak points. "You''re no longer humiliating me openly like the way you did before. Are you afraid of upsetting Weston? "Tsk.I thought a mighty queen like you wouldn¡¯t care about men.I didn¡¯t expect you to be a coward.You don¡¯t even dare to humiliate me to my face.You even had to apologize to me... "I guess I can¡¯t let Weston get bored of me.After all, with him around, you don¡¯t even dare to target me openly anymore.You can only use dirty tricks in the dark.I have to find a way to keep him in my grasp.." Guinevere did not expect her to say such shameless words openly. "I¡¯ve never seen a woman as shameless as you.." "Well, you have now.." Ste said, smiling, "I¡¯m not just going to sleep with your man¡ªI¡¯m going to spend his money.One day, I might even hold your son.." "Don¡¯t you dare!" "why wouldn''t I dare?" All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Ste¡¯s face suddenly changed.Her face became extremely grim.She rubbed her wrist and said, "Did you know? Weston brought Zachary to meet me the other day.However, I hated the son he had with another woman, so I made him send him back.." All her words hit Guinevere hard like a sharp sword that had struck her in the heart.She initially looked exquisite in her makeup, but immediately paled upon hearing her words.Her lips were trembling. "That''s impossible...How could he have done such a thing?" Zachary was her son. How could Weston have brought him to E?! "Why don¡¯t you ask Weston about it?" Ste enjoyed looking at Guinevere¡¯s devastated face.She thought about how she felt when she had lost her child. Suddenly, she felt happy witnessing Guinevere¡¯s misery, but there was nothing but void and emptiness after the pleasure.She could make Guinevere suffer in pain, but so what? Her baby would nevere back. Revenge couldfort the living, but it would never repair the pain that had been caused. Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Ste rubbed her wrist and continued provoking Guinevere. "I¡¯m not interested in another woman¡¯s child, but...when I saw Zachary earlier, I didn¡¯t find him as annoying as before.." She smiled at Guinevere. "He¡¯s pretty cute.Maybe we shouldn¡¯t get him involved in the grown-ups'' disagreement.Don¡¯t you think so? If Weston brings him to me again, I should give him a good hug.." "Don¡¯t you dare!" Guinevere shoved her away. "That¡¯s my son! Stay away from him!" Ste stumbled a few steps back and almost fell to the ground. Guinevere was out of her mind.She rushed to Ste and grabbed her by her dress.She warned her fiercely, "You b*tch! Do you hear me? Stay away from Weston and Zachary!" Ste leaned on the sink partially and looked at Guinevere with her face distorted in anger.She said with a cynical look, "You should tell Weston that.I never asked for it.He¡¯s the one who wanted me to get along with Zachary.I just can¡¯t reject him.." "Shut up! That''s impossible...Just shut up!" Guinevere raised her hand and wanted to p her. Ste''s eyes changed.She pushed her away and stood up. "You''re crazy!" Her short sentence made Guinevere stiffen for a moment.She turned her head and looked at herself in the mirror.Indeed, she looked like a mad woman.She had never thought she would show all her ugly and hysterical true colors one day. In the past, she could remain indifferent in front of Ste. Although Ste and Weston were married, she felt like Weston had only married her to piss her off. Why did she lose her temper all because of E? How did she make her so mad? While Guinevere was still lost in thought, Ste pushed her away and walked out. When Guinevere had pushed her earlier, her clothes had been stained with water.She looked a little messy. Ste was born with a beautiful appearance.Her skin was fair and clear.She rarely needed heavy makeup. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. No one could tell if she wore makeup in her natural look. Ste was in a vulnerable position because of her passiveness.If she wanted to control her fate, she would have to grow stronger.She had to make her weakness her strength.She did not want to be suppressed any longer. Otherwise, she would always be bullied by others. The water from the stains on her clothes were dripping to the ground. Then, she saw a tall figure at the end of the corridor walking toward her. Ste withdrew her gaze and acted like she did not see him.She walked forward without looking at him. Weston grabbed her arm and pulled her. Both of them stumbled into a guest room. Click. A click sounded; Weston had locked the door from inside. Weston pinned Ste against the door, trapping her between the door and his broad chest.She had no way to escape. Ste looked up and met Weston¡¯s gaze. "Let me out.." "Why did youe here?" Weston asked. "Your mom invited me over.." Weston tipped her chin and swept his sharp eyes across her face. Then, he locked his gaze on her lips. "Don¡¯t y games with me.." Ste chuckled. "It¡¯s true.You don¡¯t believe me? What kind of answer do you want, then?" "I want to hear the truth.." "That''s the truth.." Before she could say anything else, Weston kissed her suddenly. Ste widened her eyes and stared at the handsome face close to her eyes.She swallowed all her words and stopped speaking. Weston¡¯s kiss was earnest and deep.He kissed her like he was punishing her.He drew every ounce of air from her lungs and turned her world upside down. Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Ste moved her foot to the back a little.Her leg was already injured, and her wound was still bandaged with gauze.Earlier, Guinevere pushed her and made her injury bleed again. Weston noticed her strange posture while walking. However, he did not realize that she was wounded. Earlier, a ball of fire had risen in his chest at the first sight of her. The fiery lust in him was still present.He needed to kiss her and breathe in her scent to calm the fire in him. "Let me go.." Ste could not stand it anymore and tried pushing him away in between kisses. "This is your house.Your family is all outside...Hm ¡° Weston looked down at her chattering mouth and leaned in for another deep kiss, stopping her from speaking. "You...Mm.." Every time she tried to say a word, he kissed her, taking her lower lip and sucking it gently. The sound of low gasping breaths rang in her ears.She had no way to struggle.She breathed slowly against his shoulder and gasped, "Weston...Guinevere is still out there!" In the end, it was Guinevere¡¯s name that worked. Weston finally stopped and looked at her intently. "So what?" Ste lifted her chin. "Aren¡¯t you afraid? What if she finds out what we''re doing here? Do you want everyone to know?" "It doesn¡¯t matter.." Weston lifted his knees to her weak spot. "Even if they know, so what?" He was a little too daring. Ste knew he had always been bold, but she did not expect him to be this brazen.She was unable to struggle because Weston had pinned her to the door. Weston pressed her hard with one hand. Meanwhile, his other hand traveled further and further down. Ste closed her eyes. "Don''t do this, please.." Her voice was trembling.It would be humiliating if others saw them. Weston finally stopped his hand as he heard the resistance in her tone.He pressed his forehead against hers and panted a little. "You''re quite brave.You came over without telling me.." Ste did not say anything. Weston tipped her chin. "You''re afraid that others will see us, but you weren''t scared toe without informing me? I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of letting others know about our rtionship.." Ste took a deep breath. "Your mom brought me here.I couldn¡¯t refuse her.." "I see.." Weston rubbed her moistened pink lips with his thumb. "When did you get so close to her?" "Because of an ident.." Ste did not want to talk about it. "Can I leave now?" "Guinevere is right outside.." Weston said and moved his hands down.He flipped her dress up. "If you want her to see us like this, you may go out.." Ste¡¯s gaze changed. "What are you doing!" "You know what I¡¯m doing.." He turned her around, pressed her shoulders, and pinned her against the door. At the same time, in the corridor. The sound of high heels ttering on the ground came. Ste¡¯s pupils trembled. "Are you crazy? You...Mmph.." Before she could finish speaking, Weston¡¯s sudden movement had interrupted her.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Ste did not expect Weston to be so brazen! Weston lowered his waist and entered her just like that. He shackled her waist tightly with his big hands, leaving her no gap to escape. All her senses were magnified in that instant. She gritted her teeth and pressed her nails against the door as her breathing became heavy. At the same time, outside the door. ¡°Gwen, why are you still in the restroom?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the corridor. Ste widened her eyes and tensed. Her body stiffened. Weston grunted behind her and patted her waist. ¡°Rx.¡± He lowered his voice and gently rubbed against her ear.¡± Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± Ste took a deep breath. She was shaking from his movement, but she did not dare to make a sound. She feared being heard by the people outside. Guinevere just came out of the restroom and did not see Ste. She found it a little strange and muttered to herself, ¡°How did she disappear so quickly¡­¡± Chris came to look for Guinevere . ¡°The guests are here. Why are you still here?¡± Guinevere controlled her emotions and replied to Chris,¡° I came to touch up my makeup. I¡¯ll go out now.¡± Chris nodded and asked, ¡°Have you seen Weston?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°No. Isn¡¯t he outside?¡± ¡°He was, but he disappeared! You¡¯re both Zack¡¯s parents. Today is Zack¡¯s birthday. All of you are so unreliable!¡± Chrisined a little. Guinevere¡¯s face turned unpleasant. She interrupted him, ¡°Where did he go? Why haven¡¯t you seen him?¡± Chris noticed the strange expression on her face and stopped walking. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Their conversation could be heard through the door. Ste clenched her teeth at once and breathed softer. She was afraid that the people outside would hear them. Weston, who was behind her, was not worried at all. Instead, he picked up her hair that was wet from sweat and tied it behind her head. He grasped her back firmly and moved his big hand to the end of her neck. Then, he leaned over and lowered his head by her ears. He breathed in her ear and uttered softly, ¡°You seem ufortable.¡± From this position, he could see Ste¡¯s shoulder de arching like a lifelike butterfly. Her supple and fair skin looked like fine satin, dazzling his eyes. Weston¡¯s gaze deepened. The movements of his hands became harder. Ste gritted her teeth and refused to speak. She would let out a soft moan as soon as she made a sound. Weston chuckled in a low voice. He squeezed her chin teasingly and lifted her face, making her look up at him.¡° Rx. Don¡¯t bite your lips.¡± He looked gentle and unruffled, but he did not slow down his movements at all. It became harder for Ste to resist him. Weston noticed Ste¡¯s silence and refusal to speak. She bit her lower lip so hard that she was starting to bleed. Weston suddenly pressed his thumb against her lips. He forced her to rx her teeth and stop biting herself. ¡° Idiot. You¡¯re hurting yourself.¡± He jammed his finger into her mouth and made Ste open her mouth. She let out a moan. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± She heard an abrupt pause from the conversation outside. There was dead silence. Ste red at Weston at once and lowered her voice.¡° What if they hear you? Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± The small movement between them seemed to have startled the people outside the door. Guinevere frowned and looked at Chris. ¡°Did you hear anything?¡± Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Chris stopped in his tracks and looked around a few times. Then, he answered, shaking his head, ¡°Hear what? It¡¯s just the two of us here. I checked when I came over. No one else is here.¡± Chris was always cautious about meeting Guinevere. He did not want anyone to see him with Guinevere alone. Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s good that no one saw¡­¡± Both of them were speaking in an implicit manner, seemingly guilt-ridden. Chris was especially remorseful. Whenever he looked at Guinevere, he could not help but regret his impulsiveness. If he had controlled himself that night, he would not be stuck in this passive situation¡­ As he thought of that, he felt a little sorry for Guinevere. He could not help but ask, ¡°You and Weston¡­ How¡¯s your rtionship been these days?¡± Guinevere kept her head down. When he asked that question, she felt a sudden urge to cry. Her nose was a little sore. ¡°We¡¯re actually¡­¡± Her eyes reddened, and her voice was a little nasally. Chris paused and hesitated a little. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did he treat you badly?¡± Guinevere was already aggrieved before. When she heard his question, she rasped, ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t love me as much as he used to¡­¡± ¡°What makes you say that all of a sudden?¡± Chris frowned. Guinevere sounded depressed. ¡°Do you know? He has a woman outside.¡± Chris had heard about Be¡¯s incident before. He fell into a short silence and told Guinevere, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heat. It¡¯s impossible for Weston to have any feelings for her. It¡¯s just a game at most.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Guinevere rubbed her eyes andughed at herself. ¡°But I think he loves her a lot¡­ That girl¡¯s showing off to me, saying how much Weston loves her¡­¡± ¡°That woman has the audacity to speak to you like that?¡± Chris found it unbelievable. ¡°The women from Lowe Garden are at most a high-ss ything. How could she be so bold?!¡± Guinevere knew Chris had misunderstood. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean Belle¡­ I meant E.¡± ¡°E?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s an actress in our cast. Weston seems to fancy her a lot. He has been spending a lot of time with her all this while¡­¡± At the same time, inside the guest room. Ste found the conversation between Chris and Guinevere hrious . ¡°Is sheining to your dad?¡± Ste did not expect the high and mighty Guinevere to tell Chris about Weston. Weston kissed her nape and muttered, ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Why should I be scared?¡± Ste said, ¡°He¡¯s not my dad. You should be the one who¡¯s worried. They might do something to you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way to deal with it.¡± Weston¡¯s voice was low and maic. He sounded arrogant and said in disdain, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Ste thought it was funny. ¡°Why should I be worried about you? Ah¡­¡± Her tone changed as soon as she finished her sentence. Weston acted as if he was deliberately punishing her and making her unable to speak. Ste red at him angrily. She had never seen such an evil man! ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡± Weston looked down and whispered in her ears, ¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯re asking for more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless !¡± Ste said through clenched teeth. Weston chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ste closed her eyes and refused to speak anymore. The voices outside the door were getting softer. Ste was unsure if it was because of Weston¡¯s teasing action behind her. Somehow, she could not hear Guinevere and Chris¡¯s conversation anymore. All she knew was Guinevere started crying a few momentster. She heard her sobs. Ste eased her breathing and tried to listen in on their conversion. She wondered if she was mistaken , but for some reason, she felt that there was something weird between Chris and Guinevere. Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Weston kept disturbing her from behind. She grabbed the back of his hand and tensed up. She wanted him to finish quickly. Weston hissed and pped her on the back again. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s messing around now?¡± Her body stiffened with irritation. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Weston¡¯s face changed. He kept kissing her back and finally slowed down a little. Atst, Ste could hear the noise outside. Indeed, it was Guinevere who was sobbing. Chris looked at Guinevere helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll talk to him. The women out there are just new ythings for him. Don¡¯t take them seriously.¡± ¡°But Wendy brought her back today¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Is E the woman who came with Wendy today? What!¡± Chris became annoyed too.¡±Since when did she get so close to Wendy?¡± Guinevere shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe Wendy has never really liked me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting married to Weston in six months. We¡¯ll be a family soon. How could she not like you?¡± Chris retorted instinctively. Guinevere suddenly looked at Chris with tears in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll support me, right?¡± ¡°Of course! You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s worthy as our daughter-inw.¡± Guinevere suddenly stepped forward and rested her head against his shoulder. ¡°Thank you¡­ I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done without your support¡­¡± At the same time, in the guest room. Ste pursed her lips. Her eyes were in a trance. She felt that the conversation between Guinevere and Chris outside was bing stranger. The way Guinevere and Chris spoke to each other¡­ their tone of speech¡­ It sounded like there were some romantic elements. Weston noticed that Ste was distracted. He was displeased. ¡°Why are you thinking about someone else¡¯s matter at a time like this?¡± Ste sputtered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s deliberately¡­ Mmm¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the sound of footsteps outside. The two outside seemed to have left. Ste breathed a sigh of relief, only to be rewarded by Weston¡¯s increasingly unrestrained punishment. This was Zachary¡¯s birthday party. Both the Ford and Cohen families were the main stars today. However, the Cohen family was the center of discussion at the event most of the time. ¡°I heard yourpany made this much from the western suburbs project!¡± Someone came up to Mr. Cohen and wagged his fingers. Mr. Cohen waved his hand with a smile. ¡°Where did you hear that from? That¡¯s an exaggeration.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an exaggeration at all.¡± The crowd who gathered around Mr. Cohen congratted him. Most of them had forgotten that it was Zachary¡¯s birthday party. ¡°When the stock market opened yesterday , your stock was up big time! Yourpany garnered more attention than the Ford family. Your son-in- law is really impressive.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve entrusted him with my baby girl. This is only normal!¡± Mr. Cohenughed joyfully. Wendy had overheard their conversation from the side. She held Zachary in her arms and had a meaningful smile. She looked at Warren beside her. ¡°Weston respected them and gave them a big share of benefits. Are they unting their prosperity now? In the past, they were begging us for cooperation, but they¡¯re so arrogant now The Cohen family had refused to let Weston and Guinevere get married right away because of their benefits and personal interests. However, they were unwilling to give up the western suburbs project too. As a result, they were reluctant to finalize the marriage and kept worrying about the possible changes between Weston and Guinevere. After they had achieved their goal, they had started to make things difficult , especially regarding the matters rting to Guinevere¡¯s marriage. Previously, they kept thinking about how to strengthen Guinevere¡¯s rtionship with Weston. After getting what they wanted, they refused to say a word about the marriage. Warren was a smart man. He could clearly see the change in their attitude. He smiled and did not comment. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Chris?¡± Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Wendy carried Zachary in her arms and shook her head. ¡° I don¡¯t know. He might be entertaining guests somewhere.¡± Warren suddenly looked at Wendy. ¡°Did you get into a fight with Chris recently?¡± ¡°Why the sudden question? No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Wendy yed with Zachary with her usual smile. Warren shook his head. ¡°Well, I may be wrong. I just feel like you two aren¡¯t as close as you used to be.¡± ¡°How can that be? We¡¯re already an old married couple. Maybe we don¡¯t have the passion like before, but our rtionship is still good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± While they were talking, they saw Xaviering this way with Daisy. Warren¡¯s face sank. He grunted, ¡°Herees the real troublemaker.¡± After he had said that, he stood up and wanted to walk away. Wendy smiled and carried Zachary in her arms. ¡°I think he came here to talk to you. I¡¯ll take Zack and go.¡± After that, she got up and left with Zachary in her arms. Xavier noticed their interaction and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Wendy.¡± Daisy nodded at her too. ¡°Madam.¡± Wendy smiled and said nothing. Warren sneered. He did not want to see Xavier at all, so he got up to leave. Xavier hurriedly stood in front of him and stopped him from leaving. ¡°Dad, are you still angry?¡± ¡°How can I be angry with you, young master?¡± Warren grunted in a dark tone. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g When Xavier heard that, he immediately knew Warren was not truly angry with him. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I know I was wrong.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong? You¡¯re just going after your true love. My old-fashioned ways are now an obstacle to you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I know you¡¯re doing it for my own good ¡­¡± Xavier softened up and apologized. He helped Warren and sat down next to him. He gave Daisy a look as a signal. Daisy obediently sat beside him and called out to him, ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Warren had Xavier when he was already very old. With his age, he was old enough to be a grandfather to the two of them. However, he was Xavier¡¯s father. Daisy had wanted to call him grandpa, but she had to follow Xavier¡¯s rank in the family and call him uncle. Her greeting made the air around them a little awkward. Warren grunted again. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I can¡¯t take it. ¡° ¡°Dad, don¡¯t talk to her like that. You¡¯ll scare her.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even married her yet, yet you¡¯re so protective of her already?¡± Xavier noticed Warren¡¯s displeasure. Therefore, he started acting shamelessly again. ¡°She¡¯s just my girlfriend. If I really want to marry her, I¡¯ll need your permission, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°With your attitude earlier, you look like you¡¯re certainly going to marry her. Do you still need my permission? Can¡¯t you make your own decision?!¡± ¡°Dad, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ I¡¯m just trying to get your blessing.¡± Warren could not do anything because Xavier had softened his attitude. The only thing he could do was to apologize to the Taylor family. After all, he was the one who had raised Xavier to be such an ungrateful son. ¡°Get out of my way! Stop being an eyesore here!¡± Warren frowned and impatiently told him to get lost. Warren gave him a bad attitude , but Xavier knew it was his silent approval. ¡°Dad, I was doing it for your sake too¡­¡± ¡°Stop with your nice words now. You almost gave me a heart attack. Was that for my sake too?¡±. Xavier had wanted to say something. Then, he saw Chris and Guinevereing down from the second floor. He paused a little. These two were father and daughter-inw, but they looked like a good match. Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Xavier found his idea a little absurd. He smiled and told Warren, ¡°I know Chris is afraid that I¡¯d marry Zeta andpete with him for the family fortune. I know you¡¯ve been troubled about this. You¡¯re worried that we won¡¯t get along well¡­ ¡°But today, Weston has given most of the profits to the Cohen family. I¡¯ve broken off my engagement too. You don¡¯t have to worry about dividing the family fortune anymore.¡± What he had said made Warren nce at him a few more times. He seemed less annoyed than he was before. Meanwhile, inside the dimly lighted guest room. Ste waited for a while before she managed to ease her breathing. Then, she checked the time. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid someone will be looking for you outside?¡± She lowered her dress as she spoke and tidied her messy outfit. Weston slowly buttoned his shirt cor and looked like a gentleman again. His tidied look showed no trace of his shameless actions earlier. Ste looked around the room for a mirror. ¡°You¡¯d better not let me catch you leaving any marks on my neck.¡± Weston pulled her closer and helped tidy her messy hair.¡° You begged me so much earlier. I just couldn¡¯t bear to go against you.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He rubbed the tender and soft skin behind her ear. If he could, he wanted to leave his mark on her. ¡®What a shame. Ste red at him again. She wondered how he could say these things so shamelessly. He was the one who enjoyed the deed, but he made it sound like she was the one who had taken the most advantage. The room was still dimly lit. Weston did not turn on the light and just stared at the woman in front of him with the soft light from the hallway. Ste did not bother looking at him. After she had tidied her clothes, she wanted to push the door open and leave. Weston wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. He kissed her on the earlobe and muttered, ¡°Why are you leaving in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Why not? Should I wait to be caught doing this with you here?¡± Weston reached out to fix her hair. He said in an unhurried tone, ¡°You must have heard the conversation between Gwen and Chris.¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± Ste asked him in reply. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. You should be able to tell. They don¡¯t have a normal rtionship.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°Guinevere is the mother of your child, while Chris is your father. What could be so special about their rtionship? They are just father and daughter-inw.¡± Weston fixed his deep eyes on her steadily without saying more. Ste could never read what was on his mind, let alone what he was implying by his words. When Weston had let go of his hand, Ste stood up straight. She pushed the door open and walked out. She thought no one would see them because Guinevere and Chris had left. She did not expect Weston toe out after her after she walked a few steps. Ste stopped in her tracks. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just agree that we would leave one after another?¡± ¡°Why are you so scared ?¡± Weston walked up to her and looked at her with lowered eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me? I said I¡¯d protect you.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. All she felt was the sharp pain in her ankle. Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Ste closed her eyes. ¡°I used to believe you, but I paid a big price for my foolishness.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes sank. He looked like he wanted to say something. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Ste let out augh and interrupted him. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about the past. It¡¯s meaningless.¡± When she was about to leave, she heard a woman¡¯s gasp and exmation. ¡°Weston, why are you here? Why are you with her¡­¡± Ste stopped in her tracks. She turned to the sound and saw Guinevere¡¯s parents walking toward them at the same time. Mrs. Cohen, in particr, stared at Ste with eyes full of doubt and disbelief. ¡°Why are you two together? What were you doing?¡± A woman¡¯s intuition was most likely urate. Mrs. Cohen observed Ste and frowned at her aura. She asked with a wary look, ¡°Weston, this is Zack¡¯s birthday party. How can you do something like this behind Gwen¡¯s back?¡± Ste subconsciously exined, ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯ve nothing to do with him¡­¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m talking to him. Who are you to speak!¡± Mrs. Cohen cut her off directly. Mrs. Cohen was a wife of the upper ss and naturally had amanding presence. Mr. Cohen stood beside his wife with the same cold face. He observed Weston and said, ¡°Earlier, Gwen¡¯s mom said she saw you two enter the room. I couldn¡¯t believe it. What¡¯s going on here?¡± Ste¡¯s face sank. She did not expect such a turn of events. She reflexively clenched her fists tight and remained silent. She knew this day woulde from the day Weston forced her to be his lover. Themotion, however, alerted Guinevere, who had just left. Having left with Chris, when she heard the noise, she returned, only to see her parents surrounding Weston and Ste while questioning them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she strode over and asked. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± Guinevere¡¯s parents looked at each other and exchanged a nce. Mr. Cohen said to Guinevere with a sullen face, ¡°Gwen, don¡¯t be afraid. Mom and Dad are here today. We¡¯ll definitely do you justice.¡± ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Guinevere stopped mid-sentence. She understood what was going on with just a nce, but she could only bite the bullet and act like she understood nothing. ¡°What justice? What are you talking about?¡± Mrs. Cohen went to her side and held her hand. She patted the back of her hand and exined, ¡°Your dad and I just saw Westone out of the same room with this woman¡­ She¡¯s clearly a slut. Don¡¯t be too sad. We¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°Mom, what the heck are you talking about? E is my colleague at work. She¡¯s an actress too. Besides, Zack¡¯s grandmother brought her over. How is she involved with Weston?¡± Guinevere subconsciously took Weston¡¯s side. In the eyes of outsiders , Weston could only be hers and hers alone. ¡°Stop speaking for him! I knew what just happened when I saw the two of them like that.¡± A woman with experience , Mrs. Cohen was a good judge of character. When she was young, she caught many women who wanted to seduce her husband. She could tell if a man and woman were involved or having an affair with just a nce. ¡°They can be so daring and betray you on such an important day like this, let alone on a usual day!¡± She frowned and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re our only daughter, Gwen. We won¡¯t let you suffer like this!¡± Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Chapter 702 They would not have said such a thing six months ago. At that time, even if Weston did have a mistress tucked away somewhere aside, they would¡¯ve just gotten rid of that woman and tell Guinevere to put up with it. However, the western suburb project was almostplete. Besides, Weston gave most of the profits to the Cohen family. They no longer need to rely on the Ford family to speak, so they felt Guinevere¡¯s marriage with Weston was no longer a big deal. They became arrogant once their interests were satisfied. This was only normal. Weston seemed to have expected their reaction. His expression did not change. He only looked at Ste¡¯s side profile with a faint gaze. Weston noticed her nervousness as she clutched her palm tightly. He lifted his hand and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. His small gesture drew the anger of a few people. Mrs. Cohen immediately raised her voice. ¡°Just look at him! Look! He¡¯s being so bold in front of us!¡± She thumped her heart and took a few steps back in anger. ¡°Weston, are you ignoring us? Don¡¯t you care about Gwen?¡± Furious, Mr. Cohen had a headache. ¡°Weston, say something. Aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself? Who is this? What¡¯s your rtionship with her?!¡± Weston withdrew his hand and looked at Ste with hooded eyes. ¡°Tell them.¡± Ste froze and looked up at Weston in disbelief. ¡°You¡­¡± Did he want her to define their rtionship? Was he not afraid at all? What if she admitted to their rtionship? If she did, it would put Weston in trouble-she knew just by looking at how Guinevere¡¯s parents reacted. What did he mean? What did he want to do? The atmosphere was bing heated and tense. Guinevere feared that Ste would really admit it, something that would surely piss her parents off. Thus, she quickly interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I know Weston well, okay? He¡¯s not interested in other women. He¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Did I allow you to speak?¡± Mr. Cohen cut her off, his face red with fury. ¡°Why are you still siding him at a time like this? You¡¯re such a disgrace!¡± Mrs. Cohen pulled her hand and told her to shut up too.¡° You don¡¯t have to exin on their behalf. Let Weston speak for himself!¡± Guinevere called out, ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°I told you to shut up! Do you hear me?¡± Though Mrs. Cohen had always loved her daughter, she didn¡¯t want to listen to her argument at a time like this. ¡°You were aggrieved and got pregnant out of wedlock , and you¡¯re still acting like this? Our daughter isn¡¯t some cheap woman. How can we tolerate him for abusing you like this?¡± That was a serious statement. Guinevere¡¯s face turned ashen. She looked at Weston in distress. Why was Weston not saying anything? He did not say a word. Was he really going to admit it in silence? Did he know that if this went on, they would not be able to get married anymore¡­ As she thought of that, she took a deep breath and walked to Ste. She stood in front of her and ordered, ¡°E, you should exin to my parents. What¡¯s your rtionship with Weston?¡± Upon Ste opening her mouth, Guinevere immediately interrupted her. ¡°You better think carefully,¡± she reminded her quietly. ¡°Do you want to be known as the homewrecker and be despised by everyone in the circle?¡± Ste looked at Guinevere for a moment with gloomy eyes. She remained speechless. Weston frowned beside her. He said, ¡°E, you should leave first.¡± Guinevere pinched her palm so hard at that. Those words hurt her. Even in such a moment, Weston was still so protective of E-she was just a recement. So why was she so important to him? Weston did not bother looking at Guinevere at all. He put his hand on Ste¡¯s head and patted her a little. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Earlier, he told Ste to speak for herself and their rtionship because he wanted to give her the power to decide.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Chapter 703 If Ste merely wanted fame by disclosing their rtionship , he didn¡¯t mind indulging her ¨C he did not want to see her fake a smile again. However, he came to a sudden realization from her reaction. Weston finally remembered that Ste was very concerned about her identity. She did not want to be a third party in the rtionship. She almost fell into depression because of this matter. Even though she was his rightful wife, Guinevere¡¯s presence remained an issue to her. She valued the outsider¡¯s view of her too much. It wasn¡¯t something he understood , but Weston did not want to see Ste depressed. Therefore, he told her to stay out of it. He would take care of the rest. Ste desperately wanted to leave. She said nothing and turned to leave. Guinevere wanted to go after her, but Weston withdrew his gaze and stopped her. ¡°If you have something to say, say it here.¡± He did not allow her to go after Ste. She was trouble. Guinevere stopped dead in her tracks. Back in the living room. Ste strode withrge steps as if something was chasing her. She walked so quickly her ankle began hurting again. Wendy happened to be looking for her. When she saw hering her way, she hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Why are you walking so fast? Your foot is still injured. Walk slower!¡± Ste stopped. ¡°I¡¯m a little unwell. I¡¯d like to leave¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Wendy took her arm with a smile and refused to let her go. ¡°I haven¡¯t made the important announcement yet. Just bear with me. I¡¯ll have Weston take you hometer.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste¡¯s face turned ashen. After a short silence, she said, ¡° Guinevere¡¯s parents found out about Weston and me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wendy was a little surprised. Then, her face turned gloomy too. She sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t help it, I suppose,¡± she sighed. ¡°They were bound to find out sooner orter.¡± The butler came forward with Zachary in his arms.¡° Madam¡­¡± Wendy looked at the child with aplicated look.¡° They¡¯re stuck because of this child.¡± After she said that, she looked at Ste andforted her, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Weston will take care of it.¡± As they spoke, there was a suddenmotion in the hallway on the second floor. Ste looked toward the origin of the noise. ¡°What happened?¡± Wendy asked. Chris also heard the news. He was supposed to give a speech for Zachary¡¯s birthday, but it had to be postponed-all sessions were put on hold. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen were making a lot of noise up there, demanding to see Warren. Chris was about to rush over. Then, she saw Wendy and Ste standing together. He walked up to them with a grim face. ¡°Dad¡¯s got something to discuss with the inws. You stay here with Zachary.¡±. He was speaking to Wendy, but he directed the cold tone at Ste. Ste sensed his hostility, but she knew this was Weston¡¯s father, and she said nothing. Wendy nced at her once, then nodded at Chris. He asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Anyway, you take care of Zachary,¡± Chris said and nced at Ste several times. When he saw that she was not paying attention to him, he shifted his gaze away. Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Chris put his arm around Wendy¡¯s shoulder and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on them. Wait for me here.¡± Wendy nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The two had always been a loving couple in front of the public. They still seemed to be in love even after decades of marriage. Many guests looked at them with a little envy. The female guests, in particr, envied Wendy or Guinevere the most. However, after this night, perhaps no one would envy Guinevere anymore. Chris took a nce at Ste before he left. His eyes were frostily cold. He knew Weston had a woman outside. He had heard about Belle from Lowe Garden, but Guinevere had got rid of her. Chris never thought Weston would bring another woman back to the Ford mansion! He was so deluded! When he had just gone upstairs, he heard the loud noise from the study. Warren was smashing things in the room. His cane was banging on the floor heavily. Xavier , who came up with Chris, heard the noises too. Both stood outside the door and looked at each other in dismay. Xavier looked at Chris. ¡°Chris , what¡¯s wrong with dad? Why is he so angry?¡± Chris shook his head and remained silent with a tense face. Then, when he saw Xaviere alone , he asked,¡° Where¡¯s your woman?¡± Xavier chuckled. ¡°She isn¡¯t feeling well, so she went to the restroom.¡± Chris nodded. Then, both of them pushed the door open and went in. Creak¡­ The door opened, and a porcin bowl came mming toward them. Crack! A loud noise sounded as the bowl broke into pieces at Chris¡¯s feet. Chris jumped in shock. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? Why so serious?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The atmosphere in the study was very tense. Guinevere and Weston stood still. Guinevere¡¯s parents both had ugly expressions. It was obvious that something was wrong. If Chris hade in alone, Warren could have controlled his temper. However, he lost his temper at the sight of Xavier. He rushed to him with his cane, trying to hit him with it. ¡°You ungrateful son! It¡¯s all your fault for setting a bad example!¡± Xavier did not expect to get med for no reason. He hurriedly dodged Warren. ¡°Dad, why are you scolding me again? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± He thought the matter about Daisy was already over. He also persuaded Warren to let his guard down, letting him think that he would not fight for the family fortune. He did not expect to get into trouble again. Warren was furious. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been drinking and sleeping with women all the time, why would Weston have learned from you?¡± Xavier vaguely realized what was going on after his father scolded him. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that Weston is ying with women outside too?¡± The tension in the study became colder as soon as he said that. Xavier finally understood it. ¡°No, wait. Weston is the one who¡¯s keeping a woman outside . Why are you scolding and beating me?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been such a bad influence, would this have happened? The men from our family have always been loyal! You¡¯re the only exception! Weston has never done all these before. He¡¯s clean and loyal. You¡¯re the one who keeps sleeping around with actresses and models. How dare you say you¡¯re not wrong?¡± Warren was using Xavier unfairly, but Xavier could not argue. It was true that he got into a few scandals once in a while, and most of the time, Warren was the one who helped him to get rid of the bad press. He knew he was wrong and unable to deny this, and he knew Warren needed to vent his anger on someone. However, his words served Guinevere as a reminder. She looked at Weston with sadness and grievance in her eyes. Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Chapter 705 ¡®Does he really have feelings for E? Just like how he once had feelings for Ste. He suddenly fell in love with her after she died.¡¯ ¡®When someone that looks so simr to Ste appears, he ends up pouring all his feeling into her.¡¯ Guinevere felt threatened by her thoughts. Even so, she refused to admit it. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Dad, Mom. Grandpa is right. Weston probably made an unintentional mistake. He was never a person like that. I¡¯m sure E must be the one who seduced him!¡± She could not help but speak for Weston. If her parents assumed that Weston was involved with E, they would prevent her from marrying Weston because of their pride. That was not what she wanted. The only other person who did not want the same thing to happen was Chris¡ªhe did not want Weston and Guinevere¡¯s marriage to go wrong. He had always looked forward to seeing their rtionship improve. That was the only way he could be at ease. Otherwise, Guinevere might be emotionally unstable and expose their secret someday. Chris could never ept such a result. It wasn¡¯t something he could live with. ¡°Gwen is right. Weston has always been a good boy. He has never made Wendy and me worry since he was a child. This woman must have seduced him!¡± His words sounded a little inappropriate and out of ce. Warren red at him. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not your turn to speak!¡± Warren was still ultimately the one in control of the Ford family. Although he was gradually segregating his power, his words still carried plenty of weight. Chris¡¯s eyes flickered. Then, he retreated to the side. Guinevere wanted to say more, but Mrs. Cohen was embarrassed by her. She raised her hand and directly pped her. ¡°Shut up! Let us handle this. Don¡¯t you say another word!¡± ¡°p!¡± Guinevere fell to the floor and was a little dumbfounded from the p. She looked at the woman in front of her in a daze. ¡°Mom¡­! She never thought her mother would ever hit her! Mrs. Cohen felt bad about it, but she had to be stern. ¡°He has already done you wrong. Why do you still speak for him? You¡¯re a disgrace to our family!¡± Personal interests and pride remained the most important to a powerful family like theirs. Now that they could reap the benefits in hand, they would not discard their pride. Mr. Cohen had stayed silent the whole time. Atst, he spoke with an extremely cold voice. ¡°If you guys think you can neglect Gwen because she gave you a son, you¡¯re wrong! It¡¯s just a child. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford to raise him ourselves!¡± Guinevere¡¯s heart trembled at her father¡¯s word. She had to ask for Weston¡¯s help. She red at Weston and yelled, ¡°Say something! Weston! She¡¯s the one who seduced you, right?¡± Weston looked down at her with hooded eyes and helped her up from the floor. A ray of joy shed in Guinevere¡¯s eyes, thinking he must¡¯ve relented and was finally softening for her. However, what he said next went in apletely different direction. ¡°No one can force me to do something I don¡¯t want to do.¡± That one sentence changed the tension around them drastically. Mrs. Cohen was so angry that she took a deep breath and dragged Guinevere back. ¡°He has spoken! Why are you still defending him?¡± Mr. Cohen looked at Weston and questioned sternly, ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re staying with that woman by choice and that you¡¯ve wronged Gwen?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes were cool. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve given the western suburbs project to you. We can help you with the follow-up¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Cohen cut him off at once. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think you can compensate us with that tens of billions?¡± That was indeed the fact, but they weren¡¯t about to allow their pride to be hurt just like that. Mr. Cohen directly announced with a cold face, ¡°I¡¯ll never let my daughter suffer in your family. Let¡¯s call off the marriage!¡±. Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Chapter 706 His words shocked everyone. Guinevere helplessly let go of her hand that clutched Weston¡¯s and looked at her father in dismay. ¡°No, I won¡¯t agree with this¡­¡± She put in an insurmountable amount of effort to get engaged. How could it be canceled so easily? ¡°You should look at your face. How absurd!¡± Mr. Cohen nced at her in disdain and turned his head away, disgruntled. Mrs. Cohen helped her to her feet. ¡°Stand up! Don¡¯t act like a joke in front of everyone. It¡¯s he who wronged you first. Why are you crying and whining?¡± Guinevere was always the child they were least worried about. She was always the daughter they were proud of, but now she had totally lost her poise and disgraced her family with the Weston debacle. ¡°What¡¯s the use of him being good if he doesn¡¯t care about you?¡± Guinevere looked at Weston and stubbornly argued, ¡°I only believe what he says!¡± She walked to Weston. ¡°You can stop seeing Be for my sake, so you can also get rid of E for me, right?¡± She was still harboring ast glimmer of hope. ¡°E is just a stand ¨C in. She¡¯s not the one you really want to bepensating!¡± Weston frowned and looked at Guinevere . ¡°Your father and mother are right. You really shouldn¡¯t waste your time on me.¡± Since he said that, Mr. Cohens¡¯ words were no longer that of anger but a decision. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to bring up this marriage between the two families in the future!¡± Mr. Cohen marched away in anger. Warren wanted to redeem the situation at first, but seeing Weston¡¯s inaction, he knew that there would be no use even if he took a stand. He sighed heavily and said, ¡± How could a nice birthday party turn into this?¡± Mrs. Cohen naturally wouldn¡¯t stay on as her husband had already left. She helped Guinevere up and gave Weston a look. ¡°The birthday party will still go on to not let us be aughing stock. As for your marriage with Guinevere, let¡¯s not mention it again.¡± Weston nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you trouble.¡± Seeing that he still looked calm, Mrs. Cohen was a little annoyed. ¡°I have really misjudged you. I thought you were a responsible man, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be no different from the others!¡± Weston remained quiet and let her taunt him. But the more he acted that way, the more it seemed that he didn¡¯t care the least. Mrs. Cohen sulked and took Guinevere away despite her pleading Only three Fords were left in the study. Xavier was watching all this while. Then, just as he was about to speak, Warren said to him coldly, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me? It¡¯s not like I caused the trouble¡­¡± ¡°If it is not you who always fool around and bring bad influence to the family, this will not happen!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Xavier somewhat understood that he would always be the one to me after making even a single mistake. ¡°Alright! I will close the door for you.¡± After saying that, he stood up and left. When he closed the door, he nced back, and his eyes shed with uncertainty. It seemed like he had made an error in judgment. Weston was really unreadable. He previously thought Weston didn¡¯t think Guinevere was important, but he gave the lion¡¯s share of the benefits to the Cohen family, making it seem like he valued his fianc¨¦e and Zachary. He had also been exceedingly generous to her family as well. However, in the blink of an eye, it seemed like he did not care about them at all. What was he thinking? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. What exactly did he want? What Xavier knew, though, was that he could no longer sit and wait. Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Chapter 707 All these were because of the final division of property. The genuinely powerful and capable would not show off but, at the same time, never give up what belonged to them. Today was Zachary¡¯s birthday party. Now that this happened, a good many people received the news shortly. ¡°Is it true that the two families have canceled the engagement?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they already married? They even have a child!¡± ¡°It seems they haven¡¯t registered their marriage. It was just a verbal promise. As long as their rtionship is not legally binding, shouldn¡¯t canceling it be easier?¡± ¡°Big families like them should share a deep rtionship. Something serious must have happened for them to say something like this¡­¡± ¡°Do you know why they want to cancel the engagement?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It is rumored that Ford has someone else outside.¡± For a moment, everyone gossiped about it, but no one knew exactly what happened. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Gloomy, Ste walked outside in dismay.¡± Seeing this, Wendy walked up to her with Zachary in her arms. ¡°I heard that Weston has fallen out with the Cohens.¡± She looked at Ste , uncertain of how she should react. Ste looked down. ¡°It should be my fault¡­¡± Wendy knew from the beginning, so she was not that surprised when Ste said that. ¡°Is it because Guinevere saw you two together? With her temperament, she would do such a thing.¡± Ste stared into the void and mumbled, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee.¡± Wendy frowned. ¡°Are you ming me for this?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ste pressed her brows. ¡°It just seems ridiculous to me.¡± She didn¡¯t have free rein to take revenge, nor could she let anyone set her up. She was constantly unable to be ruthless when she had to be. As they spoke, Mrs. Cohen came out with Guinevere. Everyone looked over at the two immediately. Guinevere seemed no different superficially, but her slightly red eyes confirmed their suspicions. ¡°The situation is indeed not good. Guinevere¡¯s eyes are red. Something must have happened!¡± ¡°Weston did not evene out with her. Maybe they have really fallen out? But this is the birthday party of their son! Something serious must have happened if they broke up at such a time!¡± ¡°I think this is usible. They wouldn¡¯t have fallen out if Guinevere hadn¡¯t caught them red-handed.¡± ¡°No way. Weston is notorious for not getting close to women. Could he change his mind and be like those ordinary men?¡± ¡°Who knows? I didn¡¯t expect a high and mighty goddess like Guinevere would be betrayed¡­¡± Listening to the gossip, Ste twitched the corner of her lips, but her eyes were expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s all the samements again. Every time a woman is betrayed, people care less about ming the man but look at the woman as a joke.¡± Although Ste felt that Guinevere deserved it, she was ironically sad when hearing those voices. She had also doubted herself once, thinking that she was the one not good enough, so much so that Weston abandoned her. Wendy did not expect her to say such a thing and her eyes flickered . She smiled bitterly. ¡°The world is never fair.¡± The one betrayed was often the one who would suffer the most. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Chapter 708 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Guinevere was still in a bit of a trance, unable to ept the fact that the engagement was over. When she saw that E and Wendy were chatting, her chest felt heavy, and she walked up to them. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Ste looked at her with amusement as she held her ss of wine. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about. Can you be more clear?¡± Guinevere sneered. ¡°Stop pretending! I have seen youing out from the room with Weston. What else is there to deny? You are really something, seducing Weston to do such a ridiculous thing! You really are a slut!¡± Appearing to havepletely lost her mind, she didn¡¯t seem to care that she was still in a public ce. Her action quickly led to a lot ofments. Mrs. Cohen walked up to her quickly and said with a low voice, ¡°Nonsense! What are you talking about?¡± There were only two families back then, so she would naturally argue with them. Now that there were outsiders, she could not let the family scandal turn them into aughing stock. ¡°It¡¯s Zachary¡¯s birthday today. Behave yourself! Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Guinevere took a deep breath and regained some sense. She looked at Ste coldly. ¡°Remember this! I will not let this go!¡± Ste raised her ss nonchntly . ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for it.¡± As she was looking at Guinevere¡¯s back, her eyes turned gloomy. Wendyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t mind much about her. Weston will protect you.¡± Ste said nothing, simply shaking the ss of champagne in her hand. After a while , she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that people will critique you if you help me so much?¡± Wendy was startled, not expecting that she would ask her that. ¡°I should have exined myself. As a mother, I simply want Weston to be happy. I don¡¯t care who he is with¡­¡± Ste interrupted her. ¡°Do you really think that I am stupid?¡± Not even a three-year-old kid would believe such a reason. It was just that she did not debunk it. Anyway, she knew that Wendy must have had something in mind for her and would not help her for no reason. Wendy paused and smiled, shaking her head. ¡°You are a bright girl. I don¡¯t have to hide anything from you. You should just know that I have no intention of harming you ¡­ though I am no phnthropist either.¡± It was a blustery birthday party. When Warren came out of the study, it meant that everything was decided. Weston followed him silently as everyone cast their eyes on them. Xavier was standing beside Daisy. He watched Weston walk up to him and asked, ¡°What did the old man say to you just now?¡± Weston did not answer and swept a cold nce at him. Still silent, he continued walking forward. Daisy frowned and Xavier¡¯s arm. ¡°Did you fight again? Why did Mr. Ford ignore you?¡± Xavier sniggered. ¡°Someone just couldn¡¯t hold his beans and made out with the little kid he kept outside. Then was seen by Guinevere¡¯s family. They made a scene, but it was nothing serious.¡± Daisy widened her eyes. ¡°How could that happen?¡± Weston had always been a self-possessed gentleman, always cool and free from desire. How could he be caught in the act for such a thing? Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Daisy couldn¡¯t help but nce in Ste¡¯s direction. Thinking about it, that woman should be her. What sort of magic was she ying with? It was able to make Weston lose control over her again and again¡­ On the contrary, her reactions were obvious to Xavier. The man squeezed her palm and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°How could I be! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Daisy interrupted. ¡°Stop making such jokes again.¡± ¡°Alright, I know.¡± Xavier took her hand and kissed the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not two-time like Weston.¡± He was looking at Daisy, but it was the appearance of Zeta who came to his mind. At that moment, his face turned cold, and he tightened his grip. Daisy yelped in pain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Xavier returned to his usual and put on his usual self.¡° It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Thank you for being here, for this birthday party!¡± Warren walked to the center of the hall and greeted the guests. Although he was getting old, his aura was still strong. When he stood there, all the people looked at him in unison. ¡°Apart from celebrating the first birthday of my first great -grandson, there is another important announcement to make ¡ª that is, due to personal reasons, the engagement of Weston and Guinevere has been officially canceled.¡± As he said that, he cleared his throat and continued solemnly, ¡°It is not because of some groundless excuse, but the two young people¡¯s personalities are simply ipatible, prompting them to give the other more space. Since they have a child, they decided to jointly raise Zachary until he reaches adulthood.¡± This was also agreed upon by the Cohens, with both families agreeing that a peaceful separation was the best option. Although the Cohens were in the right, it was still not something to be proud of. They did not want to be critiqued, and it was fine as long as people knew that the Ford family was to be med while they were the ones who settled the old score. Guinevere felt empty when hearing the gasps and looking at their surprised face. She had been looking forward to this anniversary party for so long, and even wanted to get rid of E for the event. She thought that this would be the turning point for her and Weston but did not expect that the end would be like this¡­ Seeing that she looked lost in thought, Mrs. Cohen felt miserable and said to her, ¡°In this situation, we can only announce that you have broken off your engagement, or else it will just bring shame to our family. If you really like Weston¡­¡± ¡°Mother, I really love him.¡± Guinevere paled as she said that. Mrs. Cohen felt a sting in her heart, and she sighed.¡° Don¡¯t worry. With E¡¯s identity , she will never marry Weston. They will only be together for a while at most, and he will know that you are his best choice.¡± ¡°Will he?¡± Guinevere was a bit confused. ¡°Will he know that I am his best choice?¡± ¡°Men, no matter what age, are immature, and there will always be a time when they can¡¯t clearly see which woman is best for them.¡± Mrs. Cohen seemed to be a bit down. ¡°Your father abandoned himself for a woman once. In the end, he realized that I was his best option and took the initiative to reconcile with me.¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope. Yes, Weston was only using E as a stand-in. He would return to her on his own¡­ Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Guinevere could feel that Weston¡¯s feelings for Ste grew stronger after she died. Having no ce to vent his sorrows, E¡¯s appearance happened to fill the void just in time. It was probably why he lost his mind. One day, when he came back to his senses and realized that E was not Ste, or his interest wore off, he would understand who was worthy of his choice. Guinevere¡¯s eyes became firm. In the hall. After the announcement , Warren emphasized , ¡°I know the cancetion of the engagement will lead to undesirable gossip that¡¯ll be detrimental to the two young people; I must make it clear that the rumors are not true! Rumors will only harm them and their child, so I hope I do not hear them anymore. Otherwise, I will see it as dering yourself as our enemies!¡± After he finished speaking, the whispering voices stopped, and no one dared to mention it again. But they would only do so only in their presence. Unless they concealed the rumors perfectly, they could not stop gossiping about the rich and powerful scandals. In private, they were all guessing. ¡°Seeing that Warren is in a haste to make such statements, Weston must havemitted a big mistake!¡± ¡°I heard that she is an actress in the same crew as Guinevere. They get together after several encounters.¡± ¡°So she is stealing Guinevere¡¯s man right under her nose? How could she bear it?¡± ¡°Of course, she couldn¡¯t! But you know, they already have a child. What else can she do?¡± ¡°I heard that the woman is here today!¡± ¡°Is she so brazen?¡± ¡°She seems to be called E!¡± ¡°It does not look possible , does it? E seems to have a good rtionship with Wendy. I heard that it is another actress¡­¡± The discussion went on. Everyone had their own say. Wendy felt that it was time. She patted Ste¡¯s hand and brought her to the stage. ¡°Since everyone is here, I shall announce the good news.¡± She smiled at Ste.¡± For so many years, I have only one son. I always wanted a daughter, but Chris was worried about my health, so he didn¡¯t allow me to conceive again. I finally got a grandchild , but turns out it¡¯s another boy. Luckily, I met E and hit it off with her!¡± She looked at the people down the stage and said solemnly, ¡°Therefore, I hereby announce that she is now my goddaughter!¡± As soon as she said that, the audience was in an uproar. Even Warren looked at Wendy in confusion, not knowing what she was thinking. Chris stood up and looked at Wendy with a green face, dispirited. Didn¡¯t she know that E was Weston¡¯s kept woman? E made Guinevere so unhappy, so how could she make E her goddaughter? 3 She was inly humiliating Guinevere! Guinevere was standing right beside Chris. Her legs gave out suddenly, and she nearly fell. Chris quickly held her andforted her. ¡°There must be a misunderstanding somewhere. Wendy should be unaware of E¡¯s rtionship with Weston¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? How could there be a misunderstanding¡­¡± Guinevereughed self deprecatingly. ¡°When E showed off in front of me, she said that it was Wendy who brought her here. She even told me that I could tell Wendy about their rtionship. If she dared to say that, she must be very sure that Wendy would not me her for anything¡­ Perhaps Wendy knows everything from the very beginning!¡± The man¡¯s face stiffened, but he remained silent. He was only holding her weakly. He looked at Wendy and Ste on the stage with a cold face. If it was really like what Guinevere said, Wendy had indeed gone overboard by bringing E here when she clearly knew about her rtionship with Weston! Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Chapter 711 But he always felt that Wendy had no reason to do that. Moreover, she and Guinevere got along quite well, so there was no reason to hurt Guinevere for an outsider. He patted Guinevere¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It must be a misunderstanding . Don¡¯t worry. I will not allow such a woman to join our family.¡± At that moment. Ste stood on the stage and looked at the people with different expressions on their faces, but her heart felt calm. She saw Guinevere staring at her with resentment and many others watching in amusement. Not far away, she saw a handsome man gazing at her sullenly. Weston stood at the stairway, hidden in the shadows, just as Wendy announced that Ste was her goddaughter. No one followed him. It was just him alone, standing tall and proud. The man was holding a ss of champagne , donning his bespoke suit, exuding an indifference that made people avoid him His dark eyes were fixated on the woman on the stade, They were calm at first, but then a storm was brewing in them. Nobody knew what went in his mind at that moment. Ste stared into his eyes, and her eyes flickered. In the end, she withdrew her gaze and ignored him. ¡°Thank you foring today. I hope everyone enjoys the party!¡± Before Wendy could finish her speech, Chris walked onto the stage and interrupted. He wasughing and trying to smooth things over, not wanting to bring any more attention to Ste¡¯s affairs. Wendy just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything, knowing that he was standing up for Guinevere. But her purpose had been achieved, so she said nothing more and led Ste out of the hall. ¡°I shall check on Zachary first. You can take a look around.¡± After getting off the stage, Wendy nodded to Ste, to which she replied, ¡°Alright. I got it.¡± She wanted to get some fresh air. The atmosphere here was never right for her. Just as she turned to leave, Weston followed her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste knew that he had something to say but did not stop. The moment they were on the balcony , Weston pinned her on the railings behind her. ¡°Ste.¡± The man was calling her name in a deep voice. He titled her chin up. ¡°Or should I call you¡­ sister?¡± Ste looked up. When she met his eyes, sheughed. ¡°A brother will never do such a thing to his sister.¡± She stretched her hand and pointed at his chest. ¡°And he will not do this in such a ce. If someone passes by and sees this, what will he think?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already seen it. What¡¯s the point of talking about it now?¡± Weston suddenly lowered his head, and his warm breath spread across her skin. ¡°Sister, sis¡­¡± He purposely lowered his volume when he said that, exuding a hint of inexplicable affection. Ste turned her head to another side. She could hear his urgency but said calmly, ¡°You heard what your mother said just now. I am now her goddaughter, which makes your actions inappropriate.¡± ¡°They are,¡± ¡°The man put his hands on her waist and tightened his hands gradually ; his eyes raged with fire, He suppressed his anger, and his eyes turned dark into obscurity After a while, he sniggered. ¡°Would it be even more inappropriate if I sleep with my sister tonight?¡± She frowned at once. ¡°Get lost!¡± Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Ste pushed him away and headed to the hall. The man turned his head sideways, looking at the endless darkness, and stood on the balcony motionlessly. Ste suddenly stopped in her tracks in the corridor. She turned back and swept a nce at his side face with little emotions in her eyes. Then, she withdrew her gaze and left without looking back. In the hall. As soon as she came over, she saw Guinevere standing up and ring at her. Ste curled her lips and pretended to look at her. If there was anything that she could takefort in from this ridiculous party, it was the sight of Guinevere¡¯s frantic, twisted appearance. But such little pain meant nothing. At least Guinevere still had her son. Unlike her, she did not even have the chance to look at hers. When it came to viciousness, she was no more than a tenth of Guinevere¡¯s tenacity. She did not want to pay attention to her on such an asion, and Guinevere shouldn¡¯t want anything to do with her either. But when she passed by Guinevere , the pathetic woman suddenly called her name. ¡°E!¡± Ste stopped in her tracks. Without turning back to look at her, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Guinevere took a deep breath and put on a friendly face. She looked at Ste steadily. ¡°It seems like I have misunderstood you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be Wendy¡¯s goddaughter.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°And?¡± Guinevere smiled and said, ¡°Well, since you are Wendy¡¯s goddaughter, you are Weston¡¯s godsister. His sister is my sister as well.¡± So that was what it meant¡­ Ste chuckled. ¡°If I remember it right. You two have broken off your engagement, so howe I am your sister? Guinevere¡¯s smile stiffened, but she still maintained her elegance. ¡°No matter what, Weston and I share a child. Our rtionship is unbreakable, so I am willing to treat his family as my own.¡± Since she was the one who wanted it so much, Ste yed along. ¡°You are so generous, Sister¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for rifying for me,¡± she whispered into Guinevere¡¯s ear and left with a smile. Then there was a change in the discussion among the people. ¡°The actress called E is Wendy¡¯s goddaughter. So, there is indeed nothing between her and Weston?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be sure of it. A goddaughter is not a blood rtion, but neither is she adopted. Could it be a method for her to stay in the Ford family?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Guinevere just said? She also treats E as her sister. If it is what you think, would it be possible for Guinevere to treat her with that kind of attitude?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Yeah¡­ with Guinevere¡¯s temperament, she wouldn¡¯t stand this kind of thing.¡± And the discussion went on. Guinevere clenched her fists. She did not want to let Ste steer clear of it so easily, but she was more reluctant to let people think that Weston was really in love with someone else than to let Ste be shouted at by everyone. On the balcony. Weston remained still even after Ste left. It was almost the end of springtime, and although summer was approaching, the nights still bore remnants of the season¡¯s chill. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Hunching his back a little, the man lit a cigarette. Puffs of smoke and an asional glow could be seen from time to time. After a while, a tall figure appeared beside Weston. Xavier was pinching a cigarette between his finger. He searched his pockets and looked at Weston. ¡°I forgot to bring a lighter. Can I borrow yours?¡± Weston did not say anything. He flicked away the burnt ash of his cigarette and gave the cigarette directly to him as if he¡¯d lost interest in a smoke. Xavier smiled. He did not mind at all. He lit his cigarette with it and threw it into the dustbin. Taking a puff, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked at Weston with a smile. He asked, ¡°I remember you have quit smoking for a long time. Why start again?¡± Weston did not say anything. Instead, he leaned against the railing and raised his head slightly. His well-sculpted face from his side strangely exuded an exquisite bnce that wasn¡¯t superfluous. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, Xavierughed to himself. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be in a good mood.¡± ¡°How so?¡± The man finally spoke. ¡°Although that old man scolded you, he still broke off your engagement with the Cohens. I deliberately showed goodwill with the old man and proved I had no intention to fight for the family fortune, yet he med me for your matter.¡± After he said that, he looked up at Weston and his gaze sharpened instantly. ¡°Everything seems to have fallen ording to your designs.¡± Weston chuckled. ¡°Do you think what¡¯s happening is in my best interest?¡± Xavier did not dare to draw a conclusion either, but he knew that he was a bit gullible. ¡°Are you serious with E?¡± Weston did not answer and put his hands on the railing. His ck suit blended into the endless dark of the night, leaving people to wonder what he really had in mind. It was only after a good while that he replied. ¡°If you want topete in business, I shall y with you until the end, but you cannot touch her.¡± After he said that, he looked at Xavier in his face. ¡°It is just a warning today. If I really want to deal with you, you won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡± Xavier straightened his back, and his smile turned sour.¡° You admitted it. It¡¯s all part of your n, including the cancetion of the engagement.¡± He suddenly felt how ghastly Weston could be, so meticulous in his n that he could not even find a w. ¡°How did you calcte so urately, to the extent of getting the old man under your control? You could even use almost all the interests of the project in the western suburbs as bait. Aren¡¯t you afraid that one of the chains won¡¯t be as you want it to be and the whole thing wille apart?¡± Weston curled his lips, but his eyes were not smiling. Instead, his face was showing confidence that as if everything was under his control. ¡°You said that I have calcted everything.¡± He looked into Xavier¡¯s eyes with both disdain and mockery. ¡°When you are worried about these inconsequential consequences , I have already achieved my purpose.¡± There was a long silence on the balcony. Only Xavier was standing there without making a sound. The cigarette in his hand had burned to his fingertips, bringing him a twinge of pain. He snapped back into his senses and extinguished the cigarette. He cursed in a low voice and his eyes were full of resignation. He considered himself no worse than Weston. Although Warren was extremely fond of him, he was not some uneducated blockhead. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ording to the seniority of the family, he should bepeting with Chris for the position of the heir, and he should be the rightful heir. But by age, he was not much older than Weston. So, in Warren¡¯s mind, he should bepeting with Weston for the inheritance. Those should be all his in the first ce! Now there was another person he need to share it with. Was it just because he¡¯s not that old? Chris did not stand a chance against him. But if you include Weston, the situation would be totally different. Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Chapter 714 He had topete with his nephew. It was totally unfair. ¡°Why are you standing here alone?¡± Daisy came. It was a bit cold and she wrapped herself in a shawl. Xavier rxed his face and turned into his usual yful self. ¡°Are you worrying about me?¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes flickered. She was used to his random sweet words and nodded. ¡°It is almost time. When are you going back?¡± Xavier smiled as he approached her. He pulled the shawl off her shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t look good this way. You look best when you show your corbones.¡± Daisy furrowed her brows. ¡°But I will be cold this way.¡± Xavier raised his brows. ¡°The Daisy I know wouldn¡¯t care about that little thing.¡± She was an elite white-cor worker who always wore high heels and looked smart in all situations. Since when had she be like a little girl who would cower in a shawl? Daisy¡¯s face changed, and she took off the shawl. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Xavier draped his hand around her shoulder and caressed her. ¡°This looks better.¡± He liked her this way. Like a rose blooming in the cold wind. Though it was a bit deliberate , what was more important was that it looked better this way. After the goddaughter incident, Wendy brought Zachary to the butler and order him, ¡°He spit up milk just now, so don¡¯t feed him first. If he is tired, bring him back to his room.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. As soon as she said that, she felt a strong auraing from the back. Chris stood behind her and said coldly, ¡°Come with me. I need to talk to you.¡± The butler¡¯s face changed. He cuddled the baby and watched the two in silence. He rarely saw Chris with such an expression. Especially when he was with Wendy. He seemed to be very angry. He dared not say anything and fled the scene with Zachary. Wendy seemed to be expecting him, but she did not expect him to look like this. She looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°Can¡¯t we just talk here?¡± Chris took a deep breath and calmed himself down. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the room. The guests are almost gone and we need to see Guinevere and her family off¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go and see them off?¡± Wendy turned around and sat on the sofa, examining her nails. ¡°If there is nothing important, let¡¯s talk about it at night.¡± Chris felt stuffy and walked back and forth. Then, he sat down beside Wendy. ¡°Alright. I will talk to you here.¡± He surveyed the surroundings . Seeing that no one wasing, he asked, ¡°Why did you make E your goddaughter?¡± ¡°I said it rather clearly.¡± Wendy shrugged. ¡°I like her very much. Besides, I have no daughter. Can¡¯t I want to have her as my daughter?¡± The more she exined, the harder it got for Chris to ept things. ¡°If you want a daughter, can¡¯t you just treat Guinevere as your own daughter? She will be almost like our daughter after she marries Weston, won¡¯t she?¡± Wendy smirked and said nonchntly, ¡°But the problem is, the engagement has already been broken off, so I naturally cannot make her my daughter.¡± She deliberately altered the whole idea by reversing the order. Chris¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°Let me ask you one thing. Do you know the rtionship between E and Weston?¡± Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Chapter 715 He thought that Guinevere was the one overthinking at first but started to believe her once he saw Wendy¡¯s attitude. His wife had somehow be a bit more hostile toward Guinevere. Wendy supported her chin and looked at him suddenly.¡± What do you think?¡± she chuckled. ¡°You really know about it?¡± Chris was disappointed. ¡± What is wrong with Guinevere? How can you do this to her? She¡¯s crazy about Weston.¡± ¡°She is crazy about him, not me.¡± Wendy interrupted impatiently. Her tone turned cold. ¡°What does she have to do with me taking a goddaughter?¡± ¡°You are humiliating her! E and Weston are having an affair. How can you let her take advantage of the reputation of the family? We should just use the money to eliminate such a woman, but you take her as your goddaughter instead! What are you thinking about?¡± Wendy stood up suddenly and looked at him condescendingly. ¡°What about you? What are you thinking about? I¡¯m just taking someone with simr interests as my goddaughter. It¡¯s not a big deal, but you¡¯re so eager to speak for Guinevere.¡± Hearing her mention Guinevere, he was startled. He suppressed his anger forcefully. ¡°I n to treat her as my own daughter. If it weren¡¯t for this mess, she would marry Weston very soon.¡± The more he said, the deeper the smile on Wendy¡¯s face. Chris frowned after he finished talking. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing. I am just thinking that since you care so much about Guinevere, why don¡¯t you marry her instead of Weston?¡± 1 ¡°Nonsense!¡± Chris was annoyed at once and barked at her. ¡°Listen to what you said just now!¡± The guests who had not left were startled by them and looked this way. The man quickly collected himself and said with a gloomy face. ¡°Don¡¯t talk impulsively. Think it over carefully. I shall go and handle the party first!¡± After saying that, he stood up and left. When looking at his back, Wendy¡¯s eyes seemed to be covered with frost Ste nned to go and say goodbye to Wendy at first but seeing that she had a fierce argument with Chris, she dared not approach her. She wanted to leave immediately and send her a messageter, but a wrinkled old man walked up to her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°You are E?¡± The old man¡¯s tone was affirmative, with a hint of authority and tentativeness. Although his hair had turned entirely white, he was hale and hearty. Holding a dragon-carved cane, he looked dignified and more oppressive than when he was speaking on stage. Ste stopped in her tracks and nodded gently. ¡°Is there anything that you need me for? Warren looked at her and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. She wanted to refuse, and Warren had already left. So she could only follow him. In the study. Only the two of them were there. Warren signaled her. ¡°Sit down.¡± Ste obeyed and took a seat on the wooden furniture. The study was decked out with antiques, something that spoke of its owner¡¯s taste. Landscape paintings of all kinds dotted the walls, and the furniture was in its original colors. It filled the room with a sort of tranquillity that could calm a person. Warren boiled her a pot of tea and put it in front of her.¡° Try this. It¡¯s premium Longjing tea.¡± Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Chapter 716 ¡°I don¡¯t usually drink tea,¡± Ste stated. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to waste your good tea on me.¡± Warren Ford smiled faintly, but his countenance remained imprable. ¡°It¡¯s just a tea for entertaining guests,¡± he said. ¡°But I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to drink it.¡± He then sat down in front of her and added, ¡°You must know exactly why I wanted to see you here.¡± Ste paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s about Weston, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°How long have you been with him?¡± ¡°Half a year.¡± ¡°Half a year¡­¡± Warren paused and fell into contemtion before continuing, ¡°That¡¯s a period of time that¡¯s neither long nor short. Do you know how long he¡¯s been with Guinevere Cohen?¡± Ste pursed her lips and made no reply. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Warrenughed. ¡°I just wanted to chat with you, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ste raised her brows. ¡°I thought you brought me here so you could offer me a pile of money in exchange for leaving Weston.¡± She had no doubt that Warren would have such a n in his mind. ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman,¡± Warren put his hand on the desk and drummed his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that no amount of money canpare to the love Weston is pouring onto you right now. He¡¯s worth more than most people would even dare to imagine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never cared about his money anyway¡­¡± Ste stared vacantly into the distance. ¡°How shrewd of you. You must know that most wealthy people aren¡¯t that stupid. At the very least, there has to be one smart person in their family.¡± Warren paused to take a sip from his teacup before adding, ¡°Do you think Weston loves you?¡± ¡°Probably just a temporary infatuation,¡± Ste answered bluntly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Warren nodded. ¡°Still, you managed to get him infatuated with you. That¡¯s impressive enough. I must give you credit for that. Now, how much money do you think this infatuation is going to get you?¡± Ste suddenly burst intoughter. Warren had been skirting around the subject for a while now, and she must admit that he was much more subtle about it than Chris was, but in the end, both of their motives were one and the same-how much to pay her so she would leave Weston. ¡°Are you asking me to name my price?¡± Ste asked Warren. ¡°No,¡± he denied. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me. Even if you did name your price and run off with the money, if Weston really likes you, he would find a way to find you and bring you back anyway.¡± Warren understood Weston very well. He had seen this grandson of his grow up before his very eyes. His attention might¡¯ve been diverted slightly when his youngest son, Xavier, was born, but it had always been crystal clear to him long ago that Weston was the most deserving heir among his descendants. Weston had almost single-handedly raised the Ford family up to a level that it had never before been at. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t interfere with his grandson¡¯s lifestyle choices so rashly. But he would never let him walk down the wrong path either. Warren looked at Ste with a kindly look, but the words that came out of his mouth were anything but kind. ¡°If Weston doesn¡¯t want to let go of you,¡± he said, ¡°it would¡¯ve been pointless even if you wanted to take the money and leave him.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ste clenched her fists. Her expressions soured. ¡°If you knew that, why bring me here and intimidate me then?¡± ¡°I just want to warn you not to get too bold or brazen,¡± he asserted. He tapped a finger on the desk and added, ¡± Mark my words, he will get tired of you one day. It¡¯s just a matter of when. Still, I¡¯m sure that you have your special capabilities to try to keep him interested in you for as long as you can till you¡¯ve exhausted all your skills¡­¡± A sardonic smile shed across his face as he stared at Ste ¡°What I mean is,¡± he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be embroiled in his carnal desire for too long,¡± Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Chapter 717 ¡°You mean you want me to make him tired of me?¡± ¡°That would be best,¡± said Warren, ¡°but I won¡¯t force you, of course. At the very least, you should stop charming him with your tricks.¡± Ste burst outughing. ¡°You must¡¯ve either overestimated my charms or underestimated Weston!¡± she eximed. ¡°Do you think a man like him would fall for me just through simple schemes?¡± ¡°I would never underestimate him as a businessman,¡± Warren replied calmly, unruffled by Ste¡¯s rebuttal. ¡°In that regard , he truly is unrivaled . But it doesn¡¯t matter how strong or capable he is. In the end, he is still just a hot-blooded man. He may bepletely disinterested with some women, but I know his only weakness is women.¡± ¡°It seems that you understand him very well indeed,¡± said Ste. She curtailed any expressions on her face and slowly but very clearly added, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that youpletely neglected one point in this matter ¨C I am the one who wanted him to lose interest in me more than anybody else.¡± Warren was in the middle of pouring himself another cup of tea. Ste¡¯s wordspletely stumped him. He stared down at the cup, quickly filling up with tea before slowly putting the teapot down. ¡°That is indeed unexpected¡­¡± he smiled thinly. ¡°Are you telling me that you don¡¯t, in fact, want to be with him at all?¡± ¡°Not everyone thinks the world of your grandson,¡± Ste smiled sardonically. ¡°But he is used to being highly regarded by everyone around him, and he takes it for granted that he should get anything he wants.¡± ¡°You can leave him if you don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°You know your grandson more than anyone else, ¡°Ste argued. ¡°You must know exactly what he is like.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Warren fell silent. He then smiled and asked, ¡°Is he ckmailing you?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I have a brother who¡¯s the only family I have left in this world,¡± answered Ste with a stony expression.¡± Weston has been using him to threaten me. But he¡¯s gone abroad now, so I can finally rx a little.¡± ¡°I had no idea¡­¡± Warren frowned. A look of regret cropped up on his face. ¡°It must be terrible for you, child.¡± This sudden change in his attitude left Ste with mixed feelings. She had known the Ford family to be upstanding virtuous people, but no matter how friendly they might appear to you, they would always have the best interest of their family in mind. ¡°You¡¯re right that it is terrible for me,¡± she said bluntly, not wishing to y dumb, ¡°but I¡¯m also sure that you would do nothing to hold Weston ountable for his actions.¡± Warren was speechless. After a while, he nodded and told her, ¡°I am not surprised that Weston fell for you. You¡¯re not like any other woman around him. You¡¯re much more astute than them.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then please excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Warren sprung up to his feet. ¡°Since Weston likes you very much, he¡¯d have no desire to stay here in the Ford Mansion if you¡¯re gone, so why don¡¯t you stay here for the night?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me that you want him to lose interest in me?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Warren chuckled , ¡°and I still do. But I think it¡¯s best to use a different n to achieve it.¡± Ste pursed her lips. Her eyes gleamed as she slowly walked towards Warren Ford. ¡°What kind of n do you have in mind?¡± she asked. ¡°Just do what I say,¡± he replied, ¡°and I will make sure that you and your brother can reunite, and Weston will never bother you again.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ste gasped. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not lying to you,¡± he reassured her. ¡°As things stand, who else do you think has the authority and capability to rein Weston in other than me?¡± ¡°What should I do, then?¡± ¡°Right now, you¡¯re Wendy¡¯s goddaughter, which means that you are officially a member of the Ford family. In that case, it is perfectly natural for you to stay in this house. I will ask the housekeeper to get a room ready for you.¡± Ste said nothing, but Warren went on as if to answer her unasked question, ¡°Since Weston likes you very much, then we¡¯ll let him enjoy yourpany as much as he likes. Right now, you should just let him do whatever he wants.¡± Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Chapter 718 ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re trying to say,¡± Ste told Warren slowly as she stared at the floor. ¡°You¡¯re thinking that Weston would eventually lose interest in me if I just let him do whatever he wants to do to me, don¡¯t you? Well, trust me, I¡¯ve tried that, and it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°But now it won¡¯t just be you letting him do whatever he wants,¡± he patiently exined. ¡°It would be his whole family letting him do whatever he wants. There¡¯s a big difference there.¡± ¡°Up until now,¡± he continued, ¡°we¡¯ve all wanted him to be with Guinevere , but he had his mind set on you. The more we objected, the more rebellious he became. Now, however, we¡¯ll change our tune and let him be with whoever he wants, even you. As time goes on, he¡¯ll eventually get bored.¡± ¡°I can pretend to please him,¡± Ste defended, still not entirely trusting Warren. ¡°But what are you going to do if he wouldn¡¯t let me go?¡± Warrenughed. ¡°The best-case scenario would be for him to naturally lose interest in you, but if he doesn¡¯t, then surely you would have lowered his guard over time, correct? When that happens, I can easily help you escape his grasp.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste replied, finally convinced. ¡°I got it.¡± The Ford Mansion had a long and illustrious history, with its stately walls andvish furnishings exuding true grandeur. Only now, after being surrounded by such splendor, did Ste truly appreciate the century-long umtion of wealth enjoyed by the Ford family. It was at a level no ordinary person could imagine. In one hallway alone, she could see numerous famous paintings that she had only seen in art textbooks. Yet there they were , looking as if they had always belonged there. The housekeeper led Ste to a room and said, ¡°This is the guest bedroom prepared just for you, Miss E. Right next to it is Mr. Weston Ford¡¯s room. Feel free to tell me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Does Weston Ford live here too?¡± she asked as she swept a nce across the room. ¡°Yes,¡± the housekeeper answered. ¡°But he is with Mr. Chris Ford right now, sending the guests off. He should be back in his roomter. Would you like to stay here, or would you like someone else to show you around the mansion?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here and rest. I¡¯m exhausted. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss E. Have a good rest.¡± The housekeeper had just left when Ste suddenly overheard a quarreling from the hallway. ¡°What was Father thinking letting that woman stay here?!¡± It was Chris Ford¡¯s voice, and he sounded incensed. Ste didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but hearing that their conversation revolving around her made her pause¡­ Meanwhile , inside the room, Wendy, who had returned earlier, was undergoing her usual skincare routine, cleansing her face at first, followed by a steam facial. Zach had behaved himself well and threw no tantrums at all. He had just quietly gone to sleep, so Wendy handed his care over to the nanny. She nced at the clock. It was almost time to go to bed. Then Chris suddenly stormed into the room and saw her sitting in front of the vanity mirror holding a cream jar. He banged the door shut,pletely fired up with rage. Because he banged the door with excessive force, it bounced instead of closed properly, leaving a tiny gap through which Ste could hear them as she stood there in the hallway without being seen. ¡°¡­what are you so angry about now?¡± asked Wendy coolly as she was applying moisturizer to her face. She had let her hair down and was now dressed in her silk nightgown. Chris had been used to her nightly ritual for decades, but this sight inexplicably irritated him for some reason. ¡°Are those creams all you care about?¡± he snapped.¡± Think about something else other than yourself! Don¡¯t you know that the family is in an uproar?¡± Wendy was about to frown, but then she remembered that she had a mask on, so she went back to being expressionless. ¡°I know you¡¯re in a rotten mood,¡± she said, ¡°and you¡¯re just taking it out on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking it out on you,¡± he argued. ¡°Just exin it to me. Why did you suddenly announce that E Steele is your goddaughter? Are you crazy? And now Father even let her stay in our house! Are we really going to let Weston be with a woman like that?¡± ¡°Whatever happens between them is none of your business. Why are you so concerned about it?¡± ¡°Because Weston is our son! And he has a child now! Are we really going to let E Steele be Zach¡¯s stepmother?¡± ¡°Judging by how much you care about him,¡± Wendy sneered, ¡°I would¡¯ve thought that Zach was your son if I didn¡¯t know any better!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Chris yelled. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more unreasonable by the day!¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Chris Ford had been concealing his feeling of guilt from the start, yet when Wendy unknowingly revealed the truth that he¡¯d been so anxious to hide, he acted like a cat whose tail had just been trampled and exploded with anger. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I¡¯m sick of you speaking nonsense like that all the time!¡± he snarled, ¡°You know how ridiculous you¡¯re being! Zack is our own grandson. Why would it be so weird that I¡¯m concerned about him?¡± Wendy said nothing in reply. She removed the treatment mask and wiped her face with a clean cotton pad. Then, she picked up another bottle of skincare product, poured the content onto her palm, and began rubbing it on her skin. Chris walked up to her and grabbed her wrist, ¡°You have toe with me and talk some sense into Father!¡± he barked. ¡°We have to exin everything to him. Even if Weston and Guinevere¡¯s engagement has been broken off, we still can¡¯t let a woman like E Steele be with our son!¡± ¡°You go and tell him yourself!¡± Wendy shoved his hand off her impatiently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to upset Father.¡± ¡°WENDY!!!¡± It was the first time that Chris Ford had yelled at Wendy in such a manner since they¡¯d gotten married. ¡°I¡¯m truly disappointed in you!¡± ¡°You should know you¡¯re not getting any younger!¡± he added. For some reason, the sight of her smearing creams and lotions on her face filled him with a wave of contempt he¡¯d never felt for her before. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how pointless all these creams are? You¡¯re never going to be as pretty as a young woman!¡± Those words ultimately triggered Wendy¡¯s wrath. In a blind moment of rage, she bolted to her feet and furiously swept the ss jars and bottles off her vanity, smashing them onto the floor. ¡°Fine!¡± she shouted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go on and find a young woman then? Why are you still wasting your time with an old woman like me?!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Chris was so enraged that his eyes had turned bloodshot. ¡°Remember that you said so yourself! So don¡¯t regret itter!¡± Men were always like that. Even when they did something wrong, they never stayed feeling guilty for long. Once a period of time had passed, even those as guilty as sin would get impatient and start getting angry. Chris stormed out of the room, leaving Wendy in there all alone. Ste hid in a nearby storeroom when she heard Chris¡¯s approaching footsteps. She only came out when she saw him storming out of the room and disappearing in the distance. She had no intention to interfere with the rtionship between Chris and Wendy, but even she could sense, just from overhearing their quarrel just now, that Chris and Guinevere had a peculiarly close rtionship. But she thought nothing more of it and was about to return to her room when the sound of a crying baby distracted her¡­ ¡°Waaa! Waaa!¡± Chris had been so loud and brash when he shoved the door open that it had woken Zach up. Children his age tended to make a lot of fuss when they got upset, especially when awakened from sleep. Wendy was startled by Zach¡¯s loud cries. She massaged her temples and let out a heavy sigh before putting on a shawl and rushing out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ming. I¡¯ming¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s been woken up by the noise!¡± the nanny griped as she carried Zach out of the nursery. ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Wendy quickly took Zach into her arms and cooed softly at him to calm him down. ¡°Bring his milk bottle over,¡± she instructed the nanny as she patted Zach¡¯s back gently. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Did you change his diapers?¡± ¡°No, it was still dry.¡± Wendy remembered being a lot more rxed when Weston was a baby. She had basically let the nanny handle everything back then. Yet now, with Zach, she was a lot more involved and spent much more time and effort taking care of him. Wendy was rocking Zach to sleep in her arms in the hallway when she suddenly noticed Ste standing at the door. ¡°Aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± she asked, surprised to see her. Seeing that Wendy had seen her, Ste thought it was pointless to hide now, so she turned around and nodded, saying, ¡°I was just about to go to bed.¡± She then nced at Zach and asked, ¡°How long does he cry like that for?¡± The thought of her own baby suddenly came into her mind. He would be just about Zach¡¯s age if he were still alive. She wondered if he would be naughty or well behaved¡­ Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Wendy did not notice the strange look on Ste¡¯s face. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over and y with him?¡± she asked. But that was Guinevere¡¯s baby. The baby she had with Weston. Ste¡¯s eyes almost trembled with all that suppressed emotion, but she still had to pretend that she was fine. ¡°Never mind,¡± she refused. ¡°I have no experience with children. I don¡¯t even know how to hold them¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not that hard!¡± With Zach in her arms, Wendy walked towards Ste and handed him to her. ¡°Every woman has to learn how to do it someday anyway,¡± she told Ste. ¡°Come on; I¡¯ll teach you how to hold him!¡± Wendy was so kind to her that she found it hard to refuse her, but at the same time, she just froze when Wendy pushed Zach¡¯s little body towards her. The boy leaned against her chest; his face flushed red from all the crying. Soon, he closed his eyes and cried his lungs out again ¡­ ¡°Waaah! Waaah!¡± Ste¡¯s whole body stiffened. She looked down lumberingly at the boy, not knowing what to do or say. Wendyughed when she saw how clueless and awkward Ste was with Zach. ¡°You have to coax and soothe him!¡± ¡°¡­but how do I do that?¡± ¡°Just shake his arm a bit. Pat his back a little. Be gentle.¡± Ste did as she was told and imitated what Wendy did earlier with Zach. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± she cooed, gently patting Zach¡¯s tiny back. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Perhaps there was a special connection between Zach and Ste, or perhaps Zach was just tired from all the crying, but in any case, he suddenly stopped crying. The boy let out a long sigh, and his reddened face gradually recovered as he stretched and yawned as though he was so cozy that he was ready to sleep. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Did he stop crying just like that?¡± Ste marveled. ¡°His mood changed so quickly!¡± ¡°Children are like that,¡± Wendy nodded. ¡°One minute they¡¯re crying their lungs out, the next minute they startughing their hearts out! You can never guess what they¡¯re thinking!¡± Mixed feelings stirred Ste¡¯s heart. She gazed fixedly at Zach¡¯s little face, feeling as if she could see her child in this boy¡­ Chris Ford stomped across the living room, hell-bent on leaving the house, until he bumped into Weston, who had just returned from sending off the guests. Weston paused his steps and greeted his father with a simple nod and a terse. ¡°Dad.¡± He had always been this chilled and reserved. Chris used to admire this side of his son¡¯s character, believing it made him independent and reliable and the sort of person who would achieve great sess. But now, it just came off as cold and heartless. ¡°How can you still be here after all that¡¯s happened?!¡± he barked. ¡°Where did you expect me to be, Dad?¡± ¡°You should be with Gwen,forting her! Don¡¯t you know how heartbroken she must be right now?¡± Weston¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I think you¡¯re in a much more suitable position tofort her,¡± he reminded his father. ¡°So why don¡¯t you do it instead, Dad?¡± Chris gasped hard as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. He took a few steps back and pped his forehead, defeated ¡°I should¡¯ve expected this,¡± he said with a tone of regret. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t be willing to settle down and marry Gwen, now that you¡¯ve fallen for that woman¡­ So all those promises you gave me meant nothing at all to you, huh?¡± Chris was no longer challenging his son. He merely stated the facts with a sense of powerlessness. Weston remained silent, his countenance imprable, and his eyes were like a stormy night at sea ¨C dark and turbulent. ¡°I just had a huge fight with your mother,¡± Chris muttered. He leaned back against the wall beside him as if utterly drained of energy. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°If you didn¡¯t care so much about Gwen, you and Mom would never have fought,¡± Weston replied. ¡°If you could just be with Gwen, then I wouldn¡¯t be worried about her so much,¡± Chris sighed. ¡°If you would take care of her, then I can finally rx.¡± Even now, his father still insisted on forcing Guinevere on him. ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s my fault that you and Mom are fighting?¡± he interrupted Chris inly, looking straight at him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Though he would like to refute Weston, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that his son was right. ¡°But you did promise me you¡¯d marry Gwen, yet now you suddenly broke off the engagement. What exactly is going on here?¡± he grumbled. ¡°What if Gwen suddenly remembers everything, huh? How would I¡­¡± he suddenly blurted, unable to hold back his feelings any longer. ¡°If she does recall everything and wants to make the truth public, then it¡¯s her right to do so, isn¡¯t that correct?¡± he interrupted. Chris was fired up with rage. He red at Weston with clenched fists and snarled, ¡°I will never let that happen!¡± They stood there at the entrance , facing off each other with neither willing to concede. ¡°I know that woman still excites you because she¡¯s new,¡± Chris blurted out bluntly. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to stop you from having as much fun as you like with her, but I¡¯m telling you right now, a woman like that will never be epted into our family!¡± As he finished speaking, he picked up his suit jacket and 1 rushed out of the door, leaving the Ford Mansion without even looking back once. Weston stared at his father as he disappeared in the distance. When he was gone, he looked away and sneered before returning to the living room. After such a day, he should stay at the Ford Mansion for at least a few days to manage all the family affairs that might arise. In fact, he had informed Ste in advance that he would be away on a business trip for a while, but to his surprise, his own mother had invited her here. He picked up his phone and was about to call Ste when he was suddenly distracted by the sound of Zach crying upstairs. Usually, Weston wouldn¡¯t be bothered by that, knowing that there was an army of nannies ready to take care of him at any time at all, not to mention his mother Wendy, who was always by Zach¡¯s side. But today, Weston was filled with an inexplicable urge to go upstairs to Zach. When he got there, he was met with the sight of Ste, still d in the same dress she wore that evening, but her hair was already let down, and it fell casually on her shoulders. She was holding Zach in her arms. Her movements were a little awkward, but she still gently patted his back and softly cooed, ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ It¡¯s alright¡­ Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± It was as if Ste possessed a magical ability to He gazed at her as she held the child tenderly as if she was his mother. He had only ever seen her as a perfect wife, and he had never once considered what she would look like as a mother. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Weston thought of the many sides of Ste¡¯s personality when she was with him-her shyness and timidness when she slept beside him, her affection and consideration when she was his loving wife, and her anguished decisiveness when she left him¡­ There had been so many sides to this woman, and here, he was witnessing another side of hers that he had never seen before. If Ste hadn¡¯t suffered the tragic miscarriage, she would¡¯ve been a gentle and caring mother to their child right now. That realization pierced through Weston¡¯s heart like a dagger. He was even more afraid of taking a step forward now. It was the first time that he truly felt the pain of the loss of their child deep in his bones. Till now, he had always thought that it was not that big of a deal. He could always have another child anyway, if he really wanted to. All that mattered to him was that Ste was by his side. He might feel regret every once in a while, but that was the extent of it. But now, he finally appreciated the pain that Ste must have gone through. If things had gone differently, they should now have a healthy, living and breathing child whose beating heart would be filled with both his blood and hers. The gut-wrenching pain gripped his soul and washed over his whole being. It hit him continuously wave after wave, and it felt as if it would never end. Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Weston took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress the dull aching pain inside of him. Someone had noticed his presence there¡­ ¡°Weston?¡± his mother called out. ¡°What are you doing, standing over there like that? Come over here!¡± Ste¡¯s body stiffened instantly when she heard what Wendy was saying. She had finally just rxed and was able to hold Zach in her arms with ease, but now she suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do, and her eyes darted around in panic. Zach seemed to sense her distress, and he, too started to get restless. He shook his little arms and legs and began to yell. ¡°Waaa! Waaa!¡± It looked like he was trying to get Ste¡¯s attention. ¡°I think he really likes you!¡± Wendy eximed. Zach had shown much interest in Ste since he first met her on the film set. His big gleaming eyes would be fixed on her as if he could already tell that she was a beautiful woman even though he was not even a toddler yet. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let anyone hold him at home,¡± Wendy continued. ¡°But his eyes got huge, and he couldn¡¯t even blink at the sight of all the beautiful women on set! What a rascal!¡± Just then, Weston came over, and Wendy nodded at him. Ste looked away andughed before saying, ¡°If he really does like beautiful women, then he should be staring at you all day, every day!¡± Wendyughed heartily. Although she had a strict skincare regimen, there were now visible crow¡¯s feet around the corner of her eyes when sheughed, even though they weren¡¯t so obvious when the light was soft and forgiving. ¡°You¡¯re such a sweet talker!¡± Wendy told Ste before ncing at her son and added, ¡°Weston never knew how to cheer me up like that! You know, I do regret giving birth to him. I should¡¯ve had a daughter instead! I would¡¯ve been much happier with a daughter!¡± Wendy was only joking, of course. Ste was fully aware of it, too, so she didn¡¯t take any of it to heart. She could feel that Weston¡¯s gaze was fixed on her even though he was standing behind her. He was exuding a kind of pressure, but she refused to look back at him and just pretended that she didn¡¯t know he was there at all, while all the while focusing on teasing Zach and tickling his chin to make him laugh. Luckily, Zach was very cooperative. He burst out intoughter when Ste tickled him even though the streams of tears on his cheeks had not even dried yet. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Zach¡¯s high-pitchedughter rang through the hallway. ¡°Look at how happy he is!¡± cried Wendy, who was now in a very good mood when she saw how cheerful Zach was. Then she turned to her son and grumbled, ¡°Even his own father had never been able to cheer him up like that! I guess he must really like E!¡± Weston leaned down and stared at Ste¡¯s profile. The light shone down gently on her face. Weston¡¯s expressions softened as well. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out a hand to stroke her hair. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re both children after all,¡± hemented. ¡°That¡¯s why they get along so well.¡± Ste glowered at him before handing Zach back to Wendy ¡°He just yawned a couple of times just now,¡± she told her. ¡°I think he must be sleepy.¡± Wendy took him into her arms and gently patted his back. ¡°I¡¯ll take him back to the nursery and put him to sleep then,¡± she said, gazing at Weston and Ste. ¡°Both of you should go to bed now. It¡¯s getting late.¡± Anyone could tell she was trying to give the two of them some alone time. As soon as Wendy was gone, Weston pinned Ste to the wall and murmured, ¡°It appears that a certain someone likes you very much.¡± ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± Ste raised her chin to look straight into his eyes. ¡°Wendy or Zach?¡± Weston sniggered before leaning down to her ear and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t it ur to you that I might be referring to myself, hmm?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes darkened. She quickly looked away to escape the intimate moment they were sharing. It didn¡¯t matter how cold her heart was in regards to Weston; it was impossible she remained unmoved when he just implied that he liked her very much. The phrase meant a lot to her. The fact that Weston would just blurt out that he liked her very much willy-nilly told her that she was like a new toy to him-nothing more than a passing fancy. Seeing that she was avoiding his eye contact, Weston dropped the subject, hoping to not make it any more awkward for her. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Are you staying here tonight?¡± he asked, caressing her face. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Chapter 723 ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ste replied, ¡°your grandfather wanted me to.¡± Weston straightened up and peered down at her. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Ste paused, then shook her head and told him,¡± Nothing much. He just wanted me to get a good rest here tonight¡­¡± Weston¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits. That piercing gaze of his would prate even the deepest secrets in anyone¡¯s heart. ¡°Was that all?¡± he asked again. ¡°What else did he say?¡± ¡°What else do you think he¡¯d say?¡±countered Ste. She looked up and bravely met his gaze, daring him to search her eyes. ¡°That he would give me arge sum of money so I would leave you, perhaps?¡± ¡°No,¡± Westonughed. ¡°That¡¯s not his style.¡± ¡°It seems that you two understand each other very well,¡± Ste raised her brows. ¡°Your grandfather knew he couldn¡¯t get rid of me just by throwing money at me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Weston retracted his gaze and pinched her nose. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much money he throws at you. You¡¯ll get much more than that if you stay by my side.¡± As soon as Ste stepped back into the guest bedroom, she slumped down onto the sofa and sat there for a while. She was utterly exhausted. She didn¡¯t even turn on the lights. She just sat there staring at the ceiling. She blinked again and again. Her eyes were getting sore. She reached into her bag and found that she still had a few pills left. She counted the days when Dr. Zeta Taylor woulde back¡­ If Weston didn¡¯t go crazy tonight, she would still have enough. Luckily for her, although Weston had a voracious sexual appetite , he was such a busy man that work and other obligations consumed much of his energy. He would constantly pester her around the house, wanting to do it again and again. However, as soon as he put on his suit jacket, he became Mr. Weston Ford, the distinguished and unrivaled president of Ford Corporation. With all the things that happened today, Weston would¡¯ve been so preupied that he would have no energy left toe to her. At least, that was what Ste happily assumed. She kicked off her stilettos and took off the ufortable dress that she had been wearing. Naked, she looked into the mirror and stared at her body. She was covered with hickeys, small andrge. A lot of them were old ones that were fading, but some newer, fresher ones were still red. It made her look like a wanton woman. She then let her hair downpletely and walked into the bathroom. She stood under the showerhead , turned on the shower, and let the water wash over her body as she closed her eyes, Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The image of Zachughing and yelping to get her attention still lingered in her mind. The pain that she had been suppressing now finally engulfed her. She could no longer hold it in. She fell to her knees, curled up into a ball, and folded her arms. The water hadn¡¯t had time to warm up yet. It pricked her skin like a thousand cold, icy needles. Her baby.. Her baby¡­ She could¡¯ve had such an adorable baby. As tears streamed from her eyes, they mixed with the water from the shower and were washed away. After a while, she heard the bathroom door open, and a tall silhouette walked in. Ste didn¡¯t need to look at the person to find out who it was. She took a deep breath and softly muttered, ¡°I¡¯m really tired tonight. I really don¡¯t feel like¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, he picked her up in his arms and put her on the bathroom dresser. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he murmured. ¡°I won¡¯t get in bed with my sister¡­¡± His handnded on her face, then moved slowly downwards and stopped on her corbone. ¡°¡­the bathtub is good enough for me,¡± he added. Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Chapter 724 For some reason, Weston was particrly gentle that night. Like any other hot-blooded man, Weston would turn savage when he was engrossed in lust and desire. Perhaps it was akin to a primal instinct, but in those passionate moments, he wouldpletely lose all rationality as he plundered and looted no holds barred. No matter how much he cared about Ste¡¯s feelings and tried to be careful, he would be absolutely unrestrained and even beastly at the peak of his pleasure. But that night, as he pinned her against the bathroom wall, Ste could feel a streak of warm tenderness amidst his ferocity. He ced hisrge hand on her t belly, and the warmth from his hand flowed continuously onto her skin, partially shielding her from the cold tiles on the wall. Ste pressed her against his chest while the front of her body clung to the icy wall, creating a stark contrast of fiery passion on one side and chilling hardness on the other. ¡°Gently, please¡­¡± she begged after a while when she could no longer bear it anymore. He gathered up her hair and kissed the nape of her neck before asking, ¡°Do you like Zach a lot?¡± Ste clenched her fist. It was already hard enough to bear the brunt of his carnal desire, but he just had to spoil her mood further by mentioning Zach. ¡°What made you think that I like Zach?¡± she asked. ¡°You always shunned him in the past,¡± he replied, his words punctuated by asional huffing and puffing, ¡°but you seem to be getting along really well with him just now.¡± Ste took a deep breath to steady her voice, so it didn¡¯t tremble too much when she told him, ¡°Think of it however you like¡­ I don¡¯t care¡­¡±. Weston raised his chin and let her rest against his chest as he stared fixedly at her face, even as she closed her eyes shut. ¡°He can be our child if that¡¯s what you want,¡± he told her. Ste pursed her lips and adamantly stayed silent. She knew exactly what he meant-he wanted her to be Zach¡¯s stepmother. But how could she ever agree to that? She reminded herself of Warren Ford¡¯s promise and his instruction. It was the only thing that stopped her from outright refusing him. Right now, all she could do was grit her teeth and endure the full force of his lustful ravishing The next morning, Ste woke up veryte because her rm clock did not go off on time for some reason. The window was left open, and gusts of wind constantly breezed in, cooling the room significantly. The days were much warmer now. Even though it was still early in the morning, the air was not as bitingly cold as it had been in early spring. It was a sign that summer was fast approaching. Ste lifted the nket off her body and quickly got up. Her dainty nightdress slipped off her shoulders, exposing the fresh hickeys on her body and the fading ones. She nced at them momentarily as she passed the floor-to ceiling mirror in the bathroom before heading stolidly to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face. Weston was nowhere to be seen. Ste assumed that he must already be at work. His biological clock had always been impressive . No matter how wild and lengthy their lovemaking session was the night before, he was always up and ready to go the next early morning. As Ste brushed her teeth, she stared at herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were prominent. She counted her blessings that the filming was all over. It wouldn¡¯t have been good for her to show up on set looking like this. After that, she changed her clothes and was ready to leave the door when her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up. It was a video call from Roger. With a huge time difference between Ste¡¯s location and Compassvale University, where Roger was studying, they set up a fixed time to contact. However, because so many things happenedst night, it hadpletely slipped out of Ste¡¯s mind. She scampered to a random corner of the room and answered the call. Roger¡¯s face then appeared on the screen of her phone. ¡°Sis!¡± Seeing Roger and hearing his voice lifted Ste¡¯s mood instantly. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Hello!¡± she replied with a big grin on her face. ¡°What time is it over there?¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Chapter 725 ¡°It¡¯ste at night over here,¡± Roger told Ste. ¡°We¡¯re just about to sleep. I wanted to give you a call before going to bed. You just got up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ste nodded. She scrutinized the screen and noticed that Roger seemed a lot thinner than when she last saw him ¡°Have you lost some weight?¡± she asked, brows knitted in concern ¡°Have you been eating welltely?¡± ¡°No,¡± Roger answered reluctantly, not wishing to worry Ste. ¡°I¡¯m probably still getting used to this new environment. I¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days.¡± Ste sighed ¡°You must take good care of yourself!¡± she reminded him. ¡°Oh, by the way, you do know how to cook, don¡¯t you? Try to eat home-cooked meals as much as possible, okay? And even if you don¡¯t like the local food, try not to skip meals¡­¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Roger smiled wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Even if I cook for myself, there¡¯ll always be a freeloader who alwayses over begging for food.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Steughed. She instantly caught on that he was referring to Kiley. ¡°Then make sure that you ant as a good host and take good care of your guest.¡± ¡°E!¡± Ste heard a voice call out from a distance before she could finish speaking. ¡°Robb has been sozytely! I had to beg him again and again before he started cooking for me!¡± A momentter, Ste heard the sound of approaching footsteps over the phone, and soon Riley¡¯s lovable round face suddenly popped up on her screen. ¡°Hello, E!¡± ¡°Hello, Riley! Have you settled into the new environment over there?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯m settled infortably!¡± ¡°Of course you are!¡± Roger sneered. ¡°You do nothing but eat and drink all day. How could you not be comfortable?¡± Riley unwittingly smiled, a little abashed. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to the food here, so¡­ Besides, Robb¡¯s an incredibly good cook.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, unlike you! You¡¯re a girl who can¡¯t boil water to save your life! Instead, you¡¯re always ordering out every day like an idiot!¡± Roger was only willing to talk so much to Riley when he was admonishing like he was doing now, so she didn¡¯t want to argue with him. She just stuck out her tongue cheekily. Riley thought of how she offered to cook for him yesterday because she wanted to please him but ended up almost burning down the kitchen, and she still felt embarrassed by it. The sight of Roger and Riley bickering brought Ste a sense of relief. ¡°I¡¯m d both of you are taking care of each other,¡± she said. ¡°And Robb, you¡¯re not allowed to bully Riley!¡± ¡°How is it going with you back home, Sis?¡± Roger was dying to change the subject. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine,¡± Ste replied. ¡°Shooting is over now. I think the film will be released soon.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Riley eximed with excitement. ¡°I wonder if it will be released internationally. If it is, I¡¯ll definitely be the first to see it!¡± The three of them then went on to chat happily for a while before they ended the call. Ste let out a long, contented sigh. It had been so long since shest felt so at ease. At the very least, she was secure in the knowledge that Roger¡¯s life was going down the right path. Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, something suddenly urred in Riley¡¯s mind right after the call ended. ¡°Say¡­¡± she muttered with furrowed brows. ¡°Did you Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g notice that E was acting a little weird just now?¡± ¡°Weird?¡± replied Roger impatiently as he put his phone away. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it exactly¡­¡± Riley stroked her chin and considered it for a while before adding, ¡°It was as if she was trying to block the background behind her as if she didn¡¯t want us to see where she was¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous !¡± Roger retorted. He was sure that Riley was overthinking it. ¡°Why would she do that? She¡¯s at our house!¡± ¡°No!¡± Riley argued assuredly. ¡°That definitely wasn¡¯t your house!¡± She had been to their house. She knew well what kind of furnishings there were at their ce. ¡°I saw a vase behind her just now,¡± she exined. ¡°It looked like an extraordinarily expensive antique vase. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t see it anywhere at your ce back then¡­¡± ¡°Impossible !¡± Roger hurriedly denied it. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s still on set.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t she say that filming was over now?¡± Roger fell silent. After a few seconds, he repeated under his breath,¡± Impossible¡­¡± Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Downstairs. As Ste was walking down the stairs, she heard the housekeeper reporting to Wendy. ¡°After Mr. Ford leftst night, he never returned¡­¡± Wendy sat before the dining table, ying with Zack in her arms. She said without a hitch in her expression, ¡°Did he call this morning?¡± ¡°Yes, he did¡­¡± The housekeeper shook her head with a distressed face.¡± He did call, but he said¡­¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said he won¡¯t being back to eat or to stay the night during this period¡­¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°Whatever.¡± He was willing to stay away from home for Guinevere Cohen, The housekeeper did not want to make any unnecessaryments about their family matters. She simply stood silently at a side. Warren was also at the dining table, a rare urrence for him, and he was sipping on his tea, ¡°It¡¯s probably because I let E stay at the Ford Manionst night, and he feels upset with the both of us.¡± Despite her anger, Wendy remained respectful in face of her own father-inw. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s probably only angry with me.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Warren smiled. ¡°Both of you have always been close. He¡¯s just in a little fit now. Just say something nice to appease him when he¡¯s back.¡± Wendy nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Warren took another sip of his tea and asked without lifting his head, ¡°What are you doing still standing there? Is the view from the stairs very nice? Come down and have breakfast.¡± Wendy looked in Ste¡¯s direction, who caught her gaze and greeted, ¡°Good morning.¡± She turned to Warren, greeting him as well. ¡°Hello, Mr. Ford.¡± Warren smiled kindly in return. ¡°Just call me Grandpa as Weston does.¡± Ste walked to the dining table and sat down. ¡°Sure, Grandpa.¡± Even Wendy was taken aback. ¡°Grandpa?¡± ¡°What, shouldn¡¯t she be calling me that, given her age?¡± Warren put down his teacup. Wendy knew that Warren wasn¡¯t trying to make things difficult for Ste and knew that he allowed Ste to stay herest night. However, she thought that it was because he didn¡¯t want to air the family¡¯s dirtyundry in public, so he simply did so to appease Ste. She did not expect Warren to treat Ste so well. Wendy was shocked. She nced at Ste. She had to give it to Weston. The woman he fancied was indeed better than those other disgraceful and unpresentable females. Only a woman like this can leave Guinevere at her wits¡¯ end. ¡°Seems like both of you get along quite well¡­¡± Wendy remarked. Warren nced at her thoughtfully but didn¡¯t say anything Ste concentrated on eating her breakfast, looking very much at ease and not awkward at all. Zack, on the other hand, began wriggling around in LL TL Wendy¡¯sp. He stared right at Ste, his ck eyes shifting curiously around. ¡°Baa! Ahh!¡± He babbled. ¡°Not again!¡± Wendy pinched his cheeks affectionately. ¡°He always gets agitated when he sees beautifuldies. He¡¯ll probably be like Xavier when he grows up, a flirtatious young man!¡± The mention of Xavier instantly put Warren in a bad mood. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that unfilial brat!¡± Wendy shut her mouth and blinked at Ste. Both of them exchanged nces and kept their silence. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ste nced a few more times at Zack. She had been thinking about Weston¡¯s abnormal behaviorst night. Now that she thought about it, it might be because of the change in her attitude towards Zack that made Weston think that she liked Zack. Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Perhaps, he really thought that she was willing to be Zack¡¯s stepmother , which made him keep kissing that soft flesh on her tummy when he went wildst night. Ste was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn¡¯t even notice when Warren left the table. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Wendy fed Zack his bottle and asked Ste, ¡°E, why aren¡¯t you eating? Is the food not to your liking?¡± Ste snapped back to attention. ¡°No, it tastes very good She resumed eating her breakfast. Wendy was keen enough to spot the hickeys on Ste¡¯s neck. Although Ste tried very hard to hide the marks, they were still evident as she moved. Wendy herself had been passionately in love with Chris before and naturally could understand what things were like between her and Weston. She smirked to herself but didn¡¯t say anything further. A whileter. The housekeeper came in and whispered something into Wendy¡¯s cars. Wendy¡¯s face changed. ¡°Why is she here?¡± The housekeeper simply stood at the side and remained silent. Wendy sighed. ¡°Let her in.¡± Ste was already done with her breakfast, and she turned to look at Wendy. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± Before Wendy could respond to Ste, Guinevere walked in and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Zack¡­¡± She was holding onto many bags and lookedpletely different from yesterday. She was back to being the morous and stunning Guinevere. ¡°I didn¡¯t interrupt anything, did I?¡± She asked smilingly. Her servants behind her were carrying many more bags.¡± Just ce them anywhere.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Cohen.¡± She instructed them so naturally as if the ce were her own house. Wendy shook the milk bottle before feeding Zack again. Guinevere walked to the dining table and finally noticed Ste sitting there. She halted in her footsteps and asked with her brows furrowed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ste looked back at her calmly, ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with you?¡± Guinevere pursed her lips, looking clearly upset. She shut her eyes and tried topose herself. She forced a smile on her face and sat opposite Wendy. ¡°Zack is my son, after all. It¡¯spletely eptable for me toe over and visit him¡­¡± With that, she looked at Ste challengingly, ¡°No mother on this earth would ever forget about her own child, right?¡± Ste lowered her head and pursed her lips into a smile. It was a bitter smile. Indeed, no mother on this earth would ever forget about her own child. She lifted her head, a mocking smile still stered on her face. ¡°Since you can¡¯t forget your own child, why don¡¯t you bring him back and take care of him yourself?¡± Her words only made the atmosphere in the dining room colder and tenser. Wendy¡¯s hands shook a little as she lifted her head and looked at both women. Even Zack lifted his tiny fists, sucking hard on the bottle while staring at both women facing off against each other. Guinevere said defensively, ¡°Zack isn¡¯t just my child. He¡¯s also Weston¡¯s child. Of course, I can¡¯t be so selfish and make him follow me.¡± Ste smiled nomittally. The look of nonchnce on Ste¡¯s face only made the fire in Guinevere¡¯s heart burn wilder. ¡°Are you trying to insinuate that I¡¯m using Zack to get closer to Weston?¡± Ste burst out into peals ofughter. ¡°No one used you of that, Ms. Cohen. You¡¯re letting your imagination run wild!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Guinevere stood up abruptly, ¡°Today might be your day, but don¡¯t think you can be all haughty just because you stay in the Ford Mansion now!¡± Before she was done, the housekeeper suddenly said, ¡± Mr. Ford is back¡­¡± in a small voice. The door opened, and Weston walked in calmly, dressed in a sharp, smart suit. ¡°What¡¯s with the racket?¡± He walked toward Ste, and with his gaze unwavering, bent down to wipe the corners of her lips. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just sleep in?¡± Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Nobody expected Weston to appear. At that time, he should have been working in his office. Yet here he was at the Ford Mansion. As though he only had eyes for Ste, he made a beeline for her and whispered tender words into her ears, without a single care for Guinevere who was standing right there. Guinevere mumbled, ¡°Weston¡­¡± She didn¡¯t expect him to return so suddenly. She was still speaking aggressively and fiercely to Ste just a minute ago, and now she was at a loss at how to collect herself. Wendy was still in a daze as Zack kicked in her arms, yelping, ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± -. The milk bottle was tilted at an angle such that he could not drink the remainder of the milk. Wendy snapped back to attention and tilted the bottle so that he could continue drinking. ¡°Weston, why are you back so suddenly?¡± Weston sat down next to Ste and said, ¡°I head out just to settle some urgent matters. She¡¯s still here; I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± His bias was clear for all to see. Wendy smiled. ¡°You¡¯re treating her like a child. She¡¯s a full-grown adult. Nothing will happen to her. Why are you so anxious?¡± Wendy¡¯s teasing made tears well up in Guinevere¡¯s eyes. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into the flesh of her palm. A momentter, she exhaled deeply and looked at Weston. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work today?¡± It was as if Weston only just realized that she was there. He turned toward her and asked, ¡°You¡¯re free today, too?¡± They sounded like old friends, his tone calm as the ocean. Guinevere¡¯s thoughts were in a wreck. She was still Weston¡¯s fianc¨¦e yesterday , yet today, he had another woman by his side. She clenched her fists but kept a smile stered on her face. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet of you to be concerned about my work. Didn¡¯t E tell you? The shooting has ended. Next up, I don¡¯t have much else to do during this period and can spend more time with Zack¡­¡± Weston ced his arm around Ste¡¯s waist and caressed her side gently. He suddenly lowered his head and asked her in a low voice, ¡°Do you want to go over and carry him?¡± Ste was confused. ¡°Carry who?¡± ¡°Zack.¡± Guinevere and Wendy looked at Weston, not fullyprehending what he meant. Weston looked forward and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t you like children?¡± Ste finally understood what he meant. The expression on her face remained unchanged. ¡°Isn¡¯t his own mother around? It¡¯s not in my position to carry him.¡± Weston nced at Wendy, his intentions clear as day. Wendy paused for a moment before chuckling, ¡°Sure, there¡¯s still some milk left. E, would you like to try feeding him?¡± Guinevere stood up immediately. ¡°Let me.¡± She didn¡¯t want to see her child in E¡¯s arms. Ste knew that Guinevere wouldn¡¯t let her have her way and remained seated in her chair. She saw Guinevere clumsily carry Zack in her arms and try to stick the teat into his mouth. Ste wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin and said, ¡°Seems like Ms. Cohen isn¡¯t very used to carrying her own son. She looks very unfamiliar with him.¡± Guinevere¡¯s face turned dark as she inched the teat closer 10 2.ack¡¯s mouth, but Zack simply looked back at her blinkingly, without opening his mouth to take the bottle. She suppressed the annoyance bubbling in her heart and said softly, ¡°Good boy, drink up,e on.¡± Zack scrunched up his face and suddenly cried out loud.¡° Wahh¡­¡± Guinevere was utterly embarrassed, and she stuffed the teat into his mouth, ¡°Quick, drink up, and you won¡¯t be hungry anymore.¡± She moved so abruptly that Zack identally inhaled and choked on the iing milk. ¡°Ack, ack, ack¡­¡± ¡°Waaa! Waaaaa!!!¡± His face turned red as his cries became louder. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Wendy immediately took him over and patted his back.¡° All right, all right. Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± She kissed his cheeks and looked grudgingly at Guinevere. ¡°Is that how a mother treats her own child? You don¡¯t even know how to feed him properly.¡± Guinevere stood where she was and reached out to wipe Zack¡¯s face but was rudely stopped by Wendy. ¡°Enough, don¡¯t provoke him anymore. You might just make him cry again!¡± The disdain in her voice stuck out like a sore thumb. Guinevere suppressed her anger, retracted her hand, and sat down on her chair glumly. Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Having had enough of the show ying out before her, Ste stood up. ¡°I have something that needs attending to. Please excuse me.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She could tell that Guinevere was clearly unfamiliar with caring for Zack and was just putting on a show of motherly affection. Just that, to her dismay, the charade was a tragic failure. Although she enjoyed watching Guinevere make a fool of herself, she didn¡¯t want to waste her time. Weston stood up along with her. At the sight of both of them leaving, Guinevere subconsciously grabbed Weston¡¯s arm. ¡°Weston¡­¡± She looked at his side profile as her eyes ached with unshed tears. ¡°You previously promised me that you¡¯d bring Zack and me overseas for a holiday. Will you still keep your promise?¡± Ste halted in her footsteps but did not turn back to look. Her arms were by her side, and her fists clenched up slightly. She stood there for a moment longer before leaving without so much as looking back. ¡®That was between the two of them. Whatever it was, they were Zack¡¯s parents. It was an undeniable bond between them. She smiled self-derisively. It was precisely because of this bond that Guinevere had acted so impudently and arrogantly. She would always be Zack¡¯s mother. Just this fact alone was enough reason for her to stay by Weston¡¯s side forever. They were also childhood sweethearts and a match made in heaven, to boot. Undoubtedly, the emotional foundation that had beenid since the beginning fortified their rtionship. For all she knew, a few yearster¡­ Ste pondered about the possibility of them reconciling again a few yearster. In the living room. Ste had already left, and Wendy nced at the two of them as she stood up with Zack in her arms. ¡°Take your time to chat. I¡¯ll take Zack to the courtyard for a stroll.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Weston retracted his gaze. Now that the two were finally alone, Guinevere felt less tense. ¡°Now, even E can stay in the Ford Mansion ¡­¡± sheined begrudgingly. She released her hand and looked at the man standing before her. ¡°Weston, do you really intend to be with her?¡± Weston unbuttoned his sleeve, his eyes showing not the slightest trace of emotion. ¡°Our engagement has been called off. It¡¯ll be inappropriate that the two of us bring Zack overseas. If you have other requests, I can consider making arrangements.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Guinevere was disappointed . ¡°You mean that you can¡¯t keep your promise?¡± ¡°I can,¡± Weston corrected her. ¡°Just that it won¡¯t be only the two of us.¡± Guinevere looked down, ¡°Just as well¡­ I can agree , just that you can¡¯t bring E.¡± Weston didn¡¯t immediately respond to her. Instead, his lips pursed into a tight, straight line, and his eyes regained their usual coldness. A momentter, he tugged at his tie. ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t want to be involved, either.¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes trembled and darkened. Waves of hatred coursed through her veins, waiting to be unleashed. Outside the Ford Mansion. Ste was nning on leaving when a familiar ck luxury car stopped right in front of her. The driver, behaving like her exclusive chauffeur, lowered the windows. ¡°Ms. Steele , President Ford wants you to wait in the car.¡± Ste pondered for a moment before deciding to get into the car. A whileter, Weston walked out of the Ford Mansion. He opened the door and got in. Ste didn¡¯t bother looking at him, but she found herself in his embrace the next moment. Weston lifted her up, parted her legs, and sat her down, straddling hisp. ¡°Did you wait for a long time? You look pissed.¡± Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Ste didn¡¯t want to respond to him. However, she was locked in his embrace and had her face cupped between his hands. She had no choice but to stare right back into his deep, dark eyes. ¡°Weston, let me down¡­.¡±. He lifted her chin. ¡°You¡¯re still angry. How can I let you go yet?¡± Ste squirmed in difort under his hot, brazen stare. She turned her face away and insisted, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Weston pinched her chin harder and forced her to look back into his eyes. ¡°Liar, one more charge against you.¡± With that, he leaned in closer to Ste¡¯s lips. That fresh and familiar scent of his was an invasion of her olfactory senses. It was the smell of his aftershave, perhaps mixed with a faint scent of tobo from his menthol cigarettes. It didn¡¯t smell bad, though. The warm gust of air from his nose and mouth lingered on her skin, numbing her wherever it touched. Ste tried to avoid his touch and furrowed her brows.¡± Let¡¯s get on the road. Stop fooling around¡­¡± He chuckled lower and kissed her ear. ¡°My driver drives excellently. You don¡¯t need to worry about him.¡± The driver knowingly raised the barrier between the front and back seats. The back seats were spacious and allowed for much hanky -panky between two people. Ste used to think that Weston was just rich and had the ability to change cars whenever he liked. But now that she thought about it, he had clearly been driven by other motivations. He looked every bit the sanctimonious gentleman he portrayed himself to be; even the suit he wore was devoid of a single crease or wrinkle. Yet, his hand was already underneath her skirt, fondling and touching her sensitive spots. His face looked cold and distant, as if the passionate, exploring hand didn¡¯t belong to him. Ste lowered her head and pursed her lips tightly. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from moaning softly. She buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, not wanting him to see the look on her face. A man as wicked as Weston would never allow her to have her way. He lifted her face, not wanting to miss a single expression on her face. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. It was still early. For the ordinary office worker, a new day had just begun. By the time Ste got out of the car, her clothes were in a mess, and her skirt was crumpled beyond belief. Weston¡¯s suit remained impably neat, leaving no trace of the passionate lovemaking a moment ago. Ste ced her hand on the door handle and was about to leave the car when Weston hugged her waist from behind. ¡°Who are you intending to show yourself to, in your current state?¡± Ste looked down at her own clothes and took a deep breath. ¡°I told you not to tear my clothes. Who was the one whopletely ignored me?¡± Herint merely earned a chuckle from him. ¡°Wear my jacket.¡± He shrugged off his jacket and put it on Ste. Ste could clearly feel the difference in their body sizes. His jacket could almost cover her entire body. In fact, it probably sufficed as a dress for her. She furrowed her brows. ¡°This will probably attract more attention once I leave the car.¡± Weston remained silent as he concentrated on wrapping her up tight. He opened the car door and strode out. Ste instinctively shrank back in his embrace, not wanting to show her face. Weston decided to just haul her up in his arms. She could only feel him striding forward confidently, unsure of where he was actually headed to. A momentter, she heard a ¡°ding¡± of what she presumed to be an elevator. She finally stuck her head out and looked around her. When she saw no one else around, she asked Weston,¡± Where are you bringing me to?¡± Weston pressed her head back into his embrace. ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± He liked seeing her hiding in his arms so timidly, relying sopletely on him. Chapter 731 Chapter 731 That was why even though there waspletely no one around, he liked seeing her ying a timid game of hide and-seek. Ste gradually realized that something was wrong. She could only hear Weston¡¯s footsteps and nothing else. She poked her head out again and saw something familiar upon exiting the elevator. ¡°This is the apartment we came to previously?¡± Weston didn¡¯t reply to her. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. He finally her down after entering the apartment. Weston¡¯s oversized jacket slipped off and revealed her shoulders, further emphasizing how petite she was. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Weston pulled her toward the doorway and recorded her facial features and fingerprints in the security system.¡° From now on, you¡¯ll be staying here.¡± Ste looked dazedly at his deft movements. ¡°Are I supposed to stay in Stardust Mansion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our home. This ce is nearer to Ahn City, and it¡¯ll be better for you to stay here over the weekends. We can always go back to Stardust Mansion over the weekends.¡± Ste nodded, finally understanding his intentions. ¡°Do you have things to attend to at Ahn City during this period?¡± ¡°The western suburbs project hase to a close , and my main businesses remain in Ahn City. I won¡¯t be going to Fern City for the time being.¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°You might not need to be at Fern City, but I do¡­¡± ¡°Roger is already overseas. What do you need to be there for?¡± Weston arched his brow. Ste remained silent as Weston caressed her head. ¡°Stay with me.¡± No matter in which city, Weston would never let her be alone. Ste knew that fact clearly and didn¡¯t bother arguing with him about it. She surveyed her surroundings which appeared different from the previous time she came. Weston had always liked his ce minimalistic. There were no other colors in here except for ck and white. It was minimalistic to the extreme, yet still ssy and tasteful in its furnishings. This time, however, the furnishings appeared more personable and less cold. It was clear that adjustments had been made to the apartment. She walked further in to take a closer look. Theyout of the apartment was slightly simr to that of Stardust Mansion, with a study for Weston and a workstation for her. It was a home that was abundant in its facilities. Except for¡­ Ste spotted a pastel pink piano in one of the rooms and halted in her footsteps. She felt a warmth approach her from behind. Weston hugged her from behind and asked, ¡°Try it out. See if you like it?¡± Ste took a deep breath, walked slowly toward the piano, and sat down on it. She lifted the fallboard and pressed on a few random ck and white keys as she felt a surge of anxiety and reminiscence overwhelm her. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly, but the smile on her face was genuinely exuberant. ¡°It sounds really good¡­¡± What¡¯s more, it was in pink. A piano in such a sweet, pastel pink was difficult to find, to say the least, and had clearly been custom-made. Weston stood right behind and looked down at her, a tenderness he didn¡¯t even notice filling his eyes. ¡°Try ying a piece on it.¡± Ste nodded and began ying ¡°Bade pour Adeline.¡± A melodious and elegant tune began to fill the room. She had once yed the piano in The Doghouse with a rather frivolous pianist. She yed ¡°Sonate Path¨¦tique¡± at that time, which sounded more sorrowful than this piece. This piece was much more light-hearted. Weston looked at her side profile as a thought entered his mind. Perhaps, just maybe, they might have a daughter together in the future. One who would learn how to y musical instruments just like her, be it the piano or violin. Or, she could learn to dance. That would be pretty good, too. Chapter 732 Chapter 732 The music died down. Ste ced her hands on the piano keys as she collected herself. It had been so long since shest touched a piano that she almost forgot that she used to be known as a pianist with immense potential, having earned numerous international awards at a young age. Afterward, due to the tragedy that struck her family, she had no choice but to embark on a profession that could earn her cash instantly. Clearly, the situation that she and Roger found themselves in back then did not allow her to pursue further education in music. Thankfully, she was also extremely talented in dancing, good enough to take up the role of a dance teacher. She had initially wanted to part-time as a piano teacher as well, but a teacher who couldn¡¯t even afford a piano for herself probably wouldn¡¯t be credible in the eyes of the parents. After she was finished ying the piece, Ste suddenly felt bashful. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I touched a piano. I¡¯ve gotten rather rusty¡­¡± ¡°Just y the piano whenever you feel like from now on,¡± Weston said. ¡°The soundproofing of this room is excellent, and you needn¡¯t worry about bothering the neighbors.¡± She nced around and realized that this room was practically a mini recording studio. Not only was there a piano, but a couple of other instrumentsy around as well. Ste tried every single one of them. Later, she realized that the piano was slightly different from the rest. Although they were all high-quality instruments, which she did not doubt given Weston¡¯s financial capabilities, the piano was not something that money alone could buy. She returned to the piano and sat before it, reaching out to run her fingers along its surface and the gold-rimmed logo carved on it. She fixed her gaze on it and turned back to look at Weston. ¡°It¡¯s Musx.¡± ¡°You recognize it?¡± Weston leaned against the door frame, and his eyes warmed up. ¡°That man is getting old. Even though it was a rushed job, it still took him a very long time to finish it.¡± Ste stood up in a rush as she eximed, ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that he no longer makes pianos when west went to Musx?¡± ¡°No one says no to me, especially in person.¡± Weston saw her walk toward him and reached a hand out to tuck a loose wisp of hair behind her ear. He loved doing that as it revealed her entire face. He pinched her cheeks and said affectionately, ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything you like.¡± Ste remained silent, but the look in her eyes changed as she avoided his gaze. Weston held her chin and turned her face gently toward him. ¡°Tell me, do you like it?¡± His direct and naked stare made Ste squirm with difort, eager to escape his searing gaze. She felt both bashful and evasive at the same time as she buried her face in his embrace. She kept silent as she rubbed her face against his chest. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. A joyful chuckle came from above her. Weston was very satisfied with her response. He reached out and hauled her in his hands. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you express your gratitude in more practical ways?¡± Ste¡¯s face changed immediately. ¡°We only just¡­ in the car¡­¡± Moreover,st night, they already had a passionate lovemaking session in¡­ the bathtub. This man was as virile as a beast. ¡°Who told you that one can¡¯t get in the mood again right after he finishes?¡± Weston rubbed his nose against her ear. ¡°Hmm?¡± By the time they were done, it was already in the afternoon. Ste felt like she had been rammed by a truck. Not an inch on her body had been spared. She didn¡¯t know if it was because Weston knew she no longer needed to report on set for filming, that he let himself go wild on her. He used to hold himself back and not leave too many hickeys on her body in consideration of her need to report to the crew. She only needed to do minimal make- up to cover the marks and still look presentable. Now that filming hade to an end, Weston had nothing else to fear. The afternoon sun was fierce and ring. Despite the curtains being closed, the strong rays of sunlight still seeped their way in. The room was dark, lit by the asional ray of sunshine when the wind blew the shades open. Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Ste squinted at the sunlight piercing through the dark with a stato, so tired that she could hardly manage a sound. She lifted an arm and shaded her eyes. Weston stood up, buttoning up his white shirt, and walked to the windows to pull the shades down. Ste turned to her side in a bid to return to sleep. She felt a warm touch at the back of her ear. It was Weston kissing her. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the office. Have a good rest here this afternoon.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± She was so exhausted that she had to force herself to speak, not to mention that her voice sounded nasal. Weston chuckled lowly and pinched her nose cheekily, eliciting annoyed grumbles from Ste. ¡°Quit it¡­ you¡¯re such a bother¡­¡± He stood up leisurely. Ste slept more soundly than she usually did. By the time she woke up, it was alreadyte in the afternoon. She pulled open the covers and saw hickeys of various sizes imprinted on her legs. Her knees went weak the moment she stood, and she almost copsed onto the carpeted floor. Ste had long gotten used to it; each time after sex, her back and legs would be sore and ache. With some effort, she managed to hold herself up and walk to the living room. A post-it note was stuck on the fridge, which told her that some food had been prepared for her inside, and all she needed to do was to take it out and enjoy it. Ste pondered for a moment, wondering when exactly Weston had be so thoughtful. He always had everything prepared meticulously for her, making sure that all her needs were taken care of. They seemed to have exchanged roles. In the past, she¡¯d been the one who cared for him, never giving Weston a chance to worry about her. She shook her head to chase away those thoughts seeping into her mind. The man simply felt guilty, and that was all. Forcing herself to keep that thought in mind, she walked to the couch and settled herself down on it. She sipped a cup of milk in one hand and opened the pills from a bag with another as she began counting them. Weston had gone overboard these two days. The medicine that was supposed tost her a while would soon run out. Ste sighed as anxiety began creeping into her heart at the sight of the almost-empty pill bottle. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. There were still around six days left before Zeta was scheduled to return. Had she known this, she should have gotten some medicine from Zeta that day at the celebration. Zeta had probably returned in a rush, and Ste didn¡¯t want to bother her, seeing how she was so upied with the issue between Xavier and Daisy. She didn¡¯t want Zeta to see her involved with Weston, either. She didn¡¯t expect her considerations and hesitation to cumte into trouble for her. Given Weston¡¯s unrelenting energy and demanding sex drive, she wasn¡¯t expecting to have a good time during the next few days. She had been able to y along with him due to the influence of the medicine, but if she were to suddenly turn cold and disinterested with nary a bodily reaction toward his passion or even reject his advances , Weston would probably sense that something was off. For all she knew¡­ He might just discover that she was taking the pill. Hence, the possibility of that happening troubled her deeply. Bradley suddenly sent her a voice message, telling her to view the social media page of a well-known producer in the industry. As she scrolled through her phone , Ste immediately activated her work mode and quickly chanced upon Zeta¡¯s recent post: ¡°Returned a few days early from my business trip. Still loving the sunshine here!¡± The attached photo was a selfie she took at the airport. Ste fixed her gaze on Zeta¡¯s post and immediately called her. ¡°Dr. Taylor, are you there?¡± She heard her exuberant voice on the other end of the call. ¡°I justnded and was about to call you.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes brightened . ¡°Can Ie over and look for you now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something the matter?¡± Ste found it hard to verbalize herself, but she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m almost all out of medicine¡­¡± A long pause ensued on the other end before Zeta sighed and said, ¡°Come over and find me.¡± Chapter 734 Chapter 734 At the hospital. Being well acquainted with the way to Zeta¡¯s office, Ste was there in no time. Zeta was still in her casual clothes, having no time to get changed into her doctor¡¯s robe. ¡°I was supposed to only report to work tomorrow, but I guess it¡¯s just as well that I¡¯m here. I could tidy my documents.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your ns.¡± Ste sat before her, ¡°I had to bother you for my medicine the moment you returned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Zeta was still very concerned about Ste¡¯s situation.¡± Are you and your boyfriend¡­ still not on the same page?¡± Ste paused for a moment before nodding, Zeta sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let your boyfriend get himself checked out? It¡¯s unsustainable, him having such a high sex drive.¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed, and she asked doubtfully, ¡°Is that a problem that warrants a doctor¡¯s visit?¡± What kind of solution was there, anyway? She had only heard of men seeing the doctor for erectile dysfunction. Zeta thought about it and asked her, ¡°Does he demand sex very frequently, or does each sex sessionst very long?¡± Ste remained silent. Herck of response elicited a chuckle from Zeta. ¡°Don¡¯t be stressed. These are very normal inquiries that a doctor would ask. Everyone¡¯s physical constitution is different; some have higher sex drives than others. However, if it¡¯s not that he demands sex very frequently but rather, each sessionsts a very long time, it might be another condition altogether.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a health issue too?¡± Ste was very unfamiliar with all these. ¡°He¡­demands sex very frequently, and our sessions¡­sts way too long as well.¡± Zeta nodded. ¡°There is a possibility that he might suffer from dyed ejaction, although I¡¯m not 100% certain. My suggestion is for him to get a full-body check-up. It¡¯ll be detrimental to your health to keep taking this medicine over the long-term.¡± She teased, ¡°What affinity the two of you share-one cold, and the other, demanding. To think that both of you would encounter a chance so rare.¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°Do prepare my medicine for me, please.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zeta stood up. ¡°Let me grab a sip of water first.¡± She went to another room to retrieve the medicine as Ste stood where she was, waiting for her. A whileter, someone opened the door to Zeta¡¯s office. A familiar figure walked in. ¡°Zeta?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment, shocked to see Xavier in Zeta¡¯s office. Xavier furrowed his brows, confused at seeing Ste instead of Zeta in the room. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ste retracted her gaze and didn¡¯t respond to his question directly. ¡°You¡¯re here for Dr. Taylor, I suppose?¡± Xavier immediately looked uneasy, ¡°Yes.¡± He was here for Zeta indeed, but he had other motives. He didn¡¯t expect to see E here, and he felt a surge of annoyance at that instant. ¡°There are so many doctors in this hospital. Why did you approach Zeta?¡± he suddenly asked her in an inquisitory tone. Ultimately, Xavier looked down upon E. Whatever it was, the Ford family would never allow E to be with Weston. For people like them, women like Ste were merely ythings. And since they were just ythings, there was no need to get serious with them. He wasn¡¯t willing to be too involved with someone like Zeta, either. Ste could clearly sense what he meant by his words, and she replied expressionlessly, ¡°Dr. Taylor doesn¡¯t have rules that prohibit me from meeting her as a patient. You¡¯re also in no position to say anything.¡± Xavier¡¯s face changed as his eyes narrowed dangerously at her. ¡°It seems Weston calling off his engagement with Guinevere has given you the guts to talk back at me now, huh?¡± Chapter 735 Chapter 735 A corner of Ste¡¯s mouth lifted as she smiled mockingly at him. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± She looked straight into his eyes and said, ¡°I was just responding to your words. How is that considered talking back? Do you really think you¡¯re all that and that I naturally deserve to hear your lecture?¡± Xavier¡¯s face darkened with displeasure. ¡°You¡­¡± Both of them were at daggers drawn. Zeta was still oblivious to what was happening in her own office. She yelled to Ste while searching for the medicine. ¡°I tried to look for something with milder side effects while I was overseas, but it¡¯s better that you cut down your dosage of this stuff. It is an aphrodisiac after all and has significant side effects¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not that damaging over the short-term, but using it for a long period, it might result in irreparable damage to your health.¡± She simply kept going on. Xavier was keen enough to catch the keywords in what Zeta said. He turned to Ste and asked, ¡°You¡¯re buying aphrodisiacs from her?¡± He had previously seen such medicine on Zeta¡¯s shelves and thought she had bought it herselt Which was why, that night she had kissed him with the passion of a thousand burning suns But after calming himself down, he knew it couldn¡¯t have been Zeta¡¯s medicine. She wouldn¡¯t use such drugs What he didn¡¯t expect was for those medicines to be for Ste He suddenly scoffed with disdain. ¡°I was still confused as to why Weston suddenly liked you so much that he was willing to call off his engagement with Guinevere ¨C turns out that you¡¯ve been seducing him by using medicine ! Zeta walked back into her office with the medicine in hand. She was stunned to see Xavier standing there, having a face off with Ste ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Even in her shock, she did not forget to hide the medicine behind her back She remembered Str¡¯s reminders that her medicine usage was a private affair and was something that she couldn¡¯t let a spcond person know about Xavier sneered. ¡°To think that the high munutrd and litt Dr. Taylor would be involved with south women¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you nran.¡± Zeta furrowed her brows and collected herself. ¡°This is my office. Please be more courteous when you come by next time. Either get an appointment or knock on the door.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even close your door, and here you are, using as you like? What¡¯s more, how did you know I had an appointment?¡± Right after he said so, Daisy¡¯s voice could be heard from behind him. ¡°Xavier, are you done?¡± She walked in and saw both E and Zeta in the room. She halted in her footsteps. ¡°What are all of you¡­¡± A thought suddenly came to her mind, and she took a few steps back to look at the sign by the door. Indeed, she saw Zeta¡¯s name written in bold right outside. She looked at Xavier with confusion in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t feeling very well, and he suggested bringing her for a check-up. He took care of everything along the way, from securing an appointment to making payment. She didn¡¯t expect that he would ask for an appointment with Zeta, and awkwardness overwhelmed her. ¡°I¡¯?n sorry, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Daisy and Zeta hardly knew each other. Although Zeta was Xavier¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e , Daisy had never met her in the flesh before except for that time at the year -old celebration when she saw her from afar. Daisy hardly even considered themselves rivals in love, but she couldn¡¯t shake off the awkwardness that surged through her. Zeta was, after all, Xavier¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e, whereas she was Xavier¡¯s current girlfriend. She didn¡¯t understand why Xavier didn¡¯t bother trying to avoid such an awkward situation from happening. For the smooth man that he was, he couldn¡¯t possibly know that having his ex-fiance and current girlfriend bump into each other was a bad idea. Zeta was taken aback for a moment but quickly collected herself and returned to her usual calm and composed manner. She looked away from Daisy and handed Ste her medicine. ¡°The dosage remains the same as before.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Ste took the medicine from Zeta. ¡°Thanks, Dr. Taylor. I¡¯ll be off, if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Zeta nodded. Daisy was very curious about why Ste was there and asked, ¡°Ms. Steele, are you ill?¡± She was only curious about E because of Weston. After all, she was the only woman around Weston at this point in time. A corner of Ste¡¯s mouth lifted in a smile that hardly reached her eyes as she replied, observing the most basic of courtesy, ¡°Just something minor, nothing much.¡± Daisy wanted to ask more, but Zeta came to Ste¡¯s rescue, ¡°This is a patient¡¯s privacy. Ms. Daisy, please stop probing so much.¡± Daisy furrowed her brows. For some reason, she could sense animosity from Zeta. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just asking Ms. Steele¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s my patient,¡± Zeta cut her off. There was a subtle hint of contention between both women. Daisy stood by Xavier¡¯s side. Xavier caught her hint and nced at Zeta. Upon seeing that Zeta didn¡¯t even bother looking at him, a slight tinge of annoyance crept into his heart as he added, ¡°We both know E so well. It¡¯s merely a question of concern. Is there a need to overreact?¡± He was clearly siding with Daisy. Zeta looked at him calmly, her eyes cold, ¡°There are no personal contacts in my office, only patients. If you want to ask her, feel free to do so outside of my office, not here.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Daisy furrowed her brows, feeling slightly ticked off. She had indeed snatched Zeta¡¯s fianc¨¦, but Xavier was already fooling around with many women when he got together with her and was clearly not ready to settle. To boot, his engagement with Zeta was an arrangement put in ce by their families and was never a matter of true love between them. Daisy had never viewed Zeta with animosity. Yet, Zeta seemed to be annoyed at her presence. This made Daisy very ufortable. ¡°Ms. Taylor, if you are upset with me regarding breaking your engagement with Xavier, I sincerely apologize to you.¡± Zeta furrowed her brows, finding her words absurd. I¡¯ve made clear that I was agreeable to call off the engagement. There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. I don¡¯t care about that, too.¡± She was still being stubborn at such a time. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. All women appeared to care about having their men snatched from them. Daisy sighed. ¡°Since you said it so clearly, all right then¡­¡± Her tone clearly betrayed her opinion that Zeta was lying through her teeth. Zeta said, slightly annoyed, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please don¡¯t bother me while I¡¯m working.¡± She refused to look at Xavier throughout the entire exchange. Xavier tugged at his cor and suddenly held Daisy¡¯s waist. ¡°Who said that there¡¯s nothing else? Why would wee to the hospital if there¡¯s no issue? She¡¯s not feeling well. Take a look at her.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t stand seeing the both of them ganging up to bully Zeta. ¡°Dr. Taylor is not officially on duty today. Which doctor did you make an appointment with today?¡± Zeta didn¡¯t expect Ste to speak up for her. She stood stunned for a moment before smiling at her gratefully,¡± Indeed, I¡¯m not officially on duty today¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Xavier cut her off, ¡°But I heard that you¡¯re the best doctor around, especially in the field of gynecology. I didn¡¯t make an appointment because I heard you weren¡¯t around. Now that you are, I would like to make an appointment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not my working hours now.¡± She rejected them unceremoniously, Xavier, on the other hand, was bent getting Daisy checked out by her. ¡°It¡¯s a doctor¡¯s moral duty to save patients. You¡¯re not busy, so why aren¡¯t you willing to take a look at her?¡± Ste said coldly, ¡°I remember Old Mr. Ford reminding you not to appear before Dr. Taylor unnecessarily.¡± Chapter 737 Chapter 737 She had no choice but to mention Old Mr. Ford. Xavier was naturally fearful of him, and he took a deep breath before sneering, ¡°Not bad, you even managed to convince that old man.¡± Zeta¡¯s brows furrowed upon hearing their exchange. She turned to Ste. ¡°You know Old Mr. Ford?¡± Xavier rubbed his wrist, ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you that this woman isn¡¯t decent, and you had better stay away from her. She¡¯s the culprit behind Weston and Guinevere calling off their engagement¡­¡± Although she was very shocked, she hated the tone Xavier used to lecture her even more. Her voice darkened with displeasure, ¡°Who do you think you are? We¡¯ve already broken off our engagement. Who are you to teach me a lesson?¡± She had never spoken so harshly to Xavier before. His face fell, ¡°Zeta, I¡¯m saying this for your own good¡­¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, Ste stood in front of Zeta. ¡°Did you not hear what she said? She doesn¡¯t want to see you and has nothing to do with you whatsoever! Old Mr. Ford has also warned you not to bother her any further. Bring your Daisy with you and scram far away!¡± Daisy¡¯s face turned pale. This wasn¡¯t the E she knew. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When did she be so fierce and aggressive? Zeta didn¡¯t expect E to be so forthright in standing up for her. Based on their interactions during this period, she had found Ste a weak and timid woman. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen to take this medicine instead of ming it on her partner. She collected herself and looked calmly at the man before her, ¡°E is right. No matter your motives, we no longer have anything to do with each other. I¡¯m also not as good as you say, to be the only doctor capable of seeing Daisy. So please don¡¯te bothering me from now on.¡± Xavier had never faced such obstacles with Zeta. He had gotten used to Zeta looking admiringly and lovingly at him. He always saw her as a young girl, and never as a fully grown, mature woman. Anger rose in his chest. ¡°Even if our engagement is called off, we¡¯ve known each other since childhood, and I see you as a sister. Don¡¯t get involved with someone like E. A woman like her would stoop at nothing to get what she wants!¡± Smack! Zeta raised her hand and pped his cheek. ¡°Firstly, she is my patient. Secondly, even my grandparents don¡¯t interfere with who I befriend. What gives you the right to nit-pick on my decisions?¡± ¡°You hit me¡­you hit me just because of this woman?¡± ¡°So what if I did?¡± Zeta sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I have no temper! I¡¯ll call for security if you don¡¯t scram right away!¡± Daisy pulled Xavier¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± She took a deep look at E, a tinge of awe in her eyes. Seems like she wasn¡¯t just capable of winning over men; she was capable enough to win Zeta¡¯s heart, enough for Zeta to stand up for her. Of course, it could be partly due to Zeta¡¯s animosity toward her, but she could tell that E was sharp enough to use Zeta¡¯s hatred toward her to her advantage. It was certainly not wise to underestimate E. Xavier had never received such terrible treatment before and naturally did not want to stay here a moment longer. He turned on bis heels and left. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for not warning you. If you find yourself deceived by her, don¡¯te crying to me!¡± Zeta saw the two disappear around the corner, and the door mmed behind them with considerable force. Along the corridor. Xavier halted in his footsteps as he stared in disbelief at the door that had just mmed shut. He just couldn¡¯t hold back that surge of anger in his heart. How dare she m the door on him! Chapter 738 Chapter 738 His contempt and agitation had reached a breaking point. Daisy noticed that something was wrong. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± She furrowed her brows and surveyed him. Xavier snapped back to attention and rubbed in between his brows. ¡°Nothing, I just don¡¯t fancy being talked back to like that¡­¡± ¡°When did you get so emotionally affected?¡± Daisy chuckled as she teased. ¡°It¡¯s not like you at all.¡± Xavier¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Daisy, I¡¯m serious about you, but it doesn¡¯t mean you can test my boundaries.¡± Daisy¡¯s face froze. ¡°How am I testing your boundaries?¡± ¡°Whatever it is¡­¡± Xavier retracted his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t like paranoid women.¡± In the office. Zeta heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at E.¡° Thank you for helping me out just now.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t much help¡­ it¡¯s just that I can tell Xavier probably brought Daisy along to spite you.¡± He was clearly here to kick up a fuss, but what she couldn¡¯t figure out was his objective. Zeta furrowed her brows. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do something so meaningless.¡± With that, she walked to her desk and shut her eyes, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her. ¡°I¡¯m nothing to him, and it¡¯s just a waste of time for him to create trouble for me¡­¡± Ste said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really look like you¡¯re nothing to him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here to cause you trouble.¡± Zeta shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about him.¡± If he really cared for her a tad bit, he wouldn¡¯t have remained unmoved during all those years when she pursued him relentlessly. Just when she thought that things were finallying to fruition between them, he broke off their engagement without rhyme or reason. He even showed Daisy off to the world, embarrassing her thoroughly and trampling viciously on whatever was left of her pride. From whichever angle she looked, it simply felt like he never cared about her. Ste didn¡¯t find herself in a position toment on their rtionship , so she decided to take her leave with medicine in hand. By the time she left, the day wasing to an end. Wendy texted her for help to buy some desserts from a specific shop back home. Ste felt put on the spot. She didn¡¯t want to return to the Ford Mansion. Even if she didn¡¯t return to Stardust Mansion, she could return to the apartment Weston had brought her to today. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. However, Wendy called her the next moment and added more things she needed Ste¡¯s help to buy back home. Ste sighed and recalled what Old Mr. Ford reminded her previously and eded to Wendy¡¯s requests. The moment she stepped into the Ford Mansion carrying bags filled with things, she spotted Guinevere in the mansion from afar. After a whole day of being with Zack, she had be a lot more familiar with him. Wendy was d to have some time off her hands and a break from carrying the child. She came to the door to receive Ste. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± She whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. They just called off their engagement yesterday, and she¡¯s probably still angry inside. She probably won¡¯t be returning home anytime soon.¡± Ste understood what she meant and kept her silence. Wendy sighed as she patted the back of Ste¡¯s hand.¡° It¡¯ll be tough on you the next few days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ste assured her. She put down the bags of things she bought and said, ¡° It¡¯s gettingte. I need to be on my way.¡± Guinevere stood up and said, ¡°Going off already? Why don¡¯t youe in and have a seat?¡± She spoke with the authority of the mistress of the house. Wendy furrowed her brows. Guinevere smiled. ¡°It¡¯s about time for dinner. Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner before leaving?¡± Ste forced a smile and nced past her emotionlessly. Shepletely ignored Guinevere and looked at Wendy instead. ¡°I¡¯ll head off first?¡± ¡°Stay safe along the way.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Guinevere wasn¡¯t pleased to bepletely ignored. She strode toward Ste and raised her voice. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Did you hear me?¡± She stood right in front of Ste, blocking her view. Ste looked at her with annoyance. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just inviting you to dinner, that¡¯s all,¡± Guinevere replied with gusto. ¡°If my memory serves me right, this isn¡¯t your house.¡± Ste folded her arms in front of her chest and looked at her in disdain, ¡°Inviting a guest to someone else¡¯s home ¨C is that the kind of manners you were brought up with?¡± Her words were sharp and incisive; she was more aggressive than she ever was. Guinevere¡¯s face darkened with displeasure, then suddenly contorted into a wicked smile, ¡°Do you know that you currently look worlds apart from Ste Sealy?¡± She veered to another extreme and said coldly, ¡°E, Weston is treating you as a recement! Ste would never be as vicious and threatening as you are! Your face is the only thing that resembles her! You¡¯re apletely different personpared to her!¡± ¡°Are you trying to give me some tips and suggestions?¡± Ste looked at her with hrity in her eyes. ¡°Thank you for giving me ideas on keeping Weston by my side for a while longer. I¡¯ll make some adjustments to myself and make him like me even more¡­¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re truly shameless!¡± Guinevere became increasingly annoyed, furious by whatever Ste said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any woman so happy to be another¡¯s recement!¡± ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve seen one.¡± Ste shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Consider your eyes opened.¡± The more agitated Guinevere was, the calmer Ste was. She knew that it was the way to make Guinevere even more agitated. And the more agitated one became, the more one exposed its vulnerabilities. Guinevere¡¯s face paled with anger, and she was about to open her mouth when Ste unceremoniously pushed her away and turned to leave. ¡°You¡­¡± Guinevere instinctively gave chase. Outside the door. Xavier was just entering the mansion when he bumped into Ste, that was rushing out. ¡°Hey! What are you in such a rush for?¡± When he took a clear look and saw that it was Ste, his face changed. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Ste ignored him and pushed him aside before making her exit. Guinevere wanted to chase after her, but Xavier held her down by her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you so angry?¡± She calmed herself down and said irritably, ¡°Nothing.¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes shifted as he bent over and whispered something in Guinevere¡¯s ears. At Stardust Mansion. Weston finally returned at 9.30 in the evening. When he came in, he saw Ste seated on the couch, flipping channels with a bored look on her face. Ste wasn¡¯t even paying attention to the television. In a daze, she tried to find something to keep her hands busy with. She was clearly lost in her thoughts and didn¡¯t even notice Weston sitting next to her. ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡± She found herself in a warm, familiar embrace, surrounded by a refreshing, musky scent. Ste was stunned for a moment before rxing and leaning into his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m a little upset¡­¡± Weston lowered his head and kissed her hair. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. ¡°Who provoked you?¡± He was rather shocked. Ste had never admitted to him that she was in a bad mood and certainly never so coquettishly. His eyes remained calm, but only he knew about the emotions that began roiling in his heart. Ste tilted her head up, the back of her beck resting on her chest as she whined, ¡°Xavier bullied me today. Will you stand up for me?¡±. Weston paused for a moment before he let out a chuckle. It was a chuckle that came deep from his chest, low and rumbling. He kissed her cheek and, in a tender and affectionate tone, cooed, ¡°Is this aint I¡¯m receiving?¡± Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Ste fell silent. It did look like she wasining to him, and she suddenly felt rather abashed. Weston pinched her cheeks which inevitably pouted her lips. He looked down at her and probed, ¡°Tell me, how did he bully you?¡± Ste recounted the incident today, except with added details of her own. Weston listened attentively to her as hebed his fingers through her hair. Ste saw no other reaction from him and felt rather displeased. ¡° Why are you just listening and not commenting?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Ste suddenly sat up in his arms and looked at him. Awhileter, she slouched, deted. ¡°Forget it¡­¡± There was a tinge of despondence in her eyes. ¡°I better forget it.¡± Leaving him with those words, she stood up to leave. Weston pulled her back by her wrist. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t stand up for you.¡± He kissed her cheeks and reached into her shirt. ¡°Just that I charge interest.¡± Ste hooks her arms around his neck. The medicine was taking effect, and her body was ready and pliant to his touch. He arched his brows, surprised at her enthusiasm. He hauled her up in his arms. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re getting anxious.¡± Since her return from her visit to Zeta¡¯s, Ste¡¯s medicine supply had be sufficiently stocked once again. Before Weston came back, she had already popped the pills. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t detest his touch. Between the ravaging voracity¡­ He rested his chin on her head and ced grabbed her waist. ¡° You¡¯re awfully passionate today¡­ and so sensitive.¡± He remarked emphatically as he saw Ste¡¯s cheeks flush while she red at him. Yet, that re was filled with warm passion from the effects of the afterglow. Weston chuckled hoarsely from the depths of his chest, a low rumble that sounded pleasant to the ears. He leaned into her ear. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the new apartment?¡± Ste was still panting and finally managed to calm herself down. Sheid in his arms and said, ¡°Some of my things are still at Stardust Mansion. I want to pack them up.¡± ¡°You can always ask Joan for help.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I told her to go on a break. She had something to attend to back at home¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll assign someone else to take care of you.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°I can take care of myself. What¡¯s more, the apartment is different from the mansion. I don¡¯t want too many people around me.¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste added, ¡°Just let Joane over once in a while. That should suffice.¡± She needed to learn to be more independent. She couldn¡¯t allow Weston to seep into every nook and cranny of her life once more. The one-year deadline would be over soon. She couldn¡¯t afford to sink into his trap of tenderness. After the mist of passion and lust dissipated, the only thing left would be a dark, bottomless abyss. She had always reminded herself of that. On the day of moving, Weston had something to attend to at work, and he left everything in Ste¡¯s hands. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. There wasn¡¯t much that needed to be moved, in fact. For someone like Weston, he could afford to buy a new set of everything. Ste, however, insisted on doing everything herself and decorated the house personally. The new apartment was in Ahn City, where the subsequent publicity work was scheduled to be carried out. Chapter 741 Chapter 741 Chapter 741 She was almost done with packing and decorating the house when she received Bradley¡¯s call. There was a press conference that she could choose not to attend, but it would benefit her to gain exposure. Ste naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse such a chance. When she arrived at the event, she found Angelina there too. They hadn¡¯t met for a while and were excited to see each other again. After the press conference ended, Bradley introduced the two of them to other people in the industry. That was when Ste bumped into Lucas. ¡°This is Dr. Lucas Quirk. The next movie will be a medical drama, and he will be taking on the crew¡¯s medical consultant role and providing us with professional and technical guidance.¡± Angelina reached out to shake Lucas¡¯ hand. ¡°Hello, Dr. Quirk.¡± Lucas nodded mildly and reached his hand out to Ste as well. Ste snapped back to attention and stered a smile on her face, pretending not to know him. ¡°Hello, Dr. Quirk.¡± ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡± Lucas nced at her quickly before retracting his gaze. He never had a good impression of her and even stopped Yvonne from hanging out with her. Ste didn¡¯t want to say much to him and remained silent. Even Bradley could tell that something was wrong with Ste during the after-party. ¡°Why are you so quiet?¡± Such events were golden opportunities for actors and actresses to showcase themselves and their potential. At the end of the day, even actors needed to know how to sell themselves likemercial products. Although that didn¡¯t sound too good, it was precisely how the industry worked. Before one turned famous, showcasing oneself to an appropriate and tasteful degree was an essential tool for sess. Ste had no choice but to take the initiative to chat with other people. Lucas was not a sociable person to begin with. Ste was thankful she did not bump into him much as she made her rounds. To her dismay, she bumped into someone else familiar whom she wasn¡¯t very willing to see either. Michael Sealey. ¡°No wonder I found you familiar to the eye. Turns out, you¡¯re an actress!¡± He walked toward Ste, decked out in a presentable white suit. Although he was advanced in years, he still looked urbane and suave. ¡°Why are you all alone? Didn¡¯t Mr. Ford apany you here?¡± he said, all smiles. Ste¡¯s face changed as she looked away. ¡°We are in public right now. Please don¡¯t talk about things that nobody else understands.¡± She said with a feigned smile, and Michael naturally caught her meaning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bbering too quickly. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± He suddenly stopped and looked at Ste, puzzled. ¡°I heard that Mr. Ford broke off his engagement with Guinevere Cohen. In that case, the two of you¡­¡± Ste smiled, unfazed by his words. ¡°None of your business.¡± With that, she went to another spot with Angelina in tow. Angelina asked her, ¡°I think that man is another one of those old presidents. Do you know him?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve only met him once. He says I bear an uncanny resemnce with one of his nieces.¡± Realization struck Angelina. ¡°No wonder he said that you looked familiar. I was wondering why that would be so. Although we are actors, the movie we just filmed hasn¡¯t even been aired. Why would he find you familiar?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Angelina was very simple-minded and didn¡¯t think too much of it. Ste went to a corner to take a break. A whileter, Lucas walked toward her and reminded her, ¡°Michael is a married man.¡± His tone was t and calm, almost emotionless, despite his words dripping with sarcasm and mockery. Ste clenched her fists. ¡°In your eyes, am I that kind of woman constantly looking for opportunities to be a home wrecker?¡± Lucas furrowed his brows and said in a low voice, ¡°I know that you met with Yvonne previously. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°So what if you don¡¯t?¡± Ste lifted her head to look at him. ¡°Yvonne is a person with rights and a mind of her own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because she has a mind of her own that I¡¯m here to remind you: Don¡¯t take advantage of her.¡± He had said this many times to her before. Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Lucas looked coldly at her. ¡°Although Guinevere has terminated her engagement with Weston, and your status as Weston¡¯s partner is slowlying to light, I hope you can spare a thought for your own reputation.¡± He paused for a moment before going on, ¡°You¡¯ll be walking down this path from now on. With Weston by your side, he will do all he can to promote you, but you would surely have your past dug up in all its gory details as a public figure. By then, Yvonne would certainly be implicated. She¡¯s rash and quick- tempered, and I don¡¯t want her to be influenced by you.¡± It was clear that he cared very much for Yvonne. Ste¡¯s facial features gentled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t wish to see her implicated as well.¡± Lucas left. Ste heaved a sigh of relief as fatigue washed over her. Thankfully, Michael did not cross paths with her again before the after-party came to a close. After the event, Ste and Angelina shared a car back to their respective homes. In their hired cab, they saw a familiar silver sports car from afar stopping right at the entrance. Yvonne hopped down from the car and bounded toward Lucas. ¡°Why did it end sote? I¡¯m so hungry. Let¡¯s grab a quick bite!¡± Lucas had long seen hering toward him. He stepped forward and caught her in his arms. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have some desserts at home? Why are you hungry again?¡± ¡°I have a big appetite¡­¡± Yvonne rebutted with gusto. The look in her eyes suddenly changed as she leaned in closer to him and twitched her nose. ¡°Let me see if you¡¯ve been close to any woman!¡± She loved ying the jealousy card and didn¡¯t like Lucas attending too many of such events. There would always be beauties trying to chat him up, and he couldn¡¯t always wear his ring, given his profession as a doctor. Lucas personally didn¡¯t fancy such crowded events as well, but her sniffing tickled him. ¡°Are you a dog?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. A dog that specializes in sniffing out vixens!¡± Yvonne said forthrightly. Lucas furrowed his brows. ¡°Be serious. Cut it out.¡± His heart, however, enjoyed every moment. Yvonne knew him inside out, and she hooked her arm around her neck and jumped onto him, forcing him to carry her. ¡°I deliberately drove over to fetch you home. Don¡¯t be ungrateful now.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. In the midst of their public disys of affection, Yvonne suddenly spotted Ste seated in another car. She stood stunned for a moment before excitedly greeting her out loud, ¡°E, what are you doing here?¡± Ste lowered the windows and said smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s a press conference organized by the crew, so I decided to join in. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into Dr. Quirk here.¡± Yvonne turned to look at Lucas, displeased. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you met E here?¡± Lucas¡¯ face turned cold and distant. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for us to grab that bite?¡± Yvonne¡¯s stomach growled. She looked bashfully at Ste, ¡°I¡¯ll be off, then! Let¡¯s gather again next time.¡± Ste nodded, but Yvonne almost didn¡¯t catch it as Lucas pulled her away and strode to their car, not giving them any further chance to catch up. Angelina looked at their exchange and was rather confused. ¡°Why do I feel like that doctor has something against you?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°He does.¡± ¡°But his girlfriend seems to like you a lot¡­¡± ¡°They are husband and wife,¡± Ste corrected her. A momentter, she added, ¡°Yes, I am friends with her.¡± Angelina blinked. ¡°You have such a strange rtionship with them.¡± The car engine sputtered to start. Angelina added, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly a little hungry. Shall we grab a bite too?¡± Ste nodded. Weston was still at the office, and she did not need to apany him for dinner. Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Chapter 743 When they turned at a junction, another ck luxury car drove past them. Ste retracted her gaze hurriedly and shrunk back in her seat. She saw Guinevere and Weston seated inside the car. Both of them appeared to be talking about something. Her sudden act of evasion rmed and puzzled Angelina. She looked out of the window and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why did you suddenly hide?¡± At that moment, she thought she saw the handsome man in that ck luxury car look in their direction. Weston and Guinevere weren¡¯t the only ones in the car; Henry was inside with them too. As their childhood friend, he should have been informed beforehand about their decision to break off their engagement. However, Henry was in the hospital receiving treatment during that period and therefore couldn¡¯t be present when it was announced. Recovery and rehabilitation had been a miserable and painful journey for him. He knew that little heartless bodyguard wouldn¡¯t turn back to him on her own ord. No matter how miserable he made himself look, she seemed unmoved from beginning to end. He eventually decided to take the initiative to snatch her back to his side. Before that, he needed to make sure he waspletely healed of his leg injury. This gathering was organized by Guinevere. He knew that her true motivation was to spend time with Weston, and he was but an excuse. Henry always gave in to her. What¡¯s more, it had been a long time since the three of them gathered, and he saw no reason to reject Guinevere¡¯s invitation. In the car. Guinevere kept trying to talk to Weston and reminisce about past memories. He, on the other hand, was scrolling through his phone, looking at photos of his dear bodyguard, clearly bored out of his wits. He couldn¡¯t deny that thisdy looked unpleasant even in photos. He¡¯d never seen someone look so unpresentable in selfies taken themselves. Even so, he found himself immersed in looking at her face. The next moment, when Ste¡¯s car drove past them, he lifted his head, and his eyes widened. ¡°Faye!¡± He yelled out agitatedly and lurched forward to push the car door open. Weston furrowed his brows and stopped him just in time. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Henry flung his arms away. ¡°I saw Faye!¡± His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked crazed as he insisted on pulling the car door open and leaping out. Guinevere broke off mid-sentence, shocked by Henry¡¯s sudden agitation. She suddenly recalled who Faye was. It was that darling bodyguard of his who ran away. She used to follow Henry wherever he went, but because Henry had feelings for Guinevere, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to her, so she eventually ran away. Guinevere thought Henry had long forgotten about her and didn¡¯t expect him to still have her in his mind. The thought left a bitter taste on Guinevere¡¯s tongue. ¡°Henry, did you make a mistake? Faye¡¯s been gone for so long. She would have done so long ago if she had intended to return. It¡¯s impossible for you to find her now.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t make a mistake! That was Faye. I¡¯m sure about it.¡± Henry calmed himself down as he looked at Weston through bloodshot eyes. ¡°Weston, you¡¯re my best bud. You must trust me.¡± Weston looked at him and rubbed in between his brows. He sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to park the car here. Let¡¯s drive further down and find a ce to stop the car before you chase after her.¡± Weston knew that Henry had be obsessed with that bodyguard of his. If he didn¡¯t let Henry confirm whether that was Faye, he would never let this go. On the other end. Angelina retracted her gaze, her heart still thumping from lingering fear. She turned to Ste and asked, ¡°E, there was a man in that car just now. He looked so scary¡­¡± She saw the dark and handsome man¡¯s face change the moment he caught a glimpse of her. He looked as if he could swallow her alive, and it shocked her so much that she instinctively turn her face away from the window.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Chapter 744 No wonder Ste shrunk back the moment she saw that car drive past. Turns out, there was a crazy man inside, thought Angelina. The scene of Weston and Guinevere seated together in the car was still ying in Ste¡¯s mind. She suddenly felt tired. She rubbed her temples. ¡°I feel a little unwell. Shall we skip dinner for today?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Angelina instructed the driver to drive to her apartment, after which she bid Ste goodbye before getting out of the car. The engine revved alive again, and the car turned the corner at the junction ahead. After passing a traffic junction, a white car suddenly appeared right before them. Bang! The driver hit the emergency brakes, and Ste lurched forward. Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°What happened?¡± The driver said, ¡°A car drove right in front of us and forced us to stop.¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± The driver shook his head, shocked and confused. ¡°I¡¯ll head down to check things out.¡± He was about to open his car door when the door of the white car suddenly opened. A man in a wheelchair appeared. Ste was stunned to see Henry pull open their car door. ¡°Faye!¡± He yelled in a low voice from outside the car. When he saw that it was Ste in the car, he was dumbfounded. He surveyed her face through his bloodshot eyes. Panting heavily, he asked, ¡°Why is it you? Why is it you? Where is Faye? Where did you hide Faye?¡± He was in a wheelchair, yet he wielded so much strength that he lifted Ste off the ground when he grabbed her cor. ¡°Tell me! Where is Faye?¡± Weston and Guinevere got out of the white car and saw Ste in the other car that Henry stopped. Weston¡¯s face changed as he strode toward her. ¡°Let her go! ¡± Henry was blinded by his emotions and naturally refused to let her go Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ne fixed his gaze at Ste and repeatedly asked, ¡°Faye? Where is Faye? Where did you hide her?¡± He clearly saw her just now! But now, Ste was the only passenger in the car. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about¡­ let me go!¡± Ste found him absurd. Henry refused to back off and stared at Ste. Weston couldn¡¯t be bothered that Henry was in a wheelchair and pulled him away from Ste. ¡°Let her go!¡± He furrowed his brows as cold fury filled his eyes. Henry finally snapped back to reality and took a deep breath. The look in his eyes mellowed as he looked pleadingly at Ste, ¡°Where is she? Can you please tell me? Please tell me, please¡­¡± Ste felt her head throbbing. ¡°I really have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Weston remained silent as he walked toward Ste. His eyes darkened when he saw her wrist reddened from Henry¡¯s vise-like grip- He held her write and rubbed it tenderly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Ste shook her head and instinctively tried to retract her hand. In her eyes, Weston and Henry were the same kind of men. His face twitched upon seeing her instinctively avoiding his touch, but he didn¡¯t say anything further. He straightened up and looked at Henry seated in his wheelchair, panting agitatedly. ¡°You clearly made a mistake just now. There¡¯s no one else in that car except E.¡± ¡°Impossible! How could I ever mistake her face for someone else?¡± Henry cut Weston off mid-sentence as he clenched his fists. ¡°I did not make a mistake¡­E, who were you with, in the car just now?¡± Ste nced at the empty seat next to her. ¡°It was just me. Why are you acting crazy?¡± ¡°Impossible! There was a woman right next to you when I saw your car at the junction just now. Who is she?¡± Ste immediately thought of Angelina. Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Chapter 745 But given how agitated Henry was, exposing Angelina might bring her trouble¡­ ¡°I was alone in the car,¡± she said. ¡°You made a mistake; I was the only person in the car all along.¡± The driver nced at her, his eyes shifty, but he did not say anything else. Guinevere got out of her car and ran over. She didn¡¯t expect to see Ste and her face turned cold. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ste ignored her and instead turned to look at Weston. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯ll be off.¡± Instead of replying to Ste, he said to Guinevere, ¡°Bring Henry back first.¡± Guinevere stood stunned for a moment before asking in disbelief, ¡° Why? Didn¡¯t we agree to have a gathering between the three of us?¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°Next time.¡± Guinevere couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Weston¡­¡± She stood there watching him take Ste away, showing no concern for her feelings. She went to great lengths to find this opportunity for the three to gather and reminisce on their past memories. It was all E¡¯s fault! In the car. Guinevere was grumbling non-stop. ¡°I think Weston has changed¡­ he¡¯s not himself anymore!¡± ¡°He would never bail on his appointments at thest minute like this. Does that woman not know our rtionship? Why did she put up an act to make Weston leave us hanging like this?¡± Whenever Guinevere hit a brick wall with Weston, she would frequentlyin about it to Henry. Henry would always patiently hear her out. But today, he was not in the mood. ¡°Are you quite done?¡± Guinevere was stunned silent. Did he just cut her off? ¡°Henry, what¡¯s the matter? Weston was the one who bailed on us. Can¡¯t Iin about it?¡± ¡°Given what just happened, do you really think we¡¯re still in the mood for a gathering?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Guinevere went on in disbelief, ¡°Do you mean to say that you¡¯re not in the mood to have a meal with me¡­just because of that, Faye?¡± The mention of Faye made his face darken. ¡°I saw her just now¡­¡± Henry kept repeating that statement and lifted bloodshot eyes toward Guinevere, ¡°Do you believe me? I really saw her!¡± Guinevere shut her eyes and decided not to say anything more, as if out of spite. Since he refused to listen to her grumble, she, too, refused to hear him out. Henry didn¡¯t seem to care whether she wanted to hear him out or not. He simply stared ahead, his eyes growing colder and colder by the minute. The ck Cullinan drove steadily on the road. Ste couldn¡¯t hold back her question, ¡°Is your friend crazy?¡± Weston nced at the driver seated in front. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The driver knowingly raised the divider between them. Ste instinctively felt like something was wrong and looked at him in rm, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He looked leisurely at her, ¡°Who was that woman just now?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. She looked down and mumbled, ¡° I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°Your eyes shift when you lie.¡± Weston paused for a moment before warning her, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Ste.¡± Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Chapter 746 When the driver nced at Ste, he knew that Ste wasn¡¯t telling the truth. There was indeed another woman in the car, except that it might not have been Henry¡¯s ¡°Faye.¡± Ste remained stubborn. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie.¡± Weston deliberately asked, ¡°Was that woman Faye?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who Faye is! She¡¯s definitely not Faye! ¡± Ste instinctively rebutted. The next second, she realized that her lie was exposed. She paused for a moment before insisting stubbornly, ¡°Henry must have made a mistake¡­¡± Weston pinched her chin and turned her face toward him. ¡°Did you know that your eyes turn shifty when you lie?¡± ¡°They do not!¡± Ste insisted, but her eyes became even more shifty. Weston chuckled lowly and lifted her chin. He kissed the corner of her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± His fingers rubbed across her fair, dewy skin. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to get your friend into trouble. I¡¯m not forcing you to expose her.¡± ¡°Really? You won¡¯t force me to?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes shone as she looked at him like a pitiful yet adorable doll. He always fell for this trick of hers.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Weston remained silent as he looked at her. He smiled and said, ¡° So, there really was someone else in the car.¡± Ste realized that she had fallen into his trap and her face turned cold. Subsequently, no matter how much Weston probed, she refused to reveal anything further. It was her way of throwing a tantrum. ¡°Your temper is getting from bad to worse.¡± Weston reached out to pinch her cheeks. But he was helpless when it came to her. The car turned a corner. Ste recognized that it wasn¡¯t the way back home. ¡°Where are we headed to?¡± ¡°I thought you were intending to ignore mepletely.¡± Ste paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do just that.¡± He chuckled lowly and pulled her into his arms. He lowered his head, seeking her lips. ¡°Why are you so adorable, huh?¡± He mumbled dreamily into her ears, blowing hot air onto her cold skin and causing an irresistible wave of passion that overwhelmed her. By the time the car arrived at the destination, Ste¡¯s lipstick was all but gone. Weston strode out of the car and helped her with her car door. Ste said, ¡°Hang on, let me reapply my lipstick.¡± Weston surveyed her face. ¡°No need for that. You look good already.¡± Ste didn¡¯t know what to say to that. As capable and knowledgeable as Weston was, he didn¡¯t seem to know much about make-up. She pointed at the corner of her lips. ¡°This obviously looks like a kiss smeared my lipstick. How is this presentable?¡± ¡°How can anyone tell that it was because of a kiss?¡± Weston asked in disbelief. He lifted her chin to look at the corner of her lips. His thumb rested on her lips and caressed them gently. Ste knew he was up to no good again and flicked his hand away. ¡° Cut it out.¡± Weston retracted his hand and rubbed her head. He was clearly in a good mood. ¡°Come. Let me bring you somewhere interesting.¡± Ste thought that he was bringing her to some entertaining establishment. She never expected him to bring her to the Ford ancestral hall. From afar, she saw Xavier kneeling in the hall and thought she must have been hallucinating. ¡°What¡­ is all this about?¡± Weston stood behind her and hugged her around her waist. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he bullied you?¡± Ste finally understood his intentions. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for me?¡± Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Ste was in disbelief. ¡°How could Xavier be willing to kneel here obediently?¡± ¡°Because of someone that he cannot disobey, of course,¡± Weston said inly. ¡°Are you referring to Old Mr. Ford?¡± Weston pinched her cheeks. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Ste remained silent as she looked at the man in the hall. Xavier knelt in the middle of the hall, looking utterly displeased. But, despite his clear reluctance, he didn¡¯t dare to disobey and knelt with his torso stock straight. Old Mr. Ford sat right opposite him, ncing at him once in a while as he sipped on his tea to check if he was kneeling properly. asionally, he would put his teacup down and pick on Xavier¡¯s posture in a nasty and incisive tone. Elders like him were excellent at insulting others without the use of profanity. It must feel pretty good to be able to do so, Ste thought. She was curious, ¡°How did you manage this? I remember that Old Mr. Ford dotes on Xavier very much.¡± Even when he broke off his engagement with Zeta, a major issue that incurred the wrath of the Taylor family and made them the butt of a joke in the industry, Old Mr. Ford couldn¡¯t bear to punish him. Why did he make him kneel this time? It was indeed unbelievable. Weston said, ¡°It isn¡¯t that difficult controlling someone¡¯s heart. As long as you grasp a person¡¯s needs, you¡¯ll be able to figure out what makes him tick and how to make him do things the way you want them to. It¡¯s that easy.¡± Ste suddenly found him very frightening. ¡°Since you¡¯re able to control another person¡¯s heart¡­ is there something you really want for yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Weston said without any hesitation, ¡°You can guess my innermost desire.¡± He looked at Ste with a brazen stare. Ste avoided his gaze. She knew, but she didn¡¯t want to give it to him. In the ancestral hall. Xavier had been kneeling for almost two hours. Old Mr. Ford finally decided to relent. ¡°Do you admit your mistake now?¡± It was undeniable that he had been anxious to seek sess at work. Xavier lowered his head and gritted his teeth. ¡°I was wrong, Dad¡­¡± ¡°How were you wrong?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have trusted that merchant and ced all the export pressure on thepany. The economy¡¯s been looking bad, and I shouldn¡¯t have killed the goose thatys the golden egg.¡± ¡°Very good. That¡¯s a very fundamental reason. What else?¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± Xavier looked up, slightly confused. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The old man said leisurely, ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing decent recently.¡± Realization dawned upon Xavier. His father was calcting old debts along with recent ones. He paused for a moment before saying reluctantly, ¡°As well as the thing with Zeta and Daisy¡­¡± He admitted to every one of his mistakes, which pleased Old Mr. Ford. When Xavier was done, Old Mr. Ford asked again, ¡°Is that it?¡± Xavier asked doubtfully, ¡°What else could there be?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t have interfered with other people¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Since when did I do that?¡± Old Mr. Ford picked up his teacup and sipped on it. ¡°No matter what goes on between Guinevere and Weston, they¡¯ve already broken off their engagement. You, as Weston¡¯s uncle, are in no position to seek any of that so-called justice and stand up for her!¡± Xavier finally understood what Old Mr. Ford was implying all the while. ¡°Are you trying to speak up for E Steele?¡± He was so agitated he stood up halfway. He just couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°What¡¯s so great about that woman? What makes her so worthy that all of you speak up for her, time and time again?¡± Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Chapter 748 He could barely ept Zeta speaking up for E and gave her the benefit of the doubt that she might have misjudged the kind of person E was. That would have been understandable. What¡¯s more, for all he knew, Zeta might have done it out of spite toward him and deliberately ganged up with that woman against him. But Old Mr. Ford was an intelligent and sharp man. Why would he bother speaking up for Ste? Old Mr. Ford furrowed his brows and said sharply, ¡°Who asked you to stand up?¡± Xavier knelt back down reluctantly. ¡°Whatever it is, stay here and reflect upon your mistakes! When you¡¯ve thought things through, call me.¡± With that, Old Mr. Ford stood up and left. Ste instinctively turned to her side. Weston held his arm around her waist and waited outside the hall. Old Mr. Ford appeared to have expected their arrival as he nced carelessly at them. ¡°Have you had enough of the excitement?¡± Ste felt incredibly awkward and uneasy, as if she had been caught eavesdropping. Weston, on the other hand, sat calm andposed next to her. He toyed with a lock of her hair leisurely, ¡°Not really. It¡¯s rare to see him humble and obedient.¡± Given how much Old Mr. Ford doted on Xavier, everyone in the Ford family gave in to him. Old Mr. Ford was serious about teaching him a lesson this time round. He smiled. It made him look kindly. ¡°I know who you¡¯re most concerned about. There¡¯s nothing wrong for a man to be concerned for his own woman.¡± He looked at Ste smilingly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so, E?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the consensus they had reached earlier and knowing that Old Mr. Ford would think of a way to send her away eventually, Ste would have thought he was supportive of her and Weston being together. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Thankyou, Grandpa.¡± Her address made Weston happy. He pinched her long, lithe fingers and interlocked his fingers with hers. ¡°So anxious to im my grandfather as yours?¡± Ste looked down in silence. She even looked slightly bashful. Old Mr. Ford observed their interaction and simply smiled. He sipped his tea and said, ¡°Weston, you¡¯re different from your father and uncle. For one, you¡¯re a lot more reliable, and they have no say in their marriage. Things aren¡¯t the same for you.¡± He meant something else deeper.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Marriage alliances were but a way to strengthen their power in the circle. Wealthy heirs and heiresses have their fate sealed the moment they were born. Only those heirs and heiresses with true capabilities had a right to dictate their destiny. Yet, a good majority of these heirs and heiresses ended up walking down the path of marriage alliances anyway. Who would reject a win-win situation? Very few would sacrifice their lofty ambitions for the sake of something as fleeting as love and romance. Of course, there were young, reckless, and emotional heirs and heiresses, but they would eventually end up walking down the same path. Old Mr. Ford was very clear about that, but he said to Weston, ¡° You¡¯re outstanding in every work at work, which is why I will not interfere with your marriage. I only hope that you¡¯ll be happy.¡± Even though Weston was already married once, it was only for a year, and he made a clean break. Therefore, no one in the Ford family probed much into it. They simply treated it as an innocent mistake. Ste stood at a side and was in awe at what Old Mr. Ford said. It wasn¡¯t difficult to conclude that Old Mr. Ford wouldn¡¯t be med if she were to break things off with Weston. After all, he was so supportive of her being with Weston. Weston would only have her to me. Even so, Ste didn¡¯t care. She couldn¡¯t be bothered about Weston¡¯s attitude toward her. He could hate her or feel guilty, but as long as she could leave him, he could think whatever he wanted of her. Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Very soon, Xavier found out that Weston had been the one behind his punishment. At the Ford Corporation building. When Xavier arrived, Daisy led the way as usual. Seeing hime in a huff, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way.¡± Xavier did not spare her so much as a nce and pushed her away, walking ahead by himself. ¡°Were you the one behind the old man punishing me?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He shut the door with a m, effectively stopping Daisy froming in or listening in on them. Daisy looked at the tightly shut door, and her face changed, feeling as if she had been shut out from his world. During this period of being with him, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she just couldn¡¯t understand this man. Yet, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from trusting him¡­ In the office. Weston seemed to have expected his arrival. He covered the lid of his pen leisurely and asked, ¡°What are you referring to, specifically?¡± He carefully buttoned up his sleeve. His jet-ck jacket was hanging off the side of his table, while his pristine white shirt gave him an austere, cold, and distant appearance. Xavier was clearly nowhere nearly asposed. He stepped forward and smiled mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re the only person in the world who can look so at ease after framing someone else.¡± Weston picked up his coffee cup and sipped on it. He said without even looking at Xavier, ¡°If you¡¯re here just to talk nonsense, pardon me for having more important things to attend to.¡± ¡°Weston Ford! Aside from people whom you find important, do you see everyone else as worthless and unworthy?¡± Xavier couldn¡¯t help but ask him usatorily, ¡°She¡¯s just an outsider. Is there a need for you to have daggers drawn against your own uncle just for her sake? Do you really think you can marry her?¡± They were family; at least, that was what Xavier used to think. Subsequently, he realized that Henry was closer to Weston than he was. They were like brothers, whereas he, as his biological uncle, seemed more like an outsider. As uncle and nephew, they had fought over the family¡¯s inheritance and even got upset with each other over a woman. Until now, he even felt that a mere woman like E was more important than he was to Weston. Weston put down his coffee cup and called for his secretary. ¡° Please see our guest off.¡± Xavier clenched his fists. ¡°I have something to tell you about E. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to know about it.¡± He paused for a moment before lifting his head. ¡°Speak.¡± The look in Xavier¡¯s eyes changed. He didn¡¯t want to interfere with their business, but his sh with Old Mr. Ford frustrated him, not to mention it was a clear indication that E Steele was trouble. Weston had never acted like this in the past. He could say with utmost certainty that it must have been Ste egging him on. In that case, he did not need to show any mercy. ¡°Everyone knows how charming and virile Mr. Ford is, but even a man like you need to brush up on your skills in bed¡­¡± He smiled provocatively. ¡°Otherwise, why would even your own woman be unhappy sleeping with you?¡± Weston¡¯s face changed as a chill shed past his eyes. ¡°Speak your mind.¡± ¡°Do you know why E has be so close to Zetately?¡± Xavier stepped forward and looked straight into Weston¡¯s eyes. He said in a straight, no-nonsense tone, ¡°One of them is a doctor, and another is an actress. By right, there¡¯s no reason for them to cross paths¡­¡± He tugged at his cor, all ready to exact his revenge. ¡°I must say that I do pity that woman for having to drug herself before she can bring herself to¡­ sleep with you,¡± he said with a sly smile. Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Daisy had no clue about what was going on in the office, and her face was dark and solemn. When Xavier left the office, she noticed that his mood had turned remarkably better. So she plucked up her courage and asked, ¡°What exactly happened just now?¡± Xavier looked at her, ¡°Nothing¡­when are you knocking off from work today? Let¡¯s go on a date.¡± Daisy finally rxed upon seeing his fine mood. Thus, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, ¡°I saw you charging in so furiously, and I was worried¡­ it¡¯s good that you two didn¡¯t start fighting.¡± Xavier smiled as he recalled how Weston¡¯s eyes turned cold. It eased the tension in his chest, and he considered himself avenged. The office was in a wreck. When Ben walked in with documents in hand, he saw shattered ss all over the floor and got a shock, uncertain as to what made Weston so furious. ¡°Mr¡­. Mr. Ford¡­¡± Ben saw the fearsome look on Weston¡¯s face and didn¡¯t dare ask any further. He put down the documents and said, ¡°This is the report you asked for.¡± Then he left. Weston sat in dead silence at his desk. Blood dripped from a deep gash on his wrist, probably from the broken ss shards, though he didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain. The blood dripped onto the dark cherry wood of his desk, forming an ominous and dark scene. He originally had his doubts about those vitamins that Ste was consuming, but because he trusted her, he never got down to investigate it. Now that he had the test report in his hands, he recalled what Xavier had said earlier. His face turned frigid as he opened the envelope. It was in ck and white, and the truth was undeniable. Very well. He gritted his teeth and smiled brokenly. ¡°Very well.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t bear sleeping with him, so much so that she had to be under medication. He didn¡¯t even sense that anything was wrong. His face was half shrouded in darkness as a storm brewed in his eyes. At the apartment. Now that Ste was in a new environment, she had to pay attention to the details when video calling Roger. Previously, when video calling him at Stardust Mansion, she would always adjust her surroundings to make sure that Roger could not tell where she was. Thest time she stayed at the Ford Mansion, she made it such that Roger could only see her face dominating the screen without much background. After the video call connected¡ª Roger¡¯s face appeared on her screen. ¡°Ste,¡± he greeted. Ste was happy to see him. ¡°I heard that you won an award at apetition?¡± Roger nodded, but he didn¡¯t look the least thrilled. Ste noticed it immediately and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Roger shook his head and suddenly asked, ¡°Ste, are you in a rtionship?¡± He realized that every time he video called Ste, he would only see her face and nothing much of the background. He didn¡¯t think much of it when Riley first pointed it out to him, but he soon began to find it strange. Ste was stunned for a moment, wondering if he had realized something. She then asked nervously, ¡°No, why would you think that way?¡± At her prompt denial, Roger fell silent. A whileter, he said almost bitterly, ¡°Ste, if you¡¯re in a rtionship, you must tell me about it. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Of course, I know you won¡¯t.¡± Ste added jokingly, ¡°Since when were you in the position to stop me from being in a rtionship?¡± ¡°But don¡¯t hide things from me. I will get anxious¡­ ¡°¡­what if your partner is terrible?¡± Roger couldn¡¯t help but add. ¡° What if he hurts you or cheats on you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult. You don¡¯t have to worry so much about me.¡± ¡°How could I not?¡± Roger suddenly became agitated. ¡°Ste, are you really in a rtionship?¡± Ste didn¡¯t want to reply to him. ¡°I¡¯vealready told you that I¡¯m not. Stop imagining things!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Roger was about to say something when Ste heard the digital lock on her door unlock on her end. Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Ste paused and looked at the door. She was surprised that Weston hade so early. Her face changed a little. She hurriedly withdrew her gaze and said to the screen, ¡°I have something to do. Let¡¯s talkter!¡± Roger sensed something was wrong. ¡°Sis, where are you now? Did someonee back? Are you staying outside? You didn¡¯t go home?¡± Before he could say anything else, a loud bang sounded as the room door opened. Ste jumped in shock and stared at the gloomy ¨C faced man in the doorway. She wondered what was wrong with him. ¡°Sis? Sis?¡± Roger was still urging on the other side of the screen. Ste hung up in a hurry. As the call had disconnected, there was only a prolonged beeping tone. ¡°Sis!¡± Roger listened to the robotic female voice from the other end of the call and became anxious. He tried to call back, but no one answered on the other end. Riley emerged from the kitchen and was surprised to see his overreaction. She had to reassure him, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s busy. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°How can I not be worried?¡± Roger pursed his lips tightly. ¡°I just heard someonee in!¡± ¡°Your sister is a grownup. It¡¯s normal for her to have friends.¡± ¡°But she never told me who she was living with!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to tell you everything¡­ She can make her own decisions.¡± When Roger heard that, he gave Riley a cold and unpleasant look. Riley was afraid he would be angry, so she stopped. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to stop talking.¡± At the same time, in the apartment. Ste closed herptop and watched as the man walked toward her. She had never seen Weston wearing such a grim look and felt a little nervous. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Weston had always had a powerful aura around him. He carried himself confidently and was intimidating to most. When he remained quiet, that aura of him became more apparent. When he looked at Ste with his cold and sullen face, he felt she seemed like she was on the chopping block and at h¨ªs mercy. She had no idea what had made him like this. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡ª¡±She wanted to get up, but Weston walked up to her and pinned her down in the cold chair. He didn¡¯t answer her question. He only looked at her with a look that made her shudder. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Her voice trembled a little. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Weston cupped her chin and kissed her forcefully. He gave her a long and hard kiss, as if he wanted to swallow her whole. He kissed her harder and harder, making her scalp tingle and her mouth sore. Ste instinctively begged for mercy. ¡°Please stop¡­¡± But he never stopped. He kept kissing her hard, as if causing her pain was his intention. Ste was still clueless about what was going on. Her eyes grew a little red. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± When he heard her cry out in pain, he seemed toe back to his senses a little. He rubbed his fingers hard against the patch of skin that was tinged with red. After a long moment, Weston muttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°So you know it hurts?¡± As his gaze darkened , he kept breathing his hot breath into her ear, burning her ears. Ste did not know what was wrong with him. All she knew was he was scaring her a little. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ It really hurts¡­¡± Weston took a deep breath and looked like he had regained his senses. His actions became much more rxed and gentle. He ced his hand on her slender neck and slowly inched down. Then, he spoke and cut to the chase. ¡°I want you,¡± Weston said. Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Ste was stunned and caught off guard. ¡°Now?¡± She wanted to call Roger back or at least say goodbye to him. ¡°Now.¡± Weston¡¯s tone was unmistakable. ¡°I want you now.¡± He did not even have time to take off his clothes. He just ced Ste on the table and swept all the paper and pens off the table. He lifted the hem of her dress and impatiently pulled it over her head without unbuttoning Ste did not know what was wrong with him. She struggled and uttered impatiently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it now.¡± Why must she obey all his orders and give him what he wanted? Besides, he hade back too suddenly. She did not have time to take the medicine. Weston¡¯s eyes turned colder when he saw her strong reluctance. Earlier, she still had a submissive look. As soon as he wanted to do it, she had be very repulsive. However, she was clearly passionate before. Unless¡­ Weston guessed that Ste resisted him because she was not on the pills. ¡°I want to.¡± Weston¡¯s face was grim. Ignoring her refusal, he put her hands together and pinned her hands above her head. He lifted his knees against her legs and showed his possession over her. ¡°I want you,¡± he said again. Ste finally realized Weston was dead serious. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to¡­ Not now¡­ Weston, don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to, or you can¡¯t?¡± Weston did not stop his actions. He lifted her dress up in a bold and fierce motion. As expected, he found her eyes closed tightly in the next moment. She froze. Weston took a deep breath. He became gentler and patient in his movements, but Ste was not in the mood at all. She closed her eyes tightly and did not realize the gravity of the situation. Weston asked her, ¡°You really don¡¯t want it?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m not like you. You¡¯re always thinking about that kind of thing anytime and anywhere.¡± Weston suddenly let out a lowugh. However, hisugh seemed meaningful. Ste did not understand what was so funny about this. She broke away from his grip. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Weston suddenly pinched her cheeks and made her pout. He forced her to look into his eyes and asked, ¡°What about the vitamins you¡¯ve been taking?¡± His low and mellow voice came with a clear hint of restraint. Ste looked at him with wide eyes. She wondered why he had suddenly brought up the matter and figured it out in the next second. That exined all of Weston¡¯s strange behavior today. She slowly clenched her fist and fell into a short silence.¡± Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Show it to me.¡± Ste hesitated a little. After a short pause, she took out the medicine from her bag. Weston looked at the white box with an intense gaze. ¡°Is this the medicine you¡¯ve been taking?¡± Ste gave a short response and gradually became more nervous. Weston lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡° Tell me. What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Vitamins,¡± Ste said. Weston smiled again. ¡°Vitamins ? Good. Now take one.¡± Ste looked him in the eye and reached for the bottle. However, he snatched it back the next second. ¡°Since it¡¯s vitamins, I should be able to take it too.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes went wide in fear. She did not say a word, but her eyshes were trembling. She knew he must not take it. If he did, he would know what the medicine was. It was something Zeta had given her. The effect was apparent. Otherwise, she would not have taken it for so long. It only took around fifteen minutes to feel the sensation. Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Weston had unscrewed the bottle cap and poured out a capsule. Ste¡¯s eyes went wide at his action. The usual Weston was already too much for her to handle. If he took this pill¡­ She suddenly reached out and knocked the pill away from his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± She said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat this!¡± Weston¡¯s expression changed at once. He threw the bottle to the ground and spilled the pills all over the floor. Then, he held her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a vitamin? Why can¡¯t I eat it?¡± A storm was brewing in his eyes. He was no longer his usual calm self. Ste looked into his eyes and saw her reflection in them. She was unable to speak. He pinned her and forced her to sit on the table as she said with a trembling voice, ¡°You knew¡­¡± Weston tightened his grip until he left a red mark on her chin. He did not care and asked, ¡°When did it start?¡± He did not know when she had started taking the drug right under his nose. Ste paled slightly. After a short silence, she told him the truth. ¡°From the beginning.¡± Weston closed his eyes for a moment. Then, he leaned his head down and rested against her neck. Ste could see the visible veins appearing and disappearing on the back of his hand from this angle. She saw the pale blue veins lurking beneath his skin. He was like a long-sleeping beast that had woken up in a fury. The tense atmosphere scared her a little. Ste did not move-she did not dare to. After a long silence, she heard him asking her in a hoarse voice, ¡°Did you eat it every time?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°There were times when I didn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t eat it in time.¡± Weston recalled his memories with a deep gaze. There were a few times when she was not in the mood. She had remained unaroused no matter what he did. It was as if she was holding something back. He was unwilling to see her reluctant look, so he had stopped halfway. He had thought she was not feeling well. It turned out that she had not taken her medication that would arouse her. Weston¡¯s hand was still on hers. He slowly tightened his grip. For a moment, he wanted to choke her to death. ¡°Do you feel so ufortable with me?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes turned gloomy. She was scared, and even her heart was trembling. Ste was truly terrified. She had never seen Weston in so much anger. He looked like he wanted to kill someone. She feared he would change his mind and force her to stay by his side. She feared he would not let her go anywhere. She had been waiting for this year to be over. She did not want any unexpected change to arise at such crucial timing After a long standoff, Ste surrendered first. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± They had never been equal. Ste knew her position. She hugged his neck and showed her submission. ¡°I just wanted to make you happy. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. I was afraid you¡¯d be upset if you found out¡­¡± Nevertheless , Weston pulled her hands away. Then, he held her hands together and gripped her tightly. He was using such great strength that he might crush her hands. Ste was in pain. She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t hold me so hard She deliberately used a soft tone. In the past, Weston would stop giving her a hard time after she had shown her submission. However, her way of speech did not seem to work with him anymore. Weston pressed his forehead against hers. There was no warmth in his actions except for an overwhelming sense of pressure. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it. You just can¡¯t ept me.¡± Ste looked at him and did not understand why Weston had interpreted it this way. After a short moment, she said with lowered eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best.¡± Her submissive look made him more furious . A wave of indescribable emotions rose in his heart. It was a mixed emotion of sourness and zing anger-a feeling he had never had before.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Ste did not give any exnation. She kept her head down and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. She was afraid to look at his face. A few momentster, she said, ¡°It¡¯s my issue¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want you to feel ufortable because of my situation. That¡¯s why I was on the pills.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s very considerate of you.¡± Westonughed instead of showing his anger. However, he squeezed her chin, as if he wanted to crush her. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± That was all Ste could say. ¡°Why are you saying sorry to me?¡± Weston wanted her to look into his eyes, but all he saw was her avoidance. She was trying to run away from this. At that instant, he suddenly felt like all of this was simply pointless. What was the point of forcing her? She had to take the medication before she could ept his intimacy. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You should go,¡± Weston said suddenly, then let go of her. Ste was stunned. She looked up at once and was still puzzled by his words. ¡°G-Go where?¡± Weston refused to look at her. ¡°There¡¯s no point for me to keep a woman who can¡¯t sleep with me without medication.¡± He turned away and said, ¡°If I want, I can have plenty of women. Do you think I must have you?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes trembled a little. She was surprised that Weston had finally had it figured out. For a moment, joy took over her. Was he finally letting her go? Even so, she did not dare to show any of her joy. She feared this was just another test from him. After all, he was always unpredictable. Otherwise, he would not have kept her trapped by his side for so long. Ste took a deep breath and made herself sound calm. She double checked with him softly. ¡°Are you letting me go?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Weston let go of her and stood up straight. He swept a nce at her and asked, ¡°You aren¡¯t willing to leave?¡± ¡®Of course I¡¯m willing,¡¯ thought Ste in silence, but she did not answer him. She just wanted to confirm if he was letting her go or testing her. Weston could see the anticipation and nervousness behind her calm facade. A great sense of humiliation hit him. No one had ever shown so much dislike for him. Never had anyone disliked him this much. ¡®This woman is impressive. All my messed-up emotions are because of her, but she continues to act like she¡¯s innocent. She could easily walk away after messing with me.¡¯ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving yet? Is it because you can¡¯t let me go?¡± The man¡¯s voice was a little sarcastic and full of despair. Ste hesitated a little with aplicated expression. Recently, Weston had been extremely sweet to her, except in bed. He was just a little dominant when it came to those matters. It had been a long time since he had spoken to her in such a tone. It was as if she was just an insignificant person to him. Ste pressed her lips. A wave ofplicated feelings hit her after the initial joy. Despite that, she did not take it too hard. She only moved a little and broke free from the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Alright, then¡­ I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Weston released his hands and acted like he did not care. He refused to look at her. ¡°Get lost.¡± That was all that he said. Ste¡¯s eyes flickered a little, and she suppressed the strange emotions. Then, she left without looking back. Ste went back to her room to pack her clothes. She had little luggage and only took her own belongings. She did not take the things that Weston had bought for her. Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Weston had bought her many things, including the bracelet, ne, nightgown, and bags. She did not take them with her and packed quickly. In less than fifteen minutes, she was done packing and stood in front of Weston with her luggage. Weston poured himself a ss of champagne. When he saw her like this, he shifted his gaze away and said coldly, ¡°Take all your stuff with you. Don¡¯t leave them here. It¡¯s an eyesore.¡± Ste looked down. ¡°I packed all my belongings¡­ The rest are the things you bought for me.¡± After saying that, she took out a card and ced it on the coffee table. She told him, ¡°I¡¯m returning this to you too. I¡¯ve left whatever I¡¯ve bought with the card in the room. If you have time, you can check the bills.¡± She said that, but she knew Weston was not a stingy man. She was just desperate to draw a line with him. Weston added two ice cubes into his ss. As the ice hit the ss, it made a crisp sound. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Clink! That sound made Ste feel a little restless. At this point, she became more worried and nervous that something would go wrong. From his sudden return earlier, things had escted faster than she could imagine. She did not expect that he would let go of her so easily. She could not help but think that if she had known he would react like this, maybe she should have let him know earlier. Weston finished the champagne in the ss in a gulp as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. When he titled his head up, his action revealed his clearly defined jaw and the perfect outline of his figure. He did not say anything yet, so Ste waited for his reply. Weston stood with his back facing her. After a short moment, he finally said, ¡°Take the worthless stuff away with you. If you won¡¯t, throw them away.¡± Ste lowered her nce and said softly, ¡°Then could you please help me discard them¡­ Or let Joan take care of it.¡± Weston did not turn to look at her. He continued to let her face his cold and broad back. Ste stared nkly ahead for a moment and finally muttered softly, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Then, she took her luggage and turned to leave. Weston was left alone in the room. He waited until he heard the sound of the door lock and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, there was nothing but coldness in his eyes. The deep emotions within were unreadable. When he recalled the way Ste had left without hesitation just now, he suddenly mmed his ss on the floor. Crash! The wine ss broke into pieces on the floor. He had already mmed a ss in the office earlier. The wound on his hand was still bleeding a little. His wound had reopened because of his actions and painted his palm red. From the moment he came back, Ste had not noticed the wound on his hand. It was dark at night, but Weston did not turn on the light. His figure seemed to have blended into the endless night with nothing but coldness and loneliness looming around. LLL At first, Ste was still in disbelief. She could not believe it until she actually walked out of the apartment and left. She had easily escaped Weston¡¯s grasp. She looked back to find that Weston did note after her. The dark apartment behind her looked like a great abyss. She had expected the beast toe after her, but he did not. Was she finally free? Ste pressed her lips. She was much more rxed. After taking a few steps, she suddenly ran. She had left behind all thoseplicated emotions. Her only thought was that she was finally free. She finally did not have to put up an act with the people she hated. She did not have to face her unborn child¡¯s questions in her nightmares. It had always haunted her. How could she be so close to the person who had killed her baby? ¨C Atst, she did not have to live and be tormented by all these feelings. Ste stopped a cab and let out a long sigh of relief. Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Ste headed to her home with Roger next to Fern University. It was already veryte when she arrived. After all, it took a couple of hours to travel by car from Ahn City to Fern City. When she got out of the cab, it was already half past nine. She dragged her luggage into the neighborhood and sensed that something was wrong. This was supposed to be a safe and quiet neighborhood in the university town. Many people wereing and going. The people living here were mostly teachers and students, so it was rare for the neighborhood to be so crowded. Ste did not think much about it. As she entered the front door of her building, a man in uniform gave her a look. The man was dressed in gray work clothes and spoke an unknown local dialect to her. He only made a gesture to her, but she did not understand him. There was a group of people chattering about something there. She waited for a moment and saw that the man did not say anything other than showing the gesture earlier. She stopped caring about it and went into the elevator. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When she arrived at her floor, she walked out of the elevator. After taking a few steps, she saw several people standing in front of her house and pointing at the door. She froze for a moment. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± The group of people heard her and looked back. They did not care about her and said in annoyance, ¡°We¡¯re working here! Don¡¯t disturb us! Go away!¡± The man had a heavy ent, but Ste understood him. She frowned a little. ¡°This is my house!¡± She took the keys and walked over. ¡°Why are you gathered here?¡± One of the men who looked like the leader looked at her and said, ¡°This building is a major safety hazard. All the residents have been evacuated for safety reasons.¡± Ste¡¯s face changed. ¡°What do you mean? I never received a notice. The property management didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± She wanted to open the door. ¡°This is my house. I live here.¡± When they saw her reaction, they directly pulled her away and stood in front of her, blocking her. ¡°Didn¡¯t we exin just now? There are many safety hazards here! Before the notice is taken down, no one can live here!¡± Ste¡¯s face changed again. ¡°Then where am I going to live? I have no ce to go. You have to give me a ce to stay.¡± ¡°Can you be reasonable, miss? We¡¯re helping you to remove the safety hazards problem. Forget that you¡¯re not thanking us-you¡¯re even asking us to arrange a ce for you to live?¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t let me in, I have nowhere else to go¡­¡± ¡°Then what do you want us to do? Should we stop our job just because of you? Do you want every resident to live in a building with safety hazards just because of you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Leave! Don¡¯t disturb us!¡± That man chased Ste away impatiently. Ste did not expect such an issue. She had to calm down and ask, ¡°When will you be done?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± A worker surveyed around and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until we eliminate the safety hazards. We can¡¯t treat your safety issues lightly, can we? If you have to stay in a building with safety hazards issues, you¡¯d feel ufortable about it!¡± Ste finally understood. They were just giving excuses to dy her! She knew there was no point in arguing, so she had no choice but to head to the nearest hotel. When she took out her identification to check in, she felt something strange was going on. The receptionist had helped check her in, but after processing her check-in on theputer, she looked troubled. The receptionist returned her identification card with an awkward look. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. Your ID isn¡¯t valid now, so I can¡¯t check you in.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The receptionist shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but your ID doesn¡¯t match the security system on our computer. It¡¯s considered an unidentified check-in. The hotel has rules against this, so we can¡¯t check you in.¡± Ste slowly clenched her first and thought of Weston. She had known he would not let her go that easily. He did it on purpose! Everything from the group of people standing in front of her building and the hotel might all be his doing Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Ste took her luggage and did not make things difficult for the front desk employee. After she walked out of the hotel, she called Weston. Weston did not answer at first. She listened to the beeping sound on the phone and grew irritated. When the phone was hung up automatically, she looked at her dark cell phone screen and took a deep breath. Then, she called him again. This time, Weston took his time and finally answered it when the call was about to be disconnected. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Yes?¡± His indifferent tone made Ste furious. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± She stood in the cold wind on the street with her cell phone and luggage. ¡°Did you do this? Did you leave me without a ce to stay to make mee back and beg you?¡± Weston walked out onto the balcony with a ss of champagne in his hand. He looked out at the nightlights in the city and said, ¡°It¡¯s prettyte already.¡± He did not answer her question and said something else unrted to her question. Even so, Ste understood his message. It was already veryte, but she had no ce to go. She had no other choice but to look for him. ¡°You¡¯re so petty and mean!¡± Ste¡¯s face turned ugly.¡± Do you think you¡¯re going to win like this? I¡¯m telling you ¨C I¡¯m never going back!¡± Weston snickered and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re quite determined. So why are you calling me?¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°Were you lying when you said you¡¯d let me go?¡± . ¡°No. That wasn¡¯t a lie.¡± Weston stood up straight and put his hand on the railing. He looked at the distant starry sky and said, ¡°You can stay outside, and you cane back if you can¡¯t find a ce outside. I won¡¯t force you.¡± He said he would not force her, but all he did was remove all her options. Ste was so angry that she miraculously calmed down.¡° Do you think that by locking up my house and forbidding the hotel to let me stay, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find another ce to go?¡± Weston¡¯s gaze turned dark. He said indifferently, ¡°Well, you do have your friends. ¡°But who can you go to?¡± He looked down at the time on his watch and mentioned a few of her friends. ¡°Yvonne? She might take you in, but she¡¯d probably have a big fight with Lucas. Angelina? She¡¯s a good choice. Well, Henry happens to be looking for her¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re despicable and shameless!¡± Ste did not want to hear more from him and hung up quickly. At that point, she had the urge to smash her phone. However, she held back. Indeed, she wanted to ask a friend for help. However, she knew she could not go to them after Weston¡¯s reminder. She would only cause trouble for them. Besides, even if they could take her in now, she could not stay with them forever. Weston was strong enough to make her homeless in the city. Well, unless she went to one of those small and dodgy hotels. Ahn City had developed rapidly in thest few years. Even the small hotels in the alleys had be more formalized in the procedures. They would require online registration and real name verification before she could check-in. She searched for several hotels with her luggage, but she could not check in. She put her hopes on the Inte cafe and tried to get a private room, but the result was the same. Her identification was invalid everywhere. It was almost midnight, and many stores were still open on the street. Ahn City was a city that never slept, but Ste was not in the mood to enjoy the gorgeous night view. All she wanted was to find a ce to rest. That was when Weston¡¯s phone call came. He reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight. Have you found a ce to stay?¡± Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Chapter 758 ¡°Is it fun to y me?¡± Ste was exhausted and sounded tired. ¡°You were the one who promised to let me go¡­¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I did, and I didn¡¯t force you toe back,¡± Weston replied calmly. Ste closed her eyes. She refused to y this word game with him. ¡°Must you push me to the verge and force me to a dead end?¡± ¡°Dead end?¡± Weston answered with a low chuckle devoid of any warmth. ¡°Why would I? I don¡¯t have the heart to do that.¡± Ste¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Why? I can¡¯t be intimate with you unless I take the pills¡­ So what¡¯s the point of keeping me around?¡± This time, it was Weston who hung up without warning. Ste listened to the disconnect beep on the call in despair. She looked at the traffic at the intersection and felt exhausted. She gave it a thought and decided to go to a twenty-four-hour cafe. She sat there all night and did not dare to fall asleep. She was in a public area. There was a staff member at the front desk who asionally nced at her but said nothing. Ste was not the only one in the coffee ce. Few other students were studying hard for their exams, while a few white-cor workers were working overtime on theirptops. However, there were not too many people at thiste hour. Ste let out a breath and suddenly felt lost. She felt like she was drifting on the sea without any direction or home. Se walked out of the coffee shop with her luggage just after dawn. Ahn City was so big. She believed she would find a way out of this. She was mentally ready for the setbacks but did not expect it to be so hard to find a ce to stay under Weston¡¯s power and influence. She finally found a shabby hotel in a small alley in the middle of the city. She would not have realized it was a hotel if it weren¡¯t for the eye-catching sign hanging outside the entrance. The words on the sign were fading and barely readable. The yellowing sign was dim and not illuminated either. Somehow, the hotel looked like it was not in operation. Ste took a deep breath and decided to try her luck. She took her chance and went inside. A fat middle-ageddy was sleeping on a recliner. When she heard the noise , she did not even look up. ¡°Staying here, right?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°How much for a night, please?¡± Thedy looked up at her. When she saw a pretty little girl like her, she said, ¡°We¡¯re not doing that kind of business here. Don¡¯t bring a man over. Otherwise, if the police raid here, I won¡¯t be responsible!¡± Ste did not understand what thedy meant at first. When she finally did, her face flushed red. ¡°I¡¯m not in that kind of business. You¡¯ve misunderstood¡­¡± ¡°Who cares about that?¡± Thedy¡¯s ent was heavy.¡± Anyway, I¡¯m just informing you in advance. Don¡¯t get caught looking for customers! Else, you¡¯ll pay the fines!¡± Ste stood there awkwardly for a while. She held her suitcase in her hand and was in a dilemma. Thedy became a little impatient and clicked her tongue. ¡°Are you staying or not?¡± Ste said, ¡°Let me think about it¡­¡± She knew this environment was not great, but she did not expect this. It was beyond her imagination. She hoped and tried to look for a slightly safer ce. At the same time, a ck luxury car stopped at the crossroads across the hotel. It was a low-profile car, but it still attracted a lot of attention. With its price tag, it did not fit in with the state of the street. Weston sat in the car and watched Ste emerge from the hotel dispiritedly. His eyes gradually grew dark. Ben, who was sitting in front, asked Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, do you want to continue and follow her?¡± Weston said nothing and looked out the window. Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Ben understood Weston¡¯s thought. He looked at Weston¡¯s cold face from the rearview mirror and could not help but sigh. He did not understand why these two people had suddenly gotten into a fight. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. He was surprised to see Ste carrying her suitcase around while searching for a ce to stay. At first, Ben had thought they had broken up, but when he saw Weston¡¯s face, he knew they were just angry at each other. Ben tried to figure out what was in Weston¡¯s mind. When he saw Steing out, he moved the car to the side. It was this action that caught Ste¡¯s eyes. She nced over instinctively and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw a familiar car. Her gaze met with Weston¡¯s through the car window. For a moment, they looked at each other. Neither of them looked away at first. Ste clenched her fists slowly. She recognized Weston¡¯s car and knew he was waiting for her to get in. However, this was herst chance¡­ She had made Weston angry enough that he was willing to let her go. He might eventually give up on her with just some persistence from her end. Ste gritted her teeth and ignored Weston. She turned to leave. ¡°Um¡­¡± Ben was stunned for a moment. He saw Weston¡¯s face grow colder and cautiously asked, ¡°Should we still follow her?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Weston snapped. ¡°She¡¯lle back after she¡¯s suffered enough.¡± Ben nodded but sighed again. ¡°That alley just now looked like such a bad and dirty environment. No one will go there unless they have no choice¡­¡± He wanted to speak up for Ste , but Weston remained unmoved. Ben had no choice but to drive away. Ste walked away. When the car drove right past her, a gust of wind came. A leaf flew up at her feet and then fell to the ground. In the rearview mirror, Weston watched as Ste¡¯s reflection grew smaller and gradually disappeared. Never once did Ste ever look up at him. Weston loosened his cor with some annoyance.¡± Cancel all her cards.¡± If she wanted to suffer, he would let her suffer. ¡°Will do, Mr. Ford.¡± At the Ford Mansion. It was rare for Weston not to be at work. He even had the mood to y chess with Warren. Warren was happy to y chess with him, so he set up the game and yed a few rounds with him. He yed with the ck chess pieces in his hand and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly in the mood to y chess with me today?¡± Weston answered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s no one to y chess with, and that you¡¯re bored?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. Rather, they aren¡¯t good enough. All of them are bad at chess! They all lost within two moves. It¡¯s boring!¡± Westonughed. ¡°I¡¯ll y with you today.¡± Warren stroked his beard. ¡°I heard someone say you¡¯ve fallen out with that woman, E. What happened? Did you guys have a fight?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes changed a little. He moved the white chess pieces in his hand a little but did not say anything. Warren immediately understood from his expression.¡° Whatever it is, it¡¯s ungentlemanly to kick a girl out like that.¡± Weston paused and then said faintly, ¡°She¡¯s just throwing a little temper tantrum. It won¡¯t do any harm.¡± Warren gave him a look, as if saying he had guessed correctly. ¡°I knew you two weren¡¯t seriously fighting. You can¡¯t bring yourself to let her go anyway,¡± he said and took a sip of tea. ¡°You may have quarrelled with her, but it¡¯s not that nice to chase her out like this.¡± Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Warren gave Weston a piece of serious advice. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Women need to be coaxed. Go and make her happy before it¡¯s toote. Buy her some gifts or jewelry. Otherwise, she¡¯d stay angry at you.¡± As he said that, he suddenly yawned. ¡°I¡¯m old and easily tired. Let¡¯s stop here today. You should quickly go and get her back.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandpa . Have a good rest.¡± Weston got up and watched as Warren left. After that, at the study on the second floor. Xavier was inside the study and casually flipping through a book. When he saw Warrene in, he grunted, ¡°Are you done with chess?¡± Warren red at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear everything? Why are you asking a question you know the answer to?¡± Although Warren had given him a serious reprimand and punishment not long ago, he still could not have anything against him. After all, he was only blessed with Xavier in his fifties. Xavier nodded. ¡°Yeah, I heard it all.¡± He did not expect this. E was so precious to Weston, but he actually threw her out. His eyes deepened. Then, he suddenly smiled because he knew someone who would be happy to hear this. Guinevere was impatient when Xavier called her. ¡°What does E¡¯s matter have to do with me?¡± Xavier reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s a good time for you to get your revenge. Whenever Weston is around her, you can¡¯t eveny a finger on her.¡± Guinevere scolded him, ¡°Who do you think I am? Why would I compete with a woman like that?!¡± After saying that, she hung up the phone. Her eyes instantly turned maliciously grim. She looked at the darkened cell phone screen. After a while, she sent a text message. She had known Weston would get tired of a woman like E eventually. The two had been together for less than a year. There she was, already running away from him. In that case, she would help them out. It was time to get E out of Weston¡¯s world for good. Ste searched for a whole day and still could not find a ce to stay. It seemed like Weston¡¯s authority was greater than she had thought. She dragged her luggage and looked at the crowded street with a bitter smile. In the end, she dragged her luggage and went back to the small hotel she saw in Midtown earlier. It waste at night. The woman from earlier saw hering in. She took a drag from the cigarette in her mouth and looked behind Ste. She noticed she did not have any men with her and asked, ¡°So, you still want to stay here?¡± Ste nodded. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t use my identification now ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± The hotel owner took the cigarette out of her mouth and exhaled a puff of smoke. ¡°Just don¡¯t bring anyone strange in.¡± Although her ce had always been shady, thew enforcement had been stricttely. They must not be caught in the act. She turned on theputer that looked dated. Then, she typed a little and took out a piece of hard paper that looked like it had been torn from a cigarette box. She wrote a series of numbers on it and handed it to Ste. ¡°This is your new ID. In case someonees to check, tell them this. They won¡¯t make it difficult for you.¡± Ste could not understand, but she still took it and thanked thedy. Thedy then handed her the keys. Ste stared at it for a few moments. It was not a room card but a traditional key. It was not very secure. When she went to open the room door, she realized that anyone could push the door open with just a little brute force. The key might not be needed at all. There was also an obvious stench in the room. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Chapter 761 She put her luggage down and looked around. Fortunately, she did not have anything valuable with her. She sorted out her belongings a little and sighed as she saw the kettle. She decided to go outside to buy some mineral water for herself. When she passed by the front desk, the hotel owner was lying on the chair while ying with her cell phone. She burst intoughter now and then. Ste nced at her once and quickly looked away. There was a supermarket across the street, but the environment around Midtown didn¡¯t look too safe. Ste came out from the store after buying some mineral water and vaguely saw a familiar car speeding by. She paused and pretended not to see it. Then, she walked in another direction. Ben sat inside the car and saw Ste emerging from the hotel earlier. He was a little worried and urged Weston,¡± Mr. Ford, this is not a safe ce, and the environment is appalling. Should we go and pick Ms. Steele up?¡± Weston rubbed his brow and looked at Ste walking away determinedly. He said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s the one who wants to go to such ces. Leave her be.¡± He figured it was probably better to let her suffer a little bit. She would know when toe back once she had suffered enough. After that, the car drove away. Ste was relieved and did not want to go back to that ce. She slowed down and walked on the street leisurely, thinking about what to do next. Then, she heard an old lady¡¯s cry for helping from a distance. ¡°Help! Help!¡± She frowned and walked over to the voice. ¡°What happened?¡± She saw a gray-haired olddy dressed in thin clothes in an alley, lying in a corner next to a garbage can with an overwhelming stench and messy hair. There was some blood stain on her face too. She was helpless and asking for help. When she saw her, she choked out a sob. ¡°Nice youngdy, help me. I fell, and I can¡¯t stand up¡­¡± Ste did not think much and hurried forward. ¡°Where¡¯s your family? I¡¯ll contact them for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you, youngdy¡­¡± When Ste bent down to help the olddy, someone suddenly struck her from behind. A hard pain hit her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste realized something was wrong. Before she could shout for help, she had lost her strength and gone weak uncontrobly. She tried to open her eyes and struggled to see who had hit her. However, her eyelids grew heavy. Finally, her world went ck, and she passed out. A few gangsters in the quiet alley carried a woman into a van and quickly left. The car was going in a different direction from the luxury Cullinan . They were like two points of light destined to go in opposite directions and never intersect. Ste did not know how long she had cked out for. All she saw was nothing but darkness. There was still a dull pain in the back of her head. She was unsure if the impact had damaged her nerves. The sound of ringing would not stop in her head. The surrounding movement sounded far at times and near at times; it would be silent in a second and chaotic in the next. She shook her head and tried to clear up her mind slightly. She remained in the same posture as when she fainted and barely had any strength. After a little while, she opened her eyes. She looked down and found herself restrained to a rocking chair. Her limbs were tied to the chair, so she could not move. When she moved just a little, the rocking chair started moving at once. When it shook, it made a creaking sound. The room was already small and dim. Any slightest movement or noise was easily amplified and reverberated in the room. It seemed that the kidnapper had deliberately kept her tied up so that when she woke up, they would know immediately. Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Ste took a deep breath. Her heart was beating quickly. She recalled the brief moment before she was knocked unconscious and realized that the olddy was fishy. She was unsure if this was a targeted crime by a criminal gang or an act of revenge. She calmed down and forced herself to analyze her situation. She only knew a few who had a grudge against her. Only those few would seek revenge from her. There were Xavier and Guinevere. Who else? There was Joyce too. However, the only ones who could kidnap her were Guinevere and Xavier. If it was a criminal act, the gang would be only after her for profit. They would probably sell her somewhere for a good price or her organs. Ste immediately thought of the social news she had read before. Cold sweat ran down her back. Either way, it would be hard for her to escape. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to calm down. Then, she looked around for something to cut the rope on her hands with However, the room had been cleared out. There was nothing around except for some broken tables or chairs. A wave of despair struck Ste and engulfed her. Cold sweat kept trickling down her forehead. Suddenly, she remembered herst kidnapping. Guinevere had used the kidnappers and forced Weston to choose between the two of them. He gave her up after her traumatizing experience. This moment reminded her of her trauma. She felt her nightmaresing back to her and fell into a trance. It was like the same nightmare all over again. While she was dazed, someone suddenly kicked the door open. Two burly men came in. ¡°I heard some noise earlier! The girl must be awake!¡± ¡°Why would she wake up so easily? I was thinking of taking a couple of sips¡­¡± ¡°Why are you always thinking about drinking? Once weplete this job, you can drink all you want! Don¡¯t dy any longer. Let¡¯s finish the task first.¡± The two men¡¯s ents sounded familiar to Ste. When Guinevere had kidnapped her thest time, the kidnappers had spoken in the same ent. Ste trembled and slowly clenched her fists. She dug her nails deep into her flesh as a reminder to stay alert. ¡°Boss! She¡¯s quite pretty.¡± One of the men stopped in his tracks and looked at her with a lingering gaze and greedy eyes. People in the lower society would do anything to make a living. They were thirsty for money and women. Whenever they met some beautiful woman, they would lose their minds and think of nothing else but their bestial urge. They were just like the previous kidnappers . Her death was not the only thing they wanted. They even wanted to taint and humiliate her before she died. The other men still had some sense and scolded him.¡± You could do it if this was not an urgent job and special case. She¡¯s different! Haven¡¯t you heard the instruction from the top? We¡¯re sending her over and selling her at their! You can enjoy this short moment of bliss, but you¡¯d leave a heavy smell on her. Do you still want the money?¡± ¡°Right¡­ But it¡¯s such a pity. She¡¯s not just pretty. I heard she¡¯s highly educated too. She can dance and y the piano¡­ I haven¡¯t met such a good one in a long while! If it weren¡¯t for the time constraints, I really want to get a quick shot¡­¡± ¡°Stop being an idiot! Finish this job first, and we¡¯ll be handsomely paid! You can hire a girl to act as an intelligent woman and y with you then!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Chapter 763 ¡°Acting is different from the real thing. Besides, how could a hired prostitutepare to a free meal?¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s stop here. You¡¯re making me excited too! Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Ste held her breath and listened to their vulgar conversation. Indeed, someone was targeting her. It seemed like they were going to sell her into a ce where she would have to¡­ She did not know Xavier very well, but she had spent some time with him because of Weston. A man like him would not use such a dirty trick. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Who else but Guinevere would treat her like this? When the two men came forward to carry her, she suddenly said, ¡°I know you¡¯re after money. Whatever your boss is giving you now, I can give you double!¡± The men stopped at once. ¡°She¡¯s really awake?¡± The other chuckled. ¡°How much can you pay us? We¡¯re getting two million dors from this!¡± Then, he moved his nce up and down and observed Ste. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re worth so much¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t make so much money on a usual day!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s just the fee for selling you. There¡¯s no telling how much you¡¯ll fetch! Two million could only be a drop in the bucket!¡± Ste took a deep breath and paled. Money might not be everything in this world, but for those who were desperate for it, a mere two million dors could buy dignity, and even life. Ste acted calm and continued to negotiate with them.¡± Did she offer you only two million? If you let me go, I¡¯ll give you five million.¡± The burly man gave her a few nces. ¡°Where would you get five million from? If you¡¯re so rich, why would you be living in that filthy ce?¡± ¡°I have the money!¡± Ste hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send it to you. Let me contact him¡­¡± The man barked inughter . ¡°I know who you want to contact. Your man, right? Didn¡¯t he kick you out already? You¡¯re broke and living in such a shabby ce. He must be over and done with you!¡± The other man echoed, ¡°We¡¯ve seen this a lot. They have all the money and women they want. An unwanted woman like you won¡¯t matter!¡± Ste clenched her fists. It seemed like Guinevere had warned them and given them a heads up. This trick would not work. She could only warn them, ¡°You know he¡¯s powerful too. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d be angry to know that you sold his woman to such a ce?¡± ¡°So what? He can just spend more money and y with more innocent girls!¡± The other man kicked something to the side and spat in disdain, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like he hasn¡¯t yed with you before. Soon, other men will y with you so much that you¡¯ll be tainted and dirty! Will he still want you then? I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t even look at you!¡± ¡®So that¡¯s what Guinevere had in mind¡­¡¯ Ste suddenly figured out Guinevere¡¯s n. This time, she did not just want to kill her. She wanted to push her to the edge and let her suffer in a living hell. She still wanted to say something, but the two men ignored her. They came forward and stuffed a rag in her mouth. ¡°Alright. Cut the crap! We need to hurry up and send you over. We shouldn¡¯t let the customer wait!¡± Ahn City. The ck Cullinan was driving steadily on the highway. When the car had gotten two blocks away, Weston suddenly put down the tablet in his hand. He massaged his brow and said in a deep voice, ¡°Turn the car around.¡± Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Ben was startled and did not react in time. ¡°Turn the car around? Toward where?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Weston looked up and shot him an impatient re. Ben understood his message at once. ¡°Are we going to pick Ms. Steele up? Alright! I¡¯ll turn the car around now!¡± Ben did not know what he was excited about, but he was proud to have predicted that this would happen. He had known Weston could not bear to see Ste staying in such a ce. Two men in suits strode into the small hotel in Midtown. The hotel owner was still busy on her phone when they came in. She was a little stunned to see them. ¡°You guys¡­ are looking for a room?¡± Ben hade into the small hotel with another bodyguard. They were here to bring Ste back. Ben knew Weston¡¯s temper well. A stubborn man like him would nevere in person. Ben cut to the chase and said, ¡°A beautiful woman came to stay earlier. Which room is she in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our guests¡¯ privacy. We can¡¯t-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Ben dropped a stack of cash in front of her. ¡°Hurry up while I¡¯m still willing to talk to you.¡± ¡°Alright, sure!¡± Thedy broke into a bright smile and gave him the room number at once. Meanwhile, Weston was waiting in the car outside the hotel. Not long after, Ben came running out in a hurry. He looked like he was panicking. Ben informed Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, Ms. Steele isn¡¯t in her room¡­¡± Weston frowned and looked at Ben. His face gradually turned cold. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked coldly. Ben would not havee to him with this look if Ste was only away from the room. There must be bad news. Ben wiped his sweat and exined, ¡°Thedy in the hotel said Ms. Steele went out to buy water. I had someone go to the nearby supermarket to look for her. They said she did buy the water but had left a long time ago. She never returned to the hotel¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve checked the nearby surveince. She has not been anywhere else except the supermarket to buy water.¡± Weston¡¯s expression turned very ugly. ¡°Keep looking,¡± he ordered . Then, he pushed open the car door and got out. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check at the hotel.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Ford.¡± Ben led the way. Thedy earlier was still shocked by their sudden interruption. She went to Ste¡¯s room to see what was wrong. When she heard a noise downstairs, she hurriedly rushed out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s going on¡­¡± She saw a handsome man walking in. He had a strong and tall stature and looked powerful in his smart-looking suit. She was a little shocked. ¡°Y-You guys¡­¡± Ben came out from behind Weston. ¡°We¡¯re just here to look for someone. If you don¡¯t want trouble, tell us what you know.¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Meanwhile , Weston went to Ste¡¯s room. He looked at her things in the room with a solemn expression. She did not pack much. It was mostly her toiletries. She really did not take anything he had bought for her. Her charger and necessities were still in the bag. That meant she was not going elsewhere. She might have gotten into trouble. As he thought of that, his face turned grim. The air around him dropped to a freezing temperature. The men around him dared not make a sound. Weston looked like he was about to kill someone. ¡°Find her,¡± he ordered in a cold and serious tone. ¡°If you can¡¯t find her, get lost!¡± Ste was taken to a car with her eyes blindfolded and her mouth gagged. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Ste could not see where she was going. She knew they were transporting her elsewhere from the bumpy ride in the car. The car finally stopped after some time. Ste could not see or speak. However, she could hear the sound in her ears and some noisy music in the background. She was sensitive to music and could vaguely guess she was outside a bar. Unfortunately, she had no chance to escape with the two burly men guarding her side. She did not have anything that could be used as a weapon. She had only managed to hide a razor de that she had found when they took her to the car earlier, She could cut the rope, but that would be too much trouble. Anyway, she would have no way to fight against them. They never removed the ck cloth over her eyes and just kept her blindfolded. The people next to her dragged her forward by the arm. She could not speak and stumbled a little. The men were getting a little impatient. One of them hissed, ¡°You¡¯re too slow!¡± Then, he picked her up and carried her inside. The men thought she had no vision, but the ck cloth was not that thick. When the light was brighter, she could see a little. However, she could only make out blurred shadows. She could not see the bar¡¯s sign. They were walking in a long hallway as the noise and music outside were getting further away. She reckoned they were taking her to a quiet or private ce. It might be a secret trading ce. Finally, they came to the door of a room and stopped. When the door opened, they threw her in. Thud! She fell directly to the ground. Ste frowned and cried out in pain, but she could not make a sound with the mouth gag. She hit the ground so hard that the pain was unbearable. She had yet to recover from the fall when there was a sudden sound of leather shoes walking in front of her. It came from far away and gradually stopped in front of her. She felt a man standing in front of her and crouching down. Ste had a bad feeling. As expected, the man removed her blindfold. When she opened her eyes, she saw a fat and disgusting man staring at her with greedy eyes. The fat man narrowed his eyes and examined her as if she was an item for sale. He just kept checking her out. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all¡­¡± He tipped her chin and twisted her face left and right to examine her. ¡°She¡¯s good-looking. She¡¯s pretty! I like it!¡± he said and suddenly touched her chin to feel her skin. Then, the enthusiasm in his eyes grew. ¡°I really like her soft skin. It¡¯s so smooth! Good! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen such soft skin.¡± The fat men thought only teenagers would have such good skin. Unfortunately for him, it was way too risky to get his hands on teenage girls. Things would be difficult if someone caught him red-handed. Teenagers were young, but they were not well developed yet. It was not fun to y with them. He clicked his tongue twice and asked, ¡°She¡¯s in her twenties, right?¡± ¡°Early twenties,¡± said a man in the back. The middle-aged man was extremely satisfied with his purchase. He looked like he wanted to strip her naked at once. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. He picked her up again and looked at the curves on her body. He kept nodding and said, ¡°That¡¯s several million dors well spent¡­¡± Ste was disgusted and panicking at the same time. However, she was a little confused when she heard him say several million. He might have bought her with several million, but the two men who had kidnapped her had also made several million. That meant, if she was sold¡­ it would not be a one-time deal. Perhaps, the buyer might change hands and sell her off again. A chill rose from her spine. She kept telling herself to calm down, but she could not help but shiver in fear. Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Chapter 766 The way she trembled in silence made the buyer even more excited. ¡°Look at this little beauty¡¯s terrified look¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid! I¡¯ll give you lots of love!¡± As he said that, his eyes suddenly glowed in excitement.¡± She¡¯s so young. Could she still be a virgin? That¡¯d be a nice surprise!¡± At the same time, outside the bar. Guinevere sat in a Maserati and looked at the entrance. The two burly men walked out and nced around. Guinevere would never make a deal with them in person, so she had sent someone down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s all done! They¡¯re inside already!¡± One of the burly men patted his chest and said, ¡°You can rest assured! We¡¯ve done the job well. We¡¯ve worked together before. You should know us well!¡± The other man smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t we help you take care of the woman before too? Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll clean up everything! We won¡¯t leave any trace of evidence!¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Guinevere suddenly clicked on the walkie talkie and told the man she sent to ask them, ¡°Have you taken E¡¯s Indecent photos and videos?¡±. ¡°That¡¯s not to worry. We¡¯ve sold the woman there, Someone will take plenty of photos and videos of her soon! We¡¯ll just pay someone and get the footageter.¡± Guinevere curled her smile in pleasure. These were her men and her family¡¯s forces. Every family had some dark secrets, and they were no exception. She had used her family¡¯s power to deal with Ste thest time. This time, she did the same. However, she wanted Ste¡¯s lifest time and had made the whole incident too big. This time, she was much more cautious and decided not to take E¡¯s life. In her eyes, E was just a ything. She was not as much of a threat to her as Ste had been. Therefore, she had her sold to a ce like this, making her fate worse than Belle¡¯s. After she was tainted, would she be able to stay by Weston¡¯s side without shame? By then, many men outside would have yed and slept with her! Weston would not want her anymore. He might still have feelings for her, but she would have E¡¯s indecent photos and videos in her hand. After seeing those, Weston would no longer be interested in her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. After all, were there any men who would like a woman who had been tainted by another man? Guinevere¡¯s face became distorted in her evilness. She was no longer the proud and elegant woman she once was. How many people could hold themself back from a man like Weston? There were plenty of women out there who wanted him. She was one of the very few who were eligible and worthy of him. Besides, they had a child together. With Zachary around, he would never be able to deny her status. How could she give up on such a great opportunity? How could she give up on him? She was just one step away from having him. She could have had him entirely. She would do anything to have Weston. Before this, it was Ste. Then, E came. Both of them had all his attention. How could they? She could not even get to spend one passionate night with Weston. It was not fair. Guinevere believed she was better than them, but why? She had done anything she could to get Weston to look at her, but he never had her in his eyes. Meanwhile, among the two women she hated, one was long dead, and the other was the dead woman¡¯s recement. They did not have to do anything to win his love. She was so much better than all those women. How could Weston not see her? She must get rid of those women with her own hands. She would get rid of them, one by one, until all of them were gone- until Weston finally had her in his eyes. Although concealed in the darkness of the night, her expression turned gloomier than the night. A dark malicious light shed in her eyes and returned to the abyss. ¡°I will make E¡¯s life a living hell!¡± Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Guinevere gave her orders. At the same time, in Ahn City. Weston¡¯s face seemed clouded with darkness. Ben took his cell phone and walked over to him in silence. Weston had an intimidating aura around him. No one dared to approach him. He was like a death reaper. Even so, Ben still bit the bullet and went forward. ¡°Mr. Ford, we¡¯ve gotten some news¡­¡± Weston looked up and gave him a fierce nce, making Ben shudder. Ben hesitated for a moment before he bowed his head and said, ¡°But this has something to do with Ms. Cohen too¡­¡± Ben sounded a little troubled. The Ford and Cohen families were closely linked and had a lot at stake. He had been helping Weston to deal with the matters rting to the two families¡¯ cooperation. After the marriage cancetion happened not long ago, the two family¡¯s business partnership was at the highest tension point. ¡°If Ms. Cohen is the one behind this, we might not be able to confront her directly. Otherwise, the previous deal may be dyed¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Weston interrupted him coldly,¡° Don¡¯t show her any mercy.¡± Ben was startled. ¡°But we can solve this under the table ¡°No. Let¡¯s go now,¡± Weston cut him off and got up to leave. Ben looked at his back and said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford¡­¡± It seemed that Guinevere had really angered Weston. She kept ying all the tricks behind their back. Usually, a little warning was enough, but this time, she had targeted Ste and hurt her. Ben figured Weston probably would not let her get away with this. Meanwhile, Guinevere was outside the bar. She took a look at the time and prepared to leave. Weston probably hadn¡¯t gotten the news yet. E would be yed and tainted by plenty of men by the time he realized it. A smile appeared on her face at the thought of that. A blinding light shed across the road as she drove out of the parking lot and passed an intersection. She squinted her eyes and saw a ck Cullinaning straight at her. ¡°Ah!¡± She screamed in fear and hurriedly hit the brakes. She identally hit the button to turn on the windshield wipers. The wipers moved back and forth, but the blinding light never ceased. It was stilling at her. Guinevere¡¯s eyes widened in terror. She honked her horn, mmed the brakes, and swerved to avoid it. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Is the other driver crazy? Are they nning to die with me?!¡¯ She finally saw the Cullinan¡¯s owner after the high beams went off. She had seen this limited edition car in a magazine before. There were only three of these worldwide. One of them belonged to Weston. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She had researched the cars in Weston¡¯s garage and knew every one of the limited edition cars he had, so she recognized it quickly. A cold weat covered her back when she recognized his car. She dared not think about Weston¡¯s reason for appearing here this time. For the first time in her life, she wanted to escape from Weston. She quickly turned around and drove the other away. ¡®It¡¯s just a coincidence¡­ she told herself. ¡®It¡¯s just a coincidence¡­ She wanted to drive away, but the Cullinan quickly reversed and turned in her direction. The car was coming for her. The car came rushing straight in her direction. Bang! There was a loud noise. After the loud bang, she lost control of the car and crashed into a guardrail on the side of the road. The front of the car was dented from the crash. Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere¡¯s head was spinning from the activated airbag. She was dizzy for a long while and did not recover. She was still holding on to the steering wheel in her hand. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy. The front hood of the red car was crushed and distorted in shape. Arge part of it was dented. She looked up and saw Weston¡¯s Cullinan parked next to her car. Guinevere¡¯s hands were shaking. She gripped the steering wheel and tried to step on the elerator to get the car out. She was still holding on to her delusions. She thought Weston did not mean it. Maybe it was just an ident. Even so, she did not dare to leave the car and ask him. She was in denial and wanted to escape. However, Weston¡¯s action in the next momentpletely shattered her hope. The ck luxury car suddenly reversed in her direction before she could react. It rushed toward her again, and a loud bang sounded. The car had crashed into her car again. Guinevere screamed out loud. ¡°Ah!¡± It was a moment of sheer panic. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Weston was oblivious to her screams. From this distance, she could see his cold face. The murderous aura on his grim face was evident. He seemed like he wanted to kill her. Weston mmed on the elerator again. He reversed a little, then crashed into her car again. It seemed like crashing onto her car once was not enough to vent his anger. He seemed like he intended to wreck her car and die with her. He kept crashing onto her car over and over again in madness. It went on and on without stopping. Bang! Bang! Bang! The loud noise made Guinevere unable to think. The fear of death overwhelmed her as the car shook violently. Her vision was blurred. She could not stand it anymore and shouted, ¡°Stop it! ¡°Weston¡­!¡± She did not know how long it had been before Weston calmed down a little. Guinevere¡¯s hands trembled as she saw the Cullinan finally stop. When the car door opened, his long legs in suit trousers were the first thing she saw. Weston was still wearing his same imposing look. He walked toward her step by step. Weston closed the car door with a loud bang. His eyes were like ice. The savage aura around him made him look like a messenger from hell. He did not speak and set his jaw into a hard line. He looked like he was here to murder someone when his handsome face was devoid of emotion. Guinevere¡¯s heart trembled violently. She knew, deep in her heart, that he was here for E. She was still afraid to face the truth and was a little scared. Her thoughts were in a mess. She did not know what to do. At the same time, Weston was already standing in front of her car. ¡°Get out.¡± It was two concise words that contained a murderous aura and coldness. He refused to waste time with her. Guinevere stiffened. Her hands kept trembling as she opened the door with a shudder. The next moment, Weston grabbed her wrist, dragged her out, and mmed her to the ground. Guinevere was wearing high heels and did not expect Weston to find her so quickly. She could not steady herself and fell to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± She sprained her ankle and felt a sharp pain. The pain in her ankle almost brought her to tears. Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Chapter 769 ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Her eyes went red as she looked down at the cold ground. ¡°Weston¡­¡± She was on her knees, but her pitiful appearance did not rouse any sympathy in Weston. Instead, he was disgusted by her. He walked to her and lifted her chin with the tip of his leather shoe. He looked down into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you only once: Where¡¯s E?¡± He cut to the chase without wasting any time. His voice was so cold that it could kill. Guinevere froze a little at E¡¯s name. Her eyes turned redder as she slowly clenched her hands into fists. She said through her gritted teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­ I¡¯m not in contact with her. How would I know where she¡¯s gone¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Weston cut her off in a deep voice. ¡°Guinevere, don¡¯t test my limit.¡± A hint of sinister glint shed across his cold eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women, but¡­¡± He squatted down in front of her. ¡°I have other means.¡± At the same time, in a room at the underground bar. There was nothing but dead silence in the room. Ste looked at the man who had fainted in front of her and cringed away from him. She stared at the ashtray in her hand and was still a little stunned. The blood dripped from the ashtray onto the floor, emitting a sickening smell. When the man came to pull her clothes, she had picked up an ashtray and smashed it on his head, knocking him out. The man¡¯s blood was also full of that disgusting smell ¨C it was greasy and sickening. There were no lights turned on in the room, so it was dark. Ste squinted her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She saw the man lying on the floor and twitching a little. Ste withdrew her gaze. She did not breathe a sigh of relief yet and hurriedly took out the small de from her pocket while fumbling to turn on the light. Then, she realized that the room was no ordinary room. She saw whips, candles, and some strangely-shaped things around. Her face gradually turned pale. She could not imagine what was in store for her. Ste¡¯s first reaction was to take out her phone and call for help, but the kidnappers from earlier had thrown her phone away. If she wanted to contact the outside world, her only option was¡­ Wait! A phone. Ste¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up with a sh of hope. She held her breath, moved to the man, and kneeled gingerly. She searched around his body with trembling fingers. She had only one thought in mind, which was to call the police. She needed to get a cell phone and contact the outside world. She tried to calm herself down and kept searching around his pockets with her trembling fingers. When she finally found a cell phone, the man lying on the ground suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°Pretty girl, what are you looking for?¡± He spoke with a disgusting tone. ¡°Are you done ying? Do you think you can knock me out with your weak strength?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in fear. She reflexively withdrew her hand and turned to run away. However, she was too slow. The man pounced on her, pressing her shoulder down on the ground. He looked her up and down with his greedy eyes and smile. ¡°How did you know I liked role-ying? What did we just y? The little sheep and the big bad wolf? Now that the big bad wolf is awake, what will you do next?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. As he spoke, he reached out and pulled her clothes. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Ste struggled hard and tried to sh his neck with the knife. However, there was a significant difference in strength between a man and a woman. She was not strong enough to fight back at all. She raised her knee to kick him, but he restrained her easily. Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Chapter 770 There was a stark difference between them in physical strength and figure. Ste could not shake him in the slightest. His disgusting breath that came near engulfed her. Ste closed her eyes in pain. A tear dropped from the corner of her eye as she trembled. Humiliation, despair, and hatred had all mixed together and stirred up into aplicated emotion in her. So disgusting¡­ So disgusting¡­ So disgusting¡­¡¯ Ste thought in her mind. Then, a loud bang sounded. Someone had suddenly kicked open the door from outside. A harsh light suddenly filled the space, illuminating the rising dust all around. A tall figure appeared at the end of the light. The room door was broken and kicked down on the floor. There were still specks of light in the air as the man¡¯s face became clear in the haze of dust. Ste was in a trance. When she saw the familiar face emerge in the light, she felt like she was still dreaming. Weston stood there with his back to the light in the dim and shadowy ce. The aura around him was murderous and forbearing. She could sense a vague hostility from him. The moment he rushed in, it was as if time had frozen. Ste did not blink and kept staring at him. She almost forgot to move her eyes. After a short moment, she finally felt her dry eyes and a surge of tears that streamed down her cheek. Little by little, her tears ran down her chin and into her corbone. She cried. She cried silently and did not dare to make a sound. She kept biting her lower lips and swallowed all her sobs. The perpetrator , who was still on top of her, froze for a moment. He stared nkly at the fierce Weston, who had a murderous aura around him, standing at the door. Weston had a delicate and handsome face, but his eyes were icy and cold. It was as if he was a reaper that hade from hell. Weston¡¯s hostility had shocked him so much that he had forgotten how to react. He stared at Weston nkly as thetter walked toward him. The man on top of Ste did not move. He seemed too stunned to move. His fat hand was still on Ste¡¯s waist. He looked like he was about to pull her pants down. The perpetrator¡¯s frozen posture caught Weston¡¯s attention and made him furious. Emotions deeper than fury and a desire to kill permeated Weston¡¯s red eyes. Every step he took was like walking on a sharp de. The perpetrator became nervous and did not dare to breathe. Atst, Weston stopped in front of him. The perpetrator finally returned to his senses and slowly said, ¡°W-Who are¡­ Argh!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. A staggering scream came from the room. It was so loud that it could prate the walls. The people outside could hear the wailing inside. Ste stiffened and closed her eyes for good. As the fat man copsed, the force on top of her body was finally gone. She hurriedly stood up and hid in the corner. She cowered and curled up into a ball. The fat man let out a loud howl in pain that resonated across the room. The incessant sound of punchesnding on the fat man continued. From the shadows on the wall, Ste could tell how hard Weston was punching him. He kept punching him continuously without stopping. Ste hugged herself tighter. She bit her lower lips and tried to ignore the scene next to her. The fat man¡¯s painful howls eventually faded to a breathless wail. He begged for mercy weakly, but Weston never stopped. He kept punching him while ring at him. It was as if he wanted to kill him. Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Chapter 771 The man was already bruised and swollen as hey on the ground lifelessly. He was dying and had no strength to fight back. Weston was undoubtedly terrifying in this state. Soon, a sweet and fishy smell filled the air. Ste felt nauseous and subconsciously heaved. Her body tensed and kept trembling uncontrobly. She bit her lower lip tightly and could not help but dry heave a few times. She did not even have the strength to stand, and her face was as pale as a sheet. Weston heard her voice and stopped. He gave the man in front of him a cold nce, then mmed him to the ground and walked toward Ste. ¡°Ste,e here.¡± His voice had a hint of urgency. The sound of his breath was like a whistle. He picked Ste into his arms and held her tightly. Weston hugged her tightly in his arms, as if trying to make her one with him. His hostile eyes were so red and bloodshot but filled with other deeper feelings as well. Strong reluctance, regret, and anger¡­ But more than anything else was the heartache for the woman in his arms. Weston was at his breaking point, but he restrained himself and gently held Ste in his arms. He brushed her hair gently and tried to ease her fears. ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± He looked down at her with endless tenderness for her in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Ste looked up at him and met his gaze. Her eyes were red. She pursed her lips in silence and was still trembling. She could not deny it. The moment she saw him, her tension had eased. Although she rejected him and wanted to run away from him, she could not help but feel safe in his presence. The night¡¯s fear swept over her and drowned her like a tidal wave over her body. Ste moved a little and could not hold back her tears anymore. Atst, tears streamed down her cheek. She did not cry loudly. She only let out two choked sobs. Her restrained sobbing was more heartbreaking than anything Weston was devastated to see her being hurt. He hugged her, lowered his head, and kissed away the tears from her face little by little. He was heartbroken. He held her incredibly gently, as if he was holding a fragile doll. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He kept emphasizing and repeating, ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Ste trembled more. She slowly grabbed his shirt and buried her face in his arms. As she wet his shirt with her tears, all her cries were silenced in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± Weston held her and soothed her patiently. His voice was low as he whispered in her ear to calm her, ¡°Ste, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The harsh yet familiar voice soothed her deepest fears. She cried in silence as Weston murmured, ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re safe now. No one will hurt you.¡± Ste did not cry when the kidnappers got her. She did not cry when they locked her in the room. The man almost took advantage of her, but she did not cry either. She knew she was safe in Weston¡¯s arms now. She knew she was finally safe from the humiliation and pain, but she could not help but cry.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She could not shut off the raging storm of grievance, sadness, and despair in her. She had been under so much stress dealing with Weston. With all the things she had been through¡­ Ste could not think of anything else. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face deeper into his chest ¡°Weston ¡­¡± Her voice trembled. Her reliance on him conveyed her intentions. She wanted him to hold her closer. Weston understood her message. He looked down, kissed her hair, and held her tighter. ¡°Yeah.¡± Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Weston pursed his lips and looked at her with a fixed gaze and deep eyes. He only had her reflections in his eyes. ¡®I should not have left her alone in that ce,¡¯ Weston thought. If he had not let her stay out there alone, Guinevere would not have gotten the chance to hurt her, and the incident today would not have happened. He suddenly recalled the day Ste had leaped from the rooftop. He could not help feeling like he would lose her again after he had learned that she had disappeared from the hotel. He had already lost her once. He could not bear to lose her again. It was too tormenting for him. That feeling of loss never left him, but fortunately, she was still here. Fortunately, she was still unharmed. Weston breathed a sigh and picked her up. He adjusted her position so that she was morefortable in his arms. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go again,¡± he said, as if to soothe her. It also sounded like a vow. Ben stood at the door and controlled the traffic in and out. They had sealed off the bar. No one was allowed to leave without permission. When Ste had calmed down a little, Weston gave Ben a look. Ben understood at once. After that, a few bodyguards came in to drag the half-dead man away. Weston had indeed used all his force to beat him up. That many lifelessly on the ground like he was already dead. He could not resist when the bodyguards lifted him and dragged him to the floor. Ste took a deep breath and finally came to her senses. ¡°Ste,¡± Weston called out to her. When he looked down and saw her torn clothes and unzipped zipper, his eyes turned grim. Those people deserved to die. The man in the summer shirt was dragged away. Ben stood in front of him. He could not resist, so he turned around and kicked him hard in the stomach. ¡°You piece of sh*t!¡± He cursed angrily and grabbed him by his cor. When he saw his hands, it felt like an eyesore. Ben wanted to break his arms too, but he was one step toote. Weston had broken the man¡¯s arms earlier. Both his arms were hanging limply there. It was obvious that Weston had tortured him hard. That exined why he had already passed out. He did not show a single response to their rough treatment. ¡°You piece of sh*t. How dare you hurt Mrs. Ford!¡± Ben felt that his punishment was not enough. He pulled a knife out of his palm and lifted the man¡¯s hand. Then, he shed the man¡¯s palm a little by a little and let the blood drip ¡°I¡¯ll cripple your arms for Mr. Ford today!¡± Weston had already broken his hands earlier. Even so, Ben¡¯s action still caused him great pain. As expected, the man, who had passed out earlier, woke up in pain the next second and howled. ¡°Oww!¡± His face was pale. He looked like he was taking hisst breath as beads of sweat rolled down his face. He barely had the strength to say the words to beg for mercy. He could only stare at the man in front of him with blurry eyes while the corners of his mouth kept twitching Ste suddenly looked up from Weston¡¯s arm at the sound of his voice. She just kept staring at the scene before her. Weston looked down at her and furrowed his brows slightly. Immediately, he used his hand to cover her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look, Ste.¡± Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Ste grabbed his hand and shook her head slowly. Her eyes gradually became firm as she watched the man get beaten up. She finally opened her mouth and spoke her first sentence. ¡°I want to see him beg for mercy.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes moved. He looked at the woman in his arms with a sullen gaze. Atst, he put down his hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. He was holding her tightly. Ste watched as the many on the floor, breathless. He was crying for mercy, but soon, his voice became weak, and he fell to the floor. As he fell to the ground, he hit the floor with a loud thud and stopped struggling. Ste looked away after that. Weston knew the limit. Besides, he knew that Ben, who was next to him, would make this man¡¯s life a living hell. For a moment, Ste felt it would be better to let this man die on the spot. Based on his reaction earlier, it was clear that he was experienced in this. He might have hurt many other innocent girls in the same manner. What made her feel even sicker was¡­ they were all connected to Guinevere. The perpetrator might not be working for Guinevere, but he was the same kind of person as her. The room was cold and dark. It was obvious that it was a special room for these people with different kinks. The whips and shackles were just there. Ste could not help but shiver by just looking at them. Weston sensed her emotions and remained silent. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead, and then picked her up in his arms and walked away. The man on the ground was covered in blood. When they passed him, Ste suddenly clutched Weston¡¯s shirt tightly. Weston¡¯s eyes turned dark. He only hugged her tighter. Ben stood outside the door and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, about that other party¡­¡± ¡°Investigate it.¡± Weston stopped in his tracks andmanded in a cold voice without any trace of warmth,¡± Don¡¯t let anyone off the hook. Find out everyone who¡¯s involved.¡± He would not spare anyone that was involved in this. The aura around Weston was full of murderous intent, unlike his usual cool and elegant aura. His fury was crystal -clear. Ben had worked for him for years. He knew Weston was furious and would not stop before there was a bloodbath. This time, Weston had used many people to look for Ste. He had mobilized not only his men but also Henry¡¯s hidden forces. It was clear how much he valued this woman. Weston carried Ste out and stood in front of the group. He swept a cold nce at them. The group of men immediately lowered their heads nervously. They were at the border between Ahn City and Fern City. The two bustling cities were not far from each other. It was not easy to control an area on the border, so there was a gap. Law and order here were less strict than in the two cities. Many people took advantage of this gap and would do some trading in the gray area here. This bar was an obvious example. There were many forces here, and no one was really in charge. Even if someone was in charge, they would cover the illegal trades here, which made this ce a big trading ground. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When the one in charge heard themotion here, he quickly got out of bed and rushed over. ¡°Mr. Ford, I didn¡¯t know you wereing over so suddenly. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Weston gave him a cold look. ¡°Are you in charge of this ce?¡± ¡°Yes, I am!¡± ¡°You allowed such arge underground exchange to operate here. Now, I¡¯m wondering where all the money I¡¯ve donated over the years has gone.¡± The one in charge paled. He could only smile and try to tter him. ¡°It was a mistake on our part. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Chapter 774 When the bar owner had received the news, he had quickly rushed over The bar owner had wanted to rely on his connection with the person in charge to resolve the matter, but the moment he saw Weston, a cold chill ran up his spine. Certain people carried an aura strong enough to intimidate others just by standing there. The bar owner did not know who he was, but he knew he could not afford to mess with him. Weston had the innate aura of a powerful man. With just a look, his action would give others endless pressure. The bar owner saw Weston carrying a woman in his arms and know something bad might have happened. He went up to him and apologized without hesitation, ¡°Sir I¡¯m really sorry! I¡¯m the only one in charge here and neglected this. I wouldn¡¯t dare to let anything happen to your woman! How about this¡­ You¡¯ve taught the customer a lesson earlier. From now on, we¡¯ll never let him set foot here again. We¡¯ll leave him to you to do as you please. What do you think?¡± He did not know who Weston really was, but he could tell he was very powerful He noticed the person in charge with the inost power here was keeping his head down in silence , ready to ept his scolding. Needless to say, it was the same for him. He did not want to provoke Weston¡¯s wrath. Weston was concerned about Ste in his arms, so he did not stay for long. Before he left, he only said, ¡°I don¡¯t want this ce to operate ever again.¡± After saying that, he carried Ste and left. He left Ben to deal with the rest of the matter. While he walked out, he carried Ste tightly in his arms. He put the zer over her face and covered her, blocking the view of the outside world. Ste was still emotionally unstable. She was in bad shape and trembling continuously. She clutched the man¡¯s shirt tightly and refused to let go. A ck Cullinan was waiting outside the bar. Weston leaned in and got into the car with her in his arms. While in a trance, Ste noticed the crash marks on the front of the car. However, they were not very obvious. She pursed her lips tightly and buried her face in his anns without saying anything and asked no questions. The back seat of the Cullinan was very spacious. The two of them had done a lot of things here before. Weston held her and sat her down on top of him. He gently stroked her hair and soothed her silently. During the whole joumey, Ste remained silent She justy quietly in his arms and looked ahead with her empty eyes. She looked a little dazed and lost in thoughts. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Weston remained silent. Words were not needed at a time like this. He just held her quietly, feeling her warmth and making sure she was right in his arms. Weston regretted it a little. Ste was throwing a tantrum. Even so, he should not have left her alone and let her go. Whenever she was out of his sight, something bad would happen to her. She would be bullied. If he had been a littlete¡­ The man¡¯s face tensed and turned grim. Ste sensed that something was wrong. Weston¡¯s hold on her was getting stronger , so much so that he might break her. She looked up to see Weston¡¯s perfect side profile and noticed his grim face. It was clear that he was restraining himself. When Weston noticed her gaze, he looked down and met her eyes. The two were still arguing before and had said some harsh words to each other. Yet at this moment, they stayed silent in unison and quietly looked at each other without making a sound. After a long time, Weston could not help but put his hand over and cover her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± He said, ¡°Ste, don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± The vulnerability and pain in her eyes were too obvious. He was afraid that if he continued to look into her eyes, he would not be able to resist the urge to kill. Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Chapter 775 They arrived at the best private hospital in Ahn City. It was equipped with high-end facilities and built specially to serve the rich. The costly service in the hospital was built for the wealthy. Weston came over with Ste in his arms. The dean himself hade to meet them. The people guarding outside were all Weston¡¯s men, which showed Ste¡¯s importance to him. Ben led the bodyguards and waited outside, forbidding anyone to go in. In the emergency room. The door was closed tightly. A group of bodyguards in ck waited outside with a solemn look Weston pressed his lips tightly. He stood in front of the door and kept looking at the emergency room in silence. The aura around him was intimidating and unapproachable. No one dared toe up to him. Weston wanted to go in with Ste, but she was hurt and needed treatment. Therefore, he waited outside while the doctors took care of her injuries. Anyone could tell that he was in a bad mood. Ben could not help butin about the doctors in his mind. They were a little dense and overly rule ¨C abiding Weston was obviously very worried about Ste¡¯s safety. They could have just let him in. Was it really a big deal? His presence might dy the treatment progress slightly, but it was not a big deal. Why should the people waiting outside suffer from Weston¡¯s silent anger? Ben was more surprised that an egotistical man like Weston was willing to listen to the doctor¡¯s advice. He actually waited outside obediently. This was new to Ben. It seemed like Ste was really important to Weston. Sometimeter, a sudden noise came from the room. It sounded like a banging noise and things dropping to the floor. A nurse came out in a hurry and said to Weston, ¡°Mrs. Ford isn¡¯t in good condition¡­ She¡¯s very repulsive to others and refuses to let anyone go near her! We can¡¯t even treat her wounds, but her wounds need urgent attention.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. These people did not know Ste¡¯s rtionship with Weston. Judging from the way they came in and Weston¡¯s nervousness, they had assumed they were married. Weston did not correct her, so the nurse continued referring to Ste as Mrs. Ford. Weston remained silent, but the aura around him turned colder. He furrowed his brow slightly and walked straight Not anyone could enter the intensive care ward. The nurse wanted to stop him. ¡°Wait¡­¡± The moment she spoke, she quickly shut up. She realized that Weston was not someone she could stop. Besides, he had no intention of listening to her and strode in without hesitation. Meanwhile, in the ward. Ste cowered motionlessly at the end of the bed. Her hair was messy. She kept her head down and curled into a ball. When Weston came in, that was the first thing he saw. She had curled herself into a ball and buried her head deep between her knees. She refused to let anyone look at her and would not look at anyone either. Whenever someone tried to approach her, she would keep moving backward, as if to avoid something. If someone tried to touch her forcibly, she would go mad and suddenly rise to attack the person who tried to touch her. ¡°Go away! Get lost! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± She muttered with nk eyes, ¡°Leave me alone¡­¡± Weston frowned with a heavy expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Chapter 776 The moment the doctor saw him enter, it was as if he had seen his life savior. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± He said hesitantly, ¡°Her current condition is ratherplicated¡­¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± Weston knitted his eyebrows. When he was talking to the doctor, his eyes were fixed on Ste. The doctor replied, ¡°She¡¯s only suffered some minor injuries. There won¡¯t be anything serious as long as they are treated properly. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± He swept a nce at Ste and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hard for us to treat her wounds now that she¡¯s like this, even though they¡¯re not big. Coming out from a ce like that, she might be infected by some kind of germs. If her wounds are not treated as soon as possible, it would be a problem. Things will get very bad if she is infected.¡± He continued, ¡°We tried sedating thedy, but she did not cooperate. We were afraid of hurting her, so¡­¡± Weston nodded without saying anything. He looked at Ste, who had been keeping her head down, and walked toward her. ¡°Ste.¡± Ste did not respond while her eyes remained lowered. Weston approached her slowly and stood still. The surrounding nurses did not dare to go near her. Only he walked to her gently and reached out to her¡­ Right at the moment he was about to touch Ste, she shuddered violently, and the spikes of alertness stood up all over her body. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± When everyone thought that she was going to push him away, she did not move. She just shouted and then froze in ce. ¡°Ste, it¡¯s me¡­¡± Weston let out a sigh of relief. His tone was full of sadness and tenderness that even he did not notice. He put his palm on her forehead and rubbed it gently.¡° It¡¯s me.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. A familiar and refreshing smell filled her nostrils. Ste smelled the strong ebony scent on his body. When the man in the speakeasy was holding her, all she could smell was his disgusting scent. It was Weston¡¯s appearance and his scent that brought her back to reality. It was him¡­ As if realizing she had been saved, her tense body eased a bit as she let out a whimper. ¡°Weston¡­¡± A long time after she called his name, she slowly loosened her grip and finally lifted her face. Her eyes were out of focus at first. It was when she saw Weston that her gaze gradually came to a focus. ¡°You are here.¡± Her voice was low and hoarse, but it was not difficult to hear her dependence on Weston. He could not describe his feelings when seeing her in such a state. He just wanted to take her in his arms immediately, soothe her, kiss her, and tell her that he would never leave her again and that he would always protect her. The man sat beside her without any disguise and swept her into his arms. He carefully avoided the tiny wounds on her body. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I am here. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Weston did not know that there would be a time he could be this patient. He did not have any other thought in his mind. All he had in his mind was her. Ste started to show an expression on her face, unlike when she was repulsing the doctor and the nurses. She pressed her lips very hard, not wanting to let herself cry. Her lips had turned white from the biting, and a trace of blood oozed from them. Weston did not want to see her self-mutting behavior. He lowered his head and kissed her on her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t bite yourself.¡± He pried her teeth apart little by little until she released them. Then, he whispered into her ear. ¡°Be a good girl and let the doctor treat you.¡± She did not say anything and simply looked ahead nkly. He sighed and kissed her ear. ¡°You need to be treated. I will bring you home when it¡¯s done, okay?¡± ¡°Home?¡± Ste did not say anything and only repeated this one word. Then, she looked up at him with teary eyes. ¡°I want to go home.¡± Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Weston¡®s heart turned mushy at once. ¡°Okay.¡± He rested his forehead against hers. Though he only gave her a one¨Cword reply, there was actually a turbulence in his heart. He should not have let her out of his sight. No matter how much she made a scene, he would never let her leave his side again. He hugged her and asked the doctor toe forward to treat her wound. Seeing his signal , the doctor came over with the gauze carefully. ¡°I shall disinfect her wound now¡­¡± But the moment his hand touched her skin, she shook his hand off her violently. ¡°Don¡®t, don¡®t touch me! ¡°Don¡®t touch me!¡± Ste , who had calmed down with much difficulty , was suddenly emotional again. She was trembling, clinging to the man¡®s waist and burrowing her face into his arms. ¡°Don¡®t touch me! Go away! Go away¡­¡± Her memory seemed to be out of whack. For one moment, she reacted like she was in the speakeasy with that man. In the next moment, she thought she was on the balcony that night, when the kidnapper had held a knife against her and threatened to humiliate her before her death. The faces of those men kept appearing before her eyes, trapping her in the dark abyss where she was unable to escape. He held her tightly and soothed her. He could feel her shivering again, and his heart ached. However, all he could do was say to her patiently, ¡°Don¡®t be scared. I am he re. No one will be able to do anything to you anymore.¡± She closed her eyes tightly and started crying. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡®t leave me alone¡­ ¡°Don¡®t leave me alone¡­¡± Her voice was choking with emotions. It had been too long. She had been holding on alone for too long. She suddenly missed her parents very much. Ever since they died, she did not dare to be weak, nor did she dare to rely on anyone or stop. Even when she had to face all the difficulties alone, she could only bite the bullet and walk on. She did not dare to ck in the slightest. But she was really tired. She was exasperated. She had devoted herself to protecting her family, yet they left her one by one in t he end. And her baby¡­ She suddenly touched her belly as tears rolled down her face. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡®t leave me alone¡­ my baby¡­¡°. When he heard the two words, the man¡®s eyes flickered, and he tightened his arms slowly. He knew that the biggest barrier that straddled the two was the child. He felt a deep sense of helplessness. Though he was nearly invincible , he could not bring the dead back to life. This was the only thing he could not do. But it was what she wanted the most. ¡°I will give you a child.¡± Weston held her tightly and kissed her ear, slowly sliding down her face. ¡°Trust me, Ste.¡± Ste kept shaking her head, as if she couldn¡®t hear him. Her mood was up and down. She was clearly irritated and looked a bit dazed. A psychiatrist had reminded him once that he should pay attention to Ste¡¯s mood because she had sh and said to the doctor, ¡°Give it to me.¡± He would treat her wound himself. Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Chapter 778 She would not let any other people touch her, so he was the only one who could get close to her. This was the only way that she could be treated. The doctor nodded and instructed him from the side.¡° Disinfect her wound with iodophor first.¡± His movement was very gentle. He seemed to be scared that he would hurt her, so he instinctively blew on her wound softly. Ben was shocked to see such a gentle side of Weston when he came in after dealing with the matters. He could not believe that a man like Weston would actually blow on someone¡®s wound while treating it. Was he so scared that she would feel the pain? He had things to tell him when he came in, but now, he had forgotten everything and was standing nkly at the door. He was undecided about what to do next. Although Ste¡®s injury was not serious, there were a lot of scratches on her body. It should take him quite some time to treat the small wounds all over her body. Some of the wounds were hidden in other parts of her body. Seeing this, the rest of the people left the ce in understanding After all, judging from Weston¡®s possessiveness of Ste, he certainly would not want them to be present. After much consideration , Ben did not report the matter and left with the rest. He took another nce before closing the door behind him and leaving the ce. Weston¡®s movement was already very gentle, but Ste still shuddered in pain. Her wounds were bleeding after all. Even though she was in pain, she gritted her teeth to not let herself make any sound. When he saw that a new wound had been added to her wounded lips, he sighed helplessly. ¡°Silly girl.¡± He put down the ointment in his hand, lifted her chin, and kissed her on the lips. He licked her wound with his warm tongue carefully. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste jerked her eyes open and looked at him. ¡°Mmph¡­¡±. His eyes darkened. Suppressing his urge to deepen his kiss, he let go of her. ¡°Stop biting your lips.¡± She pursed her lips without saying anything in acquiescence. But when it hurt, she still could not help but bite her lips subconsciously. As a result, as soon as she bit her lips, he would stop and kiss her. He would do the same thing every time without exception. She blushed and finally stopped biting herself. Lying in his arms, she obediently allowed him to treat her wounds. When he had finished treating all the wounds, she had already dozed off. Having cried earlier, she fell asleep quickly. There were still traces of tears on her face. After confirming that she was really asleep, he called the doctor in. ¡°Give her another detailed examination and take care of the rest of the wounds. There can¡®t be a single slip¨Cup.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± Although he had been very thorough just now, he was not a professional. He had to make sure that nothing was wrong and could only rest assured after a thorough examination. Ben couldn¡®t help but sigh in his mind. He was thinking that she hadplete control over his boss. In the corridor. Weston had regained his usual icy indifference. Perhaps it was because the side of him he had seen just now was too shocking, Ben could note back to his senses for a moment. ¡°Mr. Ford, I have taken care of the matter.¡± Weston hummed in reply and nced in the direction of the ward. Ste was still lying weakly on the hospital bed. She could only be sleeping peacefully because of the sedatives administered to her just now. Her face w as white as a sheet. Although her injury was not serious, her body was still covered with wounds. Even her head was wrapped in bandages, and it made her look scary. Chapter 779 Chapter 779 Chapter 779 The man¡®s eyes darkened and were tainted with a hostile aura. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Ms. Cohen still wouldn¡®t admit it. She said she just happened to pass by there¡­¡± Weston suddenly ripped open his cor and sneered. ¡°If she is so stubborn, I will think of a way to pry h er mouth open.¡± Guinevere sat on the chair anxiously. The moment she saw Westone in, she stood up immediately . ¡°This really has nothing to do with me! Weston¨C¡±. Before she could finish, the man closed the door with a bang. ¡°Sit down.¡± His tone was monotonous, without excessive emotions. But Guinevere could feel terrifying oppression from the aura around him. ¡°Weston, 1¨C¡± ¡°Can¡®t you understand my words?¡± Guinevere shut her mouth and slowly sat down. But she still tried to defend herself. ¡°I don¡®t know why E was there¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡®t tell me it was just a coincidence.¡± Weston interrupted Guinevere¡®s eyes shed with anxiety. ¡°What if I say that it was just a coincidence?¡± Weston did not say anything. Guinevere¡®s face changed, then she suddenly walked up to him and whispered, ¡°Is something wrong with E? It looks to me like you¡®re in a hurry.¡± She looked like she was trying to steer clear of the usation in silence. She was being rather truthful with her acting skill as a famous actress. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know the two people over there?¡± After he said that, Ben came out from behind her. Two brawny men were pushed forward. They stumbled and kneeled in front of her. Her face paled immediately, and she stumbled a few steps backward. ¡°I¡ªI don¡®t know them!¡± The two men were smart enough to say the same thing after looking at her for a moment. They stuttered, ¡°We don¡®t know her!¡± Ben smirked. ¡°You are still too stubborn to admit it, eh?¡± He kicked one of the men in the back. The man fell straight to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. Weston walked to the side and sat down. His long legs wrapped under his suit pants were filled with beastly po wer. He looked at the two men on the ground indifferently. ¡°Since you won¡®t tell the truth, it¡®s useless to keep your tongues. I should just cut them off.¡± The man widened his eyes immediately. ¡°No! You can¡®t! Don¡¯t!¡± Ben nodded and approached them with a knife. ¡°Who¡®s first?¡± The two struggled backward desperately. One of them could not withstand it and looked at Guinevere. ¡°What the hell is going on? Didn¡¯t you say that there¡®d be nothing dangerous? ¡°You promised to give us the money once we get the person! Why are you cutting off our tongues now?¡± They had already agreed when they received the money that they would part ways as soon as the matter was over. But now, they had been caught by these two mysterious men who wanted to cut off their tongues! Guinevere looked away coldly. ¡°I don¡®t know what you are talking about. I don¡®t know you at all¡­¡± Weston looked at his watch nonchntly. ¡°She said that she doesn¡®t know you. Open your eyes wide and look carefully. Do you know her?¡± One of the men still refused to say anything. Perhaps he wanted to get that money, so he begged,¡° Please spare us! W¨CWe really do not know her¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Weston repeated his question. He sniggered and signalled Ben. ¡°It seems like his eyes are useless as well. Let¡®s gouge them out.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± After getting the order, Ben walked up to them and swung his knife in front of their eyes. ¡°D¨CDon¡®t! We really do not know her¡­ Argh!¡± Suddenly, a miserable scream was heard. One of the men¡¯s eyes was gouged out directly. It was dripping with blood. Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Chapter 780 The other man did not expect he would really do it and fell limp in fear. ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you!¡± He said warily, ¡°We know her. She gave us money to take that woman away.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Guinevere rushed to him and shouted emotionally,¡° You¡¯re ndering me!¡± After saying that, she looked at Weston again. ¡°Weston, don¡¯t believe them. I really didn¡¯t do it. They¡¯re ndering me!¡± Weston looked at her indifferently. There was no warmth in his eyes at all. ¡°If you don¡¯t know them, why would they nder you?¡± Guinevere pressed her lips and was at a loss for words.¡° You suspect me and think I¡¯m targeting E?¡± Weston pulled his cor. It was his habitual action when he was irritated. ¡°It¡¯s not a suspicion.¡± He stared at her. ¡°It¡¯s a certainty.¡± Guinevere widened her eyes andughed bitterly. ¡°Since you have already dered me guilty, what else can I say?¡± She suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the man¡¯s wrist. With a choking voice, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve changed¡­ Weston, you wouldn¡¯t have done this before. There is no evidence of anything, so why are you so eager to return a verdict? Do you care about that woman that much?¡± Weston shook off her hand. ¡°Stay here until it is over.¡± After saying that, he turned around and was ready to leave. Guinevere called out to him. ¡°Are you trying to ce me under house arrest?¡± All she got in response was the man¡¯s leaving back view. When Ste woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. She sat up with a jolt. Thinking that she was still in that dark basement, she subconsciously pulled the nket off herself and wanted to leave. The next second, she fell into a warm embrace. A low crisp voice came from above her head. ¡°I¡¯m here. Where are you going?¡± Ste was instantly relieved. Her stiff body rxed, and she leaned on his arms. ¡°I thought I¡­¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She did not finish what she had wanted to say and shut her mouth. When she surveyed her surroundings and found that she was in a ward, her mind cleared up a bit. Remembering what had happened earlier , Ste¡¯s eyes darkened. She looked at Weston. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Weston turned on the lights, and the room was brightly lit. He looked at her. ¡°If you really want to thank me, then don¡¯t say it.¡± Shey in the bed and closed her eyes with a pained expression on her face. He frowned and sat beside her. He helped her up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?¡± She shook her head and said, ¡°I am just a bit dizzy.¡± He massaged the back of her head. ¡°You got hit with a stick here. There is some bruising, but luckily, there will not be anyplications. Anyway, you will feel dizzy, so just bear with it for a while.¡± She nodded. Weston checked on her wound again. After making sure that the bandages were secure, he took her into his arms again. He rested his chin on her head and sighed. ¡°Ste, do you know how long you¡¯ve slept?¡± She did not wake up fromst night until the next afternoon. He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t run away from home again.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t running away,¡± Ste frowned and said automatically. She had really wanted to leave him, but she didn¡¯t dare to say it. After all, he had just saved her. Weston knew what she wanted to say but he did not reply. He put his thumbs against her cheek and rubbed them slowly. ¡°How can I rest assured if you cannot even take care of yourself? Don¡¯t ever act rashly again.¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Ste¡¯s eyshes trembled. She knew that she was in no position to speak more about leaving at this point. He had saved her, after all, and she would seem very ungrateful to confront him at this time. Thus, she could only nod and lean into his arms, saying,¡± I know,¡± in a hoarse voice. She did not let many people know about her hospitalization. Roger did call her in the past two days, but Weston was the one who replied instead of her. After hearing this, she took her phone hastily. ¡°How can you reply to my messages without permission? What if he finds out!¡± Weston, working on the documents, put his finger on his be. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll realize it isn¡¯t you from a few text messages.¡± Ste pursed her lips and said nothing. She was only relieved after reading through his entire message conversation with Roger. ¡°He¡¯s a smart one. Every time I video call him, I¡¯ll have to find the right angle, or he will know I am not at home.¡± Weston had dealt with Roger before and knew how difficult Roger could be, so he did not say anything. After reading the document, he suddenly said, ¡°Warren ising to visit youter.¡± She was taken aback. ¡°You told him about everything ?¡± ¡°Although he is semi-retired, he is still well-informed,¡± Weston said. ¡°I didn¡¯t avoid him when I was looking for you.¡± He was implying that Warren knew what happened to her. Ste¡¯s eyes darkened. However, after a while, she said, ¡° Thank you. You must have put much effort into finding me, right?¡± Weston put down the papers in his hands and looked at her. His gaze inexplicably softened. ¡°Good that you know. No more running around in the future.¡± Ste twitched the corner of her lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to get lost?¡± Weston knitted his brows suddenly. He stood up and walked to her, gently cradling her into his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder. It felt sharp. ¡°Since when did you be so obedient that you¡¯ll leave when I ask you to?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been obedient.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Little liar.¡± He pinched her nose. ¡°If you were really obedient, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten me into so much trouble.¡± Staying in his arms, she wrinkled her nose when she heard him say that. ¡°Am I the one trying to get you into trouble? How would I know that those people would kidnap me¡­¡± Her tone sounded a little uncertain. He heard her and slowly let go of her and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Do you know the identity of those kidnappers?¡± She met his gaze and nodded honestly. After a while, she confessed wearily, ¡°They are Guinevere¡¯s men.¡± She lowered her head. ¡°I know you will not believe me either, but it really is her.¡± ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t believe it?¡± He turned her face around, so she was looking straight at him. Steughed bitterly as if she thought it was pointless for him to ask. ¡°You never doubted her, did you?¡± ¡°If you had believed me in the first ce, our child ¡­¡­ would not have died,¡± she replied. It was the one thorny issue that they could never bring up between them. The atmosphere between the two became stagnant for a moment. He only held her tightly and said nothing. After a long pause, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I will give you an exnation.¡± He caressed her waist. ¡°I won¡¯t let you suffer for nothing.¡± Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Warren showed up at the hospital just as Stepleted a full body checkup. Although she thought she was fine, Weston was still skittish. The wounds inflicted on her body were minor, yet Weston had her do all kinds of tests. ¡°Weston is talking to the doctor, so I came over to check on you first.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Warren came in with his walking stick, followed by the butler. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Ste had only just woken up and sat up. ¡°Good day to you, Grandpa.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so proper. Lie down and rest.¡± Only after he said, that did she lie back down. He looked at her and sighed softly, a little heartbroken.¡± You have suffered, child.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Luckily, there is no major harm down.¡± Warren sighed and said, ¡°Otherwise, Weston would have died of anxiety.¡± She pursed her lips and smiled, not saying anything. He looked at her, and his face changed slightly. ¡°Now that Weston is not here, I shall be frank with you.¡± She nodded. ¡°Please do.¡± He tapped his finger on his walking stick and said, ¡°I have no idea what happened, but Weston called the Cohensst night demanding an exnation¡­¡± ¡°The Cohens said that he took Guinevere away, and now she is still missing. I am having a headache now.¡± Her gaze changed, but she did not make a sound. Warren then said, ¡°You are very close to Weston. You should know where he took her, right?¡± Her lips twitched. ¡°I have been at the hospital sincest night and haven¡®t been anywhere else. So how would I know these things?¡± Warren was in no hurry. He paused for a moment and then smiled. ¡°I guess so. You¡®re a sensible person. You shouldn¡®t ask that of Weston.¡± Ste¡¯s face slowly turned expressionless. Her already pale facecked even the slightest glow. After a while, she said, ¡°He wouldn¡®t have taken Guinevere for no reason. Those people who kidnapped me yesterday were Guinevere¡®s doing.¡± Warren was a bit stunned. ¡°Really?¡± He raised his brows. ¡°As far as I know, that girl is very arrogant. She wouldn¡®t be bothered to do such a thing.¡± He sighed rather regretfully. ¡°It seems that love keeps making people blind, so it is understandable why Weston must ask them to give you an exnation despite the faces of the two families¡­¡± She knitted her brows and looked at him steadily. ¡°Can you just say whatever you want to say directly?¡± Heughed. ¡°I just want to ask you if you still want to leave.¡± She looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°You were still eager to leave Weston earlier. But this time, he saved your life. I think you might change your mind and want to stay by his side.¡± She understood it right away. ¡°So you are worried that I won¡®t be leaving him anymore?¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°I can¡¯t really risk my grandson¡®s future. After all, from how you¡¯re progressing, if you really want to stay with him, you may be part of our family.¡± Sheughed sarcastically.She and Weston had already had a marriage long ago.But she had never met his family during that marriage. Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Chapter 783 She had never been introduced to his family, nor had she ever felt a part of their family. ¡°Don¡®t worry. My answer remains the same.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste looked at him and affirmed, ¡°I will go as soon as you can figure out how, and you won¡®t have to worry that I will be attached to him because he saved my life.¡± When she said that, Warren was relieved but a little puzzled. ¡°You really don¡®t have any feelings for him?¡± He looked at her. ¡°I¡®m not bragging about my grandson, but with Weston¡®s condition, as you can see, all a famous girl like Guinevere is asking is for Weston to look at her. He is an impable man who treats you so well and obviously cares about you a lot. Are you not even a little bit moved?¡± Ste understood what he was saying. It was not just an expression but also a test. She looked into his eyes and said, ¡°I don¡®t know what people as high and mighty as you guys think the definition of being nice to someone is. You think he¡®s being nice to me by feeding me, clothing me, and coaxing me when he¡®s in a good mood, but maybe that¡®s not any different from having a kitten or puppy. He has a fresh feeling for me now, so he is good to me. Maybe the day he gets tired of ying and loses interest in me, I will only end up worse off than anyone else.¡± Ste lowered her head and looked at the white sheet. She gave herself a self¨Cdeprecatingugh. ¡°You said that he is good to me. Yes, he did treat me well in some ways, but you did not know that he is the one who gave me all these scars.¡± She looked at Warren with a vacant look. Her heart was still in mourning. ¡°Because of him, I lost the only child I ever had in my life.¡± Warren¡®s face changed instantly. ¡°You were pregnant with his child?¡± Ste said, ¡°Don¡®t worry. It¡®s gone.¡± She smiled miserably. ¡°I know a family like yours would never allow me to have his child. So don¡®t worry, I will never have another child.¡± He looked serious. ¡°Why¡­ did you get hurt anywhere when you aborted the child?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I am a person with HH blood group, the rarest blood type. I would and could only have one child in my life, but now the child is gone, so there will be no more.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He felt a bit sorry for her. ¡°This is indeed a very cruel thing to a woman. So you actually hate Weston?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Ste smiled, but her eyes were red. ¡°But I realized that hating him will not let me feel any better, so I just want to leave now.¡± The old man pondered for a moment and nced at the butler. The butler walked out consciously. Warren continued. ¡°Apart from seeing you, I came over this time because I have something to tell you. I hope that you can put in a good word for Guinevere so that he won¡®t go overboard on this matter. After all, the two families share a close rtionship, so it¡®s not good to make things too ugly.¡± He sighed. ¡°Now, it seems I can¡®t be sure if you can agree to this.¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°I am sorry. Guinevere must pay the price for what she did.¡± He nodded understandingly. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± In the doctor¡®s office. ¡°Ms. E¡®s condition has stabilized, but there is one thing The doctor said, ¡°Her blood type is rarer than even an Rh negative. Although it¡®s only a minor injury this time, finding a matching blood supply will be difficult if she gets into an ident requiring surgery and blood transfusion.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°I¡®ve arranged for someone to go out to look. I will immediately bring him over if someone matches her blood type.¡± After he said that, he fell into a long period of silence. Perhaps he recalled that he, too, had forced Ste to give her blood to the pregnant Guinevere. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Chapter 784 ¡°People with this blood type are scarce, with only a few recorded cases, and they are not always able to meet the conditions for blood donation,¡± the doctor exined. ¡°How can we solve this problem?¡± Weston¡¯s eyebrows were knitted into a tight knot. The doctor paused for a moment and suggested, ¡°When Ms. E¡¯s condition improves, I suggest she draw some of her own blood regrly and store it in the hospital. When it mighte in handy, the situation should be a little more favorable¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Weston stood up. ¡°And one more thing¡­ Those pills she took a while back, did they do any damage to her body?¡± The reason he was so worked up and told Ste to get lost wasn¡¯t just because she had used that drug to be able to sleep with him. It made him feel ridiculous and wretched. His woman had to use such self-harming means to get intimate with him, something that wasn¡¯t easy for a man to endure. More importantly, it was because he cherished her body very much and had spent so much effort trying to nurture her In the end, she did not love herself at all. Those hormonal drugs were not something to be taken so casually And she had taken so much right under his nose without letting him know. No wonder her health did not improve after so many days of nurturing ¡°Although it will affect the body, she is still young and has been healthy. As long as she recuperates well and flushes the drugs get out of her system, there should be no problem¡­ Anyway, she mustn¡¯t take those drugs anymore!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± When Weston saw Warren already there with Ste in the ward, he paused slightly in his steps. ¡°Grandfather.¡± He greeted Warren. Warren nodded. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°Nothing serious.¡± He walked in, sat down next to Ste, and asked her, ¡°Are you feeling better today?¡±. ¡°Much better,¡± Ste nodded and said. Warren¡¯s expression changed as he watched the intimate interaction between them. He contemted and reminded Weston. ¡°Weston, since there is nothing wrong with her anymore, you should just let this slide once you give her a proper warning. Guinevere¡¯s grandfather has oftene to me, with no harm done.¡± Weston did not say anything. Instead, he put his hand on Ste¡¯s face and gently touched her delicate cheek. ¡°Grandfather, I don¡¯t want to initiate trouble. But if people provoke me and I don¡¯t fight back, they¡¯ll think I am a wimp.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Warren shook his head and sighed. ¡°It seems you and I are of the same mind.¡± When Weston heard that, he looked at Ste and smiled.¡° You¡¯re thinking the same as I am?¡± Ste smiled. ¡°I nearly got sold. What do you think?¡± Warren stood up helplessly. ¡°This is a matter among you young people. I don¡¯t want to care about it anymore. After all, it was Guinevere who did something wrong in the first ce, anyhow¡­¡± He looked at Weston. ¡°You still need to consider saving my face and her grandfather¡¯s. Don¡¯t make it too unsightly. Don¡¯t go any further than necessary.¡± Weston did not say anything. After a while, only then did he look at Warren. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Should I send you back?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Warren waved his hand. ¡°You can stay here and take care of her, and don¡¯t dy the matters of the company.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I shall leave now.¡± After Warren left, Ben understandingly left as well. He closed the door for them when he walked out of the ward. Ste chuckled. ¡°Your assistant knows you well.¡± Weston walked to her side and embraced her. ¡°He has been with me since he was very young and he is very loyal. You can look for him if you need anything.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°He is your man. Even if he¡¯s loyal, he¡¯s loyal only to you. I wouldn¡¯t dare use him.¡± Westonughed and brushed her hair to the back. ¡°At a time like this, you are still drawing the line between us?¡± He kissed her cheek. ¡°Believe it or not, you are already the real Mrs. Ford in his heart.¡± Ste, stunned for a moment, said nothing. After a while, she changed topics. ¡°I heard from Grandfather that you got Guinevere.¡± Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Chapter 785 ¡°Yes.¡± Weston replied and let her go. ¡°Do you want to eat anything?¡± ¡°Just wash an apple for me.¡± Weston picked thergest one in the basket, sat next to her, and started to peel it. Ste watched his action and thought for a bit. ¡°You know how to do these things?¡± ¡°Not everyone gets to enjoy such a service,¡± Weston said. ¡°You are first.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. If it was in the past, she might have been really touched. But now, her heart had long be a pool of stagnant water, and it was hard to make it ripple. ¡°I just heard from Grandfather that the Cohens have been looking for her¡­ Would it be difficult for you?¡± She studied him carefully from his side. The man simply looked down at the apple in his hands without responding. His hands were exquisite , with long, slender fingertips and well-defined bones. The fruit knife in his hand seemed like a scalpel, and instead of peeling an apple, he appeared to be doing some advanced surgery. Ste admired his beautiful movements as she said softly, ¡°From what Grandfather said, he seems to want you to let Guinevere go.¡± ¡°What do you think of that?¡± He nced at her suddenly without stopping his hand movements. She pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let her go¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± The skin of the apple broke off in his hand. Weston cut a small piece and sent it to her mouth. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± She opened her mouth and took a bite.¡± The sweet juice filled her mouth. She looked down. ¡°How are you going to handle this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what you want me to do.¡± She looked up at him as she was chewing the apple. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± The man chuckled. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°Since when did you have so many little thoughts when you were with me?¡± He put down his hand and wiped his fingers clean with a wet tissue. Seeing a little water stain at the corner of her mouth, he lifted his hand again to wipe it off for her. Then, he said in a light voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will give you a satisfactory answer.¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± She stared at him quietly. ¡°You can,¡± Weston assured. On the balcony. Weston lit a cigarette unconsciously. As something crossed his mind, he left the cigarette burning in his hand, not smoking it. In the ward. Ste was sleeping soundly. She had some porridge just now. She had been a bit sleepytely, so it didn¡¯t take long for her to start sleeping through the night. The phone was vibrating nonstop. He nced at the time. The Cohens should be very anxious right now, including Guinevere. He picked up the call slowly¡­ Half an hourter, a few limousines drove into the private hospital. Weston stood tall with his hands on the railing. He nced at the cigarette, which had burned out without a single puff from him. He dusted off the ashes and casually undid a cufflink on his wrist. Seeing that Ste was still sleeping peacefully, he nted a kiss on her forehead and went out. Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Inside the car. Seeing that Weston waste, the Cohen family¡®s faces fell. ¡°I thought that even if the marriage contract were dissolved, the two families would still be tightly knitted. I didn¡®t expect the Ford family to just throw us away like that!¡± As soon as Weston got in the car, he overheard their conversation. He didn¡¯t say a word, but he casually greeted them. Mr. Cohen sneered, ¡°Our daughter is in your hands now. When can you let her go?¡± Weston smiled with a poker face. ¡°I don¡®t want to cause any trouble, and I won¡®t kidnap anybody for no reason. It¡®s just that she has done something I can¡®t understand and can¡®t bear. Why won¡®t you tell me the reason for her hatred towards E? Why does she treat her like that?¡± Their expressions dropped the moment they heard his question, especially Mrs. Cohen, who completely lost her patience. ¡°I think you know the reason. What is your rtionship with E, and what was your rtionship with Guinevere? For a low¨Css woman, you¡®re breaking off the marriage¡­¡± She paused for a second as if trying to calm herself down. ¡°She is angry that the effort she put in has gone to waste, which is why she went to make trouble for E. Isn¡®t that normal? Besides, you know you¡®re guilty as well. You¡®re giving us so much profit to shut us up. So, what¡®s the big deal if Guinevere wants to cause some trouble for her?¡± Weston¡®s eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°So, you do know that I¡®ve been giving you profit. I thought you didn¡®t know.¡± He smiled, but his eyes were devoid of sincerity. Only coldness remained in them. ¡°Since you have all taken the benefits and kept quiet, then this matter should have ended. Who gave you the right to cause trouble for E?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He sat idle in front of the two of them calmly. In the face of such a powerful aura, it seemed that these two elders were not being reasonable. When Mrs. Cohen heard this, she became very unsatisfied. ¡°How could you say that?! After all, you and Guinevere have been in a rtionship for many years. You shouldn¡®t have treated her like that!¡± Weston tapped his finger on the leather seat. ¡°You kept talking about profit with me before, but now that you got it, you¡®re suddenly talking about feelings. What is it? Do you want to reap all the benefits, or do you think I¡®m stupid?¡± Mrs. Cohen was so angry that her chest hurt, and she was unable to speak for a good while. Meanwhile, Mr. Cohen still seemed a little sensible, but his face had be very dark. After a while, he said to Weston in apromising tone.¡± After all, the two of you have a child together. Guinevere is Zachary¡®s biological mother. It won¡®t be good for the child if this goes out of control. For his sake, can you just let it go?¡± He sighed. ¡°We will educate her well, and such things will not happen again. We will find her a good match as soon as possible, and it won¡®t affect the rtionship between you and E.¡± Weston smiled. ¡°If you had said that earlier, of course, I would be overjoyed to see it happen.¡± There was sarcasm hidden in his smile. ¡°But now, E is still in the hospital. If I hadn¡®t found out earlier, she might have been sold to some underground bar by now. I won¡®t let this go so easily.¡± Mrs. Cohen couldn¡®t help but chime in, ¡°Don¡®t you even care about Zachary? Gwen is his mother!¡± Weston rubbed his brows and said impatiently. ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. After all, he¡®s from the Ford family and is still young, so he doesn¡®t need to worry about such a mess.¡± Mr. Cohen closed his eyes helplessly. ¡°Are you disregarding our families¡® kinship for so many years?¡± The young man¡®s eyes were dull as he said, ¡°It was Guinevere who threw out that kinship. When she hurt E, she should have thought such a day woulde.¡± After speaking, he pushed open the door, got out of the car, and left. Ste slept soundly. Weston had finished reading one of his documents, but her eyes remained closed, and she was breathing gently. The man got up, sat beside her, and covered her with the quilt. Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Suddenly, he saw her frowning as if she was talking in her sleep, and his eyes darkened. Even if she was just babbling softly, he could still hear what she was saying. All she could think about was that child. Inside the office. The doctor was in a dilemma. ¡°With Ms. E¡¯s condition, it is difficult for her to get pregnant again. She has HH type blood, and if the first child wasn¡¯t saved, the second child would likely have hemolysis, which is deadly for both the pregnant mother and the child.¡± ¡°Are there no other ways?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be tough with our current technology. Even if she manages to get pregnant, it might cause irreparable damage to her.¡± Weston frowned and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you find a way to avoid hemolysis?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The doctor sighed. ¡°I can understand your feelings, but¡­ I will discuss this with my colleagues and see if wee up with any solution. My suggestion is that you seek the opinion of internationally renowned experts. Perhaps there is another way, but the chances are slim.¡± ¡°Is there even a chance of sess?¡± ¡°Miracles are to be made. What we can do now is to let Ms. E get pregnant first. But whether the baby can be kept is uncertain. We will need to see in the future.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Do your best. Give her a child, no matter how much it costs.¡± ¡°We will.¡± As soon as Ben came out of the interrogation room, he saw Ste being pushed into the operating room. ¡°Mr. Ford , what is going on? Did something happen to Ms. E?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston leaned against the wall behind him, his voice hoarse. After a while, he asked, ¡°Is having a biological child so important to a woman?¡± Ben instantly understood what was going on. ¡°To an ordinary person, having a child is quite important.¡± He paused and asked again, ¡°Is Ms. E doing such a treatment?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a doctor came out of the operating room in a hurry. ¡°There was a little ident! The patient urgently needs blood now!¡± Weston stood up abruptly. His eyes burned with a bright ze, ready to pounce on the doctor.. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Ben began to panic too. ¡°Ms. E has a rare type of blood¡­.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The doctor said anxiously, ¡°We don¡¯t have any of that blood in store. But we are critical, and we need an immediate transfusion!¡± ¡°But where can we find it in such a short time?¡± Ben was bing more panicked. Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Weston red at the doctor. ¡°I remember I stressed that the surgery has to be carried out safely!!!¡± ¡°Yes. But Ms. E¡®s condition is too special so...¡±. Weston scrunched his eyebrows hard and let out a breath. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How long can she hold on?¡± ¡°About an hour.¡± ¡°One hour?¡± Ben frowned. ¡°How is that possible? Even if we can find a donor, we can¡®t get them here i mmediately! Weston shut his eyes and thought of one person. ¡°Impossible!¡± Guinevere hissed with gritted teeth. ¡°You want me to donate blood to that bitch? I won¡®t agree even if I die!¡± Her eyes were red as she stared at the man before her. Never did she expect that he would ask her to donate blood to E in a million years! How could a bitch like E be worthy of her blood? She initially thought Weston wouldn¡®t let her go because he was still angry at her and that he would naturally let her go once he had calmed down. However, she never expected that he still wouldn¡®t let her go, even when her parents were there. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Not only did he prohibit her from seeing her family, but he didn¡®t pay her the slightest bit of attention. Finally, he came to see her, but for such a reason... ¡°I will never give her my blood!¡± She flung her head to the other side and shut her eyes. Weston had guessed that she would disagree but couldn¡®t help but be annoyed by her response. ¡°I¡®m not here to discuss with you.¡± ¡°The doctors wille and take your bloodter,¡± he continued. ¡°No way!¡± Her eyes were wide open as she screamed angrily, ¡°I will. not cooperate! If I don¡®t give my consent, there¡®s nothing you can do!¡± The man stared at her; his eyes were cold. Guinevere clenched her fists and felt aggrieved. ¡°You¡®ve never seen me like this, haven¡®t you...¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°In the past, you asked Ste to donate her blood to me for the sake of the child. She was also pregnant at that time... Now, you¡®re asking me to give my blood to this bitch, E.¡± ¡°Is she more important than Ste in your heart?¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Weston roared. His eyes were so bloodshot; it was as if she had touched his bottom line. That was something that he and Ste never wanted to remember. Guinevere¡®s questions reminded him of what he had done to Ste. During that time, it wasn¡®t that he couldn¡¯t see Ste¡®s reluctance and hypocrisy, and her intention to escape whenever she had the chance. He always felt that Ste was just being stubborn. But now, he knew why she ran away from him. Because the things he did in the past were enough to make her want to leave him. ¡°Did I say it correctly?¡± Guinevere suddenly let out a heartbroken chuckle. She stood up, stumbled to Weston, and grabbed his arms. ¡°Wake up! That is E, not Ste! You can¡®t make up for your guilt toward her! They might look alike, but they¡®re not the same!¡± Weston, however, shoved Guinevere¡®s hands away coldly. ¡°I have no time to listen to you. Just do as you¡®re told.¡± ¡°Impossible! ¡°She has no right to take my blood!¡± Weston suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her neck. ¡°You know my temper. Don¡®t make me hurt your parents. Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Weston¡®s voice was sharp and icy, like the voice of the devil. Guinevere¡®s eyes widened immediately. ¡°My parents are here?¡± ¡°Go for a blood transfusion now, and I might just let you meet them. Otherwise, you will watch them suffer.¡± ¡°How could you do this to me!¡± She gazed at him with reddened eyes. ¡°Is our rtionship nothingpared to a substitute?¡± ¡°I¡®ll say it once. The de cision is yours.¡± Weston tightened the grip of his hands. ¡°Go do the blood transfusion or die here.¡± Instantly, she could feel her breathing being constricted, followed by suffocating despair. She looked at him with a flushed face, unable to say a word. It wasn¡®t until he let go of his hand that the feeling of suffocation eased a little. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. After a long pause, Guinevere looked at the man in front of her with tears in her eyes. ¡°Do you have to be so cruel?¡± Heughed. ¡°You said it yourself that she¡®s just a substitute. If she is gone, I can still find someone else. But your parents are different.¡± As he spoke, he pushed her to the balcony and made her look down. ¡°Do you recognize that car?¡± Guinevere¡®s eyes trembled. Of course, she did. ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± She was excited and wanted to move forward, but the people downstairs couldn¡®t hear her shouting. Mr. Cohen was on the phone while Mrs. Cohen kept weeping and looking around. Guinevere knew they were looking for her. She shut her eyes, and warm, pooling tears gushed down. ¡°I can donate my blood, but you mustn¡®t cau se trouble for my parents anymore, and....¡± She opened her eyes and stared at the man in front of her with red eyes. ¡°Everything is written off! You are not allowed to lock me up again.¡± ¡°Do you think you have the right to bargain?¡± The man¡®s face was as hard as a rock. Guinevere smiled bitterly. ¡°Whatever. If you disagree, I won¡®t cooperate. My parents can wait a while, but can E wait that long?¡± Weston gritted his teeth; his eyes filled with the rage of a thousand dragons. ¡°From now on, you will do as I say.¡± She stretched out her hand decadently. ¡°Take it.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Bright red blood was drawn from her body. Guinevere¡®s face showed no emotion as irony filled her heart. Once upon a time, she was the favored one, and only others would give her their blood. Now, here she was, giving her blood to a worthless substitute. Inside the empty room. A twisted smile crept across her face as she looked to the ceiling ¡°Ste, is this how you were feeling at the time? It¡®s insulting...¡± ¡°I didn¡®t expect your ghost to still haunt me after so long. Your stand¨Cin will avenge you!¡± ¡°It¡®s just a pity that no matter what, she¡®s just a substitute , not the real you! You exchanged your life for Weston¡®s pity, but you still won!¡± She suddenly began to cackle like a madwoman. ¡°I still won¡­¡± Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Chapter 790 When Ste woke up, it was already veryte. She felt she had slept for a long time and had a long dream. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g There seemed to be no one around. She lifted the quilt, and it fell to the ground. Just as she was about to open the door and go out, she heard Ben¡®s voice at the ward entrance. ¡°Mr. Ford, mission aplished....¡± Ste immediately halted and stood by the door. She could see what was happening outside the corrid or through the gap. The man stood tall with his back to her. She could see his delicate side profile from that angle as he stood there talking with Ben. ¡°I saw with my own eyes that Ms. Cohen arrived home safely. Both Mr. Cohen and Mrs. Cohen were there...¡± As Ben¡®s voice fell, Ste¡®s pupils trembled violently ¨C She squeezed the doorknob in her hand tightly and calmed her breathing ... Weston let Guinevere go? At that moment, she didn¡®t know how to describe her feeling. Bittersweet, stupid, and expected uncertainty. She should have thought of it long ago. How could Weston punish Guinevere for her, given the rtionship they had? He probably was putting up an act. In the end, he still let her go. She believed him, which made her a real fool. The ridiculous thing was that Weston¡®s promise to her touched her. She told herself countless times not to be immersed in his tenderness. But sometimes, it was still hard to control herself. However, whenever she had her hopes up, Weston would crush them. No matter how cruel Guinevere was to her, he would never hurt her. Compared to Guinevere, Ste would always be the second choice. She should¡®ve seen it sooner. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door. The door shifted, making a slight noise. Ben immediately closed his mouth and looked over the door Ste released her hand in a panic, stumbled a few steps back, and hurriedly ran to the bed to lie down. Weston heard the movement, frowned slightly, opened the door, and looked. Seeing that Ste was still sleeping peaceful ly on the bed, he closed the door again. Ben asked, ¡°Has Miss E woken up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston said, ¡°Keep your voice down, don¡®t disturb her.¡± ¡°Well, then I should have seen it wrongly just now...¡± Ben thought about it for a while. He believed he heard some movement just now, but he could¡®ve been too nervous and heard wrong. Weston suddenly instructed him, ¡°Don¡®t tell her about the operation she just had.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ben couldn¡®tprehend it. ¡°Didn¡®t Miss E always want a child? If you told her that the operation just Weston closed his eyes, and there was a roaring pain from his temples. He remembered that Ste once looked at him with extremely disappointed eyes. It meant no hope would be better than giving her broken hope. ¡°Don¡®t tell her yet. She can¡®t bear any huge emotions in her current situation.¡± Chapter 791 Chapter 791 Chapter 791 ¡°Are you afraid that Miss E will be upset if the operation is unsessful?¡± Weston didn¡®t answer. Ben immediately understood what he meant and sighed.¡± Okay, I see.¡± After speaking , he thought of something again. ¡°What about the matter of Miss Guinevere donating blood to her...¡± The man frowned and interrupted. ¡°Don¡®t tell her.¡± He didn¡®t want Ste to remember that he had forced her to give blood to Guinevere. At Old Cohen Mansion, in Guinevere¡®s room. She stared nkly at the suitcases that people had brought in. ¡°...is everything packed?¡± ¡°Everything¡®s all packed, Miss!¡± Mrs. Cohen walked in, and seeing her sad face, she sighed. ¡°Guinevere, don¡®t be too upset. There is n o destiny between you and Weston! Stop thinking about him. Your father and I have found a few young men for you, and you will m eet them when the timees.¡± Ignoring her, Guinevere asked, ¡°Is everything here?¡± These were the things she put in the Ford family¡®s old house. Initially, she was half the hostess there, a nd if she had waited a few months, she could¡®ve be the real Mrs. Ford. Now, however, all her effort had gone to waste. How could she be satisfied? Impossible! ¡°They¡®re all basically here.¡± Mrs. Cohen sat beside her. As she watched Guinevere, her heart ached. ¡°Yes. They¡®re all here.¡± Suddenly, tears began to pool around her eyes as they got red. ¡°How could he treat me like this? I¡®ve lo ved him for so many years! It¡®s just some clothes, yet he didn¡®t want to see them.¡± Mrs. Cohen said, ¡°We don¡®t need it either! Besides Zachary, we won¡®t have anything to do with the Ford family.¡± ¡°Yes... I still have Zachary!¡± Guinevere came to her senses and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. ¡°There¡®s still Zachary between him and me.¡± Mrs. Cohen was too stunned to speak. ¡°You still want to be with him?¡± ¡°Mom, I love him. I can¡®t lose him. ¡°If I don¡®t have him, everything would be meaningless!¡± Guinevere suddenly cried out loud. Before she could finish, Mrs. Cohen¡®s face instantly darkened. ¡°You should look at what you¡®ve be. Even i f he doesn¡®t like you, he can¡®t embarrass you like this. Even if you have a son, you shouldn¡®t have to wo rry about not getting married. Besides, you are also a famous star in the entertainment industry. Why are you afraid that you will not find a man?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. In retrospect , it was actually easy for her to get a man, but what she wanted wasn¡®t an easy man. She wanted Weston. ¡°Wake up! He doesn¡®t care about you at all. If you continue this, you will only embarrass your father an d me!¡± ¡°But mom, didn¡®t you just say we still have Zachary? If. Zach is still here, he will treat me better...¡± Mrs. Cohen looked at her with great disappointment.¡± You are obsessed.¡± She stood up then said, ¡°From now on, you¡®re not allowed to go out on your own.¡± Her face turned cold, and she warned Guinevere, ¡°We will tell the public that you have suffered from old problems, and you are not in the right mind to go out. Unless you think things out thoroughly, otherwise just stay at home! Don¡®t go anywhere!¡± After speaking, she ignored Guinevere¡®s pleas, mmed the door, and left. The night breeze blew with gentle wisps, blowing the curtains open every now and then. Weston stood in front of the hospital bed, looked down at Ste, who was lying on the bed, and sat down beside her. His fingers touched her cheek and moved around the area slowly. Ste had woken up long ago, and she was just pretending to be asleep. Sensing the touch on her face, she opened her eyes and woke up. ¡°...what time is it?¡± She pretended to have not heard anything and put on a confused expression. Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Chapter 792 He rubbed the tip of her nose and asked gently, ¡°It¡®s very late... Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± She nodded. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, ¡°I want Joan¡®s soup.¡± Weston¡®s movements paused as he touched her forehead, seemingly moved. After a while, he chuckled lightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let her bring it to you.¡± Stey on his arms obediently. ¡°How long did I sleep this time?¡± ¡°A long time.¡± He lowered his head to kiss her hair. ¡°But it¡®s okay because I will wait for you to wake up.¡± When she buried her face in his arms, Ste¡®s expression changed. If she hadn¡®t heard the conversation between him and Ben just now at the door, she would have been moved by his words and believed that he genuinely liked her. But she heard everything and knew that the man¡®s words were not believable. He would always favor Guinevere. Ste shut her eyes and restrained her emotions. Weston felt her rare tenderness and enjoyed the silence of this moment. Joan quickly brought the food over. She felt a little distressed seeing the pale¨C faced Ste lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Ms. E, what¡®s wrong with you?¡± Just a while ago, she wasn¡®t this thin, but after not seeing her for a few days, Ste seemed to have lost a lot of weight. As the fact of her kidnapping hadn¡®t been disclosed, Joan wouldn¡®t know what happened to her in the past two days. She just thought she w as sick, so she was hospitalized. Ste couldn¡®t help but think of the conversation she had heard between Weston and Ben. That man was reluctant to make Guinevere pay the price, so naturally, he wouldn¡®t tell anyone that she was a kidnapper and murderer. She lowered her eyes, restrained her expression, and replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡®s toote to be bothering you...¡± ¡°What are you even saying, miss? If you want to eat, just tell me. After all, that¡®s why I¡®m here.¡± They¡®d been living for quite some time, so a bond had formed between them. She wouldn¡®t treat Joan like a servant but as a part of her own family, especially since Ste was very easy to get along with Joan could feel Ste¡®s respect for her, and she naturally paid more attention to her. ¡°I don¡®t even know why you guys moved out suddenly. You live in that apartment, and there¡®s no one around to care for you... I¡®m worried I haven¡®t cared for you well.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Steforted her. ¡°It¡®s just that.¡­¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She paused before looking in Weston¡®s direction and smiled with some embarrassment. ¡°We wanted to have our personal space. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Hearing this, Joan immediately understood what she meant. ¡°Yes. Of course, I understand.¡± Weston was looking at his documents, and when Ste said this, he shot her a nce. She shifted her eyes as if a little shy when they met gazes. Sure enough, even if she couldn¡®t see Weston¡®s expression, she could feel his mood shift. He was happy. ¡°Joan, please stop...¡± Ste pleaded in embarrassment. ¡°Fine. I won¡®t. Ms. E, you¡®re shy, aren¡®t you!¡± As she spoke, she teased , ¡°Perhaps I shall soon call you The minute her words ended, there was an awkward silence. Ste was quiet. The mood in the room shifted. Her words had hit a critical point between the two: their marriage. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Joan carefully looked at Weston¡®s face, and seeing how silent he¡®d be, she quickly attempted to s mooth things out. ¡°You both share such a good rtionship. Those things are actually unnecessary...¡± Ste was looking at Weston¡®s face, too, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She pursed her lips and suddenly said, ¡°Of course it¡®s different. It¡®s just that certain people don¡¯t want to marry me.¡± As she spoke, she shot him a ming gaze. Clearly, she knew that she was walking on a tight rope. But at that moment, she could only bet on it. Weston put down the documents in his hand. Ste couldn¡®t decipher the emotions on his face. But she could tell that he wasn¡®t against it. After a while, he walked over to Ste and took the bowl from her hand. ¡°Haven¡®t I already married you?¡± Joan thought he was joking, so she breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°Yeah! It¡®s no different from marriage if Mr. Ford spoils Ms. E so much!¡± Ste merely smiled. She knew that Weston meant something else. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The man scooped a bowl of soup and waited until it was no longer hot before feeding it to her mouth. T hen, seeing that she was eating, he turned to Joan and said,¡± It¡®s gettingte. I¡®ll get the driver to send you home.¡± Joan immediately understood and stood up. ¡°I¡®ll head home now. If Ms. E has any cravings, just tell me!¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay. Be careful on the road.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. E, Mr. Ford!¡± After she left, only the two of them were left in the ward. Weston patiently fed her. Ste cooperated andy in his arms as she ate the food. The man pinched the tip of her nose. ¡°It seems that you like this. Next time I¡®ll learn from Joan, so I don¡®t have to ask her toe over in the middle of the night.¡± Ste was a little surprised. ¡°You know how to cook?¡± With his abilities, it wasn¡®t a surprise. But she knew that he liked it when she was amazed by him. As predicted, Weston smiled and continued feeding her. His mood lightened up a lot. After eating, he continued reading the documents. He had been hovering around Ste these days and had neglected work at thepany. Seeing this, she put her arm around him and forbade him to go. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me a little longer in times like these?¡± She frowned, very dissatisfied. Weston lowered his head and kissed her ear. ¡°I¡®lle to you after I¡®ve d Ste looked unhappy. ¡°As soon as you start working, you won¡®t even notice me...¡± Weston looked steadily at her, reaching out and caressing her head. ¡°You¡®re different than before.¡± They had a one¨Cyear agreement before this, and Ste tried her best to show her love for him. But no matter what, there would be traces of fakery. Her ident this time was because of their fight. He initially thought it would take a while to repair the rtionship, but he didn¡®t expect that she would be different from before when she woke up. Ste¡®s eyes flickered, and she suddenly sighed. She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest. ¡°Can¡®t you see?¡± She took his big palm and put it on her heart. ¡°I want to start over with you... um...¡± The moment she finished , her chin was suddenly lifted, and a pair of lipsnded on hers. Chapter 794 Chapter 794 Chapter 794 The intense wave of emotions that coursed through her veins almost drowned Ste. Weston exerted a little force, pried her mouth open, and stuck his tongue inside. Ste pushed his chest weakly, trying to push him away, but the man grabbed her wrist and held them together. Pushing them behind her, he kissed her harder. She could tell how excited he was from the strength he was exerting His overwhelming enthusiasm swept over her, and the heat from his body invaded every spot on her skin. He was kissing with so much force that it hurt her. ¡°Uh...Weston...¡± Ste whimpered and called out his name, almost out of breath. He let go of her. But his forehead was still pressed against hers as he let her take some breaths. After a while, he squeezed her chin and kissed her again, as though moment just now was just to let her rest and not really to let her go. This time, his kisses lingered longer, and they still carried an irresistible dominance. He wrapped her whole body in his arms, hugged her closely, but kissed her tenderly. He treated her like a fragile jewel, yet he couldn¡®t wait to put his mark on every part of her body. He did indeed possess the ability to manipte, as he gave off a detached, yet contradictory lure. Her face was crimson, and she couldn¡®t adjust her breathing Seeing this, Westonughed. ¡°It¡®s only been a while, yet you can¡®t take in any more?¡± Ste pursed her lips and red at him. ¡°What do you mean by a while? You¡®ve been kissing me for ten minutes...¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡®t know Mrs. Ford was counting the time.¡± She clenched her hand into a fist and punched him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡®t talk about it.¡± He liked to see her shy. He chuckled lightly and clenched her fist in the palm of his hand. He was in a good mood. When Mrs. Zhang was here just now, he didn¡®t show his emotions, so it was hard to tell. Now, she was sure that he was indeed thrilled. It seemed like she¡®d made the correct bet. She had a smile on her face, but in her mind, she was thinking about how to make him believe in herself more. ¡°You haven¡®t answered my question ,¡± Ste reminded him. Her face had be very red, especially considering how pale she looked earlier, having just recovere her look beautiful. ¡°What did you ask me just now?¡± Weston pressed his forehead on hers, his eyes wandering over her face, unwilling to miss even the slightest undtion. The thing he wanted to do most now was to kiss her. Kiss every part of her body. His body was filled with tight tension as if suppressing something Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste¡®s current body wasn¡®t suitable for some intense exercise, so he could only kiss her again and again. She also felt the tension under his muscles. His eyes were hazy, and hisshes drooped slightly. She opened her mouth slightly, and heat came out as she spoke, ¡°I ask you... Let¡®s start over, okay?¡± After a long while, Weston pulled her into his arms, which hurt her a little. ¡°Okay.¡± Ste heard him. She perhaps didn¡®t know that he had been waiting for this question for ages. Weston ced his hands on the back of her head and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡®s start over.¡± Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Chapter 795 After recuperating in the hospital for a few days, Ste demanded to be discharged. Weston disagreed initially, but it was tough to say no to her spoiled¨Cchild antics. He was already a simp for her coquettish acts, but now that she was staring at him with red and pitiful eyes, he naturally followed whatever she wanted. Moreover, being discharged from the hospital wasn¡®t an excessive requirement with her current conditio n. With him by her side, no one would be allowed to harm her. Ben also saw that he seemed a little too indulgent on Ste recently. Although he didn¡®t say it, it seemed he would¡®ve picked the stars in the sky for her if that was what she wanted. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ben, however, felt that something seemed off. After all, Ste should have been bothered about Guinevere . But Weston didn¡®t exin anything and let her go. Ste should¡®ve supposedly made a fuss... But she didn¡®t seem to care much. But he felt a woman couldn¡®t be so generous about this kind of thing! There were many times when he wanted to remind Weston. But seeing the rxed look he had never h ad, Ben swallowed all those words. He has been by Weston¡®s side for many years and has never seen him so happy. All the employees in thepany felt that the atmosphere had been much better recently, and the vibe had be very rxed. Ben knew that this was obviously because of Ste. If the boss were happy, the employees would be rxed too. Although Weston promised Ste that she could be discharged from the hospital, he was still worried about her body and strictly restricted her from traveling. Of course, it was also more likely that the kidnappingst time made Weston even more on guard. The point was, Ste was almost bored to death staying at home. Besides, Weston had been getting off work earlier and earlier every day. Since the doctor said they were allowed to have sex, the man no longer hid his true nature. The earlier he came home, theter she would wake up. It was miserable getting pushed back and forth on the bed. Today was no different. She was initially in her small workshop, watching a moviefortably when she heard the gate unlocki ng ¨C Ste subconsciously wrapped herself in her little nket tightly. At the entrance. As soon as Weston opened the door, he saw a fluffy ball dashing straight into his arms. He subconsciously reached his hand to catch her and held her in his arms. ¡°Be careful.¡± There was a hint of me in his tone, but his arms were sincere as they hugged her tightly. Ste hugged his waist, raised her head, and smiled at him. ¡°Youe back so early every day recently The man raised his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡®t worry. Even if thepany shuts down, I will be able to support you.¡± Suddenly, she looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°Seriously though, is there any chance of yourpany going ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Weston picked her up with one hand, took off his suit jacket , and threw it on the porch beside him, weighing her. ¡°Not bad. You gained some weight.¡± Now a little higher than him, she held his face and looked at him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ford, for feeding metely. I seem to have gained a lot of weight.¡± ¡°You feel good.¡± He pinched her cheeks. She smiled and pried away his hand. ¡°Don¡®t touch.¡± The man changed his hand and switched her on his other arm to hold her. ¡°Wha Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Chapter 796 When it was all over, Ste was soaking wet from head to toe, most of it sweat. Panting, she copsed onto Weston¡®s chest, trying to catch her breath. Even Weston was still a little short of breath. He rested one hand on her back while the other was gently stroking her ck hair. There was obviously a huge difference in their stamina because , at this point, Ste was so exhausted she couldn¡®t even lift a finger. All she could do was lie quietly on his chest, utterly drained of energy. The window was left ajar. The breeze that was blowing outside chilled the night. A gust of wind sneaked into the room through the window slit. Ste shut her eyes and shivered. With one hand firmly on her back, Weston turned her over and ced her down snugly on the bed. She then got up and walking over to the window to shut it. Under the silvery moonlight , Ste could still make out the scratch marks she left on Weston¡®s back. He waspletely nude when he got out of bed, and his tall Herculean build waspletely exposed, laying bare his defined andpact muscles. He seemed to be glistening in the pale, silvery light. Ste caught herself staring, so she shut her eyes hastily and blurted, ¡°How could you just get out of bed buck naked like that?! Aren¡®t you worried that people will see you?¡± Weston got back into bed and pulled her into his arms. His hands were starting to wander down Ste¡®s body¡­ ¡°If I put on some clothes now, I¡®ll have to take them off again, anyway, so why should I bother?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ste turned to him with pleading eyes. ¡°Let¡®s not do it anymore, okay? I¡®m so tired and sleepy now... Let¡®s just go to sleep...¡± But Weston¡®s fingers were already inside her. ¡°No,¡± he answered. Ste was speechless... It was already past midnight when they were done. Ste had no energy left in her body, not even to take a bath. As Weston carried her into the bathroom, she found it difficult to even keep her eyes open, so she merely gave him a cursory nce before falling back to sleep. She was just that exhausted. She wondered where Weston got all the energy from. He had been working all day, yet he still had the strength to ravish her all night. But right now she had no time toin about any of these things, so she just quietly let him tuck her into bed under a thickyer of nkets. Weston did not lie down next to her. Instead, he sat down on the bed and watched her fall asleep from exhaustion. He swept strands of hair behind her ear to reveal that wless face of hers. She was still flushed red even as she was in deep sleep. Weston reached a hand under the nket and rested his palm on her t belly. Ste instinctively arched her body against it as his warmth transferred onto her smooth skin. He leaned down and nted a kiss on her forehead, then gazed fixedly at her. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a tiny velvet box that housed a diamond ring. He picked it up and slid it on her ring finger. ¡°Marry me.¡± His voice rang clearly in the silent night. As expected, Ste got up veryte the next day. She was still in a daze of sleep as she opened her eyes and checked the time on her phone. It was already noon. The sun hung high in the sky. Ste closed her eyes and felt the soreness that still gued her whole body. She tossed her phone aside and sighed softly as she massaged her wrists before pushing the nket away and hopping out of bed. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Weston was no longer there. Lately he had been leaving home early every day like clockwork. Ste marveled at his stamina, especially since he would soon be thirty years old, yet his busy schedule seemed to take no toll on him at all. She was nowpletely alone in the apartment. Except for the times when someone woulde around to do the cleaning, there was basically no one else here except Ste and Weston. She remembered telling Joan that she wished to have privacy and live alone with Weston, and now Weston had given her exactly what she wanted ¨Ca ce where there were only the two of them. Ste had to admit that she found the arrangement much to her liking. The movie was about to be released any time now. Apart from some promotional events that she had to participate in, Ste pretty much had all of her time to herself. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Ste stood in front of the mirror by the sink, brushing her teeth and washing her face. She couldn¡®t help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. She sighed, stretched, and yawned. That was when she noticed something strange ¡ª there was a ring on her finger! Ste put her toothbrush down and stared agape at the diamond ring. When did it get there? She stood there unmoving for a long while, thoughts racing in her mind before she finally came to a realization that it was probably Weston who put it on her fingerst night, even though she had no recollection of it happening at all. Weston had been... Savage with herst night. She didn¡®t even remember when she fell asleep. The discovery of the ring gave her mixed feelings. She took it off and left it on the bathroom counter before going about her day, no longer wanting to think about it. Then she received a text message from Weston telling her that he¡®d already prepared her breakfast and kept it in the fridge. Ste then replied with a sweet message to him, but even if the message itself was affectionate , the real expression on her face at the time was stony and stolid. She tossed her phone aside and ate her breakfast. Then she went back to the bathroom and put the ring back on her finger before taking a picture of it and sending it to Weston. ¡°Strange,¡± wrote the message that apanied the photo. ¡°I woke up and suddenly found a ring on my finger!¡± Weston¡®s phone vibrated in the middle of a meeting. His eyes darted towards it, and after ncing at the screen, a smile crept across his face. The person giving him a report was startled . He didn¡®t even dare to breathe. Why did Mr. Ford smile all of a sudden? What did it mean? Was he being sarcastic about it? Meanwhile, Ben had noticed it too, but he instantly understood what was happening. No one else in the world could make Weston smile like that. He gestured to the person presenting his report to keep going and don¡®t be distracted. When the meeting was over, Weston¡®s private life usually became the hot topic of discussion, especially among those in the secretary¡®s office. ¡°Did you notice that the boss seems to be in a really good moodtely?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± another replied, ¡°perhaps we¡®ll be hearing some good news soon!¡± ¡°What do you mean? Is he getting married?¡± ¡°But wasn¡®t he already married to that famous actress?¡± argued another employee whose office was a little further from Weston¡®s than the rest. ¡°I think her name is Guinevere Cohen, right?¡± ¡°I see that none of you have any idea!¡± sneered another employee who was one of Weston¡®s secretaries. She was standing in front of the restroom mirror, fixing her lipstick. ¡°Mr. Ford had broken up with Guinevere Cohen a long time ago! He¡®s currently with another woman. He even brought her here before!¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± The revtion had caused a stir among the group. Most of them were still skeptical, though. ¡°But they have a child together, don¡®t they? When exactly did they break up?¡± ¡°What¡®s so strange about that? Mr. Ford isn¡®t even thirty yet! It¡®s totally normal for him to break up or get a divorce!¡± ¡°That may be true, but surely it¡®s different when they have a child together, right?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So what if they have a child together? Normal people get divorced even when they have children together all the time. It wouldn¡®t surprise me one bit if people like Mr. Ford and Guinevere Cohen did it too!¡± ¡°But Guinevere Cohen always seems so in love with our president! I remember her saying in an interview that their whole family was going on a vacation together. She even kind of implied that they were very much in love with each other!¡± ¡°Well, aren¡®t all superstars like that? They¡®ve got a public image to maintain after all!¡± ¡°Are you really sure about this?¡± The others remained incredulous. ¡°Maybe Mr. Ford is thrilled right now because Guinevere Cohen is pregnant again!¡± ¡°Ugh, believe whatever you like! I don¡®t care!¡± The group went on to discuss the matter when someone suddenly emerged from one of the toilet booths and gave them a cold hard re. ¡°Stop wasting your time gossipping and talking nonsense!¡± she barked. ¡°If you had so much time, why don¡®t you think about how to do better at your job and make fewer mistakes so you can go home earlier?¡± Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Everyone instantly fell silent. Nobody argued with Daisy. They used to discuss all these things with her in the past, but things were different now. Daisy was now Xavier Ford¡¯s girlfriend, after all. Daisy herself seemed to have changed¨C she gave off the impression that she held the same position as thepany¡®s second¨Cin¨C command, Wendy Ford. As time went by, the other employees in the secretarial office no longer regarded her as a colleague bu t as one of their bosses. Unsurprisingly, as soon as she appeared, the others immediately mmed up and scattered back to their respective offices. Alone, Daisy strode towards the sink and sshed water onto her face. She let out a long sigh, her face echoing the knotted frustrations she was feeling. As Xavier¡®s girlfriend , she was fully aware that Weston had indeed broken up with Guinevere Cohen. S till, she just felt inexplicably... embittered. She had always presumed that no matter how much Weston liked E, he would never break up with Guinevere Cohen because the difference in their social standing was just too immense to ignore. After all, men never prioritized love a nd romance the way women did ¨C they always separated the emotional matters from the matters of benefits and interests. Daisy had always been sure that no matter how much Weston loved E, he would never do anything that wo uld bring more harm than benefits to himself. Yet, to her surprise, Weston would do such a thing as breaking his engagement to Guinevere Cohen, thus spoiling his rtionship with the gr eat Cohen family, just because of E... In that case, didn¡®t it mean that she herself had a chance with him too? Meanwhile, in a cozy but elegantly furnished cafe, Ste was sitting across Wendy at a table. She had never liked drinking coffee. She hated its bitter taste. Yet, the more she tried it, the more she warmed up to it. She could even drink a cup of ck coffee without anyints now. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡®ve heard everything about what happened between you and Gwen.¡± Wendy took a sip from her coffee and put the cup down on the saucer. ¡°Still,¡± she sighed, ¡°I never expected her to be capable of doing such a horrible thing.¡± Although the truth was not known by the public because the Cohen family had aggressively suppresse d the cirction of the news, the two families involved knew perfectly well who had ordered the kidnapping of E Steele. ¡°It¡®s all in the past now,¡± Ste responded with a nk face, pursing her li ps. She sounded as if she no longer minded it, but Wendy could sense that there was still a trace of resentment in her heart. ¡°How has Weston been treating youtely?¡± she asked, wishing to change the subject. ¡°He¡®s been treating me well.¡± ¡°That¡®s good to hear,¡± Wendy replied. ¡°To tell you the truth, I actually like you more than Gwen.¡± ¡°You are my goddaughter now,¡± she continued , ¡°but it doesn¡®t really mean anything in the greater sche me of things. If only you could really join the Ford family, that would be great, wouldn¡®t it?¡± Ste said nothing. She picked up her cup and sipped her coffee. ¡°So, how is Zach doing?¡± she asked, suddenly bringing up Weston and Guinevere¡®s child. Wendy was initially startled, but she then smiled and understood what Ste was implying. ¡°Zach had been with his nannies all daytely,¡± she told Ste. ¡°The Cohen family doesn¡®t seem to be that interested in him. Not even his own mother had paid much attention to him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Ste, puzzled. ¡°But judging by how much she loves Weston, shouldn¡®t she be doting on that?¡°. ¡°I wouldn¡®t say shepletely ignored Zach ,¡± Wendy shrugged. ¡°She would y the affectionate mummy¡®s role whenever it benefited her, but as soon as Zach was useless to her, s aside as if he¡®d never existed.¡± She paused, then, with a meaningful smile, added, ¡°If you were to be Zach¡®s mother instead, I¡®m sure you¡®d do a much better job...¡± Ste smiled and made noments. Her mind seemed to be preupied¡­ She stroked the diamond finger as her mind wandered. It urred to her that perhaps the only way to extinguish the desires in W That same day, an unknown woman turned up at the Ford Corporation headquarters. Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Chapter 799 The unknown woman had made a request to meet Weston Ford, but she had no appointments with him, nor had her name ever been in the registrations. The receptionist eyed her suspiciously. ¡°Mr. Ford is in a meeting at the moment,¡± she informed her. ¡°If you haven¡®t made an appointment with him, I¡®m afraid I can¡®t let you in...¡± ¡°Can you just tell him that I¡®m here, then?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Well...¡± the receptionist hesitated. ¡°Why don¡¯t you contact Mr. Ford yourself?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Okay,¡± replied the woman, no longer wishing to trouble the receptionist. ¡°I¡®ll wait for him outside.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the receptionist sighed in relief. ¡°The waiting area for guests is over there.¡± As the woman walked away, the receptionist gazed at her with curiosity. There had never been any bea utiful young womaning here and asking to meet Weston Ford before. Sure, Guinevere Cohen had been here many times, and there had been sessful businesswomen who hade for meetings with the president as well. Weston Ford, however, had never fooled around with women like the other rich men. It was why this woman¡®s sudden appearance was especially dubious. She had to be cautious, just in case. Meanwhile , Ste picked up her phone and stared at it. She had wanted to give Weston a call, but hearing from the receptionist that he was still in a meeting, she thought it best to just wait and not interrupt his work. ¨C ¨C She was here to give him a surprise anyway, so if she called him now, the surprise would be totally spoiled. With that in mind, she settled on the sofa in the waiting area for guests and waited for Weston while caressing the ring on her finger. Daisy had just finishedpiling her documents, and she wasing out of the conference room when she recognized a familiar figure from afar. It was E Steele. She stopped in her tracks. She wondered why that woman would be here. In fact, she even looked like she was barred from going inside by the receptionist. Daisy didn¡®t approach E and asked her directly. Instead, she found out what happened from the receptionist. Hearing what had transpired, she could guess that E was trying to give Weston a surprise. Mixed feelings arose in her heart. She wasn¡®t exactly sure what she felt, but she realized she was nothing like E. She would never do such a frivolous thing if it had been up to her. She had always been a rational and sensible person. As Weston¡®s secretary, she made sure never to do anything pointless and idiotic. Had she been Weston¡®s girlfriend, she would¡®ve never acted as foolishly and childishly as E did. ¡°Do you know this woman?¡± asked the receptionist. Daisy considered it for a while and shook her head. ¡°I¡®ve never seen her before,¡± she said. ¡°Anyway, she has no appointments with the boss, so it¡®s best that we don¡®t let her in, just in case.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the receptionist nodded. ¡°I got it.¡± Ste was starting to get bored sitting on the sofa. She checke that Daisy had spotted her, but to her surprise, Daisy looked away after ncing at her, leaving as if she didn¡®t recognize her. But Ste was confident that Daisy saw her just now. Why did she act like she didn¡®t? Or was she mistak She thought about it. She had indeed not been getting along very well with Xavier Ford, but she had never had any problems with Daisy before, except the time they were in Zeta¡®s office. But even then, Ste had been clearly attacking Xavier, not Daisy. Ste massaged her temples and decided not to give the matter another thought. Daisy was just a stranger to her, after all. B the time she was able to leave Weston, she¡®d have absolutely no ties with any of these people. She checked the time again and thought she¡®d better not just waste her time waiting. She reached into her bag and grabbed her tablet. S down some notes on it. Not long afterward , she was distracted by a hunch that someone was standing in front of her. She put her tablet away and looked up. Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Chapter 800 When Ste finally recognized the face that had appeared in front of her, she smiled. ¡°Oh!¡± she eximed. ¡°It¡®s you!¡± ¡°What are you doing here, Miss Steele?¡± Ben was initially surprised, but he became slightly embarrassed when he noticed the expressions on Ste¡®s face. ¡°Did you think that I was Mr. Ford?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡®s still in a meeting right now. I came down to get som e documents for him. How about waiting for him in his office instead, Miss Steele?¡± The receptionist sprang to her feet when she saw Ben politely addressing the woman and held her breath in terror. She had assumed that the woman was suspicious when even Daisy didn¡®t know her, but judging from how Ben treated her; she must be someone really special to Mr. Ford. Did she just make a terrible mistake not letting her in? But Ste had no intention to cause the receptionist any trouble. ¡°Don¡®t tell Weston that I¡®ll be waiting for him in his office, okay? I want to give him a surprise!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Ben without any hesitation, He was sure that Weston would be fine with it, in fact, as things stood, even if Ste wanted Weston to get her the stars in the sky, Ben was sure th at Weston would do anything in his power to get them for her or dle trying Today was the first time Ste came to Weston¡®s office on her own ord. Ben had shown her into the office and left. Now all alone, she sat down in his chair and slowly closed her eyes. For some reason , Weston¡®s office chair felt, unlike any other chair she had ever sat on. It made her fee l as if she was on top of the world. She immensely enjoyed the feeling. With her eyes closed, she swiveled the chair back and forth and swung her legs without a care in the world until the chair suddenly stopped moving. Ste could feel the presence of someone else close by. She detected a scent, a familiar scent that could only belong to Weston. He smelled clean with a hint of coldness. A smile cropped up on her face before she could control herself, but she still would not open her eyes. She knew exactly who was there with her, but she pretended to be asleep. The next thing she knew, Weston pinned her against the chair¡¯s backrest and kissed her ravenously. He was forceful and unyielding. Ste felt like she was being sucked into a vortex where there was nothing she could do to escape. ¡°Weston...¡± she moaned andined , wishing to get away from him. Weston pulled away, only for him to return again a secondter as he kissed her just as greedily as he did before. Ste tried to turn away from him, but as his lips parted, his hot breath enveloped her face, and she couldn¡®t get away from him no matter how hard she tried. Sensing that she would soon be out of breath, Weston slowly let go of her. He raised her chin and whispered in her ear, ¡°Say my name.¡± ¡°...What?¡± His raw passion was evident and too powerful for her to handle. She reached out her hand and grabbed his necktie. ¡°No!¡± she pleaded. ¡°Don¡®t do this¡­¡± Weston took hold of her wrists and raised her arms above her head. His wristwatch felt stone cold as it pressed against her skin. ¡°Say my name,¡± he repeated. The coldness of his watch contrasted with the heat Weston chuckled under his breath before pulling her back towards him. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you wanted to give me a surprise ?¡± He teased her. ¡°Why are you shying away from me now?¡± Ste became clear¨Cheaded for a moment, and she grumbled, ¡°I told Ben to keep it a secret! Why did he tell you about it?¡± ¡°Did you forget that he works for me?¡± Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Weston swept Ste¡®s hair away from her face and kissed her again. ¡°Weston...¡± Ste grumbled in a muffled voice. ¡°Not here Pretty sure what he was about to do, she wanted to stop him. Weston stood up and peered down at her. ¡°Call me something else,¡± he demanded. ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± Ste blinked at him in confusion. ¡°Take a guess.¡± ¡°...Mr. Ford?¡± Weston leaned down and pinched her chin, causing her to yelp in pain. ¡°...darling?¡± She took another guess. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Better,¡± Weston replied, though he still looked unsatisfied. He picked her up from the chair and seated her on hisp. He sped a hand behind her head and held her close so their foreheads touched. ¡°Try again,¡± he coaxed. Ste¡¯s eyes shed. She thought of how he put a diamond ring on her finger without her knowledgest night and had an idea. ¡°...hubby?¡± she murmured breathily. As soon as she spoke, her lips were covered by his. He explored her hungrily with his tongue, almost as if he was about to sw allow her whole. Weston pinned her down onto his office table. He inteced his fingers between hers and gripped her tight. Then, he pulled her hand towards his lips and kissed the rin g. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. His lips had now wandered to her neck. ¡°Yes¡­¡± she answered with some difficulty as his breath against her neck tickled her. ¡°I... like it...¡± ¡°I can¡®t believe that you still remember this ring,¡± she added, her words punctuated by a few pauses. ¡°You little liar,¡± Weston taunted her. He lifted her chin so she would have to look at him in his eyes. ¡°You knew all along that I bought this ring, didn¡®t you? You¡®ve just been pretending not to notice it.¡± Ste looked away and grumbled, ¡°You should be the one to take the initiative in these kinds of things anyway...¡± ¡°Surely you must know my real intentions by now,¡± he said, squeezing her fingers. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know anything about that,¡± she denied, turning defiantly away from him. ¡°Then you must be an idiot,¡± he sneered. He took her hands, raised them up to his lips, and nted little kisses on them. ¡°If you can¡®t figure out such an obvious thing, then what am I ever going to do with you, hmm?¡± ¡°If you¡®re not even willing to spell it out clearly,¡± she argued, ¡°then how can I be sure about your intentions?¡± Weston fell silent. He leaned down, and as their foreheads touched, he pinched the tip of her nose. ¡°I thought the surprise that you would give me today was an answer to my questionst night.¡± Ste had slept very soundlyst night. When Weston asked her to marry him, he could only see her e yelids tremble slightly before falling back to sleep again. Nevertheless , he was sure that she had heard him. She simply didn¡®t want to give him an answer yet. Hisrge hands moved up till they rested on her shoulders. ¡°Think about it and then give me an answer. He then went down on her hard, exerting on her a violent kiss that she could not escape from. Sensing his rising passion, Ste began to panic. ¡°Stop! We are at the office!¡± she shouted. ¡°My office,¡± he corrected her. ¡°No onees in here without my permission.¡± ¡°But you just had a meeting just now! What if someonees in to give you a report?¡± Weston grabbed her hands and held them firmly behind her back. ¡°They¡®re all my employees anyway. They wouldn¡®t dare say anything about it.¡± ¡°But I don¡®t want anyone to see me in this state...¡± ¡°Oh? Is the future Mrs. Ford worried about her image already?¡± Ste blushed fiercely. ¡°I haven¡®t agreed to marry you yet.¡± Weston¡®s heart sank. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body close so she would lea if not me, hmm?¡± Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Chapter 801 Weston swept Ste¡®s hair away from her face and kissed her again. ¡°Weston...¡± Ste grumbled in a muffled voice. ¡°Not here Pretty sure what he was about to do, she wanted to stop him. Weston stood up and peered down at her. ¡°Call me something else,¡± he demanded. ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± Ste blinked at him in confusion. ¡°Take a guess.¡± ¡°...Mr. Ford?¡± Weston leaned down and pinched her chin, causing her to yelp in pain. ¡°...darling?¡± She took another guess. ¡°Better,¡± Weston replied, though he still looked unsatisfied. He picked her up from the chair and seated her on hisp. He sped a hand behind her head and held her close so their foreheads touched. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Try again,¡± he coaxed. Ste¡¯s eyes shed. She thought of how he put a diamond ring on her finger without her knowledgest night and had an idea. ¡°...hubby?¡± she murmured breathily. As soon as she spoke, her lips were covered by his. He explored her hungrily with his tongue, almost as if he was about to sw allow her whole. Weston pinned her down onto his office table. He inteced his fingers between hers and gripped her tight. Then, he pulled her hand towards his lips and kissed the rin g. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. His lips had now wandered to her neck. ¡°Yes¡­¡± she answered with some difficulty as his breath against her neck tickled her. ¡°I... like it...¡± ¡°I can¡®t believe that you still remember this ring,¡± she added, her words punctuated by a few pauses. ¡°You little liar,¡± Weston taunted her. He lifted her chin so she would have to look at him in his eyes. ¡°You knew all along that I bought this ring, didn¡®t you? You¡®ve just been pretending not to notice it.¡± Ste looked away and grumbled, ¡°You should be the one to take the initiative in these kinds of things anyway...¡± ¡°Surely you must know my real intentions by now,¡± he said, squeezing her fingers. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know anything about that,¡± she denied, turning defiantly away from him. ¡°Then you must be an idiot,¡± he sneered. He took her hands, raised them up to his lips, and nted little kisses on them. ¡°If you can¡®t figure out such an obvious thing, then what am I ever going to do with you, hmm?¡± ¡°If you¡®re not even willing to spell it out clearly,¡± she argued, ¡°then how can I be sure about your intentions?¡± Weston fell silent. He leaned down, and as their foreheads touched, he pinched the tip of her nose. ¡°I thought the surprise that you would give me today was an answer to my questionst night.¡± Ste had slept very soundlyst night. When Weston asked her to marry him, he could only see her e yelids tremble slightly before falling back to sleep again. Nevertheless , he was sure that she had heard him. She simply didn¡®t want to give him an answer yet. Hisrge hands moved up till they rested on her shoulders. ¡°Think about it and then give me an answer. He then went down on her hard, exerting on her a violent kiss that she could not escape from. Sensing his rising passion, Ste began to panic. ¡°Stop! We are at the office!¡± she shouted. ¡°My office,¡± he corrected her. ¡°No onees in here without my permission.¡± ¡°But you just had a meeting just now! What if someonees in to give you a report?¡± Weston grabbed her hands and held them firmly behind her back. ¡°They¡®re all my employees anyway. They wouldn¡®t dare say anything about it.¡± ¡°But I don¡®t want anyone to see me in this state...¡± ¡°Oh? Is the future Mrs. Ford worried about her image already?¡± Ste blushed fiercely. ¡°I haven¡®t agreed to marry you yet.¡± Weston¡®s heart sank. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body close so she would lea if not me, hmm?¡± Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Chapter 803 The new international project signaled Ford Corporation¡®s rise in the near future, not just as the most powerful organization in the country but also as a major yer in the international market. Because of that, new customers flooded in when the news of the project broke out. In other words, Weston could not afford to turn these businessmen away ¨C he was obliged to treat them well. ¡°Let them in,¡± he finally decided after a long consideration. Ste¡®s eyes widened in disbelief. She red at Weston. What was he thinking, letting the guests in wh en she was still down here?! N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Weston seemed to be able to guess what was on Ste¡®s mind. He reached down and patted her head to reassure her, but to his surprise , she pped his hand away and even bit his finger. ¡°Ow!¡± Weston groaned under his breath. He grimaced and pinched her cheek as a warning not to do th at again. Daisy noticed his strange expression and asked, ¡°What¡®s wrong, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Weston with a straight face. ¡°You can let them in now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford...¡± Shortly afterward, a group of people¨C foreign businessmen and some other partners of Ford Corporation¨Centered the office. Ste had nned to sneak out once Daisy left, but to her dismay, there was not much time between Daisy¡®s exit and the entrepreneurs ¡® entrance. As soon as she tried to step out from under the desk, she could hear the approaching footsteps from the door. Resigned, she settled back down under the desk and waited there quietly. Weston shot her a quick nce and had to suppress hisughter when he saw her crestfallen look. Ste noticed this, and it gave her a naughty idea. She crawled on her knees towards Weston and bit one of his fingers dangling under the desk. Weston frowned and smacked her head lightly. He never knew that she could be this fiendish. But as h e looked down, all he could see was Ste kneeling quietly under the desk while gazing up at him with big, innocent eyes. This time, Daisy was sure that she heard a suspicious sound. Even everyone else in the room could tell that something was going on. ¡°Is there something under the desk, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Weston denied, withdrawing his hands from under the desk. ¡°It¡®s just a cat.¡± ¡°A cat?¡± one of the guests responded in astonishment. ¡°I never knew that Mr. Ford was a cat person!¡± Daisy joined in theughter too. ¡°Why have I never heard that Mr. Ford is the kind that likes cats?¡± shemented. The overly familiar tone she was using roused some suspicions in St e. ¡°You¡®re only my secretary,¡± Weston replied bluntly as he flipped through a document. ¡°It¡®spletely no rmal that you don¡®t know much about me.¡± Daisy¡®s expressions quickly turned sour. Fortunately, most of the guests were foreigners. They paid no mind to this small talk and went straight down to business. The topic soon turned to the uing project. Ste started to get a little restless because they were d the details of their project , which should be confidential. She felt like a criminal in a ce where she sho But in a few moments, even she was distracted by their fascinating conversation. She couldn¡®t help but listen in with curiosity. Still, they spoke in technical terms and Jargon she couldn¡®t understand . This really wasn¡®t her fleld of expertise, and she could barelyprehend a word that they were saying. Besides, most of the guests hade from different countries. She was fairly good in French, but she didn¡®t know any German words. What amazed Ste the most was that Weston almo need any help from the interpreters, confidently switching between threenguages with fluency and ease. She was especially impressed with his German. No wonder people often said that men were most charismatic when they were hard at work. With her chin resting on one hand, she listened to their conversation quietly for a while until another cheeky idea popped up in her head. She looked at the pair of long legs in front of her and reached out a hand to grab at his pants. Then she gave it a gentle tug. Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Sometimes, Ste was truly dumbstruck by Weston. And right now was one of those instances. As she was ying with his pants, she inadvertently lifted up the hem and exposed his socks. She was surprised to find that even his socks were of high quality and loo ked elegant. How meticulous could this man be? Sensing her movements, Weston reached down and stroked her hair, trying to soothe the naughty vixen. But Ste suddenly snatched his hand and refused to let it go. Weston frowned slightly and managed to pull his hand away with some force. He then pinched her cheek as punishment. Ste epted it and rubbed his fingers gently in res ponse. And so Weston multitasked as best as he could¨C on the one hand, he conducted a serious meeting with his partners about a multi¨Cbillion¨C dor project, and on the other, teased and yed with Ste under the desk on the other. Daisy was frantically jotting down the minutes of the meeting ¨C her work made that much more intensive, no thanks to three differentnguages being spoken in the room. But even so, she still found time to nce over at Weston from time to time. After all, Ste was not the only woman there to find that Weston was at his most charismatic and alluring when he was hard at work. Daisy was so enchanted that she found it hard to even look away from Weston. There was a short break in the meeting. Daisy took the opportunity to speak up. ¡°Would you like some coffee to freshen up, Mr. Ford?¡± As soon as she spoke , Ste could somehow sense that there was a trace of suppressed affection in Daisy¡®s voice when she spoke to Weston. She wasn¡®t sure, but it still made the smile on her face vanish. She even let go of Weston¡®s handpletely. Weston peered down at her. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes w hen he noticed her expressions. He looked up at Daisy, his face returning to its former stoniness. ¡°No, thank you.¡± Daisy¡®s eyes glimmered. She was not willing to give up just yet. ¡°Ben told me that you don¡®t like instant coffee,¡± she added enthusiastically , ¡°so I¡®ve set up a coffee machine in the secretarial office so we can make fresh¨C brewed coffee just for you. Would you like to try it?¡± Ste listened as Daisy spoke. Her eyes darted and, without warning, crawled forward and bit down hard on Weston¡®s finger. Weston was beginning to get irritated by Daisy, and he was about to respond when he felt a sharp prick hurting his finger. ¡°Ow!¡± he hissed sharply under his breath. His expressions changed visibly, and he glowered at the woman under his desk as a warning, telling her to keep it together. Ste could read his expressions, but she cheekily raised her eyebrows to taunt him further. The two of them locked eyes for a few moments, but the rest of the party had no idea of Ste¡®s presence under the desk, so they presumed that Weston was getting angry for some reason. They all looked at each other restlessly in silence. Daisy was utterly dismayed. She thought that she must¡®ve somehow crossed the line and exposed her true feelings for Weston. She was so on edge that she didn¡®t dare to even breathe. What if Weston really found out that she liked him? What then? She simply shouldn¡®t have been so impetuous! Perhaps the sight of E downstairs earlier had triggered an urge topete, and that led to her loss ofposure. RUS LLL 11 SATI She paused and considered it for a moment, then said, ¡° It¡¯s been a long meeting, Mr. Ford. I¡¯m sure the guests are tired I prepare some fresh¨Cbrewed coffee for everyone?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Weston nced at her without a thread of emotion on his face. Daisy stood stiffly, waiting for his response with bated breath He ced a hand on the desk and drummed his fingers impatiently on the document in front of him. Ste took this opportunity to grab the hand that had been holding her head firmly and started to nibble at his fingers. Weston¡®s brows furrowed; his expressions turning strange. Daisy noticed this change very clearly and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, are you feeling unwell?¡± Her gaze shifted to the desk. She was sure now that there was something going on underneath it. Ste could hear Daisy¡®s encroaching footsteps. The rest of the room was dead silent. If she was to be discove Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Chapter 805 ¡°Meow!¡± Ste didn¡®t know where she found the courage to do it, but in that desperate moment, it was all that she could think of. ¡°Meow!¡± she cried again. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The sound of a cat¡®szy meow filled the office. Everyone looked around and at each other in total confusion. Even Weston, who was always so stoic, seemed to have a curious look o n his face as if trying to suppress a certain emotion. The hand on the desk was also twitching. Finally, it was a German businessman who broke the silence with hisugh. ¡°Is that your cat, Mr. Ford? Sounds just like my own little Persian! She always cries out in a soft voice, j ust like that! Everyone adores her!¡± ¡°You have a cat too?¡± Weston asked in impable German. ¡°My little one here isn¡®t a Persian, though.¡± ¡°What breed is your cat then?¡± the businessman responded with interest. ¡°She¡®s just a little mongrel,¡± Weston replied, his eyes darting toward Ste, whose face was twisted with anger. Th e sight, however, only made him smile. ¡°Is that so?¡± the businessman continued. He seemed excited to find another cat person. ¡°Well, breeds don¡® t matter anyway! All cats are adorable, aren¡®t they? Yours must be very clingy since you brought it here with you in the office!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Westonughed. ¡°She¡®s very clingy indeed!¡± He reached down and stroked Ste¡®s chin as if he was really ying with a cat. Ste red at him with fiery eyes, yet she didn¡®t dare to make a peep of sound. She couldn¡®t imagine how humiliating it would be if she were discovered now. Suddenly , the German businessman stretched his neck and tried to look under the desk with much interest. ¡°Why is it so quiet all of a sudden?¡± he asked. ¡°I wonder if I could have the honor to have a look at your beloved cat?? Weston withdrew his hand from Ste , looked straight into the businessman¡®s blue eyes, and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my cat i s very shy. She doesn¡®t like strangers at all.¡± The businessman was a little startled, but after a pause, he quietly nodded and smiled. ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°Cats are like that, aren¡®t they? They¡®re usually so affectionate and clingy, but then they get shy and timid when guests are around, though they often act as if they own the house!¡± ¡°There¡®s an old English saying, ¡± Weston interjected.¡± I¡®m not sure if you¡®re familiar with it. It goes like this...¡± His eyes shifted towards Ste and with eyebrows cheekily raised, he continued, ¡°Every cock will crow upon his own dunghill.¡± The German businessman burst intoughter. ¡°What an interesting saying!¡± he eximed. ¡°I will remember that!¡± The two of them continued to chat in fluent German. Of course, everyone else couldn¡®t really understand Shortly afterward, Weston deftly turned the topic back to business, and the cat was never mentioned ag The meeting was over, but Daisy was still staring at the area under the desk with a head full of doubt. Sh squinted at it in silence until her eyes suddenly met with Weston¡®s. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she blurted in panic. ¡°I¡®ll gopile all the necessary documents...¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Weston tossed his pen on his desk and gestured, ¡°You can go now.¡± Daisy pursed her lips and turned around. She exited, closed the door behind her, and returned to her office. The second she left, Weston reached down and pulled the woman who was still ying with his pants up onto hisp. ¡°Stop ying with my pants...¡± he murmured as he nuzzled against her neck, his hot breath blowing in her ear instead...¡± Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Chapter 806 A glint shed past Ste¡®s eyes. ...y with him? He¡¯d always been the one to take the lead. Now that she thought about it, she had never tried taking the lead before. It left her to wonder what things would be like, if she were to take the initiative for a change. ¡°Weston¡­¡± Something changed in her eyes as she tugged his tie and pulled him closer. ¡°Are you sure you want to y?¡± He lowered his eyes and looked at her. A cheeky smile broke across her petite face, clearly indicating that she had some tricks up her sleeve. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Weston cupped her cheeks, and his calloused fingers rubbed across his fair, dewy skin. ¡°Let me see w hat you¡®ve got.¡± Ste suddenly turned solemn as she turned around to press him against the desk she was originally trapped under. ¡°Shhh.¡± Her long, lithe arms wrapped around his as she lifted her head and brushed her nose against the corner of his lips.¡° From this second on, don¡®t move.¡± Ste said domineeringly, ¡°Don¡®t doubt my actions, and don¡®t speak unless I tell you.¡± With that, she tugged the tie off his neck. It was a ck tie with intricate gold patterns. Weston often used such understated luxury essories, and his ssy taste was indeed infectious. Be it style or material, his essories were the best that money could buy. Ste wrapped the tie around her hand multiple times.¡± Stretch out your hands.¡± She knelt on the office chair which was in front of him. Her petite body waspletely unable to block Weston¡®s fit and towering figure. Yet, she was harboring wishful thoughts of reining him in and controlling him. Weston leaned back leisurely and surveyed her face. A momentter, he stretched his hands out in front of her. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ste looked down and put his hands together before tying them up with the tie. ¡°Don¡®t undo it!¡± A smile crept into his eyes. ¡°Then you¡®ll have to tie it up tight.¡± Upon his reminder , Ste wound the tie one more time around his wrist. She stared at his wrists and pondered for a moment before deciding to pluck his wristwatch off. ¡°I don¡®t like your watch. It¡®s always so cold and makes me ufortable when you hold it against my skin.¡± Both of them shared many wild moments. That wicked streak in Weston made him yearn to see Ste rely on him everywhere, every time. At the most pleasurable yet torturous moment, he would like to rove his cold watch on her skin, which would always force tears to well up in her eyes. He didn¡®t like to see her cry. Except for those moments. Her tears made her look even more exquisite than she already was. Ste clearly remembered those moments. She removed his watch without hesitation to take petty revenge on him. He chuckled, low and deep from his chest. He wanted to lift his hand to caress her hair, but since his tie bound them, he could only look deeply at her. ¡°What else do you have?¡± Ste thought about it while stealing a couple of nces at him. She then knelt on the office chair and pushed against Weston¡®s chest, pressing him further down. ¡°Lie on the table and don¡®t move.¡± Weston arched his brow and calmlyid down on his desk with no resistance whatsoever. Ste looked satisfactorily at him before climbing on top of him and straddling his waist. She held hersel his chest and pulled out her phone with the other hand. ¡°The great Mr. Ford looking all helpless with his hands tied up is a rare sight. I must take a photo to reme His suit was in a crumpled mess, with his pristine white shirt clumsily unbuttoned by Ste. Looking at the woman straddling him above, he tilted himself higher and said, ¡°If you like this, you¡®ll get many more chances in the future. Don¡®t be so anxious.¡± Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Chapter 807 ¡°Who said so?¡± Ste smiled cheekily. ¡°What if you dislike the experience after this round?¡± She then began to take a series of photos of him. ¡°I won¡®t miss a chance to record how you look like right now.¡± She suddenly leaned in on him and said into his ear, ¡°I wonder... if your employees know you¡®repletely at my mercy right now?¡± Weston fixed his eyes on her. ¡°If pletely at your mercy¡® means having my hands tied and photos w ere taken, I believe that¡®s an exaggeration.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°You don¡®t think this is it?¡± She glided her fingers across his skin and held his belt.¡° The main course ising right up. Do you sti ll remember the rules I stated?¡± She crouched down low, still straddling his waist, and repeated herself, ¡°Don¡®t speak, don¡®t doubt, and don¡®t move.¡± A momentter. Weston looked calmly at Ste, who was fumbling anxiously with the buckle. ¡°You know how to unfasten a wristwatch but not a belt?¡± His remark slowed her hands down, but she didn¡®t say anything in response, fully engrossed in the stru ggle with the belt. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why is it soplicated...¡± Each of his suits spoke of post¨Copulence, crafted exclusively for him by his personal tailor. He also had countless neckties, cufflinks, and belt buckles, further enhancing his style. Although Ste seldom took a second look at those essories, something she thought was all the same, this belt buckle that Weston was wearing was clearly different from the ordinary essories. She gave it two hard tugs and began panicking again when it didn¡®t seem to work. The next moment, a pair of huge hands appeared before her eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Before she could react, Weston reached out with his hands still bound by the ck and gold tie and unfastened the belt buckle in a sh. ¡°How did you loosen the knot?¡± She furrowed her brows, dissatisfied. She stretched her hands out, wanting to tighten the knot on the tie again.¡° You promised me just now to remain bound and let me do whatever I want with you...¡± Beforepleting her sentence, Weston flipped both of them around and regained the initiative. ¡°Let you do whatever you want? But you couldn¡®t even handle a belt buckle.¡± He flung the ck and gold tie aside and cupped Ste¡®s face in his palms. Then he leaned forward and kissed her... ...in his usual aggressive, domineering fashion. Everything on the desk was swept aside. Before Ste could respond to the sudden turn of the tide, sh e found herself engulfed in the waves of passion. Ste felt like a lone boat struggling to stay afloat on the stormy sea. The whirlwind that hade so suddenly almost suffocated her. ¡°Weston...don¡®t...¡± Beforepletely losing her senses, Ste heard his low, rumbling voice. ¡°Meow for me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ste struggled to open her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± Westin lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Do what you did just now and meow for me.¡± She turned her face away, a blush creeping onto her cheeks and vexation clearly etched in her eyes. He pinched her cheeks slightly harder. ¡°One more time, for me?¡± He was simply bone¨Cdeep wicked. There was only one posture that Ste could maintain before him¡ªthat of submissiveness. With no choice but to do what he said, she bit her lip and refused to look at him. Her entire body flushed red with embarrassment. Weston forced her to keep her eyes open so that she could see every bit of how he was making her yiel Ste¡®s defenses finally broke as she gritted her teeth and whispered, ¡°Meow¡­¡± Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Chapter 808 In the evening. Dusk in the early summer always looked mesmerizing. Fiery red clouds rolled across the sky, forming a stunningly picturesque view from the top floor of the Ford Corporation building. Ste was eventually carried out of that building. By the time they were done, every inch of her skin was covered in marks and hickeys. Weston covered her up with his suit. Although he deliberately chose to leave the building at a time when most employees would have left for the day, t here were still a couple of them who stayed back in the office. Ste remained obedient in his arms, burying her face in his chest and not daring to look out. She could feel many staresnding on her on their way out. When Weston strode past the secretary¡®s office, Daisy and everyone else was standing to one side and greeting Weston. ¡°Hello, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Ste heard those greetings, and her face blushed an even deeper red. After both of them left, one of the secretaries spoke up. ¡°I¡®ve never seen Mr. Ford behave like this in the past...¡± ¡°Yeah, he really dotes on her.¡± ¡°Even with Guinevere Cohen, he¡®d never disy his affections so publicly.¡± Daisy spoke up to cut them off. ¡°It¡®s almost time to leave. Let¡®s stop gossiping.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Daisy.¡± The sight of Weston¡®s retreating figure with Ste in his arms left an inexplicable aftertaste on her tongue. She wondered if it was the right decision to choose Xavier. She had thought that she stood no chance in this lifetime. Weston was fated to be with Guinevere. No matter in which regard, she was no match for Guinevere. The difference in their family backgrounds was a gap she had no way of bridging. Even if she were lucky, she would only end up as a secret lover always hiding in the dark, like E. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t want that for herself. That was why she had been keeping her heart in check all this while. Unlike other wealthy heirs, Xavier Ford was different. He was willing to ord her the formal status of being his official partner, and he didn¡®t face tremendous pressure from his family, either. Even when he terminated his engagement, he merely received a harsh scolding. Being with him was her best option. But Daisy never expected Weston to date E so openly right after breaking his engagement with Guine How was E able to easily aplish something that she found nearly impossible? In the depths of her heart, Daisy hated conceding defeat. In the car. Weston settled E in the back passenger seat. She sat up, and Weston¡®s suit slid off her shoulders, exposing the love marks littered all over her skin. She slung his jacket over her hands, and saw him enter the car after her, and sat next to her. She couldn¡®t hold back herints. ¡°How can I leave the house looking like this?¡± She pointed to the hickeys on her neck. ¡°These marks are notoriously hard to cover up, and they¡®re at such a conspicuous ce.¡± ¡°Then don¡®t cover them up,¡± Weston casually stated as he caressed her head. ¡°No one will dare toment.¡± Those words only served to upset Ste even more. ¡°Why didn¡®t you take the more discreet way just now Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Chapter 809 He had a dedicated elevator which he could very well take and avoid the sideway nces of all his employees. The corner of Weston¡®s lips lifted in a proud smirk as he gathered her in his arms. ¡°I thought you would enjoy how I staked my im over you.¡± Ste pursed her lips and remained silent. Weston lowered his head and rubbed the ring on her ring finger. ¡°Don¡®t you want others to know that you¡®re mine?¡± Ste blinked and said, ¡°I was intending to go and visit Zack, but now that you¡®ve left those horrendous marks all over my body...¡± She didn¡®t forget Wendy¡®s reminder to begin her attack, starting with Zack. Sure enough, Weston lifted his head and looked at her in silence. His eyes were deep and dark as if trying to look into the very depths of her soul. He was trying to figure out what she was thinking. Ste sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that...¡± Weston tilted her face upward. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to visit Zack?¡± ¡°He¡®s your son.¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°Whatever it is, I have to face him in the future.¡± He surveyed her as his eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°I remember you used to detest him.¡± ¡°That was in the past before you broke off your engagement with Guinevere.¡± She continued , ¡°He¡®s still part of the Ford family, after all. None of them will be willing to ha nd Zack over to the Cohen¡®s, be it your parents or grandfather, right?¡±. Westonbed his fingers through her hair and tucked a loose wisp of hair behind her ear. ¡°If you don¡®t like him, you don¡®t necessarily need to see him in the future.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Although I¡®m not yet at the point of seeing him as my own, he¡®s still your child...¡± She looked straight into his eyes and said, seemingly genuinely, ¡°He¡®s still so young and knows nothing. In any case, I won¡®t be able to have children of my own. I¡®ll do my best to see him as my own son and treat him well.¡± She had no idea how she managed to suppress that strong repulsion from within her and force herself to say that. However, the look in Weston¡®s eyes gentled significantly. He reached out and caressed her cheeks. ¡°What made you figure things out?¡± He was indeed trying to give Ste a child. He knew that it was something constantly on her mind. But it was also something that he could not force. Despite his tremendous wealth , he remained helpless in the face of scientific and technological limitations. No matter how hard he tried, things may not change. However, it was certainly a viable option if Ste was willing to ept Zack. If she could carry his child in the future, that would be for the best. They would jointly raise and care for the child together with Zack. But even if a miracle did not ur, she would at least have Zack to pin her hopes on. Ste leaned into his embrace and mumbled , ¡°Perhaps, when I was kidnapped and faced with the possibility of never seeing felt like those things I obsessed over were no longer meaningful. Treasure the present moment and be together ones; those are the most important things, aren¡®t they?¡± She said it so fluently and naturally as if she really meant it from the bottom of her heart. The next mome him tightening his arms around her and deepening his embrace. Ste knew that he believed her words. She shut her eyes and felt the warmth emanating from his body. It was so soothing and calming. Ste couldn¡®t help but think that if Weston had been that bit morepassionate to her during their misbegotten marriage , her heart wouldn¡®t have frozen and hardened to this extent. No matter how tender and loving he was to her now, nothing could move her. At the Ford Mansion. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Weston changed his mind at thest minute and brought her back to the Ford Mansion instead of the apartment. Perhaps because he took Ste¡®s words to heart, he decided to let Ste spend more time bonding with The moment they got out of their car, they saw a white Porsche at the door. The housekeeper informed them that Guinevere hade over to visit. Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Guinevere used to drive a red Maserati. When she wasn¡¯t walking, it was her favorite car that she drove everywhere. However, it waspletely wrecked by Weston during thest kidnapping incident. After the housekeeper updated them, Weston subconsciously turned to Ste. Ste¡®s face remained expressionless. When she saw Weston turning to look at herself, she smiled and said, ¡° What are you looking at me for? Let¡®s head in.¡± Guinevere was, in fact, grounded and supposed to stay at home, but she used Zack as an excuse and managed to sneak out on the premise of visiting her own child. Guinevere pestered Mrs. Cohen to no end, leaving her with no other choice. Furthermore , she was also afraid that Guinevere might mentally break down and therefore decided against her will to allow her to visit Zack. She heard Weston and E had not been staying at the Ford Mansion recently and reasoned that Guinevere shouldn¡®t bump into them that much. This assured her about her decision. To Guinevere, Zack was her only hope. As long as she was allowed toe out, she would do everything she could to get into the good books of everyone rted to Weston. But she did not expect Weston to bring E back to Ford Mansion. She instinctively turned to the door. ¡°Weston, you¡®re back?¡± She had been ying with Zack, who was in Wendy¡®s . arms. Upon seeing Weston enter the house, she car ried Zack up and strode to the door where Weston was standing at. ¡°Daddy is back home. Do you want Daddy to carry you?¡± She treated Ste like she was invisible and subconsciously tried to erect a barrier between their happy family of three and her. Weston furrowed his brows and gave Guinevere a look of warning N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Guinevere simply ignored the hint in his eyes and grabbed Zack¡®s chubby hands while waving them in front of Weston. She said smilingly, ¡°Baby hasn¡®t seen Daddy in a while. You must miss Daddy, don¡®t you?¡± Ste saw right through her intentions ¨C Guinevere was clearly using the baby as a reminder that she would always remain an outsider. The corners of her lips lifted in a sardonic smile as she stepped forward and took Zack over from Guinevere¡¯s hands. ¡°Let me carry him.¡± Before Guinevere could stop her, she saw Ste grab Zack directly from her hands. Ste appeared very familiar andfortable carrying Zack. She held him in her arms and bounced him up and down, her eyebrows arching. ¡°He feels heavier than before!¡± She nced at Weston, ¡°Has he been eating very well recently? His face also looks rounder than the st time I saw him.¡± Ste deftly took every attack thrown at her, and Guinevere did not expect her to behave so naturally around Zack as if she were carr ying her own child. Weston put his arm around Ste¡®s shoulder and nced at Zack. ¡°He is slightly fatter. Is he too heavy for you?¡± Ste said with a chuckle, ¡°He¡®s but a young child. He shouldn¡®t be that heavy even if he gained weight.¡± ¡°Let me carry him if you¡®re tired.¡± ¡°No need for that. I haven¡®t seen him in a while, too.¡± Guinevere had wanted to use Zack to cut E off, but she didn¡®t expect Ste to melt the tense atmosphere in a matter of seconds. She even managed to turn the tables around, making Weston, Zack, and her look more like a family of three, effectively cutting her off instead. Zack was her child, for goodness¡® sake! Guinevere collected herself an for Zack personally during this period. It¡®s only natural that he gains weight.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste finally bothered to look at Guinevere. ¡°But why have I been hearing about Wendy being the one caring for Zack instead?¡± ¡°Wendy?¡± Guinevere furrowed her brows. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be addressing her as Mrs. Ford? Are you two that close?¡± Wendy, who was seated on the couch, wasn¡®t intending to interfere, but upon hearing Guinevere mention her name, she s walked over. ¡°I allowed her to address me by my name.¡± She saw Zack bouncing restlessly in Ste¡®s arms and chuckled. She carried him back in her arms and continued, ¡°Everyone used to call me that. Since I get along so well with E, I allow her to call me that.¡± Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Guinevere didn¡®t look too thrilled. Believing that she would end up getting married to Weston, she had always treated Wendy as her mother¨Cinw. She had tried to call her ¡°Wendy¡± before, but Wendy seemed displeased. Guinevere could only call her Madam, just like the servants in Ford Mansion. Thest thing she expected was for Wendy to allow E to address her on a first¨Cname basis. She clenched her fists but smiled. ¡°I remember that you once announced E as your god¨C daughter,¡± she blurted with thinly¨C veiled irony. ¡°Since she¡¯s your god daughter, why isn¡®t she calling you ¡®Mom?¡± ¡°She can call me whatever she likes.¡± Wendy was rather annoyed with Guinevere¡®s questions and nced at her mildly, ¡°What we address each other is a mere formality. Although I treat her as my god daughter, she might very well be my daughter¨Cinw. She¡®ll have plenty of chances to call me ¡®Mom¡® in the future!¡± It was unclear if Wendy had deliberately said those things to anger Guinevere, but it made Guinevere¡®s face turn dark with displeasure. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She was seething with fury but refused to express it, the internal conflict contorting her face. Ste didn¡®t want to continue staying at the door. She nced at Weston. ¡°Shall we take Zack in? It¡®s rather windy here.¡± Guinevere immediately said, ¡°Give Zack to me. I¡®ll carry him in.¡± Her strongly defensive actions made it clear that she did not want E anywhere near Zack. Ste shrugged nonchntly as she looked at Guinevere plucking Zack from Wendy¡®s arms as though she was protecting him from her. She merel y wanted to upset Guinevere¨Cin her eyes, Guinevere was nothing but a clown. ¡°I thought you two wanted to have some alone time. Why did you suddenlye back here?¡± Wendy sat back on the couch and instructed the housekeeper to pour a cup of tea for Ste. ¡°This is rose tea from Damsil City. It nourishes the skin and is known for its detoxifying effects. Try it.¡± Ste took the cup from her. The tension in the air had barely eased when Weston suddenly spoke up. ¡°We came back because we have something to announce.¡± He sat next to Ste with his arm casually ced on the backrest behind her, brandishing an aura of possessiveness in his posture. ¡°Regarding E and my marriage ns...¡± ¡°What?" Guinevere stood up in disbelief and shock. ¡°You¡®re marrying E?¡± Ste was rather taken aback herself as she looked at Weston. Weston looked back at her and reached out to brush her hair away from her cheeks. ¡°If she is willing to marry me, that is.¡± Dead silence ensued. Guinevere¡®s eyes turned red. ¡°We just broke off our engagement, and here you are, rushing to get married?¡± She refused to believe what was happening. She pointed to Ste¡®s nose and snapped with pure vitriol, ¡°What exactly did she do to you to bewitch you like this?¡± Given Ste¡®s status, she was unfit to even be Weston¡®s lover. How could she, no, how dare she marry Weston? Extreme fear and hatred pierced through her heart and veins. Guinevere clenched her fists, her face paling. At that moment, a wave of emotions and past memories overwhelmed her. Her head was suddenly racked with intense pain. Guinevere clutched her forehead; her face strained in pain. ¡°It hurts... My head hurts...¡± she whined. Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Chapter 812 The Ford Mansion was awash in bright lights amid the deep of night. A doctor dressed in his robe paced around, his face stered with nervousness. The Cohens¡® car was parked in the courtyard , and Mrs. Cohen was pacing anxiously back and forth at the entrance, mumbling, ¡°She¡®ll be fine...she¡®ll surely be fine Suddenly, she saw Ste standing at a side and immediately walked toward her, eyes red¨C rimmed with fury. ¡°You¡®re E Steele, aren¡®t you? What wicked motives do you harbor?¡± Weston was busy with work when he heard Mrs. Cohen¡®s usations. He walked over to Ste and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Mrs. Cohen, please have some self¨Crespect.¡± He stood ready to side with Ste no matter what, protecting her and guarding her against all things. Mrs. Cohen was about to say something nasty, but Weston¡®s posture only upset her more. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Weston, this woman is the cause of Gwen¡®s condition rpsing. She¡®s still critical, so how could you si de with the culprit?? Weston¡®s brows furrowed. He did not like Mrs. Cohen ming Ste for what happened. ¡°Guinevere is in her current condition because of her own health. It has nothing to do with E.¡± ¡°How does it have nothing to do with her? If it weren¡®t for E provoking Gwen, would her condition have rpsed?¡± By the time Mrs. Cohen found out what had happened and rushed over to the Ford Mansion, Guinevere had already caused quite a scene. She had never seen her daughter behave so crazily before. She was a whirlwind of insanity, sweeping almost everything on the floor and incoherently repeating her words. Un able to recognize anyone, she indiscriminately attacked everyone who tried to get close to her. Mrs. Cohen would never forget that scene. Guinevere was no different from a deranged psycopath. It was only when the doctor rushed over and fo rcefully administered a dose of the tranquilizer to her that she finally stopped. Even the medical attendees who tried to restrain her had their arms and legs covered with scratches and marks. One of the nurses had her face badly scratched. Tiny streaks of blood spiderwebbed her face, and she looked ghastly. Mrs. Cohen had always known about Guinevere¡®s poor mental health, but this was the first time she witnessed the effects of her condition. If she hadn¡®t seen it for herself, she wouldn¡®t have believed that this haggard ¨C looking madwoman was her own daughter... She couldn¡®t understand what E had done to turn her like that. ¡°You wicked woman! Gwen has already broken off her engagement with Weston! What else do you want? Must you force her to her death?¡± Mrs. Cohen pointed at Ste¡®s face and berated her harshly. She then turned to Weston usingly and bemoaned, ¡°No matter what, Gwen is still Zack¡®s mother, his biological mother! She gave birth to a son for you! How can you bear to see her be like this?¡± Her eyes turned red, seemingly mi ng Weston for all that was. Ste could have easily rebutted her, but she couldn¡®t bring herself to go against a mother who was losing her mind over her own daughter. She didn¡®t want to say anything. Instead, she turned to Weston and whispered, ¡°I need some fresh air. I¡®ll head out for a walk.¡± Weston furrowed his brows and fixed his gaze on her.¡° I¡®ll apany you.¡± Ste shook her head and pushed his hand away. ¡°Go and take a look at Guinevere. You¡®re still needed around here. You shouldn¡® ¡°E¡­¡± Weston grabbed her arm with a torn look in his eyes. Ste looked at him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡®t w you.¡± She was her usual obedient, pliant self, never putting him in a tight spot even at a time like this. Weston pulled her closer and kissed her hair. ¡°Her parents are with her; I don¡®t need to be with her.¡± Ste was slightly surprised that Weston was willing to put Guinevere aside at such a time. She had always thought that Guinevere was important to him, at least. He didn¡®t say a word when Guine her to die. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Chapter 813 At least, it appeared to Ste that Guinevere¡®s reputation was more important to him than her life. She thought he would¡®ve certainly chosen Guinevere at such a critical time. A glint shed past Ste¡®s eyes, but she didn¡®t reply to Weston. He held her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers as he turned to Mrs. Cohen. ¡°The doctor is already here. I¡®ll bring her out first.¡± His tone was mild and not particrly emotional, yet it bore a clear, authoritative note. Ste looked down to see him holding her hand tightly. His fingers were long and graceful¨Clooking. She had a quirk¨Clooking at other people¡®s hands. When they were first married, she realized how good Weston¡®s hands looked, believing that such a pair of hands would look stunning while ying the piano. Weston did not realize what she thought as he held her hands and prepared to leave. It was then that the sound of a car engine shutting off came from the courtyard. Immediately after, Chris appeared at the door. ¡°How¡®s Gwen doing?¡± He was wearing a white suit and looked like he rushed all the way here, an anxious look on his face. Ste could clearly feel Weston¡®s hand tightening, making her fingers hurt slightly. ¡°Weston¡­¡± She couldn¡®t help but turn to nce at him and ask,¡° What¡®s the matter?¡± His eyes shifted. When he snapped back to attention, he released his grip and apologized softly. ¡°Sorry.¡± Ste furrowed her brows and surveyed him. Somehow, she had a feeling that whenever Chris appeared with Guinevere , Weston always seemed a little strange. Was there something between them that she did not know of? Chris walked toward every one in the house and first looked at Mrs. Cohen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I camete. How is Gwen?¡± The look of genuine concern on Chris¡® face softened Mrs. Cohen¡®s tone. ¡°She had a dose of sedatives administered. As for specific details, the doctor is still trying to find out.¡± The expression on Chris¡® face was heavy and solemn.¡° Why did her condition suddenly rpse?¡± ¡°You¡®ll have to ask your beloved son about that!¡± Mrs. Cohen began grumbling as she turned toward the two who were about to leave. ¡°If it weren¡®t for that woman, E, Gwen wouldn¡®t have be like this!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chris walked toward the couple , his face taut with fury. He nced at E before turning to look at Weston with an icy re. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Mrs. Cohen sneered and responded on their behalf.¡° Weston said that he wanted to marry E, which shocked Gwen...¡± Chris¡® eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± He was even more agitated than Mrs. Cohen as he questioned Weston. ¡°You want to marry this random Weston furrowed his brows in discontent. ¡°She¡®s not a random woman.¡± Chris¡¯ face darkened with anger, ¡°Weston Ford, what did you previously promise me? You said that you would marry Gwen and treat her well! Just look at what you¡®ve done!¡± Ste, stuck between them, felt exposed and vulnerable, as if stripped naked and left in the sun. Weston¡®s hand tightened over hers as he noticed her gradually paling face. He looked down at her and said firmly, ¡°I want to marry her. It is a decision I have made, and it will never change.¡± ¡°Weston Ford!¡± Chris raised his volume and red at him with bloodshot eyes. Weston looked straight at him and repeated himself. ¡°I want to marry her.¡± Chapter 814 Chapter 814 Chapter 814 The Ford Mansion was inplete disarray. Ste had never imagined that she would one day run out of that suffocating house, hand in hand with Weston. A noisy racket had broken out behind her. The moment Guinevere¡®s condition rpsed, the doctor insid e was doomed to be in despair. Mrs. Cohen sobbed in a corner, mumbling under her breath. Wendy had long disappeared, probably to bring Zack away from the mess. Old Mr. Ford was already sleeping at this time and no one dared to alert him. Mrs. Cohen had secretly allowed Guinevere toe out without Mr. Cohen¡®s permission, and she dare d not inform him either. The only person who could make a decision and bring things under control appeared to be Chris. However, even his words seemed ineffective against Weston. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Weston brought Ste running out of the mansion, chucking aside all the troubles that brewed in that manor. The night seemed extra chilly, as the cold wind blew in their faces. Ste looked at Weston and suddenly felt like they were eloping ¡°Are you really intending to just not care about her anymore?¡± Ste asked him the moment they got into the car. Weston hugged her and kissed her forehead. ¡°From the moment we broke off our engagement, she is no longer my responsibility.¡± He looked into Ste¡®s eyes. ¡°Don¡®t you know the one who truly needs my attention and care?¡± A glint shed past Ste¡®s eyes, and his words seemingly moved her. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered while leaning into his embrace. He hugged her tighter. ¡°I will marry you and announce you as my wife to the world.¡± Ste hugged him back tightly as well. ¡°Okay.¡± That was the only word she could say. Perhaps, she might have believed Weston in the past, happily basking in the knowledge that he regarded her with such importance. At least, more important than Guinevere. However, having been betrayed by him once, she knew the high price one had to pay for trusting him. She also knew clearly that whenpared to the past, she had simply switched positions with Guinevere. This man had hurt her mercilessly for the sake of Guinevere back then. In the same manner , he was nowpletely disregarding Guinevere, the woman who bore him a son. Perhaps it was in a man¡®s nature to prefer the new to the old. They might look merely affectionate when they were, in fact, heartless to the core. If she were to lose her novelty, how much better would her final state bepared to Guinevere? The only thing Ste was sure about was that she wouldn¡®t end up hurting those around her, unlike Gui nevere. Unlike Guinevere, she wouldn¡®t cling to a man who¡®d had a change of heart. A massivemotion was happening outside. Guinevere flung everything she could get her hands on. Broken shards of ss were strewn all over the floor. Even the doctor dared not go close to her. He was worried about her hurting others as well as herself. ¡°Gwen, calm down!¡± Chris stood at the door cautiously and tried to soothe her. ¡°Put that down, put that knife in your hand down...¡± Guinevere, with a face streaked with tears, shook her head and shrieked, ¡°I only want to speak to Weston! Where is he?!¡± Chris took a deep breath. ¡°Something cropped up at work, and he¡®s left...¡± ¡°I don¡®t believe you! Did he leave with E Steele? ¡°Get him back here! GET HIM BACK! I can¡®t go on!!! Not without him...¡± Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Guinevere brandished the knife in her hands. Everyone around her retreated to a safe distance, daring not to approach the unhinged woman. There was a moment when she appeared to be in a daze. Chris seized the chance, lurched forward, and managed to grab the knif e from her hands. He hugged her tight in his arms and yelled, ¡°Doctor, quick, give her another sedative!¡± Mrs. Cohen¡®s heart was in her throat when Chris did that, but she finally heaved a sigh of relief when sh e saw the situation finally under control. Due to concern for Guinevere¡®s wellbeing, the doctor had initially administered a weak dose of the sedative, not expecting Guinevere toe around so quickly. This time, he pumped the entire dose into her without any further thought. Guinevere¡®s eyes zed over as she looked sorrowfully at the man before her. Chris¡® heart ached as he looked at the condition the girl was in... He turned to Mrs. Cohen. ¡°Given her current condition, she might need to be hospitalized...¡± Mrs. Cohen wiped away the tears on her face. ¡°She was clearly doing so well, but she¡®s suddenly be like this ¡­ my poor daughter!¡± Chris sighed. ¡°It¡®s all my fault for not disciplining my son. No matter how ridiculous Weston¡®s actions might seem, don¡®t worry. We certain ly won¡®t leave Gwen in the lurch! She¡®s Zack¡®s biological mother, after all.¡± After all the pain and suffering the Cohen¡®s were put through, Mrs. Cohen naturally bore a grudge again st the Ford family. However, the long night made her so fatigued and overwhelmed that she didn¡®t have the energy to pursue things further. She wiped her tears away at Chris¡® words. ¡°I feel better after hearing what you said. As parents, the only thing we want is for our children to be happy.¡± Guinevere fin ally calmed down after being administered a full dose of sedative. Shey on the bed in the guest room, her face deathly pale. Tears covered her face that used to shine and dazzle before the world. Pain pierced through Chris¡® heart. ¡°I will discuss things with old Mr. Ford and make things right for her.¡± Given Guinevere¡®s current condition, she was unfit to stay in Ford Mansion. Everything associated with Weston could possibly trigger her condition again. It was impossible to keep things from Mr. Cohen now that things had regressed to such a state. Chris felt that Mrs. Cohen couldn¡®t possibly handle everything by herself, and he decided to bring Guinevere back to the Cohens alongside Mrs. Cohen. Thus, he remained beside them throughout the episode, ensuring that everything had been taken care of before he finally returned to the Ford Mansionpletely wiped of energy. It was veryte at night. Wendy had long fallen asleep. Being the deep sleeper she was, hardly anything was allowed to disrupt the slumber she needed to maintain her physical appearance. Chris used to think that her vanity wasn¡®t a big deal. Beauty was, after all, something that every woman pursued. However, herck of concern over something so major that happened in the house, and her act of bringing Zack away to hide, ticked Chris off. He felt that she had been rather selfish. Disgust simmered in his heart as he returned to the room. When he opened the door, he saw Wendy still awake, dressed in her sleeping gown and seated before table, surveying her own face in the mirror. This surprised him a bit, but he kept his face expressionless as he asked, ¡°Not sleeping yet?¡± ¡°How can I, with that ruckus downstairs?¡± Wendy looked at him through the mirror. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The look on Chris¡® face softened. ¡°Things got rather messy today. I¡®m not sure what will happen from here on The two began a calm chat as if the cold war they were waging against each other had never happened. Wendy had announced to everyone that E was her god daughter at Zack¡®s birthday bash. The Cohen¡®s had also broken off their engagement with the Ford¡®s. They both just had a huge fight, too. Chris just couldn¡®t understand why Wendy wanted to help E humiliate Guinevere. Wendy, on the other hand, felt like he was way too concerned for Guinevere. They split up acrimoniously, with Chris mming the door and leaving the house. He didn¡®te home for a long while. He was now finally back, but it was mainly for the sake of Guinevere. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Wendy smoothed some moisturizer over her face, but her looks remained cold and hard. ¡°It seems you¡®re the only one who can bring Guinevere under control. Before you came, she was acting so crazy that even her own mother co uldn¡®t handle her...¡± . They had been married for many years, and Chris could naturally hear the sarcasm in her voice. He furrowed his brows and said with displeasure.¡° Whatever it is, she is Zack¡®s mother. Who is E? How could we upset Gwen just because of her?¡± ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡®t want Gwen upset. You care the most about her.¡± He could feel Wendy bing bitterer by the minute. Chris used to feel guilty, but now he simply felt inexplicably annoyed. ¡°Just speak your mind, don¡®t beat around the bush!¡± He added coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve be quick ¨Ctempered and jumpy as you age! Why are you even jealous of Guinevere?¡± His words struck Wendy where it hurt. She gripped the bottle of moisturizer and sent it hurtling to the ground. It hit the ground with a smash. The bottle broke into pieces, spewing all its contents out. ¡°If you think I¡¯m getting too old for you, go ahead and find some younger woman! Oh yes, Guinevere is pretty young. I¡®m sure she¡®s not as jumpy and quick¨C tempered as I am! Since you care so much for her, and boy, does she need your care and concern right now, what are you still doing here?¡± ¡°You¡®re being ridiculous!¡± Chris was taken aback by Wendy¡®s reaction. The broken shards on the floor only soured his mood further. ¡°Have you turned silly?¡± ¡°You know best whether I¡¯m the silly one!¡± Wendy red at him. ¡°Since you think I¡®m getting old, why don¡®t you just stay out and never come back! You¡®re only back here for Guinevere anyway. Ask yourself: what exactly is your rtionship with her?¡± ¡°What rtionship could I have with her? You¡®re being unreasonable! She¡®s the mother of my grandson!¡± Wendy remained silent as she red at him with unspeakable rage. Chris turned his face away, feeling slightly surprised at the look in her eyes. ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± With that, he turned to leave, mming the door shut behind him. Wendy was left all alone in the room. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was the same beautiful face that she was looking at before Chris came in. But it was true that she was getting old. No matter how beautiful one was, time was ruthless in leaving its mark on one¡®s face. Chris¡® words about her getting jumpy and quick tempered resounded in her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a strang er looking back. Since when had she be so nasty and vile? She had always been the center of attention, the darling in everyone¡®s eyes. When did she be so wicked and repulsive? At Serenity Caf¨¦. Old Mr. Ford was seated across from another elderly man, engaged in a game of chess. Weston sat silently at a side while Ste filled his cup with tea. She then paid attention to the chess gam between the two older men. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Weston was serious about marrying her when he proposed to her earlier. That night, after leaving the Ford Mansion, he brought her to Old Mr. Ford and made his intentions to marry her clear. Old Mr. Ford was silent at first, neither approving nor disapproving The other old man was Jason, the boss of Musx Piano. He had met Ste once before and even made a piano for her. Old Mr. Ford and Jason had been good friends for many years. With Jason owning a vi located right next to Musx, the two would frequently fish and y chess over there. Sometimes, they would even grow nts on the hillside, enjoying their retirement life together. Since Old Mr. Ford did not explicitly answer, Weston decided to bring Ste to the vi for some time. Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Weston¡®s handling of his previous project was outstanding, and everyone in the industry was impressed with his working capability. Ste thought this must¡®ve been why Old Mr. Ford improved his disposition toward Weston. If Xavier were toe here, he would probably be chased away in no time. Only someone as incontestably capable as Weston could stand here and negotiate with Old Mr. Ford. Marriage, however, was another issue altogether. It was a major life decision. Old Mr. Ford¡®sck ofment was better than Chris¡® outright rejection. Jason had a deep impression of Ste from the first time they met. He ced a pawn on the chess board and looked at Old Mr. Ford, saying, ¡°I¡®ve practically seen Weston grow up, and this is the first time he begged me for something, and it was for the sake of a woman. For E, to be ex act.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Old Mr. Ford arched his brow. ¡°Why would he need your help? You¡®re just someone meddling with the arts.¡± Jason chuckled, ¡°Of course, it had to do with the arts, then. You probably don¡®t know this yet, but your potential granddaughter¨Cin¨C law ys the piano excellently.¡± Calling Ste his ¡®potential granddaughter¨Cinw¡® made Old Mr. Ford furrow his brows. He looked at Ste , a pawn in hand, ¡°You know how to y the piano?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°A little.¡± Jason intercepted, ¡°Don¡®t be so humble. If that¡®s your standard, then all my studies are noobs.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Old Mr. Ford stroked his beard. ¡°You sound like an expert. I¡®ve never heard you y the piano before. Coincidentally, there is a piano in the vi. Why don¡®t you y a piece and let me hear what you¡®ve got?¡± Ste nced at Weston. He caressed her hair and mouthed for her to go ahead. Ste nodded. She sat down at the piano. The two old men put their chess game aside and gave Ste their full attention , especially Old Mr. Ford, who appeared to have something on his mind. Ste¡®s musical background was superb. On top of her natural talent, she had been diligently practicing in the apartment, and her current standard almost matched the time she used to win awards. Jason waspletely immersed in her piano ying.¡± Not bad. Not bad at all.¡± Old Mr. Ford smiled without a word at Jason¡®s remarks . After the piece came to an end, he put his hands together in apuse. ¡°Very impressive. Even an amateur like me is mesme rized.¡± Ste closed the piano fallboard. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± ¡°Grandpa , if you like, I can ask her to y the piano for you more frequently,¡± Weston offered. ¡°You really know how to seize the chance to ask for approval,¡± Jason replied with twinkling eyes. ¡°Ford, I¡®ve never seen Weston so taken by any woman before. Why don¡®t you just give him the go¨Cahead?¡± The smile remained on Old Mr. Ford¡¯s face, but he didn¡®t say anything further. Jason had seen Weston grow up, and he treated him very well. But he wasn¡®t Weston¡®s grandfather, after all. All he felt was that Weston¡®s happiness was the most important, and he didn¡®t consider anything deeper If Weston were just fooling around with E, Old Mr. Ford would never interfere with that. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g But if it involved marriage , E would never be fit to be Mrs. Ford. No matter how good she was at ying the piano and how many awards she won, those were nothingpared to the scale of the Ford family. Ste herself was clear about this fact. Old Mr. Ford suddenly turned to look at Weston. ¡°Do you really want to be with her?¡± Weston replied solemnly, ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Chapter 818 ¡°Very well.¡± Old Mr. Ford put all his pawns back into the bowl where they belonged. ¡°If that¡®s your decision, I really don¡®t want to interfere. But I¡¯m worried. You¡®re still young, after all, and there¡®s every c hance that you might regret your decision. My suggestion is for you two to get engaged first.¡± He went on, ¡°If, after staying engaged for a period of time, you still decide to get married, I will have not hing else to say.¡± Weston furrowed his brows and remained silent. Then, a momentter, he resolutely defended his request. ¡°I don¡®t think there¡®s a need to get engaged. I¡®ve already decided to be with her.¡± He was adamant about getting married to Ste once more. This time, though, he would give her a happier marriage. ¡°Since you¡®re bent on doing so and are so confident, you should have no problem epting my sugges tion, that is, if you¡®re confident about the state of your rtionship with her,¡± old Mr. Ford said. Ste could sense Weston¡®s hesitation. He was, in fact, worried about her. He squeezed her fingers. ¡°I¡®m the one who can¡®t wait to marry her.¡± Ste looked back at him and said softly, ¡°Let¡®s listen to Grandpa and get engaged first. ¡°I¡®m confident about our rtionship. What about you?¡± she stated with determination. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Weston rested his forehead on hers. ¡°As long as you¡®re willing to.¡± ¡°All right, then that settles it.¡± Old Mr. Ford smacked his palm against the table. ¡°If you two really cannot wait, then get engaged quick ly, I won¡®t stop you from doing so. If you two still want to be together after getting engaged, I suppose th at would be a decision arrived upon thinking things through. As long as both of you don¡®t regret your de cision and are very certain that this is who you want to be with for the rest of your life, I won¡®t tear you t wo apart.¡± ¡°What? Old Mr. Ford agreed to their marriage?¡± Mrs. Cohen was in disbelief. Mr. Cohen immediately shushed her as he turned to nce in the direction of the room. ¡°Lower your volume, don¡®t alert Gwen! If she were to hear it, she might go crazy again...¡± Nothing had been going well for the Cohens over these few days. Things went downhill right after they rode on Weston¡®s coattails and earned an envious sum of money from the western suburbs project. Although they were affected by the termination of Weston and Guinevere¡®s engagement, the profit they gained was most important, which was why they were willing to let Weston go. What they did not expect was for Guinevere to be so obsessed. She had almost fully recovered in terms of her mental state, but all the improvement seemed to be vain , now that her condition had rpsed. If the public were to catch wind of what happened to Guinevere, it would surely dent her reputation. ¡°I h ad thought that Old Mr. Ford would spare a thought for the rtionship between our families and stop that woman from being part of the Ford family...¡± Of course, they knew that with the engagement called off, Weston wasn¡®t obliged to keep himself single fo r Guinevere. They were also making alternative ns for Guinevere. However, whatever it was, it was the Fords who called off the engagement. It was only reasonable that they ensured that Guinevere was properly settled before m To their surprise, they were so eager for a new engagement! ...to E Steele, to boot. Guinevere certainly wouldn¡®t be able to take such a blow. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen were racking their brains on how they could hide the Fords¡® impending engagement Her hair was in an unruly mess and her eyes were soulless. ¡°Dad, Mom, are they getting married?¡± ¡°Gwen, do you feel better now?¡± Mrs. Cohen rushed forward and looked at her with a pained expression in her eyes. ¡°Just forget about him. He¡®s a bastard w doesn¡®t care about you. There are still plenty of fish in the sea¡­¡± ¡°There are many men out there indeed, but none of them are Weston, and none of them are as good as he is.¡± Guinevere shook her head, her lips chapped and dry. ¡°He¡®s the only man I want.¡± Mrs. Cohen sighed. Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Unable to bear seeing Guinevere in such a state, Mr. Cohen said rather agitatedly, ¡°So what if you can¡®t let go of him? He¡®s about to get ma rried to someone else, and he doesn¡®t want you anymore. Your current appearance will only bring emb arrassment to our family!¡± Mrs. Cohen stopped him anxiously. ¡°Don¡®t say that!¡± Guinevere was already emotionally vulnerable , and her outburst at the Ford Mansion was frightening enough. Mr. Cohen naturally understood where Mrs. Cohen wasing from and stopped himself from saying anything further. However, instead of going berserk again, Guinevere leaned against the door and looked dreamily ahea d of her. ¡°Since he wants to get married, then let him be...¡± Mrs. Cohen was stunned for a moment, unable to believe the wordsing from Guinevere¡®s mouth. ¡°Don¡®t be too upset, they are just getting engaged. Anything could happen in the fut ure¡­¡± Mr. Cohen red at her. ¡°Why are you still giving her hope?¡± ¡°I¡®m not. I just can¡®t bear to see her so upset...¡± The two of them were about to start fighting when Guinevere intercepted. ¡°Don¡®t worry about me. I will work with the doctors and get myself treated.¡± She went on, ¡°I won¡®t resist it if you try to set me up with someone...but I suppose no man will want a deranged woman for a wife.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Mr. Cohen stopped her from saying further. ¡°You¡®re my daughter! Who dares to despise you? As long a s you are willing to give up on Weston, there are tons of outstanding young men waiting in line for you to pick!¡± That might be the case, but Guinevere didn¡®t care for a single one of them. Right from the beginning, she had only wanted Weston Ford. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡®t worry. I will cooperate with the doctor and put your minds to ease.¡± It was because she realized that acting crazy was no longer effective on Weston. Even if she were to really turn crazy, he wouldn¡®t care. She had to find another way. Weston was very quick to act. The moment Old Mr. Ford agreed to their engagement, he made arrangements for the ceremony to proceed in the quickest time possible. At the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel. Ste was subjected to an entire night of torture before she finally fell deep asleep in thetter half of th e night. The next day, Weston woke her up early in the morning, and she was not in the best of spirits. ¡°The engagement ceremony is about to begin. You need to put on your make¨C up and get ready. You can make up for your sleep debt after the ceremony, alright?¡± His deep, low voice rumbled in her ear. Ste leaned on him; her eyes still bleary with sleep.¡± You knew that we were supposed to wake up early this morning, yet you still kept me up all night...¡± She was wearing a silk gown that Weston was used to wearing That was because her own nightrobe was torn to shreds during the whirlwind of passionst night. Remnants of her torn garment were still floating in the half¨Cfilled bathtub. His nightrobe was clearly toorge for her, and it slipped down her shoulders the moment she moved. It revealed her fair, dewy skin that was covered with bright red marks. Weston¡®s gaze darkened as his fingers brushed across the hickeys he left on her. He leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, ¡°Our guests are all here. You still want to stay in bed?¡± ¡°Who should I me for being unable to get out of bed?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Ste looked at him begrudgingly, ¡°Since you knew that we were supposed to wake up early, you could¡¯ve just exercised some restraint...¡± Weston remained silent as he found her clothes and helped her with them. After today, she would have an official status and reason to be by his side, and the nasty rumors surroun Weston kissed her cheeks. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I won¡®t be like this next time.¡± He hauled her into his arms and promised, ¡°I¡®ll make sure you get ample rest the night before our wedding.¡± Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Chapter 820 The engagement ceremony was scheduled to be held in the hotel. Guests invited included rtives and good friends of the Ford family, as well as some of Weston¡¯s business partners. Ste had expected the engagement ceremony to be simple and straightforward, given the little time that Weston had to put things together. She thought that, at most, it would be the Ford family gathering for a meal, but she was surprised to see so many guests instead. She sat before the mirror in the dressing room as anxiety crept into her heart. Weston was all dressed and ready. He was out of bed earlier than her and was already in his suit and pants while she was still blurred with sleep. Thanks to his outstandingly dashing looks, there was no need for him to do much to make himself look more presentable and eye-catching amidst the crowd. The moment Ste got out of bed, she found herself ushered into the dressing room and manhandled by the make-up artist, who was at that moment rolling in an entire row of haute couture gowns and seeking her opinion. ¡°Madam, these are this season¡¯s haute couture gowns that have just beenunched. Many popr celebrities fought for these, but they were unable to get their hands on them...¡± She surveyed the woman in the mirror and said with envy, ¡°Mr. Ford treats you so well.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°That white dress will do.¡± She pointed to a minimalistic chiffon dress with gardenia flowers adorning the hem. Fine silky below the white organza, without excessive adornments and embellishments on the gown. It could be considered the most low-profile and modest-looking option amidst the row of dresses. The make-up artist¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You have excellent taste!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She pulled the dress out and eximed, ¡°This dress is my favorite one, too. It exemplifies the beauty of gardenia flowers very well.¡± It was only then that Ste had a good look at what the entire dress looked like. The design on the top was deliberately minimalistic, whereas the hem disyed the essence of the piece¡ª impably lifelike Gardenia flowers that had been hand-sewn on it. The flowers looked freshly plucked, their petals adorned with beads of morning dew that seemed on the verge of falling to the feet of its wearer. As the make-up artist shook out the hem of the dress, her movements seemed to trigger a whiff of gardenia fragrance. Ste¡¯s eyes illuminated, clearly betraying her liking for the dress. She said, ¡°This one will do.¡± After getting changed, the make-up artist looked at Ste through the mirror. ¡°Madam, your skin complexion is great, and you don¡¯t need thick make up. A little color to highlight your features should be enough to make you look stunning...¡± She couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°I seldom see someone with such fineplexion.¡± People in her industry were used to ttery and empty praises, but herpliment towards Ste came from the bottom of her heart. Ste¡¯splexion was way better than most female celebrities. Although she was obviously fatigued, given the dark eye bags surrounding her eyes, her skin was so fair that even her veins were visible from up close. The make-up artist didn¡¯t have to expend much effort to get Ste all dolled up. Weston was already waiting at the door, and his eyes lit up the moment Ste walked out of the dressing room. He tugged at his cor as he swallowed past his constricted throat. Although he didn¡¯t say a word, Ste could see the tenderness in his eyes. He walked toward her and hitched his arm in a silent signal for Ste to rest her hand on it. ¡°This dress suits you very well,¡± hemented. Ste lowered her head to nce at the dress, and that was when she noticed even more details. She couldn¡¯t see the gardenia flowers at the hem when she was just standing. But the moment she began walking, the petals would move along with her steps. It was clear where the dress got its ¡°Flowers in Every Step¡± name from. The doors opened. The sight of all the wealthy and powerful people gathered in the room made Ste slightly nervous. Weston could feel her grip tightening on his arm. To reassure her, he patted the back of her hand. ¡°Just follow me.¡± Ste nodded and inched closer to him, sticking as close as she could to him every step of the way. Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Chapter 821 It was as if she were a little tail that grew on his bottom. Weston looked down at her, all smiles. ¡°Nervous?¡± Ste remained silent as she pursed her lips. She could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on them. She said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the engagement ceremony would be a simple affair? why do we have so many guests...¡± ¡°It¡¯s already as simple as it gets.¡± Weston brought her along to get to know some rtives of the Ford family. ¡°It¡¯s just a few business partners and family you¡¯ve never met. It¡¯s not that many people.¡± ¡°Not many? Exactly how many members are there in the Ford family?¡± Ste couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°I remember when my uncle and aunt got engaged, it was just a matter of both familiesing together for a simple meal, and things weren''t thisplicated..." The mention of Michael and Diana made Ste¡¯s eyes darken. Her family members were not invited to this engagement ceremony. Her parents were long gone from the ne crash years ago. As for Roger... She didn¡¯t even dare to tell him about it. She tightened her grip over Weston¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s not tell my brother we¡¯re getting married soon, alright?¡± Weston brought her into the crowd as his brows furrowed at her words. ¡°We are about to be husband and wife. He¡¯ll know about it sooner orter.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a good time now.¡± Ste insisted, ¡°He¡¯s studying overseas now, and I want him to concentrate on his studies instead of being distracted by other things.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal with this eventually.¡± Weston added, ¡°He¡¯s not a child anymore and needs to learn to ept reality.¡± Ste naturally understood his rationale. She had a pact with old Mr. Ford, and everything she was doing now was merely stalling for time. She could never truly get married to Weston again, which was why she didn¡¯t intend to inform Roger about her engagement. ¡°Give me a little more time, alright?¡± She held Weston¡¯s arm and said in a negotiating tone, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to ept it so suddenly. Anyway, we have time on our side. There¡¯s no need to rush things.¡± Her words sessfully put Weston¡¯s mind at ease. His eyes shifted as he put his arm around her waist tight. ¡°You¡¯re right. Time is on our side.¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, it¡¯s been a while.¡± One of his business partners came over to convey his blessings. ¡°You did a fantastic job in that western suburb project!¡± He looked at Ste and remarked, ¡°This must be your fiancee, I suppose?¡± Weston nodded and began introducing Ste to his guests. All of them had heard about Weston and Guinevere¡¯s engagement, and here was Weston organizing another engagement banquet not long after breaking off his engagement with Guinevere. Yet, all of them were smart enough, not to mention Guinevere. That was why Guinevere¡¯s sudden appearance at the engagement banquet shocked everyone. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I¡¯m sorry I camete.¡± Guinevere was dressed in an elegant gown with a hint of a smile. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t miss much.¡± She walked leisurely to the couple and greeted, ¡° Weston, E, have a happy engagement.¡± Ste was slightly stunned, but recovered quickly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Given your condition, I thought you wouldn¡¯t have had the time toe over, which was why we didn¡¯t invite you.¡± She smiled graciously, as ifpletely unaffected by Guinevere¡¯s unexpected appearance. Guinevere¡¯s face changed as she whispered into Ste¡¯s ears. ¡°I know you¡¯re putting on a show. You probably don¡¯t wish to see me here, right?¡± She looked at her deeply and went on, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, E. I¡¯m not here to create trouble. I¡¯m here just to wish you two the very best.¡± Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Chapter 822 In the hotel. On the big screen was Guinevere¡¯s engagement gift for Weston and Ste. ¡°Everyone knows that I shared a past with Mr. Ford...¡± She looked very mentally stable and rational. If Ste didn¡¯t know her well enough, she might have thought of Guinevere as the generous ex-fiancee who was willing to give her blessings. Weston rubbed in between his brows. ¡°Get her down.¡± Ste stopped her, ¡°Let¡¯s see what she¡¯s up to.¡± Weston looked down at her with a pained look on his face. Ste smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to make a clean break of things between you and her, isn¡¯t it?¡± The moment Guinevere arrived, she went on stage without a preamble. But she did not do anything beyond conveying her blessings, like any other ordinary guest. The schedule for the ceremony was clearly disyed on the big screen, making it easy for guests to keep track of the program. Some family members would also convey their blessings through the big screen as well. Weston had originally nned for a simple program that did not involve many activities. He merely wanted his rtives and good friends to be apprised of Ste¡¯s new status. However, since Old Mr. Ford was involved, it was bound to be more than just a simple ceremony. With a history spanning centuries, the rtionships andworks the Ford family had to maintain were beyond one¡¯s imagination. What¡¯s more, as the undisputed heir of the family, Weston naturally could not haveplete rein over his own marriage. Ste could understand the intricacies andplexities of such a family. Weston had given her a heads up that most of the details of the engagement ceremony would be up to Old Mr. Ford but subsequently promised her that they would be able to decide on things for their own wedding. They were not surprised to see the Cohens at the engagement ceremony. Even though things had soured between both families, they still had ongoing business deals, and the elders of both families still maintained good ties. It waspletely reasonable for the Cohens to send some representatives to attend the ceremony on the family¡¯s behalf. But no one expected Guinevere to be sent as the representative. ¡°Although everyone knows about Weston and my past engagement, we broke things off cordially. Now that he has found a new partner for himself, I¡¯m naturally happy for him.¡± She walked to the control station and connected her phone to the big screen. ¡°These are some projects and funds that we jointly managed when we were together. Now that we¡¯ve broken up, we should keep a clear ount of things. After all, we still need to raise our son together, and we need to know clearly where we stand in our finances...¡± A curious guest asked, ¡°Ms. Cohen, do you mean to say Ms. E came in between you and Weston?¡± Guinevere appeared taken aback, ¡°I did not say that. What made you think that way?¡± She chuckled uneasily, ¡°I came today precisely because I don¡¯t want anyone misunderstanding E. Although it is a very awkward point in time, she only got together with Weston after things ended between us...¡± She seemed to be speaking up for Ste. Most guests shared a good rtionship with the Fords and the Cohens. The Fords and Cohens themselves shared a good rtionship that spanned over a century. Someone tried to smooth things over. ¡°Ms. Cohen is right. If E really came in between them, why would Ms. Cohen be so generous as to convey her blessings?¡± Some of the female guests weren¡¯t so convinced and remarked sardonically, ¡°She¡¯s either truly very generous and so kind that shepletely fooled by them, or she¡¯s acting stupid! She had just called off her engagement with Weston, and there he goes, getting engaged to another woman the next minute. Who would believe they were not having an affair?¡± People began mumbling under their breaths. On the other hand, some others thought that as long as they were not married, there was always a choice to call things off. ¡°Breaking up is absolutely normal in rtionships! You can¡¯t exactly call her a homewrecker...¡± ¡°What are you talking about? So what if they weren¡¯t married? They have a child, for goodness¡¯ sake! E Steele is a homewrecker through and through! ¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Chapter 823 The muted murmuring in the crowd didn¡¯t seem to affect Ste. It turned out that this had indeed been Guinevere¡¯s intention all along. Nothing seemed to have changed, and she was the same as before, destroying everything that she could not get her hands on. Whatever it was, she was hellbent on giving Ste a difficult time. She wanted to see what she would do next. Weston calling off his engagement with Guinevere was sufficient to make tongues wag. Now that Guinevere herself hade in person to attend Weston and Ste¡¯s engagement ceremony, it was bound to be the talk of the town. A small pebble would be sufficient to disturb still water. There were even some nosy guests who were live streaming the engagement ceremony. As a popr celebrity, it was no surprise that the live stream featuring Guinevere soon saw the number of its viewers skyrocket to a few million, and it didn¡¯t seem close to teauing. In fact, it was beginning to trend online. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g This was exactly what Guinevere wanted. She wanted to bring hell to E and Weston¡¯s lives. Even if they ended up together, it would be void of everyone¡¯s blessings. She wanted E to be publicly condemned and despised by all. She was Weston¡¯s secret lover, to begin with, wasn¡¯t she? Everyone knew how filthy the entertainment circle was, but that alone was not enough to spare E from the public contempt she would face as a homewrecker. What Guinevere wanted was for Ste to be subjected to public criticism. ¡°Having a child is one thing; being married is another! otherwise, there would be no difference between a child born out of marriage and wedlock! ¡°As long as they were both not married and Guinevere had a child, then the child would be illegitimate! she and Weston are just parents of a child. If they meet someone else more suitable, they can always break up and be with someone else! ¡± Many people were open-minded in that regard. However, for many of the rest, the marriage certificate made a whole lot of difference. Guinevere naturally understood this rationale. Although there would be some who would stand on her side and criticize Ste, there would also be many who would mock her for giving birth to a child out of wedlock since she and Weston were never officially married. However, if the public thought that she was married to Weston, things would be different. She would have the moral high ground. The big screen disyed details regarding asset division between Weston and Guinevere, akin to giving an exnation to the public and her fans. The next moment, a document appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. An important piece of information caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Hang on! why does this document state that Mr. Ford¡¯s marital status is married?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was ¡®married¡¯ a year ago and subsequently became ¡®divorced¡¯...¡± The newly discovered fact made the crowd go wild with spection. Not just the crowd attending the ceremony but also viewers of the live stream. ¡°Weston Ford was married?¡± ¡°It was never revealed in the past! who did he marry?¡± ¡°That goes without saying... it must be Guinevere Cohen!¡± ¡°So Guinevere Cohen did not give birth to a child out of wedlock? She was already married to Weston, just that it was not made public?¡± ¡°Their im to call off their engagement might have been a divorce after all.¡± ¡°In that case, they were officially man and wife! Doesn¡¯t that make E Steele a homewrecker through and through?" Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Those who initially held a neutral stance immediately fell to one side. ¡°If Weston and Guinevere simply broke up, I would have believed that E was not a homewrecker...¡± ¡°But Guinevere and Weston were married! There¡¯s no doubt that E was the third party.¡± Guinevere looked at everyone¡¯s shocked faces, and she felt the sweetness and thrill of revenge. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, E. I thought everyone knew...¡± She feigned a guilty expression, but her eyes clearly betrayed her glee. She immediately closed the window disying the documents and said to everyone, ¡°I might have caused some misunderstanding just now, but the truth is... I¡¯m here to convey my blessings to Weston and not to create trouble. I sincerely beseech everyone not to spread negative rumors around.¡± Guinevere bowed down. ¡°I believe in Weston. As the father of my child, he will not hurt me. That is why I trust that he found someone he loved after he broke off our engagement.¡± Her words made her seem generous to no end,pletely putting her in the position of a victim. ¡°I never thought that Guinevere would be so blinded by love, given how famous she is as a celebrity! ¡± ¡°Yeah, she even gave them her blessings! ¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a woman as beautiful as she is can be cheated on!¡± ¡°Am I the only one who thinks that E resembles Guinevere slightly?¡± ¡°Oh,e on, the original is way better! ¡± ¡°Guinevere has been in the entertainment industry for so long and is known as a top beauty. How could she be beaten by a meremoner?¡± ¡°Hang on. I found out online that E Steele is an actress herself, just that she¡¯s a D-lister and has only acted in one film. In fact, Guinevere was in the same movie as well...¡± ¡°Goodness! E might have stolen Weston from Guinevere when they were filming.¡± ¡°I feel so bad for Guinevere. E was clearly using filming as an excuse to seduce her husband!¡± The tide had turned in a matter of seconds. Everyone was suddenly on Guinevere¡¯s side. ¡°How arrogant! I¡¯ve never seen such an arrogant third party!¡± ¡°Guinevere is known to be arrogant and haughty. Since when did she be so foolish and easily bullied? I feel pity for her...¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect someone as prideful as her to be so naive!¡± ¡°Is Weston Ford blind? He¡¯d rather a low-life third party than a famous celebrity?!¡± ¡°Men are all the same. No matter how beautiful their own wives are, the grass on the other side is always greener...¡± And just like that, Ste¡¯s public reputation went sour. Weston¡¯s face was dark with displeasure, and his eyes turned cold as he looked cially at Guinevere, who was looking innocent on stage. Ste could sense that he was about to make a move and held him back, shaking her head. Weston tugged open his cor, his eyes dark and dangerous. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to stop me?¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°Let me do it myself.¡± With that, she released her grip on his arm and walked on stage. ¡°Ms. Cohen, now that everyone thinks that you are Weston¡¯s ex-wife, isn¡¯t it time to rify the facts?¡± Sorrow shed past Guinevere¡¯s eyes in an instant when she saw Ste walk towards her looking calm andposed. However, she quickly recovered from it and said, ¡°I know that everyone misunderstood me, which was why I specially rified things on stage...¡± She deliberately twisted Ste¡¯s words. Ste broke her off with a smile. ¡°Not with that vague exnation of yours by simply saying that Weston was married. However, the person he married was not you. It was someone else.¡± News about Guinevere being married to Weston was not that shocking to the public. Inparison, Ste¡¯s words were much more puzzling to them. Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°What is she talking about? Is she crazy?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t just spout nonsense to exonerate herself!¡± ¡°Oh, please. The rumors we¡¯ve heard over the years featured Guinevere as Weston¡¯s only girlfriend, who else could Weston be married to?¡± ¡°What a joke. Is she trying to make US believe that Weston married some other woman?¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she just im that she is the ex-wife?¡± Upon hearing the mumbling of the crowd, Guinevere looked challengingly at Ste. ¡°Exactly, Ms. Steele.¡± She whispered in her ear, ¡°Are you really Weston¡¯s ex -wife?¡± Clearly, she knew that she was never married to Weston. But this E Steele that stood before her was not Weston¡¯s ex-wife either. She was merely that woman¡¯s recement. That woman¡¯s name was Ste Sealey. She had died long ago. Compared to a dead woman, it was more likely for the public to believe that she was Weston¡¯s ex-wife. E was only Ste¡¯s recement, after all. Even Ste Sealey was no match for her, not to mention E! The sudden turn of events made everyone look upon Ste in greater disdain. ¡°Ms. Steele, if Ms. Cohen was indeed married to Weston Ford, are you really responsible for breaking their marriage apart?¡± Ste looked calmly at the man. ¡°who else would know their own marital status better than the man himself? Instead of just listening to Guinevere¡¯s side of the story, why don¡¯t you personally ask Weston whether he was really married to Guinevere?¡± The man looked at Weston and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, did you betray Ms. Cohen and your marriage with her?¡± ¡°I have never married her, and there was no such betraying that you speak of,¡± Weston pinched in between his brows and said in a heavy but firm tone. Not everyone believed his words, though. This was especially so after Guinevere looked at him in disbelief, with tears welling in her eyes. She quickly collected herself and swallowed her tears without a word. Everyone saw her subtle movements and remarked, ¡° What¡¯s the point of asking Weston? Now that he has another woman, he would no doubt speak up for her! ¡± ¡°Yeah, all men are like that, preferring the new to the old. It¡¯s only expected that he would deny his marriage with Guinevere for the sake of his new woman!¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes turned red as she cut them off. ¡°I truly loved him. Please don¡¯t spread such rumors about him... I trust him.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still speaking up for him at this point in time!¡± Many people found Guinevere besotted and loyal in love. ¡°What in the world is Weston thinking? why did he abandon such a wonderful wife?¡± ¡°Yeah, how can that womanpare to Guinevere? She¡¯s not fit to even lift her shoes...¡± Undoubtedly, thosements were borne out of the natural derision for homewreckers. Ste was once again disparaged to the ground. She looked calmly at Guinevere. ¡°You must be very pleased with yourself right now.¡± The corner of Ste¡¯s lips curved upward as she pulled out a marriage certificate. ¡°But why do I see a different name on Weston¡¯s marriage certificate?¡± Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Chapter 826 In that instant, all eyes and camera lenses shifted to the certificate. In a flurry of shutter clicks, the room was momentarily brightened by the myriad shes that went off as photos of the certificate were taken. The couple''s names were written clearly in ck and white on the document. Weston Ford and Ste Sealey. ording to the time indicated on the document that Guinevere ¡°identally¡± revealed on the big screen, which stated Weston¡¯s marital status, it coincided with the dates on the marriage certificate that testified Weston¡¯s marriage to this woman. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°So Weston Ford was already married? To a woman who wasn¡¯t Guinevere Cohen?¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± ¡°Guinevere has been hinting about being together with Weston, and she didn¡¯t deny about them being married...¡± ¡°Hang on! Is that photo on the certificate E stelle?¡± ¡°But why is Ste Sealey¡¯s name on the document?¡± ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s using a stage name. These two names are rather simr, and they practically look like the same person!¡± Guinevere did not expect Ste toe prepared with Weston¡¯s marriage certificate. Her face turned pale as she looked at the two in a daze. ¡°Why do you have this? This is Ste and Weston¡¯s marriage certificate...¡± How would E have something that belonged to the two of them? Guinevere recalled the scene when Weston divorced Ste. She was there at that time and personally saw them tear up their marriage certificate. Weston¡¯s certificate had disappeared without a trace from the day Ste jumped off the building. Ste¡¯s copy should have disappeared from the face of the earth, too. Why was it in this woman¡¯s hands? Could it be... A possibility made Guinevere¡¯s face turn pale. Impossible, simply impossible! She had already eliminated that possibility and even conducted a DNA test. The woman standing before her was E Steele. There was no mistake! She couldn¡¯t be Ste Sealey. She bit her lips as a barrage of questions hit her. ¡°Ms. Cohen, why aren¡¯t you answering US?¡± ¡°Yeah, your name is clearly not on the certificate! Why did you imply that you were married to Weston?¡± ¡°Does your child really belong to Weston?¡± ¡°Did you really give birth out of wedlock?¡± ¡°Why did you mislead everyone into thinking that E destroyed your marriage with Weston?¡± ¡°E is the one on the marriage certificate. Are you the actual homewrecker?¡± Guinevere rebutted instinctively. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not me. I¡¯m no homewrecker! ¡± She pointed at Ste¡¯s nose. ¡°She¡¯s the one who came between Weston and me! ¡± ¡°But the marriage certificate clearly shows that Weston was married to E! Based on the date, they were married before you gave birth to Zachary Ford. No matter which angle you look at it, you look more like the homewrecker! ¡± Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Chapter 827 ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t know anything! ¡± Guinevere became agitated. ¡°She¡¯s not Ste Sealey! She only looks like her! ¡± She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Hellbent on dragging Ste into hell, shepletely lost all her elegance and rationality. ¡°The woman standing before all of you is but a mere recement. The woman on the certificate is Ste Sealey. They are different people! ¡± ¡°How could that be? They look so alike, and even their names sound simr...¡± ¡°Which is why I called her a recement! ¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she red at Ste. ¡°She¡¯s a lowly recement, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The guests were all confused. ¡°What is she talking about?¡± Guinevere sneered. ¡°Although I have no idea how you got your hands on Ste¡¯s marriage certificate, fake goods will forever be fake goods, and a recement will forever remain a recement. It can never be genuine! You¡¯ll never be Ste Sealey!¡± ¡°Are you willing to be a recement your entire life?¡± she raved on,pletely unhinged and off the rails. She looked at all the guests and reporters and pleaded emphatically, ¡°This woman is E Steele. She¡¯s not Ste Sealey! Ste Sealey is the one who married Weston. This woman right here is only a recement, a homewrecker who came between Weston and me! ¡± Her words stood in stark contrast to her earlier ims. In fact, they were the total opposite. Everyone exchanged nces as it dawned on them that Guinevere was clearly here to create trouble. She had acted benevolent and generous at the beginning just so that everyone would pick on E. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g However, E pulled out her marriage certificate, effectively turning the tables and forcing Guinevere to throw caution to the wind and change her words. The corner of Ste¡¯s lips lifted in a smile that never reached her eyes, she walked toward Guinevere and said, ¡°In that case, are you admitting that you came in between Weston and Ste?¡± Ste grabbed Guinevere¡¯s wrist. ¡°You imed that I came in between you and Weston, but see, you weren¡¯t even in the picture when Ste married Weston, yet you bore his child... tell me, are you the homewrecker or not?¡± It was all written in ck and white, and Guinevere could not deny the truth. Everyone stood ready to attack Guinevere. Even if she were to deny it, they were not fools and could tell what exactly was going on. Guinevere had no choice but to grit her teeth and admit, ¡°Yes, I was the one who came in between Ste and Weston¡¯s marriage...¡± The moment she said those words, the crowd went wild. The reporters outside who she had invited beforehand rushed in like sharks looking for blood. They hade with the goal of digging up some gossip, but they didn¡¯t expect tond upon a scoop! Thement section of the live stream went wild, too. No one expected that Guinevere, the mighty goddess sitting on a nequin, who had nary a piece of rumor against her, was actually a homewrecker! ¡°Ms. Cohen, you once told your fans to love themselves and not waste their time on men who don¡¯t love them and not to be a third party in other people¡¯s rtionships... Now that the truth is out, do you have any thoughts to share?¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it deliberately. I didn¡¯t have a choice back then...¡± ¡°Were you forced to destroy someone else¡¯s marriage? Or did Mr. Ford force you to it?¡± A reporter found something fishy and asked, ¡°I remember that your child has just turned one, but ording to the time on the marriage certificate... were you pregnant when they were married?¡± ¡°I said I had my reasons!¡± Guinevere immediately replied. Instantly, she activated her excellent acting skills and teared up, effectively silencing the crowd so that they would hear her out. She choked in between her tears, ¡°Weston and I were on the verge of discussing marriage, but we got into a huge fight... and I broke up with him in a fit of pique.¡± Guinevere wiped her tears away indignantly. ¡°In order to take revenge on me, Weston married Ste Sealey...¡± Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Everyone¡¯s attention was on Guinevere. With tears glistening in her eyes, she exined further. ¡°Upon finding out that they got married, I had intended to just let things go... but then I found out that I was pregnant with Weston¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Weston was the only man I ever had,¡± she went on as she choked on her tears. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to see my child fatherless the moment he was born... which was why I had to look both of them up and discuss things through.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Guinevere wiped away her tears. ¡°Ste Sealey... was a good woman.¡± She was also a dead woman. In an attempt t portray herself as the bigger person, Guinevere didn¡¯t hesitate to heap praises on Ste. Ste had indeed been innocent in their entire affair, and it would only portray her in a bad light if she were to attack her verbally. E was the only one she had to deal with at this point. E had deliberately shed Ste¡¯s marriage certificate to overrule her ims, believing that the mere mention of Ste¡¯s name would send her hurtling... but a DNA test had also been conducted, and she saw the results for herself. E and Ste were twopletely different people! Hence, she would never fall for E¡¯s trick. ¡°When she found out about Weston and my past rtionship, she did bear a grudge, but she clearly knew that such things couldn¡¯t be forced. That was why she decided to pull herself out.¡± Guinevere sniffled pitifully. ¡°I admit that Weston and I were young and foolish at that time, and we did not deal with our rtionship in the most mature manner. But whatever it was, I never wanted to hurt her...¡± No one in the crowd expected the truth to turn out soplicated. ¡°So, Ste Sealey and E Steele and indeed two different women?¡± ¡°But they look so alike, I¡¯d even say they looked identical! How could they not be one and the same?¡± ¡°They are indeed two different women!¡± Guinevere croaked between tears. ¡°I admit I¡¯d wronged Ste... but E has been a mere recement right from the beginning!¡± She then looked coldly at Ste. ¡°Perhaps Weston felt guilty toward Ste, which is why he¡¯s trying to make things up to her through E...¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ste finally opened her mouth and sneered cynically. ¡°Why do you two feel guilty? Didn¡¯t you just say that Ste forgave you and allowed you the happy ending you wanted?¡± Guinevere gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Since E was bent on going against her, she was determined to rise to the challenge! ¡°That was because she loved Weston so much that she couldn¡¯t let go of him and ended up leaping from the balcony...¡± ¡°What? Ste Sealey is dead?¡± Everyone gasped in shock, overwhelmed by the twists and turns of the saga unfolding before them. ¡°Goodness, what big news! ¡± ¡°So, Weston Ford¡¯s ex-wife is neither Guinevere Cohen nor this E Steele he¡¯s currently getting engaged to, but a woman by the name of Ste Sealey? And she jumped to her death?¡± ¡°Goodness gracious, how pitiful...¡± ¡°She was usedpletely and even died in the end! ¡± Everyone began voicing their sympathies for Ste. Ste red at Guinevere. ¡°Are you sure? Are you very sure that shemitted suicide by jumping off the building of her own ord?¡± She walked step by step toward Guinevere with muted fury in her eyes as she shed a medical report in her hands. ¡°She was already pregnant with a child and wanted a fresh new life, she even went out of her way to care for her unborn child by feeding herself a nourishing diet. Tell me, how could a woman like thatmit suicide for the sake of a rtionship? ¡°She clearly wanted to live! ¡± E made her im emphatically, she shut her eyes, consumed by the flood of emotions that she felt back then. Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Chapter 829 She was so desperate for another chance at life, and her unborn child in her tummy... She knew that it waspletely due to luck that she even got married to Weston in the first ce, even if he cheated on her and used her as a tool to anger Guinevere. He married her and toyed with her feelings, but she never med him for it. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. After all, he had helped her when she was in dire straits. She was willing to let go of past grudges and begin a new life with Roger and her baby. But how did they treat her? Guinevere sent someone to kidnap her and kill her. Including the unborn child in her womb! And what did Weston do? He refused to believe her. Even at such a critical moment back then, he had chosen Guinevere instead. Why did he treat her so cruelly? What wrong did shemit? She merely wanted to live her own life peacefully, and love the man she loved. Yet, even her only child was so cruelly torn away from her. Given her HH blood type, she could only have one child in her entire lifetime. Her greatest wish, after the passing of her parents, was to have a happy family of her own. The crowd was bbergasted at Ste¡¯s retelling of her story. ¡°Ste Sealey is such a pitifuldy...¡± ¡°Yeah, she was cheated on and lied to. she thought she finally got what she wanted, yet everything turned out to be a scam, and she even lost her life and her child...¡± ¡°I never expected Guinevere Cohen to be so ruthless!¡± ¡°Yes! No matter how much she tries to justify herself, it¡¯s undeniable that she and Weston are the culprits! ¡± ¡°Ultimately, Weston is a bastard in their entire affair for favoring the new and abandoning the old. So many people in the world are like that! But I¡¯ve never seen someone as wicked and ruthless as Guinevere Cohen...¡± The crowd¡¯sments were like relentless waves crashing over Guinevere. Her entire body was trembling out of a terrifying mix of anger and fear. ¡°What nonsense are all of you spouting? Ste was the one who ended her own life. What¡¯s it got to do with me?¡± She finally tore away at the feigned kindness, ¡°How was I wrong? I was merely trying to keep the man I loved by my side... It was Ste who was incapable of winning over Weston¡¯s heart! She was abandoned and couldn¡¯t ept reality. What¡¯s that got to do with me? I didn¡¯t force her to die! ¡± At such a time, the more she tried to shirk responsibility, the more guilty she looked. ¡°Based on your logic, Ste didn¡¯t do anything wrong either, why did she deserve to die such a terrible death, then? ¡°What¡¯s more, the medical report that E shed clearly indicated that Ste was pregnant at that time ? It was not hard to conclude that Guinevere had deliberately made things difficult for Ste because she was pregnant, forcing Ste into a corner and causing her to take her own life. With the sudden turn in the tide, Guinevere knew she couldn¡¯t let things go on like this. Harping on Ste Sealey was going to be disadvantageous for her. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s Ste Sealey and not E Steele! whatever it is, even if I were to have wronged Ste, it was still within reason. I was also pregnant with a child. I had no choice but to do what I did! ¡°But E is a homewrecker through and through! She¡¯s merely a mistress that Weston kept. If it weren¡¯t for Weston, she wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to step through the doors of the set! she merely rode on Ste¡¯s coattails to get to where she is today! She¡¯s nothing but a recement! ¡± Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Chapter 830 This engagement banquet was thoroughly ruined. Everyone in the crowd knew in the depths of their hearts. The engagement ceremony was no longer of importance. What was on everyone¡¯s minds was the truth behind this entire thing. Everyone began analyzing the situation rationally after Guinevere¡¯s words. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Can there really be two women who look so alike, even identical, in this world?¡± ¡°But Guinevere seems very sure that they are two different women. Perhaps, they really are...¡± ¡°That cannot be! They look like one and the same to me!¡± ¡°If they are actually the same woman, Guinevere couldn¡¯t possibly be so sure, can she?¡± Ste looked at the confident look on Guinevere¡¯s face, and her eyes turned cold. ¡°How are you so sure that Ste is really dead and has no way of dealing with you?¡± Guinevere looked back into her eyes as she whispered into her ears, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s already dead. Are you able to resurrect her and make her fight for Weston with me? I¡¯ve already said countless times that you¡¯re nothing but a lowly recement! You¡¯ll never win me!¡± ¡°What if I tell you that I am Ste Sealey?¡± Ste slowly stood up and looked calmly at the woman before her, saying in an icy tone, ¡°If I weren¡¯t her, how would I have been able to retrieve Weston¡¯s marriage certificate with her and so much confidential and personal information?¡± The more she exined, the more Guinevere¡¯s face paled. It was as if she saw a ghost, and disbelief clouded her face. Guinevere looked on, horrified at the women before her, as her eyes widened slowly. Her previously composed stature slowly disintegrated toward the brink of copse. She clenched her fists with a deathly grip and squeezed out the words, ¡°Impossible...you¡¯re lying!¡± Ste sneered. ¡°Lying? when I jumped down from that balcony, I swore I would make you pay the moment I had the chance...¡± Guinevere mumbled profusely under her breath and began trembling hard the moment she heard the word ¡®balcony¡¯ing from Ste¡¯s mouth. Her firm assumptions copsed in that instant, and her blood froze from her fingertips to the core of her heart. She refused to believe it. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that on purpose to test me! I conducted a DNA test. You and Ste are twopletely different people! ¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste chuckled, but the warmth never reached her eyes, ¡°what makes you so sure about that? Did you see her corpse?¡± ¡°She was immediately pronounced dead the moment she jumped off, and her body was cremated, stop trying to mislead everyone here! ¡± Guinevere suddenly turned agitated as she charged toward Ste, ¡°shut your trap!¡± She lifted her hand, poised and ready to give Ste a tight p, but Ste caught her wrist just in time, ¡° Didn¡¯t you say that Ste was the one who couldn¡¯t let go of things? why did she suddenly jump off the balcony?¡± Guinevere¡¯s eyes shifted uneasily as anxiety crept in. ¡°Yes! She couldn¡¯t let go of things, so she decided to jump off the balcony...¡± ¡°Why are you so clear about the details? Were you there at the balcony that day, too?¡± ¡°I was kidnapped together with her...¡± ¡°Kidnap? why is kidnapping in the picture? Didn¡¯t you say that Ste was the one who couldn¡¯t let go of things?¡± Guinevere red at her wordlessly, her throat constricted as if someone was strangling her. She covered her ears with her palms and shrieked out loud as fear contorted her face, ¡°stop talking, stop talking! You¡¯re not Ste Sealey. You¡¯re E Steele!¡± ¡°Is that really so?¡± Guinevere knelt as though she could hide from reality and the truth. Ste tilted her face coldly, forcing her to look into her eyes. ¡°Open your eyes and look at me. Is it E or Ste standing before you?¡± Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Chapter 831 ¡°When you ordered the kidnappers to get rid of me on the rooftop two years ago, did you ever think that you would one day see me as I am today?¡± Guinevere stared speechlessly at her with her mouth agape. She seemed to want to speak, but words couldn¡¯t escape her throat. ¡°Y-You¡­¡± she sputtered. Her lips were pale. Her eyes widened with horror, as if she was literally faced with a corpse that had miraculouslye back to life. ¡°Impossible ! It¡¯s impossible ! You should¡¯ve been dead! I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± She recalled the first time she hadid eyes on E in Fern City. At the time, she was confident that the woman she saw was Ste. Not only did they look exactly alike, they even had the same rare blood type. It was just too improbable to believe that it was all a coincidence. Back then, she had no doubts at all that E was in fact Ste. But afterward, she had conducted her own investigation, including a DNA test, and they all had pointed toward the fact that E was indeed a different person. Only then did she let down her guard and believe that Ste was truly dead. If only she had known that her first instinct was correct after all! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Her expression turned cold. She red at Ste and hissed,¡± You lying b*tch! You¡¯ve been alive all along! You¡¯ve been deceiving me! ¡°You should¡¯ve been dead!¡± she rushed forward and tried to grab Ste¡¯s throat. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have survived! Why are you still alive? Why are you still alive?!¡± Her deranged behavior caused a huge stir among the crowd. But before she got anywhere near Ste, Weston had long strode forward, pulled Ste into his arms, and shoved Guinevere away ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble?¡± he stared down coldly at the woman who had fallen onto the floor. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Get out?¡± Guinevere looked up at him through her tears. She could hardly believe her ears. Weston had never treated her so heartlessly before. ¡°You¡¯re chasing me away,¡± she blurted between her sobs, ¡°all because of this woman?! Hahahahaha!¡± Guinevere burst into a maniacalughter before burying her face in her hands and wailing bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to me all along! She has always been Ste! You knew it from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡± Guinevere lumberingly got back up to her feet. Seeing this, Weston pulled Ste backward to shield her from Guinevere. Guinevere sneered at the sight of Weston shrinking away from her as if she was a venomous snake, and with reddened eyes, she added, ¡°I¡¯d been mocking her for just being Ste¡¯s substitute ¡­ Turns out she has been Ste all along¡­ I must¡¯ve looked like a stupid clown to both of you, huh? ¡°She¡¯s never been a substitute because she IS Ste!¡± she shouted wildly, her finger pointing squarely at Ste¡¯s face.¡± You¡¯re supposed to be dead! You should¡¯ve stayed dead! Why did you have toe back to life? Why?!¡± Her screeching voice rang through the hall, only to be interrupted by the constant stream of camera shes which were all directed at her face-the face that had always looked dignified and elegant, but now could only be described as delirious. Chris rose to his feet in the VIP section as he could no longer watch on quietly. He had been sitting among the members of the Ford family. Beside him was Wendy, who was holding Zachary on herp and ying happily with the toddler without a care in the world. But when she saw Chris standing up, she grabbed his arm and asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Chris brushed her hand away and said nothing. He then headed up to the stage without looking back. Once he got there, he ced an arm around Guinevere to support her and asserted,¡° That¡¯s enough farce for the day.¡± But that did nothing to shut the reporters up. When they all saw that it was Chris, a hail of questions began to rain down on him. ¡°May I ask if you, as Weston¡¯s father, knew about his previous marriage all along?¡± ¡°Was Guinevere Cohen the homewrecker who caused Weston Ford and Ste Sealey to break up?¡± ¡°Since Ste Sealey was thewful Mrs. Ford, what was Guinevere Cohen trying to achieve when she announced publicly that she was engaged to Weston Ford?¡± Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Those questions were like blood-sucking leeches that dug into everyone¡¯s brains, influencing their thoughts and opinions. Now, the truth was finallyid bare for everyone to see Guinevere had been lying all these years. Her fans online were up in a furore. None of them could believe that their adored idol was such a shady person behind the scenes! But however dramatic the reactions of people online was, it was iparable to the reactions of those who were present and had seen everything go down with their own eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she still had the audacity to show up here even after doing all those horrible things ! Not to mention how she tried to make herself look like the victim despite everything!¡± ¡°I had a bad feeling about her the moment she appeared. Who in their right mind would show up at their ex-boyfriend¡¯s engagement party and say all those things? She wasn¡¯t just trying to make herself look like the victim-she was tantly trying to win Weston back!¡± ¡°How shameless! After all the things she¡¯s done! I wouldn¡¯t dare show my face here if I was her!¡± Murmurs and whispers of this sort spread through the crowd. ¡°Shut up!¡± Guinevere shrieked. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and was beginning to lose her mind. ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡± Seeing that Guinevere was on the verge of losing her sanity, Chris desperately tried his best to lead her down the stage. ¡°Let¡¯s go home now,¡± he told her with a gloomy face. ¡°No!¡± Guinevere refused to budge. With reddened eyes, she pleaded, ¡°You have to help me, Chris! Please help me!¡± She looked straight into his eyes and added, ¡°You¡¯re Weston¡¯s father. I know you can help me! You must help me!¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked utterly pitiful. ¡°Nothing they said is true¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not a homewrecker ! You know that, don¡¯t you? You know how long I¡¯ve been in love with Weston! How can I be the homewrecker when I¡¯ve been by his side all along?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Chrisforted her. There was nothing more he could do right now as everyone around them was eyeing Guinevere with suspicion and contempt. ¡°I believe you, Gwen, but now is not the time to do anything. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely help you, just not right now. Let me take you home¡­¡± Guinevere hesitated and looked as if she wanted to argue, but Chris gripped her arm and held her closer to him before leading her somewhat forcefully away from the prying eyes. Meanwhile, Wendy watched on in her seat with a cold and stony look on her face. Zachary was still on herp, happily bouncing up and down andpletely oblivious to themotion going on around him. ¡°Granny!¡± he cried out, pinching Wendy¡¯s cheek with his chubby fingers. Zachary had begun to speak, but while other kids his age had already learned how to say mommy and daddy, Zach was still fumbling in his speech. The only word he could say right now was granny. ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± Wendy turned her gaze toward the boy, and without a change in her expression, she stroked his little face and told him, ¡°I¡¯m here, darling. Are you hungry?¡±: Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ady who sat near her turned to her worriedly and asked,¡± Aren¡¯t you going to go over there too?¡± Even Chris had gone up there, so it seemed a little odd that Wendy did not join him. Others in the crowd wondered why Chris and Guinevere seemed so strangely close to each other, but none of them dared to say anything about it. After all, such spections seemed baseless at the moment. Furthermore, what had transpired today was scandalous enough that everyone was still reeling from it. No one had the time to notice the weirdly intimate rtionship between Chris and Guinevere. Someone even thought it was a good idea to give Wendy the following advice ¡°I know the Ford and Cohen families may still want to maintain a good rtionship, but since Guinevere¡¯s not engaged to Weston anymore, you should remind Chris that he doesn¡¯t need to be so concerned about Guinevere anymore, Wendy.¡± The person who had said that might have truly meant well, but Wendy could not listen to it without turning cold and aloof. ¡°You can¡¯t say that,¡± she replied with a thin wry smile. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that Guinevere is still Zach¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± the person changed their tune when they saw Wendy¡¯s icy expression. ¡°I¡¯vepletely forgotten about that!¡± After that, no one ever brought up the topic to Wendy again. Most people were still in shock after having learned such staggering things about Guinevere anyway. Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Chapter 833 A big portion of the crowd was now curious about Ste. ¡°So is E Steele really Ste Sealey?¡± ¡°Of course she is! Didn¡¯t she say so herself just now?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not really an engagement party, but more like an announcement of their remarriage, right?¡± Now that Chris had taken Guinevere away, it was only natural that everyone started to turn their attention to Ste. ¡°Was everything you imed the truth, Miss Steele?¡± ¡°How should we address you now-Miss Steele or Miss Sealey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± replied Ste. With Chris and Guinevere gone, she had no desire to face any confrontations. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to answer any of your questions right now.¡± She then turned to leave after that, but the reporters still wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°Miss Sealey!¡± shouted one. ¡°Please answer our questions ! If everything we learned was true, then shouldn¡¯t you hate Weston Ford? Why would you want to marry him now?¡± ¡°Why did you use the identity of E Steele to marry Weston Ford?¡± ¡°Have you changed your name permanently, or is Ste Sealey your old name and E Steele your stage name?¡± Dozens of cameras and microphones were aimed at her. Those people who had been paid by Guinevere to do a live stream here initially felt aimless when Guinevere had left, but even though they¡¯d already been paid, they realized that they¡¯d earn a thousand times more money if they continued the livestream, so they remained there. At the request of the live audience, one of the reporters sneaked in and approached Ste, asking her, ¡°Miss Steele, would you raise Weston Ford¡¯s child with him once you got married?¡± Ste did not answer, so he continued, ¡°Zachary Ford is Weston and Guinevere¡¯s son. Would you be able to treat him as your own son?¡± He added, ¡°Would you treat Zachary Ford poorly because his mother is Guinevere?¡± The questions she had received earlier had sounded as if they were borne out of innocent curiosity, but the ones this man had just posed were obviously tinged with malice. Ste was too exhausted to face them right now, so she turned away and ignored the reporter. The man was not going to give up just yet, though. He kept the camera rolling and chased after Ste. ¡°Miss Steele,¡± he uttered again, ¡°please answer our questions! Or do you find these questions too difficult to answer? Why is that, Miss Steele? Miss Steele!¡± ¡°Who are you to force her to talk?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Just as the man was firing questions at Ste, arge hand reached out and blocked the camera. ¡°What gave you the guts to be so bold?¡± the same voice asked. The reporter turned around and saw Weston¡¯s ruthless face glowering down at him. His oppressive and intimidating aurapletely overwhelmed him, giving him no courage to even look straight into Weston¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was only asking a few questions ¡­¡± the man mumbled. His bold confidence , which had been so prominent only seconds ago, was nowpletely gone. Instead, his voice now faltered, and he looked meek. ¡°I don¡¯t think you were on the guest list at all,¡± said Weston before snatching the man¡¯s camera away from him. . ¡°What are you doing?¡± the man responded in panic. He depended on that camera to make a living! ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Ste nced coldly at Weston and pursed her lips without saying anything. Weston shielded her behind him, wrapped an arm around her body, and held her fast. With the other hand, he went through the photos in the camera that he¡¯d just confiscated from the reporter. ¡°You really are a gutsy one,¡± he sneered. There was not a trace of warmth in his voice. ¡°Which magazine do you work for?¡± Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Blood drainedpletely from the reporter¡¯s face as soon as he heard Weston¡¯s question. He was fully aware of how powerful Weston was. It would be stupid to provoke him. He shouldn¡¯t have been so caught up in the moment and forgotten himself just now. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Mr. Ford¡­¡± Weston restrained his anger and tossed the camera back to the reporter. ¡°Beat it,¡± he snarled, and said nothing more to him. He turned around and noticed that Ste didn¡¯t look very well. He frowned, took her hand, and whispered in her ear, ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, we can leave now.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°You take care of the rest,¡± Weston instructed Ben. Ben nodded, then Weston swiftly took Ste away from the hall. The engagement party had caused such a stir that news of it upied the front page of all major newspapers in Ahn City. The whole incident was a hot topic on everyone¡¯s lips. Once the party was over, Weston booked a room at a hotel for Ste to stay in and brought her there. On their way, a pregnant silence hung over them. It was as if they were suppressing so many thoughts in their minds, each unwilling to express them. To start, there were those pesky questions that the reporter had asked¡­ It was true that Ste should hate both Guinevere and Weston. So why did she decide to marry the man? Was she resigned to her fate? Was she still in love with him even after all the horrible things that he¡¯d done to her? Neither of those answers sounded reasonable. Both of them knew this, of course. That was precisely why they remained in silence. As things descended into chaos outside, the two of them settled down in a VIP suite on the top floor of the hotel. But not long after that, Weston got up and was about to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ste asked, grabbing his arm before he left. Weston sat down next to her, gently stroked her hair, and replied, ¡°My grandfather is waiting for me outside. It¡¯ll only take a minute. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. Then, she asked, ¡°Will he be furious at you?¡± She thought of how Warren had now learned of their previous marriage to each other, and that she had been using a fake identity all along. Weston leaned over and kissed her forehead. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured her. ¡°I can handle it.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go once you¡¯re asleep,¡± he said as he ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°I think you¡¯d better go now,¡± she urged. ¡°Your grandfather must¡¯ve been waiting for ages by now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he insisted, firmly but with a tender warmth in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll wait till you¡¯re asleep.¡± ; He gazed fixedly at her, as if she was the only person that mattered to him in this whole world. With those eyes and that husky voice of his, it was hard not to bepletely bewitched. After a while, Ste closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Thest things she was aware of were Weston¡¯s gentle sigh, the rustling noise as he ced a nket over her body, and the sound of his footsteps as he left the room. Warren had been waiting in the hallway outside the suite for hours. ¡°My dear boy!¡± he greeted Weston with a cold sneer when he came out. ¡°You¡¯ve really given me a massive gift!¡± Weston had never disappointed him before ever since he was born. As an exceptional member of the Ford family, he had always disyed a level of skills and talent that was far beyond the reach of his peers. At an age when other men like him were busy fooling around with women and burning money on expensive cars and designer clothes, Weston had spent his time establishing a firm foothold in the Ford Corporation. He was undeniably a rare genius. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Whether it was his father, Chris, or his uncle, Xavier, none of them couldpare to his unrivaled brilliance. Yet Warren could never have foreseen that this grandson of his, who had always been a source of his pride, would one day secretly get married to a womanpletely unknown to him behind his back! In fact, he¡¯d gotten married, divorced, and now re-engaged to the same woman, all without informing the family! ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you remember that I¡¯m your grandfather still. Perhaps I¡¯m just an old decrepit man who doesn¡¯t mean anything to you now!¡± Weston made no reply. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Warren barked, ncing at the door to the suite. ¡°Am I not important enough for her to come out and meet me?¡± Warren could¡¯ve kept calm and suppressed his angry, but when he learned that E and Ste were the same woman, the rage just surged back up, and he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. ¡°Both of you have been pulling the wool over our eyes all along! What do you take us for? Simple- minded fools?!¡± He took a deep breath and looked straight into Weston¡¯s eyes before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ll only ask you this: Is it all true? Everything concerning Ste, E, and all the mess that was imed to have happened- are they all true?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes darkened, and he remained silent for a while before replying, ¡°They¡¯re all true.¡± ¡°So she really is the woman that you married a few years ago?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°There was no need for it,¡± he replied bluntly. At the time, Weston had no intention to hide the marriage from his family at all, but he wasn¡¯t in a rush to tell them either. Both his father and Xavier knew about it, but they also knew that Ste didn¡¯t mean much to Weston anyway. They assumed that he only married her to provoke Guinevere because he was angry at her. That was why they didn¡¯t think it was important enough to mention it to anyone else in the family. Besides, Weston and Ste had signed a prenuptial agreement before they had gotten married, so unless they remainedwfully husband and wife, none of Weston¡¯s money or properties would ever go to Ste. Had things stopped at their divorce and not turned out the way it did now, Warren wouldn¡¯t have even been bothered when he found out that Weston had been married to Ste before. At most, he would¡¯ve given him a good talking to, and that would¡¯ve been the end of it. But now that E had turned out to be Weston¡¯s ex-wife, things had gotten much moreplicated. ¡°Absolutely ridiculous!¡± Warren¡¯s face turned ghastly with rage.¡± I¡¯d always thought that you were nothing like your uncle, who spends all his time drinking and fooling around! I¡¯d never think that you would keep your marriage a secret from the family for so many years! I¡¯d always regarded you as my most deserving heir, but as things stand¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa-¡± Weston muttered with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me that!¡± barked Warren, engulfed by fury.¡° If you had thought of me as your grandfather, you wouldn¡¯t have concealed such a serious matter from me! If things hadn¡¯t exploded into chaos the way it did today, were you nning to fool me for the rest of my life?!¡± ¡°The most important thing is that my heart is set on her,¡± Weston replied firmly, his fingers on his brows. ¡°Everything else is irrelevant. It doesn¡¯t matter whether she¡¯s E or Ste. The woman I want to marry has always been her and only her.¡± ¡°In that case, you shouldn¡¯t have put a baby in Guinevere¡¯s belly, then!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Warren banged his walking stick furiously on the floor, then added, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you love her, but you shouldn¡¯t have dragged Guinevere into it! How are we going to face the public now? How is the Cohen family to deal with the humiliation ? It was bad enough that you publicly broke off your engagement with Guinevere , but things have gotten even worse now! How should I ever face the Cohen family now?¡± ¡°They brought it on themselves,¡± Weston responded with knitted brows. Warren heaved a long and heavy sigh as he realized that things had gone past the point of no return. ¡°I know that I won¡¯t change anything now no matter how much I yell at you,¡± he relented. He red at the young man in front of him with a gaze full of disappointment. He had put a lot of high expectations on this grandson of his, but he had dashed all his hopes. ¡°When did you turn into your uncle Xavier, Weston? You¡¯ve made such a bigmotion, and what was it all for? Just a woman.¡± Weston clenched his fist. If there was one person in his family that he truly respected and revered, it was his grandfather, Warren. ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision,¡± Weston insisted. ¡°I was married to her, and now, I want to marry her again. My mind is made up no matter what, and that¡¯s the end of it.¡± Warren knew exactly what his grandson meant. ¡°Are you absolutely sure?¡± he asked. His old, wizened face hardened. ¡°You¡¯ve caused a huge uproar today, so if you regret it one day,¡± ¡°I will never regret it,¡± Weston interrupted him, his voice full of conviction. ¡°Whether she¡¯s Ste or E, I know I¡¯ll never regret marrying her.¡± Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Ste was woken up the next morning by a loud noise. To her surprise, she actually had a good night¡¯s sleepst night despite all that had happened. The voices outside the door grew louder and louder. Ste frowned and forced her eyes open. Then she felt a warm and gentle embrace enveloping her from behind. ¡°Did the noise wake you up?¡±. Ste turned around and looked at the man with groggy eyes, asking, ¡°What¡­ What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early,¡± Weston replied, leaning down and nting a kiss on her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we sleep a little longer?¡± He then tucked her back into the thickyers of nkets. ¡°You must¡¯ve been really tired yesterday,¡± he added. ¡°Not really,¡± she yawned and turned around to lean on his chest. ¡°I think Guinevere was a lot more tired.¡± She brought up the name as if that person no longer had any power to bother her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yesterday was a mishap¡­¡± Weston ran his fingers through her messy hair. ¡°But I promise you that she will never appear in our lives ever again.¡± Ste was silent for a long time before she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to tell me?¡± ¡°What other things should I be telling you?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she replied in a timid voice, ¡°everyone found out about us yesterday..¡± ¡°Yes, everyone knows now.¡±. ¡°I didn¡¯t n on revealing anything yesterday,¡± she said, closing her eyes. ¡°I know.¡± Weston swept her hair away and kissed her. ¡°I understand youpletely. You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me.¡± ¡°If¡­¡± Ste utered, slowly opening her eyes. ¡°If Guinevere hadn¡¯t appeared suddenly, I would never have said all those things¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Weston assured her, his lips now moving closer to hers. He went in and kissed her passionately. ¡°I understandpletely. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I¡¯ll handle everything. All you need to focus on now is getting ready to be Mrs. Ford.¡± A wry, sardonic smile cropped up on her face, but she quickly hid it. She took Weston¡¯s hands and asked him, ¡°What does everyone think of me now?¡± Did they pity her? Suspect her? Or did they regard her with contempt and anger? After all, Guinevere and Weston had treated her so abominably, yet she was now still willing to be Weston¡¯s wife. ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself with what others think of you,¡± he told her, raising her hands up to his lips and kissing them gently. ¡°With me by your side, no one would ever dare to mock you.¡± ¡°Not to my face, perhaps¡­¡± Ste lowered her eyes and continued, ¡°But what would they be thinking about me in their hearts?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t control what people think.¡± Weston lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. ¡°But I promise you, Ste: I will never let anyone harm you again.¡± Light shed in her eyes. She smiled and ced her hands on the nape of his neck. ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡± After a moment, she asked him, ¡°Which identity should I be using now?¡± Weston was about to say she could use any name she liked. She was still the same person, after all. But he changed his mind when he looked into her eyes. ¡°E,¡± he replied. Ste would never forgive him. E, on the other hand, was the woman who had told him that she would like to start over with him. After a brief pause, Ste smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°Okay, from now on, Ste Sealey no longer exists. There is only E Steele now.¡± They then fell back to sleep again in each other¡¯s arms. It was onlyter when she woke up again that she learned the person who had been making all the noise outside was Diana ¡­ Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Ste got up and put on her clothes. She turned to the man standing beside her and asked softly, ¡°Can I go out and talk to her for a little while?¡± Diana was her aunt, after all. When Ste was still living in her old home, it was Diana who had truly cared for her. After the death of her parents, Diana had been the only source of warmth and support she had apart from Roger. Even if she loathed to see Michael, she still wished to give Diana an exnation about everything that had transpired. It even urred to her yesterday, when her true identity was revealed, that Diana woulde to see her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Weston asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind. ¡°Michael is here with her too, you know.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I know,¡± she replied. ¡°But I still want to see my aunt.¡± He said while pinching her earlobe yfully, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me why you don¡¯t get along with your uncle, yet you seem to love your aunt very much.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve looked into it before?¡± Ste sat down at the dressing table. Weston¡¯s warm breath brushed against her skin as he spoke. It tickled her, making her want to move away from him, but Weston wouldn¡¯t let her get away. He nuzzled up closer against her ear and whispered in a seductive voice, ¡°I can look into anything in this world, but I can¡¯t look into your heart and find out what your preferences are.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Did you really think that my behavior toward my aunt and uncle is all due to my preferences?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston nted little kisses from her ear all the way down to her neck. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t surprise me that you wouldn¡¯t like any other man apart from me.¡± Those words made Ste pause, then she caught the meaning he implied between the lines. ¡°What nonsense are you thinking about? He¡¯s my uncle!¡± Weston breathed heavily by her ear and said, ¡°What would you say if I told you that I¡¯m even jealous of how close you are with your aunt?¡± ¡°I would say that you¡¯repletely out of your mind!¡± Ste was different now. She would never have dared to joke around and say such things to him in the past. But that did not bother Weston one bit; in fact, he indulged her and yed along with her. ¡°So what if I really am out of my mind?¡± He teased her. ¡°You¡¯d still belong only to me anyway¡­¡± Eventually, Ste did end up meeting Diana that day, albeit under Weston¡¯s watchful eye. Nevertheless, Ste didn¡¯t mind that at all because she had no desire to see Michael. With Weston there with her, she knew that Michael wouldn¡¯t dare to be so bold with her. ¨C Especially when she saw the way Michael was ring at her vehemently when she turned up, as if he was ready to tear her apart and get rid of her¡­ But knowing that Weston was right there beside her, he had no choice but to conceal his feelings and appear civil. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± he said, ¡°since it turns out that E is in fact my niece, Ste, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind letting us talk to her for a while, would you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Weston. ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all. But my fianc¨¦e would like to have a private chat with her aunt. Why don¡¯t we give thedies some space to catch up?¡± Since Weston was so forward about it, Michael had no choice but to relent. ¡°Sure,¡± he replied with a slight sneer before ncing at the two women in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for them right here, then.¡± Weston knew that Ste was at odds with her uncle, but he didn¡¯t know the reason why. They had been in a rush just now, so he didn¡¯t have the time to ask her about it. But looking at Diana, who was on the verge of tears the moment she saw Ste, Weston was fairly sure that she would not cause Ste any harm, so he had no qualms in letting her speak to Ste alone. Meanwhile, Ste and Diana settled down in a quiet private lounge. ¡°I knew you were Ste!¡± cried Diana. ¡°I knew it the first time I saw you! I was sure that I couldn¡¯t be mistaken!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°I had no choice but to keep my identity a secret, Aunt Diana.¡± Ste seemed better able to keep herposure than her aunt, because she knew that after such a ruckus that had urred during the engagement party, there was a high chance that her aunt would come to see her, so she had braced herself for this meeting since then. But Diana hadpletely misunderstood Ste¡¯s reserved attitude toward herself. ¡°Tell me, Ste-have I done anything wrong to make you unhappy? Or did your uncle do anything to offend you?¡± At the time, Diana was still blissfully oblivious to her husband¡¯s infidelity. She even regarded Michael as a sweet, doting husband who was always there for her. Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Chapter 838 ¡°Of course not, Aunt Diana!¡± Ste frowned with concern and added, ¡°Please don¡¯t overthink it and get the wrong idea! You¡¯ve done nothing wrong!¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you reveal your real identity to me when I saw you at that shopping mall?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ste smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of what happened at the engagement party yesterday, haven¡¯t you? That was the reason why¡­¡± ¡°I can understand that.¡± Diana pursed her lips. ¡°Still, you could¡¯ve just told me that you were Ste. I never would¡¯ve revealed it to anybody else! Didn¡¯t you know how happy I was when I saw you? I was heartbroken when you insisted that you were E Steele, not Ste Sealey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Diana.¡± Ste had no idea what else to do apart from apologizing. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell Diana that she had to keep her identity a secret because she knew something Michael was doing everything in his power to hide from the rest of the world that he¡¯d been cheating on Diana behind her back, and that the woman he had cheated on her with was Ste¡¯s own roommate. Meanwhile, Michael waited anxiously outside, his eyes kept shifting toward the door behind which his wife and Ste were chatting. ¡°You look nervous, Mr. Sealey.¡± Even Weston could clearly see that he was tense and agitated. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re afraid that my fianc¨¦e would reveal something to your wife that you wish she wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Weston stated his observation. The corners of Michael¡¯s mouth twitched in concealed chagrin. He turned to Weston and said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, Mr. Ford. It¡¯s only because I¡¯m anxious to talk to Ste myself. She is my own niece, after all.¡± ¡°That reminds me.¡± Weston drummed his fingers on the coffee table. ¡°I do find it strange that while my fianc¨¦e was excited to meet Mrs. Sealey, she had no desire to talk to you at all, even though you are the one rted to her by blood.¡± ¡°Is that a genuine question ?¡± asked Michael, now on pins and needles. ¡°Or are you insinuating something?¡± ¡°Which do you think it is?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to presume to know what you¡¯re thinking, Mr. Ford.¡± At that point, the door opened, and out came Ste and Diana. Michael immediately rose to his feet and rushed toward his wife. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, concern written all over his face. ¡°Of course I am!¡± Diana replied. ¡°I was just catching up with Ste. Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Michael fumbled, realizing that his overreaction might look too suspicious. His eyes darkened as he nced at his niece. ¡°I was just worried because you¡¯d been in there for a long time. I wondered what you two were talking about.¡± He was obviously testing the waters to find out if Ste had revealed his secret to his wife. Ste found his antsy attitude in front of her aunt immensely amusing. What was the point of looking so concerned about his wife now when he didn¡¯t seem to care a jot about her when he cheated on her? ¡°A long time?¡± Diana sighed, discontented but still oblivious to the looks exchanged between her husband and Ste. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°What do you mean, a long time? It felt like we¡¯d hardly talked about anything at all! There¡¯s still so much to say¡­ Ste, we must meet up again, okay?¡± Before Ste could say anything, Michael wrapped an arm around his wife¡¯s shoulder and reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Ste is soon to be Mrs. Ford. You can no longer expect her toe out to see you anytime you¡¯d like!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Diana, disconcerted by what her husband had said. ¡°She¡¯ll still be the same person even after getting married! She¡¯s our niece no matter what! She¡¯s only getting married, not getting sold to other people!¡± Those words created instant tension and awkwardness, especially since Weston was still right there. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous !¡± barked Michael with a stolid face. ¡°She should know her ce once she¡¯s gotten married. It has nothing to do with getting sold to anyone!¡± Diana didn¡¯t like her husband¡¯s response at all, but she had always made a point of not challenging her husband in front of strangers, so she didn¡¯t argue with him about it for the time being. Weston saw that Ste was not looking very well, so he approached her and took her hands into his before announcing,¡± As long as my fianc¨¦e is willing to see you, you maye and see her anytime you¡¯d like.¡± The warmth in his tone created a stark contrast to the way he had treated Michael earlier. Diana was pleasantly surprised herself. She didn¡¯t have that good an opinion of Weston up till then, mainly because of what she had learned that he and Guinevere had done to Ste. But seeing the way he treated Ste now softened her heart somewhat. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened between you in the past,¡± she uttered to Weston, ¡°but Ste is my niece. I would hope that you wouldn¡¯t take advantage of the fact that her parents had died to treat her poorly. I would never forgive you if you hurt her again!¡± ¡°I promise you that I will take good care of her,¡± dered Weston somberly while his captivating eyes, which crowned his exquisitely handsome face, were fixed on Ste¡¯s. Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Chapter 839 It was almost impossible not to get lost in those alluring eyes. ¡°With me by her side,¡± he asserted, ¡°I will never let anyone harm her.¡± Eventually, Michael had managed to persuade Diana to go home, albeit reluctantly. As soon as they got into the car, Michael immediately asked her, ¡°What did Ste tell you when you guys were alone together?¡± Diana had noticed earlier that Michael had been acting really weirdtely. At first, she chalked it up to him being overwhelmed with joy since finding out that their niece was alive after all. But now, it was beginning to look like something fishy was going on ¡°Nothing in particr,¡± she told him. ¡°We were just catching up.¡± She paused before adding with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s up with you, anyway? Why do I have a feeling that you¡¯re unhappy for some reason?¡± As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized how improbable her conjecture was. She might have been very close to Ste, but it was Michael who was rted to her by blood, and he had maintained a good rtionship with his niece all along. They had seemed to be at odds with each other for a while when Ste¡¯s parents died, but it had only been a brief quarrel and nothing more. Diana simply could not believe that her husband would be upset that his niece had returned. But why was he acting so bizarrely now? Seeing that she was beginning to suspect something, Michael turned gloomy. He sighed heavily and pulled her into his arms. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Diana,¡± he murmured, ¡°you know that I love you, right?¡± Diana was startled. She fell silent for a moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°Of course I know that!¡± she eximed, hugging him tightly.¡± Who else would you love if not your own wife?¡± ¡°If someonees to you with some lies about me to break us apart, who would you believe-them or me?¡± ¡°You,¡± she answered without any hesitation. ¡°Because you¡¯re my husband. You¡¯re the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. Why would I trust anyone else over you?¡± Michael smiled contentedly. ¡°You really are such a silly goose.¡± He held her close, his face a picture of tenderness. ¡°but I just can¡¯t help but love you anyway.¡± As soon as his face was hidden from his wife, the affectionate expressions on his face vanished entirely. He cursed Ste¡¯s name under his breath. He must find a way to silence her forever, so she could never expose his secrets to his wife. The two of them met at a cafe. They sat across from each other. Michael was wearing a suit, looking as if he was here for a business meeting. Weston was sitting at a different table not too far away. He was willing to give them some space, but he was still close enough to warn Michael not to get any ideas. ¡°You¡¯ve found yourself a powerful protector indeed,¡± hemented with a smile that looked half friendly and half mocking. ¡°Yes, I certainly did.¡± Ste smiled and yed along. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect me to be a sitting duck, helplessly waiting for your attack, did you?¡± Though she was smiling, her eyes were piercingly cold. The smile on Michael¡¯s face quickly dissipated. He continued, ¡°I know you haven¡¯t told her about that¡­ incident. What should I do to make you keep that secret forever?¡± Ste stirred her coffee nonchntly and replied, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Uncle Michael. Which incident are you referring to?¡± She was only taunting him, of course. She knew perfectly well that he was referring to the incident where he cheated on his wife with her roommate. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Michael sneered with simmering rage, ¡°but I have truly changed. It happened so long ago, and I¡¯ve now be apletely different man¡­¡± Seeing that Ste was unconvinced , he decided to change his approach ¡°People screw up all the time when they¡¯re young. Am I right? Besides, I haven¡¯t done a single thing to make Diana unhappy ever since then¡­¡± Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Chapter 840 ¡°Haven¡¯t you?¡± Ste picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.¡° How can I be sure of that when your own wife is still oblivious to the fact that you cheated on her many years ago?¡± ¡°That was the only time it happened!¡± he insisted as calmly as he could through gritted teeth. He was seething with anger, but he knew it would be best to control his emotions. ¡°I¡¯dpletely cut my contact with that woman ever since then¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure that was the only time? Judging by your conversation with her back then, it sounded more like a repeated offense to me.¡± ¡°I was just starting up mypany back then,¡± he argued. ¡°I had to meet so many people and entertain lots of clients, so it was impossible for me not to forget myself sometimes. But eventually, I managed to firmly establish thepany, and ever since then, I¡¯ve never fooled around at all!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ste responded, her voice studded with biting scorn. ¡°So you managed to establish your company then, huh? I wonder: How exactly did you do it?¡± After her parents had died, Michael had usurped all the money and properties that should have been inherited by Ste and Roger, stolen all of her parents¡¯ pensionpensation money, and kicked the siblings out of their house. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. At the time, Roger was critically ill and desperately needed the money for his treatment. If it hadn¡¯t been for Michael, Ste wouldn''t have had to go through all the harrowing experiences she¡¯d gone through these past few years. She wouldn¡¯t have had to give up her studies and give up on her dreams. Michael was aware of all that. He knew that he¡¯d wronged Ste and Roger. He quietly rested both of his hands on the table and inteced the fingers of one hand with the other. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what I¡¯ve done many years ago. I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t believe me, but the truth is, I was in an extremely desperate situation. Mypany was about to be sold, and if I let that happen, I would never gain the trust from my wife¡¯s family. I needed them to ept me¡­¡± He paused and heaved a long sigh before continuing , ¡°I know things were difficult for both of you too. I know that Roger needed the money for his treatment. But I had no choice! I had to choose between you two and my wife¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to choose between us and Aunt Diana,¡± Ste interjected bluntly. ¡°You only had to choose between us and your ownfort and wealth.¡± ¡°I know you must hate me.¡± Michael gritted his teeth. ¡°But you can¡¯t possibly believe that I dly did all that, can you? We¡¯re family! I¡¯ve known you since you were born! Are you just going to disregard the close bond that we had in all those years when you were growing up?¡± Ste¡¯s face suddenly turned sullen. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°You were so close to us in all those years; that was why it hurt so much when you betrayed us! Do you know how unbearable it was to find out that your own family backstabbed you? It was simply unforgivable! What have we ever done to you? How could you do such a thing to us! We were your family!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears. Seeing this, Weston instantly rose to his feet and walked over to her. There was nothing that Michael could do now but to suppress his emotions and stay in control. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for what I¡¯ve done¡­ I had no choice.¡± ¡°You told me that you did it all for Aunt Diana¡¯s sake,¡± Ste countered him with disdain. ¡°But what about the time you cheated on her with another woman? Did you do that for her sake too?¡± ¡°This world is not as simple as you imagine,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯spletely normal for men to fool around sometimes. Take Weston, your own fianc¨¦, for example! Not only was he with Guinevere , he¡¯d even been with other women at Lowe Garden! What¡¯s the difference between what he did and what I did? But none of this matters anyway!¡± He paused to change into a more emphatic voice, ¡°As long as you are the only woman in his heart, it doesn¡¯t matter how many women he fools around with out there, because they don¡¯t mean anything to him!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell Aunt Diana what you just told me?¡± Ste stared nkly at him. ¡°See if she¡¯d forgive you after that.¡± Those words finally brought Michael over the edge. He sprang up to his feet and blurted, ¡°She must never find out about this! You know what she¡¯s like! She¡¯ll never be able to handle it!¡± Michael tugged at his cor before adding, ¡°If you could forgive Weston, then why can¡¯t you forgive your own uncle too? Trust me-all men with health and position would definitely make the same choice that I did at least once in their lives. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can just ask Weston how many kept women he has. Yet you¡¯re the only one he allows to be publicly acknowledged as the woman by his side, and the woman he would marry. He even broke off his previous engagement to Guinevere just for you! Isn¡¯t that more than enough?¡± ¡°¡­ It sounds like you¡¯re talking about me.¡± Weston appeared at their table. He swept a nce over Michael. ¡°I heard that you were discussing the nature of men, Mr. Sealey,¡± he said, his voice heavily tinged with threat. ¡°Would you mind if I join you and listen in?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I wanted to say,¡± said Michael, making sure to keep his emotions in check. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve heard everything as well. So why should I waste your time by repeating myself?¡± Weston sat down next to Ste and wrapped his arm around her waist. His movements were so smooth and natural that it looked like he¡¯d done it a million times before. ¡°You sounded desperate to drag other men down to your level, Mr. Sealey. Did you think that it would make you look better and justify your past actions by doing this?¡± Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Chapter 841 ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­¡± Michael looked at him. ¡°But Mr. Ford, can you deny that? You¡¯re supposed to be considered one of the decent ones, but even you keep other women. Isn¡¯t Be from Lowe Gardens one of them?¡± ¡°Seems like you took the effort to get to know me,¡± Weston responded expressionlessly. ¡°Aside from her, who else did you find?¡± Michael was stunned for a moment, realizing that he had spoken too quickly. ¡°It didn¡¯t take much effort on my part. I simply heard about it from the rumor mill¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± Weston picked up Ste¡¯s coffee cup. Ste was about to tell him that the cup was hers and she had taken a sip from it, but it was toote. Weston pursed his lips and sipped from the cup. Ste remembered his mild germaphobia and refusal to share food or drinks with other people and decided it was best for her to keep silent. Weston finished the cup and furrowed his brows as he looked at Michael, ¡°The Belfords were right. You¡¯re very ambitious, and you have your sights set on beyond the Belford family.¡± Michael¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Mr. Ford, do you have existing engagements with my wife¡¯s family?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Just ordinary business dealings.¡± Weston said casually, ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you about it?¡± Michael¡¯s face turned dark as he remained silent. He knew that Weston was giving him a taste of his own medicine. Undeniably, Weston had a hold over him in that regard. ¡°Mr. Ford, are you thinking of sowing discord between the XXX family and me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tad extreme.¡± Weston arched his brow. ¡°As their capable son-inw, you found sess in your career no thanks to their family influence, and they rode on your coattails. How could I sow discord in your rtionship so easily?¡± Michael had to admit that Weston had hit the nail on the head. But having Weston say out his innermost thoughts put a dent in his confidence. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re an outstanding young talent, and everyone in the industry knows about you. It¡¯s as easy as pie for you to deal with anyone you wish. People like us who have to work doubly hard to get what we want wouldn¡¯t dare lock horns with you¡­¡± He hated conceding defeat, but he eventually yielded. Weston chuckled as the corner of his lips lifted in a smile of disdain, ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. In the future, I don¡¯t want to hear you saying things to my fianc¨¦e that will make her troubled.¡± He sat up and looked at him with a piercing stare. ¡°If she¡¯s upset, I will be upset, too. When I¡¯m upset, things will be hell for you.¡± Before he left, Michael nced at Ste, clearly wanting to tell her something. He smiled bitterly at the sight of Weston¡¯s possessive stance. ¡°I just want to say something quick in private to her. Mr. Ford, you can¡¯t be that unreasonable, can you?¡± He paused for a moment before going on, ¡°What¡¯s more, with you here, you won¡¯t have to worry that I¡¯ll take advantage of her.¡± Weston turned to look at Ste. Ste nced at Michael before nodding, ¡°Let me chat with him.¡± Weston let her go. ¡°Go on.¡± He pinched her nose and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside, okay?¡± Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Chapter 842 ¡°Mr. Ford really treats you like treasure,¡± Michael couldn¡¯t help but remark. ¡°He watches over you like a hawk, even for a short while.¡± ¡°Just say what you want to say,¡± Ste said directly. Both of them walked to the end of the corridor. Weston was waiting outside. Ste looked at him distractedly, ¡°I believe I made my stance very clear just now.¡± Michael looked at her and said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be able to win Weston over just like that¡­¡± Puffing on a cigarette, he went on, ¡°Seems like I don¡¯t really have a way now¡­¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re about to do something to me.¡± Michael chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve spent so much time with Weston that you can now find loopholes in what others say.¡± ¡°Growth is inevitable, especially for someone like me.who¡¯s suffered so much in the hands of others,¡± Ste hinted. Michael turned solemn and only spoke after remaining silent for a long while. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say except to remind you about one thing: Given how things erupted at the engagement banquet, Roger will probablye to know about it. Given his temperament, I believe he won¡¯t allow you to be with a man like Weston.¡± Ste¡¯s face changed. Roger was the only person she truly cared about. Sending him overseas for further studies was so that he would not be affected by what happened here. Ste¡¯s silence made Michael chuckle and pat her shoulders.¡± Take care.¡± With that, he turned and left. The silver Bugatti was parked along the streets. Ste got into the car with a glum expression on her face, which made Weston ask her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did he bully you?¡± He pinched her cheeks. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just slightly worried¡­¡± ¡°About what?¡± Weston pulled her onto hisp. Ste sighed and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about how to break the news to Roger¡­¡± Him again. Weston¡¯s brows furrowed as he lifted her chin. ¡°He¡¯s a full grown adult. He¡¯ll be able to ept it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know him¡­¡± Ste looked into his eyes. ¡°Previously, when he thought that Justin Hall liked me, he flew into a rage.¡± The mention of Justin Hall made Weston¡¯s face darken. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mentioned him, I would have completely forgotten about your ex-lover.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? There¡¯s nothing between us!¡± Ste red at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t contacted Mr. Hall for a very long while.¡± ¡°You sound very remorseful about that.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°If you go on being sullen like this, I¡¯ll ignore you.¡± Weston kept his silence, pinched her cheeks, and kissed her lips. Ste could sense a shift in the atmosphere and tried to change the subject in between their kiss. ¡°When did you change to this car?¡± The ck Cullinan that Weston used to drive was stable and unborate. Ste wasn¡¯t used to seeing this silver Bugatti. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Weston chuckled and bit her lip. ¡°Or do you prefer a car with more spacious back seats?¡± Had she turned bad under Weston¡¯s influence? Ste was able to catch his hint instantly. ¡°Why is your mind always in the gutter?¡± Weston¡¯s face changed with a pinch of her chin. ¡°Are you getting arrogant as I¡¯ve been going easy on you these few days?¡± Ste avoided his touch and smiled. ¡°Cut it out. I¡¯m serious.¡± Weston seemed to find her a downer. He released his fingers on her chin before letting her sit back down on her seat. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to coax and cajole your brother like a child.¡± Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Chapter 843 ¡°I¡¯m not going to coax and cajole him like a little child, but¡­¡± She sighed. Weston lifted her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it tenderly. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him. He¡¯ll get around it sooner orter.¡± Ste remained silent as she fixed her gaze on him. She was worried precisely about him. She knew that Weston would settle everything properly on the premise that she would stay obediently by his side. She had to do exactly as he said. His excellent treatment of her came at a price. Right now, there was only one thing she was worried about, and that was Old Mr. Ford¡¯s method to try to send her away without implicating those around her. Thankfully, given the time and informationg overseas, Ste still had some time to think about how to exin things to Roger. The engagement banquet¡¯s incident immediately affected Ford Corporation¡¯s stock prices. Weston needed to go to the office to attend to something. The silver Bugatti stopped in the middle of the empty parking garage. Ever since Ste was stopped at the reception counter, Weston began allowing her to use the exclusive passageway that headed to his office directly without calling the reception. Before getting out of the car¡­ Weston looked at her and asked again, ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to apany me?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Bradley called me just now and informed me about recent premiere events for the movie. I¡¯m involved in promotional work.¡± It was the movie that she filmed together with Guinevere. Guinevere¡¯s current condition meant that she was in no shape to attend any press conferences or premiere events. It was easy to guess the kind of questions Ste would receive if she were to ept interviews. Weston rubbed her hair. ¡°You can always continue ying the piano and dancing. There¡¯s no need for you to go back to acting.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll see. I want to end my current project well first.¡± Weston didn¡¯t want to force her. Ste instructed the driver to send her to the venue that Bradley told her about. When she arrived, she found that the other actors in the crew were already there. Ste was already early and didn¡¯t expect to be the one holding everyone back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she apologized bashfully. However, everyone waved their hands and assured her. ¡°No, no. We only just arrived, too,¡± they said. It was safe to say that almost everyone knew about what had happened at the engagement banquet. No one expected E to have a secret identity. Not only was she Weston¡¯s new partner, but she was also his ex wife. Thus, everyone who used to speak badly of her felt uneasy and restless. Ste could clearly sense a change in their attitudes toward her and felt uneasy as well. But she did not say anything much. Bradley saw her arrive and walked toward her. ¡°Sit over here. The reporters will be here soon.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ste nodded. Bradley revealed little of what he truly felt inside, and he simply shot a long re at Ste with a dark look in his eyes. Angelina, on the other hand, kept winking at Ste from the corner she was at. Ste walked toward her and sat down. Angelina immediately held her hand and asked, ¡°Goodness me! Do you know about what happened at the engagement banquet?¡± Of course, Ste knew about it. She was there herself and one of the main subjects. Angelina was slightly agitated. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that so much has happened to you!¡± A corner of Ste¡¯s lips lifted in an awkward smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry | wasn¡¯t honest with you before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± Angelina shook her head. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t know how toe clean to my friends, either.¡± Ste looked at her and suddenly thought of Henry. ¡°Do you know someone by the name of Henry Moore?¡± she probed. Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Angelina sat stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± in a daze. Ste pursed her lips. She recalled how certain Henry was when he imed that Angelina was Faye¡­did he really get the wrong person? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He must have. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask me that?¡± Angelina asked. ¡°Who is Henry Moore, and what¡¯s his rtionship with you?¡± Ste didn¡¯t want to add to her worries, so she simply chuckled and said, ¡°Nothing, it was just a casual question.¡± Angelina blinked. ¡°Are you hiding something from me? ¡°If it¡¯s something personal and you don¡¯t wish to tell me, that¡¯s fine. But if it¡¯s rted to me, I wish that you¡¯ll tell me honestly¡­¡± she whispered into Ste¡¯s ear. Ste pondered for a moment. She rubbed in between her brows and said slightly apologetically, ¡°You¡¯re right. I should tell you about it.¡± She then subsequently ryed everything that happened with Henry to Angelina Angelina heard Ste out solemnly, her eyes in a daze. Not getting a meaningful response, Ste raised her voice to call out to her. ¡°Angelina?¡± Angelina snapped back to attention and rubbed her nose, smiling. ¡°Does Faye look pretty?¡± Her priorities had always been strange. Ste said, ¡°I have no idea, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met her before. But Henry thought you were her, which means that you probably look like her. In that case, I consider her pretty.¡± Angelina was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on her that Ste was paying her a compliment. She grabbed Ste¡¯s arm gleefully. ¡°Alright now. I know you¡¯re praising my beauty, and I find you pretty too, but regrettably, I like men!¡± Ste burst outughing. ¡°I like men, too.¡± The two were so engrossed in their joyful chatter that they did not even realize Caspianing over to them. He stood right before Ste and looked down at her, looking as though he had something to say. It had been a few days since he saw her, and Ste looked the same as she did, but he still sensed something different about her. Everyone knew about the mess at the engagement banquet. That included Caspian, too. His manager tugged at his ear and warned him. ¡°Do you see that? Her true identity is Weston¡¯s partner. Since she already has Weston, do you think she¡¯ll fancy you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for her!¡± Caspian rebuked his manager in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re just lying to yourself! We¡¯ve been together for so long; I know you inside out!¡± ¡°Who are you trying to kid? The look in your eyes when you look at her tells me everything I need to know!¡± Caspian remained silent. He did realize that he had developed feelings for Ste. Before he could keep it in check or even before it had time to grow, it had be wishful thinking on his part. Angelina noticed Caspian and nudged Ste, ¡°Mr. Yates¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. It sounds so formal.¡± He shot them both a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± He had no idea what else to say other than that. Ste felt inexplicably awkward as she nodded to him. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± They weren¡¯t close, to begin with. What¡¯s more, given Caspian¡¯s status, there was a need for them to keep their distance, which made things even more awkward. Caspian¡¯s kept darting his gaze towards her as if he had something to say, which he ultimately decided to swallow back down. ¡°Be careful during the interviewter¡­ it¡¯ll be starting soon,¡± he said. He was trying to remind her to watch out for the reporters¡¯ questions. Ste nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr¡­ Senior.¡± She decided to change how she addressed him. Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Chapter 845 It was her way of keeping her distance. As a mature adult, he could catch the hint in her address. Caspian lowered his eyes and felt a wave of disappointment . Trying his best not to show his despair, he shot her a final nce before turning to leave. At his age, it went without saying that he had been in a number of rtionships. However, perhaps because it had been a long while since hisst rtionship, this crush somehow ran deeper. Although it wasn¡®t intense, it was long and lingering. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It constantly lurked at the back of his mind, sometimes rearing its head at the most unexpected of times, and was impossible to get rid of. He exhaled loudly and decided that it was time to flee from Ste. At the promotional event. Caspian kept a physical distance as he had promised himself. His manager was originally worried that he might do something out of whack upon seeing Ste, but he was surprised and, at the same time,forted that he behaved so sensibly and obediently. He stood downstage but didn¡®t forget to remind himself what he should and shouldn¡®t say. Everything went pretty smoothly at the beginning. The reporters were asking proper questions that were relevant to the movie itself, mostly revolving around the filmmakers. Since Guinevere was absent, Caspian, the male lead, naturally became the target of many questions. As supporting actresses who, despite their minor roles, were rtively outstanding, all Ste and Angelina had to do was smile and stand prettily on stage. However, the reporters were quick to realize that Caspian took on all questions, and they spoke freely, with the exception of issues that involved Ste. The reporters were keen as a razor as they sniffed out the possibility of gossip. ¡°I have a question: Does the junior warrior that Ms. E portrays have any form of rtionship with Mr. Yates¡® character?¡± The question appeared to be about the movie but was, in fact, an attempt to dig for more information about the two of them. People in the industry were able to tell what the intention behind the question was: Creating trouble where there was none and magnifying every single detail just to headline an expos¨¦. Regardless of whether there was anything between Caspian and Ste, the question immediately made the atmosphere tense and awkward. Furthermore, Ste was already a hot topic of the season. If it weren¡¯t for their respect for Bradley, they would have bombarded her with questions from the start. It had been magnanimous of them to wait till this point in time. Caspian had always found it easy to deal with questions that were targeted and meant to be a trap. After all, having been in the industry for years, he knew full well how to maneuver his way around such tricky questions. This time, however, he was stunned for a good while. His manager furrowed his brows and tried to signal him with his eyes. Eventually, it was Ste who reacted first and said smilingly to the reporters, ¡°The answer to this question could involve spoilers. If you really want to know, go to the cinemas and catch the movie for the answer.¡± It was an excellently nuanced reply. Not only did she answer the question and dispel the awkwardness, but she managed to push for more viewership . That was when Caspian finally snapped back to attention and realized that he had been in a daze. A wave of frustration swept over him. Bradley rubbed in between his brows and said to the reporters,¡° If there are no further questions, we have to move on to our next program in our schedule...¡± Despite their meticulous efforts, it wasn¡®t enough to stop those reporters from writing trash. Since Ste was already the talk of the town, a mere mention of her name was enough to bring hordes of unwanted attention. ¡°How did the woman who defeated Guinevere Cohen be the woman of every single man¡®s dream? E Steele: The Goddess in the Hearts of All Men.¡± Such exaggerated headlines bombarded magazine shelves and online forums. The media had ruthlesslypared Ste and Guinevere¨Ceven fashion bloggers began to use such headlines to draw attention and viewership to their sites. Some even began analyzing Ste¡®s fashion sense, providing suggestions on how one could be the goddess in the heart of every man, a tant hint that she must¡®ve gone on to seduce all the male actors in the crew. Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Chapter 846 It would have been treated as insignificant gossip, but because Caspian had been lying low over the past few years, and this was his first scandal after a long while, arge turmoil had been created amongst his fans. ¡°Isn¡®t this woman Weston Ford¡®s fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Get away from our man!¡± ¡°Yeah! As a woman who has a fianc¨¦, why is she still out there seducing other male celebrities?¡± ¡°Ms. E or Ms. Ste, please be clear about where you stand! Don¡®t seduce male actors in the crew as you wish!¡± Although Caspian wasn¡®t a top actor, he was considered rtively popr. Thus, coupled with a pretty aggressive fanbase, the topic began trending online in no time. Undoubtedly, some bystanders couldn¡®t help but rebut the nasty insults on behalf of Ste. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Come on! Open your eyes and take a good look at who her fianc¨¦ is. We¡¯re talking about Weston Ford!¡± ¡°He¡®s a man who even dumped Ms. Cohen. How can Caspian Yatespare? Stop thinking so highly of him!¡± Extremely dissatisfied , Caspian¡®s fans began targeting Ste. ¡°Since she¡®s so capable and thinks our Caspian is no match for Weston Ford, quit harassing him, then!¡± ¡°Yeah! She snatched Ms. Cohen¡®s fianc¨¦ while flirting with other male actors. Does Ms. E enjoy the feeling of being pursued?¡± ¡°Can the fans of Caspian Yates stop making up stories? E Steele was the official wife, to begin with. It was Guinevere Cohen who came in between them!¡± ¡°How decent could Ste Sealey be? She knows what sort of a bastard Weston Ford is, yet she still married him...¡± ¡°Guinevere Cohen spared no effort to get herself married to Weston Ford. Given her eligibility, Weston Ford still ended up dumping her. If a man like him were to propose to you, would you marry him? In the blink of an eye, a baseless rumor for the sake of viewership turned into a fierce online battle. At the Ford Corporation building. Ben didn¡®t even dare to breathe. He handed the tablet to Weston. ¡°We¡®ve cleared off most of thements online, but this topic is trending too intensely...¡± Many fans of Caspian Yates were even tagging Ford Corporation¡®s representatives non¨Cstop. They wanted to tag Weston Ford directly to warn him to keep his own woman in check, but it turned out Weston Ford did not have his own ount. The PR department of thepany was up to their necks in responding to all the tags. Weston nced at him, his expression unfathomable , ¡°Have you contacted Caspian Yates?¡± ¡°I¡®m still trying to.¡± Ben looked warily at Weston¡®s face as he went on, ¡°I did some investigation myself and found that Mrs. Ford doesn¡®t interact much with Caspian Yates. The reporters were writing trash.¡± Weston suddenly turned to look at him, ¡°Was there even a need to check that up?¡± Ben was stunned for a moment before he snapped back to attention and said anxiously, ¡°No, not at all! It was an unnecessary move on my part. Given Mrs. Ford¡®s character, this is certainly not a concern.¡± Weston remained silent. Ben was worried that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make. He waited to receive further instructions from Weston before beating a hasty retreat. Weston¡®s gaze darkened as he scrolled through the articles online that were deliberately designed to hype and rile upizens. However, he noticed that the reporters¡® ims were not exactly groundless. The look that Caspian Yates gave Ste... As a man himself, he naturally knew what that look meant. Ste was still oblivious as to what had happened. She was busy exining to Yvonne about her true identity as Ste Sealey which she had hidden from her for so long. ¡°I had been wondering if it¡®s possible for two people to look so alike in this world.¡± Yvonne looked at Ste and said indignantly, ¡°We were considered friends in the past, weren¡®t we? Even if not friends, we were at least colleagues, right? I was so upset about your death for so long...¡± ¡°I¡®m so sorry.¡± Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Ste sighed. ¡°I didn¡®t mean to hide it from you, but...¡± *Forget it. I know.¡± Yvonne waved her hand. ¡°It¡®s not like I don¡®t go online. I know what you¡®ve been through. ¡°No wonder Weston insisted on being with you,¡± shemented.¡± Turns out you two have a past.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The more resentment she felt, the more she spoke up. ¡°I knew it all along. The Ste I know would never be willing to be the third wheel in someone else¡®s rtionship! There has to be more to Aside from being forced by Weston, there was indeed another hidden reason. Yvonne added smugly, ¡°Lucas was always biased against you, wasn¡®t he? After this news broke out, he didn¡®t stop me froming to visit you. He always found me a poor judge of character and gets fooled easily. He finally stopped nagging at me about this...¡± She wasn¡®t really angry that Ste hid the truth from her, with her main aim to meet Ste and catch up with her. However, she did not expect to see two luxury cars parked outside The Doghouse a short while after she met Ste. Yvonne had sneaked out without Lucas knowing. She had always enjoyed crowded ces and decided toe to The Doghouse during this rare opportunity that she could leave the house. Goosebumps appeared on her back as a bad feeling swarmed over her. ¡°Oh no. Dr. Quirk is here to nab me...¡± ¡°You¡®re still so scared of him?¡± Ste asked. Yvonne red at her. ¡°What do you mean by scared? That¡®s love, okay?¡± ¡°You¡®re still so in love with him...¡± Ste chuckled at how anxious she looked. At least Yvonne was happy in her marriage. Her joy, however, was short¨Clived as she looked at the text that Ben sent her. ¡°Mr. Ford isn¡®t in a good mood today. Mrs. Ford, can you please do something?¡± Ste was stunned for a while, unable toprehend why he would send a message like this to her. Ben went on to inform her about thements online. That was when Ste found out about the trash that reporters had been writing. No wonder Ben sent her that message in secret. Given how possessive Weston was, this was major news indeed. She packed her bag and said hurriedly, ¡°I have something to attend to. I¡¯ve got to run.¡± Yvonne was stunned. ¡°Don¡®t go! Dr. Quirk will being real soon. You¡®ll have to stick around to defend me...¡± ¡°I probably can¡®t even save myself,¡± Ste replied. ¡°What happened to you?¡± In a resigned tone, Ste updated Yvonne about what had happened online. Yvonne looked at her with disdain, ¡°Why are you being so submissive to your fianc¨¦ ? It¡®s like you have no dignity at all.¡± ¡°What about yourself?¡± Ste refuted. ¡°Not at all!¡± Yvonne exined, ¡°That¡®s just me giving my husband some dignity and pride. In fact, Dr. Quirk listens to me all the time. If | tell him to turn left, he wouldn¡®t dare turn to the right!¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°In that case, Weston listens to me too. He¡®ll give me anything I ask for.¡± While it was true that Weston was overly possessive , he was also very generous to her. Yvonne¡®spetitive streak was immediately aroused as she said, ¡°That¡®s nothing. Dr. Quirk is very diligent in the bedroom!¡± Married women were always bolder with their words... Ste remained silent, which made Yvonne smug. ¡°Why aren¡®t you saying anything? No matter how well a man treats you, excellent performance in bed is still key.¡± Ste felt that if she continued not to speak up for Weston, it might leave a dent in his reputation. ¡°Weston¡®s the same. He¡®s rather persevering in bed, too.¡± Both women continued their conversation, oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the two men standing behind them. Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Ste and Yvonne were pulled out of their seats by their cors by their respective men. Both of them didn¡®t look very happy. Their faces were dark, and the look in their eyes wasplicated; they didn¡®t even bother greeting each other before grabbing their women and stuffing them in their respective cars. Ste and Yvonne didn¡®t dare to make a sound and obediently sat in the cars. Dr. Quirk settled Yvonne down and looked at Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, it¡®s been a while.¡± One drove a silver Bugatti, while the other a ck Mercedes Benz-both shy and outstanding vehicles in their own right. The sight of both men standing outside their luxury cars attracted the attention of many women. Both, however, seemed to be used to being the center of attention and didn¡®t seem to care for the adtion they were receiving. Weston nodded. ¡°Dr. Quirk.¡± Lucas was Henry¡®s lead doctor. Considered acquaintances, they would often gather with friends at Fern City as well. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Due to Ste¡®s past identity, Lucas always harbored a bias against her, not particrly fond of having Yvonne get too close to a kept woman. But now that the truth hade to light, he realized Ste¡®s pitiful plight. It naturally dispelled his previous bias against her. He nced into the car at Yvonne, who was wearing a piteous look on her face, before turning back to face Weston. ¡°I¡®ll bring her back home first. Let¡®s meet another time.¡± Weston nodded and turned to Ste. ¡°Coincidentally, I have something to discuss with mydy too.¡± Ste and Yvonne exchanged nces as they silently wished each other luck. Yvonne made a feeble attempt to struggle out of the car, but Lucas pushed her head back into the car. ¡°Sit properly.¡± He had brought his driver along this time. Thus, the spacious rear passenger sears made it the suitable ce for him to deal with her appropriately. ¡°What did you promise me previously?¡± Lucas demanded the moment he sat down. Yvonne confessed guiltily, ¡°I promised you that I wouldn¡®te to such a ce, but...¡± ¡°...I didn¡®t do anything,¡± she immediately exined. ¡°I merely agreed to meet Ste!¡± Lucas rubbed in between his brows as he felt his head throb.¡° You could¡®ve gone to a caf¨¦ or a private restaurant. Why must youe to such a ce?¡± ¡°I like crowds...¡± ¡°I think you like to y around.¡± ¡°Do youck confidence?¡± Yvonne grabbed his arm and cooed coquettishly, ¡°Dr. Quirk, don¡®t think so much. I only like to join in the fun at such ces. I wouldn¡¯t do anything to betray you...¡± Lucas burst out into frustratedughter as he poked her forehead. ¡°Do you really think I stop you from coming to these ces because I fear you¡®ll betray me?¡± ¡°What else could it be, then?¡± Yvonne was confused. ¡°Would you fancy any other man?¡± Hisment tickled Yvonne. ¡°Why does it feel like you¡®re praising yourself? So confident that you¡®ve got me in the palm of your hand?¡± ¡°I know you too well.¡± Lucas pinched her cheeks. ¡°I¡®ll let you go this time around. However, if I were to find you sneaking into such ces again, you¡®d get it from me good.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do that?¡± Yvonne turned to look at him and put his fingers in her mouth. Her eyes glistened with clear mischievousness on her face. Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. ¡°Do you know the consequence of acting like this?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. Dr. Quirk, can you tell me?¡± Yvonne acted innocent and ignorant as her tongue circled around his fingers. Her actions were clearly designed to seduce, but her eyes remained innocent¨Clooking. Lucas gulped past his constricted throat as his eyes lit up. Aware that they were still in a car, he grasped on his remaining threads of sanity as he pushed her away. ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡°I¡®m not even doing anything.¡± Yvonne continued pestering him, but it seemed that seducing Dr. Quirk was no walk in the park. She looked up at him through glistening eyes, clearly trying to change the subject so that he wouldn¡®t pursue matters with her. Her tricks were nothing new to Lucas. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Yet, it worked like a charm with Lucas. He pinched her chin and kissed her lips. ¡°As you wish...¡± ¡°Dr. Quirk, we¡¯re in a car right now.¡± ¡°Then let¡®s keep it down unless you want the driver to hear us.¡± He released her and covered her mouth with his palm while his other hand roamed southward on her body. A whileter, Yvonne¡®s body was all tensed up. She tilted her head up, tears welling up in her ears as her body trembled, so overwhelmed that she couldn¡®t speak. A low, hoarse voice came from below her. ¡°Since you im that I¡®m very diligent in the bedroom, I can¡®t let you down, can I?¡± Yvonne¡®s face flushed as she remained silent. Weston had driven over by himself. Ste sat on the front passenger seat and subconsciously turned to look at his side profile. His face was expressionless as how it usually was. If it weren¡®t for Ben¡®s heads¨Cup, Ste wouldn¡®t have been able to tell what was wrong. The car drove on past a couple of junctions. Throughout the journey, Weston did not intend to be the first to speak, so Ste had no choice but to be the first to ask. ¡°How did you know that I was there?¡± ¡°I have people keeping track of your schedule.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡®ve known Yvonne since long ago...¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste suddenly didn¡®t know what else to say. She didn¡®t find it appropriate to im outright that there was nothing between Caspian and her when Weston didn¡®t even ask. It would make her appear defensive, especially if Weston didn¡®t really care much about it. Both of them fell silent. A whileter, Ste noticed that Weston was driving them back home. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Where are we headed to?¡± she asked. Weston remained silent. He finally stopped the car in front of a supermarket. ¡°Are we buying something from the supermarket?¡± He turned to nce at her without a word. Then, a whileter, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°Did you forget what day it is today?¡± ¡°What day is it?¡± Ste asked cautiously. Weston¡®s face instantly became dark at her question. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel but didn¡®t answer. She waited with bated breath, wondering if she had forgotten an important asion today, Was it his birthday? That wasn¡®t right It wasn¡®t his birthday today, from what she remembered. When they were married, Ste wanted to throw him a proper celebration for his birthday, but her intentions were met with Weston¡®s cold response. He simply remarked that he didn¡®t have the habit of celebrating his birthday. That day, she waited for him at home until the wee hours of the morning, but he never returned home. Not longter, he suddenly asked for a divorce.. Subsequently, she met Guinevere , who imed that she was pregnant with Weston¡®s child. The past was cruel. Those memories of the past made Ste unable to face Weston calmly and rationally. She could only force herself not to think back on the painful past. But she truly could not remember what today was supposed to be. Both of them got out of the car and entered the supermarket, This was arge, membership¨Cbased supermarket, and only a fewdies were shopping inside. Since Weston remained determinedly silent, Ste decided not to exin any further and simply stayed by his side as they browsed the shelves. The two were currently staying in the apartment, and although the ce was well¨Cequipped, there were always trivial items that theycked. As Ste browsed through some daily essentials, she noticed Weston standing at the cashier looking at something. She grabbed the items she needed and walked toward him. ¡°I¡®m done...¡± She had just spoken when she realized what he was looking at, which made her face flush red. It was an entire shelf of condoms. Hasn¡®t he always been ... why was he suddenly looking at this? Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Chapter 850 These things weremon and unsuprising. Ste was not ashamed, but she was easily embarrassed. She could never be as bold as Weston was. Weston picked the condoms with a straight face. When he heard Ste¡®s voice, he looked back at her and asked, ¡°Which one do you like?¡± Ste was renderedpletely speechless. She wrinkled her nose slightly and shrugged ufortably. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°You say it¡®s fine now, but you¡®ll start whining and pouting in bed.¡± Ste¡¯s face instantly went beet¨Cred. Two young girls were shopping in the supermarket around them too. Weston was good¨Clooking and easily drew others¡® attention to him. The scene of a handsome man standing by the shelves and picking out condoms was striking enough. Worse, he had to say those words with such a straight face. Ste really wanted to cover his mouth. The few girls casually looked at them. Ste walked to Weston, grabbed a random box, and urged Weston to leave. ¡°Let¡®s go,¡± she whispered with gritted teeth. ¡°Wait.¡± Weston grabbed her wrist. He acted as if he did not notice the stares. ¡°What?¡± Ste asked inaudibly. She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground. Weston said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not the right size. It¡®s too small.¡± Ste was stunned in silence. A short momentter, she asked,¡± There are sizes for these? I thought they¡®re all the same...¡± Weston raised his hand and gently tapped her on the forehead.¡± If it¡®s too small, it¡®ll be ufortable.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Once again, Ste found herself unable to speak. She could feel sense the meaningful gazes of the few girls around them, and this made her feel a little hopeless. Weston, however, thought she was very adorable this way. ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Ste red at him. Weston brushed her hair. ¡°Don¡®t be shy. It¡®s just a normal thing between couples.¡± Ste muttered, ¡°You can choose yourself. I¡®m leaving now.¡± Weston gave her a helpless smile. Then, he put all therge sized ones on the shelf into the shopping cart. There were not manyrge ones left, and he took them all. Ste could hear the girls around them gasping at his actions. She felt so hot and embarrassed. This is so embarrassing, she thought to herself. When they got to the car, Ste then remembered something.¡± Why did you suddenly buy all these? I thought we always...¡± Ste and Weston rarely had protected sex. It was the same in their short¨Clived marriage. Weston would never practice protected sex. Therefore, she always thought he was willing to have a child with her. When Ste remembered this again, she realized this was part of herints about Weston. If he never nned to have a baby with her, why didn¡®t he take proper measures from the start? He even told her to get an abortion after learning about her pregnancy Ste remembered how hard she begged him. She pleaded with him to let her keep the child. Atst, Weston reluctantly agreed to let her give birth to the baby. Even so, she failed to protect the child in the end. Weston could have prevented the tragedy between them. He had many chances, yet he did not take any action. Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Yet, it worked like a charm with Lucas. He pinched her chin and kissed her lips. ¡°As you wish...¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Dr. Quirk, we¡¯re in a car right now.¡± ¡°Then let¡®s keep it down unless you want the driver to hear us.¡± He released her and covered her mouth with his palm while his other hand roamed southward on her body. A whileter, Yvonne¡®s body was all tensed up. She tilted her head up, tears welling up in her ears as her body trembled, so overwhelmed that she couldn¡®t speak. A low, hoarse voice came from below her. ¡°Since you im that I¡®m very diligent in the bedroom, I can¡®t let you down, can I?¡± Yvonne¡®s face flushed as she remained silent. Weston had driven over by himself. Ste sat on the front passenger seat and subconsciously turned to look at his side profile. His face was expressionless as how it usually was. If it weren¡®t for Ben¡®s heads¨Cup, Ste wouldn¡®t have been able to tell what was wrong. The car drove on past a couple of junctions. Throughout the journey, Weston did not intend to be the first to speak, so Ste had no choice but to be the first to ask. ¡°How did you know that I was there?¡± ¡°I have people keeping track of your schedule.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡®ve known Yvonne since long ago...¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste suddenly didn¡®t know what else to say. She didn¡®t find it appropriate to im outright that there was nothing between Caspian and her when Weston didn¡®t even ask. It would make her appear defensive, especially if Weston didn¡®t really care much about it. Both of them fell silent. A whileter, Ste noticed that Weston was driving them back home. ¡°Where are we headed to?¡± she asked. Weston remained silent. He finally stopped the car in front of a supermarket. ¡°Are we buying something from the supermarket?¡± He turned to nce at her without a word. Then, a whileter, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°Did you forget what day it is today?¡± ¡°What day is it?¡± Ste asked cautiously. Weston¡®s face instantly became dark at her question. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel but didn¡®t answer. She waited with bated breath, wondering if she had forgotten an important asion today, Was it his birthday? That wasn¡®t right It wasn¡®t his birthday today, from what she remembered. When they were married, Ste wanted to throw him a proper celebration for his birthday, but her intentions were met with Weston¡®s cold response. He simply remarked that he didn¡®t have the habit of celebrating his birthday. That day, she waited for him at home until the wee hours of the morning, but he never returned home. Not longter, he suddenly asked for a divorce.. Subsequently, she met Guinevere , who imed that she was pregnant with Weston¡®s child. The past was cruel. Those memories of the past made Ste unable to face Weston calmly and rationally. She could only force herself not to think back on the painful past. But she truly could not remember what today was supposed to Both of them got out of the car and entered the supermarket, This was arge, membership¨Cbased supermarket, and only a fewdies were shopping inside. Since Weston remained determinedly silent, Ste decided not to exin any further and simply stayed by his side as they browsed the shelves. The two were currently staying in the apartment, and although the ce was well¨Cequipped, there were always trivial items that theycked. As Ste browsed through some daily essentials, she noticed Weston standing at the cashier looking at something. She grabbed the items she needed and walked toward him. ¡°I¡®m done...¡± She had just spoken when she realized what he was looking at, which made her face flush red. It was an entire shelf of condoms. Hasn¡®t he always been ... why was he suddenly looking at this? Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Chapter 852 These things weremon and unsurprising. Ste was not ashamed, but she was easily embarrassed. She could never be as bold as Weston was. Weston picked the condoms with a straight face. When he heard Ste¡®s voice, he looked back at her and asked, ¡°Which one do you like?¡± Ste was renderedpletely speechless. She wrinkled her nose slightly and shrugged ufortably. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°You say it¡®s fine now, but you¡®ll start whining and pouting in bed.¡± Ste¡¯s face instantly went beet¨Cred. Two young girls were shopping in the supermarket around them too. Weston was good¨Clooking and easily drew others¡® attention to him. The scene of a handsome man standing by the shelves and picking out condoms was striking enough. Worse, he had to say those words with such a straight face. Ste really wanted to cover his mouth. The few girls casually looked at them. Ste walked to Weston, grabbed a random box, and urged Weston to leave. ¡°Let¡®s go,¡± she whispered with gritted teeth. ¡°Wait.¡± Weston grabbed her wrist. He acted as if he did not notice the stares. ¡°What?¡± Ste asked inaudibly. She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground. Weston said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not the right size. It¡®s too small.¡± Ste was stunned in silence. A short momentter, she asked,¡± There are sizes for these? I thought they¡®re all the same...¡± Weston raised his hand and gently tapped her on the forehead.¡± If it¡®s too small, it¡®ll be ufortable.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Once again, Ste found herself unable to speak. She could feel sense the meaningful gazes of the few girls around them, and this made her feel a little hopeless. Weston, however, thought she was very adorable this way. ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Ste red at him. Weston brushed her hair. ¡°Don¡®t be shy. It¡®s just a normal thing between couples.¡± Ste muttered, ¡°You can choose yourself. I¡®m leaving now.¡± Weston gave her a helpless smile. Then, he put all therge sized ones on the shelf into the shopping cart. There were not manyrge ones left, and he took them all. Ste could hear the girls around them gasping at his actions. She felt so hot and embarrassed. This is so embarrassing, she thought to herself. When they got to the car, Ste then remembered something.¡± Why did you suddenly buy all these? I thought we always...¡± Ste and Weston rarely had protected sex. It was the same in their short¨Clived marriage. Weston would never practice protected sex. Therefore, she always thought he was willing to have a child with her. When Ste remembered this again, she realized this was part of herints about Weston. If he never nned to have a baby with her, why didn¡®t he take proper measures from the start? He even told her to get an abortion after learning about her pregnancy Ste remembered how hard she begged him. She pleaded with him to let her keep the child. Atst, Weston reluctantly agreed to let her give birth to the baby. Even so, she failed to protect the child in the end. Weston could have prevented the tragedy between them. He had many chances, yet he did not take any action. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Chapter 853 If Weston had treated her better, they would not have gotten to this point Weston looked straight at the road ahead as he drove on. Then, a momentter, he said, ¡°You still can conceive in your current condition, but you might have a miscarriage. If we don¡®t take preventive measures, your health will be affected.¡± Weston made his exnation brief. ording to the doctor¡®s original statement, Ste could conceive with her current condition, but it would likely result in a miscarriage. It appeared that the fetus she carried would be unhealthy. Hence, Weston would not let her get pregnant until her condition improved. The doctor advised that Ste¡®s body needed rest, and while they could still enjoy the life of a normal couple, taking preventive measures would be prudent. Those measures could be stopped when her body was ready. She should likely be in better condition by then, and if one was optimistic, she still had a chance of getting pregnant again. Naturally, Weston wasn¡®t telling Ste about this. If he did tell her that he was trying to give her a child, it might give her too much hope. In the event that she failed to conceive, even with the help of medical technology, her disappointment would only multiply. Thest thing he wanted was to put Ste through that kind of pain again. Ste nodded. An inexplicable feeling rose in her heart, not ustomed to Weston¡®s nice treatment. He acted as if she was the most important person to him, as if her health and body mattered the most to him. He treated a woman like her so well, but she would leave sooner orter. Weston¡®s good treatment of her was like a money pit. The better he treated her, the more it would cost him. Undoubtedly, their separation would only be more troublesometer. When they arrived at the apartment, Weston immediately pushed her right up against the door. He pressed his lips and slipped his hot tongue inside her mouth, kissing her so hard as though trying to suck out all the air from her lungs. Weston gripped her waist hard, preventing her from moving. Weston forced Ste to tip her head and endure his fiery passion. She rested her hands on his chest helplessly as she begged for mercy. Weston¡®s insistent kiss came like a raging tempest, leaving her with no escape. He bent his knees forward to pin her to the door and confine her in his embrace. Ste¡®s tongue tingled. Then, he lifted her in the air. The moment her feet left the ground, she reflexively hit his shoulders. She could barely breathe. ¡°Mmm... Hmm...¡± She let out faint moans that sounded like soft whimpers. Finally, Weston loosened his grip a little, but his lips stayed on her lips, nibbling on her lower lip with no signs of stopping. Finally, at the end of the kiss, hemanded in a hoarse voice.¡± Stay away from Caspian.¡± Ste knew this wasing. On their way home earlier, Weston had not said a word about this. At first, she thought Weston didn¡®t care, but it turned out he was waiting to punish her at home. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. With that character of his, how could he not mind? ¡°You¡®ve misunderstood. I¡®m not close to him. I haven¡®t even talked to him much... I don¡¯t know why the reporters are making up all the stories.¡± ¡°I¡®ve talked to the mediapanies. It won¡®t happen again. Caspian¡®s agent has also promised not to use this kind of news to create hype in the future.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°Are you saying that Caspian¡®s agent might be behind this?¡± Weston frowned. He did not like her paying attention to anyone else. He cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Ste lowered her eyes and suppressed her surprise. ¡°I see.¡± Weston would have been satisfied with her submission before, but somehow, he was no longer fulfilled with her obedience. He wanted her to adore him from the bottom of her heart rather than just having her comply. He wanted her to be like who she was in the old days¨Cwhen he was the only one in her heart and eyes. As he pressed his fingers against her warm lips, he parted her lips slightly, allowing his tongue to slip inside and mess her up from within. Unable to speak, Ste could only moan and beg for mercy. Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Ste¡®s eyes were red and teary. Even so, Weston continued to kiss her hard. He had no intention of letting her go. While she gasped for breath, she looked at his handsome face so close to hers. Suddenly, she muttered softly, ¡°Then, from now on... You can¡®t get too close to other women either.¡± Weston paused his kiss for a moment. He pressed his thumb heavily against her lips and rubbed them slowly. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked as if to confirm something. Ste looked at him with steady eyes and repeated herself. ¡°I said, don¡®t get too close to other women in the future either.¡± Weston said nothing. He suddenly stood up and looked down at her, ¡°The way you¡®re putting it... makes you sound jealous.¡± Ste looked straight back at him. ¡°Can¡®t I be jealous?¡± ¡°You can.¡± Weston picked her up and sat her on top of him. ¡°I thought it¡®d take you a long time before you finally get jealous.¡± Ste had always understood him like no one else could, particrly when he was still engaged to Guinevere. She even told him to be with Guinevere instead. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She would never throw tantrums or make strange requests of him. She knew about Be, but she never asked any questions and focused on acting as his obedient doll. Ste put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She resigned herself and said, ¡°I was just your secret lover with no name. She¡®s your fiancee . Everyone knows that. Who am I to demand anything from you?¡± Weston suddenly increased force and tightened his grip on her back. ¡°I remember telling you that you could ask for anything you wanted,¡± he rasped. ¡°Maybe I¡®m just petty. I thought I had no right to say anything in that situation.¡± Weston sighed and tipped her face. He brushed her hair gently.¡± Now, everyone knows that you¡®re my woman.¡± Weston felt slightly regretful. Perhaps he should have made this decision earlier. If he had figured out what he wanted earlier, he would not have wasted so much time when he was with Ste. Ste suddenly thought about something and said, ¡°Actually, I¡®m still a little worried...¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Men like you probably prefer a generous and understanding woman. ¡°Do I have the tendency to look like someone with strong jealousy?¡± she continued. Weston chuckled and kissed the edge of her lips. ¡°Don¡®t worry about that. Just be yourself.¡± Ste quietly let out a sigh of relief. She knew that the best way to deal with Weston was with submission and tears, and that he¡®d let the Caspian incident slide, but she could not keep using the same trick forever. Earlier, she acted like she was possessive of him, and Weston seemed to like it a lot. Weston picked her up. He helped her change her shoes in the foyer, then carried her into the bedroom with long strides. Ste was a little nervous. ¡°I¡®m a little tired today...¡± ¡°You don¡®t have to do anything,¡± Weston interrupted her with a low voice and put her down on the bed. He rubbed his fingers over her lower lip. ¡°Did you just tell your friend that I¡®m good in bed?¡± A chill went down Ste¡®s spine. It hadpletely slipped out of her mind She could barely convince him to stop caring about Caspian¡®s incident when a new dilemma struck her. She stammered, ¡°It¡®s just a private joke. I didn¡®t know you were there...¡± Weston chuckled softly and ruffled her hair to reveal her face. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter. Since you said that, I shouldn¡®t let you down.¡± Ste tried to rx, but her body remained tense. After Weston had found out about her medication, she stopped taking it. Weston hadn¡®t touched her ever since. Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Ste wondered if it still disturbed him. It wasn¡®t something she could get past yet. However, looking at Weston¡®s state, he probably would not stop. Ste did not know if she could ept him. She might reject his intimacy again. Would it anger him again? Weston might have seen through her worries. He leaned over her and pressed a kiss on her hair. ¡°Feeling nervous?¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡®t mean to...¡± Her voice was trembling. ¡°Still can¡®t ept me?¡± he asked. Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡®s not that, but I¡®m still a little ufortable...¡± She opened her eyes and looked at Weston with teary eyes. ¡° Maybe I still resent you a little.¡± Weston paused for a moment and looked straight at her. Ste could only say half¨Ctruths. ¡°I know you¡®re angry with me about the drug I used without your knowledge, but it wasn¡®t my intention... I¡®m probably still angry at you. I don¡®t understand why you didn¡®t take me seriously ... why you treated me so cruelly, and why you didn¡®t protect our baby and me...¡± She choked a little. ¡°I can¡®t let go of my resentment yet. Can you give me some time?¡± After saying that, she kept her gaze fixated on Weston. The way she looked with her teary eyes could stir the soul of any man. Weston¡®s heart skipped a beat. Then, he took her into his arms. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said to her. Ste¡®s heart jolted from his apology¨Cshe could not help but feel a certain bitterness. She never imagined the high and mighty Mr. Ford would say sorry to her one day. Ste remained silent and just leaned on his shoulder. She knew if she said she had forgiven him, he probably would not believe her. Telling him the half¨Ctruths about her real feelings seemed more believable. Weston¡®s motions became much gentler. ¡°Let¡®s try,¡± he muttered in an incredibly soft voice while pushing her blouse up. ¡°If you feel ufortable, tell me to stop.¡± Ste nodded. Weston rubbed her head. ¡°No pressure. I¡®ll make you feel good.¡± As the sky got darker, the sound inside the room gradually stopped. The moon was tucked behind the heavy clouds of the night sky as if hiding away from the steamy chaos in the room. Ste felt like her body was drenched in water. It was probably her sweat. She could no longer tell. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g It was the first time she knew there were ways to allow only one person to enjoy all the pleasure in this. She looked at Weston¡¯s restrained face and the bulging veins on his temples. He had held back so much for her. She felt sorry¡­ she wanted him to feel good too, but he refused. He said this was enough to satisfy him. Ste was puzzled. ¡°But you didn¡®t... How can you be satisfied ?¡± Weston ruffled her sweaty hair and nted a kiss on her forehead. He asked her, ¡°Did you feel good?¡± Ste blushed shyly. Her face flushed harder at his question, but she nodded in answer. She never knew it was possible to do this. It was indeed an impressive experience. Weston chuckled softly. ¡°If you feel good, I¡®ll feel good too,¡± he said in a maic voice. Ste was so shy that she lost her breath. She closed her eyes and buried her face under the nket, but Weston refused to let her hide. He dragged her out and kissed her over and over again. ¡°Why are you always so shy? Hm?¡± Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Ste seemed dazed by Weston¡®s kiss. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After the kiss, she saw something in her peripheral vision: the boxes of condoms that he had bought earlier. They were unused and casually ced aside. ¡°Isn¡®t that all a waste?¡± she asked. Weston touched her lips again. ¡°Don¡®t worry. We¡¯ll need it soon.¡± Sounding a little breathless, he unwrapped one in his hand. ¡°R¨Cright now?¡± Ste¡®s voice was a little raspy. Weston replied to her gasp with a lowugh. ¡°My hand is so wet now. What do you think?¡± Ste blushed and buried her face in the nket again, refusing toe out. *** It waste at night when they finally stopped. By then, Ste was already very sleepy, but she still got up from bed after looking at the time. Roger should be awake by this time. She thought about it for a long time, not knowing how to exin it to him. Even so, he would get the news sooner orter. One day, she would still have to tell him. She did not want someone else to tell him about it and use the information against her. She would rather tell him her n now and let him wait for her aboard for a while. They would be free for good once everything was over. Ste became nervous after listening to the beeping dial tone. For some reason, she felt really anxious. She became more anxious because Roger was not picking up. She had just sent several messages and even called him, but there was no reply. This only served to worsen the bad feeling in her gut. She nced at the time again. After considering the time difference, she was sure that Roger was at home. Was he out with his friends ? Even so, he should¡®ve carried his phone with him. Such a thing had never happened to them before. Roger would always tell her his whereabouts and ns, and despite the time difference, would still let her know about his schedule. Ste¡®s worsening anxiousness affected her sleep. Wide awake on the bed, she looked out the window. Although it was not cold anymore, she still felt chilled to the bone. A few momentster, a gentle embrace came from behind. Weston pulled her into his arms. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± he asked with a silvery voice in her ear. Ste shook her head and sighed. ¡°I called Roger, but he didn¡®t answer...¡± Weston paused. ¡°Are you going to tell him?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to, eventually.¡± Weston gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Maybe he¡®s caught up with something and didn¡®t hear his phone ringing. Let¡®s contact him tomorrow.¡± Ste nodded again. ¡°But it¡®s daytime there, and he¡®s not in ss now. How could he not hear...¡± ¡°Maybe he¡®s out partying with his ssmates. Don¡®t be so worried. He¡®s an adult. He can take care of himself.¡± Even so, Ste was still anxious. She looked at Weston suddenly and asked, ¡°Do you think the ones overseas have gotten the news?¡± Weston patted her head. ¡°Don¡®t overthink it. It won¡®t be so soon. Even if he knows, it¡®ll be fine. You¡®ll have to tell him eventually.¡± After hearing that, Ste rxed a little, but she was still slightly restless. Weston leaned close to her ear and asked, ¡°Can¡®t sleep?¡± Ste nodded in reply, to which Weston sighed. ¡°I guess we¡®ll have to find a way to get you to sleep.¡± Ste immediately understood what he was implying. ¡°D¨Cdon¡®t¡­ I¡¯ll sleep now.¡± The next day. Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Ste called Roger the first thing in the morning, but still, there was no response. Weston told her to stop thinking about all this nonsense and focus on their wedding instead. Because of what happened at the engagement party, Weston had decided to move the wedding date up. Warren disagreed with it, but he did not say anything. Before going to the office, Weston pinched Ste¡¯s face. ¡°I¡®ve hired a team of designers to be in charge of our wedding. You can tell them what kind of wedding you want.¡± Ste smiled at him with a nod, but she still looked worried. ¡°If you¡®re still worried, I can send someone over to take a look,¡± Weston attempted to reassure her. However, Ste shook her head in response. ¡°No need for that. ¡°You¡®re right. He is an adult. He¡®s probably busy with something.¡± Weston noticed something in her reaction. ¡°Ste, you don¡®t trust me?¡± ¡°No. If I didn¡®t, why would I remarry you?¡± Ste told him, ¡°But Roger already has a prejudice against you. If you send someone over there, I¡®m afraid he¡®ll reject you even more.¡± Weston eased his look and patted her head. ¡°I know. You shouldn¡®t worry too much.¡± Ste breathed a sigh of relief. After Weston left, Ste checked the local news in Compassvale and the school¡®s official website and was relieved to see no reports about international students encountering any idents in Compassvale. Meanwhile, at the Ford Corporation building. The farce at the engagement party had a detrimental impact on thepany¨Cnews about Weston¡®s scandals and his past with Guinevere caused thepany¡®s market capitalization to dip slightly. However, it was still manageable. When the project in the western suburbs was announced to the public, people quickly realized there was more to the project than they thought. However, the potential earnings were so great it made them forget about Weston¡¯s scandal. Weston could reap hundreds of millions of dors in profits for Ford Corporation and its partners, making his scandals seem trivial inparison to the obscene profits he could get. Ben had always admired Weston at work. Sometimes, he even thought that a man like Weston did not need a woman. What was the point of all that trouble? It left Ben wondering what could be different if Weston had focused all his energy on work. Under his ster leadership, Ford Corporation might just reach heights that nobody would¡®ve ever imagined they could achieve. Suddenly, someone from the secretary¡®s office came in to report something ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± It turned out to be Daisy. Ben stopped her at the door. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± Daisy looked at him with a troubled look. ¡°Mr. Sullivan, I have something urgent to report to Mr. Ford...¡± To which Ben reproached with a frown. ¡°Mr. Ford doesn¡®t like to be interrupted in the middle of work. Next time, call in advance.¡± Daisy looked stressed. ¡°I know, but it¡®s a phone call from the Cohen family...¡± Ben paused for a moment and looked at Weston. Weston rubbed his temple. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They said Ms. Cohen¡®s condition has worsened. They want you to go over and visit her...¡± Daisy looked at Weston from his side with aplicated feeling. She had heard about the engagement party incident and thought E was merely his new love. Little did she expect that she was actually his ex¨Cwife. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Why would a man like him be attracted to only a woman like her? Daisy always thought Weston would keep changing partners. First, it was Guinevere. Then came E. After that, perhaps he would¡®ve dated a better woman. What was so good about E? No, what was so great about Ste? Daisy simply couldn¡®t figure it out. If shepared herself to Guinevere, she would lose because of her family background. However, she had already conceded with the knowledge that it wasn¡®t a part of her that she could change. ¡®But E...¡¯ Daisy thought there wasn¡®t too much of a difference between them. She believed she had the upper hand as Weston¡®s secretary Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Ever since Guinevere had been diagnosed with mental illness; she had used it as an excuse to get Weston to visit her. It used to work, but Weston decided to stop granting her that courtesy ¡°From now on, you don¡®t have to answer these calls.¡± Daisy froze for a moment. ¡°Mr. Ford, what do you mean?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Mr. Ford means that he shouldn¡®t be bothered with the Cohen family¡®s matters anymore,¡± Ben chimed in. Daisy¡®s eyes flickered for a moment. ¡°I understand,¡± she said after a moment and turned to leave. It seemed Weston was serious this time. He was breaking ties with the Cohen family for real. As soon as he turned down the Cohen family, Chris called. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Weston.¡± Weston knew this wasing. He gave Ben a look. Ben got the message and left the office at once. As soon as the call connected, Chris barked into the phone irritatedly. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡± Weston frowned. ¡°State your business.¡± Chris took a deep breath. He tried to calm down, but he could not conceal the anger in his tone. ¡°You think you¡®re so tough now, huh? How can you ignore our agreement?!¡± A smile formed on Weston¡®s lips. ¡°I wanted to keep our agreement, but the Cohen family went overboard...¡± ¡°I don¡®t care about that! Weston, what did you promise me?¡± Chris got worked up. ¡°You said you¡®d be with Guinevere . How could you hurt her like this? What if, one day, she remembers everything?¡± ¡°Well, she doesn¡®t remember it now, does she?¡± ¡°Are we going to leave a ticking time bomb in the open? Doesn¡®t it disturb you when you think of it?¡± ¡°You should be worried.¡± ¡°Weston! You¡®re my son!¡± Chris roared in a fury. ¡°We¡®re all in this together! If I go down, you¡®reing down with me! How do you think you¡®ll fare if this thing blows up?!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be bad.¡± Weston paused. ¡°But no worse than before,¡± he added. Chris¡® tone suddenly changed, and he sounded exhausted. ¡°Is she so important to you? It¡®s not that I don¡®t want you to be together, but can¡®t you just maintain the bnce like before ?¡± He simply couldn¡®t understand why this was so difficult for Weston. Guinevere had clearly made concessions¨Cshe¡®d taken a step back and was even willing to ept E¡®s presence. Weston could¡®ve made Guinevere his wife while simultaneously keeping E as his lover. There would be no conflict of interest, and none would be the wiser. ¡°Even if E is Ste, you¡®re already divorced. Why are you still so obsessed over her?¡± Chris didn¡®t realize how little he knew about his son until the incident at the engagement party. He had always thought his son didn¡®t care for women. All these years, he had no other woman around him except for Guinevere. Chris never imagined that Weston would give their family such a big surprise. ¡°Now that things havee to this...¡± Weston began coldly.¡± There¡®s no point in talking to me about all these. Why don¡®t you think about your problem? Do you want to keep hiding this, or do you want to tell Mom the...¡± ¡°You mustn¡®t tell her!¡± Chris cut him off at once. His voice trembled a little in fear. ¡°With how she is, she absolutely won¡®t let me go once she gets to know...¡± Weston fell into a short silence after hearing that. ¡°Why are you so afraid of telling her the truth?¡± he asked after a while. ¡°Are you afraid of her sadness or her revenge?¡± Chris and Wendy had, after all, been known to be a loving couple for many years. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Did Chris have any regrets abouting this far? If he did, he¡®d never admit it to his son. ¡°Of course, I¡®m scared ... I don¡®t want her to be sad and upset ... What happened back then was an ident. If you kept your promise, no one would¡®ve known. Now that you¡®re treating Guinevere like this, we¡®ll be screwed when her memoryes back, and she¡®ll drag us all down...¡± ¡°Then, so be it.¡± Weston was about to hang up when he heard Chris¡®s pleading from the other end of the line. ¡°Did you forget?! Your mom just had her heart checked at the hospital. If she finds out the truth ... It¡®ll be too much for her to handle!¡± Weston held his breath and remained silent for a long time. ¡°Please, I¡®m begging you, juste and see her... Consider it a favor for your mother. Don¡®t hurt her anymore.¡± ¡°If you don¡®t want to hurt her,¡± Weston snapped coldly. ¡°You shouldn¡®t have done this in the first ce.¡± Weston ended the call with a bang as he mmed his phone on the table. His eyes gradually turned dark, like the frost formed on a thousand years of coldness. Although Weston moved the wedding to an earlier date, he clearly had no intention of reducing his original budget, hiring even more designers from abroad to the already massive wedding nning team. Ste looked at the teams of people and ns in front of her with a headache. ¡°Are you nning to do two ceremonies; with so many styles?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She looked through the ns in her hand, but it was too much. Meanwhile, the patient design team exined everything in detail to Ste. ¡°Ms. Steele, there¡®s no hurry. Mr. Ford has instructed us to do everything to your liking. We canbine the two ceremonies if you wish.¡± They were ready to face Ste¡®s tricky demands. After flipping through the pages, Ste suddenly said, ¡°I want the simplest wedding possible.¡± The designers were stunned. ¡°The simplest?¡± Weston was annoyed following Chris¡® outburst and the Cohen¡®s matters. When he showed up at the wedding nning meeting to learn about the progress, Ste¡®s request made him frown a little. She wanted only a simple wedding? After that, in the apartment. When Ste returned, Weston was already at home, leisurely flipping through a booklet on the sofa. Ste put her bag down and walked up behind him. She put her hands on his temples and massaged them softly. ¡°Why are you home so early today?¡± Weston grabbed her hand and took her into his arms. ¡°Did the designers fail to impress you?¡± Ste hesitated for a moment. She knew he was talking about the wedding. She shook her head and exined , ¡°It¡®s all good, but we don¡®t need such extravagance¨C¡± ¡°I thought women loved grand weddings.¡± Weston tipped her chin and nudged her a little. ¡°If you don¡®t like them, I¡®ll hire another team from abroad.¡± ¡°It¡®s not about the designers.¡± Ste exined, ¡°They¡®re good and clever at their ns, but... Sigh. ¡°I just don¡®t want to make it so grand.¡± She leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t marriage something we both share? The most important thing is that we like it, not howvish it is. Besides...¡± She paused and muttered softly, ¡°I don¡®t want people to say I¡®m showing off.¡± Weston hugged her waist and looked her in the eye. ¡°Are you sure of this?¡± Chapter 860 Chapter 860 Chapter 860 Weston consulted several married people, some of them business partners, about the wedding. Each of them couldn¡®t wait to impart their advice. ¡°Mr. Ford, women are all the same! They like to see the man¡®s sincerity.¡± ¡°She¡®ll say she doesn¡®t need an extravagant and wasteful wedding because she cares about you, but as the man, you shouldn¡®t be stingy!¡± ¡°But if you listen to her and make an event as important as her wedding too simple... she¡®ll haunt you for decades!¡± ¡°Whenever you quarrel, your wife will nag in your ear: when I married you, I didn¡®t even have a decent wedding! How dare you argue with me now?¡± ¡°When ites to that, you¡®ll wish you never listened to what she said!¡± The other married men agreed with this statement. Thinking that there was some merit to their advice, Weston shared them with Ste. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The moment she heard it, Ste, in his arms,ughed. ¡°I didn¡®t know your business partners were so funny.¡± ¡°I heard them mention their wives in the meeting today, so I casually asked them.¡± Weston¡®s gaze softened at her amusedughter. ¡°Are you like them too?¡± he asked while scratching her chin. Ste fell into deep thought. After a bout of silence, she said, ¡°I don¡®t know what the future brings, but I did mean what I said. I don¡®t want to be extravagant and wasteful... I feel it¡®ll be too much trouble.¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡®ve seen lots of wedding videos ¨C both the bride and groom werepletely exhausted from the wedding. A wedding should be a happy asion. I don¡®t want it to beplicated...¡± Weston saw the seriousness in her eyes that told it wasn¡®t a half ¨Chearted request. Perhaps, these were her real thoughts. He let out an inaudible sigh. ¡°As long as you¡®re happy.¡± ¡°What? You¡®re not going to have a grand wedding?!¡± Yvonne had apletely different idea when she heard this.¡± What were you thinking? A wedding is a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime thing!¡± After saying that, however, she found her statement a little wrong. ¡°Bah. Bah,¡± she cursed. ¡°It¡®s not necessarily a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime thing. I can¡®t say that.¡± Ste was rendered speechless and looked at Yvonne helplessly. Yvonne continued muttering to herself. ¡°But anyway, it¡®s still an important life event. You can¡®t deny that, can you? ¡°It may be no big deal to you now, but what if you regret itter? When you get old and reminisce on your youth, won¡®t you regret your simple and insignificant wedding?¡± ¡°We¡®ll worry about that muchter,¡± Ste said. ¡°Oh, you sure are silly, aren¡®t you?¡± Yvonne was so annoyed that she almost wanted to pinch her ear and give her a lecture. ¡°Weston has done so much wrong to you. You should at least make him bleed some money for the wedding. You have to make him suffer! Let him learn how to treasure you!¡± Yvonne turned to Angelina next to her. ¡°Don¡®t you think so too?¡± Her question caught Angelina off guard. Angelina seemed confused as she gobbled down the food in front of her. She looked at Ste and then at Yvonne, not knowing how to answer. It was only her first meeting with Yvonne. With the filming reaching its conclusion, she was on vacation. Having plenty of free time, she would often invite Ste out. Yvonne also started inviting Ste out openly. This time, as the invitations coincided, Ste decided to introduce them to each other. Lively and sociable in nature, Yvonne¡®s personality matched Angelina¡®s easygoing attitude. Upon meeting, they quickly warmed up to each other and began chatting like long¨Clost buddies. Yvonne¡®s thoughts shifted very quickly. She suddenly thought about something and turned to Angelina . ¡°By the way, do you have a boyfriend?¡± Her question caught Angelina off guard again. Angelina froze for a moment. ¡°No...¡± Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Chapter 861 ¡°Do you have someone you like?¡± Yvonne continued asking. Angelina scratched her hair. ¡°Nope...¡± ¡°That¡®s strange. You¡®re the same age as us. Don¡¯t you even have a crush on anyone?¡± ¡°I¡®m going to be an idol soon. I¡®m banning love from now on,¡± Angelina exined. ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous. Many idols date in secret,¡± Yvonne said. ¡°I¡®m not like them. If I could make that much money, I¡®d never be in a rtionship,¡± Angelina replied. Yvonne looked around. ¡°You haven¡®t officially debuted, have you? Why don¡®t I show you some handsome guys before your debut?¡± Ste had a bad feeling. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡®t spoil her.¡± Yvonne beamed and put her arms around Angelina¡®s neck.¡± What can I do? I¡®ve just met her today, but we¡®ve already be good friends. I just want to take her out and open her eyes.¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Yvonne patted her shoulders. ¡°Well, I¡®m taking her to see some handsome men!¡± Ste looked at Angelina. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Angelina looked lost. Yvonne came up to her. ¡°Trust me. I¡®ll show you the world! Think about it. You¡®re about to ban love soon, but you don¡®t know anything yet. You¡®re still a nk sheet. What will you do if you encounter someone seductive and fall for him head over heels? Rather than waiting for that, you should take the opportunity, open your eyes, and see the world. If you happen to meet men with tricks up their sleeves in the future, you¡®ll be able to resist them. Agreed?¡± Angelina looked at her in confusion, though she thought Yvonne had a point. ¡°Yvonne, do you have any good ces?¡± Ste patted her forehead and sighed. ¡°You¡®re seriously,¡± She turned to Yvonne and asked helplessly, ¡°Aren¡®t you afraid ? What if Dr. Quirk finds out?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡®ll be fine. Just don¡®t tell him, okay?¡± Yvonne waved her hand. ¡°If none of us says anything, how would he know?¡± Clearly, Yvonne was the kind that was brave enough to admit their mistakes but not determined enough to change them. ¡°Besides, Dr. Quirk will be busy these days. He hasn¡®t been home in two days.¡± Lucas taught her a ¡°good¡± lesson after thest incident. After that, he was caught up with work in the hospital again. Yvonne was bored to the core. Now that she had finally found something fun, she wasn¡¯t going to let Angelina go so easily. ¡°It¡®s decided then. I¡®ll bring you there and show you!¡± : Yvonne¡®s broad knowledge was an eye-opener. At first, Ste thought she would¡®ve taken them to a ce like The Doghouse or a private lounge to chat over tea and a live performance. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g However, little did she expect that Yvonne would bring them to a club. These ces required membership and ran on a simr concept to Lowe Garden. Yvonne told them, ¡°Men have their Lowe Garden, and women like us naturally have our funhouse.¡® Ste and Angelina soon understood what Yvonne meant by a happy home. When a bunch of handsome young men surrounded them, Ste finally realized what this ce was about. It was then that Weston¡®s call suddenly came in. In a bad twist of fate, a young man suddenly came over and clung to her as she picked up the call. ¡°Hey, sis. Why don¡®t you join us?¡± Weston fell into silence on the other end of the line. After that, his voice turned grim and cold. ¡°Ste, where are you?¡° Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Ste jumped in shock as a chill ran down her spine. Quickly, she pushed the young boy away and lowered her voice. ¡°I¡®m outside with friends...¡± she exined. Weston furrowed his eyebrow and asked with an icy voice,¡± Yvonne?¡± Among her friends, no one else was as outrageous as Yvonne. Ste¡®s silence seemed to answer his question. Finally, after a short moment, she said softly, ¡°She drank a little, so I don¡®t think she can drive. Can youe pick me up?¡± She knew Weston would be mad, but at such times, all she could do was show herpliance and ask him toe over for her. In a way, her subservience was a silent admission of her trespasses. Weston¡®s reaction went ording to her expectation. He was indeed angry and was quiet for a good while. After thinking about it, he warned, ¡°Keep that ignorant man away from you.¡± Instead of rushing to lecture her, he left her a short and stern statement. ¡°Stay right there. I¡®ming right now.¡± Ste feared he would misunderstand, so she hurriedly rified. ¡°Drive carefully, and please don¡®t rush. These are proper staff, and they don¡®t provide any special services. Don¡®t misunderstand As soon as she said that, she thought she heard Weston let out a chuckle through gritted teeth. ¡°Special services? So, Ste, you do know what special services are. How great.¡± Ste¡®s heart jolted in shock. Before she could exin, the dense man next to her approached her again. ¡°Sis, I¡®m sorry. Did I say something wrong just now? I¡®m so sorry...¡± The mess gave Ste a headache. Impatiently, she shifted herself away from him. Thankfully, the young man next to her finally got the message and stoppeding over. On the other end of the phone, Weston¡®s temples were pounding in rage. ¡°Don¡®t let him touch you. I¡®ll be right here,¡± he warned in a deep voice. Ste shuddered. She wanted to exin more, but Weston had hung up, leaving only the incessant beep of the dial tone. She breathed out a sigh. Suddenly, she felt that she had probably gotten herself in deep trouble. She should not havepromised. From the call earlier, she could already hear Weston¡®s chilling aura over the phone. It wasn¡®t going to be an easy night for her. As the thought ran through her mind, she stepped even further from the young man beside her. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°We don¡®t know each other, do we,¡± Ste suddenly blurted. The handsome young man was a little disappointed when he heard that. ¡°Do you not like me?¡± ¡°We¡®ve just met, so there¡®s nothing to like or dislike.¡± Her eyes thennded on Yvonne, who was having a great time not far away. Seeing Yvonne¡®splete ignorance of the situation, she let out a long sigh. Here you are having a st, but I¡®m going end up miserable tonight, Ste thought. The young man, noticing her silence, did not dare to move. He could only look at her with a wary gaze. Ste shot him a few sharp nces. The young man looked about Roger¡®s age and was probably a college student. He carried a boyish vibe and gave off apletely different aura from Weston¡®s maturity and manliness. He was probably still a young kid. Ste stared at him and suddenly thought about Roger. Roger still hadn¡®t replied to her message. She sighed again and asked him, ¡°How old are you? Are you even an adult? Why are you working at such a ce?¡± The young boy wasn¡®t expecting Ste to suddenly turn serious. He replied chirpily, ¡°I¡®m an adult. I just turned eighteen yesterday. I¡®m out of school. My parents are always away from home, and they don¡®t care about me,¡± Something faintly flickered in his gaze when he spoke, leaving Ste wondering if he was acting or being honest. ¡°I see...¡± Ste paused for a moment and felt ufortable. She did not share his experience, but she knew how difficult it was for children growing up without parents. She had, after all, experienced the death of her own parents¨Cshe knew all too well how terrifying it was without them. Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Moreover, he seemed about the same age as Roger. Ste could not help but feel reluctant. ¡°At this age, you should be studying hard, not wasting your time in such ces.¡± This was a fantasy tower that would drain one¡®s youth away. Perhaps he was young, tempted by the money, and immersed in Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. But when he was older, he would certainly feel abandoned by the times, with nothing left behind. Those who squandered their youth were rarely treated well by time. Seeing her face be serious, Little Puppy was at a little loss. ¡°Sis, you shouldn¡®t say that...¡± He would usually say such things to win the sympathy of women. As long as he pleased those elder sisters and stimted their maternal instinct, they were more than willing to impart their money with him. He really had not met one like Ste. So he could not help but nce at Yvonne, who was not far away Yvonne seemed to be enjoying her time a lot more than Ste, with teams of handsome young men surrounding her and pleasing her with their sweet words. A very generous individual who knew how to enjoy herself, she had made sure to tip them a lot. She was unlike Ste and Angelina, who looked very ufortable aftering here for the first time. Ste watched as Yvonney on the couch happily, letting the young men tter, peel her grapes and feed her oranges, and a deep sense of guilt suddenly hit her. ¡°You are all still young, aren¡®t you?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry, Sis,¡± Little Puppy, beside her, said nonchntly,¡± We are all adults. The oldest among us is already twenty-six.¡± Ste was speechless. Was twenty¨Csix considered old now? She then remembered that Weston was twenty¨Ceight. Wouldn¡®t he be considered an old man? ¡°How old are you, sis?¡± The youth seemed to be very interested in her. ¡°Twenty¨Ctwo,¡± Ste replied. His eyes lit up. ¡°You are only twenty-two? You are so young!¡± ¡°Not as young as you.¡± She pushed him away somewhat ufortably. ¡°You are so young. You should not be doing this kind of work...¡± ¡°Are you looking down on my job?¡± He suddenly became a little aggrieved. ¡°You have misunderstood. We are only ying along. This is a legitimate job.¡± Yvonne echoed, ¡°They are indeed doing serious work to satisfy people.¡± Ste said, ¡°I am not looking down on your career...¡± ¡°Are you disliking me because I am small?¡± Little Puppy interrupted. She was speechless. He leaned closer to Ste suddenly and said, ¡°Sis, I am not small, really... You can take a look at it...¡± She did not know what to say. She suddenly felt that what she was talking about was not what he was saying. Seeing that she did not say anything, he leaned even closer to Ste. ¡°Don¡®t you want to see it? I am really not small...¡± Before he could even touch Ste, he suddenly felt a powerful force pulling his cor and throwing him hard backward Unable to react in time, he fell off the sofa. Thud! He fell to the ground. ¡°Who is it?¡± He grimaced and barked in discontent. When he looked up, he was confronted with a very handsome face. It was also an extremely gloomy face. Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Even those who earned money with their faces could not help but cower in his presence. This was a man dearly loved by God. This time, however, he hade with a face as menacing as an approaching hurricane. He stared at Little Puppy with nothing but hostility. ¡°Since you know you are small, don¡®te out and embarrass yourself.¡± Little Puppy was very irritated by hisment. Disregarding the pain he felt, he looked up and tried to retort.¡± You...¡± But the moment he saw the man surrounded by a murderous aura, he shuddered subconsciously. The curses were already in his mouth, but he dared not say anything. The aura this man emitted was simply overbearing. His dark eyes were full of hostility, and his body was surrounded by an intimidating aura that would force anyone not to look directly into his eyes. Afraid that he might cause trouble, Ste grabbed his wrist and said in a low voice, ¡°He is just a boy. Let him go.¡± Weston heard her and shot her a nce. The anxiousness in her expression told him that she seemed to be a little scared of him. Though annoyed, he loosened his grip and shook his hand off.¡± Get lost.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Little Puppy rolled on the floor and moved away from him nimbly, his eyes filled with caution. ¡°Who are you?¡± He would not have asked this question if he knew who Weston was. Everyone in Nordwen City knew the famous Weston, though not all recognized his face. In fact, even insiders might not be able to meet him. Weston had always kept a low profile. Whether online or in magazines, his portrait was never allowed to be published or spread. Hence, apart from those who had met him in person, most people knew him only by name. Although rumors of his good looks were rampant, most had little idea of his appearance. After all, very few had actually seen him. Many even thought that his wealth must¡®ve made people exaggerate his looks. Suddenly, as if he thought of something, he suddenly sensed a strong sense of crisis. ¡°You are not new here, aren¡®t you?¡± .. This made sense¨CWealthydies of all ages basically patronized such ces, meaning that the staff would also naturally be young and handsome men. The man before his eyes was very tall, estimated to be one point nine meters tall. 1 With his height and long legs, he seemed like an international model. His aura was noble and confident, and as for his attire... Although he could not guess the brand, he knew that anyone with such a body would look good no matter what they wore. His muscles were also well built¨Chis perfectly sculpted muscles could even be seen bulging from under the formal suit. Not every man wearing a suit would show such an effect. With a nce, he knew that the man had a sturdy body that made him look good. In fact, with his body alone, he had already outshone them. He did not expect his face to be so immacte as well. His features were extremely well¨Cdefined; his face was adored by a thin set of lips and a jaw contour so sharp it looked like it had been carved with a knife. Even popr young celebrities would shy away from him in the entertainment industry. 1 Where did this neere from? No wonder he was so brazen and dared so openly snatch his customer! Little Puppy subconsciously became hostile and blocked Ste off. ¡°You can¡®t be that ignorant of the rules, even if you are new here! Didn¡®t the manager tell you that you are not allowed to do this in front of the customers?¡± Ste was stunned. Then she understood. He must¡®ve thought Weston was his colleague. At first, she was a little troubled by it, but she was now forcing herself to hold back herughter with a tilt of the head. She did not dare tough. Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Weston swept a nce at her, and the anger he had managed to suppress rose again. At Little Puppy¡®s desperate actions, Weston grabbed his wrist hard and tossed him to the side. And so he was thrown to the side like a helpless little chick as if he weighed nothing. It didn¡®t take much to fling him away. Thud. Before Little Puppy could react, he felt his head spinning as he was lifted off the ground and thrown onto the coffee table. Searing pain tore through his entire back. He gasped, then lost his senses for a good while... This man had a terrifying amount of strength, bringing credence to the fact that he had an excellent physique. Damn. If he wasing topete for business, how were they even going to survive? Little Puppy was so upset that his eyes turned red. ¡°You hit me? How could you!¡± He began to act pitifully. That was his style, anyway. Thedy guests, all older than him, had their maternal instincts fired, unable to bear seeing him cry. It was why many of the handsome men here were obedient and well¨Cbehaved. ¡°Sis, I am in so much pain... This man is rough. If he can hit me now, I¡®m afraid he might vent his anger on you when he is not happy.¡± Little Puppy began to argue on his own behalf as best he could. Although this man bettered him physically, he had an awful temper, which meant his service would certainly pale inparison Ste felt a headacheing on. ¡°He¡®s not...¡± Before she could say anything, Weston, who was beside her, interrupted coldly. ¡°What did you call her?¡± Little Puppy shuddered and quickly hid behind Ste. ¡°Sis, he is so mean... If it were me, I would never be this mean. I¡®ll be worried that I might scare you off... Ste felt helpless. Was this how a two¨Cfaced man behaved? Themotion soon drew Yvonne¡®s and Angelina¡®s attention. When the two saw Weston, they were shocked beyond words. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Angelina hurriedly pushed away the man beside her and stood up. She had a natural fear of Weston. No matter where this man went, he had an overbearing aura that would depress anyone. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne, on the other hand, wasn¡®t shocked because of that. She looked behind Weston for a few moments automatically. Seeing that he was the only maning over, she let out a sigh of relief, worried that Lucas would find out. However, when she realized what she was thinking, she suddenly straightened her back again. So what if he knew? She had, in fact, been provoking him on purpose. Once he went to work, he would ignore her for days. Although she clearly saw himmunicating with others, he never returned her messages. Undoubtedly, Yvonne was very dissatisfied with this. She was originally a youngdy who had grown up pampered with the blessings of many. For so many years, she had always chased Lucas, but he never treated her with respect. Lucas was a man who was nice to everyone.. But when it came to her, he had always treated her ording to how he wished. Yvonne had seen his gentle side, as well as his nasty, out¨Cof control side. He always did as he pleased. Thest time he said he was working overtime at the hospital, he ended up meeting with a female patient in private. Yvonne was so angry that she went back to her mother¡®s house, but it did not take long before he took her back home. She suddenly felt that when she was with Lucas, she seemed to be in a pit at all times, helplessly under his control. Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Although he said he doted on her, he was cold to her one time too many In fact, he reserved his coldest side for her. When he was happy, he would coax her like a baby, but when he was not, he would chuck her aside like she was nothing. This upset her very much. She was relieved to see that Lucas wasn¡®t the one who came, but on second thought, it angered her a little. How was he so indifferent and unconcerned when even Weston knew toe and look for Ste? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Angelina asked her in a low voice. Yvonne shook her head to clear her mind. She walked to Weston. ¡°You are not married yet. Is it necessary to be so strict?¡± Weston immediately shot her a cold nce. He knew that apart from Yvonne, no one around Ste would do something so outrageous. ¡°Come with me.¡± He stopped looking at her and said to Ste. Yvonne knitted her brows. ¡°We just came over and have not yed for long...¡± Noticing that a fight was about to explode between them, Ste quickly smoothed things over. ¡°It¡®s gettingte. I¡®ll head home...¡± Hearing this, Little Puppy got up from the coffee table immediately. ¡°Sis, are you leaving?¡± He looked very aggrieved . ¡°He just came, but you are already taking him home... I have been with you for so long...¡± Ste said. ¡°I¡®m not¡­ I¡®m not...¡± She quickly exined. Yvonne suddenly understood what was going on and smiled at Little Puppy. ¡°You don¡®t think...¡± She pointed at Weston.¡°...that he is your colleague?¡± ¡°He¡®s not?¡± Little Puppy red at him with hostility. The manager said we are not allowed to snatch customers. This guy said nothing and took her away. Do you thinkdies automatically like you because you are tall and handsome? Unable to hold it any further, Yvonne burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Weston, I didn¡®t expect this to happen to you one day!¡± The man¡®s face was extremely dark, and he looked at her coldly. Yvonne shuddered. She tried to shut up, but despite her best efforts to conceal herughter, her shoulders kept shaking. Her reaction confused Little Puppy. ¡°Isn¡®t he...¡± Ste sighed. ¡°He is not what you think. He is my... fianc¨¦.¡± She showed him the diamond ring on her ring finger. Little Puppy froze momentarily before his eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡®re really engaged?¡± Now he knew why she had been acting so ufortably. She was just a little restrained, he thought. After all, why would shee to such a ce if she was the conservative type? He did not expect that she was really getting married... Thinking of this, he felt sour. ¡°People like us are only meant for you to have fun with. When ites to marriage, you only choose people like him...¡± He then took a nce at Weston. His tone was full of resentment. Weston pulled his cor and looked at him impatiently. ¡°Don¡®tpare you with me. Do you think I am a gigolo like you?¡± Weston snapped bluntly, not mincing a single word. Little Puppy widened his eyes. ¡°You are the gigolo! Your whole family all are gigolos!¡± He put his hand on his chest as if he was hurt. ¡°We are doing proper work! Why is your mind so dirty?¡± Weston¡®s face turned green at the curses, and the finger pointed at him. ¡°Shut up,¡± he rebuked coldly. He could make people shiver just by standing there with the frigid air his body exuded. Little Puppy looked at Ste pitifully. ¡°Sis, he shouldn¡®t be insulting me like this. If I really am a gigolo, why would you possiblye to me when you are getting married?¡± He kicked the hot potato to Ste. Ste took a deep breath and pulled Weston¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I will go back with you. It is just a misunderstanding. They are really doing a... proper job.¡± Weston brushed her hand away with a sneer. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Chapter 867 ¡°Hurry up. I¡®ll be waiting for you outside.¡± The entire event had made him extremely impatient. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Before he left, he swept a nce at Yvonne. ¡°I¡®ve asked my man to send the surveince footage here to Lucas. You should start praying.¡± Yvonne exploded instantly. ¡°You¡®re crazy!¡± Weston sneered and left without looking at her. Just by looking at his back, Ste knew he was angry. She was doomed. She scratched her head. Yvonne¡®s face was as white as a sheet. It was fine if he simply told Lucas, but to actually send Lucas the surveince footage... This made her extremely unsettled. Angelina looked at Yvonne and then at Ste. All she could do wasfort them. ¡°You were bringing me out to see the world, and you did not do anything outrageous . Besides, I have widened my horizon, so this trip was fruitful.¡± Yvonne and Ste were speechless. They could onlyfort themselves this way. Weston had given an ultimatum, so Ste could only leave first. She took her handbag and nced at the man in the corridor. With his back facing her, smoke drifted from his fingertips. He was smoking. Ste was taken aback. He appeared to have quit smoking for a long time. She did not realize when it started, but he had basically stopped smoking in front of her. It seemed like he was very angry tonight. This made her a bit afraid to go out. She nced at the liquor on the table, grabbed the ss, and gulped it down. ¡°Wait! This is...¡± Before Yvonne could react, Stell had already drank it. ¡°...very strong.¡± Ste put the empty ss on the table in front of her. ¡°I saw you drinking it just now.¡± Yvonne said helplessly, ¡°Don¡®t you know that my alcohol tolerance is very high?¡± Ste shook her head. She had just drunk it, but her face was already turning red. Yvonne patted her cheeks. ¡°It¡®s good that Weston came to pick you up, or I would have had to find a way to get you back.¡± This liquor tasted sweet, but its dyed effect was very strong. Even Lucas felt a little dizzy after drinking it for the first time, let alone Ste She did not even look like she drank that much. Nheless, Ste felt considerably sober after a shake of the head. ¡°It¡®s not that strong, right?¡± ¡°You will know soon. This stuff is intoxicating.¡± ¡°I¡®ll leave first, then.¡± Weston was waiting for her outside, so Yvonne did not think much about it. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Ste to walk a short distance. Ste said goodbye to Angeline, grabbed her bag and left. It was a short distance from the private room to the corridor. The wind should sober her up, but her face was getting hot. Weston stood tall with his back facing her, a cigarette still burning between his fingers. Hearing footsteps, he extinguished the cigarette and turned around. ¡°Come here.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Ste nodded. Her legs started to feel wobbly, but her mind was still sober. It felt fascinating. She looked straight at the man in front of her. Only when she was right in front of him did he sense that something was off. He frowned at what he saw. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± The strong stench of alcohol on her pierced his nose, and he suddenlyughed sardonically, pinching her cheeks. ¡°Did you just drink it?¡± Ste nodded in honesty. ¡°Why?¡± asked the man. ¡°For courage,¡± she replied. She rubbed his palm. ¡°I was afraid that you¡®d scold me, so I drank a little when I came out...¡± The man was dazed momentarily. He looked at her obedient self and quickly came back to his senses. Pinching her face again, he said, ¡°You are making me angry on purpose.¡± Then, he brought her downstairs and stuffed her into the car.¡° Stay right here. I¡®ll get you some water.¡± Ste nodded and leaned against the window to watch him. Weston headed to a nearby store while she stayed in the car staring at his back, looking a little foolish. Weston shook his head helplessly. He had left the window open, and Ste waited for him, looking at the people passing by. The car was parked on the roadside not far from the store. Only when she was within his view could he feel relieved. She was staring at him nkly when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. ¡°E, is that you?¡± The man sounded a bit hesitant. Ste turned her head, and she smiled when she saw the person calling her. ¡°Mr. Hall, it¡®s been a while.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± Justin stopped in his steps. He thought he was mistaken, but it turned out she was really Ste. She must be drunk. Her face was red, and she looked extraordinarily well¨Cbehaved, lyingzily on the sill of the car¡®s window. Her actions simply seemed a little dangerous and out of ce. This made him think of Bryce. He was still a child, after all, and every time he brought him out for a drive, he liked toy on the windowsill. It was an unsafe action, and the boy would usually get a scoldingter. Justin surveyed his surroundings. ¡°Are you alone?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Weston is buying some water.¡± Justin nodded and chuckled. ¡°About you... I didn¡®t expect you to be his ex¨Cwife.¡± Previously, he thought that Ste was the third person in the rtionship and was Weston¡®s kept woman, and he didn¡®t have a good impression of her. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Then, when he discovered that it was Weston who¡®d forced her into the rtionship, he felt pity for her. Perhaps men were not good at telling pity and love apart. He impulsively wanted to marry her, while, at the same time, helping her escape Weston¡®s clutches. But for someone who could resolve things easily like Weston, his efforts turned out to be nothing but rash attempts. After that, as he received no more news about Ste, he gradually returned to his normal life. He didn¡¯t expect that the next time he heard about her, it would turn out to be such a different story. He thought that the engagement ceremony was the result of Ste¡®s hard work and that she had sessfully squeezed Guinevere out of the position. He didn¡®t expect that she was originally Weston¡®s wife. This clearly exined why Weston had refused to let her go before¨Cit turned out the two had long been entangled with each other. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Ste blinked. ¡°I¡®m sorry for not telling you...¡± She looked down, and her eyes were dull. ¡°Does everyone know now?¡± ¡°It¡®s hard not to,¡± Justin said. ¡°Even Bryce and the others talk about it in school. ¡°Guinevere is very famous with the kids nowadays, and they like to follow her news. ¡°Moreover, Weston¡®s influence is bigger than her. He just doesn¡®t like to show his face. ¡°Even Tina, who does not care about these things, knew about your story.¡± Justin did not know why he talked so much to a drunk person. Ste was obviously drunk, and her mind was a bit unclear. Perhaps it was because he hadn¡®t seen her for a long time that his heart wavered when he saw her again. ¡°How have you been?¡± Ste nodded somewhat mechanically. Justinughed at himself. ¡°I am being superfluous. He even fell out with the Cohens for you. He should be treating you well¡­¡± Once again, she gave him the same response, seeming as though she didn¡®t even think about it. Justin sighed lightly. ¡°You are such a bad drinker , and he lets you drink so much?¡± ¡°It¡®s me who wanted to...¡± Ste defended him somewhat embarrassingly. She rested her chin on the windowsill until a mark was left on her skin. She felt very ufortable, but she had no idea to get out of the situation. Frowning, she rubbed her chin, then rested her head on the window again. Justin found it very funny. He reached out subconsciously to rub her head. ¡°What are you trying to do, Mr. Hall?¡± A deep, cold voice resounded from behind him. The startled Justin looked back and saw Weston striding toward him. A bottle was in his hand, and his pace was steady. The ck trench coat intensified his cold aura. Even Justin had to admit it¨Cthis man was a natural alpha. And because of that, he always felt that Weston wouldn¡®t take Ste very seriously. However, if such a man decided to love a woman deeply, no woman would be able to resist it. Seeing Westoning to her from afar, her eyes lit up. ¡°You¡®re back!¡± If she was not in the car, she might¡®ve just wiggled her feet in excitement. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The man had been gloomy, but when he saw her eyes full of joy, his tension eased a bit. He walked to her and raised his hand to touch her red cheeks.¡± Tired of waiting?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste was really drunk. Disregarding Justin¡®s presence, she happily ced her cheek on his palm. ¡°Did you buy me water?! want some.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Weston handed her the bottle, but she did not take it. She fixated her eyes on his hand. ¡°Feed me.¡± When Justin heard that, he felt ufortable and cocked his head to one side. Weston swept a nce at him. Without saying anything, he unscrewed the bottle cap and held the bottle in front of her mouth. ¡°Drink slowly. Don¡®t choke yourself.¡± Ste stared at him nkly, then tilted her head and drank from the bottle while watching her man¡®s face. Although she was drunk, her senses remained sharp. Weston seemed to be a little pleased. Justin coughed lightly. Unable to make himself stay any longer, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston hummed in response without looking at him. ¡°She is drunk. If you are willing, I can send you an invitation to our wedding, and we can catch up then. After saying that, he raised his hand to wipe away the water at the corner of Ste¡®s mouth. His gentle movements gave Justinplicated feelings. Whether it was Ste¡®s dependence on him or Weston¡¯s unconcealed possession and favor toward her, he had to admit that they shared a bond that he could not interfere with. Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Ste waspletely unaware of the tragic situation that was to unfold Yvonne was right. That liquor had a very strong dyed effect. She looked at Weston deeply as if not realizing Justin was there. Weston looked sick when he saw Justin, but his annoyance greatly cooled after seeing her cuteness and the way she looked at him when she was drunk. Especially when it was right in front of Justin. Ste¡®s intimacy greatly lessened his anger. This woman seemed to know it very well. She knew how to make him angry, and she knew exactly how to pacify him. No matter if it was intentional or unintentional, she could always easily make his heart waver. ¡°If I have time, I will attend the wedding.¡± Justin could only reply politely. He nodded at Weston. ¡°I¡®m sorry to have bothered you guys. Bryce is waiting for me in the car... I wish you guys a happy wedding in advance.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall,¡± Weston said. Justin turned around and left. It took a great deal of self¨Ccontrol to restrain himself from looking back, but he knew that Ste would not look at him even if he did. She never liked him from the beginning and had epted his proposal solely because she wanted to be rid of Weston at that time. It was only because of this that he managed to convince Ste to agree to it at that time. Everything was out in the open, clear as day. But why did he feel so downtrodden? The drunken Ste was obviously a bit more pleasant than usual. He wanted to settle the score at first, but seeing her confused self, he could not make himself do it. The car soon arrived at the apartment. *** At the underground parking lot Ste had been very obedient along the entire journey and was only starting to act a little silly. With nk eyes, she leaned back on the seat and shook her shoes off her feet. ¡°It¡®s so hot...¡± Weston turned off the engine and held her wobbly legs in ce, securing them to the seat. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Ste pouted in annoyance and red at him. ¡°You meanie ...¡±. It was a non¨Cintimidating re, more of a coquettish one than threatening. He unfastened the seatbelt and got out of the car. Then, he walked over to the passenger seat and picked her up. Feeling the sudden lightness, she hugged the man¡®s neck subconsciously. Perhaps it was because she was drunk that she clung to him a little tighter than usual. ¡°Don¡®t you ever drop me.¡± Weston was amused to hear this. ¡°With that weight of yours, it¡®s unlikely to happen.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Ste¡®s eyes glimmered as if a naughty idea came into her mind, and she started struggling. Weston¡®s voice turned hoarse. ¡°Don¡®t move.¡± These two words sounded like a warning. How could she have listened? After all, she could use her drunkenness as a shield. She ced her hand on his shirt and picked on his topmost button. ¡°What are you doing?¡± With his Adam¡®s apple rolling up and down, he looked down at her with a halfhearted deterrence in his eyes. Ste smiled. If it was not for the unusual redness on her face, he would have thought she was doing it on purpose. ¡°Aren¡®t we going home to bed?¡± Ste¡®s eyes were too innocent to look like she was up to no good. ¡°I¡®ll help you undress now.¡± Weston silently strode into the elevator. The two figures reflected clearly off the metal door panels. Their stark difference in size was apparent. In his arms, Ste looked like a tiny chick that nestled under its mother¡®s wings. Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Chapter 871 At the feel of her hand touching his body, Weston forcefully suppressed his urge. ¡°Don¡®t cryter.¡± He uttered the three words coldly, a stark warning of what he was about to do. Ste rested her head on his shoulder and suddenly behaved herself. Before Weston could figure out why she suddenly became so well¨Cbehaved, he heard Ste whisper in his ear with urgency. ¡°I am so sick that I feel like throwing up...¡± Without saying anything, his face suddenly turned dark. ¡°Don¡®t you dare!¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± She was shoved directly into the bathtub. Ssh Buckets of water sshed everywhere. His movements were not at all as gentle as before. Being that drunk, it was unsurprising that Ste would choke on water. ¡°Cough...¡± He wanted to get up to get her the bathing utensils at first but could only fish her out of the bathtub again. ¡°You are such a troublesome thing.¡± She spat out a mouthful of water and tugged at the cor of her dress with some difort. ¡°I feel so hot...¡± ¡°You won¡®t once you sober up.¡± He then helped her undress. ¡°Put your hands up.¡± Ste raised her hands obediently. Seeing her in her extra¨Csubmissive state, his originally sullen face could only helplessly smile. There was really nothing he could do about her. After washing her up, he tucked her in. She frowned at him, seemingly dissatisfied with the strength he was exerting. ¡°Be gentle...¡± Weston was speechless. The man¡®s eyes wavered as a storm began to brew in them. He suddenly lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.¡± Do you have any idea what you¡®ve done today?¡± Ste tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°What have I done?¡± She seemed to be asking him sincerely. The pair of eyes were innocently doing a seductive thing. He pinched her chin harder. ¡°Why would you want to go to a ce like that?¡± She paused for a moment. She thought for a while and said honestly, ¡°Yvonne said she wanted to enrich our life experiences.¡± The man knitted his brows. ¡°There¡®s nothing good that can be learned from such a ce.¡± ¡°Why can¡®t I go there?¡± Although she was drunk, her mind was still very clear. ¡°Why can¡®t we go to such ces when men can go to Lowe Garden?¡± He paused for a moment and suddenlyughed angrily at her.¡° Do you know what kind of a ce Lowe Garden is?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Ste nodded and suddenly frowned again with a disapproving face. ¡°I also know that you did some bad things there...¡± ¡°What bad things ?¡± He raised his eyebrows and looked at her. She poked him on his chest and pouted. ¡°I knew everything about that woman called Belle!¡± ¡°I thought you said you didn¡®t mind?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Ste pouted and stopped talking. She turned her back to him. Her back was telling him that she did mind. He pinched her face. ¡°I thought you really didn¡®t mind.¡± She seemed to be sulking. The man chuckled and took her into his arms from behind.¡± Idiot.¡± ¡°Why are you cursing me?¡± She red at him. ¡°It¡®s you who are not virtuous, but you actually scold me!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He pinched her nose. ¡°What kind of nonsense have you learned from Yvonne?¡± Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Ste grunted and closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. The moment she shut her eyes, she felt sleepy. It did not take long before her breathing evened out. Weston hugged her and kissed her on her hair. ¡°It seems you really don¡®t remember what day it is.¡± He sighed gently, but his voice was hoarse. ¡°Never mind. It¡®s a good thing not to remember.¡± They would have a new wedding anniversary in a while. It was just a day in the past. It did not matter anymore if she had forgotten about it. His eyes glowed with infinite tenderness as he hugged her tighter. In the dark Her eyes slowly opened, as shey in his arms. She had sobered up a good bit. In fact, she remembered everything. It was their wedding anniversary. They had never actually celebrated their anniversary, having gotten married in a sh. To Weston, she was just a tool to piss Guinevere off but to her, it was a dream that came true. Just when she was full of joy and wanted to celebrate their anniversary with him, he handed her the divorce paper. And there was no room given for negotiation. Ste felt her hands shaking as she signed the papers, but there was nothing she could do. It was just a few days before their anniversary. All she could think about was how she would celebrate with him. But all he was thinking about was that Guinevere was pregnant and he was going to marry her. It was why the saying that everything was unpredictable existed. In less than two years, everything had changed. Yvonne returned home feeling a little uneasy. Although she wanted to piss Lucas off at first, she was still a little frightened when Weston told her that he sent him the surveince footage. After all, if he really did see her enjoying herself with the young men, it would indeed make her feel guilty. She had prepared herself mentally countless times at the gate, but what would happen next went completely out of her expectation. There was no one at home. The room was empty.. Yvonne stood for a long time before calling Lucas. The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered it. Yvonne looked at the clock. He should be off work by this time, but he was probably upied by something urgent. She chose her words carefully and sent him a text. However, after showering and sobering up, she still didn¡®t receive a reply. Yvonne began to worry. He was not angry with her, was he? Could it be that he did not want to care about her anymore after he watched the footage? Or was he so busy with work that he had not seen it yet? In short, no matter which one it was, it was not the result that Yvonne wanted. She poured herself another ss of wine. If Lucas were home, he would¡®ve never allowed her to drink so much, especially in the middle of the night. If Yvonne deliberately went against him, she would inevitably get lectured. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Although Lucas was very busy, he was very strong physically. Hence, if he did it a few times with her, she would immediately fall back to sleep, too tired to go back to drinking. When she thought of the days and nights they had spent together, Yvonne closed her eyes and could not sleep. The clock showed that it was already one in the morning. After a moment¡®s deliberation, she made a call to Lucas. This time, someone answered, but it was a woman who picked up the call. ¡°I¡®m sorry, but Dr. Quirk is resting now. May I know if you need anything?¡± When she heard the voice, anger simmered, and she raised her voice by a few notches. Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Chapter 873 ¡°Who are you?¡± She stood up abruptly from the sofa. She was a little sleepy at first but seemed wide awake now. The woman on the other end was hostile and asked her instead, ¡°Who are you?¡± Yvonne took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡®m his wife.¡± The woman paused for a while before answering quietly. ¡°I¡®m sorry. This is all a misunderstanding. I¡¯m Dr. Quirk¡®s patient...¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Yvonne sneered. The pause just now wasn¡®t a misunderstanding. All she needed to do was to write out her rtionship with Hayden on her forehead. ¡°Let Hayden answer the phone.¡± The woman hesitated. ¡°He¡®s...¡± ¡°What?¡± Yvonne frowned. ¡°Don¡®t tell me he¡¯s busy.¡± ¡°I think you should call again....¡± With that, the woman hung up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Beep... Beep... Beep... Yvonne looked at the screen and almost dropped her phone. At the hospital With Yvonne¡®s personality, there was no way she would wait and stay calm. Immediately, she headed to Hayden¡®s office. No one was there, so she took the key and entered the lounge. Whenever he was too busy with work, she woulde to the hospital to find him. She would patiently wait for him at the side and not disturb him. Having a soft spot for her, Hayden gave her the key to his office, instructing her not to mess with his things, mainly the medical records. But other than that, she was free to do whatever she wanted. Yvonne was in a terrible mood. But she didn¡®t go to him right away. Looking at his duty roster, she found that he was indeed working the extra shift, which abated her anger a little. A young and handsome doctor like him was very popr in the hospital. Although many knew he was married, women still threw themselves at him. Yvonne naturally understood this¨Cit wasn¡®t Hayden she didn¡®t trust, but rather the myriad women who were deliberately throwing themselves at him. But no matter what, he was also at fault for not dealing with this properly. It left her in a dilemma. ¡°Ms. Quirk?¡± The nurse saw that the door was open, and since Yvonne was inside, she came in and said hello. ¡°Are you here to see Dr. Quirk?¡± Yvonne had always been friendly, so she had a good rtionship with the nurses. She smiled and looked at the person outside the door. ¡°Yes, he has been working overtime for several days now, so I came to see him.¡± ¡°You must really love Dr. Quirk.¡± The nurse sighed. ¡°He should be doing rounds on the third floor now. Just wait.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yvonne took out the food she had brought. ¡°Here, eat something! I know the night shifts are hard.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. On the third¨Cfloor ward Yvonne had never wanted toe to the hospital, but the woman¡®s voice on the phone was stuck in her mind. She walked around casually, seeing patients who were resting, until she saw a room with lights on. She walked over slowly, and saw a woman with long hair and a shawl in a hospital gown slowly moving down from the hospital bed A tall man was lying beside the bed as if taking a nap. She stopped in her tracks. She recognized Hayden¡®s back at a nce. The woman carefully lifted the quilt and looked at the sleeping man lying beside the bed. Then, she immediately picked up the coat hanging on the side and gently draped it over him. Feeling the weight on his body, Hayden frowned and subconsciously grabbed the hand. ¡°Yvonne.¡± Chapter 874 Chapter 874 Chapter 874 The man¡®s voice was low, with hoarseness. The woman was shocked, and her heart suddenly tightened. She knew that he was not calling her, nor was she the person he wanted to hold. But... Instead of pushing him away, she responded gently. From Yvonne¡®s perspective, however, all she could see was Hayden grabbing the woman¡®s hand. ¡°Hayden!!!¡± she barged in and yelled. The sudden scream shocked the two inside the room, and they turned around to look at her. The woman had been badly startled, and she stared at Yvonne.¡± You are?¡± Hayden immediately came to his senses, let go of the woman¡®s hand, stood up, and looked at Yvonne. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her face was dark. ¡°Did I disturb you?¡± After understanding what she meant, the man frowned. ¡°Don¡®t talk nonsense.¡± Yvonne was about to burst out at any moment, and she clenched her fist. ¡°Fine. I¡®ll leave.¡± She turned around and was about to leave when the woman came to her senses and said hurriedly, ¡°Wait! You¡®re Mrs. Quirk. right?¡± Her smile was gentle. ¡°Dr. Quirk talks about you a lot.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yvonne stopped and turned to look at her. ¡°What did he say about me?¡± ¡°He said that... you¡®re cute.¡± The woman was still smiling. ¡°I¡®m just Dr. Quirk¡®s patient, don¡®t get me wrong.¡± ¡°In the middle of the night, which doctor would be in the same bed as his patient?¡± Yvonne¡®s face dropped when she heard this. Even Hayden¡®s face darkened. ¡°Enough. Stop being unreasonable.¡± Instantly, Yvonne¡®s eyes widened. ¡°I¡®m being unreasonable?¡± She stared at the man in front of her, but he only looked at her with those cold eyes, without exnation or persuasion. Only me and impatience were written in them. She suddenly felt a stinging pain in her heart, and the pain was unbearable. She held back her tears and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Since I¡®m being unreasonable, I¡®ll leave now.¡± Without looking back, she ran outside of the room. Inside the room The woman stared at Yvonne¡®s back and sald worriedly, ¡°Doctor Quirk, she must be jealous. Do you want to exin?¡± Hayden stood up, took off his gold¨Cwire sses, and wiped them gracefully. ¡°No, she¡®s just like that.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then put his sses back on. His eyes were bloodshot, a clear indication of how tired he was. The woman, on the other hand, felt a little distressed. ¡°You¡®ve been here for so long. Go home and rest first.¡± ¡°You identally fell asleep here just now, and your phone rang,¡± she suddenly added, a little embarrassed. ¡°I was afraid of disturbing you, so I picked it up for you. Your wife¡­ Did she misunderstand something?¡± Hayden paused for a while. He adjusted his sses and said nothing. ¡°Ring the bell if there is any problem. I¡®ll go rest first.¡± ¡°Okay. Rest well, doc.¡± Although he said he didn¡®t need to exin to Yvonne, he still got up and left the ward. The woman looked at his back with a smile still stered on her face. Her gentle countenance was soon reced with aplicated feeling. Yvonne¡®s anger did not subside. She went to Hayden¡®s office to get her bag, turned around, and was about to leave when he stopped her by the door. ¡°Where are you going at such ate hour?¡± ¡°I don¡®t want to disturb you and your patient.¡± Her eyes were focused on the corridor outside without sparing him a nce. ¡°Move,¡± he snapped. Frowning deeply, he pushed her by the shoulder and forced her inside before mming the door shut. Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Chapter 875 ¡°Yvonne....¡± the doctor called in a deep, exhausted voice. Yvonne stood there stiffly, still refusing to pay attention to him. Hayden hugged her gently, resting his head on her shoulder.¡± Stop messing around. Let me hug you for a while.¡± She wanted to push him away, but all her strength seemed to seep out of her the moment she lifted her arms. She couldn¡®t resist his gentleness, though she didn¡®t return his hug. He noticed this and sighed inaudibly. ¡°I haven¡®t seen you for a few days. Must you be angry with me?¡± He let go of her and raised his hand to straighten her hair. ¡°I¡®m a doctor, and she¡®s a patient. Do you have to be jealous of us?¡± Yvonne huffed. ¡°Why must you both be together sote at night?¡± He had been sleeping beside the female patient¡®s bed, and she even answered the phone for him. Wasn¡®t this beyond the limit of normal? Yvonne felt that she was not at all unreasonable. Hayden restrained his expression and let go of his hand. He sat at the desk, scrunched his eyebrows, and exined, ¡°Her situation is special. For the past few days, I have been discussing surgical strategies with other doctors in the hospital, looking for a suitable opportunity for surgery. I was a little tired tonight, and I slept off...¡± He looked at Yvonne¡¯s back. Usually, she would put down everything and run to him after hearing such words. She would then massage him or act like a spoiled child in his arms. To Hayden, that was what she wanted anyway. Now, she wouldn¡¯t even look at him. Sighing helplessly, he stood up, walked behind her, and directly lifted her ¡°Ah!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Yvonne was startled and subconsciously wrapped her arm around his neck as he carried her to the examination room and put her on the bed. Then, he instantly squatted down and took off her shoes. Before she could react, he was already lying down with her. There seemed to be no retreat between the man and the cold, hard wall. Hayden pulled her close and made hery on his chest. ¡°Yvonne, be nice and sleep with me for a while, eh?¡± ¡°Didn¡®t you sleep well just now lying on the side of the bed?¡± she asked quietly. She felt the man¡®s body stiffen before he lifted her chin. Their eyes met. ¡°It seems you don¡®t want to sleep, so let¡®s find another way to rx.¡± ¡°What way?¡± The next morning... The wind was blowing on the curtains. Ste frowned and slowly woke up. The hangover fromst night reared its head in the form of a pounding headache. The strength around her waist tightened, and a man¡®s deep voice came to her ears. ¡°You¡®re awake?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± She shook her head and met Weston¡¯s steady, confident eyes. ¡°I was... was I drunk yesterday?¡± He looked at her calmly. ¡°Since you remember being drunk, you should remember how you got drunk.¡± Ste was stunned. She blinked her eyes and yed dumb. ¡°How did I get drunk?¡± ¡°You made rumors with Yates and went to such ces....¡± The man¡®s eyes narrowed, and his tone became dangerous.¡± Ste, what do you think I should do with you?¡± All sober now, Ste knew that he wouldn¡®t let her off. He hugged her waist tighter . ¡°There¡®s no point in talking to an alcoholic because they forget everything the next day.¡± ¡°Ste, I¡®ve been waiting for you to sober up... to teach you a lesson.¡± Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Weston¡®s confrontation shattered her intention of escaping from the mess. If only she had known that he would interrogate her, she wouldn¡®t have drunk that ssst night. At the same time, she realized how great of a difference Yvonne¡®s alcohol tolerance waspared to hers. The sound of an opening rang inside her head. Ste raised her arm weakly and pressed it against the man¡®s chest, begging. ¡°Let¡®s get up, okay...¡± ¡°No.¡± He lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose, rejecting her decisively. She was covered in sweat, as if she had been pulled out of the water. A drop of sweat fell from the man¡®s forehead at the same time, creating a ssh as it hit her corbone. On the contrary, Yvonne, who had high alcohol tolerance, wasn¡®t in a good mood. When she woke up, she was lying alone inside Hayden¡®s office. Above her was the white ceiling. She stretched out her hand and touched the side, which was already cold. She sat up and yawned. With sleepiness written in her eyes reflecting off the mirror on the wall, she stood up and walked over to admire her looks before walking to the washroom in Hayden¡®s office. There, he had prepared two sets of clothes and some of her beauty products. Yvonne put on some light makeup and went out. She thought he would be in his office, but no one was there. A nurse saw her there and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Quirk, are you here to check up on Dr. Quirk?¡± These nurses had a great rtionship with her, though there was a saying that went ¡®a doctor would always have four women in their lives.¡¯ Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The first was their ssmates, the second was the nurses around them, the third was the medicines, and the fourth was their disciples. At first, Yvonne had her guard up on the very beautiful nurse. Born of a silver spoon, she had never suffered much in her life, and her thoughts were simpler than the ordinary person. That said, she was still very sensitive regarding rtionships between men and women. Nheless, human nature could never stand the ultimate test. Even if she trusted Hayden, she couldn¡®t be too rxed in front of other women. Thus, after some thought, she decided to be friends with these nurses. That way, they could help her watch him. Fortunately, these nurses respected her. They knew that Yvonne was from a wealthy family and a beautiful woman in her own right. This made her the perfect match for him. Although there¡®d always be women who would haunt married men for various reasons, many were also rather normal. He was a married man. As good as he was, all they could do was merely look at him. Yvonne smiled at her and handed her the gift she had brought yesterday. ¡°It¡®s been so long since I saw you. How¡®s work?¡± ¡°A bit busy these days, but I still manage.¡± After chatting with her, the nurse saw her intentions and said,¡° Dr. Quirk is on the third floor. He¡®lle down in a bit.¡± Yvonne awkwardly rubbed her nose after her intentions were exposed. ¡°I¡®m not looking for him....¡± The nurse just smiled and shook her head. ¡°I need to change the drip for the patients. I¡¯ll leave first¡± ¡°Bye!¡± As she watched her leave, the smile on her face slowly dropped. The third floor¡­ Hayden was therest night. Without hesitating, Yvonne went up. The difference this time was that the door was shut, so she couldn¡®t see what was happening inside. A smile appeared on her face, but her eyes had no indication of happiness. It seemed like yesterday was an ident. They had forgotten to lock the door, which was why she saw everything. Chapter 877 Chapter 877 Chapter 877 She was by no means a patient person, but at this moment, she waited outside with the patience of a saint. After an unknown amount of time, the door opened with a creak Just as she was about to stand up, she heard whispers from the staff. ¡°Is thedy a rtive of Dr. Quirk¡®s? He takes good care of her. He didn¡®t sleep well for several days, always by her side¡­¡± ¡°They¡®re not rtives.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The speaker was a young man in a white coat. Yvonne recognized him. He was Hayden¡®s assistant and a student who happened to be an intern. He continued, ¡°They¡®re friends.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°I think they¡®ve known each other since childhood.¡± ¡°Best friends?¡± ¡°Yes. I think so.¡± Yvonne¡®s heart sank to the bottom of the ocean She was a girl who grew up with Hayden. Where did this unknown girle from? As the two spoke, they lifted their heads and saw Yvonne sitting there. ¡°Mrs. Quirk...¡± Hayden¡®s assistants also knew her. When Yvonne had the time, she would mingle with the people around Hayden, silently iming her ownership over him. They all knew her character, and their faces were a little hesitant. ¡°Are you here for Dr. Quirk?¡± Behind them, Hayden heard the sound, raised his head, and looked over. Yvonne met his gaze, then looked away, smiled, and greeted the assistant and nurse. ¡°I heard from the nurse on duty that you have been very busy.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Inside the ward The female patient looked at her in surprise, then looked at Hayden and said, ¡°Dr. Quirk, let the nurse watch over me for the next two days... Mrs. Quirk, she seems very upset.¡± ¡°Work is work,¡± he interrupted her and wrote something in the notebook. He phrased his words elegantly, then nced at her report and said something to the assistant doctor on the side. ¡°I wille again in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay. Go safely, Dr. Quirk.¡± Walking straight to Yvonne, he said, ¡°Let¡®s go. I¡®ll take you to lunch.¡± Yvonne followed him from behind without so much as a twitch on her face. The two headed to the cafeteria. Along the way, she didn¡®t say a word. Hayden felt a little ufortable and gave her a funny look.¡± When did you be so quiet?¡± She was usually very talkative, especially during short journies, and would talk nonstop whenever she had the chance. Yvonne, however, responded by giving him only a tight¨Clipped smile. But there wasn¡®t any sincerity in it. Hayden noticed something was off with her. ¡°The hospital food is not as good as at home.¡± She merely nodded and continued to eat. He fixedly looked at her. Two swirls had emerged on her head that she didn¡®t even notice. However, he found it very cute. It was just that she was so quiet, so unlike Yvonne. With that thought, the doctor curled his fingers and tapped lightly in front of her desk. Yvonne raised her head and stared at him nkly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡®re mad again?¡± he asked. Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Instantly, Yvonne felt like she couldn¡®t swallow anymore. She put her chopsticks down and cupped her chin with both hands. ¡°Do you know her?¡± A frown appeared on her face, and impatience shed in her eyes. Upon calming down a littleter, Yvonne realized that she was wrong too, and she sighed. ¡°I see¡­ I won¡®t disturb you for the time being. We¡®ll talk about it when you¡®re done.¡± Hayden took out a tissue and wiped the corner of her mouth. ¡°I do know her¡­¡± ¡°Her husband is my formerpanion in the orphanage,¡± he added after pausing. She was stunned for a moment. ¡°...she is married?¡± He nodded. Instantly, her face flushed. ¡°I¡®m sorry....¡± He smiled and caressed her head. ¡°It¡®s fine. You¡®ve always been like this. I¡®m used to it.¡± She was originally a spoiled child, and he always indulged her after marriage. ¡°What are you saying....¡± Yvonne lowered her head. ¡°You¡®re making me sound unreasonable.¡± He stuffed a piece of lettuce inside her mouth. ¡°No one could be more reasonable than you.¡± She looked at him and couldn¡®t help but smile. This time it was sincere. They looked at each other, and all the conflicts were resolved. She gobbled down the food happily like she had no worries. Although it wasn¡®t that delicious, she couldn¡®t help but feel much better. Hayden¡®s phone buzzed. He opened it and saw that Weston had sent him an email. At first, he was confused as to why Weston sent him surveince footage, but after taking a good look, his eyes turned as hard as a stone. The more he watched, the worse his face turned out. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Yvonne noticed something was wrong with him and looked up straight into his eyes. The doctor put his phone in front of her. ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne hadpletely forgotten. Ste didn¡®t know if it was the early wedding date that made her feel that a lot of time had gone by. The wedding date was getting ever closer. Mr. Ford originally had different opinions about her, but since it was done, he could only ept her reluctantly. Ste, however, knew all too well that this all pointed to the calm before the storm. They knew that Mr. Ford would do something before the wedding came. The only thing that made her uneasy now was that Roger still couldn¡®t be contacted. Perhaps it was because summer was close. Cicadas were chirping outside the window. The noise was weak and distant. During this time, she was resting in the apartment. The reason was that Weston took her to do various physical examinations but did not tell her what they were and asionally asked her to drink some medicines, which were said to be good for her body. This made Ste feel very anxious. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 Chapter 879 When Ste finally got through Roger¡®s phone, she heard a female voice answering instead of Roger¡®s. ¡°E...¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. ¡°Riley? Is Roger with you?¡± There was a long pause. Ste¡®s heart suddenly sank. ¡°Why hasn¡®t he been answering my calls? What happened?¡± Riley took a deep breath before saying, ¡°E... Roger¡®s missing.¡± Her voice was hoarse, and she sounded fatigued. ¡°We¡®ve been looking for him for several days, but we couldn¡®t find him anywhere.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste immediately stood up from the sofa. The whole living room was suffocatingly quiet. At that moment, she was unable to hear anything. Even the chirping cicada outside the window seemed to have gone silent all of a sudden. ¡°What do you mean he¡®s gone? How could such arge guy go missing?¡± Riley, too, sounded extremely anxious and panicked. ¡°I don¡®t know where he went. He didn¡¯te to ss a few days ago, so I went to his tutor and was informed that he was on leave, but he didn¡®t say where he went. I went to find him at his ce, but his roommate also said he didn¡®t see him for several days...¡± ¡°Then how did you get his phone?¡± Ste asked her. ¡°At first, I thought he was just going out to rx, but I couldn¡®t contact him for a few days, so I reported it to his teacher and roommate. Everyone began to get really worried, so I went to his room to look... ¡°I saw that he didn¡®t bring his phone, as it was on his desk. The battery had already gone dead. The minute I charged it, you called.¡± Ste could hear her voice tremble as she asked, ¡°Have you traced his steps?¡± ¡°We need to ask the police for this.¡± ¡°Haven¡®t you reported it?!¡± Ste¡®s voice raised instantly. ¡°The thing is¡­.¡± Riley was in a dilemma. ¡°His current situation is not a case of disappearance for no reason. Before he left, he deliberately asked for a leave, and it was obvious he didn¡®t want to be contacted, so it would be useless even if we went to the police now.¡± There was a long silence from the other end of the phone. Riley could hear Ste¡®s breathing getting heavier with every passing second. Ste was anxious too. ¡°E, what should we do?¡± In fact, she was worried sick. What if something terrible happened to Roger? Flooded by bad news and shocking information, Ste felt herself getting dizzy. Although she had had a bad feeling for some time now, knowing that her predictions were urate didn¡®t make her feel good. After a long time, she regained her senses. ¡°Have you heard any news from abroad?¡± Riley paused before saying, ¡°What news?¡± Compassvale had a different time zone. Since she was studying there, she didn¡®t pay much attention to what was happening in the country. In the past, she would care about thetest gossip, but ever since she got to Compassvale, her whole heart had been devoted to Roger. It was either that, or she would put all her time into her academics. Ste asked with some hesitation. ¡°Did Roger hear any news before he disappeared?¡± ¡°I¡®m not sure.¡± Riley was worried. ¡°He didn¡®t go back to find you?¡± ¡°No.¡± This was what Ste was worried about the most. Roger would¡®ve returned the minute he knew about her and Roger¡¯s wedding. Why would he disappear without a sound? When Weston returned home, he saw Ste¡®s sad face and frowned. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± At the entrance, he casually threw his suit jacket aside. Before he could stand still, she ran in front of him. ¡°You¡®re back... The man took her into his arms, patted her on the back, andforted her. Ste hugged him, her hands shaking a little. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Weston paused, then asked, ¡°Who bullied you?¡± in a slightly icy voice. Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Ste shook her head, her face pale. ¡°Roger is missing...¡± Weston was stunned for a moment, but he quickly stroked her hair, kissed, and reassured her. ¡°Calm down and get in touch with his ssmates.¡± ¡°I just did.¡± Ste subsequently rted to him the conversation she had with Riley ¡°They said the current conditions are insufficient to call the police. I just called their school to ask, and they said that Roger was on a regr break, and it wasn¡®t over yet. They would only investigate if he doesn¡®t return after his break ends...¡± Weston listened with darkened eyes. He raised his hand and patted her head with his big palm. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡¯ll send someone to investigate.¡± Right now, Ste wasn¡®t in the mood to care about anything else. ¡°Thank you...¡± she said and nodded. The man paused for a while, then sighed lightly. ¡°Ste, you are my wife. You don¡®t need to thank me.¡± Ste was taken aback for a moment as though she didn¡®t expect him to say such a thing. She lowered her eyes and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Roger was now her only family member, and Weston knew how important he was to her. Without hesitation, he immediately sent someone to Compassvale to investigate. In no time, he got back to them. ¡°Mr. Ford, we checked the customs and major ferries, but there are no records of Roger...¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ste could everything even though Weston was trying to hide it from her. ¡°Howe there are no records? Does that mean he is still there?¡± She was anxious, and her whole body was in a trance. ¡°If he is, why couldn¡®t his teachers and ssmates find him? Where did he go?!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Weston held her shaking shoulders and hugged her in his arms.¡± In the current situation, it¡®s pointless to be anxious.¡± Ste knew this too. But... Her heart felt hollow and empty. She closed her eyes. If something happened to him... A glimmer shed across Weston¡®s cold eyes as he quickly ordered, ¡°Investigate the people around him and all the ces he might¡®ve gone.¡± Ben knew that it was Ste¡®s younger brother who had gone missing and understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°Understood!¡± he replied solemnly. However, several dayster, there was not a single trace of Roger. While Weston¡®s business was based in Ed, Compassvale was located on the Abron border. Hence, his men needed time to get there. But from the current search, it seemed that Roger wasn¡®t in the country. But there was no record of him going out of the country. Suddenly, Weston thought of something. Both Roger and Ste had new identities now. Before this, they went by another identity. With that in mind, he quickly sent out new orders. ¡°Use their original identities to check the customs clearance records.¡± Ste also thought of this. ¡°Yes, he might¡®ve used his previous identity...¡± But could it still be used? As if knowing what she was thinking, Weston tucked her loose hair behind her ear and said, ¡°Generally, it can¡¯t, but it¡®s our only lead now.¡± In the past few days, Ste had slept little. She could never feel at ease as long she didn¡®t get news about Roger. In the study room. Ben woulde over from time to time to report thetest with somewhat embarrassed expressions. ¡°Even if you wish to find Roger, it will take a while... but the wedding date is approaching... and the project for the next quarter will bemencing soon...¡± He didn¡®t mention the rest. Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Chapter 881 But Weston knew what he meant. Other things could be resolved, but the wedding date was definitely set in stone. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Ben was waiting for him. Out of nowhere came Ste¡®s voice. ¡°Can the date be pushed back?¡± The two raised their heads at the same time and looked in the direction of the door. She looked pale and walked in. She was anxious, yet she still forced a smile at them. ¡°I want him to be at our wedding...¡± Ben didn¡®t say a word. This was their business, after all, though it left him with a little dilemma. Mr. Ford was watching this wedding. So many people in the circle knew the news. It was only a few days away, so canceling might not be the best idea. Unexpectedly, Weston only went quiet for a moment before agreeing. ¡°It can be postponed.¡± Ben immediately looked at him in surprise. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± He hated to say it, but Weston had lost all bottom line regarding Ste. Even if they found Roger, he might not be willing to participate in their marriage, not to mention that searching for him and getting married were contradictory to each other. They were about to dy something they had long prepared for just because Ste wasn¡®t in the mood. This wasn¡®t like Weston at all! However, no matter how incredulous he found the entire thing, he was only a subordinate and had to implement their decisions whether he liked it or not. The news of the postponement was announced immediately. But many people had already been invited in advance. Some celebrities had deliberately taken the day off, not to mention they were business partners. Thus, to save each other¡®s faces, Weston had to exin in person. Clearly, he cared a lot about the wedding. Ste also knew how unreasonable her request was, so she went with him to exin it to the elders. The silver Bugatti glided silently over the road¡ª She was leaning against the window, and her eyesnded at a particr ce. Then, she suddenly straightened up and yelled,¡± Stop!¡± The car came to an abrupt halt. Weston looked at her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± She patted the car window and hurriedly said, ¡°I think I saw Roger!¡± The man frowned and stopped the car by the side. Ste immediately opened the car door and ran down. Weston followed closely, not letting her out of his sight. ¡°Ste...¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He frowned and held her arm when she was running around on the street. ¡°Perhaps you were mistaken.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She looked back somewhat nkly. ¡°I don¡®t know... but I¡®m sure I saw him just now.¡± Weston took her into his arms and kissed her forehead. ¡°Be good, and I will help you find him.¡± She was on edgetely that whenever she saw someone who looked like Roger, she would think it was him. He pushed her hair away, revealing her little face. ¡°If you¡®re too tired, you can rest for the next few days, and I¡®ll go and exin to those elders...¡± Before he could finish... A sudden burst of wind came straight towards him! Weston¡®s face dropped, and he dodged away with Ste in his arms. He was swift that the person missed him. ¡°Let go of her!¡± The man who rushed over shouted and raised his head, revealing Roger¡®s aggressive facade. With red, bloodshot eyes, he scowled at Weston. ¡°Let go of my sister! I won¡®t let her marry you!¡± Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Chapter 882 The wind by the river blew a cool breeze. Ste¡®s mind became clearer, but she still couldn¡®t react. The person she had been looking for for so long was suddenly in front of her. She froze for a long time, then rushed forward and hugged Roger. ¡°I¡®m d you¡®re fine¡­.¡± Roger¡®s eyes were red, and he was panting heavily. Without saying anything, he just stared at Weston with disgust and hatred in his eyes. The man stood silently by the side, looking coldly at the picture of the siblings embracing each other, feeling dazzled. Ste took a deep breath and finally recovered. She pushed Roger away and looked at him from top to bottom.¡± You¡®re not injured, right? Where have you been during this time? Do you know that everyone is looking for you!¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became. The shock and surprise at the beginning gradually subsided, reced by the fear she had felt these past few days, and it flustered her a little. ¡°Where the hell have you been? Don¡®t you know how to call me? At least tell Riley you¡®re safe!¡± ¡°How old are you that you don¡®t know to inform before leaving?!¡°. ¡°I¡®ve asked for a leave...¡± Roger muttered. ¡°Who did you ask for leave? Did you tell me where you were going? There¡®s been no news about you for the past few days. Everyone is looking for you like crazy, do you know?¡± Roger¡®s face dropped, and he didn¡®t dare to speak. After a while, he pulled Ste aside. ¡°I¡®ll exin to youter...¡± As he spoke, his eyes were full of vignce as he stared at Weston. ¡°I¡®ll take you abroad now. Let¡®s go to Compassvale. The marriage contract between you and him is canceled!¡± Ste paused and slowly pushed his hand away.¡°...you already know?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I know everything, and I also watched the engagement banquet. He suddenly gritted his teeth. ¡°How could you lie to me like this? You both have already gotten together!¡± Before he could finish, a big hand with well¨Cdefined joints suddenly stretched out beside him, directly pulling Ste over. ¡°Watch it.¡± The man stood beside her, blocked Ste behind him, and nced coldly at Roger. ¡°Who are you to take her away?¡± ¡°I am her family, her only rtive!¡± Roger also stepped forward, trying to pull her over. ¡°Why can¡®t ! take her away?¡± Despite his best efforts, it was impossible to steal someone away in front of Weston. ¡°Let her go! Why are you forcing her?¡± Roger became anxious. ¡°Have you forgotten what you did to her before?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to make up for the loss.¡± ¡°We don¡®t want you to make up for it! Just get out of the way, and don¡®t disturb our lives again!¡± Roger almost roared, and his eyes reddened. ¡°Give her to me!¡± Ste took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and whispered to her brother, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and talk about this, okay?¡± ¡°No! Come with me now. I don¡®t want you in Nordwen City for a second longer. This city will only hurt you!¡± Ste shook her head and looked at him with some sadness.¡± I¡®m sorry...¡± His face froze, and he looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Are you going to stay here and marry him?¡± Roger frowned again and took a step forward. ¡°Did he force you? Did he threaten you? You clearly said that...¡± Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Ste. ¡°It¡®s my decision, and I won¡®t return with you!¡± Roger was an emotional wreck, and Ste could only interrupt him, worried that he would say something that would make Weston suspicious. Only thest step remained. She couldn¡®t let all her previous patience and hard work go to waste. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Roger seemed to be agitated by her. He suddenly covered his chest and took a few steps back. His face paled as beads of sweat fell from his face. Ste quickly pushed Weston away and rushed to Roger.¡± What¡®s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Is there something wrong with your heart again?¡± Roger gritted his teeth and pushed her away. ¡°That¡®s none of your business!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Ste raised her voice and anxiously covered his chest. She turned to Weston and said, ¡°Weston, take him to the hospital!¡± Weston looked at her in silence. He breathed an inaudible sigh at her anxiousness. ¡°Get in the car.¡± After that, at the hospital. The medics wheeled Roger into the emergency room on a stretcher. Roger was unconscious and furrowed his brow hard with his eyes closed. His mind was a blur. Ste watched the two doors close and slid down helplessly as she leaned against the wall. Weston looked down at her and reached out to pick her up.¡± Don¡®t worry. He¡®ll be okay.¡± He said, ¡°The surgery before was a sess. This was just an unexpected situation. He¡®ll recover soon.¡± Ste was still anxious . After all, Roger had undergone heart surgery. He still had to take care of his health after a sessful surgery. She kept telling Roger to take care of his health and not becent after the sessful surgery. She held back from telling him the n because of his health. She feared it would stimte him too much. Ste had originally nned not to tell Roger these at all. If her n with Warren seeded, she would be able to leave Weston¡®s control. There was no need to let Roger know. That way, she would not have shocked him so much that he was hospitalized. Ste rested her head on Weston¡®s waist and rasped, ¡°I want to be alone...¡± Weston stroked her hair and stopped talking. From Roger¡®s outfit, Weston could tell he had had a rough time. No one could find Roger because he had not been in Compassvale for a long while. However, there was no record of his departure. Roger had suddenly reappeared in the country. It meant someone must have taken him back without anyone¡®s knowledge. It was a difficult thing to do. Weston¡®s eyes slowly darkened. From Roger¡®s disheveled look earlier, it was obvious that he had gone through a lot of things. His clothes were all wrinkled, and he had not groomed his beard for days. He was in bad shape. Maybe he had returned to the country by smuggling, which was why they could not find his departure record. Time passed slowly. For Ste, the wait became infinitely longer. Weston stood beside her and waited. Ben tried to speak several times but held back and closed his mouth. When Weston¡®s phone rang, the ringtone was abruptly loud in the empty hallway. He rejected the call without hesitation, but his phone kept ringing again and again. Weston furrowed his brows. He wanted to turn off his phone, but he heard Ste say, ¡°If you have any emergency, go and take care of it.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°I want to be alone.¡± Weston looked down at her with waves of emotions surging deep in his eyes. ¡°I¡®ll stay with you.¡± Ste managed a smile and put her hand on the back of his. ¡°I understand your concern... But I just want to be alone right now.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 884 Chapter 884 Chapter 884 The silver Bugatti was waiting outside. Weston got into the car and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°To the Cohen family mansion.¡± Ben turned back to him from the front seat and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, the board is rushing us.¡± Weston closed his eyes. ¡°Start investigating from the ck market. Find out if anyone has gotten through the borderstely.¡± Then, he looked up at Ben again. ¡°Postpone thepany meeting and send the details of the dyed projects to me now.¡± Ben was startled for a moment. ¡°Are you going to handle it now?¡± Weston did not say anything. He withdrew his gaze and nced at his watch. He would have about an hour and a half on the road. It was enough time to solve all these problems. Ben was dumbfounded. Weston would surprise Ben whenever Ben was worried about Weston¡®s work. Ben admired him because he seemed like he could do anything. The board of directors racked their brains but could not solve the problem. Everyone was waiting for his decision and instruction. Therefore, Weston intended to give a reasonable solution within an hour and a half. Weston was either a god or a monster. By the time the car stopped in front of the Cohen family mansion, Weston had dealt with the problems. What was even more shocking was that he had taken care of every one of them so meticulously. It was a perfect resolution. Ben had always known about Weston¡®s strong capabilities, but he was impressed whenever he saw him proving his strength again. The difference in intelligence between people could be this big. As soon as Weston entered the Cohen family mansion, all he heard was a lot of crying. He frowned impatiently. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Someone was waiting for him at the door. As soon as he arrived, the person told him to go in. Chris also came out from inside. When he saw him, he gave him a reproachful look. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Weston gave him an indifferent look. ¡°I only have fifteen minutes. After that, I¡®ll have to talk to Warren. You¡®d better have something important to say.¡± Chris frowned. ¡°You...¡± Chris had long left behind his responsibilities in thepany. He would asionally review them whenever he was interested. After all, he knew Weston would do a good job. Warren had delegated most of the responsibility to Weston. Everyone could tell that Weston was the rightful heir. Even so, Chris was still Weston¡®s father. Weston¡®s work was astounding. As his father, Chris was irrelevant and unnecessary. He felt ashamed whenever the outsiders talked about this. He was still in his prime age at the age of fifty. He should have gotten a great achievement, but his son was already more remarkable than him. Weston was young and talented. That was undeniable. He looked at Weston with aplicated expression. ¡°I know your work is difficult, but this is the trouble you caused. Shouldn¡®t you clean up the mess?¡± He pointed at the Cohen family mansion. ¡°Gwen became like this because of you. She almost died from hurting herself. Why won¡®t you visit her once? You only care about your work!¡± Weston frowned. ¡°I thought we made it clear. Don¡®t bother me about their family¡®s business.¡± ¡°Weston!¡± Chris raised his voice at once. ¡°How can you be so heartless! She¡®s Zach¡®s mother!¡± ¡°Is that so? I guess you should know whose child Zach is.¡± Weston snorted and looked at Chris with eyes full of sarcasm.¡° You¡®re the one who should be here. Why did you call me over?¡± Chris¡®s face changed at once. He was about to say something, but he quickly shut up when he saw the Cohen family¡¯s butler walking over. He gave Weston a warning look. ¡°Don¡®t ever bring this up again!¡± Besides, they were at the Cohen family¡®s ce. There were a lot of people around. If anything got out, it would cause unthinkable consequences. Weston sneered. He rubbed his wrist and said, ¡°I won¡®t go in.¡± Chapter 885 Chapter 885 Chapter 885 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Why won¡®t you go in? Gwen has been making a fuss. She¡®s been asking to see you sincest night. Can¡®t you just go in and see her for once? Please?¡± Weston did not say anything. His face was so cold with no trace of warmth. Chris saw his coldness and sighed. ¡°Anyway, she was also a victim¡­ ¡°Please. I¡®m begging you. You¡®re about to get married to E anyway. I know the past can¡®t hold you back anymore, so just do me a favor and see her once, okay? She almost died yesterday...¡± Weston suddenly gave him a somber look. It was as if he had read through all his thoughts. Chris felt ufortable with Weston¡®s gaze. He croaked,¡± Anyway, we have been friends with their family for years... This time, she almost died.¡± Weston remained silent. Chris saw his silence and said in pain,¡± I know you¡®re upset with me, but are you completely innocent? ¡°If you hadn¡®t been so cruel to Gwen back then, this may not have happened!¡± ¡°This is thest time,¡± Weston cut him off. He did not want to hear Chris continuing his nonsense anymore. ¡°From now on, I won¡®t care about anything that has to do with them. If you¡®re concerned with them, that¡®s your business.¡± After that, he walked past him and went into the mansion. At the same time, in Roger¡®s ward. The medical officers had pushed Roger into the ward, but he was still unconscious. Ste stayed by his side and kept an eye on him. Fortunately, he was not in a terrible condition. He was just too angry and had lost control of his emotions. The doctor told her not to worry as he would wake up soon. Ste saw his sleeping face and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Sis...¡± When Roger finally woke up, he opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. Ste immediately sat up straight. ¡°You¡®re awake. Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Roger frowned and felt a little headache. ¡°Where am I..¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the hospital. You almost had a seizure just now.¡± Roger shook his head at her words. Then, he suddenly remembered something and sat up sharply. ¡°Where¡®s Weston ?¡± Ste pressed his shoulder. ¡°He had something to do, so he went to deal with it.¡± ¡°Sis... I was serious earlier! I don¡®t want you to marry him!¡± Roger held her hand tightly. ¡°Can you leave with me? Come with me!¡± Ste breathed a sigh. ¡°Let¡®s not talk about this first. Tell me: How did youe back? Why can¡¯t we find your departure record?¡± Roger stayed silent for a moment. After that, he said, ¡°I saw our uncle.¡± Ste paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Michael?¡± Her face sank. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Roger fixed his gaze at her. All of sudden, waves ofplicated emotions rushed to his heart. He trembled a little. ¡°Sis, I know everything...¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Ste looked at him with doubt. ¡°I know that we¡®re not blood¨Crted...¡± Roger enunciated. There was a long silence. It was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop. After a long silence, Ste stood up suddenly with a grim look.¡± What are you talking about?!¡± Roger took her hand and looked at her somberly. ¡°Uncle Michael told me that I¡®m not Mom and Dad¡®s biological child... Is that true?¡± ¡°Don¡®t listen to his nonsense!¡± Ste¡®s first reaction was to refute him. However, she was shaken by his words. ¡°Michael has nothing to do with us anymore. Don¡¯t believe him!¡± Even so, Ste and Roger had been siblings for years. Roger immediately understood what Ste¡®s reaction meant. ¡°What he said is true... isn¡®t it?¡± Ste was speechless and unable to say a word. Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Ste had only learned about this when she was sorting through her parents¡® belongings. It turned out that Roger was not their biological child. Someone had left him as an abandoned baby on their doorstep. Ste¡®s parents had both taught at the university. Their residence was not a secret. Ste was still very young when her parents found Roger at the door. There was some cash in the baby¡®s clothes too. Someone had left a note inside and exined that they could not raise the child, so they had hoped the kind¨Chearted couple could adopt him. The person who had put the child there must have known Ste¡®s parents very well. Ste¡®s parents were indeed kind¨Chearted. They could not bear to send the abandoned child to an orphanage. After thinking about it, they could only keep Roger and adopt him. However, both of them were working at the university at that time. Having a new child suddenly out of nowhere was a big deal. Many rtives had gradually found out about this, but Ste¡®s parents had pleaded with them not to say anything. Michael was among them, but he did not say anything. He was very close to his brother. His brother had a heart of gold, but he was a little afraid of him. Ste¡®s father was not interested in the family¡®s business. He had dedicated his life to his teaching career. However, anyone would think twice about the family fortune. Michael had no problem with him adopting a child, but their parents had disapproved of it. After seeing that they only had a daughter and did not intend to have another child, they had decided to let it go and allowed them to adopt Roger as their son. After that, no one talked about it anymore. Ste¡®s parents had treated Roger like their own child. They had never made the secret public for all these years. They had wanted to tell Roger the truth during his eighteenth birthday, but before Ste turned eighteen, they had died unexpectedly from the ne crash. They were not able to wait until Roger¡®s eighteenth birthday. Ste was shocked when she had first found out about this. It had taken her a long time to get over it. She had been siblings with Roger for years. Their affection for each other as a family was more than just a blood rtionship. It wouldn¡®t change whether he was her biological brother or not. Ste had wanted to follow her parents¡® wish and tell Roger during his eighteenth birthday. However, she had gotten married to Weston, and many troubles had soon followed at that time. Additionally, Roger had heart problems and needed surgery urgently. She had feared telling him the truth would affect his health, so she had not said anything. Roger understood from Ste¡®s silence. ¡°I see... So it¡®s all true...¡± Roger smiled bitterly. ¡°That exined why everyone said I looked nothing like you and our parents...¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Their neighbors and rtives had only praised the siblings¡® good looks. They would say that Ste had the eyes and nose of her parents, but when it came to him, they only described him as handsome. It turned out that he was not his parents¡® biological child at all. Ste stared at him with a sorrowful gaze. After a few moments of silence, she asked him, ¡°Although we¡®re not blood¨Crted, will you still treat me as your sister?¡± She felt there was no need to think about such a question. She had faith in her bond with Roger. However, Roger hesitated. Roger could not exin his mixed feelings. When he learned that he was not blood¨Crted to Ste, his suppressed feelings for years broke out. Why was he so reluctant to let Ste marry Weston? Was it only because of how Weston had wronged them? He did not dare to think about this before, but things were different now. He was not blood¨Crted to Ste. They were not biological siblings. At the same time, at the Cohen family mansion. Guinevere was apletely different person from months ago. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Guinevere was in a terrible state with her hair disheveled. When she saw Weston, her eyes lit up. ¡°You¡®ve finallye to see me Weston saw the deep and shallow cut scars on her wrist and frowned. ¡°What you¡®re doing is useless. Even if I feel sorry for you, I won¡®t give you what you want.¡± Guinevere looked at him with a sad face and was about to burst into tears. ¡°Why... This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Weston, I¡®ve loved you for so many years... We even have a child ¡°Why did it end this way? Why are you doing this to me...¡± As she mumbled, her head hurt again. ¡°My child... Zach...¡± The memories she had deliberately forgotten suddenly shed before her eyes. Guinevere was often in a dazed state: However, now that she had awakened from her dreams, she could no longer lie to herself. She grabbed Weston¡®s hand forcefully. ¡°My child... Zach¡­¡± Her head hurt. ¡°Zach... Whose child is he?¡± Weston looked down at her. ¡°Do you remember something?¡± Guinevere shook her head hard. ¡°I can¡®t seem to remember it... ¡°Why would I want to remember it? It¡®s too painful...¡± Guinevere struggled again. Her parents had been staying at the side and watching after her. When they saw her in pain, they rushed to her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Weston released himself from her grip. ¡°Get the doctor to take a look at her.¡± After saying that, he got up and left. Chris was waiting for him outside. When he saw him, he came over and asked, ¡°Why did youe out so fast? How is she?¡± ¡°If you want to know, you can go in and see for yourself.¡± ¡°What...¡± Weston nced at him with a look. ¡°She¡®ll remember it eventually. You should think about how you¡®ll deal with it then.¡± After that, he ignored Chris¡®s upset expression and walked out. When Weston got into the car, Ben reported, ¡°Roger has woken up. Mrs. Ford is taking care of him in the ward.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Then, Weston said, ¡°Go straight to the hospital.¡± Ben was not surprised by Weston¡®s order. He knew Ste was probably the most important person to Weston right now. The car soon arrived at the hospital. No one had informed the sibling about his arrival. After all, Ste was with Roger. There was no need to inform them. When Weston arrived at the door, he heard the sibling¡¯s conversation from inside the ward. Roger sounded like he was questioning Ste. ¡°Why didn¡®t you tell me after all these years? Why didn¡®t you tell me I¡®m not Mom and Dad¡®s biological son?!¡± Weston stopped dead in his tracks. At the same time, in Roger¡®s ward. Ste looked at him helplessly. ¡°I thought this wouldn¡®t affect our bond at all. Isn¡®t that so? Even if we¡®re not blood¨Crted, won¡®t I still be your sister?¡± Roger¡®s expression suddenly turned strange. He seemed a little shameful. ¡°But I don¡®t want to think of you as my sister anymore...¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste did not understand what he meant. At first, she thought Roger hated Weston so much that he wanted to threaten her by cutting off his ties with her. Roger looked into her eyes and enunciated slowly, ¡°I don¡®t want you to be my sister anymore... I don¡®t want you to marry Weston either.¡± He sounded serious. ¡°I want to be with you forever.¡± Weston was standing outside the door. When he heard Roger¡®s words, he was furious. He gripped the doorknob with extreme force, as if he wanted to crush it. His grim face was frightening. Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Chapter 888 At first, Ste had not thought of it that way. However, she suddenly understood what Roger meant after listening to what he had just said. Roger was... Ste was so shocked and lost for words. She stood up and raised her voice at once. ¡°No way!¡± That was impossible! Ste panicked, looking as if she had seen a ghost. Did she misunderstand him? Or... ¡°Absolutely no way!¡± Ste kept repeating the same thing.¡± You¡®re my brother! We¡®re siblings ! We¡®re family! How can you say such things?¡± ¡°But we¡®re not even rted!¡± Roger decided to go all out and rasped, ¡°I just want to be with you for the rest of my life. Is that wrong?!¡± ¡°No wonder...¡± That exined why Roger was so resistant whenever she talked about having their own families in the future. Ste calmed herself and rasped, ¡°Stop saying such outrageous words! You¡®ll always be my brother. This won¡®t change...¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± Roger had clearly made up his mind. He took This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Ste¡®s hand with determined eyes and refused to let go. ¡°You¡®re being ridiculous !¡± Ste shook off his hand and looked at him as if he was a monster. ¡°We¡®re siblings! Even if we¡®re not rted by blood, we have been family for many years. How can you...¡± Ste could not even finish her sentence. She was a traditional and conservative person at heart and could not ept such a taboo rtionship. Roger was hesitant, but Ste¡®s strong refusal and resistance was clear. He knew there was no way back. He just stared straight at her and said, ¡°I don¡®t want to be your family anymore... ¡°Family can¡¯t be together forever. You¡®ll eventually marry another man and have his child. You keep saying I¡®ll start my family one day, but I don¡®t want to!¡± Roger suddenly got emotional. ¡°I just want to be with you for the rest of my life!¡± He enunciated word for word, ¡°If that¡®s the case, why can¡®t we be together and start a family?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ste¡®s eyes grew red. Her hands were shaking from this absurdity. ¡°Do you know what you¡®re saying? If Mom and Dad were alive and heard you say such things...¡± ¡°So what if they heard? So what?¡± Roger uttered, ¡°I just want to be with you forever... What¡®s wrong with that...¡± He lifted his hand and grabbed Ste¡®s hand in a pleading manner. ¡°Can¡®t you leave with me? Let¡®s get out of here and nevere back...¡± Ste was shaking in a fury. She would never do such a thing! Roger would always be her younger brother in her eyes. There was no doubt about that. She was going to tell Roger about her ns, but it seemed like there was no longer a need for that. ¡°No. I can¡®t go with you.¡± Ste pushed him away and looked at him. She said steadily, ¡°Weston didn¡®t threaten me. He doesn¡®t have anything on me... ¡°I¡®m marrying him of my own free will.¡± Roger refused to listen. He just could not ept it. ¡°No way! He hurt you so much before. How could you,¡± ¡°Don¡®t talk about the past anymore!¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°Didn¡®t you hear what he said yesterday? He¡®ll make it up to me. I don¡®t want the past to affect the present and future. We¡®ll have to move on eventually.¡± ¡°I don¡®t believe it!¡± Roger grabbed her hand tightly and looked at her with his red eyes. ¡°Have you forgotten what he did to you? Because of him, my little nephew died. Because of him, you can¡®t be a mother again...¡± Ste clenched her fists. Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Ste¡®s main priority was to kill Roger¡®s absurd thoughts. She took a deep breath. ¡°I did me him before...¡± Weston was still standing outside the door, his eyes gradually turning dark. A wave of emotions rose in his dark eyes. No one knew what was going on in his mind. Ste looked at Roger from above and said softly, ¡°But time will change things, including love and hatred. He¡®s a changed man and treats me very well now. I don¡®t want to dwell on old hatred anymore.¡± Roger looked at her incredulously. ¡°No! I don¡®t believe it!¡± Ste had been hurt badly before. The pain was so terrible that she had always had insomnia. How could she forgive him for his sins? How could she forgive him?! ¡°Whether you believe it or not, it doesn¡®t matter. I¡®ve made up my mind.¡± Ste sighed and said with a cold look on her face, ¡°Go back to school once you¡®ve recovered. I¡®ll always be your sister and nothing more.¡± The disbelief on Roger¡®s face gradually turned into resentment.¡° He treated you so badly! Why do you still want to go back to him? How can you be so stupid?¡± ¡°It¡®s not up to you to say whether I¡®m stupid or not! It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Ste said cruelly. She was determined. ¡°Haha¡­ Hahaha...¡± Roger suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°I didn¡®t expect you to be so forgiving¡­ Haven¡®t you learned your lesson? ¡°Do you love him so much? Do you really love him so much and can forgive him for killing a life?¡± Ste fell into a short silence. After that, she said softly, ¡°Yes. I love him so much that I can forgive him.¡± There was dead silence in the ward. Weston stood in the doorway and felt some strange emotions swelling in his heart. It overwhelmed him. He let go of his hand and stepped back. Ben saw Weston still standing outside and came over. ¡°Mr. Ford?¡± Weston gave him a look and silenced him. ¡°Come backter,¡± he said. Ben was unaware of the sibling¡®s conversation in the ward, but he backed off as ordered. Back in Roger¡®s ward. Roger looked like he had lost all hope. He did not expect Ste to make up her mind and felt betrayed. They had been together since they were kids. Why couldn¡®t they stay together forever? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. They used to be siblings, so there was no way for them to be together. If they started their own families, they would eventually go separate ways. They might visit each other asionally, but they would spend most of their time with their own families. Roger did not want that! However, things were different now. Roger and Ste were not biological siblings. They were unrted by blood! If they wanted, the two of them could start a family. Roger did not care about Ste¡®s infertility. All he wanted was to stay with her. Everything would be fine as long as they stayed together forever. That was what he thought, and he shared them with Ste honestly p! A loud p rang. Ste pped him hard and scolded him, ¡°Shut up!¡± She could never imagine that Roger had such an idea. She had never even noticed his feelings for her before. ¡°Stop saying things that make me sick!¡± Ste was heartbroken. She looked at him and said bitterly, ¡°Go back to Compassvale now. I won¡®t see you again unless I have to!¡± Ste¡¯s voice was trembling. Her hands were shaking too.¡± Focus on your studies and have a good life...¡± Roger exhaled angrily. ¡°Right. You have Weston now. You don¡®t need me anymore.¡± Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Rogerughed and cried hysterically. ¡°You¡®d even love a person like him. What else can I say? Don¡®t worry. I won¡®t stand in your way. You two can love each other. Don¡®t mind me...¡± ¡°What...¡± Ste was so angry that she wanted to p him again, but she did not. She could not bear to p him again after seeing the red p mark on his face. Roger had turned white in a fury. He almost wanted to put his hands on his chest, but he held back and refused to show his weakness in front of her. How could Ste not tell? She dropped her head and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°If you feel unwell, call the nurse. Someone will check on you¡­ I¡®ll have someone send you back to school in two days.¡± She stared at her toes and said cruelly, ¡°You¡®re not allowed to wander around again. If there¡®s nothing, don¡®te looking for me. You... You¡®re not invited to the wedding.¡± Roger looked at her with an ashen and tense face. He refused to say a word. After looking at him a few more times, Ste finally sighed and left the ward. As soon as Ste closed the door behind her, she felt weak. The conversation had drained her of all her strength. She looked at the tightly shut door for a long time and could barely recover. Her rtionship with Roger... Roger... What was it all about all these years? It was like a joke. Steughed at herself. At this point, Roger was the only one she was worried about, but in the end, she had to avoid him the most. How ironic was that? This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Ste walked a few steps forward and saw Weston waiting at the end of the hallway. He was standing on the balcony, his figure long and graceful. Weston casually rested his long and slender hand on the railing, looking lonely yet cool. Ben saw her and came over. ¡°Mrs. Ford, I¡®ll call Mr. Ford over here...¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Go and do your thing. I¡®ll talk to him.¡± She was telling him to give them some privacy. Ben nodded understandingly. ¡°Alright. I¡®ll talk to the hospital staff.¡± Meanwhile, Weston was standing on the balcony. He looked very charming just standing there. He had always been attractive. He always attracted the crowd¡®s attention without doing anything. Ste remembered the time when she met him at the hospital. It was a simr scene. When she met him again, he was standing on the balcony and smoking. She recognized him right away. At that time, she was still struggling with Roger¡®s medical bills. She had no time to care about her feelings for him since she was a teenager. Besides, he was such a capable man. She was not qualified to even get close to him. However, it was Weston who had saved her. This high and mighty man was the one who had reached out to her during her hardest time. Ste felt she probably would never forget Weston¡®s words to her at that time. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± At that moment, her secret love for him for all these years had finally be true. The joy overwhelmed her so much that she had forgotten to find out why he had married her. Ste held on to her beautiful dream and lived on tiptoes. Despite that, she ended up in a mess. She probably would never forget the scene on the rooftop either. Weston watched as the kidnappers held her at knifepoint and said without hesitation, ¡°I choose Gwen.¡± What he had said had caused her excruciating pain. He was the only man who had given her heaven and hell. A light breeze came in early summer. Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Ste came to the balcony. It was rare for her to take the initiative to hug him from behind. ¡°When did youe over? Why didn¡®t you go in?¡± Weston stiffened for a moment. He flicked the dust off the cigarette and watched the light of the burning cigarette between his fingers. The white smoke rose and made his features look more distinct. Ste looked down at the cigarette and asked, ¡°Why are you smoking again?¡± She rubbed her face against his broad back and ran her hand along the firm line on his muscr arm. She touched the cigarette between his fingers and asked, ¡°I thought you¡®d quit smoking.¡± Some time ago, she had found out that Weston had stopped smoking. She wondered why he had started smoking again. Weston straightened up and pulled his arm back. He wanted to put out the cigarette, but Ste stopped him. ¡°Don¡®t...¡± Ste saw his intention and said, ¡°Don¡®t put it out yet. I want to try it too.¡± Weston¡®s action paused. He nced down at her and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You want to try?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I¡®ve never smoked before...¡± She leaned into his firm arms and stayed in his embrace. Weston had always enjoyed having her in his arms. He loved the feeling of having her in his embrace. He watched as the wind messed up her hair, and he tidied her messy hair with one hand. ¡°Smoking isn¡®t good. You shouldn¡®t do it.¡± Ste was upset. She looked up and rested her chin on his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡®t you just smoke too? Why do you get to smoke, but I don¡®t...¡± Weston let out a lowugh. He pinched her nose and said, ¡°I¡®m not smoking. I only lit it.¡± In a few days, Ste would be fit enough to conceive. Then, they would not have to take any safety measures. If they were lucky, she might get pregnant with his child. It might be a slim chance, but Weston wanted to see her smile again, so he was willing to give it a shot. He was preparing to get her pregnant, so he would not smoke. However, he would light one whenever he was in a bad mood. Ste grimaced at his exnation . ¡°What a waste. You¡®re not smoking, but you¡¯re just lighting it... Why don¡¯t you let me try?¡± There was a light twinkle in her eyes. She seemed very keen to try. Weston stood up straight and stared at her for a few moments.¡± Do you really want to try?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Anyway, you¡®ve taught me a lot of things like ying pool, tying Windsor knots, drinking...¡± She looked into his eyes and said, ¡°It¡®s just one more thing.¡± He seemed convinced. A certain indescribable emotion rose in him. He was the one who had taught her everything and nurtured her with all his heart. As a man, this sense of aplishment was very rewarding. ¡°Only this time.¡± Weston let go of her hair and put the cigarette to her mouth. ¡°You can try it once in a while, but you can¡®t smoke.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste inched closer. ¡°I¡®m just curious...¡± When her father was still alive, he loved to smoke. Her mother had always fought with him because of this. Her father was good at everything and devoted to the family; smoking was his only w. When Ste was still a child, she saw her father secretly smoking and became curious. ¡®Are cigarettes that good? Why are there so many people addicted to it?¡® As she thought of that, she took a deep puff without hesitation. ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She ended up choking herself and coughed so hard that her eyes were teary. She looked pitiful with her slightly red eyes. Weston chuckled at her. His deepughter resounded from his chest with a numbing vibration. He put out the cigarette and slowly gazed down at her, then he gently wiped away the tears on the corner of her eyes and asked, ¡°Do you still want to try? Hm?¡± Chapter 892 Chapter 892 Chapter 892 Ste heard a little teasing in his tone. She shook her head and looked at him with displeasure. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you were going to teach me? You just left me to try on my own. You didn¡®t teach me at all...¡± Weston smiled and looked at her with an incredibly gentle look. ¡°You¡®re evenughing at me!¡± Ste thought he wasughing at her and reached out to cover his eyes. She tiptoed, but she was still not tall enough to reach him. All she could do was stare at him with a slight annoyance. ¡°Weston!¡± sheined. ¡°Do you really want to smoke?¡± Weston looked down at her and stroked her hair to soothe her. Ste nodded and frowned slightly. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡®t feel anything just now. I only tasted the bitter smoke. There¡®s nothing nice about it at all...¡± She looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Why do you all like to smoke something that tastes so bad?¡± Weston did not say anything. Instead, he took a cigarette and put it in her mouth. ¡°When I light itter, you take a drag.¡± Ste nodded and said, ¡°I know that much...¡± Weston gave her a doubtful look. He took out his lighter and sparked the lighter, making a clicking sound. The blue me rose and cast some light on their faces. Ste moved closer to the lighter and watched the smoke twist as the cigarette burned. She took a deep puff. ¡°Slow down, or you¡®ll get dizzy.¡± Weston instructed her, ¡°Inhale, then slowly exhale.¡± Ste did as he said and spat it out a little. It was still not a good experience, but it was better than choking. Ste took the first drag of her life in between breaths. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Weston yed with the lighter in his hands. He looked at her with his deep and affectionate gaze. ¡°Is it the same as your expectation?¡°. Ste quickly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯spletely different.¡± She breathed a sigh. ¡°I thought I¡®d feel good smoking.¡± Whenever she looked at the smokers smoking with a blissful look, she thought they were high on the cigarette. Weston sighed and let out augh. ¡°What¡®s with all the strange thoughts in your head all day?¡± Ste put out the cigarette and threw it in the trash. ¡°It¡®s totally different from my expectation. I¡®d rather not smoke.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Weston took her hand and wiped the ash from her fingertips. ¡°It¡®s not a good thing to smoke. Don¡®t smoke anymore.¡± He hesitated a little and added, ¡°It¡®s bad for the baby.¡± Dead silence loomed over them after he finished his sentence. The silence stayed for a moment. Ste paled instantly. Everything she had wanted to say was stuck in her throat. She could not say a word. Why did Weston say that? He knew very well that she could never have a baby again. ¡°Ste...¡± Weston was distressed to see her silence. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Before he could say anything, Ste interrupted him. ¡°By the way, you were here earlier. Why didn¡®t you go to the ward to see me?¡± Ste changed the subject. Weston looked at her with a serious expression and sighed inaudibly. ¡°I wanted to give you two some space.¡± Ste smiled, but the warmth in her smile seemed to have lessened. ¡°You¡®re very considerate.¡± Weston hugged her. ¡°Did you tell him the wedding date?¡± ¡°Yes, but he doesn¡®t want toe.¡± Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Sensing the tightening grip around her waist, Ste added, "But it¡¯s fine.We just won¡¯t invite him then." "Don¡¯t invite him?" Weston suddenly let go of her. "Mm-hmm," Ste nodded. Looking into his eyes, she said, "If he¡¯s adamant in disapproving of our marriage, then we¡¯ll just not invite him to the wedding.He might cause some trouble if he attends, so I think it¡¯s best we send him back abroad, where he¡¯ll focus on his studies." "¡­are you sure?" Weston¡¯s brows furrowed gently He knew better than anyone else how devoted the two siblings were to each other. Sure, they might not be blood-rted, but he acutely sensed Roger¡¯s passionate feelings¡­ feelings that might indicate more than brotherly love. Nevertheless, based on what he knew about Ste, Roger was still the most important person in her life. "We will get marriede what may," Ste assured him with a smile. "What¡¯s important right now is that he¡¯s safe and sound.I¡¯m not worried about the rest.I don¡¯t want our moment of happiness to be ruined just because he¡­" Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled into his arms in a tight embrace.He hugged her so fiercely that she felt like her ribs were being crushed. Ste¡¯s eyes flickered.Her expression turned cold and stony when her face was hidden from his view. Though she still wrapped her arms around him.She would never let him figure out that she and Roger were not biologically rted, much less tell him that Roger had..feelings for her. Weston was a possessive man as it was, and if he ever found out the truth about Roger, Ste shuddered to think what he could do to him. The best course of action right now, therefore, was to send Roger away. As long as he could live a somewhat healthy and normal life abroad, Ste was content and dared not ask for much else. "I hear your wedding dress is ready." Weston told her stiffly when he finally let go of her. "When are you going to try it out?" he asked, running his hand through her hair. "Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s going to be a simple wedding?" Ste frowned. "Yes." He pinched her nose. "It will be a simple wedding, but it still shouldn¡¯tck anything that a wedding needs." Weston then sent her off to the car so she could try on the wedding dress while he himself headed toward Roger¡¯s ward. Roger had just pushed the nket aside and was trying to get out of bed when he heard the door open. His instant hunch was that it was Ste who had returned again, so he sulkily muttered, "Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t want to see me anymore?" "She does indeed not want to see you right now." It was Weston¡¯s voice.His tall figure strode into the room shortly afterward. "I heard you n on skipping my wedding," he stated. Roger straightened up his posture and turned around to face the man. "So it¡¯s you." Weston walked up to Roger and ced the invitation card on the bedside table. "You are my fiance¡¯s brother," he said, "so I owe you the courtesy of inviting you to our wedding, though it¡¯ll be up to you whether or not you decide to attend." "Don¡¯t worry," Roger sneered. "I will absolutely not attend. There¡¯s no need for you to act all smug and cocky here, either. It¡¯s just a wedding, after all. Nowadays, people get divorced all the time anyway "Besides¡­ you both have already gotten divorced once, haven¡¯t you?" When Roger saw Weston¡¯s face darkening, his heart was momentarily filled with the joy of revenge. It was all short-lived, however, because Weston¡¯s expressions reverted to their initial nonchnce in no time. "I can assure you that that will be ourst divorce," he said. He tapped his finger on the invitation card on the table and added," Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Even if you don¡¯t get to see our wedding, I will make sure that you¡¯ll see a detailed recording of it." Blood drained from Roger¡¯s face. A sharp pain spread from his heart to the rest of his body. "So what if you marry her again?!" he persisted, "I¡¯m still the man who has always been by her side and will always be by her side for the rest of her life!" He clenched his teeth and continued, "Who knows what will happen in the future? There¡¯s no guarantee that your marriage willst forever! But I¡¯m different! I will always be with her, and that is an undeniable fact!" Weston burst intoughter in Roger¡¯s face.Hisugh was full of contempt, as though he pitied Roger for not knowing his own worth.He then walked up to Roger and patted his shoulder. "Ste is mine," he dered, his voice ruthless. "That is the real, undeniable fact.A fact that no one dares to question." Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Chapter 894 "It looks like you really don¡¯t want to marry him¡­" Warren sighed. "But that¡¯s probably a good thing. You won¡¯t be too upset when you hear where he was two days ago." Ste was speechless for a few seconds before she asked, "¡­ What are you talking about?" "A few days ago," Warren slowly exined while studying her expressions, "Weston went to see Guinevere. Nothing surprising about that, of course, considering they¡¯ve known each other since childhood and were sweethearts for many years. In fact, it was only expected that Weston would visit her after what she had been through." This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Warren examined Ste¡¯s expressions. When he noticed that she seemed unperturbed, he smiled and added, "But you don¡¯t have any desire to be with him anyway, am I right? In that case, I¡¯m sure the news didn¡¯t upset you at all." "There¡¯s nothing to be upset about," said Ste. Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were devoid of joy. "Everything¡¯s just as I expected." Sitting across Warren, she picked up her cup of tea, raised it to her lips, and took a small sip. "He will always prioritize Guinevere Cohen above everything else," she continued. "I realized that long ago. He will never give her up." Warren could tell she was thinking of how Weston chose Guinevere when the kidnappers asked him to choose between Guinevere and Ste. "Actually," he argued, "just because he chose Guinevere didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he prioritized her. In fact, under that circumstance¡­" He stopped himself short the moment he caught himself trying to defend Weston. It was a knee-jerk reaction. He was Weston¡¯s grandfather, after all. But it would be best to let Ste keep misunderstanding Weston. That way, everything would go ording to n. Ste and Weston were from twopletely different worlds anyway. They were never meant to be together. If Ste suddenly understood Weston¡¯s true feelings for her, she might not be willing to leave him voluntarily. With that in mind, Warren sighed and added, "I know he¡¯s treated you awfully in the past¡­ Is it true that you were pregnant at the time?" Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. "Mm-hmm," she replied tersely. "You¡¯ve mentioned that you can never get pregnant again because of that incident. Is that true?" The regret and sympathy in the old man¡¯s voice only managed to reopen Ste¡¯s old wounds, and all those excruciating memories came flooding back into her mind. Ste lowered her eyes to avoid his eye contact. She was no longer in the mood to talk. "All I want to know," she said in a t voice,"is whether I can really run away on the wedding day, and if I do, will Weston find me again?" "Don¡¯t worry," he assured her. "As long as you keep to the n, everything will go smoothly." He then paused and hesitated before adding, "There¡¯s only one thing I need to ask you." "What is it?" "We both know that Guinevere has done terrible things in the past, but her family has close ties with the Ford family. Besides, she used to be engaged to Weston too. They even have a child together .. so¡­ no matter what, she¡¯s still Zachary¡¯s mother¡­" "You can get straight to the point," she interrupted him. She loathed hearing that name he mentioned. "It¡¯s nothing much, really," Warren said, stroking his beard. "It¡¯s just that Guinevere has been unstabletely. Even her family doesn¡¯t know how to deal with her, and she¡¯s their only child too. The truth is, Guinevere has asked.. if she could attend your wedding." Ste was about to pick up the teacup and take a sip, but Warren¡¯s words made her pause. She then burst into peals ofughter "She wants toe to the wedding? Wouldn¡¯t that just worsen her condition?" Ste wasn¡¯t completely clear about Guinevere¡¯s mental state, but she knew that it had always served Guinevere well by being the perfect excuse to get whatever she wanted. She could easily get Weston to go to her whenever she wanted and even use it to guilt trip Ste into letting her attend the wedding "I don¡¯t know what young people like you are thinking," Warren shook his head. "But in my opinion, I don¡¯t think Guinevere is asking for too much. She even said that all she wanted was to see Weston¡¯s bride walk down the aisle, even if she couldn¡¯t be that bride herself.". This revtion left a bad taste in Ste¡¯s mouth. Try as she might, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to agree to it. "Perhaps you should ask Weston about it," she suggested instead. "After all, it isn¡¯t just my wedding we¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s his wedding too." Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Chapter 895 "Your grandfather¡¯s impression of me isn¡¯t good as it is," Ste exined patiently. "He might have agreed for us to get married, but I still want to leave a better impression on him¡­ The fact that he asked me to meet him must mean he¡¯s giving me a chance.If I hesitate and bring you along with me, then I¡¯ll never get another chance to get his approval." "If he gives you any trouble," Weston replied while stroking her face, "just tell me, and I¡¯ll handle it." "Okay," she nodded. "You should probably cover up your neck a little¡­" Weston said as he adjusted Ste¡¯s cor to hide the bright red hickeys he¡¯d left. "And whose fault is this?!" she scolded him. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. "I told you to stop this morning, but you wouldn¡¯t listen!" "Alright," Weston chuckled and massaged the red marks on her skin. "I¡¯ll pick you up this evening." The manor Warren Ford lived in was a reasonable distance away from the city. When Ste arrived, it was alreadyte afternoon. Warren had just woken up from his midday nap. Noticing that she was here, he smiled kindly to her and said, "Come in!" Ste nodded.Then she saw a man walking out of the study.It was Chris Ford "He came here to y chess with me," Warren exined while brewing a fresh pot of tea. "He was just about to leave." He paused and sighed before continuing, "As you get older, finding apanion who¡¯d spend the day with you gets harder." Usually, Warren would spend a lot of time with an old friend of his, but even he had a piano shop to look after, so Warren often found himself in unpleasant solitude whenever he felt unwell and lonely. It was times like these that Chris Ford became useful again. "What¡¯s so strange about me being here?" he asked. "I¡¯m your son, after all! It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d be spending time with you!" Chris acted differently when he was with Warren than when he was with Weston.He almost seemed like a petnt child. The truth was, while he often indulged his sons, Warren¡¯s rtionship with Weston was rather cold and almost professional in nature. This was due to the high hopes and expectations that he ced in his talented grandson, which had, for better or worse, altered his attitude toward him. But Chris Ford was different. Warren seemed to be aware of this too, which was why he would mostly hand over the crucial tasks in thepany to Weston while leaving the most trivial matters to Chris. It wasn¡¯t merely due to their different personalities either. Warren clearly saw the potential that Weston disyed to achieve great things. Warren picked up the pawn in the chess box and tossed it at Chris. "Save your breath!" he barked. With augh, Chris caught the pawn in his hand andined, "Oh, so you¡¯re kicking me out now that she¡¯s here, are you?" "Get out!" Warren yelled, though still shing a smile.As Chris walked past Ste, he stopped beside her and gave her a strange look. "Not bad!" he sneered. "I¡¯ve really underestimated you!" Ste looked ahead and ignored him, having no desire to take his words to heart Once Chris was gone, Warren and Ste were the only two people left in the tea room. He told her to take a seat and poured her a cup of Pu Er tea. "Actually," she suddenly spoke up after a long silence, "I don¡¯t really like tea that much." "I know," Warren replied, smiling. "In a few days, you¡¯ll finally be able to escape this life you hate so much." Daily New Latest Chapters Ste searched the old man¡¯s face. "Does that mean¡­ you would still fulfill the promise you made me?" she asked "Of course," he responded. There was not the slightest change in his expression. "You getting married to Weston is thest thing we want." "But you haven¡¯t even done anything so far," she argued with a frown. "Are you sure that I¡¯ll be able to escape on the wedding day?" Warren picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly ced it back down. "Do you remember? my instruction to keep the wedding as simple as possible?" he asked. Ste nodded. "I hear your wedding party will be held near a cliff by the sea; is that correct?" Ste thought about it for a while before answering, "I guess so She had not been paying much attention to the details since she never wanted to get married to Weston in the first ce.¡± Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Chapter 896 "It looks like you really don¡¯t want to marry him." Warren sighed. "But that¡¯s probably a good thing. You won¡¯t be too upset when you hear where he was two days ago." Ste was speechless for a few seconds before she asked, "¡­ What are you talking about?" "A few days ago," Warren slowly exined while studying her expressions, "Weston went to see Guinevere.Nothing surprising about that, of course, considering they¡¯ve known each other since childhood and were sweethearts for many years.In fact, it was only expected that Weston would visit her after what she had been through." Warren examined Ste¡¯s expressions. When he noticed that she seemed unperturbed, he smiled and added, "But you don¡¯t have any desire to be with him anyway, am I right? In that case, I¡¯m sure the news didn¡¯t upset you at all." "There¡¯s nothing to be upset about," said Ste. Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were devoid of joy. "Everything¡¯s just as I expected." Sitting across Warren, she picked up her cup of tea, raised it to her lips, and took a small sip. "He will always prioritize Guinevere Cohen above everything else," she continued. "I realized that long ago. He will never give her up." Warren could tell she was thinking of how Weston chose Guinevere when the kidnappers asked him to choose between Guinevere and Ste. "Actually," he argued, "just because he chose Guinevere didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he prioritized her. In fact, under that circumstance¡­" He stopped himself short the moment he caught himself trying to defend Weston.It was a knee-jerk reaction.He was Weston¡¯s grandfather, after all. But it would be best to let Ste keep misunderstanding Weston. That way, everything would go ording to n. Ste and Weston were from twopletely different worlds anyway. They were never meant to be together. If Ste suddenly understood Weston¡¯s true feelings for her, she might not be willing to leave him voluntarily. With that in mind, Warren sighed and added, "I know he¡¯s treated you awfully in the past¡­ Is it true that you were pregnant at the time?" Ste¡¯s eyes flickered. "Mm-hmm," she replied tersely. "You¡¯ve mentioned that you can never get pregnant again because of that incident.Is that true?" The regret and sympathy in the old man¡¯s voice only managed to reopen Ste¡¯s old wounds, and all those excruciating memories came flooding back into her mind. Ste lowered her eyes to avoid his eye contact.She was no longer in the mood to talk. "All I want to know," she said in a t voice, "is whether I can really run away on the wedding day, and if I do, will Weston find me again?" "Don¡¯t worry," he assured her. "As long as you keep to the n, everything will go smoothly." He then paused and hesitated before adding, "There¡¯s only one thing I need to ask you." "What is it?" "We both know that Guinevere has done terrible things in the past, but her family has close ties with the Ford family. Besides, she used to be engaged to Weston too. They even have a child together ¡­ so¡­ no matter what, she¡¯s still Zachary¡¯s mother¡­" "You can get straight to the point," she interrupted him. She loathed hearing that name he mentioned. "It¡¯s nothing much, really," Warren said, stroking his beard. "It¡¯s just that Guinevere has been unstabletely. Even her family doesn¡¯t know how to deal with her, and she¡¯s their only child too. The truth is, Guinevere has asked¡­ if she could attend your wedding." Ste was about to pick up the teacup and take a sip, but Warren¡¯s words made her pause. She then burst into peals ofughter "She wants toe to the wedding? Wouldn¡¯t that just worsen her condition? Ste wasn¡¯tpletely clear about Guinevere¡¯s mental state, but she knew that it had always served Guinevere well by being the perfect excuse to get whatever she wanted. She could easily get Weston to go to her whenever she wanted and even use it to guilt trip Ste into letting her attend the wedding. "I don¡¯t know what young people like you are thinking," Warren shook his head. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "But in my opinion, I don¡¯t think Guinevere is asking for too much.She even said that all she wanted was to see Weston¡¯s bride walk down the aisle, even if she couldn¡¯t be that bride herself.". This revtion left a bad taste in Ste¡¯s mouth. Try as she might, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to agree to it. "Perhaps you should ask Weston about it, " she suggested instead. "After all, it isn¡¯t just my wedding we¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s his wedding too." Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Despite what she said, Ste had a hunch that Weston would never agree to such an outrageous request. Besides, their troubled past had been the talk of the town¨Ceverybody knew of the horrible things Guinevere had done to Ste in the past. What would they think if they found out that Guinevere was invited to the wedding? They would all mock Ste, for sure. She knew that whatever feeling Weston had for her was not true love and that it was just a short¨Clived infatuation, at most. But even so, she was sure that he wouldn¡®t agree to something that would cause her so much embarrassment¡­ Warren smiled. There was an inexplicable trace of sympathy in that smile. ¡°Then how about I call him right now,¡± he suggested , looking straight at Ste. ¡°And ask him if he would let Guineveree to the wedding?¡± Ste merely nodded. What else could she do? ¡°If he agrees, then I have no further objection.¡± Warren then got his phone and called Weston, who quickly answered it. Ste stayed silent as they spoke. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Weston,¡± Warren softly began while stroking his beard. ¡°How is everything going at work?¡± There was no ambient noise from Weston¡®s end of the line. He was probably in his office. ¡°Everything¡®s going well, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Warren nodded with contentment. ¡°I can rest easy now that Ford Corporation is in your hands.¡± He paused, then asked, ¡°How¡®s the preparation for your wedding with E?¡± ¡°Everything¡®s ready.¡± ¡°I hope you won¡®t be in such a rush that something goes wrong when the dayes.¡± ¡°Absolutely not, Grandpa. Everything¡®s under control.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Weston nced at the clock on the office wall. ¡°I have a meeting in a few minutes, Grandpa. To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± Warrenughed. ¡°You are perceptive as always! Yes, I do indeed have a specific reason for calling.¡± He nced at Ste and saw her sipping her tea,pletely calm andposed. Warren looked away and went straight to the point. ¡°You¡®ve probably heard of what¡®s been going on in the Cohen family ... Guinevere hasn¡®t been very well, and she only has one wish: to attend your wedding. Her family assured me she would not cause trouble this time.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°I don¡®t think that would be appropriate,¡± he quickly replied. Ste sighed in relief as soon as she heard him. Then she caught her reaction and found it amusing. She never wanted to marry Weston anyway, and she knew there was no way this wedding would happen, so why did it bother her so much that Guinevere wanted to be there? Why should she care? Perhaps Weston had been treating her very welltely, which made her warm up to him a little. ¡°I understand,¡± Warren replied,pletely unsurprised by Weston¡®s reply. ¡°It¡®s perfectly normal to be concerned about this, but you must remember that the Cohen family has been our important ally for many years. I can¡®t just refuse her parents¡® request outright, you see...¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Warren persisted, ¡°their family had relented to so much at this point. How can we refuse their one simple request?¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± Weston interjected somberly. ¡°This is not a simple request. It¡®s my wedding. Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Ben was already waiting for Weston in the office with a stack of documents in hand, ready to apany him to the meeting, when he was signalled to wait outside as Weston continued his phone call. ¡°I don¡®t think this is up for discussion, Grandpa. If the Cohen family still insists, let theme straight to me.¡± ¡°Weston,¡± Warren sighed. ¡°Ipletely understand you. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn¡®t agree to it myself ... but regardless of everything that¡®s happened, Guinevere is still Zack¡®s mother. No matter how much resentment you harbor for each other, we must never do anything that could sever our ties with the Cohens, do you understand? Besides...¡± Warren paused and turned to look at Ste before adding, ¡°All the gossip and news of your scandals have turned our family into aughing stock. We¡®ll have to maintain our reputation this time. We¡®ll just let Guinevere attend the wedding, that¡®s all. We¡®ll make sure that she stays in a secret corner that no reporters would ever find.¡± Weston fell silent for a long while. He stared at a spot on the wall, where a dull, throbbing pain nudged his temples. He closed his eyes. He knew his grandfather very well. He knew that if he didn¡®t agree with him now, he would simply find other ways to get what he wanted. He might even drag Ste in... That was thest thing Weston wanted to happen. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied after some consideration. ¡°But you must keep her in a quiet corner. Ste must never know that she¡®s there.¡± Ste clearly heard each and every word. Warren turned to her and saw an ¡°I knew this would happen¡± look written across her face. Ste said nothing. Her face turned exceedingly pale and she clenched her fists, which had been resting on her knees. He agreed? He actually agreed to such an absurd request?! Warren revelled in her reactions. He was satisfied now. This was just as he had nned. He had always known that Ste never wanted to marry Weston in the first ce, but he feared that she might still hesitate to leave Weston¡®s sidepletely. What if she suddenly changed her mind and decided she wanted to be with him? Warren would never let that happen. That was why he had to make Ste understand that Weston would neverpletely give Guinevere up or refuse her requests. He wanted her to realize that, although the marriage between Weston and Guinevere was now canceled, the bond between them still existed, and Guinevere would forever be a part of Weston¡®s life no matter what. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Warren believed that being the smart woman she was, Ste understood that such a life would never make her happy. He had to extinguish even the slightest trace of feelings that Ste had for Weston. ¡°Is there anything else, Grandpa?¡± Weston waspletely unaware of the happenings at the other end of the line. ¡°No,¡± Warren replied, pleased that he got what he wanted. ¡°You can go to your meeting now.¡± The call then ended. ¡°Mr. Ford.¡± Ben walked into the office and handed Weston the day¡®s schedule. As Weston went through it, he told Ben, ¡°Add Guinevere Cohen¡®s name to the wedding guestlist.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ben was startled. He couldn¡®t believe what he had just heard. ¡°She said she wants to attend the wedding,¡± exined Weston.¡± So I¡®ll grant her wish.¡± ¡°But...¡± Ben was perplexed. Knowing about the turmoil brewing between Weston, Ste, and Guinevere, wouldn¡®t it be ridiculous for Guinevere to attend the wedding? Then he thought of the phone call just now... ¡°Was it Mr. Warren¡®s request?¡± Ben asked. There could only be one exnation for this. Guinevere was probably so desperate that she forced her parents to ask for Mr. Warren Ford¡®s help as he was the only one who could pressure Weston into doing something. Weston made no reply, but his silence was clear enough for Ben to guess what was happening. Ben sighed. ¡°But wouldn¡®t this be unfair to Mrs. Ford?¡± Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Weston frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll keep it a secret from her for the time being,¡± he said. ¡°But even if no one tells her,¡± argued Ben, ¡°she¡®ll still find out when she sees Guinevere Cohen at the wedding.¡± Weston knew that too, of course. ¡°I won¡®t let her be there,¡± he said coldly. ¡°But didn¡®t you just promise Mr. Warren that you¡®d let her attend?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Weston replied. ¡°I promised that I would let her attend. However, whether she attends or not is her problem.¡± Ben fell silent for a moment before he finally responded . ¡°You don¡®t mean that you¡®ll...¡± ¡°It¡®s a long journey from her house to the wedding location,¡± Weston exined. ¡°It¡®ll be unsurprising if an ident were to happen on the way.¡± Ben¡®s mouth was agape when he finally understood Weston¡®s n. ¡°That is a clever n indeed...¡± he marveled. Not only would it appease Mr. Warren Ford and pacify the Cohen family, but it would also teach Guinevere a lesson for daring to make such an outrageous request. Weston had managed to kill not two but three birds with one stone! Ste had been in a grim mood ever since she returned from Warren¡®s manor. She knew that no matter what happened, Guinevere would always hold a special ce in Weston¡®s heart. What shocked her, however, was how overly confident she was of herself. If Weston could agree to such an absurd request, it must mean that he did, at the very least, care about what she felt! Even if she had any doubts about running away during the wedding, they were all quelled now. She knew one thing for sure ¨Cshe had to run away and escape Weston, no matter what. Guinevere would never give up on Weston, and Weston didn¡®t seem to be so resolute in his rejection of her. If he could agree to let here to their wedding, Ste could tell that once his infatuation for her had worn off, he would just let Guinevere do whatever she liked to her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When Weston finally got back to their apartment, Ste was already cooking in the kitchen. Warmth and delectable aroma filled the house. Weston paused and watched the petite woman busy at work in the kitchen. The scene reminded him of the early days of their marriage... Back then, Ste would often work hard in the kitchen, just as she was doing now. She would make sure that the food was precisely to Weston¡®s taste, closely observing his preferences and how he liked the food. He was the entire world to her, where nothing and no one else mattered. Her eyes shone with unconditional love for him. At present, Ste¡®s mind was full of troubling thoughts while she was cooking that she didn¡®t even notice Westoning in. Just when she was about to put thest ingredient into the pot, a pair of robust arms suddenly wrapped her waist... ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ste¡®s body stiffened when she heard the voice. It was the same voice that agreed to let Guinevere attend the wedding earlier that day. He would forever bepromising whenever it came to Guinevere, wouldn¡®t he? ¡°Weston...¡± she hesitatingly began. She was stirring the soup in the pot with a wooden spoon, but her eyes were vacant and distant. ¡°Where were you the day Roger was sent to the hospital ?¡± she finally plucked up her courage to ask. She never should¡®ve been bothered with this, but stil... She quietly sneered at herself. Weston rested his chin on her shoulder. He seemed perfectly calm as he yfully nibbled her ear lobe. ¡°I had some business to attend to,¡± he replied. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°What kind of business?¡± she asked again, insistent on getting a definite answer. She then turned down the heat to low and turned around to look at him before continuing, ¡°I remember that you were gone for a long time that day. Was it something serious?¡± He swept her hair behind her ears and stroked her face. ¡°Why do you ask all of a sudden, hmm?¡± Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Weston¡®s fingers wandered across Ste¡®s face, caressing her smooth skin. Ste looked up at him. She had intended to ask him the question, but her tongue was tied as soon as she opened her mouth. If he really wanted her to know the truth, he would¡®ve told her by now, yet he would avoid the questions and kept responding with vague, evasive answers. That, in itself, was already an answer, wasn¡¯t it? They would just go on as they did when their rtionship was still a secret. Since he didn¡®t want to answer, she would just stop asking. There was no need to disrupt the fragile peace between them. ¡°Nothing,¡± Ste leaned her head against his shoulder and gently hugged him. ¡°It¡®s just that I can¡®t believe we¡®re really getting married...¡± Her eyes were icy cold as she spoke. She had always been forced to give in to Guinevere¡®s requests. Back then, she had had to endure Guinevere¡¯s assaults quietly without the power to retaliate. Yet, even after asking for her hand in marriage, Weston still agreed to such a request he knew would upset Ste a lot... Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Perhaps she should confront him, Ste thought. Perhaps she should ask him why he would ever let Guinevere attend their wedding. But what should she have expected of him? Should she expect him to ignore the long¨Cstanding rtionship between the Ford and Cohen families, to ignore his own grandfather¡®s plea? Should she forsake the resulting loss they might have to endure if they upset the Cohen family? All because of her? No. She didn¡®t need to expect any of that. She never intended to marry him anyway. The wedding was never supposed to happen anyway, so why should it matter to her if Guinevere was invited ? There was no need to trouble herself with this. In the end, Ste didn¡®t manage to finish making her soup. For some reason, Weston¡®s sexual appetite had gotten more voracioustely. Naturally, he wanted to do it with Ste at all times and at every ce in the house. She was forced to hold on to his neck to keep her body from sliding down to the floor. ¡°If we don¡®t stop now, the soup will be burnt!¡± she pleaded to him. ¡°Weston!¡± she cried in exasperation, desperate to keep her mind clear. ¡°Stop...¡± ¡°You can cook it again.¡± Weston¡®s raw passion was still burning. ¡°Let¡®s continue,¡± he croaked as his hand reached down Ste¡®s body. ¡°No...¡± Ste closed her eyes. Her body used to reject him, but Weston had somehow found a way to turn her on. All he needed to do was be gentle and patient with her; her body would warm up to him, and she would melt under his fingers. After that, everything would go smoothly. Weston supported her weight so she wouldn¡®t fall to the floor. Then he swept her hair away from her sweaty face, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. ¡°Turns out the only reason your body rejected me was that I didn¡®t stimte you enough, huh?¡± He emphasized the word ¡°stimte¡± as he spoke, his lips still glistening with the moisture of some fluid. Ste blushed deeply. She couldn¡®t bring herself to look at him like that. In the end, neither of them ended up eating the soup. It had been a long time since Joan hadste to the apartment. Ste loved Joan¡®s cooking and still missed her food very much. However, they rarely let anybody else in after moving into the apartment. Ste would cook and clean up the ce herself whenever she had the time, giving the ce an especially homely feel. The day after tomorrow would be their wedding day. Weston had taken a few days off to be with Ste when she tried on her wedding dresses. Everything was ready now, except for onest step. Chapter 901 Chapter 901 Chapter 901 Ste stood in front of the full¨Clength mirror, wearing a long whitece dress. She gazed at her reflection and got lost in her own thoughts for a while. She hadn¡®t had her makeup done yet. Her naturally ck hair cascaded down her shoulders. It had been a long time since she got a haircut, so her hair was now very long indeed. She never dyed, straightened, or curled her hair, so it was very soft and glossy. Its inky ckness also contrasted very well with her snowy white skin. Even without the makeup on, she looked so exquisite that the staff around her couldn¡®t help but stare at her in awe. ¡°You look absolutely beautiful, Madam!¡± A woman in a suit walked up to help her tidy up the fishtail hem of her dress. The top of her dress was simple but elegant. Smooth lines followed the curves of her body to complement her figure. From the waist down, a thin but delicateyer ofce covered the main body of the dress. The finished product might seem simple, but it had been, in fact, made with meticulous care, with all its embroidery handmade. The little butterfly details were veiled under a thinyer of tulle fabric, fluttering like real butterflies whenever Ste moved. All in all, it was a truly magnificent wedding dress that exuded refinement and craftsmanship. The designer was sure that once the dress appeared at the wedding, it would cause a sensation within the fashion industry. Each of Ste¡®s dresses had been specially designed for her by a renowned designer hired by Weston. Among the hundreds of different wedding dress styles, they eventually decided on two a modern wedding dress and a traditional wedding dress. This meant that in addition to thevish silk dress that she was wearing, there would be another one made for her in the traditional style. Extravagant golden embroidery lined the dress, including a stately pattern of a phoenix from the collection of an old friend of Warren Ford¡¯s who was an archaeology professor. To think that they even bought someone else¡®s family heirloom just to make this explicitly demonstrated the arduous time and effort had been put into this wedding. The traditional dress was kept at Ford Mansion, so they couldn¡®t bring it out whenever they wanted. Basically, most people would only ever set eyes on it on the wedding day itself. Despite all this, Ste had no particr interest in the dress. The only thing on her mind was¡­ ¡°This is a bit heavy, isn¡®t it?¡± Although it did look exquisite , Ste couldn¡®t help but feel an oppressive weight bearing on her as she wore it. ¡°It is an borate dress, after all,¡± the designer exined with a smile. ¡°Naturally, it carries some weight. Besides, each of these butterflies is made differently. Their wings shine and glisten with real diamonds... You can¡®t me the dress for being heavy!¡± Ste looked down and took a closer look at the fine details on the dress. ¡°You¡®re right...¡± Each butterfly was its own unique piece. ¡°How did you guys manage to do this in such a short time?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford emphasized from the beginning that he needed the dresses made as quickly as possible,¡± exined the designer.¡° So we worked day and night and spared no expense to meet his request. We did meet challenges and were worried that we might miss the deadline, but Mr. Ford increased the budget significantly, and we finally managed toplete them.¡± Ste was speechless, daring not to imagine how much these dresses might cost. To think that so much was spent on dresses that would only be worn once... nothing would be done with them after the wedding except to be kept in storage somewhere. Seeing that Ste had fallen silent, the designer feared that there was something wrong with the dress. ¡°If there¡®s anything that you¡®re dissatisfied with, Madam, we¡®ll fix it right away!¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°Both dresses are stunning.¡± She looked again at her own reflection with mixed feelings. Most women dreamed about wearing beautiful wedding dresses one day, and Ste herself was no exception. Yet she probably would have no chance of wearing it on the wedding day. She also might never have a chance to wear another wedding dress ever again for the rest of her life. She smiled wryly. But at least she could appreciate wearing it now. ¡°I¡®m d to hear it, Madam! Now, let¡®s try the wedding toast dress...¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°There¡®s more?!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± replied the designer cordially. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared many options for you, and we strive for perfection in each dress Before she could finish her sentence, Weston suddenly pulled the curtain away and strode in from the other side of the room. Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Chapter 902 ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± ¡°Good afternoon Mr. Ford!¡± The room was filled with voices greeting Weston. He nodded slightly at everyone in acknowledgment, before his eyes fell on Ste, and his eyes stayed glued on her. The sight of her in the wedding dress mesmerized him so much that he could only stand inplete silence. Thest time they got married, all they did was sign their names on dotted lines and not much else. Ste was not someone special to him back then, so he didn¡®t bother making any effort. Though he treated her with dignity and respect, the fact remained that he didn¡®t have any feelings for her. In the end, all they did was invite Roger out for dinner. He didn¡®t even inform any of his friends or family. He remembered how Ste thanked him for settling her brother¡®s medical bills. The overall impression the day left on his mind was that the marriage was a transactional exchange. Yet, before he could realize it, his mind would shift to Ste every time he stood on top of a high¨Crise building and looked down at the crowd on the ground. Anytime he thought of home, the image of her would pop up. ¡°Are you done testing your wedding suit, Mr. Ford? Madam still has a few dresses to try on. Would you mind sitting here for a while?¡± the designer asked, breaking his thoughts. ¡°There are some magazines for you to browse here,¡± said another staff member. Weston was now surrounded by a few people trying to serve him. ¡°Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°I don¡®t need anything,¡± he told them, signaling them to leave him alone. All along, his eyes were glued on his bride, who was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a long white wedding dress. He had always known that she was beautiful. But her beauty was subtle. Her beauty demanded to be savored slowly and patiently, a beauty that compelled him to cherish her and protect her carefully. To him, beautiful women were a dime a dozen. He had always been surrounded by attractive people all his life, not to mention the aristocratic roots he hailed from. He was used to having the best of everything, including beautiful admirers. Guinevere, for example, was a gorgeous woman who had been in love with him for as long as he could remember. Not to mention all the other girls from wealthy and powerful families who adored and admired him. Yet none of their beauty enthralled him enough to warm up to them in a way he¡®d examine their beauty intimately. But Ste¡®s beauty did... He wanted to see her face without makeup. He wanted to see her all made up and morous. He wanted to see her try elegant dresses and precious jewelry of all manner. He wanted to see her all stripped, without so much a stitch to hide her bare body from his probing eyes. And she was now his bride. Ste looked up to see Weston in through the mirror where their eyes met She smiled at him and asked, ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°Stunning,¡± he replied. Their conversation sounded simple and almost mundane, but each step Weston took to get to Ste betrayed the underlying current of violent passion bubbling under his skin. At the same time, Ste was examining Weston too. Compared to the bride¡®s dress, the groom¡®s wedding suit looked much simpler. The ck suit he donned himself was decorated with golden embroidery at the cuffs, echoing the patterns on her wedding dress. He looked nothing short of aristocratic, perhaps even princely. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The color ck suited him very well. Some people looked like bank managers when they wore ck suits, but on Weston, it only heightened the air of grandeur and superiority he always had about him. He stopped right behind Ste and wrapped his arms around her waist before telling her, ¡°You look beautiful.¡± He leaned down until his lips brushed against her ear and looked into her eyes through the mirror. ¡°Very beautiful,¡± he emphasized in a voice deeper and huskier than before. His warm breath tickled her ear. ¡°Ste... You¡¯re mine.¡± On the eve of the wedding day, Ste had assumed that she would be able to have a good rest, but Weston had been ravishing her all day with even more ferociousness than usual. In fact, he had been no different from a savage beast ever since they got back from trying on their wedding outfits. All the while, his eyes had bewitched themselves on her, eyes that gleamed with a greedy possessiveness. Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Exhausted after a few rounds of sex, she begged with a husky voice, ¡°The wedding is tomorrow. If there are red marks all over me, how am I supposed to wear the wedding dress?¡± Only then did the hard¨Cworking man pause momentarily. His thin lips moved away from her delicate cheek and kissed gently on it again before he let go of her. ¡°After tomorrow¡®s wedding ceremony, I need to buy more condoms.¡± Ste was already in a daze because of him, and now, doubts arose in her mind. ¡°Why do you wear it only asionally ? Don¡®t you use it all the time or not use it if you don¡®t want to? The man smirked and pulled her arms around his waist. His force was a little greater than before. ¡°If I give you too much, you won¡®t be able to ept it, so I¡®ll just block out some.¡± ¡°You...¡± Unsure if he had said that on purpose, Ste blushed. ¡°You don¡®t always be so, so...¡± ¡°So what, huh?¡± ¡°So shameless...¡± Weston lowered his head and nibbled on her cheek. ¡°Why would I need that? I just need you.¡± At midnight, perhaps her exhaustion caused her mind to sober up a bit. She was carried by the man to wash up and was tucked into bed. She should have slept until he got up the next day and woke her up as usual. But tonight, she tossed and turned and couldn¡®t fall asleep. Faintly, she vaguely heard some noises on the balcony. The man seemed to be on the phone. He appeared to have picked up the call outside to avoid waking her up. However, she could still hear the sound. When the wind blew, his voice pierced her ears. ¡°Arrange a ce for her, it doesn¡®t have to be too conspicuous.¡± ¡°Guinevere is a public figure,¡± Weston reminded Ben, who was on the other end. ¡°Make sure she takes precautions to prevent the reporters from taking photos.¡± Upon hearing Guinevere¡®s name, Ste¡®s heart fluttered. ¡°What else does she want?¡± he demanded. Ben was left in a dilemma, but all he could be was the middleman who had to withstand the anger of both sides. ¡°Ms. Cohen promised she would not cause you any trouble, but she wants to choose her own seat...¡± ¡°Tell her to get lost if she doesn¡®t want toe.¡± Weston was not even willing to answer her call now. Ben naturally wouldn¡®t dare to tell her that, though he had no choice but to agree. ¡°Then, as for Mrs. Ford...¡± ¡°Just leave it.¡± The man¡®s voice was cold. ¡°Take care of things over there and give her a seat. If she has any more requests, ignore all of them.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Mr. Ford never really gave his consent for Guinevere to attend the wedding anyway. So whether it was a traffic jam, a wrong turn, or even an ident, it was all to be expected. He hung up the phone. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Just as he was about to enter the door, he saw Ste standing behind him. He did not know how long she had been there. ¡°Ste.¡± He paused momentarily and then walked to her with a calm face. ¡°Why are you still awake? Did I wake you up?¡± Draped in a silk robe, Ste shook her head but quickly nodded after that. ¡°Why are you still awake? Who were you talking to on the phone?¡± She acted as if it was a random question. Weston picked her up and strode into the bedroom. ¡°It was Ben.¡± ¡°I see. It¡®s sote now. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°There are some wedding issues that need taking care of.¡± It looked like he wasn¡®t going to say much. She suddenly clutched the cor of the man¡®s robe and slowly said, ¡°Actually, I just... I heard what you guys were talking about on the phone.¡± Weston abruptly stopped in his tracks and looked at her with dark, downcast eyes. Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Weston looked at her steadily and asked with an unfluctuating voice, ¡°Really, what did you hear?¡± Ste looked into his eyes. ¡°Why did you agree for Guinevere to attend our wedding?¡± she almost asked, but when their eyes met, and she thought of tomorrow¡®s n, she swallowed all her words back. Hence, she simply said, ¡°I heard that you wanted to add one more seat. Hasn¡®t the guest list been decided? Why do you need another seat? Who else hasn¡®t been invited?¡± He put her on the bed andy down beside her. Covered her up with the nket, and he took her into his arms again. ¡°It¡®s no one important.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± She did not ask anymore. He brushed away the hair on her forehead and kissed her. It was a kiss that was almost reverent. He gazed into her eyes deeply with a look as gentle as the infinite night. ¡°Goodnight, my bride.¡± Tomorrow, she would be Mrs. Ford. She smiled. ¡°Goodnight, my bridegroom.¡± She buried her head into his arms. Inexplicably, a tear rolled out the corner of her eye. On the wedding day. Although Ste had said, she wanted the wedding to be simple¡­ Her concept of simplicity was on a whole different level from Weston¡®s. Nearly a hundred limousines had arrived to pick up the bride, causing a heavy traffic jam. The whole city was broadcasting the spectacle of the limousines adorned with wedding banners¨Cand all the congrattory messages contained two names: Bridegroom: Weston. Bride: E. Ste had nothing, while E had everything. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The limousines departed from Ahn City and went to the nearby Nordwen City before finally arriving at the apartment next to Fern University It was the ce where Ste and Roger lived after changing identities. It represented their new life. Anyway, the bride was not there. Having said that, the flow of the wedding still differed greatly from the norm. At the moment, Ste was on a ferry, getting her makeup done and changing into her wedding dress, Because she requested simplicity, the design team tried to be creative with the theme, and what they came out with was a unique moniker called ¡°The End of the World.¡± The venue of the wedding was on a cliff, below which was an endless sea. The bride woulde from the sea and go onshore where the groom was waiting. This might sound awfully romantic for a wedding theme, but Ste clearly knew the reason she agreed to this n¨Cit was because Warren told her that it would be easier for her to escape with the ferry. The mor of a hundred human voices flooded her ears. Weston was still onnd. Having departed Ford Manor, it would take him at least half an hour to get here. The ferry that Ste was on was also half an hour away from the shore. She sat at the dressing table, waiting for the makeup artist to put on her makeup, when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Steady footsteps came from behind her. When she looked back, she found that the person in front of her was not the makeup artist from earlier but a sturdy man. ¡°Ms. Steele, Mr. Ford wants you toe with me.¡± He then handed her a cell phone inte. ¡°Grandpa,¡± Ste said as she took it. Warren¡®s voice came on the line. ¡°We¡®ve managed to buy some time on Weston¡®s side. We will switch you with a double. There is another ship at the dock that heads to another country. You will board that shipter.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°Will Weston do anything on the double?¡± Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Chapter 905 ¡°Don¡®t you worry,¡± Warren assured Ste with confidence.¡± There¡®ll be nothing he can do when he discovers that you¡®ve gone missing. He will fail to find you, and the wedding will go on.¡± Ste seemed to understand it. ¡°You mean... he will marry that double?¡± Warren smiled. ¡°Of course not¡­ Do you know why I agreed to let Guineveree?¡± Of course, he wasn¡®t about to fulfill her dream of seeing Weston¡¯s wedding with her own eyes. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Instead... he wanted to make her dreame true. Weston would surely be furious when he found out that Ste had run away from the wedding. As for Guinevere, who¡®d be at the wedding, she would be the perfect catalyst. By then, both families would pressure him to let Guinevere put on the wedding dress and for the wedding ceremony to carry on until the end. They would make the best of a bad situation. Everything which had been diverted from the track would be back to where they were supposed to be. ¡°It is the wedding of the century. There can¡®t be an invisible bride.¡± Warren¡®s voice was still solemn and calm. ¡°Guinevere is the deserving bride. She is Zachary¡®s mother, which makes nobody more suitable to marry into the Ford family. Maybe Weston will me me at first, but when time passes, he will know how the importance of marrying a woman of an equally reputable family. This is the road that the Ford heir should take.¡± Ste slowly gripped the inte. At that moment, she suddenly felt that Weston couldn¡®t possibly be so high and mighty all the time. There had to be an extremely saddening aspect in his life. In the eyes of the Fords, his feelings and will seemed to be something so easily sacrificed. The bted pain in her heart made her breathing roughen a little. But she swallowed the strange feeling nheless and asked him, ¡°I just need your assurance that this matter will not affect Roger and me...¡± ¡°I promise... ¡°As long as this wedding goes smoothly, the Cohens and the Fords will be tied togetherpletely. No matter the Cohens or me, we will forbid Weston from having anything to do with you Don¡¯t worry, E. You are free.¡± Several Aston Martins and Maybachs departed simultaneously. Several helicopters had even been deployed to circle Ahn City to ensure that the wedding would go smoothly even in a traffic jam.. In the meantime, the ship inched closer toward the shore. The bride, dressed in a white wedding dress, appeared on the deck. Then, holding up her skirt, she boarded another ferry. She moved gingerly as several people held her from the sides, fearing she would fall. The video was sent to the silver Maybach. Xavier, who was in the backseat, could not help but sneer.¡± You¡®ll be getting marriedter. Do you really have to watch her all the time? Don¡®t you get tired?¡± He simply couldn¡®t understand how a man could be so obsessed with a woman. He had seen so many beauties, but none was worthy enough for such an extent of devotion. The only one would be Daisy. But still, he would never turn himself into something like this. Weston ignored him. He was obviously in a good mood and did not want to argue with Xavier. He tapped on the screen with his slender fingers to zoom in. He seemed to try to get a better look at Ste, but the sea breeze was strong, and the video was a bit shaky. Moreover , Ste was not facing the camera, so he could only see her somewhat blurred back. Xavier leaned closer to him. ¡°What do you have to see here? The video is shaky. Can you see her face clearly?¡± After Xavier said that, he did not get a response for a long time. The next time he looked up, he noticed that Weston¡®s face had suddenly turned gloomy. His eyes were fixated at one point on the screen, and his aura was frighteningly cold; his dark eyes looked harded with frost. Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Xavier could not react to what happened. He only saw that the man¡®s face was as cold as ice with confusion. ¡°What¡®s wrong? What happened? Why do you look so sick?¡± Weston stared at the screen in silence. After a while, he said, ¡°Go to the pier immediately.¡± ¡°But there is another step before that. It will take about ten minutes or so...¡± ¡°I said, go now, don¡®t you understand?¡± Weston interrupted him with a stern voice. It did not look at all like a joke. Xavier sensed that something was not right. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± he demanded Weston still didn¡®t say a word. He rubbed his temples, and a momentter, he asked his subordinates to resend the surveince footage there. Now that the video was in high resolution, Ste¡®s back was clearly visible. Xavier, on the other hand, still failed to make anything out.¡° What exactly is happening?¡± As Weston was looking at it, he suddenly snapped the tablet in his hand, his face scrunched up in an ugly mess. The back of this woman was totally clean¨Che could not see the red hickeys at all. Last night, when they were at the peak, Weston identally left a small mark on Ste¡®s back, right on her shoulder de. The spot was subtle enough that it was notpletely exposed but notpletely covered up, either. Even Ste herself had not noticed the mark he had left on herst night. Weston felt something off the moment he saw the woman¡®s back. Now, the image in front of him confirmed his suspicions. The woman in the footage was not Ste. Meanwhile, on the other side. Ste had gotten changed and got onto a tiny boat. There was only one person driving the boat and three bodyguards that Warren had arranged for her. Perhaps the boat was only manned by a skeleton crew to avoid any untoward attention. The documents Warren prepared for her were in her hands. As long as she escaped this sea region, Weston would basically have no way to chase after her. Just like what Warren said, everything would be back on track. Just as she boarded the ship, Warren contacted Guinevere directly Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Guinevere, where are you now?¡± Guinevere, in a red dress, sat inside the Lincoln limousine, feeling a little nervous. She took a deep breath. ¡°I am on my way...¡± Warren said in a serious tone, ¡°Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Guinevere¡®s palms were a little sweaty. ¡°I also didn¡®t expect that Weston would still be willing to let me attend the wedding.¡± Her tone was full of gratitude, but also it also contained hatred and disbelief for Ste. Was she really running away from the wedding? Warren said, ¡°We have taken care of things on our side. She is now on another boat, so don¡®t worry. When the timees, we will join forces to pressure Weston. The wedding must go on, except that you¡®re his only option.¡± Guinevere was still a bit anxious. ¡°What if he is not willing to?¡± ¡°Child,¡± Warren continued, ¡°it is a good sign that he agreed to you attending the wedding. It means that he is not that heartless toward you. After all, you are Zack¡®s mother.¡± Upon speaking of this matter, her expression slowly rxed. She didn¡®t say anything and hung up the phone after a while. She tidied her dress and revealed a smile on her face. When Ste tried on the wedding dress, she was also doing the same thing. She did not have such a bold idea at first. She really just wanted to see with her own eyes what the wedding of the man she had been chasing after for half her life would look like. Chapter 907 Chapter 907 Chapter 907 But when she got to know from Warren that Ste would run away from the wedding, she felt both d and annoyed. She was d that she could finally rece her. She was annoyed that she could only follow Ste¡®s lead and pray that she¡®d receive a little alms or something she did not want. But none of that mattered anymore. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As long as she could marry Weston, she was willing to pay whatever it might cost her. After Mrs. Cohen sent her to the car, she got out. Though this was agreed upon, she knew it would lead to unfavorable criticism. The Cohens had given up on this marriage, but Guinevere was just too persistent. For the sake of saving face, they did not want her to see Weston anymore. However, she threw tantrums at home, crying and screaming, saying that she wanted to die. Her madness was too much for them to handle. Since she was going to turn herself into aughing stock, they might as well go along with it. At least they had Warren¡®s assurance, and there was a child between her and Weston. If Weston coulde to his senses and treat Guinevere right this time, they would be d to ept it. Who else could they me for having such a disappointing daughter? The car slowly rumbled through the road. It went through the gate of the Cohen Old Mansion and headed in the direction of Weston¡®s wedding reception ording to the nned route. At that moment, Weston should have almost arrived at the pier. Perhaps he had already found out that Ste had escaped the wedding. It was such an important asion, but she did such a thing. No man would ept such humiliation. He would surely not want her anymore. Guinevere¡®s heart was filled with joy and happiness. She had to let him know who the one who loved him the most was and the one that would never betray him! While she was immersed in happiness, suddenly... Bang!!! She was jolted by a loud bang from the front of the car. Unable to react in time, she was thrown forward violently and nearly hit the back of the front seat. ¡°Don¡®t you know how to drive!¡± She couldn¡®t help but snap at the chauffeur. ¡°What an idiot!¡± The chauffeur¡®s face turned white. ¡°Ms. Cohen, there was a truck in front...¡± Perhaps today was such a special day for Guinevere that she had be extremely anxious, fearing that something bad might happen. Hearing what the driver said, she became even angrier. ¡°If there is a truck in front, can¡®t you just go around it? Don¡®t you know how to handle such things after being a chauffeur for so many years?¡± ¡°No, Ms. Cohen, that truck seems to being for us...¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? That truck...¡± Before she could finish, there was another abrupt bang The car shook violently. Guinevere now understood what he meant. She looked at the huge truck in horror. ¡°Why did it suddenly hit US?¡± ¡°I have no idea...¡± The chauffeur was getting nervous. ¡°Could it be a drunk driver?¡± ¡°Get out of here quick! I have to get to the wedding. I can¡®t stop here!¡± Hearing that, the chauffeur hurriedly swerved onto anotherne. But Guinevere started shouting again. ¡°Where are you going? . That is not the way to the wedding venue!¡± ¡°But the truck is blocking the way. There is no way we can overtake it, so we can only make a detour...¡± ¡°In that case, can we get there in time?¡± ¡°Not sure. If there is no jam, we should get there in time.¡± The chauffeur, however, realized that he had spoken too soon once he made the detour. With all the limousines on that road, how could there be no congestion? Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Guinevere was only anxious at first, thinking that she would most likely not make it to the wedding. However, as she looked at the massive wedding reception, her heart couldn¡®t help but burn with jealousy. What was it about Ste that made Weston think so highly of her? Why? How was she inferior to Ste? ¡°Ms. Cohen, what should we do? The road in front of us is a gridlock...¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. Gritting her teeth, she suddenly said, ¡°Open the door! I want to get out!¡± The chauffeur was stunned, thinking that he had misheard. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, I want to get out of the car! Don¡®t you understand me?¡± ¡°But we are on the highway...¡± ¡°What else can we do if I don¡®t get out now? Do you want me to be stuck here and miss the wedding?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Are you opening the door or not? If you won¡®t, I¡®m jumping out of the car!¡± Guinevere threatened him. The chauffeur had no choice but to open the car door. Guinevere pushed open the door quickly and ran. She was very eye¨Ccatching because of the wedding dress. On the highway, the passengers in other cars also looked over. Some even recognized her. ¡°Isn¡®t she Guinevere?¡± ¡°It seems its her. Why is she running in a wedding dress on the highway?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. Isn¡®t the wedding of Weston and the woman called E or Ste today? Did I remember it wrong? Is Guinevere getting married?¡± ¡°It can¡®t be! They broke up in such an ugly state. It will be impossible for Guinevere to marry Weston...¡± ¡°Could it really be so simple? So many bizarre things have happened between them. Anything is possible.¡± ¡°You¡®re right.¡± A gossipy girl pulled out her phone and surfed the web. ¡°Hey, today is Weston and E¡®s wedding ! What is Guinevere doing wearing a wedding dress?¡± ¡°She can¡®t be trying to snatch the bridegroom, can she?¡± ¡°It¡®s possible!¡± ¡°But I think she is also getting married. Maybe she doesn¡®t want to give the impression that Weston abandoned her, and she immediately found a man?¡± For someone like Guinevere, she could get married anytime as ¡¤ long as she wanted it to happen. She did not need to worry about finding a man. But within such a short time, finding someone decent would be a tall order. It would be fine once some time had passed, but it was only a month after the previous incident. If Guinevere chose to get married at such a time, everyone would think that she was provoking Weston. In fact, nobody who wanted to save face would be willing to marry her at this time¨Cunless he was someone who wouldn¡®t bother about the criticism he was about to receive. Those who took pictures of her posted them online immediately. In no time, she started trending into the hot search. Many tried to guess who Guinevere would marry, but none could think of a person. (She can¡®t be marrying Weston, right?] [Impossible! I know someone in the circle. His friend showed off the wedding invitation card, which clearly stated Weston and E!) Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. (But it is possible. After all, Guinevere and Weston have a son?] [it¡®s possible. Rich people really know how to enjoy themselves!] There were some unusualments as well. [I hope their work will be as exciting as their lives.] [Maybe they can put their real¨Clife acting skills into their work.] : Soon, Guinevere¡®s fans started mocking thosements. (Guinevere has no acting skills ? Are you kidding me? You can always trust her acting!) [She is the youngest best actress, after all!) Someone asked, (Isn¡®t E an actress as well? Does anyone know about her acting skill? How does shepare to Guinevere?) [Didn¡®t they work together in a movie? I heard that it would be released in another two days. We will know after we watch it!] Unsurprisingly, the movie soon began appearing on trending searches as well. Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Bradley felt helpless when he read thements. The movie had already be so famous even before it was released. Now, investors from all over were trying to contact him. Although it might seem a positive thing, the truth was actually far from that. If the movie did not meet the audience¡®s expectations, it would probably backfire on them. Especially for E... Bradley was in a sweat about her. Today was a sunny day. Spring was officially over, and it was the first day of summer. Weston rushed to the pier at the cliff as fast as he could. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± He walked straight to the ship that Ste was supposed to be in,pletely disregarding the bystanders¡® greetings. The ¡°bride¡± was sitting in the cabin, and shocked by his early arrival; she turned away from him. ¨C ¡°Mr. F¨C Mr. Ford...¡± He walked straight up to her and turned her around. Sure enough, she was not Ste... ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± The woman quickly blocked her face. She paled with fear. ¡°I¡®m¡­ I¡®m sorry... I didn¡®t mean to do it!¡± She had done it for the money. If it weren¡®t, who else in their right mind would dare to take such a risk and trick Weston? It was just that she did not expect that it would be exposed so quickly. Didn¡®t Warren say that he would be here to protect her? Weston grabbed her wrist and stared at her with a gloomy face. His horrible expression made her shiver. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ford...¡± She nearly cried out of fear. The man had not said a word since he came in. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The force of his grip was about to crush her wrist. ¡°Who told you toe here?¡± he roared. After a while, he uttered, gritting his teeth. ¡°I am asking you. Who told you toe here? Who let you wear this wedding dress?¡± ¡°It¡®s ¡­ It¡®s Warren Ford. He asked me toe here, and Miss E agreed! ¡°She was the one who let me wear this wedding dress...¡± the girl begged in trepidation. Weston¡®s face darkened and he threw her to a side. Even though she was innocent, few people could bear his rage. ¡°You are asking for death,¡± Weston barked. ¡°I am very sorry, but Mr. Ford said he would give me good money Weston let out an incredulous chuckle. ¡°You said that E agreed? Where did she go?¡± ¡°l-I don¡®t know.¡± Without even waiting for him to torture her, the woman told him everything she knew. Clearly, she didn¡®t know where Ste had gone. ¡°I really don¡®t know. I have told you everything I know.¡± ¡°Let me ask you onest thing.¡± Weston had lost his patience. ¡°Be honest if you do not wish to die!¡± ¡°I really don¡®t know!¡± The woman was on the verge of crying. Suddenly, an old voice came from the doorway. ¡°Weston, don¡®t give her a hard time. It¡®s E¡®s own choice.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston let go of her hand, his face suddenly turning expressionless. ¡°It seems you know about this.¡± Warren stood at the door with a walking stick in his hand. Looking at Weston¡®s face, he sighed inwardly. He knew Weston best. The colder he looked, the greater his rage was. Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Chapter 910 The old man shuddered and walked up to him. ¡°Why bother? She doesn¡®t even want to be with you.¡± Weston took out a tissue and wiped his fingertips. He turned his back on Warren and did not even look at him. ¡°How would I know that she ran away because she didn¡®t want to marry me and not that someone forced her?¡± ¡°Who could force her if she was unwilling?¡± Warren smirked. Weston closed his eyes, his face grave. ¡°There were too many people who forced her.¡± As soon as he said that, his face suddenly became a bit sad.¡° Even I, too, have been forcing her.¡± Weston suddenly sensed the absurdity of the situation. From the very beginning, he had taken it upon himself to arrange everything for Ste. And she was indeed apetent actress. It really made him think that she had let go of the past and wanted to be with him properly. In fact, he should have noticed the signs long ago. Her petty tricks shouldn¡®t have been able to fool him. He was the one who wanted her too much. He opened his cold, hollow eyes. ¡°I just want to know one thing. What exactly did you tell her? Did you force her?¡± Until now, Weston was still making excuses for her. He even assumed that Warren had forced her to leave. If she really wanted to leave, it meant the sweet affection and tenderness she had disyed for so many days were nothing but lies. She had been lying to him. It was just to lower his guard and give him a hard blow on the wedding day N?velDrama.Org owns this text. This time, Weston looked surprisingly distressed ,pletely stripped of his sense of pride and aloofness. Warren wondered when was thest time he had seen him like this. He somehow felt sorry for him. He was, after all, his grandson. ¡°I did not force her. It was she who wanted to leave. Anyway, have you ever thought about it? She does not deserve you, as you are both not of the same world. Being together forcefully will not bring any good...¡± ¡°That¡®s not for you to decide.¡± Weston¡®s gaze zed with the mes of decisiveness. ¡°The person I want has to be mine.¡± Seeing how stubborn he was, Warren¡®s face turned gloomy. ¡°But she is gone now. What are you going to do about that? Are you going to bring her back? You can¡®t force a rtionship, Weston.¡± Weston looked at him coldly. ¡°I will.¡± Warren was stunned for a moment. Then, he flung his arm up and said, ¡°No matter what, this wedding must go on, no matter who the bride is!¡± Weston seemed to figure out what his grandfather had been meaning to do, and his face turned extremely distant. ¡°It seems like you have got a n.¡± ¡°You are a clever man. Do I need to spell it out? ¡°Guinevere should be on her way now. She¡®s been preparing herself to marry you. I hope you¡®re smart enough to know who you should choose.¡± Weston did not seem surprised by this. ¡°It will also depend on her capability of making it to the wedding.¡± Warren suddenly sensed something and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Are you...¡± Weston turned around and left without saying a thing with a stoic face. Everything had gone ording to n, but the only thing which was out of his expectation was that Ste was no longer willing to marry him. In the ship. Ste did not have a phone. To prevent Weston from locating her coordination, she removed everything that might have a GPS tracker in advance. With only the sound of the seawater beating against the boat in her ears, she waspletely oblivious as to what was going on at the wedding. She sat in the cabin, looking out at the surface of the sea through a small window. Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Warren had told her that she would bepletely free from Weston¡®s grasp in a few hours. She could finally be free. Everything was calm on the sea. It was a good day for sailing. If nothing went wrong, Weston should have met up with Guinevere by now. He should¡®ve discovered her disappearance half an hour ago, and since the wedding rituals could not be dyed, perhaps they had already stepped into the church, hand in hand. The wedding hall was on a cliff, and she had been there a few times for rehearsal, but there was no more chance to say the solemn vow. Ste closed her eyes. She felt sleepy as she listened to the sound of the waves crashing in the wind. She got little restst night and had a thick foundation applied to her face to mask the dark circles under her eyes. The makeup artist previously said that she did not need much makeup, but since the dark circles had to be covered up, she put on some anyway. The only thing was that her hair was tied into a wedding bun to suit the wedding dress, and it looked very awkward with her casual attire. Later, when she got to the shore, she would meet with someone who would prepare some essential electronic devices for her. When she got there, she would go straight to Compassvale and rendezvous with Roger before heading to another small city. There, they would hide for a while until Weston¡®s anger subsided. When that was over, she could finally live the life she wanted once and for all., N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She leaned against the swaying hull. It was a long nightst night, and she was sleepy. She yawned and waited patiently for time to pass. Suddenly, there was a squeaking from the front. A strange sound wasing from the bow of the boat, Ste looked up, worried that things might go wrong. After a while, noisy footsteps approached her and stopped at the cabin door. The bodyguard apanying her shouted, ¡®¡®There is a patrolling fishing boat ahead. We may stop for a while.¡± Ste opened her eyes. ¡°There shouldn¡®t be problems, right?¡± ¡°No. This happens often. We have crossed those waters, and there shouldn¡®t be anyoneing after us.¡± Ste was then relieved. She estimated the time and nned to walk out of the cabin. The ship suddenly swayed a few times violently The rumbling of the engine was deafening. The moment she wanted to ask what had happened, the boat suddenly dipped as if bearing the weight of a few extra people. Unlike the earliermotion, the footsteps were louder and more urgent this time. ¡°Who are you people?¡± ¡°Wait! This is a civilian boat! What do you want?¡± ¡°Run!¡± It was thest word she heard before the sound of kicking and punching filled the air. The ship was in chaos. A bad feeling began to emerge in her heart as she listened to the thumping on the deck. She hurriedly stood up and looked for the life raft, attempting to escape the cabin. The boat was rocking so violently that no one came to the cabin, no matter how rowdy it was overhead. Before she could do anything, the tap of leather shoes came steadily her way, one after another, as if stepping on her heart and causing her to hold her breath involuntarily. Only a little light came in from the narrow hatchway at first. In the next second, a tall figure emerged. The man blocked out all the light, his gaze sweeping over the cabin¡®s inhabitants. Ste was frozen solid. Stunned, she watched as he slowly dimmed the light in front of her, one crushing step after another. ¡°Ste, where else do you n to escape to?¡± Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Chapter 912 A clear voice that reeked with an oppressive aura and gut wrenching sharpness sounded from above her head. Perhaps it was the stiff atmosphere that they were both eerily calm, like a thread stretched so thin it could snap at any moment. Ste looked up and saw a man in a suit standing at the cabin door. His hand gripped the door frame, and his bony fingers vaguely showed his bulging blue veins. He was so tall that he blocked out all the light, leaving only a long shadow on the floor. It was a shadow that almost engulfed her entire body. Ste clenched her fists slowly, and her lips turned white. She could not utter a single word. The sound of heavy footsteps thumped toward her. And then he stood in front of her. The familiar oppressive aura that loomed above her head began to hit her. She started to tremble but was swept into a pine¨Cscented embrace before she knew it. Weston was not someone who fancied cologne, but since it was their wedding today, he had changed his scent to suit the theme of the wedding. Ste had personally picked it out for him. Hence, she thought he would question and punish her, but unexpectedly, his first reaction was to hug her. But his force was so powerful her arms hurt a little. Ste closed her eyes and bit her lower lip without making a sound. To say that Weston was terrifying in his current form was an understatement. Perhaps his expressionless was a sign of his inconsble rage. Not even daring to plead, all she could do was await his pronouncement ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is there nothing you want to say to me?¡± he whispered into her ear after a while. Ste finally lost all control of herself and began trembling uncontrobly. She closed her eyes, and her forehead was covered with sweat.¡° I¡®m sorry...¡± In the end, she said this with a husky voice. Weston suddenly let go of her and pinched her chin. ¡°Is sorry the only thing you want to say to me?¡± Ste closed her eyes and turned her head, wanting to break free from his control. Weston would surely not let her have her way. He pinned her against the bulkhead with some force and took up the space between her legs with his knee. ¡°Give me a good reason while I am still willing to talk to you nicely.¡± ¡°What reason?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Why did you run away?¡± The woman took a deep breath. ¡°There is no reason...¡± What else could she be running away for? She didn¡®t want to marry him or be with him. She wanted to run away from him, never to see him again. She hated him to the core and failed to squeeze even an ounce of love for him. There were so many reasons, but none of which he was willing to ept His eyes were suddenly tinted with redness. He buried his calloused fingers in her skin, hurting her a little. ¡°You sure are cruel.¡± Then, his hand slowly descended and grabbed her neck. Her neck was so fragile it felt as though it would break with just a single squeeze. Ste felt his touch move and stop at her rolling throat. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. For a moment, she thought this man would choke her to death. ¡°Do you really think I won¡®t do anything to you?¡± Ste gulped. She looked at him with a constricted throat, unable to produce a word. Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Weston¡®srge palm slowly tightened as he looked into her eyes. ¡°Do you really think you won¡®t have to pay for running away on the wedding day?¡± Ste spoke, trembling slightly, ¡°What price do you want me to pay?¡± At this point, she was unexpectedly calm. It wasn¡®t like she hadn¡®t thought about the consequences , but she never expected him to find her in such a short period of time. But even in that short period, the wedding had already begun. She never expected him toe to find her, regardless of the wedding. The more she pretended she was calm, the angrier he became. ¡°Where are you going to escape to? Abroad? Then, you¡®ll go find Roger?¡± Weston seemed to have everything under control. ¡°Do you think you can find him in Compassvale?¡± Her eyes widened suddenly, and she livened up a little. ¡°What do you mean? What did you do to him?!¡± He sneered, and with eyes filled with mockery, he said, ¡°Don¡®t think I don¡®t know the rtionship between you and him.¡± He lowered his voice, and it resounded in her ear. ¡°He¡®s not your brother, and he thinks of you in such a way... ¡°Ste, do you think I¡®m a fool and know nothing?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± She pushed him away, but he didn¡®t budge. So, she took a few steps back, her breathing suddenly bing disordered. ¡°Who told you that? There¡®s no such thing...¡± ¡°Stop lying.¡± Weston rubbed the corner of his mouth with his finger and stared at her intently. ¡°You know I have the power to make him disappear. ¡°I did all these myself and wanted to run away on my own. Don¡®t involve the innocent. He doesn¡®t know anything!¡± Finally, Ste was disying some emotion. Previously, she nned to let him do whatever he wanted to her even if she got caught. But just now, he said that Roger was still in the country... He was in Weston¡®s hands. He didn¡®t even go back to Compassvale. Realizing this made her lose all her cool. ¡°Just as I thought. Only he could make you this emotional.¡± Instead of being angry, a smile appeared on his face as he walked up to her slowly. ¡°In your heart, has he always been more important than me?¡± Weston towered over her, looking even more perfect than usual. His jet¨Cck hair was slicked back neatly, revealing a smooth forehead, a sharp nose, and an overpowering aura. At this time, he looked even more mature and attractive than he usually did. ¡°The more you worry about him, the more I want something to happen to him. What should I do?¡± The gentle beast had lifted its tender appearance, gradually revealing its tapered fangs. Since they had been getting along so well, Ste almost forgot how cruel Weston used to be. He had always been merciless, coercing cooperation out of people instead of going against him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She should have known long ago that his gentleness was merely an act. Her eyes softened, pleading, as she begged. ¡°Don¡®t hurt him, I beg you...¡± The man¡®s eyes suddenly trembled and narrowed dangerously. He never expected Ste¡®s first time begging him would be under such circumstances. ¡°You¡®re begging me for him?¡± Weston tore off the bow tie and tied it to her wrist, and his eyes darkened slightly. ¡°You really know how to provoke me.¡± Ste pursed her lips and took a deep breath. ¡°I know I¡®m in no position to negotiate with you, but I will do whatever you want if you don¡®t hurt him.¡± ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Weston said slowly. ¡°Then, hurt me too.¡± She was pale, but she still smiled. ¡°I¡®ll have nothing to lose if Roger is gone.¡± Chapter 914 Chapter 914 Chapter 914 It was windy out at sea. Even on a clear, sunny day, the deck still felt a little chilly. On the narrow deck, bodyguards dressed in ck stood in a row, surrounding the entire ship, making any attempt of escape impossible. Mr. Ford had only sent a few bodyguards over, so naturally, he couldn¡®t match so many people. Inside the ship were all Weston¡®s subordinates, and the whole ship was under his control. Everyone was waiting on the board, only to see a tall and handsome man walking out of the cabin with a woman in his arms. The scorching sun only entuated the man¡®s facial features even more, though the look on his face was as cold as ice. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Ste pressed her face tightly against his chest. It wasn¡®t that she wanted to be held like this, but he wasn¡®t letting her walk away. Sensing her squirmy movements, the man scolded in a low voice, ¡°Be good.¡± He obviously didn¡®t have the tenderness he had towards her before, as if he had returned to the state they were in when they got married before. He was speaking to her with cold and harsh words. Without a word, Ste let the man wrap her in a suit jacket and strode onto another boat. No bystanders dared to make a sound. They all pretended they didn¡®t see the scene in front of them. They were all Weston¡®s men, so naturally, they won¡®t say a word for her. Perhaps they thought she was a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing woman who ran away on her wedding day, what more when the groom was as incredible as Weston! Very few had the chance to get such an opportunity. Ste lowered her eyes without any expression on her face. After getting onto another boat, they immediately returned to the original direction. Weston nced at the time and said lightly, ¡°Did you think that I wouldn¡®t havee for you just because the wedding¡¯s started??¡± Ste said nothing and merely pursed her lips. He put her on the leather sofa, and the white side of the boat blocked the scene outside. There were only two of them in this area, and he could do anything to her without being seen. Realizing this, Ste felt a little ufortable. ¡°What are you going to do with me?¡± she asked ufortably. Seeing that she was looking down at her toes, Weston tidied up the folds of her cuffs and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Still, she remained silent and refused to answer. He suddenly let go and lifted her chin. ¡°Tell me the truth, are you nning to elope with Roger today?¡± Ste frowned suddenly and pried his hand away. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?! We¡®re... She seemed unable toplete her sentence. Even if Roger had clearly expressed his dark and deviant thoughts to her, he had always been family in her eyes. So, whether it was Roger or Weston, saying such words made her feel extremely disgusted. Pushed away, Weston sneered. ¡°I know you both are not actual siblings. What else do you have to say?¡± Ste pursed her lips tightly, her face gloomy. ¡°I know I shouldn¡®t have run from the wedding, but there is nothing between us besides being family. I only see him as my rtive. Please don¡®t say that again. It¡®s disgusting!¡± The word ¡°disgusting¡± seemed familiar to Weston. ¡°I believe you¡®ve used these words to describe me before.¡± He walked up to her, squatted down, and made her look at him. She sat on the sofa and looked into the man¡®s deep inky eyes. ¡± Please, Weston. Put an end to this. Stop torturing me.¡± Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Chapter 915 She had said it as calmly as she could, but it only served to make Weston¡®s blood surge, as he felt waves rolling in his chest. How could she be so calm? After abandoning everything he gave her, she had the audacity to utter such words. Did she even know how angry he was right now? ¡°I¡®ve been too kind to you. ¡°You forgot what kind of person I am,¡± Weston went on. Ste smiled, but her eyes were devoid of light. ¡°It¡®s because I know what kind of person you are that...¡± That she chose to run... that she chose to leave him. But she didn¡®t say it aloud, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. Instead, she grabbed his wrist. ¡°You can do whatever you want. Just don¡¯t involve the innocent.¡± ¡°Innocent?¡± He lowered his head and looked at where she was holding him, yet there were no emotions behind those eyes. ¡°In my eyes, Roger isn¡®t innocent.¡± Suddenly, he ced his hand on the back of her hand. Ste¡®s eyes trembled, anticipating his next move. However, Weston pulled her hand off and in a sharp voice, said, ¡°He has such thoughts for you. Do you think I can still tolerate him?¡± ¡°No!¡± Her eyes widened suddenly, and she cried emotionally,¡° Please don¡®t do this to me...¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Tears began to pool around her eyes. Weston, however, was unmoved. He reached out and touched her eyes instead. ¡°You just begged me again for the same man.¡± ¡°I really only consider him a part of my family, and I promise you I won¡®t contact him in any way in the future...¡± ¡°He already has his own life now, and I don¡®t need to take care of him like I used to. Just let him go, okay?¡± she continued to plead her case. Weston looked at Ste, who was on the edge of crying, and felt mixed emotions. He was mainly annoyed that he was feeling something unknown. He didn¡®t know whether it was jealousy or hatred. As he looked at the tears pooling around her eyes, about to break into a massive bawl, he immediately covered them with his hand. ¡°Don¡®t cry. This trick doesn¡®t work on me anymore.¡± As soon as he finished, he felt his palms bing wet. Ste closed her eyes, and warm tears fell in the palm of his hand. After a while, he clenched his fists and stood up. ¡°If you don¡®t want me to deal with him, you¨C¡± His countenance turning hard and stony, he said, ¡°Show me your sincerity and please me.¡± Ste took a deep breath and at him firmly. ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°You have no right to negotiate conditions with me now.¡± Weston pinned her messy hair behind her ears and rubbed her cheeks carefully. ¡°The wedding is not over yet. You still have half an hour to show your sincerity. After we dock, the wedding will continue.¡± His eyes were fixed on her as he spoke, attempting to unravel whatever trick she might be hiding up her sleeve. Under his gaze, Ste pursed the corner of her mouth, her face as white as a sheet. She then stood up slowly, and squatted down in front of him. Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Weston didn¡®t seem to think she would act like this and was slightly surprised. But he didn¡®t show it on his face. Instead, he continued to look at her, curious to see what she would do next. Ste¡®s movements were prolonged, and she seemed to be a little hesitant. She nced in the direction outside the cabin, worried that those people woulde in. Seemingly seeing her thoughts, He said casually, ¡°Without my orders, they won¡®te in.¡± She pursed her lips for a while and continued what she was doing. She put her hand on the buckle of the man¡®s belt; the metallic sheen reflecting the horrible state her face was in. The well-tailored trousers wrapped around his long legs with smooth muscle lines. Ste knew what the beast looked like under the trousers and that this position would weaken her. Weston fixed his gaze on her without saying a word. With asional pauses, she unfastened his belt awkwardly. She had done it before, but her movements were clumsy and jerky. Apparently, she hadn¡®t made much progress. He could still feel the slight tremor of her fingers. The man¡®s eyes became darker and darker, brewing with emotions none could understand. Ste took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She slowly kneeled in front of him, doing things he hadn¡®t let her do before. Now, his eyes showed no intention of stopping her. He lowered his gaze and looked at her¨Chow she seemed to be struggling, and how she was choking. Yet, he felt nothing. He even grabbed the back of her head and pushed her harder. As his long fingers held her hair, the veins between his fingers bulged as he pulled her hair, causing her scalp to hurt a little. The corners of Ste¡®s eyes were still crimson, and they had be redder. Tears were flowing, yet there was no escape. After an unknown time, the people outside the cabin held their breaths as they heard the woman whimpering inside. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to react. It was better not to say a word. They turned their backs around and kept their gazes straight. asionally, they heard retching sounds from inside, but they acted as if nothing had happened. Though there were a few shameless people who were already blushing. After half an hour. The ship finally docked. The bodyguards stood in a row, guarding both sides of the passage. Ste was picked up by the man again and walked out. The suit jacket still covered her from before, so no one could see her messy and flustered face under the coat. Mr. Ford¡®s men came forward just as they reached the shore. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Mr. Weston, the chairman is asking for you now!¡± Considering they were using the title ¡°chairman¡°, it indicated that Warren was furious. Weston didn¡®t stop though. ¡°Whatever it is, just wait until the wedding is over.¡± ¡°The chairman asks you toe over now!¡± He continued moving forward. Seeing that, the man was about to stand in front of him, but when Weston¡®s cold gaze swept across him, he immediately froze in ce. ¡°Go away.¡± He spat out the words coldly. Shocked by the powerful aura around him, the man shut his mouth and didn¡®t dare to go forward. By the time he came to his senses, Weston had already taken Ste and strode away. Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Along the way, throngs of reporters had holed themselves up in various spots, waiting to pounce on the couple. ¡°Mr. Ford, will the wedding continue?¡± ¡°Who are you marrying? E or Guinevere?¡± ¡°Who¡®s the woman in your arms?¡± Another reporter came up, asking, ¡°Are you holding Ms. E?¡± ¡°A correspondent saw Guinevere wearing a wedding dress, waiting in the auditorium. May I ask which woman you¡®re supposed to marry?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Some from the inner circle have revealed that on the wedding invitation, Ms. E¡®s name was written. So why did Ms. Guinevere appear in the auditorium wearing a wedding dress?¡± At the barrage of interrogative questions, Ste¡®s eyes quickly darkened. She never regretted running away. Even if she didn¡®t run away, she would¡®ve faced such humiliation anyway. When Weston agreed that Guinevere woulde to the wedding, she should have expected such a scene. Waiting for him in the auditorium wearing a wedding dress? It was ridiculous to think about it. At this time, she was tightly wrapped in a suit and leaned against his chest, unable to see the man¡®s instantly chilling eyes and the cold aura around his body. Ice¨Cde¨Clike eyes swept over the reporter just now. ¡°What did you say?¡± The reporter was taken aback by his look. But in the spirit of professionalism, he still bit the bullet and questioned back, ¡°At the previous engagement banquet, didn¡®t the love triangle between you, E and Guineveree to an end? Who does your heart belong to now?¡± A bold reporter rushed in and asked, ¡°Do you want to hold a three¨Cperson wedding and bring these two beauties home openly and honestly?¡± This question can be described as earth¨Cshattering. Although in such a wealthy circle, it was normal for a man of this status to have several wives, and it wasn¡®t a problem to even have them at the same time, as long as they didn¡®t talk about it openly. But now that there were so many reporters, such a problem was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire, As predicted. Weston stopped. The coldness on his face seemed to be able to freeze people. He swept his gaze over the reporter. Initially, others thought that he would ask his bodyguard to throw him out, but they never expected that he would say word by word to the camera of that person. ¡°From the past to the present, I have only married one person, and her name is Ste.¡± He stopped calling her E. Since neither Ste nor E would forgive him, he would trap her by his side. She could be herself. She was Ste. Whether she hates him, she can only be his in this life. At the wedding. When Weston appeared holding Ste, it attracted the attention of the audience. Ignoring those strange eyes, he directly carried her into the dressing room. ¡°Come here and help her put on makeup and bring the spare dress that I prepared earlier.¡± The makeup artist and the customer were stunned in ce, and when they heard the words, they moved quickly. ¡°Okay, Mr. Ford...¡± They sort of knew what was going on. It seemed that Ste had run away. But now wasn¡®t the time to gossip, the most important thing was the wedding. The makeup artist took a step forward and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, give us your wife first. The makeup should be all off. We need to her put it on again...¡± He ignored her and stepped into the room. He put Ste down. Ste took the initiative to stand up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out to touch up my makeup...¡± Weston pulled her back instantly, nced at the white stains on her face and said, ¡°Go look in the mirror yourself, do you want others to see you like this?¡± Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Ste was stunned for a moment. She sat in front of the mirror and blushed. ¡°You...¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She quickly took out a few tissues and wiped off the marks on the corners of her mouth. ¡°Why didn¡®t you say anything?¡± She had had the thing on her face from the cabin to the wedding ceremony. Weston nced at her lightly. ¡°Why did you think I covered you with a coat?¡± Ste threw the tissue away and drew a few new ones. ¡°You should remind me...¡± He stood before her, bent down, took the wet tissue in her hand, and lifted her chin. ¡°Don¡®t move.¡± She could only raise her face and let him wipe it. It was finally wiped off, but a lingering musk seemed to remain on her. It was a mix of faint hymenanthera and a fishy smell. ¡°I¡®ll get the makeup artist to touch up my face a little...¡± She narrowed her brows and wanted to stand up but was pushed back by Weston. ¡°Let here in and do it for you.¡± At the wedding ceremony. Guinevere was blocked at the door. She looked at the guests inside and shouted to the bodyguard at the door, ¡°Let me in!¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry. Mr. Ford¡®s orders.¡± ¡°I have an invitation! Why won¡®t you let me in?¡± Being a little overemotional, she attracted everyone¡®s attention in her white wedding dress. ¡°Is that Guinevere?¡± ¡°She really came here in a wedding dress...¡± Ben came over quickly. ¡°Miss Cohen, I¡®m sorry. Please don¡®t make it difficult for us.¡± He spoke politely, but his expression was icy. ¡°If you refuse to go on your own. Things might get ugly if we are forced to do it.¡± The man represented Weston¡®s orders. Of course, she understood, but she still refused to ept reality. ¡°He agreed to let mee to the wedding. Why won¡®t he let me in?¡± Ben felt a headacheing on. Why was she so ridiculous? To think that he used to think she was a goddess... she now appeared more like a lunatic. ¡°You came to someone else¡®s wedding in a wedding dress? Aren¡®t you deliberately causing a scene? Don¡®t think that we¡®re fools!¡± With that, he turned to look at the bodyguards around him. The men immediately stepped forward and surrounded Guinevere. She took two steps back, and that was when she twisted her ankle and almost fell to the ground. But she held onto the flower basket beside her and stood up reluctantly. ¡°I don¡®t care; whatever I wear is my freedom. So what if it¡®s a wedding dress? Since I have an invitation, you have to let me in!¡± Having walked from the highway step by step, her heels had long been worn out, and blood was oozing from her feet, making her look extremely bad. Ben saw her appearance and sighed. ¡°Since you¡®re so stubborn, don¡®t me us...¡± Having said that, he instructed his bodyguards to throw her out.¡± Get her out of here!¡± ¡°I¡®ll see who dares to touch her!¡± Warren shouted and walked tremblingly from the side, leaning on his crutch. ¡°She is the bride of the day. How dare you do anything to her?¡± Ben immediately stood up straight. ¡°Chairman...¡± Warren red at him. ¡°Where¡®s your master?¡± Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Chapter 919 The name sounded offensive. Ben frowned. ¡°Mr. Ford is at the wedding with his wife. I will handle these small matters.¡± ¡°What a good dog, very loyal!¡± Warren spoke without the slightest sympathy , and his crutch rattled on the ground. ¡°Don¡®t you forget who owns thepany now? I haven¡®t died, nor have I abdicated yet. How dare you disobey me?!¡± Ben lowered his head but had no intention of retreating, standing firmly in front of him. Warren was on the edge of losing his patience as he shouted, ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Sorry, Chairman, you can go in, but she can¡¯t.¡± Adamant about not letting Guinevere in, Ben gave him no room for negotiation. ¡°This is Mr. Ford¡®s order!¡± He was at fault for letting Guinevere appear at the wedding If he couldn¡®t even aplish the task that Weston gave him, his title as the chief assistant would might as well be invalid. Thanks to the backup n, the wedding was able to continue. Ste¡®s wedding dress had been given to her body double, so she naturally couldn¡®t use it. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Owing to that, the makeup artist immediately took out another ocean blue wedding dress. The dress, mainly white in color with a hint of blue, had pearls embellished around the tail of the dress. It was also decorated with diamonds, making it an unimaginably costly piece. After being captured by Weston from the boat, Ste had be very calm. She looked at the wedding dress on the shelf and said to Weston, ¡°I¡®ll change my dress and then touch up my makeup...¡± He grunted but did not move. Ste pursed her lips awkwardly. ¡°Can you turn around?¡± The man¡®s cold eyes swept over her. ¡°I¡®ve seen every inch of your body. Just change here.¡± She paused but did not nod. It wasn¡®t that she was trying to make a scene. They had done everything, and changing in front of him meant nothing. However, the makeup artist and costume designer were also standing there. He was only embarrassing her by saying those things. The two immediately understood the situation. ¡°Then we¡®ll go out first...¡± The makeup artist put away the tools on the table , but the designer reminded them of something. ¡°It takes a little effort to put on this skirt, and the ribbons at the back must be tied one by one...¡± She then gave Weston a few precautions. ¡°Mr. Ford, please, help your wife put it on, and we wille in later. Weston didn¡®t reply. Instead, he walked towards Ste with the gown and nced at the short¨Csleeved shirt and sweatpants she had put on for an unhindered escape. ¡°Why are you standing still? You want me to take them off for you?¡± Ste moved a bit, then raised her hand and took off her clothes. She tore off theces of her sweatpants and slowly pulled them off. Behind her was a huge floor¨Cto-ceiling mirror, which clearly reflected her entire body. He stood there, watching her as she took piece by piece off. The red marks on her back clearly reflected off the mirror. The man suddenly walked over, pressed her against the mirror, leaned over, and lowered his eyes. With the tip of his nose pressed against the red patch, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°From today, I won¡®t let you leave my sight even for half a step.¡± He watched Ste changing with unwavering eyes, staying by her side the entire time, no matter what she did. She turned her back to him and felt the warmth of his breath sprayed onto her skin, causing her to shudder. She could already feel his oppression along with his pervasive desire for control. Under his great oppression, she could barely breathe. Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Chapter 920 A possessive man by nature, Weston was now more possessive of her than ever. Ste merely kept quiet and pulled up her hair. Her hair was in a mess, no thanks to all that running and the favor she did him earlier. Weston took the wedding dress from the shelf next to her, held her waist, and helped her put it on. The tailor¨Cmade wedding dress perfectlyplemented her figure. He was stunned the moment she put it on. He turned her around and asked her to look in the mirror. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Look at how beautiful you are.¡± She didn¡®t say a word. Seeing this, he pinched her cheek and lifted her head, and looked at her in the mirror. ¡°If you run away today, you won¡®t be able to see yourself like this.¡± He had spoken calmly, yet, she could feel the mixed emotion and anger in his tone. It was as if his anger had reached its peak, but it was suppressed and turned into other emotions that were so deep it suffocated her. ¡°Weston...¡± She finally spoke, her voice a little weak, ¡°I...¡± The man stared at her fixedly. ¡°If there is anything else you want to say, it¡®s better to say it now. We¡®ll go up and take the oathter. There¡®s not that much time left for you.¡± Saying that, he turned his head and kissed her on the cheek, but there was no warmth in his eyes. ¡°Remember this. You¡®ll have no freedom in the future. You¡®ll only have me.¡± Ste closed her eyes as her eyshes trembled violently. Her face now as pale as a sheet, the makeup failed to cover her fragile state. After a long while, she shook her head. ¡°...I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Sure?¡± A sneer appeared on Weston¡®s face. He suddenly tore off his tie, brought her wrists together, and tied them firmly. Instantly her eyes widened, and panic surged into her heart. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± She watched in horror as he wrapped the tie around her hands. Without the slightest gap, she couldn¡®t struggle free. ¡°Are you crazy!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Ste shrieked, struggling hard to free herself. He squatted in front of her, lifted her skirt, and lifted her ankle in his palm. Not knowing what he would do, she subconsciously pulled her foot away. But he held her in his iron grip. His palm was so hot that it made her feel ufortable.¡± Weston, you...¡± ¡°Don¡®t move,¡± the man warned in a low voice. He held her feet and took out a pair of shackles from nowhere. She was stunned for a moment, thinking she had seen it wrong. ¡°What on earth are you trying to do?!¡± He mped her ankles hard and cuffed them on her. A crisp noise sounded. She felt a chill on her skin. ¡°You cuffed me?¡± ¡°I¡®m not your prisoner. Why handcuff me?¡± She quickly retracted her foot. Only then did it be clear that these were not shackles but chain ¨C like shackles. It seemed they had been specially designed and was used for decoration. But there was a tiny lock on it, and a thin chain was strung together between the two feet. As it dragged on the ground, it gave off a sound that sounded like a warning. It sounded pleasant yet cruel. Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Weston stood up. ¡°It doesn¡®t affect your walking, but you can¡®t run either.¡± Ste merely stared at the pair of things on her feet. ¡°It doesn¡®t affect walking...¡± But she felt no different from a felon. Indeed, she could walk but there was no way she could run or jump. ¡°Aren¡®t you afraid that people will see this andugh at you?¡± Ste smiled bitterly. He lifted her chin, gazed into her eyes, and said, ¡°Do you think I care what they think?¡± She stared at him nkly. ¡°You can only use these means to tie me to your side. Is that really what you want?¡± ¡°All I want is you.¡± The man raised his hand, and his long, well¨Cdefined fingers slid across her cheek. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter what it means. The important thing is, even if I need to use shackles , restraints, or even a cage, I will do it without hesitation to make you stay by my side.¡± Ste¡®s face had almost turned green. ¡°Cage? What do you think I am? A canary?¡± Ironically, heughed at this. His eyes seemed to have a little love in them, but his tone was extremely dangerous. ¡°A canary is much better than you are cause it won¡®t escape like you.¡± Hearing this, she slowly closed her eyes. It was a gesture ofpromise , a gesture that meant she was allowing him to dictate her. Only then did he let go of her and call the makeup artist After the two makeup artists came in, they didn¡®t dare to look at the scene inside. They just put on makeup for Ste and said nothing else. They could tell how sour Weston¡®s mood was. The atmosphere was very solemn. When everything was in order, the emcee outside began to move things along. The wedding had been dyed for a long time, but none of the guests dared toin. They were all waiting for the bride and groom to appear. The lights shed on the door. When the music of the wedding march sounded, everyone saw the couple walking out. They all widened their eyes and took in a breath of cold air Because they were looking at a bride bounded by a tie! The groom led her forward as if he was her master. Ste had no elders who could lead her on the red carpet. So, from beginning to end, Weston was by her side. She didn¡®t know why he chose to bind her. After all, in the eyes of the public, there was no other way she could escape. Perhaps he just wanted to punish her, to let everyone see that she was by his side, and that any attempts of escape would be futile. ¡°Why is E bounded?¡± ¡°You didn¡®t know?¡± The guests were all waiting here just now, so they didn¡®t know what was happening outside. ¡°It seems that Ste ran away and was caught halfway!¡± ¡°Really? How¡®s that possible!¡± ¡°It¡®s true. You see, it¡®s all over the inte...¡± A fervent whisper began to rumble among the crowd, but silence soon ensued again. After all, it was a wedding, and they could only hold back even if burning questions loomed in their hearts. Xavier and Daisy also woreplicated expressions as they sat in their guest seats, especially Daisy, who was confused. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± she asked. Why did Weston tie Ste? Xavier smiled sarcastically. ¡°Weston haspletely nted himself in this woman¡®s hands. Just wait and see. He will regret it.¡± Hearing this, Daisy felt slightly ufortable , but she didn¡®t show it. The emcee was surprised to see that the newlyweds had already stepped onto the stage. He had hosted many weddings before , but this was his first time hosting a wedding with a tied¨Cup bride. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Chapter 922 The emcee carried out his tasks in an orderly manner nheless. Ste stood beside Weston motionless, listening to the noise. Her heart was cold, though. The buzzing noise in her ear made her couldn¡®t hear clearly The priest invited spoke fluently. Those marriage vows only heard on TV were now in her ears. He asked her, ¡°Ste, whether you are rich or poor, old or sick, are you willing to marry the gentleman in front of you and let him be your husband?¡± Her heart trembled, and she lowered her eyes. Weston looked down at her, suddenly stretched out his hand and sped her fingers tightly. She took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°I do.¡± The next second, she felt the strength in her hand increase. The man pressed his fingertips on the back of her hand, almost crushing her bones. The priest turned to Weston. ¡°Weston, regardless of poverty, wealth , life, old age, sickness or death , would you like to marry the youngdy in front of you?¡± ¡°Never give up, love her, take care of her, love her forever?¡± Despite the emptiness in her heart, Ste raised her head and looked at the man in front of her. He, too, was gazing into her eyes as he said, ¡°I do.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Apuse rang. The priest, a grey¨Cbearded old man with a kind face, stood under the holy cross as he gave his blessings to them. ¡°I now pronounce you man and wife. From now, you will be together through thick and thin and will be each other¡®s lifelong partners.¡± Ste was in a trance as she heard the announcement. A lifetime. It sounded like a very distant word. It meant she wouldn¡®t have any choice in her life after this. She could only stay by his side. As Weston said, it would be until he got tired of her. There was prolonged apuse from the audience. Even though they had a million questions, their well wishes were from the bottom of their hearts as they witnessed this moment. Perhaps that was the fascinating thing about love. People usually heard how it was described, but few saw its true face. Some thought that love was fake, and some believed it was just a fabricated lie where it was all in the moment¡®s rush where a man and a woman yearned for each other. There was no eternal love in this world, but true love existed in every fleeting moment. It was sometimes dirty, ugly, persecuting, deceitful, scarring, and sometimes full of holes. But there would be a moment when people would see the light between two individuals. Their bodies seemed to shimmer with light whenever they proimed their eternal oath. For love, one was willing to risk it all, no matter when or where. They were both newlyweds who had voluntarily became man and wife. Guinevere was utterly embarrassed. She couldn¡®t even get inside. Next to her, Ben and a group of bodyguards surrounded her and Warren. They didn¡®t have any chance to make trouble , but they could watch the live broadcast on the big screen. Warren¡®s face was ashen as there was nothing he could do. The n he had today had all gone to waste. He suddenly realized that Weston hadn¡®t listened to him at all. Chapter 923 Chapter 923 Chapter 923 He could no longer control Weston. The man had a mind of his own. ¡°Married... he¡®s getting married...¡± Guinevere stumbled backward, tears welling up in her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°I wore a wedding gown, excitedly waiting to marry him. Yet now, I¡®m sitting here seeing him marry another woman...¡± It had been her lifelong dream to marry Weston Ford. Ever since shended her eyes upon Weston, she had fantasized about this day, where he would hold her hand and walk down the red¨Ccarpeted aisle. Her father would give him her hand in marriage, and Weston would swear before the priest that he would take care of her forever and be her partner for life. Yet, her dream was now about to go to another woman. The fragrant , fresh flowers, the billowy wedding gown, and all the apuse were supposed to be hers. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yet, now, she was a mere outsider who couldn¡®t even enter the doors of this grand wedding. She could only stand outside and witness them exchanging their vows. Like a clown. The tears that streamed down her cheeks smudged all the makeup on her face. Guinevere finally sobbed out loud. ¡°Why are you doing this to me¡­ why...¡± She was goingpletely insane. Her racking sobs got so loud that they alerted the guests inside. In the family aisle, Wendy furrowed her brows as she carried Zack in her arms. She was about to turn around when she saw Chris looking in the direction of the entrance. ¡°I think I hear Gwen...¡± he said with worried eyes. ¡°She¡®s probably very upset right now,¡± he said somewhat anxiously. Wendy sneered. ¡°She knows Weston doesn¡®t want to marry her, yet she still ran here in a wedding gown to create trouble for them. She deserves it.¡± ¡°Why must you be so snarky?¡± Chris lowered his voice and said coldly in her ear, ¡°If Weston weren¡®t so bent on finding E, she might have sessfully be a runaway bride, effectively embarrassing the Ford family! It was Gwen who was willing to sacrifice her pride and be E¡®s recement . She loves Weston so much. Why are you so biased against her?¡± ¡°She loves Weston, not me. If you care so much about her, go out and console her,¡± Wendy replied mockingly. Chris returned a stern look. He seriously considered heading out to be with Wendy but eventually decided against it since he had to be present for the ceremony. Wendy couldn¡®t be bothered to care about him and focused on ying with Zack in her arms. He had begun speaking a few words. ¡°Granny...¡± He pointed at Wendy¡®s nose and then at Chris before saying, ¡°Dada...¡± Chris¡® face changed as if someone had stepped on his tail. ¡°What on earth have you been teaching Zack? Does he call any random person Daddy?¡± Wendy furrowed her brows and looked coldly at him, ¡°He only knows these two words now. What do you expect?¡± Chris inhaled sharply, his face dark with displeasure andced with a tinge of guilt. Wendy scoffed as a strange and unfathomable look zed past her eyes. On stage. The newlyweds exchanged rings. Ste¡®s hands were still bound by the tie, the chains nking noisily as she walked. A ring box was ced on stage and gingerly opened, revealing a pair of wedding rings. Ste threw it a quick nce before turning away. She didn¡®t appear very interested in its contents. Weston picked out thedy¡®s ring, lifted Ste¡®s hand, and slipped it on her ring finger. Both her hands had been bound together throughout, creating a strange and contorted scene that was supposed to be beautiful and sacred. Ste lowered her gaze to see the ring around her finger. A feeling of entrapment engulfed her from all around, and she felt like she could hardly breathe. The next second, she heard his deep voiceing from above her. ¡°Your turn.¡± Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Ste slowly shifted her gaze toward Weston¡®s wedding ring in the box and reached out to take it. She lowered her head and looked at his hand as she slipped the ring onto his finger. The next moment, Weston grabbed her hands. The crowd roared in apuse. Weston lifted her chin and gave her a deep, lingering kiss. Ste could only yield, with no way of opposing him. Her hands were still bound by his tie so tightly that it left red marks on her wrists. She lifted her chin and received his punishing kiss. Her arms drooped helplessly before her torso , swaying gently between them. Everyone could see that tie around her wrists clearly, but no one dared to whisper a word about it. In full view of all the guests, their marriage was solemnized, with Ste as the captured and shackled bride. The news spread like wildfire online. Very soon, their grand wedding had alternative headlines to it. ¡°Caged Wedding.¡± ¡°The Shackled Bride.¡± The image of Ste and Weston exchanging rings was as if Ste was trapped in a golden cage, locked up with nowhere to run. The image was beautiful yet cruel at the same time. Depraved yet decadent, glorious yet darkly mesmerizing. The diamond ¨Cstudded wedding gown seemed entwined by piercing thorns embellished by the bride¡®s fresh blood that the naked eye couldn¡®t see. Everything had been finalized and set in stone. They were now man and wife, never to be parted by anyone else. Weston released Ste¡®s lips and leaned his forehead against hers as he dered hoarsely in her ear, ¡°This is me branding myself on you. You can only stay by my side your entire life, and I¡®ll be your only man.¡± Ste¡®s eyes trembled as she stood silent without any resistance. The ceremony came to a close. Guinevere waspletely drained of all energy andy slumped on the floor. She covered her face and sobbed sorrowfully. She initially tried to control her volume, but her sobs eventually descended into loud, racking wails. Old Mr. Ford could no longer be bothered about her. He wasn¡®t in a good mood and decided to return to his hotel room, not wanting to see Weston and the rest of the family for the time being. The next program was toasting the newly wedded couple. At the guest aisles, Chris was unable to take it any longer and he stood up. ¡°I¡®ll go out and take a look.¡± ¡°You¡®re going to look for Guinevere, aren¡®t you?¡± Wendy asked grimly. ¡°You¡®re giving the toasting ceremony a miss?¡± Chris¡® face was dark. He had no idea why Wendy had been so vtile and unreasonable as ofte. ¡°It¡®s the same with you representing both of us. What¡®s more, I¡®m just taking a peek and will be back very soon.¡± Moreover, he wasn¡®t keen on having Ste as his daughter ¨Cinw. He didn¡®t want to see both of them together and have Ste call him Dad. He didn¡®t want to be Ste¡®s dad. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The clueless Zack simply looked in the direction that Chris left. He jumped in Wendy¡®sp and babbled. He could walk and even run a little, albeit still shaky and unstable, though following him around simply made things more challenging. He was also stronger and more energetic than before, and his caretakers had to tire him out with much time and effort. Wendy looked at his face of innocence and reached out to pinch his cheeks with slight force. ¡°You chubby cheeks... ignorant and blissfully unaware.¡± She looked at the scene before her as mixed feelings arose in her heart. It was an intricate amalgamation of hatred and anger. ... Fearing that Guinevere might cause further trouble, Ben stayed back to watch over her. Chris walked over and asked, ¡°What are all of you doing here?¡± Ben was slightly taken aback to see Chris arrive. Wasn¡®t he supposed to be at the toasting ceremony? ¡°Mr. Ford arranged for this so that we can keep an eye on Ms. Cohen.¡± Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Chris furrowed his brows. ¡°Given her status, why would she need you guys to keep an eye on her? She is Ms. Cohen, for goodness¡® sake. Back off, all of you!¡± ¡°But Mr. Ford gave us clear instructions to...¡± Chris rubbed the space between his brows. ¡°I know what you are all worried about... that she would cause a scene, right? I¡®m here now. Nothing¡®s going to happen, okay?¡± Ben thought that what Chris said made sense. Although Chris had always been biased toward Guinevere, would he allow her to do something so rash at this critical point that might put both families¡® reputations at stake? He wouldn¡®t be so foolish. Therefore, Ben nodded and left with his subordinates. Upon seeing them leave the room, Chris walked to Guinevere and helped her up from the floor. ¡°Do you love Weston that much? You clearly know that he only loves E...¡± He was still used to calling her E. Guinevere finally responded at the mention of E¡®s name as bitter hatred shed in her eyes. ¡°What right does she have? She snatched Weston from my hands from the beginning and refused to leave ¡­ in what way is she better than me? Why must she snatch Weston from me? Why?!¡± She was clearly still emotionally vtile. Chris furrowed his brows, wary that her mental condition might be triggered once again. ¡°Let me bring you home first.¡± ¡°I¡®m not going home!¡± Guinevere flung his hands away. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°They¡®re officially married!¡± Chris could no longer hold himself back as he yelled. ¡°Things are impossible between you and Weston!¡± He reminded her. ¡°How so?¡± Guinevere questioned him back. ¡°We share a child. How could things be impossible?¡± Chris closed his mouth, unsure of what to say next. That child... ¡°Take it that you are being considerate of your child. Split up amicably with him. You said it yourself that no matter what, you and Weston are Zack¡®s parents. Zack wouldn¡®t want to see his parents at odds with each other when he grows up.¡± ¡°I don¡®t want to fight like this either...¡± Guinevere wiped away the tears from her face. ¡°But Ste insists on snatching what is mine. What else can I do?¡± ¡°There must be another way...¡± she croaked, choking back on tears. But what else could she do? Weston had put forth such a clear stance that everyone took Guinevere for a joke. The only leverage she had right now was Zack. That¡®s right... Zack... Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She still had Zack! The newly wedded couple had to change into another outfit for the toasting ceremony. Ste thought that her hands could finally be released from the tie. When she was preparing to get changed, Weston came in. Ste instinctively took a step back as Weston lunged forward and forced her into a corner. ¡°What are you scared of?¡± Ste remained silent. Weston lowered his head to look at her bound hands. ¡°If I don¡®t help you with the tie, how are you going to get changed?¡± Ste lifted her hands upon his exnation in a silent request for him to untie her hands. The corners of Weston¡®s lips lifted, and a low chuckle could be heard. ¡°You have pretty good self¨C awareness.¡± Thereafter, he helped her release the knot on the tie. Bright red marks circled Ste¡®s wrists. Weston¡®s eyes darkened, but he said nothing , allowing her some time to get changed. He then left to take a call. When he returned after his call, he saw that Ste had freshly changed into a red gown. It was a bright shade of crimson that contrasted with her fair skin so much it made her look even paler, like a fragile rose. Weston furrowed his brows and strode toward her.¡° Change into another gown.¡± In this shade of red, Ste was so shockingly stunning . ¡°I remember there¡®s a pale red gown around. Wear that instead.¡± Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Weston refused to let Ste be seen in that gown. The wedding gown she wore was his limit. Weston realized that his possessiveness toward her had gone to an extreme, and it seemed to only get more intense in time. Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°I think I look better in this.¡± It wasn¡®t that she was in the mood to argue with Weston, but she was toozy to change into another gown. Weston nced at her for a moment but decided not to pursue the matter further. He took a couple of breaths and calmed himself, then retrieved a pair of handcuffs from somewhere. ¡°Stretch your hands out.¡± Ste¡®s eyes widened. ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡± What is that? Handcuffs? He kept mum as he cuffed both their hands together. His stance made it clear that he forbade resistance of any kind. This time round, he didn¡®t use a necktie to bind her up. Instead, he chose a special pair of handcuffs to bind them together. Ste had to follow him around wherever he went. As they walked into the hotel in such a manner, everyone got a rude shock. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Once again, no one dared to say a word. They just looked on as the newlyweds behaved like Siamese twins with their hands cuffed together. Weston raised a toast with his free hand, looking leisurely at his guests as if he did not notice the strange gazes they were giving him and his bride. Ste stood behind him, still and obedient. There wasn¡®t much expression on her face except for hopeless submission. Wendy furrowed her brows as she saw them walking down the aisle. She looked around to see if Chris had returned. Thankfully , Chris knew his boundaries and returned to his seat in time. Wendy could smell a different fragrance on his body, and the knot between her brows tightened. ¡°Your body reeks of perfume just from a quick session of consoling Guinevere.¡± Chris had just sat down when he heard her scathing remark, which further soured his mood, which was bad to begin with. His face turned cold as he said bitingly,¡° Everyone¡®s watching. Stop blowing things out of proportion!¡± The image of Guinevere¡®s sorrowful sobbing kept ying in his mind like a broken record. She cried with such tragic beauty, leaning on his shoulders and weakly telling him of the deep¨Cseated indignance she couldn¡®t help but disy. Chris had always known about Guinevere¡®s pride and her strong sense of dignity. Yet, her temperament and character had been tamed by Weston. Since she had grown up with Weston, Chris treated her like a child and was constantly chasing after her. He literally watched her grow up. Ever since that night... Chris had to admit that it was an utter mistake. To protect and preserve his family, he heaped lies upon lies to the extent of almost bing enemies with Weston. All along, he felt most guilty toward Wendy, who was also giving him a headache. The only time he felt some reprieve, and a semnce of existence in this world was when he was with Guinevere, who made him feel like he was still needed. This feeling made him change his attitude toward Guinevere. He was no longer able to treat her like a daughter¨Cinw, but... Chris didn¡®t want to think further down this line. He could behave out of line in certain things, but not to such a devastating extent. But now that things had alreadye to this point, did he have to continue hiding in the dark, living his life on tenterhooks? ¡°Dad.¡± Silence ensued. Wendy nudged him. ¡°Why are you spacing out? He¡®s calling you.¡± Chris snapped back to attention. He looked kindly at Weston and Ste. ¡°Yes.¡± No matter how much he did not like Ste, he still had to be courteous in front of so many guests. Ste moved robotically through the entire ceremony. She raised her arms stiffly in a toast to Chris and Wendy, addressing them monotonously as Dad and Mom before stonily receiving wedding gifts from them. Chapter 927 Chapter 927 Chapter 927 She put her hands down and followed Weston to toast another table of family members. Gazing at their retreating figures, Wendy handed Zack, who had fallen asleep, to the housekeeper, and said to Chris, ¡°You¡®re no longer needed around here. You can do whatever you wish now. Why are you still sticking around?¡± Chris was, in fact, intending to head back to Guinevere. But her words made him too embarrassed to do that.¡° What else would I wish to do? It¡®s just that Gwen isn¡®t very mentally stable right now, and I really should check on her, lest she makes a scene again¡­¡± Even he could feel that his voice sounded guilty. If his conscience were truly clear, he wouldn¡®t have arranged for Guinevere to be settled in a discreet room waiting for him. Chris looked at Wendy, and his tone softened. ¡°Wendy, I know we¡®ve been at odds with each other during this period, fighting over the most trivial things. But you¡®re always in my heart. If you¡®re upset with me over something, just tell me directly. I will change, I surely will Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A major reason why he was able to win Wendy over and marry her, despite the stiffpetition from many other wealthy heirs, was because of his honeyed tongue. Wendy¡®s gaze trembled as mixed feelings arose in her heart. It had been so long since he spoke so tenderly to her. She said self¨Cderisively, ¡°You didn¡®t do anything wrong.¡± Except for lying to me, she thought. Furthermore, he wasn¡®t even skilled enough since she had managed to see through him. Her response made Chris even more irritated. She should have been direct with him if she were really upset. He was sure that despite her response, she would turn aroundter on and pick on him again. Frustration brewed in his heart, and an urge to smoke a cigarette kicked in. But the thought of the asion right now made him quell the urge. He stood up. ¡°I¡®ll head out for some air.¡± Wendy took a deep breath and retracted her gaze. ¡°Up to you.¡± She shut her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t be bothered by him. Chris remained silent as he looked down at her for a long time. Then, he turned to leave. In front of the wheelchair, Henry looked at the newlyweds with a faint smile as he raised his ss.¡± Congrattions.¡± He meant it from the bottom of his heart. Being a good friend of Weston¡®s, he was naturally happy that Weston finally managed to marry the woman of his dreams. But¡­ He nced at the handcuffs binding them together, and his smile deepened. ¡°You barely managed to marry her. Indeed, you do need to bind her tightly to yourself.¡± Weston shot him a warning look but didn¡®t say anything further. Ste¡®s brows furrowed, feeling rather ufortable. As they made their way through the tables, everyone who stood up and noticed the handcuffs between them would be stunned for a moment or two. Ste knew that it was a natural reaction for anyone who saw such a strange sight at a wedding. Henry was indeed worthy of being Weston¡®s good friend. Not only did he not¨Cfind it strange, but he was even approving of it. Birds of a feather did indeed flock together. He was the only one to whom Ste did not raise a toast. She had simply stood there without a word. Weston nced at her. ¡°What¡®s the matter? Are you unhappy?¡± Ste looked down and didn¡®t respond to him. He arched his brow. ¡°It¡®s fine. If you don¡¯t want to drink, I¡®ll drink on your behalf.¡± With that, he grabbed the ss of wine in her hand and tipped its contents into his mouth. The next moment, he put down the ss, pinched Ste¡®s chin, and kissed her. He pried her jaw and sent the liquor flowing into her mouth, burning her throat. He didn¡¯t even care whether she could hold her liquor and simply focused on making her drink the wine. Ste furrowed her brows, almost choking on the wine. Weston released her and wiped the remnants of the wine from his lips as he looked at her. ¡°Did it taste good?¡± Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Ste coughed twice, her face flushing red. She looked down in silence, her face disying a clear look of submission. Weston pinched her chin and made her look up.¡° Discontented?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No.¡± The moment she was captured back to the wedding, she knew that Weston wouldn¡®t let her go so easily. The things he had done to her at the wedding were considered trivial. A man like him would spare no effort in reminding her that her attempt to escape the wedding was an utter mistake. Henry¡®s interest was piqued as he looked at the couple.¡± It¡®s just a toast. Is there a need to make things nasty?¡± All the guests surrounding them were looking over curiously. Even the videographer was immersed in recording, thinking Weston and Ste were sharing a passionate kiss. Henry moved his wheelchair and grabbed another two sses of wine. ¡°Why don¡®t you both raise a toast to each other?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He began hyping up the crowd. With a nce at Ste, Weston said, ¡°You decide.¡± What else could Ste say? She took the ss from Henry, and Weston followed suit. The two exchanged nces before raising a toast to each other. They looked just like any other loving couple ... if Ste hadn¡®t be a runaway bride who ended up being captured. After Henry, it was Xavier¡®s turn. He had brought Daisy along with him. Ste¡®s brows furrowed, but she remained silent. Xavier didn¡®t have much to say and simply raised his ss. ¡°Congrats.¡± Daisy followed suit and subconsciously nced at Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, congrattions on your blissful marriage.¡± Weston nodded and held Ste¡®s hand as they stepped forward toward the tray. Ste obediently picked up another ss of wine. Weston nced at her and took the ss from her hands. ¡°My wife isn¡®t a good drinker. I¡®ll drink this on her behalf.¡± Ste paused for a moment as she pursed her lips. She was worried that Weston would y his old tricks and feed her through his mouth again. However, Weston had no intention of doing so. He was simplying to her aid. Mixed feelings crept up Daisy¡®s heart. She looked at the red gown on Ste and imagined herself wearing it. How would she look? It would have been wonderful if only the man standing next to her was Weston. Her mind started drifting. Xavier grabbed her waist with slight force. ¡°What are you thinking of? You¡®re zoning out.¡± He followed her gaze and realized she was staring at them. He scoffed and said, ¡°What are you staring at them for? Don¡®t tell me you¡®re thinking of getting married too?¡± Having been seen through, Daisy red at him with irritation. ¡°Don¡®t talk nonsense. I¡®m just a little overwhelmed with emotions...¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I just didn¡®t expect things to be soplicated between them. I always thought that E¡­ no, Ste was Mr. Ford¡®s ex¨Cwife and that she had assumed a different identity to marry him. Yet everyone knows that she¡®s the same woman from the beginning.¡± The tone of her voice wasced with thinly veiled envy. Xavier simply ignored her. She could be envious but not jealous. He didn¡®t like jealous women. Jealousy had a knack for overshadowing all elegance and beauty of a woman. He poured himself a ss of wine and handed it to Daisy. ¡°Many other women are envious of you, too.¡± He said it carelessly, but it effectively calmed Daisy¡®s trembling heart. That¡®s right. She was to be considered very fortunate. Because of this man, she managed to dump that clingy ex ¨Cboyfriend of hers. Her status as his official girlfriend brought hes many connections as well. The Daisy of today was no longer that insignificant secretary who had to slog things out. She was now Xavier Ford¡®s girlfriend. Chapter 929 Chapter 929 Chapter 929 That thought made her feel less depressed. But what followed was an even deeper indignance gnawing at her heart. As Xavier¡®s girlfriend , she was not far from the ultimate position she coveted in her heart. Even someone like Ste could assume that position. Why not her? Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g After going through Weston¡®s family members, it was time to go through Ste¡®s side of the family. Ste had no family members, and she¡®d only invite Roger to this wedding over her dead body. The Sealey family had tried to contact her countless times after learning about her engagement with Weston. They wanted to express their sincerest apologies over what happened back then and beg her to return to the Sealey family. But Ste didn¡®t find that necessary. Back then, when they chased her out of the house , she made a pact never to return. She simply said she had no other rtives besides her parents. As such, she only invited a few friends to the wedding. Yvonne sat next to Angelina, and they sat up straight the moment they saw Ste walking toward them. ¡°Happy wedding day!¡± Both of them greeted Ste at the same time. Ste smiled. ¡°You two must have waited for a long time.¡± Because she tried to escape the wedding, the entire wedding ended up being dyed for hours. Indeed, they had been waiting for a good while. But instead ofints, both were filled with blessings for her. Ste didn¡®t say much, but Weston was at his most courteous and genteel. He was a very qualified groom indeed. Yvonne had never seen him behave like this. Even Lucas said in amusement, ¡°Ste has such a good rtionship with them. As her new husband , shouldn¡®t you treat them especially well?¡± Unspoken rules always existed in personal rtionships like these. Weston looked at him. ¡°As Yvonne¡®s former husband, why don¡®t I see you treating them especially well?¡± His words served as a reminder to Yvonne. She red at Lucas, displeased. ¡°Exactly. You used to treat Ste with so much bias. You should ask for her forgiveness!¡± Lucas pinched her nose, helpless to her teasing. ¡°Stop siding with outsiders.¡± ¡°I¡®m siding with reason and not with rtion!¡± Angelinamented wistfully, ¡°I¡¯m the only one left single Weston looked toward Henry. ¡°I do have a friend whom I can introduce you to.¡± He had never met Faye, the woman Henry was obsessed with, but he had seen the picture on Henry¡®s phone and was sure that Faye looked exactly like Angelina. But based on Ste¡®s exnation, Angelina couldn¡®t possibly be Faye. That day, after Henry bumped into her, he had her thoroughly investigated and confirmed that Angelina was not Faye. Thereafter, he lost all interest in her. At the same time, he also looked even more despondent and forlorn. Perhaps the realization that Faye would never return had finally dawned upon him. As his good friend, Weston hated seeing him so depressed day in, and day out. Weston¡®s suggestion made Ste rather displeased.¡° Which of your friends could possibly be suitable for Angelina? Stop joking around.¡± There was finally a crack in her expression. ¡°Angelina ns to go down the career path of an idol celebrity. She can¡®t afford to be in a rtionship right now. Don¡®t try to ruin her future.¡± She knew what Weston was thinking. He was thinking for Henry, but what kind of a man was Henry? She couldn¡®t stand idly by and see Angelina leap into the fire. Ste seemed rather flustered as her face flushed redder. Weston preferred seeing her like this, lively and emotional. ¡°Mrs. Ford, are you trying to lord over me; right after we exchanged rings?¡± Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Chapter 930 There was finally time for a break. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste dragged Weston to a corner and looked around surreptitiously. Upon seeing that no one was around, she asked, ¡°What exactly is going on between Henry and Angelina?¡± Weston let Ste lead him by the hand as they walked to the garden behind the hotel. All the guests were in the hall, and no one was outside. Naturally, no one could eavesdrop on their conversation. He looked calmly at Ste. ¡°You dragged me here in a panic just to ask me that?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°I know you wanted to introduce Henry to Angelina , and thatdy Faye you two have been talking about resembles Angelina a lot...¡± ¡°Since you already know that, what else is there to ask?¡± ¡°What I want to ask is... what exactly happened between Henry and Faye?¡± ¡°That shouldn¡®t be something that you, Mrs. Ford, should be poking your nose in.¡± Ste furrowed her brows. ¡°Angelina is my friend.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I don¡®t care what happened between Henry and Faye, but Faye is Faye and Angelina is Angelina. If you want Angelina to be a recement for your friend¡®s sake, I will never agree to it!¡± Weston didn¡®t say anything in response to Ste. He merely put one hand into his pocket and lifted his other hand. He wiped the thinyer of sweat on Ste¡®s head and said leisurely, ¡°Do you feel very warm? You¡®re sweating all over.¡± Of course, she did feel warm. Her gown wasn¡®t as grand and heavy as the wedding gown, and though its minimalistic design made walking around in it easier, it was still sufficiently weighty. Moreover, she had been walking across the entire hall just now without a break. She did feel somewhat weary. But Angelina weighed heavily on her mind, and she saw that as more important than her own fatigue. Ste pondered for a while. ¡°Can you promise me something?¡± Weston¡®s brow arched as he looked at her, signaling her to speak her mind. Ste pursed her lips. ¡°Can you not do that again, trying to introduce Angelina to Henry?¡± ¡°You seem to have some prejudice against Henry,¡± Weston said with certainty. Ste remained silent. She wasn¡®t just prejudiced against Weston. She was prejudiced against his entire bunch of friends. Perhaps Weston was still unaware that they had once studied in the same school. Although Ste¡®s family wasn¡®t as wealthy as theirs, her family¡®s financial state was considered rtively comfortable. Still, it was considered very ordinarypared to the wealthy and prominent families that students of that elite school came from. Back then, Weston, Guinevere, and Henry were famous in school. She also knew that Henry really liked Guinevere for a period of time. But because Guinevere was obsessed with chasing after Weston, Henry¡®s feelings for her were doomed to be one sided. Even after so many years, it appeared that he still had feelings for Guinevere. Thest time he mistook Angelina for Faye, he was with Guinevere. If it weren¡®t for Guinevere loving Weston all this while, Henry might have married her a long time ago, and their children might even be old enough to attend school. He was a man whose heart was enraptured by Guinevere and subsequently taken by Faye. Now, Weston was thinking of involving Angelina. Ste would never allow him to destroy Angelina¡®s life like that. The sight of Ste¡®s solemn face made himugh mockingly. ¡°What status are you talking about, and why use that tone? Are you making a request of me?¡± He lifted her chin as his eyes turned sharp and cold. ¡°Did you forget that you tried to run away from the wedding just now? I haven¡®t settled scores with you on that.¡± Ste stood stunned for a moment before her eyes darted downwards. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I spoke too hastily.¡± Yet, her submissive posture annoyed Weston even further. ¡°You care so much for a random friend, even more than yourwfully wedded husband.¡± Ste took in a deep breath and suppressed her innermost feelings. ¡°How do you want me to care for you?¡± Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Ste knew that he was making things difficult for her because she attempted to escape the wedding. But now that things hade to this point, there was no use exining herself further. She just hoped that he would not implicate another innocent person. Spring was upon them, and it felt rtively warm in the garden. The golden sunlight shone on the two as they stood facing each other, creating an ethereally stunning scene. Weston looked into her eyes, his golden brown eyes reflecting the light from the sun. He lifted his hand, and the handcuffs between them nked noisily. He caressed her cheeks tenderly with his handcuffed palm. ¡°I suppose I don¡®t need to remind you about what happens after the wedding ceremony.¡± Ste¡®s eyes shifted. Her other hand hung weakly by her side. A momentter, she lifted it and held his ring finger. ¡°Are we going to the room right now? The guests...¡± Before shepleted her sentence, Weston carried her in his arms and strode off. Henry shifted out of the shadows in his wheelchair in a dark corner He shook his head, and he looked at their retreating figures. He was about to return to the hotel when he saw a familiar face, and his brows furrowed. He sat right there without moving. The person clearly hadn¡®t spotted him as she charged in his direction. Turning a corner, she crashed right into his wheelchair. Screech! The wheelchair screeched sharply and moved backward a few meters. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I¡®m sorry...¡± Angelina copsed on the floor and realized that she had bumped into someone. She apologized profusely. ¡°I¡®m so sorry! I wasn¡®t looking...¡± She was looking for the washroom but had ended up in the garden Because she was in a rush, she started sprinting and identally bumped into Henry. The wheelchair moved back quickly, and she immediately crawled up from the ground and rushed to grab the handle of the wheelchair. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Panting heavily, she looked down at the man¡®s face and held her breath This man looked so captivating, His beauty was almost unreal, his face pale as a vampire¡®s, with sharper and more delicate features than most women. Thin veins were visible below his fair skin, and his ethereal beauty made her speechless. ¡°You...¡± Henry was equally stunned as he stared at the face that looked so hauntingly like Faye¡®s. That day, when he bumped into her on the streets, he almost lost his senses. He thought that Faye had returned, but when he calmed down and investigated things, he realized they were simply two people who looked like each other. Such a coincidence was impossible, and he wasn¡®t as lucky as Weston, in which both Ste and E turned out to be the same person. Angelina waspletely dumbfounded. Looks were of utmost importance to her. Although she had once admired Weston¡®s looks, he was so cold and domineering that she could hardly look him straight in the eye. The man before her was in stark contrast to Weston. He looked rather like a sickly beauty. With a demonic streak, she spoke her thoughts aloud, unable to hold back her praises for him. Henry furrowed his brows. He looked at the achingly familiar face fawning over him, and a wave of disgust overwhelmed him. ¡°Have you seen enough? If so, please release your hands.¡± Faye wouldn¡®t act like her, staring at him so longingly until her eyes almost popped. Indeed, they were two different people. Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Faye appeared to be severely blind and incapable of making an aesthetic judgment. His handsome face that would drive women crazy for him was something dangerous and she had to be alert about it. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Faye was extremely clueless in this regard, and definitely not like this woman who was fawning over him. ¡°Oh, oh. I¡®m sorry...¡± Angelina snapped back to reality and immediately released her grip. ¡°If you¡®re fine, I¡®ll be off then.¡± She cleared her throat and tried to shift her gaze away, not daring to look at him. Henry nced coldly at her and wheeled himself back to the hotel. Angelina followed behind him but suddenly paused. She didn¡®t want him to think she was relentlessly pursuing him. She couldn¡®t help but worry about the man in a wheelchair, and she looked on until he returned safely to the hall before going in another direction to look for Yvonne. Waves crashed in the tumultuous sea. Roger finally opened his eyes. Where was he? A blinding white light shone from above his head. He gradually stirred awake as a voice sounded vaguely in his ear. ¡°Be careful, don¡®t touch his wound.¡± Roger winced as he felt a sharp pain in his back. He sat up, his body covered in sweat. ¡°Where am I? What are you trying to do to me?¡± A middle¨Caged man in uniform stood up in the spacious cabin. He walked slowly toward Roger and said, ¡°You don¡®t remember how you got here?¡± Roger¡¯s head pounded as he shut his eyes. Fragments of memories started shing past his eyes. Invitation card, wedding, ship, escaping the wedding... And Ste¡®s pale face, her bound hands, and saying her vows before the priest. He threw the covers open and tugged at the tubes attached to his arm. ¡°Where exactly am I? What day is it? I must find my sister!¡± ¡°Men! Hold him down!¡± The middle¨Caged man in military gear turned solemn.¡± Do you know how injured you are right now?¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Roger struggled with all his might. ¡°I must find her. I must bring her away!¡± The sight of Roger going insane made the man¡®s face turn cold as he hit the back of his neck with the side of his palm. Everything turned ck as Roger fainted. ¡°Inject whoever needs an injection, treat whoever needs treatment. Hurry!¡± ¡°Yes, Chief!¡± The middle¨Caged man looked at Roger, unconscious, with a serious look on his face. ¡°Consider yourself lucky to have met me. If that bunch of pirates were to have seen me, you¡®d bear the consequences!¡± At the hotel, Ste wanted to take the heavy gown off. She looked at Weston. ¡°Can we release the cuffs now?¡± Weston looked at her without replying to her. Ste went on, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± He sauntered to her and lifted his hands as if intending to take off her clothes for her. Ste instinctively backed away. ¡°Are you going to bathe me?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Weston remained unmoving. ¡°Mrs. Ford, it¡®s officially legal for me to give you a bath.¡± A momentter, Ste stood up again. She stood there obediently waiting for him to take her clothes off. It was then that a phone started ringing. It was Weston¡®s phone. The knot in between Ste¡®s brows rxed. ¡°Pick up the call first.¡± Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Weston furrowed his brow. He did not want to answer the call at first, but a hint of darkness shed in his eyes when he saw the caller¡®s number. He nced at Ste without saying a word, then uncuffed themselves and let her go to the bathroom. He waited until he heard the sound of running water from inside before he walked out onto the balcony with the phone. He answered the call and asked, ¡°He¡®s missing? What do you mean?¡± Weston¡®s tone was low and cold. ¡°How could you lose a guy? What¡®s the point of having you then?¡± The man on the other end was clearly intimidated by Weston¡®s tone. He said with trepidation, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Ford. We were following him, but he jumped into the sea from the other fishing boat...¡± ¡°That areaprises a delta full of inds and reefs. There are pirates there too. We just can¡®t find him like that.¡± ¡°Delta?¡± Weston furrowed his brow. His face turned gloomier. ¡°I told you to chase him, but I didn¡®t tell you to chase him to such a ce!¡± Unlike home, foreignnds contained many ces with terrible safety. The Delta was known as a dangerous area. It was popr with pirates. They wouldn¡®t even care if a navy vessel was passing... they would rush out and rob them. ¡°We didn¡®t expect him to jump... We can¡®t find him now, but we¡®re sure he must have gotten on some boat...¡± ¡°Keep looking, and send more men.¡± After that, Weston paused a little , then added, ¡°Go check the spots where the delta meets the ocean current and check carefully.¡± Weston then pointed out a few more ces to search. He predicted the ces Roger would likely go to base on the geographicalndscape. Shortly after, the sound of a door opening came from the bathroom. Weston hung up the phone and looked over.¡± Are you done?¡± Weston looked at Ste, who came out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel, her wet hair limply draping over her shoulders. . The water dripped from her hair to her corbone and gradually ran down her body. Weston put his phone away and walked to her. ¡°Why did you bathe so quickly?¡± He twirled her hair between his fingertips and sniffed it gently. ¡°Are you sure it¡®s clean?¡± ¡°It¡®s clean,¡± Ste answered him. ¡°Do you want to bathe?¡± ¡°Why were you in such a hurry?¡± Weston deliberately misinterpreted her words and looked at her with a meaningful smile. His gaze made Ste feel a little ufortable. She moved aside and said, ¡°You can go in and bathe.¡± Weston stopped teasing her and patted her head. ¡°Wait for me in bed.¡± Their weddingsted almost all day, and they did not return home. Instead, they stayed on the hotel¡®s top floor. The dinner party was still ongoing downstairs. The guests tried toe up and bother them, but Weston had ordered them to leave the space for them. He did not want anyone toe up and disturb them. Ste found the silence unbearable, however. Sitting on the bed, she felt like she was waiting to suffer. After she settled down in the silence, she finally felt a little lost. Memories hit her like an afterthought. Her joy of freedom from her first escape had been washed away little by little. All that remained was her despair and fear when Weston caught her and forced her to return to him. She started feeling uncertain about her future. Lost and confused , she wondered where she could go. Would this be her life forever? Must she be trapped in a cage she hated? Would she have to live with tiny remnants of hope while waiting for Weston to get tired of her? What about Roger? Where was he? What would Weston do to him? Would he make things difficult for him? What should she do if Weston refused to leave him alone? Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Chapter 934 While she was feeling a little depressed, her phone rang. It was a foreign number. Ste had a strange feeling and nced at Weston, who was in the bathroom. After that, she got up and walked to the side. She answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± As soon as she spoke , Roger¡®s anxious voice came from the other end. ¡°I saw the broadcast of your wedding! That b*stard forced you to marry him! ¡°Sis, I know you never wanted to marry him, right? Why didn¡®t you tell me that you nned to escape?¡± Ste could hear the sound of the sea breeze from the other end. Instead of answering his question, she asked him, ¡°Where are you now?¡±. Roger calmed down a little and looked around. ¡°I don¡®t know. I think I¡¯m on foreign waters ... Weston has been sending people after me. I escaped, and someone saved me.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ste got anxious and panicked. ¡°You don¡®t even know where you are? Who saved you? Are you safe with them? You¡®re not in any danger, are you?¡± ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± Roger interrupted her and looked at the man in the uniform sitting on the couch. ¡°I think he¡®s somemander of a small country. Everyone calls him Captain. He seems to be a high ranking ¡°He saved me. He doesn¡®t seem hostile to me. He also speaks ournguage.¡± When the middle¨Caged man heard Roger mention him, he put down the newspaper in his hand and looked at him. He had no intention of eavesdropping, so he got up and left the room. He seemed like a well¨Ceducated gentleman. Though they were strangers, Roger trusted him for some reason. Ste was not as optimistic as him. ¡°What do you know about him? What if he¡®s a liar? What if he has something else in mind for you?¡± It was a messy and dangerous ce. Everyone was looking for money, and that man could simply be looking to harvest Roger¡®s organs. ¡°Where are you now? I¡®ll send someone to find you. ¡°You cane right away. ¡°I¡®ll take you away!¡± Roger murmured. There was an urgency in his tone. ¡°I¡®ve seen everything! You don¡®t want to marry Weston at all! I know!¡± ¡°Sis... I¡®ll take care of you forever... I promise...¡± Before he could say anything, someone suddenly took the phone away from Ste¡®s hand. Ste had no idea when Weston stood behind her. He grabbed her phone and saw a foreign number on the screen. Then, he snorted. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Well, that didn¡®t take much effort. He called instead.¡± Roger froze a little when he heard Weston¡®s voice. After that, he said coldly, ¡°Weston, if you¡®re a man, let her go. What¡®s the point of forcing her into this?¡± ¡°Did I force her?¡± Weston sounded like he heard something funny. He turned on the speakerphone and put it close to Ste¡®s mouth. ¡°Tell him. Did I force you or anything?¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered, but she heeded Weston¡®s order obediently. She told Roger, ¡°I ran away because... I didn¡®t think it through. I¡®ve figured it out now. Weston and I are married. From now on, I¡®m Mrs. Ford...¡± ¡°Don¡®t you say such a thing!¡± Roger interrupted her in annoyance. ¡°I know he must have threatened you again! What excuse did he use this time? Glory and fortune? Or death?¡± Weston snickered. It sounded like he was mocking Roger¡®s naive thinking. Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Roger grew furious. ¡°Weston, why aren''t you looking for me? Come atme! Let Ste go!" Roger was so enraged that he called Ste by her name instead. After learning that he was not rted to Ste by blood, he turned very hostile againstWeston. Weston, however, thought it was funny. "Do you really think you''re somebody?¡± If it were not for Ste, he wouldn''t even be bothered with him. Roger trembled in anger. It filled his body and rushed toward his heart. His heart was already weak from his condition, but it only became worse because of his anger. He fell to one knee on the ground with a distorted face. Bang! There was a loud bang. The man who had left earlier came back to find Roger kneeling on the ground with a pained look. He frowned and asked, "What''s wrong? Are you okay? I''ll get the doctor for you!" Roger shook his head and stubbornly barked into the phone. ¡°Let her go! Weston! Come at me instead!¡± Ste listened on the other side of the phone and felt nothing but heartache. Listening to his hysterical yelling made her heart hurt. She knew she could not let him continue like this. If it did, his illness woulde back and be moreplicated. Thus, she had no choice but to plead for him. She looked at Weston with pleading eyes. ¡°Please give me the phone. I''ll talk to him... Okay?" She was almost in tears. Her eyes were red. Weston looked at how she almost cried with a stern face.¡° It seems that every time you shed a tear, it''ll be for him.¡± Ste shook her head and choked, ¡°I won''t do it again. Let me talk to him. I''ll convince him.¡± "And then?" "Then...¡± Ste seemed a little dumbfounded. After that, she mumbled, "I won''t contact him again." Weston looked at her intently and knew she was not joking. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He handed her the phone and warned, ¡°This is thest time. I hope you take care of it." Ste took the phone and slowly turned her back. She said to the phone, ¡°Roger..." "Don''t listen to Weston!" Roger almost lost control of his emotions. "Please, I beg you. I''ll take you with me, okay?" Ste shook her head. ¡°It''s no use. We can''t leave..." She sniffled. "Besides, I don''t want to leave anymore.¡± Ste suddenly lifted her head and held back her tears." I''m tired of this. Roger. Maybe running away from the wedding was a mistake.¡± "I should''ve stayed by his side. I shouldn''t have asked for so much..." "As for you... Even if I run away, I don''t want to go to you anymore. I have always considered you as family. I''m afraid Mom and Dad can''t rest in peace seeing us like this "But we aren''t even real siblings, so what''s the big deal if we spend our lives together?" "The problem is... I don''t want to." Ste said those cruel words softly, ¡°You''re simply a family member to me. One day, we''ll eventually have our own families. I''m sick of your feelings for me. That''s nothing better than me staying with Weston..." Her words hit Roger so hard and crushed him like a heavy hammer. Roger fell silent and could not say anything for a long time. Ste did not need him to say anything. Instead, she told him, "Roger, this is the end of our rtionship as siblings." "You should go abroad and study well. Live well and don''t contact me again. I just want you to live well." Roger''s voice trembled slightly. "Ste , are you cutting off our rtionship for Weston?" "Yes." Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Chapter 936 There was nothing but dead silence. Ste could hear Roger¡¯s heavy breathing on the other end. They hit her eardrums with heavy thuds. Listening to his ragged breathing made her feel like she was choking onsomething. It felt horrible. Even so, she had no choice but to tell him those cruel words. She did not know how Weston found out about Roger''s feelings for her, but he had already found out. It was a taboo subject. Besides, Weston was very possessive of her. Ste was sure that he would eventually hurt Roger. The only way to save Roger was to cut him offpletely. Ste had her own ns. Ste was shocked to learn about Roger''s feelings for her. She was thunderstruck at his feelings. Soon, she even doubted what she had done in the past decades. Why did Roger develop such feelings for her? Did she do something wrong? Despite that, she had only treated him like family. Even if she sessfully escaped from marrying Weston, she would only take Roger to hide for a while until things settle down. Then, she would live separately from him and never stay with him again.. She had to kill his taboo feelings at the first sign. This might be the perfect opportunity. She wanted Roger to leave her and start over. That was what she wanted. She believed that her parents in heaven would understand her. ¡°This is myst time calling you." Ste said, ¡°I won''t call you again unless you run into trouble, or..." She paused slightly and continued softly, "When you get married and have kids, maybe I''ll visit you. Let''s not get in touch other than that." ¡°Sis..." Roger was suffocating. His voice trembled, ¡°Don''t you want me anymore?" Ste gripped the phone tightly and closed her eyes.¡° You''re an adult already." "Okay. I understand.¡± Roger refused to give up. ¡°I''ll do what you say, but can you please break up with Weston?¡± Steughed bitterly at Roger''s naivety. In the first ce, she did not have a choice. "Like I said, I did this of my own will. I''ve figured it out. Staying with him would save me a lot of trouble. Weston, he... He can give me more than you can imagine..." She tried her best to manage a smile and said in a light hearted tone, ¡°I don''t have to change ces anymore and wander around. I don''t have to look at others'' moods for a living. I don''t have to give up a career I love again." Her words were a wake-up call for Roger. Roger then remembered the years Ste had worked hard to cure his illness. She had to sell her piano, the house, and everything else. She gave up her dream. She also gave up dancing and music. She was stuck in that little ssroom all day and night to make money. Roger suddenly could not say anything else. He wanted to say he would give her a better life, but it turned out that he was her heaviest burden. When he finally had the ability to give back to her a little, she did not want him anymore. He had a lot of things to say, but in the end, all he could say was sorry. "Sorry...¡± ¡°There''s nothing to be sorry about." Ste said, ¡°Study and work hard from now on. Fall in love, and don''t bother me anymore.¡± Herst sentence weighed a thousand pounds. Roger felt like someone had split his heart open. The excruciating pain was shattering him. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He held his breath and endured the pain. Atst, he clenched his teeth and said, "I know..." Ste took a deep breath. ¡°That''s all. Let''s not meet again,¡± she said and hung up with trembling hands. Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Beep. As the call disconnected, it felt like something inside her had beencut off together. Something in her mind snapped. Ste took a step back and bumped into a warm chest. She almost slipped and fell to the ground. Weston embraced herand held her in his arms. He wrapped his arms across her chest and looked at her with a dark gaze. "You''ve gone to a lot of trouble to keep me away from him." He said and tipped Ste''s chin, forcing her to look up at him. "You''re so cruel." She was cruel enough to escape their marriage and cruel enough to cut off her rtionship with Roger. "Are all women like you? When they''re heartless, they be more ruthless than men?¡± Ste looked at him and croaked, "No matter how cruel I am, I wouldn''t give up my child..." After she finished that, Weston increased force and wrapped his arms around her neck, making her choke. Ste frowned. She felt ufortable , but she did not make a noise. She knew it was inappropriate to say that but did not want to retract her words. No matter how cruel she was, she was not as heartless as him. She ran away from the marriage for her own freedom. All she wanted was to get away from Weston, She had cut Roger off because she wanted to kill his forbidden feelings and stop Weston from hurting him. When did she ever hurt anyone on her own ord? Never. Weston slowly let go of her and suddenly raised his hand and covered her eyes. He hated the look in her eyes. It made him feel as if they would never reunite. Weston stayed silent and lifted her across the room. Heid her on the soft bed and turned the red nket over. Stey on top with a tense and stiff body. Weston sensed her nervousness and put his hands on her waist. He rubbed her slowly and murmured, ¡°Rx. Don''t you want a baby?¡± Ste closed her eyes. ¡°It''s not something I can have just because I want it." In the past, she would be sad and angry whenever he mentioned the child. However, now she felt nothing but endless despair that numbed her heart. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ste had epted the reality. She would never have a child of her own again and never be a mother again. Whenever he brought up the subject, she only felt despair and nothing else. Weston propped himself above her and observed the changes in her expression. His gaze turned grim. Weston hugged her gently and rested his chin on the nape of her neck. She could feel the heat of his breath on her skin. "Zachary is still young. You can treat him as your own child.¡± Ste''s mouth twitched at his ridiculous suggestion." Zachary is Guinevere''s child. Unfortunately, those with special blood types can only have one child. Do you think she''d let her child treat me as his mother?¡± Even if Guinevere would ept it, Ste could not. Guinevere''s child was innocent, but so was hers. Zachary was the Ford family''s only great-grandson. He was born with a silver spoon and was destined for greatness . Meanwhile , her child died when she jumped off the building How could she live with that? After all, Weston chose to abandon her. Weston would always choose Guinevere in a life-or-death situation. How could she be at peace with this knowledge? How could she treat Weston''s child with Guinevere without bias? ¡°Don''t ever say that again." Ste wanted to end the conversation. Weston looked at her and said, "We can adopt.¡± ording to the doctor''s advice, Weston had been trying to improve her condition. Even so, the chances were slim. It would be best if she were willing to adopt. Weston did not care about bloodlines . He grew up in an environment where everyone appeared to care about blood ties, but all he saw was just the coldness of humanity. His father pushed him into a difficult position just because of his interests. His father forced himself to sacrifice himself unreasonably. He found profit more important than blood ties. Ste fell into a short silence. "We''ll see.¡± She was no longer interested in anything else. Weston untied the belt around her waist and ran his hand on her skin, his eyes burning with an intense desire. Ste closed her eyes and tried to ignore the difort that arose from his touch. Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Unfortunately, Ste''s effort was futile. Weston''s touches only made her tenser.She did not dare to rx at all. In the past, she had to take medication before she could be intimate with him. 1 T Her condition improved a little a while ago,and as long as Weston was patient enough and made herfortable during forey, things would go smoothly after that. Too many things had happened today, though. It was unsurprising that Ste wasn''t in the mood. ¡°Rx." Weston coaxed her patiently. He was confident that he knew her body better than she knew it. He familiarly ran his hand to ces where she would feel something until she curled her toes and flinched. ¡°Don''t clench your teeth,¡± he uttered. Weston raised her hands and parted her pursed lips with his finger. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He teased her teeth with his fingers and reached to y with her shy tongue. Ste was forced to part her mouth. A little heat escaped from her lips. Weston''s eyes darkened at that look of hers. He leaned forward and kissed her. After the kiss, he propped himself up on her side and rasped, "Nervous?" She usually would have rxed by now, but she was still tense. Ste could barely open her eyes. She said hesitantly, "I don''t know. I...¡± She thought her condition had improved a lot. After all, during the few previous sessions... Weston had given her a good time. She no longer felt as disgusted as she did in the past when she had to grit her teeth for hours without medication. She could only enjoy the intimacy after taking the medication, but she did not quite remember her feelings after sobering up. That was why she would be tense and nervous the next day and relied on the medication to ease her tension. Ste was rarely conscious of the pleasure he gave her. In most of her memories, she could only recall the times she had to force herself to endure or the time he pushed her to her limits until she begged for mercy in tears. When he gave her pleasure, he might overdo it and give her too much. She was afraid of reaching her climax. Ste was extremely distracted and not in the mood. Weston understood her circumstances. He was more patient and gentle with her, but he soon realized something was wrong. She waspletely unaroused. Weston could tell that she was trying to cooperate, but the way her eyshes fluttered as she closed her eyes revealed her true emotions. Weston stopped teasing her. "Ste..." Weston required a ton of willpower to hold himself back. His forehead was sweaty, and his veins popped on his firm arms. "Try to ept me. Hm?" Ste simply nodded, but her body''s reaction was terrible. Atst, Weston propped up and looked at her steadily. He sighed and got off her. Then, hey down next to her and took her into his arms. "I''ll let you off this time." He kissed her forehead and said, "You must be tired today. Get some rest." Ste looked up at him in surprise. ¡°But you''re..." Weston tightened his hug, and she could feel his difort. The skin on her leg was extremely smooth and tender. She could feel the constant source of heat against her leg. Weston closed her eyes and said in a low voice, "If you stay quiet, it might calm down faster.¡± Ste closed her mouth and quieted down. She initially thought Weston would definitely do something to her on a day like this. He would neverpromise himself in his desire. During their short marriage, she only felt they were a real couple during her intimacy with Weston. Weston rarely spent the night at home. asionally, he woulde back for a meal with her, but their frequency in bed had never changed. L 1 Perhaps it was just an essential need of an adult man. Ste did not think too much of it back then. But, looking back now, it seemed Weston had a greater desire than the average man. He always looked like he had to keep his urges under control. However, in reality, he kept losing control whenever he pinned her down. He recently learned to pay attention to her feelings and tried to please her, but in the end, he would still do whatever he wanted. Besides, she had made him furious today. She thought he would at least punish her, but he did nothing. When Ste woke up the next morning, Weston was already standing beside the bed and buttoning his shirt elegantly. Weston saw that Ste was awake, so he leaned over and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Go wash up," he urged. "Okay." Ste smelled the aftershave on him and sobered up a little. After breakfast at the hotel, Weston took her to the car and headed straight to the hospital. Ste looked out the window, feeling puzzled. "Where are we going? Aren''t you going to work?" Weston held his tablet in hand and looked at the quarterly report. He said, ¡°We''re meeting Zeta.¡± Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Chapter 939 ¡°Why?¡± Weston put the tablet down and gave her a sullen look.¡± What do you think?¡± Ste thought of something and froze for a moment. Then, she stopped talking and sat down obediently. Westonughed silently and picked up his tablet to continue his work. He received a call before getting out of the car. It was the man he had sent to find Roger. The man spoke with urgency. ¡°Mr. Ford, we found him, but...¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°He¡®s on the Delta. He¡®s on a captain¡®s ship. I¡®m afraid it¡®ll be hard to deal with them.¡± Weston rubbed his brow. ¡°Find a way to negotiate with them and take him back.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After the call ended, Ste casually asked, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Weston did not hide the truth from her. ¡°My men found Roger.¡± Ste pursed her lips. Obviously, the news excited her, but she refrained from showing her emotions. She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m d we found him...¡± Weston observed her expression in the rearview mirror and asked her, ¡°Don¡®t you have anything else to say?¡± Ste hesitated a little before muttering softly, ¡°I said I wouldn¡®t contact him again.¡± Weston snickered. ¡°What if I settle a score with him? Would you still be as calm as you are now?¡± Ste clenched the hem of her dress immediately and bit her lower lip. She looked at the divider in front of her and muttered, ¡°I thought we agreed. If I stay by your side, you won¡®t make things difficult for Roger...¡± Weston¡®s face changed suddenly. He pulled her into hisp and questioned, ¡°Ste. Do you think you¡®re worth a lot of money?¡± He squeezed her chin harder and asked, ¡°You were acting. You deceived and lied to me. You even ran away from the marriage. You¡®re back, but do you think I¡®ll pretend that nothing has happened after all that?¡± Ste struggled a little, but she was weak. Soon, a red mark appeared on her chin. She flushed a little and said, ¡°I told you. You can make me do whatever you want...¡± ¡°Whatever I want?¡± Weston¡®s tone was sarcastic. His gaze wandered around her face as he said, ¡°I have to coax you and cuddle you to sleep. Is that what you mean by letting me do whatever I want?¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered. She dropped her head and seemed lost in deep thought. While Weston watched on, she suddenly sat up on her knees and parted her legs slightly. She knelt between his legs, straightened her back, and reached for his tie. Weston rolled his throat up and down and looked at her calmly. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ste did not answer. Her hand went down further and reached for his button. Weston then grabbed her hand and slowly pulled it away. ¡°You can¡®t even do it in bed, and you want to do it in the car?¡± He wasughing at her. She could not even walk, but she wanted to sprint. Ste remained silent. She took a moment to build her courage. ¡°Sorry. Give me some time...¡± Making himfortable seemed to be the only meaning behind her life. From the moment he caught her again, she realized something. She could never escape from Weston¡®s grasp. If Weston did not let her go, she would be stuck with him for the rest of her life. She had to constantly please him, obey him, and stop him from making things hard for Roger. He kept using the same trick, but it was the ace up his sleeve and always worked. As long as Weston had her under control, she could never find another way to escape. Weston held her waist and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Are you going to run away again?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Weston lowered his head and kissed her forehead. ¡°Good girl.¡± Emotions seemed to be surging in his deep eyes. He fixed his gaze on her and said, ¡°Let¡®s get out of the car first. We¡®ll take care of this problem of yours. We¡®ll have a long time ahead, hm?¡± Ste pursed her lips. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Weston and Ste went to the hospital. Weston apanied her and did not shy away from getting a gynecology appointment. Ste said, ¡°I¡®ll go in alone.¡± ¡°We¡®ll go in together,¡± Weston said and knocked on the door. Soon, Zeta¡®s voice came from the room. ¡°Come in.¡± Ste had no choice but to follow behind him. She went into the office and greeted Zeta. ¡°Dr. Taylor...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zeta was busy typing to record the case earlier. When she heard the familiar voice, she looked up and saw Ste. She smiled, ¡°Oh, it¡®s you.¡± Zeta was busy earlier and did not have time to see the appointment information. When she saw Weston beside Ste, her expression toned down a little. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ste sat down in front of Zeta and nced at her for a few moments, hesitant to speak. Weston stood next to Ste. With one hand in his suit pocket and the other on the back of the chair, his actions silently disyed his possessiveness over her. Zeta knew after taking one look at them. The engagement party some time ago became a big deal. Zeta saw the news about it and realized that E was Ste. That exined how there were two simr people in this world. Their blood types were of the rarest Hh blood group. It provided a reasonable exnation for her earlier doubts. Zeta had always thought that E¡®s partner was a strong and selfish man. He even made her take such medication to maintain harmony in their couple¡®s life. Zeta guessed that E¡®s partner was probably an inconsiderate man with a powerful sexual need. Looking at it now, it seemed Weston did indeed meet that criterion. Ste hesitated a little and exined, ¡°Sorry. I didn¡®t tell you the truth before. I¡®m Ste¡­¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. I understand your circumstances.¡± Zeta smiled at Ste. She did not shy away from Weston and continued talking to Ste, ¡°After all, I was in charge of your pregnancy and hospitalization when you were in Ahn City.¡± Zeta suddenly brought up the past. She still remembered the time when the pregnant Ste had her blood drawn and was forced to have an abortion. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g At that time, Weston did not want the baby in her belly. He found it troublesome and told her to get rid of it. No matter how much Ste begged him, he did not care. Zeta did not know what happenedter. Soon, Ste was discharged from the hospital. Not long after that, Zeta heard about Ste¡®s death. At that time, Zeta suspected that Ste¡®s death had something to do with Weston and Guinevere. Unfortunately, she was just an acquaintance and had no evidence to confirm her guess. Nevertheless, Ste¡®s death bothered her a lot. Fortunately, Ste was still alive. The engagement party soon cleared up Zeta¡®s confusion, but she did not expect to see Ste ending up in Weston¡®s hands again. ¡°By the way...¡± Zeta remembered something and moved her gaze to Ste¡®s abdomen. ¡°About your child...¡± Ste did not abort the baby when she left. It had been a long time since then, and Zeta wondered what had happened to the baby. Was the baby born, or...? There was a sudden silence in the air. After a short while, Ste said with a soft smile, ¡°I had a miscarriage by ident.¡± She made it sound light¨Chearted, but the man behind her clearly stiffened a little. Weston shot Zeta a cold and threatening nce. Zeta then realized that she had asked the wrong question. She apologized to Ste, ¡°Sorry. I should have known...¡± After all, Zeta had been dealing with Ste as E for so long, and never once had she heard her mention anything about the child. So this didn¡®te as a surprise to her. However... Ste was of the HH blood group. It meant the child she lost was probably the only child she would have in her life. Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Zeta thought things might be different because of this. Earlier, she thought that Ste might have given birth to a child when she disappeared to live as E for a year. However, it seemed like Ste was not blessed with luck. Ste appeared as if she was over it. She reassured her with a smile, ¡°It¡®s fine. It¡®s been a long time.¡± Zeta rarely felt so awkward and had to change the subject. ¡°By the way, I haven¡®t congratted you. Happy wedding.¡± When she learned that E was the same person as Ste, she thought about going to congratte her on her wedding. However, she gave up knowing that Xavier would be at the wedding too. She nned to give her the wedding gift whenever she met herter. Ste smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± Zeta opened her work dashboard and got to work. ¡°Let¡®s get down to business. Why did youe today? Is something wrong?¡± When Zeta got serious, she subconsciously exuded an air of calmness. Ste said, ¡°It¡®s the same problem as before. After I stopped the medication, I felt worse than before.¡± Zeta paused a little. ¡°The same problem¡­¡± It was hard for Zeta not to look at Weston without judgment. If it was the same problem, it meant Ste could not get into the mood to have sex with him. She needed the medication to feel less ufortable. Weston did not look at Zeta. He kept tapping his long fingers on the back of Ste¡¯s chair and appeared full of patience. Zeta coughed lightly to get Weston¡®s attention. She asked him, ¡°That kind of medicine is harmful to the body. Why weren¡®t you a little more diligent and brought her to the doctor before? Why did you let her figure it out alone?¡± At that time, she did not know that E was the same person as Ste. She did not know that Ste was with Weston. Zeta could only give her professional advice from a doctor¡®s perspective . However, she could not influence her decision. If she had known, she wouldn¡®t have just stood by with only a few words of advice. Zeta began speaking in an interrogative tone, forgetting about Weston¡®s identity. Weston was not annoyed. He stopped tapping his fingers and said, ¡°It was my mistake.¡± He looked at Ste and said, ¡°I¡®ll never let her take that medicine again.¡± Although Weston was quick to admit his mistake, it made Zeta slightly ufortable. After all, Weston was the scariest man in Ahn City. He was like the King of Hell. No one dared to order him around. When Zeta realized her tone earlier, she restrained herself a little. ¡°She can¡®t take this medicine anymore. I heard from Ste that you... You have a strong desire. However, she¡®s unable to bear it. If you force it on her, you¡®ll make her fearful, and she¡®ll only be more repulsive of you.¡± Weston frowned slightly. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°You¡®ll have to be patient. Don¡®t force it when she rejects you. Be patient.¡± Weston remembered something and said, ¡°It worked some time ago. She was veryfortable.¡± Ste took a deep breath and wanted to cover his mouth and stop him from saying more. Zeta asked, and Weston answered like her spokesperson. However, Ste knew her own feelings the best. She did not need him to ry them to Zeta. Ste feared he might say something more shocking, so she interrupted them and said, ¡°I¡®ll tell her myself.¡± Weston arched his brow. ¡°We¡®re just talking to the doctor. No need to be shy.¡± Ste looked away slightly and did not say anything. Zeta nced at them and said, ¡°You¡®re right. There¡®s no need to be shy with the doctor, but it¡®s best to let the patient answer herself. After all, she knows her own body best...¡± Weston snorted before Zeta could finish her sentence. The irony of his tone was clear. It was as if he was refuting Zeta¡®s statement that imed Ste knew her own body best. If Ste really knew her body well, she would not have ended up in the state she was in before. Ste was thin, depressed, and had nightmares every night. Weston had been doing everything he could to make her better. He hired Joan to improve her appetite and thought of a myriad ways to fatten her up. Meanwhile, she had quietly taken those pills behind his back and turned herself into a terrible mess. She was not mentally well, either. Though she looked stable on the outside, she had actually gone off the rails.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Whenever she fell asleep at night, her negative emotions would show. Weston finally seeded in fattening her slightly and started seeing results, but she ran away at the wedding without warning. What an ungrateful woman she was. Weston believed no one knew Ste¡®s body better than he, both on and out of bed. Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Weston¡®s mocking snort only made Ste more ufortable. Zeta wasn¡®t wrong when she said she knew her body best. Why did he have to mock her? Weston looked at her casually, and Ste whispered in his ear, ¡°Can you wait for me outside?¡± ¡°Do you think I can?¡± Weston answered expressionlessly. She had just tried to run away from the marriage yesterday. So it was only natural for Weston to take her with him wherever he went. He would not let her out of his sight ever again. Ste pressed her lips. She understood him and promised, ¡°Don¡®t worry. I won¡®t run away again.¡± She met Weston¡®s gaze and said solemnly, ¡°I won¡®t do something stupid like yesterday again... I¡®m no fool. Running away will do me no good.¡± She sounded credible when she weighed the pros and cons, but Weston only looked at her indifferently and said nothing Ste was a little apprehensive, fearing that he would disagree. If he stayed beside her all the time, it would make her feel ufortable. After all, even the most intimate couples would feel awkward discussing such topics. Zeta noticed their concerns and mentioned, ¡°Don¡®t worry. She¡®ll be fine with me.¡± She crossed her fingers and said, ¡°Henry is in the hospital too. It seems that he was admitted yesterday because of some ident.¡± ¡°Is he around too?¡± Ste was surprised to hear that. ¡°Did something happen to him?¡± Ste remembered that Henry was at their wedding yesterday. He seemed fine. Why was he hospitalized again? She thought Henry was recovering well. ¡°I¡®m not too sure. I¡®ll have to ask my colleagues in the emergency room.¡± Zeta said, ¡°I think someone identally hit him, so he came for a detailed examination. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste nodded and turned to Weston. ¡°Aren¡®t you close to him? Why don¡®t you go over and see him?¡± Westonughed. ¡°Are you trying to chase me away?¡± ¡°No...¡± Ste tugged his sleeve. ¡°I promise I¡®ll be good.¡± Weston fixed his gaze on her and tried to look into her soul through her eyes. He stood up a moment later. ¡°I¡®ll pick you up in half an hour.¡± After that, he turned and left the room. The door of the room was closed. Zeta nced at the door and sighed in relief. ¡°As expected from Ahn City¡®s King of Hell. He¡®s really intimidating...¡± King of Hell? It was Ste¡®s first time hearing this nickname. She found it funny and asked, ¡°King of Hell? Are you talking about Weston?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Zetaughed and said, ¡°Don¡®t you find him scary?¡± Zeta used to think businessmen were always men of the world and nice people. However, Weston shattered her perception. His authoritative aura was so scary and intimidating that he did not need to wear a nice face while doing business. Others would undoubtedly listen to hismand regardless of his words or actions. Instead, they treated his words like orders. No one dared to provoke him. After all, Weston had always been at the top of the pyramid after making a name for himself. He could make a lot of money from any of his projects. His followers would make a lot of money with him. Just like others, he was from a prestigious family with a legacy that spanned decades, but no one else came close to him. Henry was a bold man, but he was now a cripple, thanks to love. As a result, he spent years in a wheelchair. After the sessful western suburbs project some time ago, many minor shareholders waiting to see the results trusted Weston for his strength. The Ford Corporation was waiting for their new projects abroad to be approved. It was a matter of time before the Ford family surpassed itspetitors and became the strongest in the country. Even so, there were still too many concerns. It was a critical period for the Ford Corporation¡®s development. The Ford family would no longer be subject to the restraints and inhibitions of other families orpetitions after bracing the storm of this period. Zeta sighed emotionally and said, ¡°Weston isn¡®t a good man, but he¡®s still extremelypetent and very driven.¡± Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Weston was only in his thirties, but he was fighting for a slice of pie from the old foxes in their fifties and sixties. This made him a formidablepetitor and a very influential figure. Ste smiled a little but showed no joy in her eyes. "I didn''t know he had such a reputation..." "Alright. Let''s not talk about him." Seeing herck of interest, Zeta switched back to the main topic. "He said you were better for a while... Why did it suddenly get worse?¡± Ste furrowed her brow. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I don''t really know either. Last night, I just felt like I couldn''t ept him at all.¡± Ste was much more rxed without Weston around. As it was only her and Zeta, she didn''t feel as inhibited as she did. Ste put her hands on her forehead, and suddenly, a massive wave of fatigue descended upon her. "In the past year, I''ve been acting in front of him. My acting turned out to be believable because of the medication. Even on the asional times when we''d do it without medication, I endured it until it was over.¡± "Hmm..." Zeta listened and tapped on the keyboard. " And what was the reason you got better before?¡± "Because he..." Ste paused and hesitated a little. "He became very patient in the sense that... Now, he cares about my feelings. It feels like he''s exploring my body.¡± Zeta was typing rapidly on the keyboard, but when she heard Ste''s exnation, she stopped for a moment. She understood what Ste meant. "So it''s likely that his attitude influenced your reaction?¡± the doctor responded, "It''s a possibility...¡± Ste thought back to the past. ¡°Sometimes, I don''t even know what I''m thinking. I keep telling myself that I have to ept him to feel better. Whenever I have that thought, a voice inside screams at me to resist him. How can I willingly submit to his pressure?" Ste furrowed her brows again and panicked all of a sudden. "I feel like there are two of me inside my body. It''s pulling me apart. The voices in my head can''t convince each other..." Zeta''s face turned more and more stern. ¡°Apart from physical reasons, is it possible that you have a serious psychological problem?" "Ste, since you have enjoyed it before, it means there should be nothing wrong with your body. I rmend doing a detailed examination first to rule out any brain injuries. Also, you can consult a professional psychiatrist.¡± "Am I mentally ill?" Ste was a little lost. She did not expect this, but she did not seem that surprised either. Ste had suppressed herself for too long. She wore a mask whenever she stayed with Weston. Sometimes, she even forgot who she really was. She had been wearing the mask on her face for so long that it had merged with her. If she wanted to take it off, it would be as painful as tearing off a piece of flesh. It would be so bloody and excruciating that she couldn''t even touch it. However, if she did not tear it off, she would continue to suffocate to the point of bursting. Zeta sensed the great turmoil in Ste''s emotions. She stopped typing and looked at her steadily. "Can I ask you a question?" "Sure." ¡°Why did you run away from yesterday''s wedding?¡±. Zeta was not at the wedding ceremony, but the news was all over the inte. Weston had quickly quelled most of the news, but many in the community knew about them. After all, running away from your wedding on the wedding day itself was material for great gossip. Moreover , Weston was the groom. This alone made the news even more shocking. When Zeta saw the news, she became quite worried about Ste. With Weston''s temperament, Ste''s escape from the wedding probably challenged his pride. He wasn''t just going to let it slide. Ste''s eyes were nk. When she heard Zeta''s question, she only shook her head. ¡°I didn''t think it through... Maybe it was just an impulsive decision. I won''t do something so stupid again." It was all Ste could only say. She could not admit that she had no choice but to stick with Weston. Chapter 944: Chapter 944: Chapter 944: ''Was it really impulse that caused Ste to run away from her wedding with Weston ?¡¯Zeta wondered and pursed her lips. Ste''s words did little to convince her. "You''re not an impulsive person. Ifyou''re not sure, you wouldn''t have decided to do that." Zeta could see through her. Ste dropped her head. "It''s indeed not as simple as I imed.¡± Ste probably would not havee this far if it weren''t for Warren''s promise. Warren, however, had never shown himself until now. She wondered if Warren had changed his mind or if he had lost the game between him and Weston. Either way, her fate was decided. There was no chance of things changing "If you''re notfortable talking about it, then don''t." Zeta stopped forcing her. "I understand your situation. If you have time today, get yourself a detailed examination. If there''s nothing physical, it may be a psychological problem. I can rmend you a good psychiatrist..." "Okay. Thanks, Dr. Taylor." It was about time. Ste looked at the clock on the wall and saw that the half-hour was almost up. Weston should be back soon. ¡°Do you still have patients ? I shouldn''t keep taking up your time." ¡°Don''t worry about it,¡± Zeta said. ¡°I don''t have many appointments today. You''re myst patient.¡± Zeta gave it a thought and suddenly remembered something. She said, smiling, ¡°I almost forgot to give you the wedding gift.¡± She pointed to the lush potted nts on the balcony. ¡° I''ve raised these with care. Pick one." Ste froze for a moment, surprised that Zeta would give her a potted nt. She walked over to the healthy green nts, and upon closer inspection , she found that they looked lush and well-trimmed. "Did you raise these yourself?". ¡°Yes. I like gardening to pass the time. The hobby helps me cultivate my body and soul.¡± After Zeta typed a few lines on theputer, she said to Ste, ¡°You can pick a pot of your choice." Zeta did not know what to get Ste. After all, it was hard to define the depth of their friendship. They were not that close, so giving Ste an expensive gift seemed slightly -..- .-. inappropriate . However, if she gave her something too inexpensive, it would be embarrassing. The nts were all her own. They were not ridiculously expensive, but they were all valuable species. Hence, Zeta thought the nts would make a suitable gift. Ste was happy to ept them too, knowing herself that she probably wouldn''t ept something like expensive jewelry. All things considered, it was indeed thoughtful of Zeta to give her a potted nt she nted with her own hands. The lush greens would be easy on the eyes. Ste saw a bonsai with red flower bones and thought it was pretty. ¡°What kind of nt is this? It blooms in the spring." Ste wanted to touch it. "Wait, don''t touch it!" Zeta had just finished writing the case, and when she turned around to see Ste reaching out to touch the potted nt, she jumped in shock and hurriedly stopped Ste. ¡°Don''t touch that! It''s poisonous!" Ste was stunned and instinctively withdrew her hand. " Poisonous?" ''How could a potted nt be poisonous...'' Ste thought. Zeta walked up to her and was relieved to see that she had not touched it. She breathed a sigh of relief. "You have good eyes. This is the Oleander nt. It''s very poisonous.¡± "Oleander?" Ste did not know much about nts. She just thought it sounded like a pretty good name. "Is it a tree?" "No." Zeta shook her head, smiling. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "Oleander is amon ornamental evergreen shrub that blooms throughout the year. It has the best blooms in summer and autumn, but it rarely bears fruit when potted...¡± Ste nodded. ¡°So it''s not some sort of tree.¡± The nt sported a very beautiful five-petaled flower, its deep pink warmly juxtaposed against the green. It was gorgeous. "Did you just say that this is poisonous?" Zeta nodded with a stern look. .. "I was about to take it home. If I leave it here, someone might get hurt,¡± Zeta exined. Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Chapter 945 ¡°Oleander is extremely poisonous . A human or animal that consumes its flower, root, leaf, or seed might die from poisoning." Ste widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°That bad?¡± She thought that the oleander''s poison would cause an allergy or something at most, but little did she expectthat it was actually so toxic. Zeta nodded. ¡°It''s no joke. The entire oleander nt is poisonous. If you identally break the branches and touch the sap, for instance, it will paralyze your skin. Burning the branches, on the other hand, produces toxic gases..." "It sounds very dangerous," Ste said. ¡°The prettier they are, the more dangerous they be.¡± Zeta smiled and advised , ¡°You''re a novice, so don''t pick this one. There are other nts to look at.¡± "Why don''t you rmend one?¡± "Sure.¡± Zeta looked around and chose one. "This is Serissa japonica , also known as snow rose . What do you think?" She rmended the flower and exined, "When snowrose blooms , its white flowers are as dense as the snow. That''s why it''s called the snowrose , a miniature bonsai. You can put it in front of a clean window. It''ll be beautiful." Ste looked at it for a few moments and liked the nt too. "Thank you for the beautiful nts," she said, subconsciously looking at the oleander a few times. A subtle emotion shed in her eyes. Zeta did not notice the glint in Ste''s eyes. Having thought that Ste was merely curious, she told her more about the Oleander nt. ¡°If you have small animals or a small child at home, try not to choose such bonsai. They might just identally eat it." "Oleander is four times more poisonous than a king cobra''s venom. Just a single leaf can kill a baby.¡± Ste''s hand trembled, and her face changed. ¡°How about an adult?" ¡°As long as the dose is enough, it can be fatal to adults. It''s also a quick-acting poison, so be careful!" Ste nodded and managed a ghost of a smile. ¡°It''s such a dangerous thing. I''d better not raise it...¡± ¡°But it has great medicinal value," Zeta persuaded with a smile. "Ordinary people really shouldn''t raise this nt. idents may happen." Ste nodded and took a few more nces. She looked at the fiery red flowers with empty eyes. Ste thought maybe her life would stay this way forever. As long as Weston was alive, she could never be free. As long as he was alive... Ste couldn''t understand why those terrible thoughts flooded her mind. She felt like there was a gigantic tug-a war between two personas inside her, with the ck fog that formed over her heart looking like an unfamiliar woman. The woman had the same face as her but seemed more vicious and evil. "What''s the use of holding back? Hasn''t Weston hurt you enough over the years?" "You''re such a coward! A loser! A woman has to be hard hearted to make things happen!" ¡°If you don''t take action, you''ll get killed sooner orter!¡± ¡°Ste, kill him!¡± The woman who looked just like her suddenly twisted her face. ¡°Kill him! You''ll be free! "Think about it! Remember Guinevere? She killed you because you were pregnant! For people like them, human life doesn''t matter! "Do you think Weston is any different from her? "Other people''s lives don''t matter to him! "He''ll only threaten you with Roger! "Why are you so soft-hearted to such a man?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Kill him..." ¡°Kill him!¡± The voice kept reverberating in her ear like a ghost whispering to her. However, it was then that she heard another calm andpassionate voice. ¡°Do you want to be an executioner? Weston might be hateful, but he never wanted your life..." ¡°What about your dead baby?!" the ck fog screamed. " Who''ll pay for your baby''s life?" Ste jolted awake a took a step back in fear. "I...¡± Then, she bumped into someone on her back. She turned around to meet Weston''s eyes, and cold sweat instantly seeped down her back. Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Earlier, in Henry''s ward. The contents of the IV dripped slowly into the patient¡¯s green veins. Weston stood at the door and looked inside the ward. Then, he pushed the door open and walked in. There wasa nice wheelchair and a pair of crutches by the bedside table. Henry was lying on the hospital bed. When he saw Weston walking in, his gaze followed him. ¡°That''s rare. You''re so well-informed this time.¡± Weston grabbed a chair and sat next to Henry''s bed. ¡° You''ve misunderstood. I apanied my wife to the hospital today. We heard from Zeta that you were here. What happened? Are you in sick again?¡± The two men had never spoken nicely to each other. Henry was used to Weston''s cold words and did not take them to heart. Indifferently, he spoke, ¡°Don''t worry. I''m not dead yet. Apany your wife and leave me alone." Westonughed and picked up a financial magazine. ¡°It''s been so many years. You should get back on your feet. Don''t be a cripple." ¡°Don''t worry about my business.¡± ¡°I have no intention to do so. I''m just staying for half an hour." Henry frowned and observed Weston. ¡°What do you mean? Aren''t you apanying Ste to the doctor? Why are you here for half an hour?¡± "She feels ufortable with me around.¡± "Fine.¡± Henry did not bother to waste time bickering with him. "You''re the only one who''ll treat her like a treasure. She even ran away from your wedding. I thought you''d at least teach her a lesson.¡± Henryughed at him. ¡°Mr. Ford, that''s not like you." Weston put down the magazine , revealing a stony face. Henryughed again. "You should see the look on your face. I knew you''d only react when someone talked about her.¡± Weston sneered coldly. "If that woman doesn''te back, are you going to waste your life on her forever?¡± Henry''s smile disappeared because of Weston''s question, and his eyes became as hard as a rock. A short moment later, he said, ¡°She won''te back.¡± Henryughed at himself. ¡°Hey. Say, why are women so cruel? If I died, would she evere to my funeral?" ¡°If you die,¡± Weston gave him a look and said, ¡°even if she dide to your funeral, you won''t see it.¡± Weston paused a little and snickered, ¡°But I can ry her message to you in front of your grave.¡± Henry was lost for words. He rubbed his temple and asked, ¡°Must you stay here for half an hour?¡± Weston said nothing and picked up the magazine to read. Henry wanted to speak to Weston no more since he reopened the deepest scar of his life. Not long after, someone opened the door to Henry''s ward. ¡°Mr. Moore, may Ie in?¡± A head poked in from behind the door and asked tentatively, ¡°Is this a good time for you?¡± Henry answered without looking up. ¡°No. Get lost.¡± ¡°Oh..." Angelina still walked in anyway. ¡°I brought you some food. Are you feeling better?" she said, closing the door behind her. When Angelina turned around and saw Weston sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, she froze. ¡°Mr. Ford?¡± Weston nced at her and recognized her as Ste''s friend. Angelina looked a lot like Faye. He then looked at Henry as if to ask him what Angelina was doing there. Henry rubbed his temple and felt a slight headache . He did not feel like exining, so he gestured to Angelina. " Tell him why I ended up in the hospital.¡± Angelina exined embarrassedly, ¡°I identally bumped into Mr. Moore yesterday ... and I bumped into him twice. The second time I bumped into him, I flipped his wheelchair over." Angelina felt more remorseful as she exined, ¡°I know Mr. Moore has been having trouble with his leg. I was concerned and came over to visit him. Since you''re okay, I''ll leave first. I''ll take care of the medical bills too..." Weston finally looked at her and looked at her in a slight surprise. He asked in an indifferent tone, "You flipped his wheelchair?" After all, Henry was a big tall man. Even though he had been in the wheelchair for a few years and neglected exercise, he still wasn''t a man that a small girl could easily overturn. Angelina became more embarrassed at that. She muttered, ¡°I''m... quite strong." Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Angelina looked thin and small and studied art, but she did indeed pack a punch. ording to her parents, she had loved fighting since she was a child. She would fight the boys and even against three opponents at the same time. Being a natural fighter, she had never lost a fight in her life. When she was in high school, she started helping others in need. When she was in college, she even caught a pervert on the bus. Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Chapter 947 N?velDrama.Org owns this text. In short, an ordinary person would be no match for Angelina Weston paused a little and nced at Henryonce. He was not interested in Faye and only remembered her as Henry¡¯s bodyguard. As a bodyguard , Faye was a skilled fighter. Responsible for caringfor Henry, she was much tougher than the average woman. Henry understood the look in Weston''s eyes. He closed his eyes and ordered Angelina to leave. "Put down the things and leave." Angelina felt a little restrained. Seeing that she wasn''t weed, nve she nodded and agreed to leave. ¡°Then I''ll be going... If you need any follow-up on the medical bills, I ..," "Why aren''t you leaving yet?" Henry opened his eyes and looked impatient. Angelina pursed her lips and turned around to leave. If she hadn''t made mistakes , she wouldn''t have endured his temper. After the door of the ward was closed, Weston turned to Henry and asked, "Are you sure she''s not the one you''re looking for?" Henry seemed a little conflicted himself. Hey in bed, looking exhausted. ¡°I don''t know either... Her upbringing and family seem perfect, though she''s not Faye.¡± ¡°It''s not hard to fake a person''s life.¡± Weston reminded him, ¡°Before the engagement party, everyone believed that E wasn''t Ste.¡± Henry hesitated a little. ¡°But she''s different. If she''s Faye ... Why does she look at me like aplete stranger?¡± Faye would''ve certainly been angry with him. It was unsurprising that she pretended not to know him, but she wasn''t enough of a natural actor to fool the man. Henry failed to find a single trace of the past in Angelina''s eyes, but everything about Angelina kept reminding him of Faye. Weston stood up. ¡°It''s time." Henry said, ¡°You''re a real good friend of mine." Weston smiled and said nothing. He did not stay. Zeta''s office was downstairs. He expected her session with Zeta to be over when he went down. When he arrived , he found Ste picking a potted nt on the balcony, looking distracted. ¡°What''s wrong? Are you unwell?¡± Weston wrapped his arm around her waist and frowned because she tried to retreat. ¡°Why are your hands so cold?" Ste pulled her hands away reflexively. "I''m fine...¡± Her voice trembled slightly. When she thought of the voice in her head earlier, she felt a little weak seeing Weston''s face. What was going on in her subconscious? Did she want to kill him? Weston furrowed his brows harder. He swept his gaze over the pot of Oleander behind her and pulled her away silently. ¡°If you''re fine, why are you shaking?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I''m really fine..." Weston was clearly unconvinced and looked at her intently. Ste breathed a sigh. ¡°Earlier, Dr. Taylor said my problem might be psychological." Weston did not seem surprised. ¡°Well, what''s her n?¡± ¡°She rmended getting a detailed examination first. Once we rule out any physical problems, I should see a psychiatrist..." "Okay." After that, Zeta came over and changed out of her coat. ¡° I''m off work now. Shall I introduce you to some good psychiatrists?" Weston responded, ¡°No. I''ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Zeta nodded. She thought about Weston''s powerful family and guessed that he must have ess to plenty of good doctors. So after a detailed examination, the results came back. As expected, the problem wasn''t physical. Weston looked at the test report. ¡°I''ll get a psychiatrist toe to the house tonight.¡± Ste did not expect that the problem was psychological. She let out a hum and suddenly thought of something , then tugged at the corner of her mouth and muttered, ¡° Will I be like Guinevere someday?" NVE Trapped in her insatiable obsession, Guinevere had finally spiraled down into a hysterical and vicious woman who strove to reach her goals, no matter the cost. Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Chapter 948. Ste''s face did not change as she mentioned Guinevere.She looked indifferent as if she was talking about an unimportant and irrelevant person. However, Weston''s face changed. NVE ¡°You won''t be like her.¡± He tipped her chin. ¡°You¡¯re not the same as her.¡± ¡°How are we different?¡± Ste paledand smiled weakly. ¡° Maybe I''m just walking her old path..." Guinevere was not crazy at first. She was a woman full of pride. However, an illustrious woman like her ended up bing aughingstock because of this man. How would Ste fare any better? Ste lost her only child and her only chance to be a mother. He threatened her with her brother, who was her only family and loved one. Left with little choice, she was forced to stay by the side of that man she hated and pretended to please him. Perhaps she would one day turn out more extreme than Guinevere. Outside the hospital . After putting the snow rose in the trunk of the car, Ste looked at it. "Will it tumble?" she asked anxiously. Weston gave her a look. ¡°You''ve been so careful with her gift. Why didn''t you care about the gifts I gave you?¡± ¡°It''s different...¡± Ste said. ¡°Zeta nted this herself.¡± Ste fiddled with the leaves of the snow rose. The flower wasn''t yet in bloom, but she could imagine how beautiful it would look. Weston looked down at her. "You like handmade stuff?¡± Ste stayed silent. Weston had thrown lots of precious jewelry and gifts on her like they cost nothing to him. In fact, it cost him very little. He could''ve given them to any woman if he wanted to, not to mention him throwing away a fortune for that woman from Lowe Garden called Belle. Weston stopped asking questions at her resolute silence. He escorted her to the car and told the driver to drive back to Stardust Mansion, the ce they had stayed when they were previously married. Although they lived in different apartments, they shared most of their memories at Stardust Mansion. ¡°Isn''t the apartment a nice ce to live?¡± Ste looked at the scenery outside and leaned on the armrest. ¡°Why do you want to go back to the vi?" Weston wound down the car window and let her lean on him. ¡°I''ve been running a project in Ahn City. I''ll be out a lot, and the apartment is some ways away.¡± Ste had been in poor health ofte, and it was unadvisable that she traveled too much. However, she felt a little suffocated by his decision. She looked out the window gloomily. ¡°But the vi is far away from Angelina and Yvonne...¡± she argued. Weston let out a lowugh and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°How old are you? Why are you always thinking about a good time with your friends?¡± ¡°You make it sound as if your best friend, Henry, doesn''t exist." ¡°We only see each other in half a year.¡± Weston pinched her face. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°We''re also not as clingy as youdies.¡± After that, he scooped Ste up and hugged her. "When will you be clingy with me? Hm?¡±. Ste stiffed as he held her in hisp. She tried to rx, but her tense body betrayed her. She was clearly rejecting him. Weston soothed her patiently and ced his hand on her waist. He rubbed her gently and coaxed, ¡°Don''t think too much. I''m your husband now, Ste. Just rx...¡± Ste gave up and simply buried her head in his shoulder. Things were less of a torment when she didn''t see his face. Weston thought she was just running away and let her be. He tilted his head and kissed her on the hair. ¡°Don''t get so stressed. I can wait.¡± Finally, the car arrived at the vi. Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Weston got out of the car first and picked Ste up in his arms. Then, he strode inside. Joan had been told about their return and was already making the appropriate preparations inside. ¡°Madam, Mr. Ford¡­¡± Joan greeted them with a smile. When she saw Weston enter with Ste in his arms, she stepped aside. ¡°The vi is ready. I¡¯ve cooked some of Mrs. Ford¡¯s favorite dishes. It¡¯s still warm!¡± Ste felt a little embarrassed to be carried around in Weston¡¯s arms. ¡°Put me down¡­¡± she whispered into his ear. Joan was still around, and it would be inappropriate for him to be carrying her around. It was as though she could not walk herself. Even so, Weston did not put her down. Instead, he ordered Joan, ¡°Go in first and get her stuff ready.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston still did not put Ste down after Joan left. He stood in the foyer and held her on one knee. He kept one hand on her waist and changed her shoes. ¡°Joan is one of our own. There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡± Weston was in the belief that Ste was the shy type and easily got flustered. Ste lowered her head and watched Weston with dazed eyes. Weston was helping her put on her shoes with very gentle movements. In the past, the old Ste would never be able to experience such gentle treatment from him. He was now behaving as though he truly treasured her. Weston grabbed her exquisite feet and slowly slipped them into the cotton shoes before letting her stand up. ¡± No more bare feet at home,¡± he urged. Ste liked running around barefoot asionally. The vi was carpeted, but it didn¡¯t cover the entire ce. Weston maintained wooden flooring in his study because he did not fancy the plush feel on his feet. Thus, Weston was concerned that her running around would somehow hurt her feet. Ste frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant. Don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m so fragile¡­¡± As soon as she said that, the air between them froze. Weston stroked her hair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re pregnant or not.¡± He took her by the wrist and let her stand in front of him. ¡°With the condition you¡¯re in, you should be taking good care of yourself.¡± Weston could see her belly at eye level. Ste looked down and sensed something else inside his eyes. Ste did not say anything. Both of them stayed quiet for a while until Joan called out to them from the kitchen. Weston stood up and held her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "Okay." It waste after dinner, and Ste sat in front of the dressing table, feeling a little dazed. Every now and then, she would think about the pot of oleander. If she had been crueler, would all the unbearable feelings stop? A warm embrace wrapped her from behind. When she turned her head to the side, Weston''s chin came near her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ste shook her head and pursed her lips slightly. ¡°I thought... you''d me me.¡± ¡°For what?" ¡°For running away from the wedding...¡± Weston paused a little, then reached out to tidy her hair. ¡° I didn''t want to let you go at first, but doing that will only make things worst. It won''t do any good except make you reject me more.¡± Ste frowned slightly. ¡°That''s why you''re being so patient now. You''re doing this to cure my sexual aversion "You could say so." Weston looked at her intently. His previously gentle and affectionate demeanor seemed to turn a little cold. ¡°Ste, I''m no phnthropist , but I''m notpletely uninterested in you either.¡± He tipped her chin and muttered, ¡°I may not take action about certain things, but that doesn''t mean I don''t care. It''s also not the time. Do you understand?" Ste looked at him, stunned. She lowered her eyes as soon as she understood his words. "I know..." Weston kissed her lips with satisfaction. ¡°Good girl.¡± Then, he picked her up and said, ¡°The doctor is waiting outside. I''ll take you there now." Chapter 950 Chapter 950 Chapter 950 The hands on the wall clock ticked away. Weston carried Ste to the living room. Ste protested a little and did not want the doctor to see such an embarrassment, but her protest was to no avail. Weston¡¯s possessiveness and dominance were clearly on a higher level than before, and it was impossible to oppose his decisions. He would make herply one way or another , gently and slowly. Hayden sat on the sofa and went through Ste¡¯s examination report. When he heard movements, he looked up with a slightly surprised smile. "Mr. Ford, you¡¯re¡­ what an eye-opener." Hayden was not invited to the wedding, but even he had heard about the bride¡¯s brazen escape attempt. With Weston¡¯s cold and ruthless character, the runaway bride would¡¯ve probably been taught a lesson. Hayden cared little for such gossip and nonsense, nor did he pay any attention to the story¡¯s development. The incident, however, surprised him. It was obvious that Weston treasured this woman deeply. "This is Hayden. You can call him Dr. Quirk." Weston ignored Hayden¡¯s meaningful words and put Ste down on the sofa. After she sat down, he introduced Hayden to her. "He¡¯s a psychology expert who¡¯s juste back from his studies overseas." Ste nodded. "Hello, Dr. Quirk. I¡¯m Ste¡­" "Just call her Mrs. Ford," Weston interjected before she could finish her greeting. "Sure," Hayden said and greeted Ste. "Mrs. Ford." Hayden noticed Ste¡¯s difort and found it interesting. "Mr. Ford¡¯s hired me to solve whatever that¡¯s bothering you. Can you tell me about what¡¯s been stressing you out?" Ste frowned. She seemed like she did not know how to start. Hayden gave Weston a look. "I think it might be better if I speak to the client alone." Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Hayden used to be Guinevere¡¯s main doctor, but he had never seen Weston so nervously hovering around the entire time. Weston''s eyes turned dark. "Alone?" "Arge part of Mrs. Ford¡¯s anxiety must havee from you," Hayden said faintly and looked hawkish . "If you stay here, it may interfere with the treatment." Weston withdrew his gaze and turned to Ste. "Do you want me to stay here with you?" He was asking for her opinion. Ste shook her head. "No need. Let''s heed the doctor''s advice." She managed a forced smile at him. "You should go ahead and get your work done. I''ll be cooperative." "Okay." Weston stood up and patted her head. "I''ll be in my study. If you need anything, juste." "Okay..." After Weston left, the intimidating pressure seemed to ease slightly. Hayden saw Ste''s sudden relief and said slowly, "Mrs. Ford, tell me about your problem." Ste furrowed her brows. "Where should I start?" "Anywhere will do. You can tell me anything." Therefore, she told him one of Weston''s biggest concerns. She told Hayden about her rejection of his closeness. Hayden seemed deep in thought after listening to her. "Selective aversion. That''s interesting..." He paused a little before asking, "Have you ruled out congenital aversions, as well as physical reasons?" Ste nodded. "I''ve checked. There''s no problem." "Hm..." Hayden looked at her with a steady gaze and questioned, "Mrs. Ford, do you love Mr. Ford?" "What?" Ste did not react at first and was stunned after realizing his question. She did not answer, so Hayden waited patiently for her. After a long while, Ste finally lowered her head in annoyance. "I don''t know..." She suddenly sounded defensive. Chapter 951 Chapter 951 Chapter 951 After that, no matter how much Hayden tried to make Ste talk, she just would not open up her heart again. She talked about general things on the surface and refused to pour out what she really felt. Hayden found himself in a tricky situation. Ste seemed like a gentle and docile woman, but she was very defensive at heart. Perhaps even she did not realize that deep down; a split personality might be hiding itself. ¡°Mrs. Ford, how long has this been going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either¡­¡± Ste struggled to remember. Suddenly, a sharp pain throbbed in her mind and made her expression ugly. ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡± She tried to stand up, but she fell back in her seat. She pressed her temples hard and tried to shake off the jumbled images in her head to no avail. A patch of thick red liquid spread before her eyes. Vivid images of the scene on the rooftop, the kidnappers, and her desperation during the fall brutally forced themselves into her mind. After that came the blood that poured out from beneath. Ste was instantly shot with bullets that were filled with moments of total despair. After that, they all copsed and converged into the image of the pot of oleander bathed in sunlight on the balcony. The bloody images soon ovepped each other into a blur. ¡®End it all,¡¯ said the voice in her head. ¡°The pain will be gone after the end.¡¯ ¡°Mrs. Ford¡­ Mrs. Ford?¡± Hayden raised his voice and frowned. ¡°Mrs. Ford, are you okay?¡± Ste snapped back to her senses, her head covered in sweat. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± Ste was shocked by her own extreme thoughts. She gulped hard and gripped the arm of the sofa. ¡°I feel a little ufortable. Can we talk some other time?¡± In her current state, there was no way she could continue the conversation. Hayden reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you don¡¯t feel like talking anymore, we can always stop.¡± He said, ¡°Psychotherapy is a very long process. Myst patient was actually¡­.¡± ¡°Was yourst patient Guinevere?¡± Ste suddenly gave him a sharp look. ¡°Dr. Quirk, are you Guinevere''s psychiatrist?¡± Hayden''s eyes flickered. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He noticed the subtle change in Ste''s emotions when she mentioned Guinevere''s name. Ste and Guinevere were love rivals. It was only normal for them to be hostile against each other. In psychotherapy, it wasmon to use possible characters to guide the patient''s emotions. ¡°Do you mind telling me more about your rtionship with Ms. Cohen?" Ste shook her head. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I have nothing to say about her.¡± ¡°You seem very agitated about her. Is it about Weston?¡± ¡°No..." ¡°If it''s not Weston, what''s the connection between you? The Ford family? Zachary?¡± Hayden guessed, ¡°Unsurprisingly, you should be her child''s stepmother...¡± "Enough!" Ste roared, ¡°Shut up!¡± Her eyes turned red as she heaved angrily and clenched her fists. She would never be Zachary''s stepmother. The image of her own child lying in front of her in a bloody mess instantly appeared before her eyes; her child crying and questioning her. How could she be the stepmother to a murderer''s child? Weston heard themotion and rushed in with concern. "Ste." His face was stern. He pulled her into his arms andforted her, ¡°What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ste only shook her head and leaned into his arms stiffly. After she had calmed down, Hayden stood up and shot Weston a hard look. "Mr. Ford, can we talk?" Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Without warning, Ste¡¯s emotions suddenly turned turbulent and violent. Naturally, Weston wanted to know why. After she calmed down and went to her room, the two men went to a quieter balcony. Weston offered Hayden a cigarette , but Hayden shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. I don¡¯t smoke too,¡± Weston replied as he withdrew the cigarette. Hayden nced at him andughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the famous Mr. Ford of Ahn City would fall for a woman like that.¡± Weston smiled indifferently and said nothing about it. ¡°I just want to know why she suddenly lost her temper.¡± Hayden rubbed his temple. ¡°Mr. Ford, you don¡¯t seem to understand women very well.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Did you forget? I used to be Guinevere¡¯s psychiatrist,¡± Hayden reminded Weston. ¡°And so?¡± ¡°So¡­ Mrs. Ford is very defensive against me. She¡¯s defensive against anyone and anything that has to do with Guinevere.¡± Weston seemed to have understood his implication. ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s rejecting me because she thinks I¡¯m involved with Guinevere?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s just a guess.¡± Hayden was unsure. ¡°I tested her a few times¡­ the reasons for her anger were basically Guinevere and¡­ the child.¡± When Hayden mentioned the child , he noticed a slight change in Weston¡¯s expression. ¡°So it¡¯s probably about the child,¡± the doctor said and smiled. ¡°Mr. Ford, you should be the one who understands best; her reaction each time she hears about the child.¡± Weston¡¯s face sank. ¡°Is there any way to ease her rejection?¡± Hayden shook his head. ¡°The defenses in her mind are very strong, and I suspect¡­¡± Hayden hesitated a little and paused. He shook his head again and spected, ¡°It¡¯s still too early to jump to conclusions. I¡¯ll need more observations.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Weston¡¯s temples throbbed. A hint of fatigue shed in his eyes, but that quickly disappeared, and his eyes reverted to their usual indifference. I Hayden began to advise Weston, ¡°If possible, it¡¯s best you be with her as much as possible during this time.¡± He exined , ¡°I¡¯m not saying she needspany, but rather¡­ supervision.¡± Weston had turned around, but hearing thetter, he stopped in his tracks. ¡°Supervision?¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Her emotional disorder is tinged with a bit of aggression. ¡°Just like Guinevere?¡± Weston spoke slowly. ¡°It''s not really the same thing.¡± Hayden exined,¡± Guinevere¡¯s emotional disorder is triggered by a memory disorder and her own reluctance to remember the past.Ste''s is the opposite. She''s too attached to the past." Hayden continued with a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you guys, but you have to pay attention to anything that has to do with Guinevere. Stay on high alert. Ste, she... She might not be able to control her negative emotions." ¡°Are you saying that...¡± Weston turned around and looked at him with slightly cold eyes. ¡°She might hurt someone?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t rule out the possibility." Ste was exhausted and was soundly asleep in the room. When Weston returned to the room, he found her on the bed, curled up in a ball. He stopped in his tracks and subconsciously walked towards her with softer steps. Then, he sat down next to her. Ste''s eyes fluttered open as if something startled her. ¡°Who is it?" ¡°It''s me.¡± Weston looked at her with a deep gaze and then picked her up. ¡°Did you just fall asleep?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°What did Dr. Quirk tell you?¡± ¡°Nothing. You''re still stable." Weston looked into her eyes. "As long as you cooperate with the treatment, it won''t be a problem." ¡°Really?" Ste was a little skeptical. ¡°But I saw his face earlier, and it didn''t look too optimistic..." Chapter 953 Chapter 953 Chapter 953 "That''s only because he treats you like a patient.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Weston reassured her as he smoothed the wild strands of her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here with you. I''ll never let anything happen to you...." He kissed her ear. Ste shuddered when his breath brushed against her skin. Weston, however, let her go before she could make a move. ¡°Let''s take a bath and go to sleep,¡± he said, standing up and heading straight to the bathroom. Ste watched him as he walked away with an inscrutable expression on her face. Weston truly did not end up doing anything to her that night.He even gave her ample space for her to breathefortably. The next morning, Weston went to work so early that he was nowhere to be seen when Ste woke up. She sat in bed, shook her head from side to side, and was relieved to find that she was in much better spirits today. After breakfast, she got a call from Bradley Lane, who informed her that the date for the film¡¯s premiere had been set. Due to unavoidable reasons, the release was dyed time and time again. But now, the public¡¯s appetite had been whetted enough. The cast and crew, ted by the happy news, decided to celebrate the asion. Bradley asked Ste if she wanted to join them, to which she politely declined.She felt she was in no state to go out at the moment. ¡°I remember how you told me you wanted a long and sessful career in this industry,¡±Bradley reminded her. ¡°If that is still the case, then you must seize every opportunity thates your way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± replied Ste hoarsely. ¡°Right now, I''m unsure if I still want to go down this path.¡± She initially wanted to be an actress to pull herself out of a rut, gaining strength and status that would put her in a better position when protecting herself against Weston Ford. However, considering how things went down, she realized howughably naive that n was. After a long silence, Bradley spoke again in a much sterner voice, ¡°It¡¯s your choice whether youe out or not.Just remember that this is thest chance I''m giving you.¡± He then abruptly hung up. The hollow beeping tone from the phone unnerved Ste.She considered Bradley''s words for a while before changing her clothes and going out. Just as she approached the door, however, Joan suddenly came up behind her and asked, ¡°Where are you going, Mrs.Ford?¡± ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a while.¡± ¡°But Mr.Ford has asked you to stay home and get a proper rest!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ste frowned. ¡°I just want to get some fresh air.I won¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs.Ford..." The strange look on Joan''s face made it seem like she was hiding something. ¡°But Mr.Ford insisted that you must stay home¡­¡± she repeated. Sensing that something fishy was going on, Ste asked, ¡°I must stay home? What exactly do you mean?¡± Joan said nothing, but her eyes shifted to the door. Ste shoved the door open, only to see a group of bodyguards standing outside the vi. All of them stood firmly on guard, obviously under orders to prohibit her exit. Ste gripped the doorknob. ¡°What was he thinking?! Is he trying to shut me up inside here all day?¡± Joan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr.Ford means well...¡± Ste instantly grabbed lier phone and called Weston. ¡± What are all those bodyguards doing at the door? What are you trying to do?" Ste demanded as soon as the call connected. There was a long, tense silence before she heard his cold, deep voice reply, ¡°You should be a good girl and stay home." Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Have I even lost my right to go out?¡± she asked. ¡°There''s no need for you to go anywhere,¡± he answered. ¡° You can buy anything you want online or ask Joan to buy them for you.¡± ¡°Are you locking me up inside the house?!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°It can''t be helped if you want to look at it that way.¡± ¡°Weston!¡± Ste''s voice trembled. "What do you take me for? Your prisoner?!¡± ¡°Surely , you must¡¯ve known,¡± Weston interjected in a voice that chilled her bones,¡°that there will be consequences for your attempt to escape our wedding.¡± ¡°STe,¡± he continued. Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Ste closed her eyes, and her hands quivered. A sudden gust of cold breeze blew past her from the front yard, clearing her cluttering mind. ¡°I¡¯m not a criminal , Weston. You can''t keep me locked inside the house..." "But you promised me yourself,¡± Weston argued, his voice piercingly cold. ¡°You promised me, Ste, that no matter how I punish you, you would ept it all.¡± He thenughed in atone filled with biting derision. ¡°And yet, you won''t let me make love to you, you won¡¯t let me capture the man who did me wrong, and you won¡¯t let me lock you up either!So is it me who''s punishing you, or is it you who''s punishing me now, hmm?¡± Ste took a deep breath. Without saying a word, she hung up the phone, nced at the bodyguards outside , turned around, and went back to her room. Meanwhile, in the Ford Corporation CEO''s office, Ben stood aside as Weston spoke on the phone. Having heard everything , he felt so awkward he didn''t know where to look. Weston exuded a cold air as he stared into the dark empty screen on his phone. He tossed it aside, making it crash loudly onto the table. ¡°Mr.Ford¡­¡± Ben was almost quivering. ¡°What is it?!¡± Weston barked, giving Ben a cursory nce. ¡°There was a message from the Cohen family...¡± Ben paused when he saw the deep frown on Weston¡¯s face before hastily adding, ¡°But it has nothing todo with Miss Guinevere Cohen! It''s from her grandfather, Mr.Frederick Cohen.He expressed his wish to see the younger members of his family because he hasn¡¯t been out for a long time.¡± Weston couldn''t quite make out Frederick Cohen''s ns, but the truth remained that the older- generation Fords and Cohens were especially close, so close that when it came down to his generation, everyone wished to see Weston and Guinevere get married. It would finally consolidate the two great families. Unfortunately, the rtionship between Guinevere and Weston proved to be a disaster. News of one scandal after another spread among the public, putting the two families in an awkward and humiliating position. Nheless, the two families were still bound to each other by inextricably linked business ties. A host of interests also made it impossible for them to cut each other offpletely. ¡°Get mytest schedule from the secretary.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr.Ford." Ben immediately rushed out of the office, clearly knowing that Weston was in a rotten mood.He wouldn''t want to be in the line of fire and be coteral damage. No matter what happened, Zachary Ford was still the youngest member of the Cohen family, and Frederick Cohen¡¯s request to see him was nothing out of the ordinary. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. There would be no reason to refuse him. Hence, Weston headed to the Ford Mansion to pick Zack up. Zack was only about one year old.He was inseparable from Wendy, clinging onto her wherever she went. Hearing that Weston wasing to pick him up, Wendy dressed the boy in a smart suit and styled his hair with gel.He turned out looking like a handsome little man. ¡°Now, be a good boy and go with your father, okay?¡± Wendy told him. "Your great-grandfather wants to see you.¡± Zack, however, gripped Wendy''s arms tighter and began to grumble. ¡°Granny¡­Granny......¡± ¡°Come over here,¡± Weston demanded coldly with a frown. ¡°No!¡± Zack quickly hid behind Wendy , visibly afraid of Weston. "No..." ¡°Don''t be so harsh on him!¡± Wendy red at her son. ¡± He¡¯ll be scared of you!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you juste along with us?¡± Westonsuggested impatiently. ¡°No way!¡± Wendy refused. ¡°I don''t want to see the Cohens! This has been all your doing! There¡¯s no reason why I should show my face there!¡± After all, it could be said that the only reason the Fords and the Cohens were at odds with each other was Ste Sealey. When it came to great families like theirs, disputes were not solved by determining the rights or wrongs, but by determining the one with the higher status. Regardless of the true reason, Weston would always be seen as the one who hurt Guinevere. As for whatever Guinevere might have done to Ste, it was deemedpletely irrelevant.It was Ste''s own fault for not being from a wealthy and powerful family.. ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Weston asked, looking around the house. Wendy''s expression turned sour as soon as Chris was mentioned. Chapter 955 Chapter 955 Chapter 955 Hearing this, Weston stared fixedly at his mother, his searching eyes full of scrutiny. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Wendy shot hima dirty look. ¡°If he really is out there with another woman, why are you so calm about it?¡± he asked. Wendyughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t All men like that?¡± she sneered. ¡°What do you want me to do? Lock him up inside the house?¡± Weston said nothing, but his eyes turned dark. "Stop wasting your time,¡± Wendy reminded him impatiently, no longer wanting to see him there. ¡°If you want to go, then hurry up and go! I, for one, have no desire to meet those people!¡± Just as she finished her sentence, WarrenFord appeared with a cane in his hand. ¡°Are you going to the Cohens¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, Grandpa. ¡°Mr.Frederick Cohen would like to see Zachary,¡± Weston stood at attention and told Warren. This was the first time Weston and Warren spoke ever since the wedding. Though there seemed to be no changes in their rtionship on the surface, only Warren knew about the storm brewing under his grandson¡¯s calm demeanor. ¡°Of course, he would,¡± Warren said, ncing at Weston.¡° Zack is his great-grandson, after all.It''s only natural that he should see Zach every once in a while.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in quite some time myself.Perhaps I should join you.¡± Wendy sighed in relief the moment she heard him. ¡°That''s perfect!¡± she cried, handing Zack to the old man. ¡°In that case, Father, please take care of this boy while you¡¯re there!¡± Warren often stayed at theFord Mansion and yed with Zachary while he was there. He was the only person that Zachary was not afraid of, apart from Wendy.It would be perfect if Warren went with Weston and Zachary. ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± Warren red at Wendy with discontent. ¡°How are you still so timid at this age?¡± In the early days of Wendy and Chris¡¯s marriage, she''d pay attention to every move of hers to ensure she pleased everyone in the Ford family. But as the years passed, she gradually stopped bothering about all of that. No one could do anything to her now, much less such trivial matters. "Well," she began, smiling sheepishly, "now that Guinevere is no longer engaged 10 Weston, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason to meet the Coliens,right?" "The older you get, thezier you be!" barked rren. He squinted at her. "Tine! Just stay home then!¡± He then picked Zachary up in his arms. ¡°Want to go out with Great-grandpa?¡± he cooed. Zachary hadn''t the slightest about themotion brewing around him. All he knew was that it was always a lot of fun when Great-Grandpa picked him up. The little kid burst into peals of joyousughter. This made Warrenugh too. Heughed so heartily that it brightened his old wrinkled face. ¡°You really are the only one in the family who''s never disappointed me, Zack!¡± Those words sounded like they were targeted at someone else. Weston pretended he heard nothing and headed straight into the car. They soon reached Cohen Mansion. Before they got out of the car, Warren reminded Weston, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw Frederick .Don''t forget he was an old friend who''s been through it all with me, Weston.Let''s not mention anything that happened at the wedding, and make sure you treat Guinevere well,okay?" Weston closed his eyes and tried to suppress his impatience ¡°I know my manners,¡± he said. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Warren glowered at him and sighed. "If I had known that you''d turn out this way,¡± he berated. ¡°I''d have done everything in my power to stop you from turning into a mess because of a woman, even if it meant risking my life!¡± Weston''s brows knitted. After a long silence, he finally spoke. ¡°I''m sure I don''t need to remind you, Grandpa, that Ford Corporation is the fastest-growingpany in the country.You must''ve heard about how much the Western Suburbs project has made, and how it boosted the economy of the surroundingmunity.I''m sure there''s no need for me to go into details.You must''ve heard it all from others.¡± ¡°You...¡± Warren was full of rage, yet he found that he couldn''t refute a single thing Weston had just brought up. ¡°Fine!¡± he relented, feeling a headacheing on. ¡°Let''s get out of the car." Just as Weston stepped out, he saw Guinevere standing at the door of the Cohen Mansion, waiting for them. d in a pale white dress, she was neat and poised, without a single trace of that delirium and hysteria she had disyed before. Only a warm and amiable smile remained as she greeted them chirpily. Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Guinevere''s moods seemed to stabilize significantly after the wedding. She no longer used her mental state as an excuse to call for Weston whenever she liked. She stood at the door and calmly swept a nce over Weston.She was polite and friendly and not at all agitated. ¡°My grandfather and the rest have been waiting for you inside,¡± she announced. ¡°Good kid,¡± Warren said, patting her shoulder. He had been feeling bad about how things had turned out for Guineveretely. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I''m relieved to see you all well again.¡± ¡°It was my fault for being so hysterical in the past,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°I made such a fool of myself, and I know that everyone is terribly worried about me.But I¡¯m changed now.I won''t cause anyone any trouble again...¡± She paused and turned to Weston, adding, ¡°I really owe you an apology, Weston.¡± Weston remained silent. He casually draped his suit jacket over his arm, staring straight ahead as if he hadn¡¯t heard a single word. Guinevere looked slightly disgruntled , but she tried her best to conceal it. ¡°Weston!¡± Warren growled, visibly irritated by his grandson¡¯s attitude. "Act more like a man! Stop your small mindedness!¡± Weston merely shifted his gaze toward Zachary. ¡°You should bring him inside.¡± Warren almost forgot that the boy hade with them too. He rushed over to the driver who was holding onto Zachary and took the boy into his arms. ¡°It''s been a while since youst saw your mother,¡± he said. ¡°You must miss her a lot!¡± Annoyance shed across Guinevere''s eyes, but she quickly hid it. ¡°My baby Zack!¡± she cried, grinning as Warren handed her son to her. ¡°Is it true? Did you miss Mommy a lot?¡± Zachary stared vacantly at the woman in front of him before suddenly crying out, ¡°Waa!¡± ¡°Waaaa! Waa! Granny! Granny...¡± His cries drew out the people who were inside. ¡°What''s the matter?? Who''s crying??¡± ¡°Is that my great-grandson?¡± An elderly couple came out to the door and immediately took Zachary into their arms after briefly greeting Warren. "What are you two doing here? Why didn''t you go inside?¡± ¡°Weston, make sure youe over with Gweter!¡± Guinevere turned to Weston shyly and said, ¡°Zack just kicked me and got the dirt on his shoes on my dress.I think I¡¯d better go change my clothes.Will you go with me?" ¡°This is your house,¡± Weston replied bluntly. ¡°I''m sure you don''t need me to show you the way.¡± Guinevere smiled ,pletely unruffled as if she knew Weston¡¯s response. ¡°I don¡¯t have any hidden intentions,¡± she exined. ¡°I was just worried that you''d be bored without me since you¡¯d be the only young person here¡­¡± Shepaused and added, "If you''re not willing to go with me, then it''s fine.I¡¯ll go change ande back shortly.You can chat with my grandparents while you wait.¡± She then watched Weston as he left, the mellow smile on her face still stered on even after he was gone. ¡°You¡¯ll be mine one day,¡± she thought to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll be patient until the dayes, Weston.I''m in no rush.¡± Guinevere was calm andposed the whole time Weston was there. She had managed not to act up or make a scene. With his great-grandparents keeping him amused, Zack no longer cried or threw tantrums .In fact, he was now lying quietly on Warren''sp, drinking from his milk bottle. ¡°You''re turning eighty soon, aren''t you, Warren?¡± ¡°I''m d you still remember my birthday!¡± Warrenughed. Since he was with his old friends, he had lost his stern countenance and was in a much more jovial mood. ¡° I¡¯m counting on you to show up at the party!¡± And that was the purpose of hising here today. His eightieth birthday party would naturally have to be a big asion. It was also an excellent opportunity to reconnect with the bigwigs in Ahn City and mend the Ford family¡¯s rtionship with them. Weston, too, had caught on to Warren¡¯s intentions . He drummed his fingers on the sandalwood coffee table. Guinevere gazed silently at his silhouette, turning a deaf ear to everything else that had been going on around her. She had changed into a new dress, something more delicate that was as red as a rose in full bloom. Too bad that man didn''t appreciate all that beauty in front of him. Guinevere could only helplessly wallow in self-pity. Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Having gotten a satisfactory answer from the elderly Cohens, it was time for Warren to gohome. It was gettingte, so the elderly Cohens excused themselves and left Guinevere to send the Fords off alone. "Weston,¡± Guinevere suddenly said when they were at the door, ¡°I know I¡¯ve done many terrible things in the past, and I''m truly remorseful..." She paused to sigh before continuing. ¡°But no matter what happened, we still remain Zachary''s parents.Going forward, I hope we can at least be on friendly terms.¡± These were wise words indeed, and they pleased Warren Ford very much. ¡°Guinevere is absolutely correct,¡± he agreed. ¡°You two practically grew up together.It''s a pity that things between you had to regress to such a state.Weston, considering that Guinevere herself is willing to set everything aside and apologize, you¡¯d better stop treating her so coldly.You''re still friends, after all! At least do it for the sake of your own son!¡± Weston pursed his lips and said, ¡°We¡¯lltalk about itter." ¡°You " Just as Warren was about to chastise Weston again, Guinevere stepped in hurriedly and said, ¡°It''s fine, Grandpa! I know how immature I''ve been.I''ve done so many humiliating things, and for that, I don¡¯t expect Weston to forgive me right away.But I promise I will prove I am a changed person with my actions.¡± ¡°Guinevere,¡± Warren sighed contentedly, ¡°you¡¯ve really grown up.¡± Weston could no longer listen to them speak, so he rushed into the car and urged the driver to drive away immediately. Guinevere stood by the car and waved them goodbye, though her eyes were full of displeasure. ¡°Zack!¡± she cried. ¡°Mommy wille by and see you more often from now on, okay?¡± Meanwhile, inside the car, Warren watchedas Guinevere gradually disappeared into the distance. ¡°As expected from the eldest daughter of the Cohen family...¡± he sighed. ¡°Her maturity and grace are truly unmatched by any other woman.¡± Weston remained silent.He even seemed bored and indifferent.He covered his eyes with one hand while the other was tugging at his necktie, seemingly impatient. Warren red at him, shook his head, and said nothing more after that. The silence in the car was only asionally broken by Zachary¡¯s voice as the two men stayed mum for the rest of the journey. It was alreadyte into the night when Weston finally got back to the Stardust Mansion.He had stopped by his office again after returning from the Cohen Mansion, and all the while, he had intentionally not contacted Ste. However, she neither gave him a call nor even sent him a single text message. ¡°Mr.Ford¡­¡± Joan greeted him as he arrived. ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs.Ford?¡± he asked when he didn¡¯t see Ste anywhere. ¡°She¡¯s gone to bed, Mr.Ford.¡± Weston''s movements suddenly paused as he was in the middle of taking off his necktie. "Okay,¡± he said, ripping off his necktiepletely and tossing it aside, ¡°you can go rest now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr.Ford.¡± "Wait!¡± Weston stopped her just as she was about to leave. ¡°Did she¡­say anything today?" Joan sighed and replied, "She didn''t say anything in particr, Mr.Ford, but she did seem a little upset when she discovered she couldn¡¯t go out.¡± Weston fell silent. There seemed to be no way to decipher his feeling from thought with his perfectly stoic face.He went on to take a quick shower in the bathroom downstairs before going into his study to handle a few more documents. Only then did he finally retire into the master bedroom. The room was pitch ck when he entered. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Ste did not leave any lights on for him. He pushed the door open, letting the light from the doorway stream into the dark room, after which he could see a small bulge under the nkets on the bed. Weston strode in, closing the door gently behind him.He sank into the soft mattress as hey down next to her.He was just about to pull her into his arms when Ste suddenly turned around and looked at him with gleaming eyes. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± she eximed. Weston seemed a little startled , surprised that she was still awake.But he quickly recovered and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Yes,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Perhaps the time since the afternoon helped to simmer down Ste¡¯s anger, but regardless of the cause, she was no longer furious at Weston. In fact, she even saw the truth in his words-she had tried to run from the wedding, but Weston managed to intercept her and bring her back.It was only natural that she epted the consequences of her actions and get punished. It would be foolish to assume that just because he had been treating her with tenderness these past few days, it meant he would let her off the hook. ¡°How long are you nning to lock me up in here?¡± she asked calmly after a long silence. "Can you give me a specific duration?¡± Weston turned to her and scrutinized her face under the dim, yellow glow of the night light. "You''re not assuming I would give you a one-year deadline like I didst time, are you?¡± ¡°But¡­surely you''re not going to lock me up forever?!¡± "Why can¡¯t I? It¡¯s your fault for being so stubborn.¡± The body under the nkets kept rising and falling as if a tempest of anger was brewing underneath. Ste took a deep breath to calm herself down before saying, ¡°You can¡¯t keep me inside here forever..." Ste then suddenly softened her demeanor and touched the back of his hand. ¡°Even animals are let out sometimes.They''re never kept inside their entire lives..." "Are youparing yourself to livestock?¡± Weston¡¯s ire was triggered, and he raised her chin. ¡°Is that what it feels like being with me? You feel like you¡¯re a caged animal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±Ste denied.She felt that everything she said to him had to be wrong and would provoke his rage. Was it because she could not give him the most basic thing he wanted? Was it becauseshe couldn''t even have sex with him, and that was why she would frustrate him no matter what she said? ¡°Weston, I''mpletely powerless right now. What more do you want from me?¡± She looked at him and soberly added, ¡°I will never run away ever again.I can¡¯t even if I wanted to.I''mpletely in your hands now, so what more do you want?¡± Her voice cracked as she spoke.Laced with quiet despondency , it was as if being with Weston was some sort of torture. Weston squeezed her chin with increasing force and responded, "Why ask such questions when you know you can¡¯t give me what I want?¡± He looked straight into her eyesand added, "What good are you to me besides giving me sex?¡± He never intended to say such a vulgar thing, yet he blurted it out anyway for some reason. Sure enough , Ste''s eyshes trembled as a stinging pain pierced directly into her heart. ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled, her eyes reddening. ¡°I can never get pregnant again anyway, nor can I satisfy you in the way you want¡­so keeping me locked up in here seems kind of pointless, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Before she could even finish ,Weston drew close to her and nipped her face.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Because he used too much force, his sharp teeth grazed her skin, and the taste of blood filled his mouth. Only then did he let her go. "Are you trying to make me mad, Ste?¡± His dark, inscrutable eyes fixed themselves on her, concealing the unfathomable emotions they held. ¡°Or are you still thinking about running away?¡± he asked. "You don''t even regret your escape, do you? You only regret that you got caught before you go away, isn''t that right?" He finally asked the question that he had been unwilling to ask. Ever since catching Ste and bringing her back, all he cared about was how he could tie Ste up so she would never be able to leave his side again... But he had been gued by one question always at the back of his mind. Indeed, he was unwilling to ask, but that did not mean he did not want to know. Or rather, he just did not want to hear the answer because he knew he would not be able to ept the truth ...that Ste no longer loved him. She wanted to run as far away as she could because she no longer loved him.She could easily put on a mask and act it all out because she no longer love him.She could not even bear to be touched by him because she no longer loved him¡­ He had seen her when she loved him, so he knew perfectly well what she would be like when she stopped. At this point, even he detested his own perceptiveness . Ste opened her mouth as if she was about to answer his question, but just before she could speak, Westonsuddenly let go of her. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said. He shoved the nkets away and got up to his feet. ¡°No matter what you think, you¡¯re mine now.No matter what happens, the fact remains that you are Mrs. Ford¡± Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Weston stood by the bed with his back facing Ste. His tall frame blocked the dim light. His broad shoulders, strong waist, and firm, defined muscles on his body outlined by his nightshirt gave off the impression of a savage beast that lurked in the dark. Ste heard his cold voice say, "You are mine until the day you die, Ste.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you think this is a house or a cage," he continued. ¡°You are still not allowed to go anywhere without my permission.¡± He then left the room. Ste justy there without moving an inch.She heard him open the door to the study and then closed it. After that, the whole house fell intoplete silence. Ste turned over to the other side and shut her eyes. A tear slid down the corner of her eye and down her temple before finally dripping on the pillow. Weston did what he promised.He locked Ste up in the Stardust Mansion andpletely cut her off from the outside world. Apart from the psychiatrist , no one else was allowed to talk to her. Dr.Hayden Quirk often hinted that such conditions would exacerbate Ste''s mental condition, only for Weston to turn a deaf ear. ¡°As long as she''s alive and healthy , I couldn''t care less about her mental health.¡± Those were the exact words that Weston said. He didn''t care for children either, and besides, Ste wouldn''t even let him touch her now, so the medical researchers he hired to find a way for Ste to have a safe pregnancy seemed pointless. Yet Weston still sustained them, just as he still kept Ste alive. In fact, he made sure to give her the best of everything the best food, the best clothes, and objects of the highest quality were delivered to the Stardust Mansionevery day.He really would do anything for her¡­except to set her free. It seemed Weston had also developed his own mental illness after Ste tried to run away from the wedding. He felt an inexhaustible preupation with trying to keep Ste within his line of sight at all times. If she ever came into contact with anyone, an obsessive thought would not fail to unsheath itself. "Are these people trying to take Ste away from me?" Yet the more forcefully he tried to shackle Ste to his side, the further the two grew apart. To the outside world, it was clear that Weston would do anything for Ste. For her sake, he broke off his engagement to Guinevere . For her, he had given up his connection to the great Cohen family, and for her, he ignored his own son. Yet ever since that wedding, the woman who had won over Weston¡¯s heart so much so that he would do anything just to marry her...totally disappeared from the public eye. Bradley Lane could not contact her. Yvonne could not contact her. Angelina could not contact her. Even Warren Ford, who had gone to Stardust Mansion to see her, was stopped at the gates as Weston would not allow,him inside. Initially, Ste put up a fight against such treatment, but she eventually gave up and stopped resisting. It seemed she had epted her fate. Therapy sessions aside, the only thing she did every day was gardening. She had taken very good care of the snow rose that Zeta gifted her, perhaps because she was locked up in the mansion with nothing to do. Lately, she began buying potted nts of different varieties -some bonsais while some were delicate flowering nts. Weston did not mind, though. As long as she stayed within the mansion''s gates, she could do whatever she wanted. ¡°Cultivating a hobby would do her a lot of good,¡± even Dr.Quirk agreed. ¡°It would definitely be beneficial for someone in her current condition.¡± And so that was how Ste lived her life, day after day. She would spend most of her time in the garden watering and caring for her nts, then see the various doctors that Weston arranged for the day. Consultation, examination, taking medicine, trying to be intimate¡­ Each day passed with Ste trapped in such a loop, like a never-ending purgatory with no light at the end of the tunnel. But there was one particr bonsai that she watered daily with the utmost care.It was a nt she would meticulously tend to, every leaf and branch. Unbeknownst to anyone, Ste had actually kept a pot of oleander. Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Time slowed to a crawl. To Ste, it seemed as if the change of seasons had been stalled. Spring had come and gone, and the early days of summer were being ushered in. That said, it rained so heavilyst night that it felt more like a cold spring night. She was walking on the carpet in cotton slippers when she heard someoneing in through the door. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Dr.Quirk,¡± she greeted, more out of a habit than anything. ¡°Good afternoon!¡± ¡°How are you feeling today?" ¡°Not bad." She put down the watering can in her hand and yed with the leaves of her nts with keen and focused eyes. Dr.Quirk walked up to her and was about to speak when he was distracted by a delicate chain on her feet. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked. = "Hmm?" Ste followed his gaze, smiled, and casually exined, ¡°Oh, these? They¡¯re ankle cuffs.¡± Ste lifted her left foot, and the dainty chain jingled with a crisp and clear noise. "I was trying to bask in the sun with my cactus yesterday,¡± Ste exined further. ¡°Weston probably thought I was trying to run away again, so he had someone make these anklets and had them on me.¡± She spoke in an eerily calm andposed tone, like describing a distant event that had nothing to do with her at all. Dr.Quirk frowned.He found it hard to breathe .He had always been disturbed by Ste and Weston''s rtionship, even finding it to be morbid at times. Today, that feeling hade to a head. ¡°May I ask why Mr.Ford did this?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ste seemed surprised by the question.She shook her head and replied, ¡°You should ask him.¡± Dr.Quirk tugged at his cor and walked up to Ste. "So not only did he lock you up in there, he¡¯s now putting cuffs around your ankle¡­Is it you who needs therapy, or does he have some mental illness too?¡± Ste smiled when she heard the question , though she still looked as unruffled as she did. "He would never think that there was anything wrong with him,¡± she said. Weston was a man filled with the pride and arrogance of an egotistical jerk.His lofty status and incredible talent prevented him from having much empathy for other people. Nothing could stop him from getting what he wanted or achieving any of the goals in his mind.He gave no one any chance to challenge him. Dr.Quirk stared fixedly at Ste for a while. He then paced back and forth before going into the living room to pour himself a ss of water.It took him a long time before he could suppress his incredulity at the absurdity of the situation. "If he keeps on doing this,¡± he told Ste, ¡°your mental health will never improve!¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t care about my mental health anyway,¡± she replied. She put down the nt she was holding and washed her hands.Then she walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. ¡°What he wants is for me to stay inside the house obediently.It''ll be even better if I can have sex with him again.¡± Dr.Quirk''s frown deepened when he noticed Ste''s indifference and detachment. "But don''t you mind how he''s treating you?¡± he asked. Ste picked up the ss of water in front of her and took a sip. ¡°I don''t have the right to mind it," she replied, her eyes dull and lifeless, devoid of a trace of light. ¡°I really don''t know what to do with you two..." Dr.Quirk sighed, deeply unsettled by what he was seeing.He then proceeded with the usual therapy session with Ste, although he drew a sharp breath every time he caught a glimpse of the shackles around her feet. Over time, he became increasingly restless and could no longer remain calm. ¡°What he''s doing is equivalent to restriction of your personal freedom,¡± he pointed out, suddenly changing the subject. ¡°Ste, you¡¯re not a submissive person.It''s bad enough that he locks you up, but he even put those shackles around your feet, knowing clearly well that you have noway to escape him.Don''t you know what this means?" Clearly, it looked like Weston was treating her like his property. But Ste stayed silent, staring vacantly at the empty space in front of her. At the sight of the condition she was in, Dr.Quirk could no longer sit still. ¡°If things between you two keep going down like this, there¡¯ll be no way I can treat anyone here.¡± He sprang up to his feet and added, ¡°Today¡¯s session ends here.I¡¯ll talk to Mr.Ford about this.¡± Joan then sent him off to the door. He turned around and looked at Ste , intending to say something to her, but when he saw those chains around her feet, he let out a heavy sigh and decided against it. Chapter 961 Chapter 961 Chapter 961 "He''s treating her like a bird in the golden cage,¡± said Xavier in a disapproving tone in an exclusive club. He lit up a cigarette and took a drag on it. The sound of billiard balls colliding with each other filled the air. The whole ce was vivacious.It had been a long time since Westonst came to this kind of ce. Even the billiard hall owner found it curious. ¡°Why hadn¡¯t Mr.Ford been out having fun after getting married?¡± he asked Xavier. Everyone there knew that the woman Weston Ford married was not Guinevere Cohen but the woman that he had brought here to y snooker with him in the past.Yet none of them would have expected that he would be missing from this ce after getting married. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xavier countered him with a smile. ¡°So what if he''s not here? I''m here, aren''t I? Am I not bringing a good enough business to you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that atall, Mr.Xavier! You''re always joking with me!¡± Xavier said nothing in reply. Daisy was right next to him and was quietly pouring him a drink. Seeing that he brought up Weston and Ste, she asked in a casual tone, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t MrWeston brought Ste out anywheretely?¡± "Who knows?¡± Xavier tapped his cigarette. "He went through all those troubles just to get that woman, yet now that he¡¯s finally got her, all he does is tuck her away at home." He sniggered, then added, "Only Weston would treat a woman like a precious treasure.Is he worried that we''d forget that?" He blurted out those words in front of Daisy without a care in the world. Daisy was well aware that Xavier was not the kind of man who would prioritize women above everything else in his life. Nevertheless, he had been treating her very well And so Daisy remained silent as she dropped a slice of lemon into his drink and handed it over to Xavier.He preferred his drinks that way. Xavier put out his cigarette and took a sip of the drink from Daisy.The high alcohol content made him squint. "Why are you asking so many questions anyway?¡± he asked, looking at Daisy through the clouds of smoke. ¡° Don¡¯t tell me that you''re still pining over him?" Xavier " Daisy''s expression changed abruptly. "Were you about to ask if I still pine over him every time he¡¯s mentioned?¡± She then stood up and continued, ¡°In that case, then I''ll make sure to never say a word about him again in front of you," She then turned on her heels and left, Xavier didn''t react much.He simply watched Daisy stomp away with a slightly guilty look on her face with a sneer, Soonit would be Warren Ford''s eightieth birthday. Xavier was sure that when the day came, Weston would allow Ste toe out. That evening, Ste was sitting on the swing in the back garden and surrounded by a group of bodyguards. As she swung, the chains on her feet made a crisp, jingling noise. She was still swinging in the air when a tall figure walked up and stood behind her. It was only when a pair of strong arms held her still that she swiftly turned around and noticed the man. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she said. Those were the exact words she uttered every day when Weston got home. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°You''re back.¡± She said the exact same words without the slightest change or variation as if she were a robot programmed to say certain words and do whatever she was asked. ¡°Mm,¡± Weston responded in a low voice before picking her up into his arms from the swing. Steplied and held his neck for support.He then carried her from the back garden to the master bedroom upstairs. She sat down on the bed with both feet resting on the floor. Weston began taking off his suit jacket. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and his expression was inscrutable. His words, however, were nowhere near as calm as his actions. ¡°What have you told Hayden Quirk?¡± he asked. ¡°Why did he seem so eager to help you?¡± As he spoke, he pulled out the belt around his waist. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Ste knew exactly what his gesture meant. The intensely intimidating aura that Weston exuded was palpable too. ¡°I Didn''t tell him anything..." she backed away from him instinctively. Her feet were still bound together as she shrank away, and the golden chains nged noisily around her ankles as she moved. Weston ripped off his belt and tossed it aside.He knelt on the bed with one knee and stared at her like a hawk. ¡°If you didn''t tell him anything, why was he so emotional when he talked about you?¡± He supported her, so she sat upright and raised her chin with his fingers. ¡°Why were you so reckless, Ste?¡± Those words sounded like a grievance, but they also sounded like a warning. "If you won''t behave even after being locked up, perhaps I should cut you off from the outside world completely so you¡¯d finally be a good girl.¡± Ste took a deep breath, heaving her chest slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she whimpered. She had to muster all her willpower to stop herself from shaking. ¡°I won''t see him again, okay?" "You won''t see him again?¡± Weston sneered. ¡°What about your psychological problems?¡± "Forget about that,¡± Ste shook her head and smiled bleakly. ¡°Besides, what''s the point of those treatments anyway? It might even make you angry for no reason.¡± As she spoke , she sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist.This sudden tenderness startled Weston at first, but it was ultimately effective.He half embraced her and gently ran his fingers through the flowing ck hair that hung down her back. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Ste nodded obediently. ¡°I know I can''t have sex with you right now, but I have¡­other ways to please you." Her before leaning down and kneeling on his waist. Then, she reached out her hand and touched his manhood.Weston¡¯s eyes fluttered violently. He ced one hand firmly on the back of her head. His long fingers slipped through her hair, and his grip slowly tightened.His gradually increased force until he started to sp his hands on her head. Ste took a deep breath to steady her breathing. Above her, she heard Weston''s breathing getting heavier and knew he was about to lose control soon.Her eyes, however, nced past him toward the balcony.Her oleanders were growing excellently. Perhaps its flowers might even bloom in a few days. After a long time, it finally ended. The overpowering and primal stench of semen filled the air. Stey t on the bed, looking all meek and docile.Even Weston was unusually gentle.He walked out of the bathroom with a warm damp towel in his hand, sat on the bed, and carefully wiped Ste''s mouth and face. ¡°Did you choke?¡± he asked. ¡°No.I swallowed quite a bit, though..." Ste closed her eyes and asked him, ¡°Did you like it?¡± He kissed her again and again before answering in a husky voice, ¡°Yes.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Good,¡± Ste smiled. She had be so docile and well-behaved now that she almost seemed like a wild cat whose ws had been filed, trapped in an invisible golden cage without the means to extricate herself. Ste let the man clean her up without any resistance.He then climbed into bed and fell asleep with his arms around her. She listened to his steady heartbeat with a smile still lingering on her face.She squirmed, but it only made him hug her even more tightly. "Ste..." she heard his low voiceing from above her head, which was quickly apanied by a soft and tender kiss. ¡°Hayden Quirk won''te here ever again.¡± He took her hand and kissed it lightly, adding, ¡°From now on, your whole world will consist of me and noone else.¡± Ste''s eyes trembled slightly in the dark. Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Chapter 963 The next day, Hayden did note as expected. After that day, Weston nned to put her in handcuffs, butheter dismissed the idea after he saw how well she behaved.She could walk around with only ankle cuffs as long as she remained in Stardust Mansion. Ste had no problem with that, just like a dummy with no excess emotion beyond what Weston wanted her to show.She was cold as usual, but she had learned to please him in all sorts of ways¡­in the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room¡­ They would be like the typical loving couple whenever Weston returned home, leaving traces of their love in all corners of the house. Somehow, when looking at the woman who was trying so hard to please him, Weston felt as if he was looking at the Ste from two years ago.She was just as shy and delicate then, with he being the only thing in her eyes. The sole purpose of her existence was to make him happy.He picked her up, pinned her on the ss table, and kissed her passionately. When the two separated, blotches of saliva lined the corners of their mouths. The man put his finger on it and wiped it off gently. ¡° Ste, you are so good.¡± She smiled and rubbed his palm. ¡°Did you like it?" "A lot.¡± He went on unabashedly, ¡°So much that I am about to go crazy.¡± He ced her on the table to elevate her to a higher position higher. Arms braced her sides, and before she could react, his hands slipped under the hem of her dress and coursed around recklessly.She wrapped her arms around his head, and her eyes closed as her body began to tremble.She did not know how long it took before it eased off a little. ¡°Weston, I can¡¯t separate my feet.¡± "It''s inconvenient, with the ankle cuffs like that.¡± He frowned and swept a nce at it. The shackles around her feet could only be parted slightly.They had, in fact, reached their limit. Weston simply put her feet together, turned them to the side, and embraced them again passionately.He still did not take the cuffs off.It waste at night, and Ste curled under the nket, looking out the window at the stars in the sky,a little lost in thought. The man had fallen asleep.She got up slowly and walked to the living room when Joan happened to come out of her room as well. ¡°Mrs.Ford...¡± "Joan, why are you still awake?" Ste replied, a little startled. Her reaction seemed a bit sheepish.How could shee out when the two were making such a scene, regardless of location? How embarrassing would it be then if she caught them in the act? ¡°I am getting something to eat.Do you want me to make you some?" "No." Ste shook her head. "You should be resting earlier.¡± "Sigh.¡± Looking at her slender back, Joan was unsure, but she had a feeling that Ste was getting thinner and thinner. ¡° Mrs.Ford¡­¡± She called Ste out of a sudden. ¡°Actually, I have something I''d like to tell you." ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t like to go out much, and Mr.Ford has protected you well, but sometimes , it is still necessary that you apany him¡­to socialize.¡± Joan reminded her. ¡°With his status, Mr.Fords sometimes needs a femalepanion, and of course, it should be you ¡­but you haven¡¯t been going out.It leaves room for others to take advantage of.¡± Ste understood what she was trying to say. She looked at Joan and asked gently, ¡°Have you heard any rumors?¡± Joan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to say that either.It''s just that..." She quietly nced in the direction of the room door and whispered in Ste¡¯s ear. ¡°It''s all over the ce out there thattely, Mr.Ford has been getting closer to Ms.Cohen again¡­ Mrs.Ford, they have a child together.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Ste did not react much to it. "Is he spending a lot of time with Guinevere these days?¡± She mumbled, ¡°It doesn''t matter.That¡¯s his own business.It¡¯s out of my hands.¡± ¡°But¡­I¡¯m afraid Ms.Cohen has still not given up on him!¡± Joan said that and nced at the ankle cuffs on Ste¡¯s feel with mixed feelings. Although Ste was Weston''s legitimate wife ¡ª she had also been one once, there were simply too many women eyeing him outside. Even if Guinevere seemed to have settled down recently, who knew what she had in mind? Joan was really worried for Ste. If Ste could give in to Weston and plead for mercy, she was sure he would forgive her with his affection for her. Ste simply smiled. ¡°Thank you, Joan.I know you care for me.But this is my own matter.I know what to do...¡± Joan could only nod helplessly upon seeing her reaction. ¡° I shall leave you alone then.¡± ¡°Sure, go to sleep now.¡± After she left, Ste went to the balcony. The rows of potted nts were all quietly slumbering. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She first walked to the snow rose and observed it : carefully, then she walked to the oleander and stared at the flower bud that was about to open. "It will bloom in a few days..." She thought that although oleander was very poisonous, she should still increase the dose just in case. A thick ck mist suddenly appeared beside her ear, transforming into a person as small as her and whispering hoarsely. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it¡­He locks you in a cage like an animal and cuffs you like a criminal.Why should you be so submissive and epting? Wait until the flowers bloom, then kill him!Kill him, and it will be all over!" Ste heard the woman urging in her ears. "Don''t you miss your child? Let''s all go to hell together then¡­The culprit should too!¡± She was dressed in a white robe, soaked in the early morning dew. Quietly looking at the flower bud in front of her, the white figure seemed shrouded in a ckmist. A few days passed. Everything was the same as before, except that Joan seemed less present in the mansion. Since Joan talked to Ste that night, she saw her less and less.It was not until today that she suddenly realized that she had not seen Joan for days. Perhaps the time she spent at the mansion had been too harsh and uninteresting. The chains on her feet were a constant reminder of how slowly time was passing. After just a few days without seeing Joan, it made Ste felt like she had not seen an outsider in a long time. To her, time in this mansion felt like it was standing still. Weston had finally driven out everything in her life, leaving her entire world in his hands. ¡°It''s been so quiet in the mansiontely...¡± Ste spoke to the nt as she watered it. She muttered to herself and even hummed. ¡°Don''t you think it''s been such a long time since anyone talked? Is it because of Weston¡¯s anger that everyone is afraid to talk In front of her, the peaceful and quiet potted nt remained as it was, and no one answered her words. She didn¡¯t need anyone to answer her, though.She could simply talk to the air by herself. ¡°I had a dreamst night, and I think I dreamed about my baby.It was a little girl, wearing a pink princess dress.¡± Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Chapter 965 When she was saying that, she started to smile. ¡°I always wanted a daughter ¡­ I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll ever see each other again.¡± That was what Weston saw when he got home. He tossed his jacket aside and walked to Ste, and hugged her from the back. ¡°What are you mumbling to yourself?¡± Ste leaned on his arms without change in her expression. ¡°Just some random stuff.¡± She put down the watering can in her hands and turned her head to look at him. ¡°Why are you back so early today?¡± ¡°I had a meeting just now, and the project matters are basically decided. There is nothing much to do during this period, so I can stay home with you.¡± He kissed her cheek and asked, ¡°What were you talking about just now? Were you badmouthing me, hmm?¡± She smiled and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his shoulders and kiss him. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say ¡¤ anything bad about you.¡± Weston was naturally happy to see her initiative. The two exchanged a long, breathless kiss in the backyard. Only when Ste was panting and out of breath did he let her go and touch her little tummy. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡° Not really.¡± She said honestly, ¡°I am not very hungry. But if there is anything you want to eat, I will make it for you.¡± In Joan¡¯s absence, Ste was the one who cooked most of the time. An exemry cook on her own, she used to cook for Weston using whatever method she could to try to please his appetite. Now that she was basically at the mansion all day, she had more time to devote to him. He knew that their rtionship was a bit toxic now. But he was very satisfied. ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the kitchen, she boiled some water and put in some deodorized onion, ginger, and garlic. He did not eat these, and she had to pick them outter. She knew his preference very well. He did not like strong vors and preferred to go mild most of the time. However, it could not be nd. Simply put, he was very demanding butzy to care as he often had to socialize when there was a lot of work in thepany. Sometimes, she would cook him soup when he came back smelling of alcohol. She was really full of him at that time. His every movement was infinitely magnified in her eyes. But she could no longer find that mood now. On the balcony , Hayden¡¯s voice was unmistakably clear on the phone. ¡°Mr. Ford, I told you her condition will only worsen.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes turned gloomy. Thinking of how Ste was talking to herself just now, his eyes were dark. ¡°What will be the consequences?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be sure now. It will depend on how it develops. But one thing I am sure of: if you keep her at home and she does not have any contact with anyone outside, there will be big troubleter.¡± He hung up the phone and looked at the slender figure in the kitchen. His eyes darkened, immersed in unreadable feelings. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°I cooked some soup, but I don¡¯t know if you like it.¡± She sat down in front of him and served him a bowl. He took it, albeit somewhat silently. Ste noticed the changes in his mood but did not say or ask anything. She knew that if he wanted to tell her anything, he would¡¯ve just said it. After the meal, she went for a stroll in the backyard like usual. Weston stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at Ste pacing downstairs as if she was completing a daily mission, and he rubbed his temples in exasperation. She did not seem to have changed much and looked like a normal person. However, when he thought of the way she was talking to the air, his eyes darkened, and he walked to the yard. ¡° Ste,e here.¡± Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Ste walked aimlessly. Upon hearing the man calling her in his deep voice , she stopped in her tracks and smiled. "What is it?¡± She looked perfectly fine, devoid of the slightest sign of mental deterioration. Weston walked to her. His eyes were gloomy. ¡°...Do you want to go out?" She was taken aback. ¡°Go out?¡± She pursed her lips and sized up the man in front of her, then shook her head. "No." ¡°Why?" He walked over to her and picked up a strand of hair, wrapping it around his fingertips to y with it. ¡°I remember that you wanted to go out to see those friends of yours some time ago.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°That was before.Now, I feel that staying home is just as nice." She did not know if Weston really wanted to bring her out or was simply testing her. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She was tired of this game of escapism. He had a million ways to make her ufortable as long as things didn¡¯t go his way. She did not want to fight or run away anymore.She just wanted to live in peace. The tiredness in her eyes caught his eyes. His heart ached at that moment. "Ste, tell me the truth." He picked her up and sat down on a wicker chair with her in his arms. ¡°You have been very obedienttely.If you want, I can take you out for a walk.¡± She listened to his heartbeat silently. He ruffled her hair, running his fingers through her hair and rubbing it slowly. After a while, she wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°I don''t want to go out, but I am okay if you need me to apany you.¡± He exerted a little force to force her head up. She looked into his eyes with a very obedient look. ¡° What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°In what circumstance do you think I¡¯d need yourpanionship?¡± he asked. With a little hesitation, she pursed her lips andy on his chest. After a while, she chose to tell the truth and recounted her conversation with Joan that day. The man listened attentively and didn¡¯t respond. She hugged his neck. ¡°I am sorry.I should not have told you this.I thought that you had your own ns, so I never told you¡­¡± She paused for a while and said, ¡°Joan is right.If you need a femalepanion, maybe I should take up the responsibility of being Mrs.Ford and be by your side.¡± His gaze changed, and he sized her up as if trying to determine the genuineness of her words.He seemed somewhat pleased. It could be seen from the corners of his eyes. "Do you want to take up the responsibility as Mrs.Ford, or are you jealous and don''t want to see another woman be my femalepanion?¡± ¡°Both, I guess¡­¡± Sheughed and buried her face in his arms to keep him from seeing her expression. ¡°Do you want another woman to be your femalepanion?" This was a disguised confession that she was jealous. He was really pleased and pulled her up and kissed the corner of her lips. "With you around, I don''t need anyone else." He parted her legs and let her half-kneel around his waist, his arm passing under her armpit and wrapping it around hep back. With her entire body held in his arms, he almost encircled the petite woman in her entirety. Only then did the man let go and tidy her hair. ¡° Tomorrow is grandpa¡¯s 80th birthday.Why don''t you apany me to the banquet?¡± She paused for a moment and then smiled a little with her eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± She pecked him on the cheek. ¡°I will go wherever you go.¡± Her words undoubtedly pleased the man in front of her. He had kept her at home so heartlessly only because of her escape, where he had to keep her tethered to him.He didn''t allow her to contact anyone; he was the only person she could see. But now, she was telling him that she would go wherever he went. It was like someone flipped a switch, releasing certain emotions that were impossible to withhold. He picked her up and headed straight back to the bedroom. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Stardust Mansion was very quiet. Apart from janitors who would clean the house on a regr basis, there were only two of them. Before they even reached the bedroom , Weston eagerly pinned her against the stairs. Fortunately, the entire mansion was covered with a thick carpet, so Ste did not feel ufortable when she was lying on it. He ced his warm palm on her back, rubbing it against her skin.He was hot, much hotter than she was.His hottest spot was against her most vulnerable spot, signaling his impetus. She closed her eyes and tried to rx, but the urge still could not be triggered. ¡°Ste..." When touching her cold spot, the passion in his eyes faded a little, though it was still swirling. ¡°This may hurt.Bear with it.¡± He kissed her passionately. Weston had reached the limit of his patience, but he did not want to use external means to feel her intimacy.It had been a long time since he had possessed her in her entirety. Even if she was in pain, he wanted her.She gritted her teeth.It did hurt. But she looked at the bulging blue veins all over the man¡¯s forehead and endured it. All the time, she bit his shoulder, holding back the myriad words she wanted to spew.She was trembling with pain. He then stopped.He kissed the sweat on her forehead and took a bottle from the bedside table. ¡°Use this.It won''t hurt so much.¡± She was still not turned on, but with this gel, it was not as ufortable as before. In the Ford Mansion.It was Warren''s eightieth birthday, so naturally, it was grandly celebrated . Many influential and rich attended the banquet, earmarked by the numerous luxurious cars parked outside the mansion. Ste had never seen such a spectacle. Of course, their wedding was a once-in-a-century kind of wedding, but she did not get to see how the whole city celebrated because of her escape. Weston sat beside her and looked at her curious look.He smiled. ¡°They rarelye back, so I bet they will stay in the mansion for a few days.I will arrange a quiet room for you if you don¡¯t like to be with these strangers.¡± She knew, though, that he was not worried about her fear of strangers. He simply did not want her to have excessive contact with people from the outside world.She did not mind and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Her obedience was extremely lovable. He pinched her face and picked her up all of a sudden. With a husky voice, he said beside her ear, ¡°Did it hurtst night?¡± She blushed and turned her face to the otherside. ¡°We''re almost there, don''t you..." Pleased, the man let out augh so hearty it sounded like it was bursting out of his chest. He kissed her earlobe. ¡°Alright.I am not teasing you anymore.¡± The car soon stopped at the gate of the mansion. They got out of the car and immediately attracted the attention of everyone. The reporters who had been waiting at the entrance quickly pointed their cameras and microphones at them ¡°It¡¯s Mr.Ford and his wife!¡± ¡°Is Mr.Ford bringing his wife to the party?" These reporters seemed to love asking the obvious. Hence, Weston ignored them and helped Ste out of the car. ¡°Stay with me, and don''t run around, okay?" She nodded and held onto his arm. ¡°Okay.¡± She was like a good and obedient doll.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 968 Chapter 968 Chapter 968 : Since it was a birthday banquet, Ste was in elegant and modest attire that matched Weston¡¯s. She wore a pale gold flowing dress, the same color as Weston''s tie. When they stood together, it was obvious that they were a couple. ¡°My nts are still in the car," Ste told him. ¡°They will get stuffy.¡± Weston nced at her. ¡°It¡¯ll be just for a few days.Why did you have to bring them? Are they so valuable?¡± ¡°I raised them with care.What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± she argued. ¡°As long as it makes you happy." Weston reserved hisments whenever it came to small matters such as these, though he felt that she had be a bit too obsessed with those potted nts. They were just some flowers Zeta gave to them. They were not worth much either, and he failed to understand why she treasured them so much. ¡°I will get the chauffeur to send them to your room.You can tend to them during the interval.¡± Seeing that Ste seemed relieved , he teased her. "They are just a few pots of flowers, but you seem to raise them as children.¡± Ste paused for a moment, and herface stiffened. After a moment, she smiled. "Can''t I? Anyway, I don''t have any children of my own, but it¡¯s enough that I have flowers and nts or something to take care of.¡± The matter of children had always been a thorn in their hearts. Weston stopped talking and brought her into the mansion. In the hall. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Warren was sitting in a mahogany seat in the middle, looking hale and hearty with his old friends surrounding him. Almost all were once prominent figures who could only be seen on TV and in newspapers. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect time to pass so quickly.In a blink of an eye, we are already old creatures with one foot in the grave!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Lee! Look at how energetic Warrenis.I bet he will live a hundred years, which means he still has ¡¤ twenty years left!¡± ¡°Let us all have a hundred years!¡± ¡°Hahaha! You bet!¡± There wasughter among the elders. The younger generation, however, went about their business and left the elders to their devices. Weston first brought Ste to greet Warren. ¡° Grandfather.¡± Ste followed suit obediently. ¡°Grandfather, happy birthday.¡±. Soon the hall fell into silence. All the eyes moved in the same direction, looking at Ste. She had not made a public appearance since the grand wedding, and many were very curious about what had be of her. As Weston had never brought her out, it was a rare chance to see her in person. This meant Ste would naturally grab a lot of attention. When Warren saw her, he did not show much expression on his face, nor did he re up. ¡°You came." He swept a nce at the couple, and his eyes paused for a moment on Ste, but he did notsay anything. ¡°It¡¯s good that you came.Just help yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandfather.We will greet the other people first ande backter.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Warren¡¯s old friends stared at Ste. It was only after Weston left with her, that they began discussing ¡°She is qu?te good-looking.Weston is so blessed!¡± It was definitely necessary to say good things on such an asion. ¡°Young people nowadays have their own opinions, unlike us, who''d go for matchmaking sessions and obey your parents'' decisions. They simply want who they like." Warren did not speak, neither opposing nor agreeing. When his friends saw his reaction, they knew that it wasn¡¯t a topic he wanted to discuss, and they quickly changed topics. Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Chapter 969 And just like that, the tension in the air was smoothened out, and they got out of being in the spotlight.Weston asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Fine." "If you don''t feel well, you can go upstairs and rest first.¡± She responded and nced at her toes.It had been a while since she wore high heels, so it was a little ufortable.He told her to lean on him to save some energy. When she was in the Stardust Mansion , she practically ran around the house in her slippers, not having to care about her behavior.Weston was watching her demeanor. Xavier and Daisy came from the other side. "How rare it is that you are actually willing to bring out such a precious woman to meet people.¡± He spoke with a smile, but his words smelled of gunpowder. Anyone could hear the sarcasm in his words.Weston frowned and stood in front of Ste in silence.He looked at Xavier. "Why don''t you care about yourpany since you have time to care about my woman?¡± Although most of the executive power of the FordCorporation was slowly moving into Weston''s hand, Xavier still held a certain amount of weight in thepany. It was just that he had been fooling around some years ago and couldn''t reach the center of power.But now, he was working hard. Unfortunately, although his performance was fairly good, he was still not as convincing as Weston. If there was no Weston, or if he were mediocre, he would never get his turn to be the heir.It should be Xavier, in any case. This had always been his sore spot. When Weston said that, his face changed immediately. ¡°It¡¯s Father¡¯s eightieth birthday today.There is no need to talk about work.¡± Daisy also tried to smooth things over. ¡°Indeed.Let''s not talk about work on such an asion.¡± She smiled and looked at Ste asif trying to butter her up. ¡°Where have you been all this time? I''ve tried to contact you several times for shopping, but I couldn''t find you in person." Not only her, but even Bradley, Yvonne, and Angelina had also failed to get in touch with her. Ste curled her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t like to go out much.Sorry.¡± She was not targeting Daisy, but she had no way out. Weston wrapped his arm around her waist and swept a nce over the two people in front of him briefly. "If there''s nothing else, we shall leave first." Xavier sneered. He emptied his ss of wine and put the ss on the tray heavily.His eyes were filled with reluctance. Daisy advised him. ¡°You know Ste is his sweetheart .You should not use her to provoke him every time...¡± When Xavier heard that, he red at her. ¡°Since when can you teach me what to do?¡± ¡°I am not.I just don''t want to see you two going at it¡­Besides, what''s in it for you to go against him?" ¡°And what good does it do if you speak up for him?¡± he interrupted her icily. ¡°Don''t forget that you were my woman when you were his secretary.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about that.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good.¡± He coldly shook off her hand and turned to leave. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure from afar and paused in his tracks.It was as if he saw Zeta walk past him. "Zeta..." He called out her name out of instinct and automatically walked in her direction. They had not met each other for a long time. Zeta had disappeared from his life since thest time he announced that he had broken off his engagement with her tobe with Daisy.It hadn¡¯t made much of a difference at first. He felt that he had always treated Zeta with the same affection as a sister and never had any other feelings toward her. The kiss¡­It could only be regarded as an ident. Chapter 970 Chapter 970 Chapter 970 He knew she liked him since she was a child. She had followed him for as long as he could remember,saying that she would be his bride in the future. He did not expect that she would actually release him without so much as a pester after he broke off the engagement. After so many years of being engaged , he thought that she would at least want an exnation , but little did he expect that they would separate so decently. On the other hand, Zeta did not want toe at first. However, it was Warren''s eightieth birthday, and it would be inappropriate that she didn¡¯t attend when her parents did. Besides, it had been so long since that incident.She believed it was time to move on, and there was no need to keep avoiding Xavier.She just did not expect to run into him¡­She wanted to get some air on the balcony. When she turned around, she saw the man she had not seen in a long time walking toward her.She gathered herposure , pretended not to see him, and walked past him. Her arm was grabbed. Xavier whispered in her ear with dissatisfaction, "There''s no need to treat me like a beast,is there?¡± Zeta hastily pulled her arm. ¡°Sorry.I didn''t see you earlier." She nodded at him and greeted him. ¡°It''s been a long time.¡± Her facial expression was detached yet polite. No more, no less.She kept a polite social distance from him. Heughed. ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡± She was puzzled. ¡°Why would I be angry with you?¡± "About Daisy and I¡­¡± Before he could say it, she interrupted coolly. "That matter has already passed, and you made it very clear.I have nothing against you two, and I wish you a happy wedding soon.¡± After saying that, she lifted the hem of her dress. ¡°If there is nothing else, I shall leave first.¡± He stared at her, and his face did not look good. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for so many years.Do you really need to be so aloof just because of a woman?¡± She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we are that close.Besides, she is not just a woman.She is your girlfriend¡­I think we should not stay here and talk to avoid any misunderstanding.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left without bothering about the look on his face.He stepped forward instinctively, wanting to call her. But when he looked at her back, a wave of inexplicable anger surged.Who was that face for? He sneered.She was just a follower. It did not matter if she went away.He turned around and walked in the opposite direction.He thought he was very dashing, but a heavy stoney on his heart, making it stuffy and blocked. On the second floor, there was a room at the end of the corridor. Weston pushed open the door and walked into the room. The potted nts were already there. He looked at the woman behind him. ¡°Come in." Ste nodded and followed him into the room. She surveyed the room.It was spacious.She was going to stay here for a few days, so he purposely arranged arge room for herto ce her flowers. "You could''ve just left them at home for a few days and let the servants take care of them. You didn''t have to go through so much trouble to bring them along.¡± Ste said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand .All these have been grown by my own hands.I''ve gotten used to watering them every day and watching them grow little by little¡­¡± Disregarding her expensive dress, she walked to one of the potted nts, picked it up, and put it in the best spot on the balcony. Looking at the bright green leaves in the sunlight , she knew it would bloom in a short while. Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Weston received a phone call. After hanging up, he walked to Ste. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, you can stay here and rest.I am going out to settle some matters.¡± Ste stood up and looked at him. ¡°Don''t you need me to be with you?" He pinched her nose gently. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I''ve already shown up with you earlier, so I won''t be bringing another femalepanion.¡± She chuckled and walked up to him. Catching him off-guard, she hugged his neck, stood on tiptoes, and nted a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Come back early." He grabbed her waist instantly and pulled her hard against his body. ¡°Don''t flirt if you don''t want to get hurt." She obviously had no feelings for him, but still, she made all those flirtatious moves. Did she not know the consequences of arousing him? Last night, even when she cried until her voice became hoarse, he would not stop.She shook her head and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there the¡­get?" At least, she wasn''t in pain after using the gel. It would not feel so dry that it would rip apart, though she couldn¡¯t say it was a pleasurable sensation either.He nibbled heavily on her ear. ¡°Have you thought about the consequences of saying such a thing?¡± Ste remained silent and simply nestled in his arms without blinking her eyes. He kissed her hair. ¡°If it isn''t because I have matters to settleter, you wouldn¡¯t be out of this room for the next few hours.¡± Sheughed and let him go. ¡°Go ahead.I''ll be waiting here for you.¡± After saying that, she suddenly asked him with some concern, ¡°But won¡¯t people say anything if I rest here alone?¡± ¡°They will, but don''t worry about it.¡± Weston rubbed her head. ¡°No one will dare to say anything in front of you, and what they don¡¯t dare to say in front of you should be considered as nothing." In the whole of Ahn City, he was the only one who had the courage to say such arrogant words. She nodded. ¡°If you need me...¡± He suddenly leaned down and whispered dully in her ear. ¡°There will only be one ce where you''ll be needed." He took her hand and pressed it down hard. ¡°Calm it down, or I won''t be able to meet people.¡± Ste was startled, and her face blushed. All she could do wasply with his movements and wait for his turgid manhood to dete. Soon, she was the only one left in the room. Before he left, he put the ankle cuffs on her again. Without him having to say anything, she subconsciously sat down on the edge of the bed, held out her feet, and let him cuff her. The man kissed her foot before he left with an almost reverent gesture.He was cautioning her not to wander off. Naturally, she nodded.Her arms were still a little sore as she propped herself on the bed behind her. It took a while for her arms to stop shaking so much. She listened to the lively soundsing from downstairs with despair , feelingpletely cut off from the world. A gust of wind blew.She went to the balcony , looked at the pot of oleander, and squatted down.She fiddled with the leaves, but her eyes were not focusing. ¡°If you''d just hurry up and bloom, it''ll all be over soon¡­¡± She could pretend to be indifferent,but she couldn''t fool herself. Every time he touched her, she felt like she was on fire, an unbearably ufortable feeling. It was not only a physical rejection but also a resistance to his intimacy in her heart, especially the ankle cuffs he had put on her that made her feel like his pet in a trap. She sighed lightly. Chapter 972 Chapter 972 Chapter 972 The Cohens also attended Warren''s eightieth birthday banquet Because of the wedding, the two families were bound in an unpleasant rtionship. However, the friendship between the older generation wasn''t so easily dissipated. Moreover, for the sake of shared interests, they would naturally reconcile when there was a chance. At first, Mr.and Mrs.Cohen did not want Guinevere to attend to avoid any criticism she might receive.However, her emotions seemed to have stabilizedtely, and she was not as hysterical as before.She even said that she had gotten over Weston. After much consideration , they went along with her on everything, not wanting to provoke her again after the slight improvement. "It''s Warren''s eightieth birthday, and all the guests are famous people in the industry.Guinevere, be mindful of your mental state, and don''t make yourself a joke¡­¡± ¡°I know, Father, Mother.Don''t worry." She smiled gracefully as if she hadpletely gotten over it. ¡°After all, I am Zachary¡¯s mother.For his sake.I will get along with the Fords.¡± She sighed. ¡°I was too childish and obsessed with Weston.In fact, there was no need to get so obsessed with romance.Owning it once makes it the most beautiful thing." This was also what she said to the other people at the scene. ¡°I also sincerely wish him and Ste the best.The past is in the past, and we have all done wrong things.I was young and frivolous, and I hope everyone will forgive my recklessness.I will not do these silly things again..." People tended to forget. Even though her action in the engagement ceremony blew everyone away and shattered the beautiful impression her fans had on her,their disgust and repulsion washed away with the passing of time. Moreover, as her words were sincere and earnest, some people were quick to buy into them. All that being said, the majority were still waiting and watching Warren also stepped in.He walked up to her and smiled." They''re all young.How can they make no mistakes?" He was holding Zachary''s hand. ¡°As a parent, I am d that you are aware.After all, it''ll be good for Zack if you are amiable with Weston.However, if you are not, it will be detrimental to the child¡¯s growth.¡± It was the trend now to focus on the children; all big conflicts would have to make way. ¡°I told you it won¡¯t get too ugly.After all, they have a child.¡± ¡°Is this how Ste bes a stepmother?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her getting distressed for being a stepmother.For a man like Weston, crowds of women would rush to line up to be a stepmother to his child.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Warren nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright.The past is all in the past.I shall put my cards on the table today.Now, you can see the rtionship between the two families.As Zachary''s parents, Weston and Guinevere will have to get along so the child can grow up in a healthy environment.I also hope everyone can help us by not spreading unfounded rumors.¡± It was a very clear statement in itself. What was done couldn¡¯t be undone. Weston was married to Ste. No matter how much Ste has suffered because of Guinevere , and no matter what the past situation really was It was no longer to be investigated. Everyone knew that Ste was a little ungrateful for running away from the wedding, but no one would have had enough courage to do such a thing if they had not been pushed to the brink. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Everyone witnessed it clearly at the engagement ceremony.It was Ste who married Weston first. And then Guinevere came with a baby to force them to separate . After that, Ste was forced to change her name and became the third person in the rtionship After the wedding , she almost did not appear in public.So what if it was such a big deal before? Even if Ste disappeared quietly, no one would care as long as business ran as usual. Guinevere smiled and took Zachary. ¡°Come, let Mommy hold you.Are you getting heavier?¡± Zachary was a little scared of strangers. He put his thumb in his mouth. ¡°Granny¡­¡± He was looking for Wendy. Guinevere¡¯s eyes shed a hint of dissatisfaction.She had been ying with him a lot during this time, yet he still wasn¡¯t closing up to her much. He either wanted to be with Wendy or with Warren. The boy treated Weston and her like strangers.It made her feel helpless even though she was dying to get close to her son. Chapter 973 Chapter 973 Chapter 973 "I''ll hold him." Wendy came out and walked to Guinevere. She said faintly, ¡°If he¡¯s not happy, he¡¯ll probably cry againter.There''ll be so many guests, and it won''t look good on us.¡± Guinevere had always been impatient.She would only try to get along with Zachary when she was in front of everyone. Naturally, Wendy¡¯s words made her happy. Guinevere dly epted her help. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be troubling Mom¡­Aunt.¡± She changed how she referred to Wendy at the spur of the moment, as if by ident. "Maybe they''ll be together in the future..." people whispered when they overheard what she said. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°After all, they¡¯re the child¡¯s parents.Although they''re separated now, no one knows what''ll happen in the future.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a good match.That girl Ste is just some Cindere.He may be interested in her for now, but I still have faith in Guinevere.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.It''ll piss someone off..." "What''s wrong with that? It''s fine so long she can¡¯t hear us.¡± Zeta was drinking at a corner. When she overheard the conversation, she couldn''t help but frown. Undoubtedly, such things wouldn¡¯t be said in public. All they could do was gossip behind someone¡¯s back. Zeta nced at the well - dressed Weston not far away, who was at the center of attention and felt ufortable.She felt bad for Ste¡¯s situation. There was a knock on the door of the room on the second floor. Ste thought Weston was back, but she saw Wendy with Zachary instead when she got to the door. This left her a little puzzled. ¡°Wendy, you¡­¡± ¡°Sorry.Did I disturb you?" Wendy took Zachary and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m swamped with all that¡¯s going on down there.I was wondering if you could watch Zack for me?" Ste pursed her lips. "Where''s Guinevere? I remember seeing her." "Ste..." Wendy''s expression changed. "Actually, I shouldn''t be saying this, but you''re married to Weston.You¡¯ll have to spend time with Zack eventually.Do you want to be called a mean stepmother?" Ste frowned and felt a little breathless. ''Stepmother...'' Ste only wanted to be the mother of her own children. Why should she mother another? "Sorry, I rarely go out, and it might be better if he has his own mother take care of him.¡± After saying that, Ste was about to close the door when the serious voice of an elderly man came from the end of the corridor. "If she''s unwilling, don''t force her to look after him!¡± Warren appeared there at some point time with Weston and Guinevere around him.Ste looked at the man and woman walking over to her like a matching couple. At first nce, she thought they were a couple. An inexplicable smile curved along Ste''s face, and she said nothing. Warren came to her and said to Wendy solemnly, "You don¡¯t have to beg someone to look after my great grandson!¡± Weston frowned at Warren¡¯s words.He strode to Ste''s side and put his hand around her waist. "Go to your room first," he whispered into her ear. Ste looked over his shoulder and saw Guinevere behind him.Then, she suddenly arched her eyebrows and said, ¡°.Grandpa¡¯s right.I should get along with Zack.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°I happen to like kids myself." Weston''s grip on her waist tightened slowly, and his gaze grew obscure. Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Ste''s sudden change caused the atmosphere to turn a little awkward. Guinevere shot her a look of disgust and resentment, but she quickly suppressed her emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t want to trouble Ms.Sealey.I haven''t seen Zack for a while, so I hope to spend some quality time with him in the next two days¡­¡± ¡°Mom just said she wanted me to spend more time with him, didn''t she?" Ste refuted Guinevere with a smile. "You''ve had so much time with him before; I think you must be very close to him.Please, give me a chance to get along with him." Guinevere pursed her lips, looking dissatisfied and unhappy. Although true that she had a lot of time to spend with Zachary, she never thought about him at that time.She was either hovering around Weston or trying to get rid of this woman in front of her. Even when she was free, the thought of Zachary never crossed her mind. "I don''t think there are mothers who would mind spending a lot of time with their biological child, right?¡± Wendy was clearly on Ste¡¯s side. This truly upset Guinevere. "Because I know you''ll take care of Zach no matter what.I trust you!" She couldn''t understand why Wendy kept rejecting her and could never see her as one of her own. At first, she thought they were of different personalities, a typical problem between mothers and their daughters -inw. However, looking at Wendy''s attitude towards Ste, it was clear that Ste had be her target! ¡°Are you trying to say that you can''t trust Ste ?¡± Wendy appeared to add some fuel to the fire. "Didn''t you say before that they have your full blessings?" she sneered. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Guinevere defended herself. ¡°Of course, they have my blessings, but I just..." "Then why are youining so much? I¡¯m happy that Ste is willing to look after Zack! He''ll be calling her Mom sooner orter.It''ll be good if they start to bond so early!¡± Wendy¡¯s words struck Guinevere hard. Her face turned white as the words hit her at her softest spots: her child calling Ste ¡°Mom¡± someday. Guinevere could not ept it.Her blood boiled at the very thought.She had to grit her teeth to keep herself from cursing out loud. ¡°Zack is still young.There''ll be no need for that.¡± "He''s young, which is why we need to let him spend more time with Ste! We want him to treat Ste like his own mother.How old is he now? Hey, good stepmothers exist too.If the child stays with its stepmother from a young age, she¡¯ll be no different from its biological mother!¡± Wendy reasoned. Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Guinevere almost broke her teeth as she gnashed them harder than she ever did. Her eyes were bloodshot. Ste was rather contented to see her like this. However, after the brief stint of pleasure, there was nothing but slight confusion and emptiness. No matter how angry she was, Guinevere''s child was still standing, alive and lively. No matter how much she vented her anger, her own child was already¡­ If Ste had a choice, she would bring her baby back to life at all costs. But, unfortunately, this temporary victory was just another form of defeat. Warren watched the two women arguing, taking no sides.He was naturally on Guinevere''s side, but Wendy had a point. Therefore, he looked at Weston and threw the question at him. "What do you think? It''s your wife and son, after all.¡± Warren¡¯s words were ambiguous when he said ¡®Weston¡¯s wife and son.'' He was actually referring to Ste and Zachary, but it also sounded a lot like Guinevere and Zachary. Weston turned down to look at Ste. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked her opinion. "If you want to look after him, I''m fine with that.¡± ¡°I barely spent any time with him anyway,¡±Weston continued. ¡°We¡¯ll always have nannies at home.If you''re willing to look after him, you can learn from Mom.If you''re not, it doesn''t matter all the same." Weston''s tone sounded light-hearted but didn¡¯t seek to appease Warren¡¯s anger. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the old man barked. ¡°This is your son, my first great-grandson! If she wants to take care of him, then let her do it! Otherwise, don¡¯t give me more trouble!¡± Warren had made his stance clear.He had no objection to letting Ste look after Zachary, depending on her sincerity. Of course, Guinevere did not want to see this happen." Grandpa, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± she quickly objected. ¡°Ste, she¡­she has never actually been a mother." Deliberately rubbing salt on Ste¡¯s wounds, she went on, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯ll never get pregnant again.She has no experience in this.I think it''ll be better for Zack if Aunt and I take care of him.¡± Guinevere¡¯s words caused a dead silence in the hallway. Warren knew Ste could not get pregnant again.He also knew that she resented Weston for that and had even tried to abscond from the wedding. In the end, he couldn''t beat Weston and had to allow him to take Ste back. Warren looked at Ste to see how she would react. As he expected, Ste¡¯s expressions had turned somber. Weston, however, disyed unconcealed disgust towards Guinevere with a deep frown. He looked straight at Guinevere, "If I remember correctly, we annulled our engagement a long time ago.Ms.Cohen, you seem a little too involved in our family affairs, aren¡¯t you.¡± Guinevere stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Weston..." Weston rarely embarrassed her in public, especially in front of Zachary. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.I just¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste interrupted. Ste gathered her emotions and said indifferently, ¡°I do not have children of my own, which is why I need to get along with Zack.¡± Chapter 976 Chapter 976 Chapter 976 Ste arched her brow and red directly into Guinevere¡¯s eyes. After all, Zack is a child of the Ford family, and I''m now Mrs.Ford.Naturally, I''ll be looking after him like my own child. "The more she spoke, the more twisted Guinevere''s face became.Ste walked to her with a smile and said emotionally," Don¡¯t worry, Ms.Cohen.I''ll treat him well, like my own son." Her tone was vaguely provocative. "I know you''re his biological mother, but I''ll treat him better than you ever did.¡± Ste¡¯s words made Guinevere extremely upset. Guinevere almost wanted to have a fit of rage on the spot, but she had to forcibly hold back in respect of Warren. Warren seemed he was done and no longer wanted to be involved in this farce.He waved his hand and said, ¡± Enough.I don''t care who''ll do it but just remember one thing.Take care of my great-grandson.I''ll leave the rest to you!" With that, he turned to leave, Guinevere struggled a little, but she swallowed all her anger as she watched Warren leave impatiently.She took a deep breath and used all her willpower to keep her face indifferent. Ste simply ignored her and took Zachary''s hand with a bright smile. "Hello, Zack." Zachary was a little nervous around strangers, but he was a little more brave than usual with Wendy around. ¡°Aaa¡­aaa,¡± the child vocalized. ¡°Say Mom,¡± Wendy instructed. "M-ma!" Ste''s eyes darkened for a moment, but she did not stop Wendy. She thought maybe hate could blind people sometimes.She did not want to be Zachary''s stepmother, but just thinking about Guinevere¡¯s anger gave her a rush of pleasure.She would never forget that Guinevere was the one who killed her baby. Weston saw her difort and put his hand on her waist. "If you don''t like him, don''t force yourself.¡± He knew Ste deliberately said all that earlier to Guinevere. She did not really like Zachary that much. The dead child would stay as a barrier between them, and he could not remove her resentment so easily. Weston couldn''t understand before, but he finally felt the connection between the woman and the child. It was something that he, as a man, couldn''t fully understand. Ste smiled and did not answer him. Instead, she took Zachary¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°I think he remembers me ¡° ¡°Yeah.You met on the set before.He liked you." Wendy taught Ste how to hold him by hand. Wendy exined , "He''s obedient even when meeting a stranger.He only misbehaves in front of me, but he''s nice to everyone else.Don''t you spoil him when you get closer to each other!¡± Perhaps it was the funny way Wendy spoke that made Zachary burstintoughter. ¡°Grandma!¡± he chirped and chuckled. "Does he only know how to say Grandma?" Wendy nodded and felt a little troubled. "I''ve been teaching him for a long time, but all he can do is say¡¯ Grandma.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know how to say Dad and Mom yet.¡± Whepared to his counterparts, Zachary was considered to be a little slow at learning speech.He did not even want to talk most of the time. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Wendy frowned and said with some concern, "I''m worried ¡­¡± Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Wendy mentioned this before and wanted to take Zachary to the hospital for a check-up. It was understandable to be worried about a child who still couldn¡¯t speak after so long. However, Warren quelled worries by assuring that all children of the Ford family were born brilliant. Warren imed that it was normal that a child couldn''t talk even after he was a year old.He also stressed that Wendy was worrying too much for nothing. The elders who were of the older generation, however, still held on to their conservative belief that children who weren¡¯t so bright were a sign of bad luck. Besides, Zachary was really young, so Wendy did not mention it much again. Ste also thought that it was unlikely.She teased Zachary''s face and said, ¡°Maybe it''ll just take him a little time to say more.He seems quite smart.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite smart.I hope we were just overthinking the whole thing," Wendy said with a smile. Weston rxed a bit when he saw that they were getting along well and he gently brushed Ste¡¯s hair. Ste also looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I meant what I just said." There was a pause, but Weston said nothing.His eyes seemed a little moved as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Wendy could not stand watching them.Sheined," If Guinevere were here, she''d be so pissed at you two.¡± Ste smiled, but the expression on her face remained the same. ¡°Didn''t she say that the past is behind us? If she¡¯s already let go, she didn¡¯t have to be so angry¡­¡± Wendy snickered. ¡°Do you really believe her? She''s just another sly fox! Her acting skills aren¡¯t that great anyway.¡± Both Wendyand Guinevere had won the title of the best actress before. People often put them together topare them. Ultimately, they were both involved with a Ford father and son. Moreover, the mother-inw and daughter-inw had simr acting experiences, so it was hard not to rte them together. Many people stillpared them even after Weston cleared his rtionship with Guinevere. Wendy had never been bothered about people''s opinions before, but after her rtionship with Chris destabilized into a hot and cold mess, she hated it when peoplepared her to Guinevere. The birthday party was not just for Warren.It was a great opportunity to make connections. Weston wasn''t able to be with her at all times, but he was a little relieved to see that she was getting along well with both Wendy and Zachary. ¡°Go do your thing.I¡¯ll stay with Mom and Zack.We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ste said in his ear. Ste was a little too obedient today.She did not just refer to Wendy as Mom, but she even paid attention to his schedule. Weston showed nothing on his face, but emotions were surging in his chest. ¡°Okay, you can walk around the vi with Mom.If you run into any problems, don''t hesitate to call me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Weston was still worried and felt uneasy.He reminded her, ¡°Ben is here too.You can always find him if needed." "Hey..." Ste was starting to get a little annoyed by his nagging. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore!¡± She pushed his back. ¡°Go ahead if you have something to do.Don''t mind me." Weston fixed his gaze on her for a few moments before he turned to leave Wendy could not help butugh and tease Ste. "I think Weston is treating you like his daughter.He''s always so worried about you." Ste shook her head with a smile. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "He''s quite possessive." Wendy paused for a moment and realized that there was a lot she did not know about her son. "Possessive? You seem to be the first person to say that about him¡­¡± She sighed emotionally. Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Wendy smiled, adding, "Weston has always been the typical gentleman. He might act extremely indifferent, but he rarely forces his will on anyone.¡± Ste flutteredat Wendy''s words.She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Perhaps, she was the only one that Weston controlled and forced. "He was brought up in the way of the aristocrats, oriented to pursue supreme power and unique status,¡± Wendy continued. ¡°He seemed reasonable even when he and Guinevere were at their closest.He was certainly nowhere as possessive as you im.Guinevere had to shoot all kinds of intimate scenes, but he never asked or cared about it.¡± Ste said nothing. She merely looked at Zachary in front of her while rubbing his tiny palm. Wendy looked at her and stated, ¡°He seems to have changed a lot after meeting you.¡± Ste openedher mouth.She wanted to say something but didn''t in the end. ¡°Grandma!¡± Zachary suddenly called out. He pointed outside. ¡°Out!¡± Zachary had a limited vocabry. Apart from Grandma, he only knew single words like "go" when he wanted to go outside to y. Wendy felt a little helpless. "Didn''t we just take you out for a walk? Do you want to go out again? You can¡¯t.¡± She pointed atSte. "Stay in the room with this Mommy, okay?" Zachary did not understand her words, but he vaguely knew what Wendy meant. His face instantly turned sad and reluctant. Ste smiled and squeezed his palm. "You want to go y in the garden in the backyard?¡± Zachary did not understand her words, but his eyes were wide open. He nodded. After a short moment, he shook his head instead Ste was dumbfounded at his actions. ¡°There¡¯s still time anyway.Why don''t we take him out for a walk?" Ste suggested. Wendy felt troubled. "Why don''t you take him out by yourself? He''s been tormenting me all day, and I need a break.¡± Ste pondered for a moment. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "But I don''t know if I can look after him well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually not that hard.¡± Wendy said, ¡°As long as he did not reject you after meeting you at first nce, it means he likes you.If he continues to make a fuss, there are plenty of butlers and helpers that work in the garden in the backyard.You can talk to them and let them take care of Zachary.¡± Ste finally agreed with a nod. ¡°Okay.¡± Meanwhile, a lot of people were mingling around in the lobby and having conversations. Guinevere tried to talk to Weston on several asions , but he quietly avoided her. With so many eyes watching, she could not be too aggressive in approaching him. Disgruntled and dissatisfied, she walked to the side to drink.She looked at the tall figure not far away. Weston was the center of attention.He always had the aura of a man in authority. There were a lot of stars here present. Some of them are famous for their looks, but they all looked a bit mediocre in front of Weston. As she stared at Weston, she felt like doing something again, Xavier walked to her side. ¡°It¡¯s alreadye to this.You still can''t let go?" With a champagne ss in hand, he looked incredibly bored. Daisy was a very capable secretary. Even if she was not with him, she had her own things to do. Meanwhile, Zeta ignored himpletely. Not wanting to waste time on her, Xavier just wandered around. When he saw Guinevere alone, he walked over and teased her. Guinevere did not have a problem with him, the two always being amicable with each other.Guinevere said, "Who told you I was still thinking about him?¡± ¡°From the way you look at him.¡± Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Xavier smiled. His amorous eyes could charm anyone who looked at them. ¡°I can tell what¡¯s in a woman¡¯s mind just by looking at how she¡¯s looking at him, so there''s no need to pretend in front of me deliberately." Guinevere felt a little helpless. Her tone became bitter,¡± If anyone can see that¡­He should know it too, but I can''t make it too obvious.¡± Warren had already made his statement. Being peaceful would be the limit of her rtionship with Weston. Any step forward would crush the current bnce. Xavier somehow empathized with Guinevere , who was behaving like a lovesick puppy. "If I remember correctly, he''s the only one you''ve loved for so many years.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one but him in my eyes.¡± Xavier thought otherwise.He took a sip of champagne. Everyone has their own differences and unique side. Weston may be perfect, but he''s only a human being.https://novelebook/home1How is he comparable to every man around? "But in my eyes, having him alone is good enough,¡± Guineveresaid. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes seemed a little dazed. Someone, Zeta¡¯s face shed before his eyes. Xavier was a little annoyed.He took a few more sips to suppress those emotions in his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving,¡± he said. ¡°I''ll go find my girlfriend." Zeta would constantly stir his emotions. As he didn''t want to get caught up in this spiral or lose control, he found that the bestway to resist it was to find other women. Guinevere watched Xavier leave, and she shook her head disapprovingly. Then, she withdrew her gaze. However, her eyes changed when she saw the scene in front of her. "Ste!" She walked over and saw Ste walking out with Zachary in her hand. Ste and Zachary got along very well. Zachary wasughing and giggling happily. Zachary wore a pair of strappy pants today with a white shirt and gelled hair,just like a little gentleman. With his face full of baby fat, he looked very much like Weston. He was still very young, but the strong eyebrows typical of the Ford family men were already visible. Zachary was usually very shy, even in front of Guinevere.He would not even let Guinevere hold him if Wendy was not around. Guinevere looked around and did not see Wendy following them around. It seemed like Ste was looking after Zachary alone. When Ste and Zachary sneaked to the dessert table, Zachary tried to pick up the macarons on the table in excitement, but Ste stopped him.She shook her head gently. Zachary, however, seemed desperate. "Eat! I want to eat!" Then, Ste picked a small macaroon from the table and fed it to him. Guinevere froze and paled at once. "What are you doing?!" She walked straight to Ste and condescendingly used her. "He''s a child! Why are you feeding him desserts? How dare you!¡± Before Zachary knew what was going on, he saw a womaning his way in a fury.He was so scared that he hid behind Ste. ¡°Scared¡­¡± he whimpered. Zachary¡¯s reaction made Guinevere furious. "Zack,e here!¡± Guinevere squatted down and waved at Zachary. ¡°I¡¯m Mommy.¡± However, Zachary ignored Guinevere. He just pulled Ste''s arm and buried his face in her arm. He said one word again, "Scared..." Guinevere''s face turned grim. Looking at how close the two were, they appeared to look like mother and son! Her worst fear is about to happen! Zachary would no longer help her rtionship with Weston. Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Zachary became a little nervous and clutched the end of Ste¡¯s coat anxiously. Ste patted his back. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared." She smiled and wiped the scarps off the corner of his mouth. "Let''s just have one bite, okay?" She feared he would not understand, so she held a finger and gestured to him. ¡°Just one bite...¡± Zachary nodded in confusion. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He looked at Guinevere again and hurriedly withdrew his gaze. Guinevere took a deep breath. ¡°The child doesn¡¯t know anything yet.He only knows how to satisfy his craving.Now that you''re feeding him such junk, what if he bes a picky eater?¡± After that, she frowned and said bitterly, ¡°You''re not his biological mother anyway.You only know how to please the child, but you''re not doing it for his well being¡­¡± Their small argument had attracted the attention of people around. There were already people looking this way.https://novelebook/home1Ste took Zachary¡¯s hand and stood up. "Mom told me I could feed him a little bit of dessert, as long as it¡¯s not excessive..." "Who would feed a child desserts?¡± Guinevere interrupted her impatiently, ¡°Let me ask you.Have you ever seen a responsible mother giving a child something like this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about!¡± Warren came over with his crutches. ¡°You both just stopped fighting.Why are you causing trouble again?¡± Weston noticed themotion and frowned. His business partner was about to talk to him, but he had no choice but to leave. "Sorry," Weston said and put his ss on the tray. Then, he strode over to Ste¡¯s side.His pace was still steady, but it sounded a little more urgent than it did.He walked to Ste and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±. Weston locked his gaze on her and scanned her from top to bottom, making sure she was okay. After that, he withdrew his gaze and looked around at the few people in front of them. Ste took Zachary¡¯s hand and picked him up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.It''s just a sweet treat for the child." "Only?¡± Guinevere immediately grasped this point and started to attack her. "Do you know that developing a sweet tooth may have very serious effects? What if he bes picky and refuses to eat his meals? What if he gets a cavity?!" Guinevere looked so anxious it was as if she was seriously concerned about Zachary''s health. "Even if the child gains a little weight, it''s still not good for him!¡± Hearing that, Warren turned to Ste with a judgemental look. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Ste paused for a moment. ¡°I did feed him a little dessert, but not too much.I only let him have a taste.If he didn''t get to try it, he would''ve kept making a fuss.¡± ¡°Are you to give him sweet treats whenever he makes a fuss? Are you trying to bring him up properly, or are you just doing it for a show?! How could you ignore something so important?¡± Every single word Guinevere uttered to Ste felt as harsh as the cold winter. "You just don''t want Zack to throw a tantrum, so you let him eat whatever he wants?¡± Ste frowned. ¡°Every child is different.Mom has just told me that Zack is allowed to eat some snacks and supplements, which he doesn¡¯t like.All he wants is to try something new.If you don¡¯t let him, he¡¯ll get angry.However, once he gets a taste of it, he wouldn''t be so desperate to know.¡± Some children were gluttons and needed to be controlled, but some were just curious about new and different food.They would be done with it once they had given it a taste. Guinevere obviously did not know anything about Zachary.She looked around and turned to Warren.She said sadly,¡° Grandpa, anyone withmon sense should know that we can¡¯t be feeding kids such non nutritious snacks.I was just giving her a word of advice, but she refuted me with such a long speech.I don''t know what to say anymore..." ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Warren looked at her calmly and acted like he was going to give her justice. ¡±You''re Zack''s mother.Tell me." Guinevere rubbed the corners of her red eyes. "I''m his Mom, but I don''t have custody..." She observed Warren¡¯s expression and soldiered on, saying, ¡°I¡¯m just speaking as a mother.I want my child to be healthy." "How about this?" Warren gave it thought and decided,¡± You¡¯ll take care of him today.Ste is still inexperienced.She¡¯ll learn from Wendy first.¡± Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Guinevere was stunned. That was not what she wanted. Guinevere just wanted to ruinSte''s image and let people think of her as a mean stepmother.She did not really want to spend time with Zachary. "Grandpa¡± "It''s settled then." Warren waved his hand and interrupted, ¡°You seem eerily nervous about Zack.Indeed, you two haven''t been together for a long time.I never thought about of your feelings for him.You now have the opportunity to get along with him.Today, I shall leave Zack in your care.I won''t allow anyone to disturb your quality time with your child.¡± . Guinevere¡¯s eyes flickered, and she nced at Weston.She wanted to take care of Zachary with Weston, not alone, not to mention she didn''t want Zachary to get along with Ste. In fact, she had little patience for the child.However, since Warren had said so, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree. ¡°Thanks, Grandpa." Guinevere squatted down and said to Zachary with a big smile, ¡°Come to Mommy!¡± Zachary immediately hid behind Ste and shook his head repeatedly. A cold glint shed in Guinevere¡¯s eyes.She intensified her voice. ¡°I¡¯m Mommy.Come to me! Why aren''t you listening?"https://novelebook/home1 Ste had to pull Zachary out and rub his little face. ¡°Go on.I''ll take you with me next time." Ste and Zachary had juste from the garden in the backyard. Zachary was still thinking about the macarons.He had only tried a little when Guinevere took it away from him. Zachary looked unhappy and disappointed. Ste watched as Guinevere took him away.She waved at him. "Bye.¡± Guinevere nced back at her with a cool look, but she could not make it too obvious in public. As Zachary''s biological mother, her repulsion to Ste was unsurprising . However, being too hostile would be uncharacteristic of her. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Hence, Guinevere steadied herself, took Zachary''s hand, and walked away. The farce was finally over. Ste breathed out a sigh of relief. When she turned around, she met Weston¡¯s deep eyes. Weston did not say anything. Instead, he fixed his gaze on her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I thought you said you didn''t like children? You both seem to be getting along.¡± Ste tugged the corners of her mouth. ¡°How can you call that getting along well? His real mother took him away with such vengeance.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just overreacting and making a fuss out of it.¡± Westonforted her,¡°Mom usually gives him some snacks too, so don''t worry about it." Ste shook her head. "Guinevere doesn''t want to see Zachary on good terms with me.No matter what I do, she''ll find an excuse to pick on me.¡± Weston knew that all too well. Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Ste shook her head. "Not really." Weston kissed her on the ear. ¡°If you¡¯re tired,go up and rest." "Okey." Ste massaged her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a birthday party in the evening.Don¡¯t oversleep,¡± he whispered. ¡°I know.Will there be lots of people?" "Of course.¡± Weston looked at her. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Ste confessed. "I haven''t seen this many people in a long time." When she finished, Weston said nothing but looked at her with eyes that were as deep as an endless starry sky. No one could read his mind unless he expressed himself.https://novelebook/home1He vaguely understood the ambiguity of what she had just said.She sounded like she was implying that Weston had forced her to be at home all this time, which was why she had not seen many people! Ste could clearly tell that Weston did not like to hear anyints from her in this regard. Thus, with that in mind, she tickled his palm and tried to please him. "I don''t really want to deal with so many people, so I feel better at home.¡± Weston¡¯s expression clearly softened a lot after she said that. ¡°Endure it a little longer,¡± he coaxed warmly. ¡°It¡¯ll only be a few more days.I''ll take you home soon." Ste nodded and leaned in his arms. Weston couldn''t see it, but the smile on her face slowly faded until she was expressionless again. Weston appeared to be the same stoic man during this time, but Ste could see that he was only this stable when she stayed obedient and let him keep her around. As soon as she showed the slightest sign of not wanting to be locked up at home, Weston¡¯s mood would change like the sea before a storm. Weston seemed ill too. Two mentally ill people being so close to each other...she could only wonder if they were healing or dragging each other down. Guinevere took Zachary with her, but not before Warren gave her a few words of advice. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked for Zack.He''ll be staying with you for the next few days." Zachary seemed reluctant and held out his arms to Warren. ¡°Hug!¡± Warren smiled. ¡°What a child.Why are you so timid?" Warren hugged Zachary for a short while before handing him to Guinevere again. ¡°You¡¯re his biological mother.I''m morefortable with him being with you, and I know you don¡¯t want him to be with Ste..." Warren paused for a moment. ¡°You heard what Wendy just said.Ste is Mrs.Ford now.It''s only natural that she develops a bond with Zack.However, you¡¯re Zack¡¯s biological mother.We can''t stop you from seeing him, but whether or not you can make Zach stay will depend on your ability.¡± Guinevere understoodpletely and nodded. ¡°I know, Grandpa." After that, she left with a reluctant Zachary. Warren had a lot of things to deal with and could not keep an eye on them. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Wendy was free, but she was not about to help Guinevere with her child. Just a short whileter, Zachary started throwing another tantrum. ¡°Grandma!¡± he shrieked. He frowned and scrunched his face up. ¡°Come on.We don¡¯t want Grandma.No Grandma! Mommy is here!" Zachary could understand some simple sentences but just could not say them. When he heard the words no and grandma, he became so upset that he burst into a wail. Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Guinevere hurriedly covered the boy¡®s mouth and demanded he stop crying. ¡°Stop crying! ¡°Why are you so naughty?¡± Guinevere frowned. Zack wailed and bawled and kicked and stomped, giving Guinevere no choice but to take him to the room upstairs. She didn¡®t want to disturb the other guests, nor did she want them to catch her in an embarrassing situation. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she saw Chris Ford approaching. ¡°Gwen!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chris had always been kind and gentle towards Guinevere, but now that he saw her holding hands with Zack, his heart grew even more affectionate for her. ¡°Zack!¡± Chris walked up to the little boy and teased,¡± Who¡®s with you right now, Zack?¡± Zack was pouting with a long face and ignored everybody. He seemed to be in a rotten mood. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Chris asked. ¡°Who made you unhappy, Zack?¡± ¡°He¡®s probably met too many people today,¡± replied Guinevere, ¡°and he¡®s likely overwhelmed by it all.¡± Hearing this, Chris nced at Guinevere and sighed before asking her, ¡°Weston brought Ste with him today. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡®m fine...¡± Guinevere blinked repeatedly. Her eyes suddenly stung as if verging on tears. Her tearful and miserable face distressed Chris to no end. ¡°You don¡®t have to act tough in front of me,¡± he quicklyforted. ¡°I thought I was ready to give it up and let go,¡± Guinevere whined, almost sobbing now after hearing what Chris said, ¡°but I¡®m not. I didn¡®t expect it to hurt this much...¡± ¡°I know...¡± Chris was a little breathless when he saw her eyes reddening. ¡°Ipletely understand¡­¡± He reached out a hand in front of Zack, but a thought seemed to cross his mind, and he withdrew his hand. ¡°Do you... love Weston that much?¡± Guinevere chuckled bitterly. ¡°Of course I do! Which woman wouldn¡®t love a man from the Ford family?¡± Her words sounded like they carried a hidden implication. Chris¡¯s expression changed, and a forbidden emotion stirred in his heart. He reached out his hand again, fighting a strange, powerful urge to pull Guinevere into his arms. Guinevere was already resting her head lightly on his shoulder. ¡°I¡®m so tired...¡± sheined. ¡°It hurts so much to see him with Ste Sealey, yet, I¡®m forced to put on a smile and congratte them...¡± ¡°Am I not good enough for him?¡± she choked between tears. ¡°Of course not!¡± Chris quickly denied. ¡°It¡®s Weston who¡®s too stupid to appreciate you! A wonderful woman like you could get a man who treats you right with a snap!¡± ¡°But I don¡®t want anyone else! I just want him!¡± Guinevere stared at the man in front of her, her eyes looking a little dazed. She reached out a hand and said, ¡° Sometimes, I feel you both look so alike... When I¡®m looking at you, it¡®s almost as if I¡®m looking at him...¡± Chris¡®s countenance changed violently again. He felt the air getting knocked out of his lungs, as though he¡®d just been hit by a truck. Just as his whole being was inplete turmoil, he heard a cold voiceing from behind him ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Chris jumped in shock. His body shook as he turned around to see Wendy appearing behind him. ¡°What are you doing here...?¡± he asked. Wendy looked him up and down and sniggered, ¡°What¡®s wrong? Can¡®t I be here? Did I interrupt you both?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± retorted Chris bluntly. Guinevere straightened up her posture and moved away from Chris. She looked at Wendy awkwardly and said, ¡± Aunt Wendy... Wendy said nothing. The atmosphere turned strained. Zack was the only one gleefully stretching out his chubby arms toward Wendy, shouting, ¡°Granny!¡± The sight of the boy softened Wendy¡®s expressions considerably , but when her gaze shifted towards Chris and Guinevere again, all those tense feelings returned. Seeing how sullen Wendy¡®s face had be, Guinevere hurriedly added, ¡°Since you¡®re here, I better hand Zack over to you...¡± Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Guinevere originally intended to prevent Ste from getting closer to Zack by building a stronger bond with him. But if she were perfectly honest, she had to admit that she never nearly had the patience to deal with Zack herself. Thus, the best solution was to let Wendy take Zack. Hearing Guinevere¡®s suggestion, Wendy frowned, looked at her derisively, and jeered, ¡°Didn¡®t you tell Father that you wanted to spend more time with Zack so you two could bond? So what happened? Don¡®t you want to get closer to your son now that Ste is not here?¡± Guinevere turned deathly pale. She hung her head low and said nothing, not knowing how to exin herself. Seeing that, Chris turned to Wendy with some discontent and scolded, ¡°Why do you keep embarrassing her like that? You¡®re not young anymore, you know...¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. He¡®d been bringing up her age a lottely. ¡°Fine!¡± Wendy glowered at him. ¡°Just think of me as a nosy old woman! Just continue with whatever you were doing, and don¡®t mind me!¡± As she finished speaking, she turned on her heels and left. Zack became anxious when he saw his granny ignoring him. He stomped his legs and tried to follow Wendy, shouting, ¡°Granny! Granny!¡± Wendy, however, pretended not to hear him and quickened her pace. Chris then had no choice but to tell Guinevere, ¡°You better take Zack out for a while...¡± ¡°I know,¡± replied Guinevere. Then she shrewdly suggested, ¡°You should go after Aunt Wendy now.¡± Chris took a long and deep look at Guinevere but said nothing before turning around and chasing after Wendy. In no time, Chris managed to catch up with Wendy in the back garden. ¡°Come on, Wendy. We¡®re an old couple now. Why do you still get mad over the most trivial things?¡± There was some helplessness in his tone, and he had deliberately put on a gentler and calmer demeanor for her. But Wendy no longer fell for such acts. She coldly pulled her hand away and said, ¡°Guinevere is still over there. Why don¡®t you be with her?¡°| ¡°You speak as if...¡± Chris muttered before patiently coaxing his wife. ¡°Even though Weston has completely broken off his rtionship with Guinevere, she¡®s still Zack¡®s mother. Isn¡®t itpletely normal that I¡®d care for my grandson¡®s mother? Why would you even be jealous of her?¡± ¡°She¡®s still Zack¡®s mother after all,¡± he added, ¡°so from now on, stop taking Ste¡®s side and embarrassing her...¡± ¡°Ste is my real daughter¨Cinw,¡± Wendy interrupted bluntly. ¡°And she was my goddaughter before that. Why should I take anyone¡¯s side but hers?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Chris smiled and added, ¡°If they can get married, then they can get divorced. Having a child together, though, is not the same. Besides, you know how much Father likes Zack...¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± Wendy blurted out, ¡°his father certainly likes him very much.¡± Wendy suddenly gave him a meaningful look. Chris¡®s heart skipped a beat when he saw her like that, fearing she had somehow seen through him from his expressions, but he quickly suppressed his suspicions. ¡°If you have something to say, then spit it! If you don¡®t like me getting so close to Guinevere , I¡®ll keep my distance from her!¡± He did indeed feel a little sympathy and affection for Guinevere. It was also true that every time he saw Zack, a barrage ofplex feelings would surge in his heart. But all these were merely regr instinctive reactions. What concerned him the most, however, was the fact that Weston was no longer with Guinevere, which meant she might regain her memories about the incident¡­ 1 If that were to happen, everything he had now would copse into ruins. Chris had long grown past the age where feelings and passion meant everything. Although he often got tired of Wendy¡®s antics, he knew very well that there was no way he could leave her. The corners of Wendy¡®s lips twitched, and she smiled thinly, neither approving nor disapproving of Chris¡® suggestion. But Chris knew she was still somewhat angry at him, so he added, ¡°I¡®ll take you downstairs to greet the guestster.¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°You go ahead. I¡®m a little tired. I¡®m going back to the room.¡± ¡°Why are you always tired these days?¡± asked Chris with concern. ¡°Is your heart feeling alright?¡± As age caught on, Wendy was diagnosed with heart disease. It was the main reason why Chris was adamant about not letting Weston reveal the truth to Wendy after the incident, lest it might be too much of a shock for her to handle. But as time passed, the concern Chris had for her gradually waned. Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Things hade to a point where Chrispletely neglected her health problems. For instance, the last time Wendy went for a medical checkup, he didn¡®t even ask her any questions about it at all. The realization made Chris feel a little guilty. ¡°I¡®ve been busytely,¡± he told Wendy, ¡°so I didn¡®t have much time to take care of you. I promise things will be different from now.¡± ¡°What exactly have you been busy doing?¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°Weston has been in charge of the company all this time. In fact, I can¡®t think of a time when you¡®ve been busytely!¡± Chris was left flustered with his lies so mercilessly exposed. ¡°When did you be so mean?!¡± he snapped. The fact that he could never be as talented as Weston had always been his sore spot, and Wendy had so bluntly set it on fire. ¡°I was only concerned about your health,¡± he said, still feeling a little humiliated , ¡°yet here you are, always so eager to put me down!¡±. ¡°Why don¡®t you just go back to Guinevere and take care of her?¡± Wendy scoffed in frustration , turning away from him. ¡°Why are you always so boorish?¡± countered Chris, his face turning cold. ¡°That¡®s right,¡± replied Wendy, ¡°I¡®m boorish, I¡¯m old, and I¡®m always moody! Why don¡®t you just go to a younger girl who will say sweet things to you all day?!¡± After speaking, she turned around and left right away. Chris was too angry to chase her, so he turned in the opposite direction and left. Once again, they were fighting. Chris intended to make up to her, but for some unknown reason, he felt she held some resentment toward him. He had asked her about it, but she wouldn¡®t say anything. So now, he was left all alone to entertain the guests, despite nning to do it as a couple. Wendy didn¡®t know where to go herself. Zack was with Guinevere , so she did not need her to take care of him. She watched the party in full swing, suddenly feeling like an outsider. She heaved a long sigh. Aimlessly, she headed towards Ste¡®s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Ste!¡± she called out. ¡°Are you in there?¡± A sharp noise came from inside the room. Wendy frowned and waited. After a long while, she finally heard Ste¡®s voice saying, ¡°Give me a minute! I¡®ll be right there!¡± Wendy stood there waiting a long time before Ste finally opened the door. ¡°Mom¡­¡± she uttered. Wendy¡®s brows knitted, sensing that something was wrong. ¡°What were you doing in there?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I was just taking a nap. I had to put on some clothes, so it took me a while to open the door.¡± She turned to make way for Wendy and offered, ¡°Why don¡®t youe in?¡± Wendy did not refuse and went inside. Ste and Weston stayed in a suite on the third floor of the massive Ford Mansion that was full of rooms. The suite was, in fact, the same room they had both used thest time they were there. ameroon Weston was obsessed with cleanliness, and he didn¡®t like to stay in rooms that others had stayed in before, which was why the suite had always been his. Because the suite was so vast, it also came with its own balcony and living room. As soon as she came in, the first thing Wendy noticed was the array of potted nts on the balcony. ¡°Do you like those kinds of things?¡± she asked, a little surprised. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Dr. Taylor gifted me a snowrose nt,¡± Ste exined with a smile. ¡°I thought it looked so pretty that I started to get interested in potted nts.¡± Wendy swept a nce at the nts, and her eyes honed in on one of them ¡°Isn¡®t that..?¡° Ste furtively blocked Wendy¡®s sight and interjected,¡± They¡®re all bonsai. If you like, I can pick something easy to take care of and give it to you.¡± Wendy¡®s expressions turnedplicated. After a while, she turned her gaze from the nts and stared at Ste. She knew what oleander looked like. She also knew that oleanders were extremely poisonous. She was, however, unsure if Ste knew all of that too. Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Ste appeared calm andposed, but her back was soaked with cold sweat. ¡°Mom?¡± she asked while resolutely putting on a calm facade, perhaps because she was hiding something.¡± What¡®s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing...¡± answered Wendy with a shake of her head. Ste¡®s voice brought her senses back. Sure that Ste must¡®ve not known about how poisonous the oleanders were, she tried to warn her. ¡°That nt over there...¡± Crash! Before she could finish, a loud noiseing from the window interrupted her. The two women jumped in fright. They hurried to where the noise came from and saw a ck figure crashing into the room from outside. The window had been broken in, and the floor was littered with shards of shattered ss ¡°Careful!¡± Ste¡®s split¨Csecond response managed to stop Wendy from getting hit by the flying ss. Wendy was so spooked that her face turned white as a N?velDrama.Org owns this text. sheet. She stood motionless and stared at the figure lying on the floor. ¡°What... What on earth is going on here...?¡± she asked in a daze. There was a gaping hole in the windowpane that brought a biting chill into the room as a gust of wind blew in. As soon as Ste regained her senses, she quickly called out for the bodyguards. ¡°I think he¡®s one of the workers outside,¡± she told Wendy, trying to calm her down. ¡°He probably fell in identally.¡± Ste noticed that the person wore a work uniform while holding a wrench, so she assumed he must be one of the maintenance workers. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked him. The man moved slightly and groaned before answering.¡° I¡®m... I¡®m so sorry...¡± He slowly propped himself up, revealing hisrge plump face. ¡°I¡®m here to repair the air conditioner,¡± he exined. ¡°I was installing an overhead unit when I slipped and fell. I was only hanging on a steel wire, and I had no choice but to break the ss window and lunge in... The man went on to apologize profusely. There were still bloodstains on his face from being cut by the ss. He picked up his peaked cap on the floor with shaking hands, all the while apologizing. Seeing this, Wendy frowned but finally calmed down. ¡°That¡®s enough...¡± she said, but before she could continue, she had to catch a breath when she felt a sharp pain in her heart. Ste noticed that the man was swaying slightly as he stood, so she asked in a gentle voice, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, no...¡± The man waved his hands, still looking terrified. ¡°I¡®m fine...¡± he reassured her. ¡°I really didn¡®t mean to break in through the window like that. I¡®m really sorry. I¡®ll... I¡®ll pay for the damages... Ste walked to the window and nced at the broken ss pieces before saying, ¡°You were here for repairs. idents happen. Make sure you don¡®t slip again, and be more careful. Nothing¡®s more important than safety.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll be more careful...¡± The man did not expect Ste to treat him so kindly. He kept ncing at her several times, but he didn¡®t dare to look at her directly. With his head hung low and his eyes darting around frantically , the hands that he kept behind his back still trembled. Wendy was already resting on the sofa as they waited for the bodyguards toe and handle everything. Suddenly, her face turned terrifyingly pale. She grasped at Ste, who was beside her, and said, ¡°Ste , get my medicine...¡± Ste turned around and noticed Wendy¡®s nched face. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and her breathing was short and unsteady, as if she was getting out of breath ¡°Mom, what¡®s wrong?!¡± ¡°Quick... grab my medicine!¡± Wendy breathedboriously. Her face slowly turned from white to blue, and her lips trembled. She seemed to be in a lot of pain. At first, she was still holding onto Ste¡®s arm tightly, but now her grip was loosening... ¡°Mom!¡± Ste was starting to panic. ¡°Are you okay? Where is the medicine?!¡± She guessed that Wendy was probably suffering from some underlying disease, so she began searching her body for the medicine. Wendy pointed at the coffee table. Ste instantly understood her meaning, so she rushed towards the coffee table and grabbed Wendy¡®s bag. She reached inside and took out a white medicine bottle. ¡°How many do you need?¡± she asked. She speedily obtained a ss of water and ced it near Wendy¡®s mouth before feeding her the medicine as instructed. Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Just then, the bodyguards and the housekeeper rushed into the room ¡°What¡®s the matter, Mrs. Ford?¡± ¡°What happened here?!¡± The housekeeper had worked at the Ford Mansion for many years, and the second he saw Wendy copse on the sofa, he hurriedly rushed over. ¡°Madam! Did you have another heart attack?¡± This revtion surprised Ste. She asked Wendy, ¡°So you have... heart disease?¡± Wendy nodded. By now, she had calmed down significantly. ¡°I¡®ve had it for many years now,¡± she exined. She then turned to the housekeeper. ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡®m fine. Ste has given me my medicine.¡± ¡°Thank goodness...¡± The housekeeper breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze turned towards the stranger in the room, then frowned and asked sternly, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± That plump man had been stunned because of Wendy¡®s sudden heart attack, but he came back to his senses upon hearing the housekeeper¡®s sharp voice. ¡°I¡®m sorry, boss. I slipped and fell just now...¡± The housekeeper looked around to evaluate the situation. He then looked out the window and nced at the overalls the plump man was wearing. He now had a rough idea of what had just happened. ¡°Didn¡®t yourpany train you before you came here?¡± he barked. ¡°And to think that you¡®ve caused such trouble on such an important asion... Can you even afford the consequences if something happens to Mrs. Ford and Madam Ford?!¡± The housekeeper¡®s attitude was vastly different from the way the two women had reacted. Being put in charge of the entire operation within the Ford Manor, it was also his subordinate who was responsible for hiring the maintenance workers there. Thus, if any problem urred due to the fault of the workers, the person who ultimately had to answer would be him. It was unsurprising then that he was especially stern with the plump man. ¡°Who¡®s your supervisor?¡± the housekeeper demanded.¡° At the rate they¡®re going, I wonder if they¡®re even qualified for their job! You were paid a lot so you could repair, not break in through the window and give people a scare!¡± The plump man¡®s face reddened instantly. H? was already injured, to begin with, and bloodstains still covered his face. Now, the housekeeper¡®s severe admonition distressed him so much that he couldn¡®t even raise his head. ¡°Excuse me...¡± Ste tried to interrupt the housekeeper as she could not watch it going on any longer. ¡°Leave it,¡± Wendy whispered, grabbing her arm to stop her. ¡°Let the housekeeper do his job. He¡®s much more experienced than you. He knows exactly how to handle it.¡± Just after she spoke, heavy footsteps were heard approaching from the door. ¡°Wendy!¡± Chris had hurried here as soon as he heard what had happened. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He rushed to Wendy¡®s side, looking deeply distraught. Grasping her shoulders, he looked at her anxiously. ¡°Are you still in any sort of difort?¡± he asked. ¡° Should we go to the hospital?¡± ¡°No,¡± Wendy shook her head and told him, ¡°I¡®m fine. Just get all these people away for now. Don¡®t let this disrupt Father¡®s party...¡± Though it was not that big of a deal, if the news of her heart attack blew out of proportion, she might just be used of trying to hog all the attention: Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chris understood her line of reasoning very well, and seeing that she was much better, he nodded and reassured her, ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®m the only one who knows about this.¡± Wendy stared fixedly at him, unsure if his undisguised concern for her was all genuine. Suddenly, all her resentment for him was mixed with a new litany of other emotions. This mixed bag of feelings perplexed her. Chris paid no attention to Wendy¡®s changing emotions because he noticed that Ste was still beside them. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked out of politeness. Ste shook her head. She nced at the plump man. She wondered if it was just her mind ying tricks on her, but for some reason, she had a feeling that that man had been staring at her from the moment he broke into the room. Yet every time she looked at him, the man would instantly look away. The gut feeling made her hair stand on end. She could only hope that she had been overthinking. For the time being, the room was unsuitable for anyone to stay in, let alone Weston and Ste. The housekeeper sent the people away while Chris took Wendy back to their room. Weston only heard of what had transpired after it was all over. He returned to the room only to find Ste cleaning and rearranging her pots. He strode in, grabbed her wrists, and made her put the things in her hands down. ¡°Let other people do it,¡± he told her. ¡°I wanted you to stay in the room to rest, not busy yourself with these chores.¡± Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Weston made Ste stand up. She nced at her potted nts destroyed by the man who fell in earlier and became somewhat distressed. ¡°The soil is full of broken ss...¡± she grumbled. ¡°Let others deal with it.¡± Weston¡®s eyebrows twitched when he saw that she was about to clean up the soil with her bare hands. With a much sterner voice, he told her, ¡°Stop. You¡®ll hurt your hands.¡± He forbade her from doing anything else and pulled her away. ¡°Did you get hurt just now?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I didn¡®t.¡± She then paused to think before asking, ¡°Does your mom have a heart disease?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered briefly, casting his eyes down at her. ¡°She¡®s had it for many years. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We¡®ll move to another room,¡± he told her as he led her to the bathroom. ¡°Someone wille and move our stuffter. Right now, you should wash all the dirt off your paws.¡± Weston was a notorious neat freak. In fact, he was almost at his limit when he had to suppress his revulsion while holding her dirty hands. ¡°These aren¡®t paws,¡± Ste muttered with a pout. ¡°These are my hands...¡± He chuckled and ced her hands beneath the faucet before washing them meticulously. The metal wash basin wasvish, and the gray countertop was spotless. This choice of color gave the room a chic atmosphere while not looking too cold and impersonal . Ste¡®s hands were milky white, making her skin look as delicate as jade. The peach fuzz on the back of her hand and the flush of pink on the exposed fleshy parts of her fingers starkly contrasted against the dark gray backdrop, making her skin look exceptionally translucent and exquisite. ¡°Ste...¡± Weston stood behind her, almost encircling her within his arms. His lips were right next to her ear when he softly murmured in a hoarse voice, ¡°How is it so fair, hmm?¡± He was referring to her skin. Ste turned her head slightly away, trying to avert from his touch. But no matter how she tried to evade him, he still caught up to her, with his hot breath filling the crook of her neck. ¡°And so, so tender...¡± he murmured before nting kisses from the back of her ear to her cheek. ¡°You smell divine.¡± ¡°Weston...¡± Ste remained rtively clear¨Cheaded. ¡°It¡®s still early. It¡®s not even dark outside...¡± Weston was a stoic man who had always kept his feelings and emotions concealed. Only when he was in bed would he say such sweet and tender words to her. He was especially generous with praise when he was aze with desire. He had always been captivated by her body. He didn¡®t just love her skin, but he even adored her feet. Whenever his passion was at its peak, the praises hevished on her far exceeded these... And they always made Ste blush to the roots of her hair. She would sometimes be so flustered by his words that no matter how exhausted she was from their lovemaking , she would still try to cover his mouth with her trembling hands so that he would stop talking. ¡°Does that mean,¡± Weston chuckled and teased her by twisting her words, ¡°that you¡®d be okay if we do this after dark?¡± As he spoke, he inteced his long fingers between hers. The sensation of their rubbing knuckles created shockwaves; it was as if an electrical spark passed through them as they touched. He was only washing her hands, yet he managed to arouse an ardently erotic sensation inside her. Her knees were now weak. She could only lean back against his chest and moaned, ¡°Weston...¡± Her voice was sultry and smooth as silk as his name lingered on her lips for much longer than usual. Weston knew that she was at her limits. If he kept on teasing her, her eyes would redden, and she wouldn¡®t be able to handle it. ¡°We¡®re done,¡± he said. ¡°Your hands are clean now.¡± He slowly let go of her and grabbed a paper towel to wipe her hands dry. ¡°Your fingernails are getting quite long,¡± hemented. ¡°Isn¡®t it time to trim them?¡± He always paid extraordinary attention to her body. Nothing, not even the tiniest detail, could escape his notice. ¡°They are quite long indeed,¡± she replied as she nced at them, ¡°but they¡®re not so long that they get in the way.¡± Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Weston said nothing. He leaned against her face, and kissed her a few times before murmuring, ¡°Once we get to the new room, you can rest for a little longer before the dinner happens, okay?¡± The tone of voice that he used suggested tender intimacy, as if they were a loving married couple. They both had something inmon ¡ª they were both excellent pretenders. Even though their rtionship was so damaged that it was like a ship riddled with holes, as long as Weston was willing, they could easily put up an act and pretend that they were deeply in love with each other. Ste nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± The staff who were supposed to help them move their stuff had been waiting outside. Ste frowned as she watched them move her potted nts from the balcony. ¡°Let me handle that one,¡± she told them. She looked at her oleander nt worryingly, fearing that they might damage it somehow. ¡°It looks like you care a lot about that nt,¡± Weston stated as he held her waist. He looked into her eyes and asked, ¡°Do you like this kind of nt in particr?¡± His searching eyes made Ste feel a little guilty, so she turned away from him and replied, ¡°Not really. It¡®s just that it is especially delicate. It must be handled with care, or it will be damaged. I¡®m a bit more cautious with it, that¡®s all.¡± ¡°I¡®ll tell them to be careful with it then,¡± Weston said, ying with her fingers. Yet, even so, Ste couldn¡®t shift her gaze from the oleander nt. Weston didn¡®t like it when her attention was on anything else but him, even if it was just a potted nt. ¡°So what if it gets damaged? I can just get you a new one. In fact, I can get you as many as you like.¡± Ste looked at his somewhat gloomy face and sensed something , so she asked him in a helpless tone, ¡°Don¡®t tell me you¡®re jealous of a potted nt?¡± Weston didn¡®t speak, but his eyes were staring deeply into hers, as if trying to peer into her soul. Ste always got extremely nervous whenever Weston turned silent like that. She couldn¡®t read his emotions or guess what ran through his mind. He often did that concealing his thoughts and feelings from her and making her panic. After a long time, he casually toyed with her hair and reminded her in a husky voice, ¡°You can have a hobby, but it must not take up too much of your time.¡± He didn¡®t mind her spending so much time and effort on these inanimate nts that couldn¡®t even talk or move, with the only condition that she spent the majority of it with him and him alone. Caring about anyone or anything more than she did for him was strictly disallowed. Not even a potted nt. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Ste¡®s eyes flickered. With a yful tone, she asked him, ¡°You¡®re not going to punish me just because of some nts, are you?¡± ¡°What if I insist on taking care of them?¡± she continued, leaning into his arms and stroking his chest. ¡°You won¡®t go as far as to throw them all out, will you?¡± Weston grabbed her groping hand and inly said, ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°You can¡®t be serious!¡± Ste¡®s expressions gradually changed. ¡°But they¡®re only potted nts...¡± ¡°As I said, try me.¡± Weston chuckled in his deep voice, yet there was no humor in the eyes that looked straight at her. Of course, she could try and see if he would punish those nts for stealing her attention away from him. The little light that was left in Ste¡®s eyes gradually faded away. She didn¡®t speak and merely leaned against his chest,pletely motionless. Weston stroked her hair, leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Go on,¡± he said. ¡°Go rest. I¡®ve got some things to do.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied tersely. Weston got up and left. Ste watched him leave, and her eyes gradually turned darker and darker. It appeared that she had finally made up her mind. She was no different from a flower kept inside a ss dome, forever separated from the warmth of sunlight by the cold hard ss. While the flower might seem to be thriving from the outside, inside, it was actually utterly exhausting, devoid of all hope save for a tiny glimmer that one day, a drastic urrence would finally destroy everything When tomorrow came, the oleander flowers would finally be in full bloom. Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Once the staff had moved everything upstairs, Ste immediately closed the door. Within a quarter of an hour, the extremely efficient crew had cleared up the old room and moved everything to the new room upstairs. The Ford Mansion was so massive that it contained hundreds of rooms. Because of Weston¡®s obsession with cleanliness, he would never stay in a room that had been used before. Luckily, very few had ever been to the upper floors of the Ford Mansion. The suites there were also brighter and more spacious than the ones below. The potted nts were arranged on the balcony of the new room just as they were previously. Ste walked over to the oleander nt, kneeled down, and carefully observed it. Some promising flower buds had already shown themselves. After tonight, they would all be in full bloom. With that in mind, she plucked one, careful not to touch the moist sap on it, and calcted how many she would need to have enough poison to kill an adult. How many she would need to kill a man. Although the room was resplendent with light, the spot Ste kneeled at seemed to be nketed in darkness. She knelt there quietly, darkness slowly eroding her petite figure. From the outside, nothing about her seemed out of sorts. It was as if she had already epted the situation she found herself in. But no one knew how much misery she had been concealing inside. Dr. Quirk was right. Her psychological problems had worsened to a point where she could not control herself, to a point only revenge that would lead to death could give her peace of mind. She closed her eyes, recalling the words Weston uttered just moments ago. That overbearing, controlling man He wouldn¡®t even let these nts off the hook. He would punish her even for this. He would ruin her whole life. He would stamp out all the hope she had left. None of themotion that happened affected Warren Ford. Soon, it was time for dinner. Weston went upstairs to fetch Ste himself, perhaps because he was concerned. Ste ended up not getting much rest. When Weston entered the room, he found Ste reading a script on the sofa. He frowned as he walked up to her. ¡°Are you still nning to be an actress?¡± Ste put the script aside, leaned her face against his waist, and shook her head. ¡°I was only reading it to pass the time.¡± She raised her head and looked up into his eyes. They were inky ck, like the surface of the turbulent sea where a storm was brewing. No one could ever guess the emotions he was hiding behind those eyes. ¡°Didn¡®t you want me to spend less time with those pots?¡± she asked softly. ¡°That¡®s why I decided to do something else... to spread out my energy on different things...¡± Weston¡®s initially wanted her to spend her time on him, not for her to do other things. But still, since she was so obedient, he was willing to overlook such a trivial mistake. In fact, he even felt satisfied because she actually listened to him and tried something he wanted her to do. ¡°If you had that much energy to spread out, I don¡®t mind helping you expand it.¡± He spoke in a meaningful tone, clearly trying to imply something specific. Knowing exactly what he meant, Ste grasped his clothes tightly. Weston noticed how her body stiffened up, and he chuckled. He patted her head and told her, ¡°Don¡®t worry. I won¡®t do it right now. I¡®m not that foolish, you know.¡± Ste rxed a little once she heard that. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡®s go downstairs,¡± she said. ¡°If we¡®rete, we¡®ll keep Grandpa waiting.¡± ... Ste walked down the stairs to the grand hall. When they got there, many had not arrived yet. They hade early to take their seats in advance. Wealthy and prestigious families like the Fords paid great attention to etiquette. When the time came for dinner to start, Warren Ford would make sure he was thest to arrive, fashionablyte. Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Ste had only ever seen such a long table on TV. She never thought that there were people who would use it in real life. But the Fords were arge family that numbered in multitudes. Once all were at the table, Weston introduced some of his rtives to her. Ste, in turn, greeted them all politely. Clearly, they were all curious about her, though they maintained a friendly and courteous demeanor in front of her. Wendy made sure to express her satisfaction with her new daughter¨Cinw. The words she said were obviously a hint that the others should treat Ste well and build a good rtionship with her. These people were all shrewd by nature and knew exactly how to read expressions. If there was one person there who clearly wore a forced smile, it was probably Guinevere. With Warren Ford there, she could just barely concoct a reason to join the family dinner. Besides, she was also Zachary Ford¡®s biological mother, and since she was taking care of him today, it seemed reasonable that she would stay for the dinner that was meant only for the Ford family members. Ste could imagine now that if she were to continue living with Weston, Guinevere would take every chance and opportunity she got to appear in front of her. To think that a grand wedding was not enough to make her give up, not even after the truth about what she did in the past was exposed at the engagement party! Despite all the odds, Guinevere still persevered. If it hadn¡®t been for the strained rtionship between Ste and Guinevere and the fact that they were enemies, Ste would have conceded and even admired Guinevere¡®s steadfast determination. Warren Ford finally took his seat and made a brief speech. The people around him started making a toast to his health , and soon, others joined in to wish him a happy birthday. Ste knew that as long as she stayed by Weston¡®s side and followed him, she would not go wrong. Apart from Warren, the other person who attracted the most attention at the birthday banquet was, of course, Zachary Ford. Since he was Warren¡®s only great grandchild, he was naturally showered with adoration. ¡°Great¨Cgrandpa!¡± the boy shouted as he climbed down from Guinevere¡®sp and darted towards Warren. When got to him the boy acted all kittenish and said, ¡°Great ¨C grandpa...¡± Warren smiled so widely that his eyes narrowed to slits. He picked the boy up in his arms and cried, ¡°My dear boy!¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked Zack, pinching his chubby cheeks. ¡°I¡®ll give it to you!¡± ¡°Grandpa ,¡± Guinevere interjected , ¡°why don¡®t you put him down? He¡®ll just get in your way.¡± Wendy joined in and echoed Guinevere¡®s sentiments. ¡°Nonsense!¡± argued Warren. ¡°How can a little boy be in my way?¡± It was clear that he loved Zack very much by the way he would let him sit on hisp. After that, Guinevere made no more objections. Others at the dinner were well aware of this situation. Some of them looked at Guinevere with meaningful eyes and tried to start a conversation with her so she wouldn¡®t feel so left out. With Zack there, it could be said that she had a trump card that would forever make her at least a half¨C member of the Ford family. ¡°...Are you upset?¡± Weston asked, ncing at Ste. Ste shook her head and said nothing. Weston held her hand under the table and assured her,¡° If you¡®re feeling unwell, I can take you back to Stardust Mansion tomorrow.¡± Although Warren Ford¡¯s birthday banquetsted several days, this dinner was the most important asion they had to attend. After this event, Weston could easily make a reasonable excuse not to stay here anymore. Besides, apart from these necessary social events, Weston wanted Ste to stay at home at all times. He wanted her to be there by his side whenever he went home. He wanted her to stay within his line of sight and not go anywhere else. ¡°No,¡± Ste replied with knitted brows. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here to celebrate Grandpa¡®s birthday. If you bring me home suddenly in the middle of everything¡­ I don¡®t want people to think that I¡®m too fussy, and I don¡®t want to give them any reason to gossip about you either.¡± This was not the answer that Weston wanted. But she had been considerate of him and wanted to do what was best for him, and that made him happy. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°If you don¡®t want to see her again, I¡®ll make her leaveter.¡± Ste knew that by ¡°her,¡± he meant Guinevere. She made no response and just sat quietly beside him. Soon the dishes were served up. One man wearing an apron suddenly stopped when he walked past Ste and began acting weirdly. Ste thought that she was in his way, so she tried to stand up Just then, the man¡®s expression suddenly changed. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You despicable woman!¡± he shouted. He then pulled out a transparent ss bottle from under his sleeves and violently hurled it toward Ste! Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Chapter 992 It all happened so suddenly that no one had the time to react. There was a sizzling sounding from that ss bottle. Ste¡®s eyes widened At that critical moment, she had a hunch that the liquid inside the bottle was acid! She could only watch as the liquid was hurled toward her. There was no way that she could escape it now. The man was obviously aiming it at her. Thest thing she saw before she could react was seeing the liquiding at her head¨Con. ¡°Aaaah!¡± a piercing scream rang through the hall The whole table was turned into chaos. Everyone there could only watch as it happened in front of their eyes. None of them moved or reacted. Just as Ste had lost all hope, a tall figure cropped up by her side Without the least hesitation, Weston grabbed Ste¡¯s shoulders and turned her around, locking her in his arms. ¨C The pain that Ste expected to feel never came... N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She shut her eyes tight, but she heard Weston grunt above her. Then she felt his grip around her shoulders suddenly tensing up. He had used so much force it seemed he was trying to suppress something. Ste could hear her rapid heartbeats, so rapid it was about to jump out of her chest. At that moment, the whole ce became eerily silent. All the surrounding noises vanished instantly as if someone had pressed the ¡°mute¡± button. Ste could only feel the force of Weston¡®s embrace and his stiffening muscle around her. It was unclear who hade to their senses before everyone else and shouted ¡°Quick! Grab him!¡± Then the people around them started to move. The grim¨Cfaced man in an apron was stunned when he noticed that the acid had missed Ste and had landed on Weston¡®s back instead. But he came back to his senses in no time. Then, seeing Weston securely guarding Ste , he tried to pull something else out of his sleeves. ¡°You evil wench!¡± he yelled in a voice filled with spite. ¡°I will never let you run free! You will pay! I will destroy you! I will destroy that face of yours!¡± But this time, the bodyguards reacted. Before the man could pull anything out, they caught him by his shoulders and pinned him down to the floor. They quickly grabbed the bottle in his hand and rummaged through his body. After a thorough search, they found a dagger and a long rope. ¡°What else are you hiding? Speak!¡± Ben rushed up to the scene and immediately kicked the man on the back. The man spat out a mouthful of blood. The air was knocked out of him, and he lost all his strength. ¡°I said speak!¡± Ben grabbed a fistful of the man¡®s hair to raise his head before pping him across his face. ¡°What else are you hiding?¡± ¡°Noth...¡± The man shook his head, wincing in pain. ¡°I¡®ve got nothing else...¡± Ben pretended he didn¡®t see or hear anything and pped him hard again. ¡°Do you have any other aplices?!¡± he barked. The man shook his head, stared directly at Ben, and spat another mouthful of blood. Then he suddenly startedughing ¡°I do have aplices...¡± he said. Ben immediately turned vignt when he heard those words. Even everyone else around them was rmed. They held their breath and looked around nervously, fearing another psycho might jump out of nowhere. But Weston did not move. It was only his grip around Ste that got a little tighter. With cold eyes, he gritted his teeth as if enduring something. ¡°Weston...¡± Even Ste could feel his tension. ¡°Be quiet,¡± Weston whispered , sping the back of her head. Ste could hear the pain in his voice, which made her afraid to move. That man just admitted that he had other aplices . They were all probably aiming to attack her too. This realization brought Ste back to her senses. The thought of the man throwing the liquid at her just now made her flinch, but this only resulted in Weston restraining her even harder. ¡°Just hold on for a little longer,¡± he pleaded to her. Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Chapter 993 She heard Weston from above her head, saying in a low voice. ¡°But...¡± Ste said quietly. It was as if she didn¡®t want to alert the bystanders. ¡°You are hurt, aren¡®t you?¡± He said nonchntly, ¡°It¡®s just a minor thing. Don¡®t worry about it.¡± He pressed her back. ¡°Were you hurt?¡± She shook her head. She waspletely untouched. He had protected her so well that not once inch on her skin had been scathed. She could clearly feel his tense body easing a little when she responded. With his big warm palm caressing her back gently, he didn¡®t fail tofort her. ¡°Don¡®t be scared. No one will hurt you now.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She clutched his suit jacket hard with trembling hands. The sudden attack hadn¡®t only left her terrified but left manyplicated and indistinguishable feelings inside her. She did not expect that he would stand in front of her without a second thought. Even she knew that the bottle that the man held might contain acid. The thought would¡®ve surely crossed his mind, yet he still instinctively and subconsciously shielded her. It was like her hatred was coated with ayer of honey, and her burning fire of revenge was covered with ayer of warm sand. It could neither burn nor extinguish. The torment was unbearable. Why was this man always like that? He could never give her an easy time. He made her unable to love or hate him. Ben brought some men to search the whole manor but failed to find his aplice. ¡°Did you just lie? Were you stalling for time by lying about an aplice?¡± That man raised his head. His face was already swollen like a balloon, but he still stubbornly said, ¡°I told you I have countless aplices standing with me. It¡¯s just that they are not here. If they knew what I have done, they would¡®ve pped for me!¡± When he said that, he sounded a bit regretful.¡° Unfortunately, I did not destroy Ste¡®s face...¡± The moment he said that, Ben instantly shed at his face with a knife. ¡°Argh!¡± A piercing shriek was heard Ben ced the knife against his chin. ¡°Countless aplices? Then I will cut your face a million times. We¡®ll see who ps and cheers in the end.¡± This man seemed to be a normal person, but he might just be a bit psychotic and paranoid. Ben had been with Weston since he was a kid, and had seen all kinds of big scenes. The business field was like a battlefield, where dirty tactics were not umon. When Weston was young, he was assassinated because he had touched someone¡®s cake. There were also many undercover spies sent by the other parties just to get first¨Chand information from him to sell to the opponent. Even when he was a student, these deceitful tricks had never stopped. By now, they had experienced so many attacks and ambushes. Dealing with this kind of minion was out of the question. He had all sorts of ways to torture him. He soon found something in his pocket ¡°What¡®s your rtionship with Guinevere????¡± When Ben found the evidence , his face turned gloomy, and he questioned him. ¡°Why is your phone full of her pictures?¡± ¡°She had nothing to do with this!¡± The slightly obese many on the ground in an awkward position. He resisted at first. However, after a little of Ben¡®s persuasion methods, he immediately howled in pain. ¡°I... I am a fan of Gwen!¡± Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Even the toughest¨Ctalking man could not resist the tactics of Wenton¡®s man. ¡°I do have aplices , but we¡®re all huge fans of Gwen ...¡± the man confessed with conviction. ¡°But I¡®m the only one willing to put myself before Gwen!¡± ¡°You lie!!!!¡± Guinevere , who was sitting at the table , jumped to her feet and retorted vehemently. ¡°You need evidence when you say stuff like that. Don¡®t utter nder as you like!¡± The interrogation just now had been carried out in clear sight of all. This man appeared when everyone was eating, which meant he was most likely rted to one of the people present Such a situation was not umon for all who were present. As long as personal interests were involved, all sorts of thrilling surprises could happen. A number of people even started wondering if the man¡®s words held any truth in them. The man looked at Guinevere in pain. ¡°I am sorry, Gwen. I didn¡®t mean to fail... I know you probably wouldn¡®t be happy if I did something like this, but I really don¡®t want to see you sad anymore...¡± ¡°What rubbish are you talking about?¡± Guinevere was burning with anger. She was more worried that other people might misunderstand her. ¡°I do not know you at all. Are you really my fan if you say so?¡± The man shut his mouth and looked down, seemingly a little hurt. After a while, he said with a hoarse voice, ¡°This has nothing to do with Gwen. I nned this myself!¡± As he was saying that, he suddenly red at Ste. ¡°It¡®s all because of you! If it¡®s not you, Gwen would not be so upset!¡± He stared at her with a deadly re as if he wanted to kill her. ¡°I¡®m not the only one. All of Gwen¡®s fans hate you to the core! Just you wait. We won¡®t let you have your way!¡± The incident in the engagement ceremony caused Guinevere¡®s reputation to sink to the bottom of the valley. And at the grand wedding, wearing a wedding dress, she was blocked at the door of the wedding hall, drawing theughter of everyone present. The fans she had gained over the years had long stopped being her fans, the incident causing a massive departure. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. However, her fanbase remained huge, and even if she had lost her reputation, there were many hardcore fans who were still fanatical about her. Those who stayed were the ones who loved her more than they loved themselves. Guinevere¡®s body swayed when she heard that, and she quickly looked at Warren. ¡°Grandfather , this really has nothing to do with me. I know nothing of it...¡± she exined in desperation. Warren¡®s face turned green, and he waved his hand at her. ¡°Bring her away and look into the matter!¡± When the man heard that, he straightened his back immediately. ¡°This has nothing to do with Gwen! If you want, you should just kill me!¡± He was indeed Guinevere¡®s hardcore fan. However, even in such times, he did not forget to defend his idol. ¡°I can¡®t just stand here and watch as Weston hurts Gwen. Not when she loves him so much!¡± As he spoke, he looked at Weston and questioned him ¡°How could you cause Gwen such devastation for that lowly woman? She¡®s also given you a son! How could you do this to her?¡± To him, Guinevere was a goddess he held in his palm, his idol that he¡®d die for! Such extreme fans were not umon in the entertainment industry. Even Z¨Clist celebrities might probably have fans that were crazy in love with them; what more for a star like Guinevere, an actress at the pinnacle of the circle? Ben frowned and said, ¡°So the aplices you were talking about are Guinevere¡®s crazy fans who are just like you?¡± Guinevere closed her eyes with an indescribable panic. She really hadn¡®t intervened in the matter and had no idea that they would do that, not to mention that they had chosen to do it at Warren¡®s birthday party. If they wanted to teach Ste a lesson on some other asion, she wouldn¡®t have any problem with that. She¡®d even apud them in her heart. Chapter 995 Chapter 995 Chapter 995 But she did not expect that these fans would be so stupid! Didn¡®t they know that their action would only bring her bad influence? These were all her fans. Once they investigated the matter, the me would surely be on her. She looked at Weston anxiously. ¡°Weston, I really didn¡®t know they¡®d do this. Trust me. I¡®d never do such a thing At that moment, the man simply ignored her. Ste could feel Weston¡®s increasingly rigid force. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°Call the doctor first. He¡®s been doused with acid¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Warren jumped to his feet in a sh. ¡°Why didn¡®t you say anything?!¡± He looked very anxious, but more than that, he was angry. Ste was about to open her mouth when Weston nudged her back gently. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Then, he turned his head to Warren. ¡°Grandfather, I am fine. Let¡®s take care of this first.¡± He rubbed her head, hinting for her to shut up. He knew she was stunned. If they continued to pursue the matter, Warren might be angry with her again. Warren had reached his limit in maintaining superficial peace with Ste. He would target her at the slightest hint of anything, even when the matter was Guinevere¡®s fault and had nothing to do with Ste. Perhaps it was his overly calm facial expression and tone that people took his word for gospel. No one even thought how badly he was hurt. After all, hisplexion hadn¡®t even changed much, so they thought Ste was simply making a big deal out of nothing. And because Weston had shielded her, she was obliged to show a little affection as a woman, even if he wasn¡®t badly injured. Nevertheless, Weston shouldn¡®t have been so cold and aloof if he was really hurt. Warren sneered inwardly. That was if Weston was not injured... If he was really injured, however,... Should he spare this woman? He had gotten injured to save her, after all. ¡°This happened at my birthday party. I will definitely investigate.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Warren stared at Ben and snapped, ¡°You¡®ve been with Weston for so many years. You know what to do. Take him downstairs!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ben brought the man away quickly and cleaned up the scene. It was nothing unusual, but themotion happened at Warren¡®s birthday party. Fear still lingered in the minds of the guests at the table. As the party went on, everyone became absent¨Cminded, especially Guinevere. Even though Warren did not question her on the spot, she could feel he was upset with her. No matter what, they were her fans... She simply didn¡®t expect that they would be this stupid! Even if they really wanted to do it to Ste, they should have chosen a ce where no one was around, then pull it off quietly! They, however, did it so openly. Were they trying to let the whole world know? People would start criticizing fans for following their idols blindly. They would alsopare her to the kind of fans she had, and she¡®d be thrown under the bus without hesitation. This meal was dry and tasteless. Warren initially wanted to let her take care of Zachary, but he did not say anything until now. It was a clear disy of his attitude. Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Ste was also in a bit of a daze. She shot several nces at Weston, attempting to say something. She wanted to ask him how badly he had been injured. Weston, however, did not say anything. Even when she tried to ask, he deliberately interrupted her, as if not wanting her to say it out. ¡°Aren¡®t you a big fan of caviar? Try some.¡± He shoved some caviar into her mouth. Her appetite had gradually improved under his nurture. She was even allowed to eat food she wanted when she was outside. After Weston fed her the caviar, he added some of her favorites on her te, knowing she was shy and wouldn¡®t want to stretch out to take the dishes across the table. She ate absent¨Cmindedly, observing the man¡®s demeanor as she chewed. He did not look abnormal in any way, as if he wasn¡®t hurt. This made her doubt herself for a moment... Had she just seen it wrong? She clearly saw the acid sshing on him... However, he looked so calm that it seemed what had just happened did not happen at all. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl She wondered if it was a matter of angle, where he merely looked as if he¡®d been sshed, but that wasn¡®t the case either. After all, she was intact, so maybe he was only sshed with a little acid... As those thoughts coursed through her mind, she subconsciously looked at the man. He was wearing a ck suit today, and if he had indeed been sshed, the corrosion would be visible. But the moment she moved sideways, he put down his cutlery and looked at her. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Is there something you want to eat?¡± Her vision was blocked. She shook her head. ¡°No, I just...¡± Holding her cutlery, she wanted to ask him something . But thinking of his previous reaction, she could only swallow all those doubts. ¡°Nothing.¡± He seemed to read her mind and rubbed her fingers under the table. ¡°Don¡®t worry, I am fine.¡± She hummed in response. She was so preupied that she had not eaten much. Weston frowned slightly at the sight of that. ¡°You have no appetite, or are you just flustered?¡± Ste forced a smile. ¡°No, I am just full.¡± ¡°You should eat some,¡± Wendy interrupted when she overheard. ¡°Women shouldn¡®t always go hungry just to lose weight!¡± Ste was a bit embarrassed. She was not trying to lose weight, but she reallycked the appetite to eat. Weston pulled a tissue and wiped her mouth. ¡°Mother, she has a bad stomach. She¡®s not doing it deliberately.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Her appetite had always been small. It took Weston a good while to get her to be normal enough to start eating something, but she did not like to be forced to eat either. He knew this. Wendy naturally said nothing when he defended her and simply responded with a smile. He nced at Ste. ¡°Don¡®t force yourself to eat. You can ask the housekeepers to send food upstairs if you get hungryter.¡± Ste nodded. He did not give her much food after that. Her mind, however, was not on that. Instead, she was looking at him, as if thinking about something. Weston let her be, knowing well enough what she had in mind. If he showed even the slightest sign of injury, Warren would have had him treated with great fanfare. He might even exaggerate his injuries. Even if it was not her fault, he had indeed taken a ssh of acid, fending off the attack meant for Ste. Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Chapter 997 In Warren¡®s eyes, this was the most serious thing. This man was not targeting Weston¨C it was Weston who had acted so brazenly and was severely injured while protecting Ste ¨C giving him a reason to make things difficult for Ste. Weston would, of course, wouldn¡®t grant him the chance. Putting on a calm expression, he asked, ¡°Is there anything else you want to say, Grandfather?¡± Apart from the moment his face turned pale when the acid hit him, he behaved no differently than his usual, stoic self. Warren sullenly surveyed him and only waved his hand.¡± Nothing. Ste was scared, right? You take her up to rest.¡± Throughout the whole process, Weston did not show any abnormality. He brought Ste upstairs. Under the light, Ste saw the man¡®s face. It was as handsome as ever, albeit with a little innate indifference. The side of his face was so sharp that he looked like he¡®d reject someone even without looking at them. She finally could not resist and asked, ¡°...Are you really alright?¡± https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl She knitted her brows tightly, looking very worried. He lowered his eyes and looked at her. His gaze had softened a little, not as cold as before. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He rubbed her head and did not say anything. As soon as they returned to their room, his hand slowly slumped down, and he croaked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Go get the doctor.¡± Those words started her, and her face turned grim immediately. ¡°You are hurt! Why didn¡®t you say so just now?¡± He smiled, but his face was a bit pale. ¡°I will exinter. Get the doctor quick.¡± Not dying one bit, she grabbed his phone and frantically looked for the family doctor¡®s number. When the doctor came, he avoided being seen by Warren. In the bedroom on the third floor¨CUnable to understand why he was silent, Ste asked Weston, ¡°Why didn¡®t you say something when you were hurt?¡± Why did he hold it back? He swept her into his arms, avoiding the part burned by the acid, and whispered in her ear. ¡°It¡®s nothing serious. Luckily, the hall wasn¡®t so hot, so wearing a jacket...¡± ¡°That¡®s acia!¡± She pushed him away, trying to check his back but was stopped by him. He stared at her quietly. ¡°Ste, are you concerned about me?¡± She pursed the corners of her mouth, and her eyes twinkled. ¡°What do you think?¡± Her eyes began to well up with tears. Weston was moved. Raising his hand, he rubbed the corners of her eyes. ¡°I won¡®t feel any pain if you cry for me.¡± ¡°Tears are salty!¡± Ste¡®s eyes were a bit red, and she sounded a bit nasal. She pushed his hands away and said, ¡°If my tears drop on your wound, it will hurt like hell!¡± He chuckled and took her into his arms. ¡°It really doesn¡®t hurt...¡± Of course, she didn¡®t believe a word he said. She waited patiently beside him. Only when the doctor arrived did she stand up and step aside. He sat on the sofa and tossed the jacket aside casually. The skin on his right side had already burned through. There was a burn mark on his white silk shirt. She gasped at the sight before her. No wonder she didn¡®t see it. As long as he blocked that area with his arm, it was basically invisible. Just looking at it felt painful. The doctor also frowned when he saw this. ¡°How long has this been left untreated?¡± With a shrug, Weston instructed the doctor instead. ¡°It¡®s no big deal. Oh, remember to avoid them on your way out. Don¡®t let anyone see you, and don¡®t let anyone know I¡®m injured.¡± Ste¡®s eyes flickered. Then she felt a bit bitter. Had he remained mum on how badly injured he was because he didn¡®t want Guinevere to be responsible? Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Chapter 998 In the room, the family doctor treated Weston¡®s wound. Ste stole a few nces and stepped aside. Just as she was about to turn around, Weston grabbed her wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡± His expression suddenly became extremely cold as he looked at her in silence. She was taken aback, then quickly exined, ¡°I want to go to the balcony...¡± He still fixated his eyes on her, not letting go of her hand. Ste pursed her lips. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked in concern, ¡°What¡®s wrong? Does any part feel ufortable?¡± Weston did not say anything. ¡°Don¡®t wander around,¡± he said after a while. She understood what he meant and said helplessly, ¡°I am just looking at the balcony. I don¡®t want to disrupt your treatment...¡± Obviously, Weston was dissatisfied with her exnation. ¡°Was today not enough to teach you a lesson? ¡°You know, you might be watched.¡± https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°I can¡®t always stay under your nose and sit still all the time, can I?¡± she replied with a frown. Weston felt that there was nothing wrong with that.¡± What¡®s wrong with staying right under my nose?¡± The doctor felt awkward listening to their conversation.¡± Mr. Ford, I am going to dress your wound. It might be a little painful.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Carry on with your job. Don¡®t worry about the rest.¡± The doctor nodded immediately. ¡°Understood.¡± Then, he focussed on treating Weston¡®s wound, pretending not to listen to their conversation. Ste waited beside him patiently. Her hand was clutched by his so she could only sit beside him and watch as his shirt was removed, revealing arge area of his lean body. She saw the hideous wound on his waist and abdomen and her eyes flickered. How was it that severe... In the end, she didn¡®t leave and stayed beside him. Weston grabbed her wrist with one hand, and his eyes fell on her face, not caring the least for the gaping burns on his waist and abdomen. Ste, however, looked shocked. ¡°Doctor, is it very serious?¡± While carefully treating the wound, the doctor said,¡± Chemical injuries are usually very serious. But Mr. Ford is lucky, the concentration of the acid was low, and his clothing blocked it, so it didn¡®t hurt the dermis.¡± She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡®s good...¡± He was injured because of her, after all. If anything serious were to happen to him, she would indeed be very sorry. The doctor took care of it quickly and reminded him to keep the wound dry. Then, he packed up his bag and got ready to leave. After he left, Weston grabbed Ste¡®s wrist and dragged her to his side ¡°Watch out!¡± she eximed and stared at the side where he had been injured. With the wound now wrapped in gauze, she was careful not to put pressure. ¡°It was difficult to get it bandaged. Don¡®t touch it...¡± ¡°It¡®s just a small injury. Don¡®t be so anxious,¡± Weston replied indifferently. His words not only made her feel better, but they were actually what he really had in mind. He did not even want to continue on this. Instead, he looked at her and said, ¡°From now on, you are not allowed to get out of my sight.¡± ¡°Haven¡®t I already been under your nose all this time?¡± Weston pinched her chin and said with a decisive tone,¡± You know what I mean, Ste. I won¡®t allow this to happen again. Wherever you go in the future, you must be apanied by me. And if I¡®m not avable, you can¡®t go anywhere except where I think it¡®s safe.¡± This sounded even harsher than when he locked her up inside Stardust Mansion. Chapter 999 Chapter 999 Chapter 999 Ste looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Don¡®t tell me you¡®ll follow me to the bathroom as well?¡± ¡°I¡®ve said it. You have to be within my sight.¡± He didn¡®t even seem to feel the least bit horrified by what he said. ¡°I will never let such a thing happen again. Even if you are at Stardust Mansion, I will ensure someone keeps watch on you, and you are not allowed to go anywhere alone.¡± are ¡°You are crazy!¡± In disgust, Ste tried to pry herself away from him. ¡°I am.¡± He suddenly hugged her tightly and pinched her chin hard, forcing her to look into his eyes ¡°Even if I¡®m crazy, it is better than seeing you get hurt.¡± If he wasn¡®t with her today, which part of her would that acid have hit? Her face? Her body? Or worse, her throat? Her neck was so fragile... Weston slowly ced his hand on it. It was so tender that it seemed it would break if he exerted a little force. A more concentrated acid would¡®ve burned through her neck easily. Her life was so fragile. Any tiny mistake would kill her. He even began to me her frailty. If only she had an indestructible body, he wouldn¡®t have to worry so much. Nheless, Ste still found it uneptable and thought that he was crazy. ¡°I ept you making me stay home, but don¡®t you think you¡®ve just crossed the line?¡± He obviously didn¡®t think so. He bit her ear and said, ¡°You¡®re supposed to be mine. You¡®re supposed to stay by my side. You¡®re not allowed to go anywhere but to look at me.¡± He was saying it as if he had rights over her. ¡°You don¡®t have to have anyone else by your side but me.¡± ¡°You are so¡­¡± She did not know the words she should use to describe him. Her whole body trembled now. Thatplicated feeling she had for him had vanished , and all that was left was fear. He knew she was shaking but pretended not to see it and kissed her cheek. ¡°I know you cannot ept it now, but it will be all good when you get used to it one day.¡± ¡°Weston, do you really want to turn me into a woman whose entire life is about you?¡± ¡°It¡®s not what I want; it¡®s what I¡®m already doing,¡± he corrected her. He felt excited when she said she was bing a woman whose life was only about him. Apart from excitement, he felt indescribably satisfied. ¡°Ste, be good and stay by my side. Just do as I say. Having me alone is more than good enough,¡± the man murmured in a low voice. There was a water sounding from the bathroom. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Although the doctor had just reminded Weston that he should try not to get wet, Weston was seriously obsessed with cleanliness and would certainly not want toply with the medical advice at such a time. What he just said made her feel more suffocated than ever. She thought that maybe this was just the beginning. The man called Weston had no bottom line. He kept her in the mansion , but this was not enough ¨C His demands were getting more and more excessive and paranoid. She even believed that if he could, he would chain her to him and take her everywhere he went. Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Ste wondered if there was anything left for her to say. She was but a pendant he kept by his side, a doll in his hands, a human doll for him to toy with. As she was thinking, the figure in her mind popped out again. The dark figure with an identical face to hers screamed in her ears. ¡°You should not pity him! Follow your original n. Your child misses you very much, and she should reunite with you as soon as possible...¡± The voice in her mind was enchanting, urging her to move on. She walked to the balcony and brought in the oleander. There were already a few flower buds blooming. The pale pink flowers adorned the bright green branches. While she looked at them in a daze, the voice rang in her ears. ¡°Don¡®t waver! Soon, everything will be over... Do you want to keep living like this?¡± Ste closed her eyes. Her hands were shaking a little. But it was best to remove those flowers. She didn¡®t notice that the sound of the water in the bathroom had stopped. So she was unaware of his grim face when she stepped out of the bathroom door without seeing him. He seemed to be very sick now. If he didn¡®t see her for a mere second, he would immediately suspect that she had escaped... or that someone was trying to hurt her. As long as she was not by his side, he would think of these possibilities. In the end, he couldn¡®t stand those feelings anymore and wanted to keep her by his side all day long. He found her in the kitchen. The water had just boiled when she felt a warm embrace from the back. She leaned backward. ¡°Done washing up?¡°. He kissed her ear. ¡°Yes. Do you want to check?¡± She let go of him and turned around to check on his wound, deliberately ignoring his question that suggested something else. ¡°You didn¡®t get any water on the wound, right?¡± She did not watch seriously when the doctor was bandaging him up. He thought she did not care about him. He pinched her face. ¡°Only now do you know to care for me? She smiled. ¡°Of course not. It¡®s just that I felt embarrassed to talk too much when the doctor was here. I was afraid that he¡®dugh at me...¡± ¡°What¡®s there tough about when you were concerned about your husband?¡± He cupped her face and kissed her passionately. ¡°They know about our rtionship, maybe...¡±. He teased her with a husky voice beside her ear. ¡°...they know what we are going to do tonight.¡± She froze for a moment. ¡°Let¡®s not do it tonight... You are injured. You need to rest.¡± He took her hands and put them around his waist. ¡°It¡®s not like I am hurt there. What are you worried about?¡± Ste was rendered speechless. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Then she said helplessly, ¡°If I am not mistaken , it¡®s on your waist, right?¡± ¡°What¡®s wrong with my waist?¡± He did not take her words seriously. ¡°I¡®m still more than capable enough to do it.¡± ¡°Besides...¡± He suddenly held her waist and pressed her toward him just a little so that she could feel his temperature. ¡°You¡®re sozy. Isn¡®t it time for you to be diligent? For once?¡± She hated to be on top, but he seemed keen to let her have the lead. Only every time when it came to the end, she was basically forced to take the lead. She obviously didn¡®t like it, but he enjoyed it anyway, evident from how keen he would be to make her keep spooning and begging. She was not as shameless as him, though. After being teased a few times, her face blushed. ¡°Go out first. I¡®ve cooked you something.¡± He looked over. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A drink that helps you to sleep.¡± Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Weston nced at it and wasn¡®t very interested. ¡°If you are thirsty, you can ask the kitchen to bring you something.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Don¡®t bother them. I can just make something myself. Do you want some?¡± She looked into his eyes and tried to look as calm as she could. He gazed deeply into her eyes and saw a little anticipation in them. He kissed the corner of her mouth. ¡°Okay. You made it. Of course I¡®ll drink it.¡± Onest step to go, she thought. Weston was waiting for her in the living room. Even though it was just a short distance from the living room to the kitchen, he had to keep an eye on her, to keep her within his sight. She let out a breath and added all those oleanders. This amount was enough to kill a grown man. After drinking it, they would do many things. She thought, maybe she could give him a night today and stall for time. By the time he realized something wasn¡®t right, it would be toote to perform the gastric lavage procedure. Her mind was so calm that even she felt that she was unusually ruthless. It was such a horrifying thought, yet she did not have the slightest hesitation. But only she knew that her hands were shaking. ¡°...is it done?¡± Seeing Steing over with the cup of tea, he took her hand and made her sit beside him in his arms. She replied, ¡°Drink it while it¡®s hot.¡± She looked into his eyes, and her heart suddenly started beating violently. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As long as he drank it... As long as he drank it, it would be all over. The pain would dissipate, the tangles woulde undone, and the confusion would be clear. The resentment would also end... She watched as he lifted the cup of tea and put it to his lips. The voice of the dark figure in her head kept exhorting her ¡°This is it. Watch him drink it!¡± ¡°Watch him die!¡± ¡°Soon, your suffering will be over...¡± Ste¡®s entire body was trembling. Something in her heart was screaming hysterically. If her emotions could materialize , her eyes should have filled with blood by now. It was only when she smelled the strong odor of antiseptic solutioning from the side of the man¡®s waist that she closed her eyes, trying hard to suppress her surging emotion. But what appeared before her eyes was the scene when he stood in front of her without hesitation when she was almost disfigured by the acid He really did not hesitate. Without any hesitation, he instinctively stood in front of her and protected her entirely. The man who protected her at all costs and the man who abandoned her without hesitation in front of kidnappers seemed to ovep. She felt like she was about to split. One was his good side, and one was his bad... He forced her to stay with him against her will, keeping her like a pet. But now, when she was in danger, he protected her without hesitation. He brought her great pain but also gave her great joy. He brought her to heaven, only to trampled her down to hell¡­ ¨C ¨C ¡°Weston!¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C She opened her eyes suddenly. ¡°Don¡®t drink it!¡± She said, ¡°Don¡®t...¡± Her lips were trembling, and she stared into his eye intensely. ¡°Don¡®t drink it.¡± She snatched the cup out of his hand and put it aside. As though she was going through a great crisis, she unleashed all her strength. Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 She had lost. She came a cropper... She now believed that she couldn¡®t just let him die. In fact, she couldn¡®t bear to kill him! She wanted to ask herself what kind of woman she was. At this point, she still could not kill him¡­ Weston looked at her with a gaze so deep it seemed he understood everything. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Ste lowered her head and said dejectedly, ¡°Nothing. I just remembered that this tea should not be drunk before sleeping. It will cause insomnia.¡± He did not say anything. He remembered that she had said earlier that the tea was to help him sleep. He made her look up at him. ¡°What exactly is it?¡± He suddenly saw two drops of crystal¨Clike tears roll out of her eyes, and his heart tightened. ¡°It is just a cup of tea. If you don¡®t want me to drink it, I won¡®t. Why are you crying?¡± He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her eye.¡° Don¡®t cry.¡± When she cried, he felt helpless. He didn¡®t want to bother her again about her erratic behavior just now. Her eyshes fluttered fiercely as he kissed her. Once again, she was acutely aware of how much of a failure she was when she was with him She couldn¡®t kill him. At thest minute, she couldn¡®t actually do it! The dark figure in her mind screamed frantically. ¡°You bitch, how dare you still love him!¡± ¡°How could you be so lowly?¡± ¡°How would you live up to your dead child?¡± ¡°He did this to you! How could you still love him?¡± ¡°Ste , can¡®t you live without being a bitch? You can¡®t even kill him!¡± ¡°Were you moved just because he blocked a bottle of acid for you?¡± ¡°He has done so much wrong to you. He hurt you so much! Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°You¡®re really cheap. You forget everything once he gives you candy after the p...¡± Ste was in a state ofplete confusion. The thoughts going back and forth in her head were starting to hurt. He noticed her strangeness, and his eyes turned dark.¡° Are you feeling ill?¡± She closed her eyes, unwilling to look or talk to him. Undoubtedly, he got anxious. ¡°I will call the doctor over to take a look at you...¡± She grabbed his hand quickly and shook his head, biting her lower lip. ¡°I am just feeling a little dizzy. I will be fine once I rest...¡± He watched her steadily without saying a word. He was at ease only after seeing her not showing any other symptoms. ¡°If you feel unwell, you must tell me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. He spected that she was just frightened. After all, the man today was crazy. The acid would¡®ve sshed on her face if he hadn¡®t reacted quickly enough. It was understandable that she would feel ufortable after such a traumatic incident. He kissed her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely give you an exnation.¡± She forced a bitter smile as shey in his arms. What exnation? He couldn¡®t even tell the truth about his injury, fearing that others would know. This would surely make them me Guinevere¡­ He was so protective of her; he was even protecting her subconsciously. How could he let her be med? At that moment, the dark figure in her mind popped out again ¡°See for yourself! He still refuses to harm Guinevere, even at a time when he should be most obsessed with you. Have you ever thought about what will happen to you when his feelings for you cool down?¡± ¡°It will be like the time when were on the rooftop!¡± ¡°He will abandon you without hesitation!¡± ¡°Ste, you sure are stupid. What an idiot!¡± ¡°You are sparing him, but don¡®t you remember how he gave up on you, when he had no feelings for you?¡± ¡°You¡®re such a bitch!¡± Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Anyway, they both have a child. Don''t forget! He indirectly killed your baby!¡± ¡°Guinevere is the one who killed your child! She hired someone tokidnap you! Your child wouldn''t be dead if it weren''t for her!¡± ¡°Ste, how have you not learned your lesson?¡± Stop it... Stop it¡­ ¡°Why are you afraid to listen? Ste, ?.?vel.?.book he watched you and your child die, without saving any of you!¡± ¡°He¡¯s beenprotective of Guinevere, the one who tried to kill you, but you can''t even hurt him!¡± You''re a b*tch! You deserve it!¡± Stop it... Ste was about to kneel to the voice in her head. She wanted to beg it to stop. Weston saw Ste shut her eyes tight. She refused to talk, and she had a pained face. Weston took her to bed andy down beside her. Without saying anything, he held her quietly andy beside her. After a long silence, he asked, ¡°Are you hungry? Want something to eat?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I don''t want to eat anything. Weston did not force her. Instead, he ced his hand on her belly and rubbed her slowly, allowing her to feel the warmth of his palm onher skin. Ste wanted to avoid him, but he held her tighter. The next moment, she felt something against her waist and stiffened. Weston¡¯s raspy voice then came from behind her ear. ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling unwell. If you don''t want to get into trouble, don''t move around, and don¡¯t rub around.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Ste tried to defend herself inaudibly. ¡°Then lie down and sleep.¡± Ste did not dare to say anything else and stopped moving. After some time, steady breaths could be heard S. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Weston opened his eyes in the dark of the night. He nted a kiss on her forehead and muttered her name. ¡°Ste.¡± Ste did not answer him. Weston fixed his gaze at her for a moment, then gingerly got out of the bed. He went to the living room and saw the flower tea on the coffee table. When he went over, he saw a few petals floating on the water in the transparent ss. When he gave it a careful whiff, he could sense smell the fragrance of the flowers. There were just a few petals on the top, but she might have picked a lot offlowers for the tea. The fragrance was so powerful that Weston began to feel a little ufortable . He put down the ss as a glint shed across his eyes. The next morning, a loud noise rudely awakened Ste. She looked at her surroundings and noticed no one was around. While still blur with sleep, she heard a loud and violent argument from downstairs . She looked at the time and found that it was still very early. After washing up, she wanted to go downstairs to see what was going on. When she noticed the ss of flower tea, her gaze darkened. As she recalled her weaknessst night, ?.?vel.?.book she began to loathe herself deeply. Then, she went over and poured the tea out of the ss. After that, she heard the heated argument from downstairs grow louder, so she hurriedly opened the door and went out. Meanwhile, in the living room downstairs, Wendy hugged Zachary and red at Guinevere with cold eyes full of grudge. Everyone saw what happened yesterday! Your fans are so crazy, who knows where they¡¯lle out of next?!¡± ¡°Zack is still a kid! He might get hurt byyour fans!¡± Wendy no longer trusted Guinevere because of what happened yesterday, believing she wasn''t worthy of taking care of Zachary, despite her being his birth mother. Guinevere was unwilling to ept her fate. Even though she was reluctant to care for Zachary, he was the only excuse she could use to get closerto Weston. If they made her stay away from Zachary because of what happened yesterday , how wasshe ever coming to Ford Mansion again? How could she get closer to Weston? Guinevere said. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Besides, it didn''t cause any serious consequences.¡± ¡°That''s because Weston reacted fast! You have tons of crazy fans, don¡¯t you? What if theysuddenly go after Zack one day? ¡°How''s that possible?! Zack is my son. My fans would only hurt Ste, not Zack!¡± Guinevere tried to defend herself and became a little tongue- tied. If he could hurt Ste, who knows who else he''d hurt?¡± Wendy scoffed in annoyance . ¡°People who harbor such thoughts must bepletely abnormal. They might even be psychopaths! I think Zack isn''t safe with you!¡± ¡®So, they were fighting about this¡­¡¯ Ste thought. She was unsure whether to go down or not. Weston was the first to notice her. He went to her with a steady pace. ¡°Why are you awake so early?¡± They hadn''t done anything substantialst night, but there were certain things they still couldn¡¯t avoid doing. Weston held her hand and asked, ¡°Do you feel sore?¡± Ste blushed a little. She withdrew her hand and asked him, ¡°Should I go down or not?¡± Not knowing how to reactto such a situation, she had to ask Weston. Weston smiled at the prompt change of subject. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you don''t want to see her, you can go back and rest for a while. I''ll have someone bring you food.¡± Ste shook her head, knowing it would make her lookstrange. ¡°No need for that...¡± She then looked at Weston''s side, near his stomach. ¡°Is your wound better? It''s fine. After that, the two took to their seats at the dining table. Guinevere had been giving Ste an intense stare from the moment she appeared. However, when Ste sat in front of her, she immediately withdrew her gaze, not wanting to show too much concern. Warren woke up a littleter. When he arrived , the table was already full. The guests who stayed behind in Ford Mansion yesterday had already been seated. Warren soon noticed that Guinevere and Wendy seemed to be at odds. ¡°What''s happening so early in the morning? What''s going on? Guinevere hurriedly told Warren, as iining, ¡° Grandpa, I know I''m partly responsible for what happened yesterday, but I''m Zack''s real mother. How could I not want my child to be well?¡± Warren could not help but find women aroyal pain in the *ss. They would keep going on about the same thing, going around in circles in a never-ending fashion. Warren looked at Wendy. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. If she wants to take care of Zachary, just let her do it.¡± Wendy opened her mouth, but she wasunable to say anything. She nced at Ste as if hoping she would speak up for her. ¡°Anyway, I know my kid well enough not to feed him junk ¡­¡± Guinevere suddenly chimed in, deliberately bringing up the incident where Ste gave Zachary a macaron. Listening to all that fighting gave Warren a headache.¡° Enough! If you want to care for him, just do it. It¡¯s no big deal. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html Stop whining about it!¡± Thanks, Grandpa... Someone at the table whispered, ¡°No matter what, the real mother will always be better¡­¡± ¡°Of course!How could a mother not love her own child?¡± ¡°Warren must have understood... Undoubtedly, many shared the same thoughts, but none would say it bluntly. Whether one wanted to admit it or not, Ste was the real Mrs. Ford, and with Zachary still so young, he would have to refer to her as Mom someday. Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 I wonder what sorcery Ste uses... ¡°Who knows? Maybe she has some mystical charm¡­¡± The guests joked aroundughing happily. Guinevere overheard them, and her face twisted in displeasure. She had no choice but to brace herself and be shameless enough to stay here. Indeed, her parents'' ?.?vel.?.book presence was more than enough, but she didn¡¯t want to let go ofthe opportunity to see Weston. Hence, against all odds, she decided toe along. Though Guinevere knew the guests were only polite and respectful in front of her whileughing behind her back, she didn¡¯t care one bit. These tribtions were nothingpared to her ultimate goal. One day, she would take the position of Mrs. Ford, and when that happened, no one would bring up her past. Only her glory would be reflected. It wasn''t like she hadn''t had her share of scandals in the entertainment industry over the years. She, too, had her fair share of bad exposure. But even if that were so, so what? With a little hard work and a lot of patience, she could stay as theleading actress even with few awards. If it were not for the engagement party, she would''ve still remained the country¡¯s hottest movie celebrity. So long she was sessful, no one would remember her past. Guinevere had always believed in that. With those thoughts in mind, she scooped Zachary and brought him aside. Grunting, the toddler seemed hungry. Guinevere impatiently grabbed a few peanuts from the table. ¡°You can¡¯t eat such junk¡­¡± she began. ¡®But kids shouldn''t have problems eating nuts, right,'' she thought and shrugged it off. She proceeded to give Zachary those nuts. L . ¡°Eat some of these. They¡¯re good for brain development. Eat more, and stop whining and annoying me, she muttered under her breath. Zachary blinked, appearing to bepletely oblivious to what peanuts were. He immediately tried stuffing them into his mouth, shell and all. Guinevere frowned. She had no choice but to peel them and hand them to him patiently. Zachary, a glutton by nature, loved to try out new things, and he swallowed all of themin two mouthfuls. A few minutester, he began to act a little strange. ¡°Ughh¡­ Mmph!!!¡± The child frowned and wouldn''t stop scratching his face from what seemed like an unstoppable irritation. Guinevere hurriedly tried to stop him. ¡°What are you doing?! Zachary pped her hand off and scratched his face again, this time leaving behind a few redmarks. ¡°Listen. No scratching!¡± ?.?vel.?.book Guinevere was shocked and grabbed his hand firmly to stop him from moving. ¡°You. Kid. Why are you suddenly misbehaving again?¡± It was actually not that hard to take care of Zachary. She just had to make a face. In fact, Zachary had never made a fuss with her in Wendy and Warren¡¯s absence. He would only throw tantrums when someone he knew was around. The child, however, was clearly in great difort . He kept grunting and tried his hardest to break free from Guinevere¡¯s grip. Soon, his face turned red. He opened his hand and closed it again, trying to scratch at something. Upon closer inspection, ?.?vel.?.book Guinevere finally noticed that red dots had emerged on his face. What''s wrong? Are they mosquito bites?¡± What she saw immediately rang rm bells. ¡°Why do you have so many red marks on your face?!¡± Zachary , undoubtedly, had no answers. With tear-filled eyes, he looked like he was in great pain. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html Atst, as he threw the remaining nuts in his hand to the ground, he started whimpering and breaking out into amassive bawl. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. More and more red spots sprouted, and his face began to show signs of swelling. Ste had juste out of the bathroom and was about to join Weston in the lobby when she saw motion in front. ¡°Is the child allergic to something?¡±. Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 Ste saw Weston''s face change. When he strode over, she hurriedly followed him and wentover to see what themotion was about. Zachary was lying in Guinevere''s arms and was breathingboriously. Tears streamed down his cheeks. ¡°Waaa!!! Ugh¡­¡± Zachary cried and heaved his chest violently. His face was covered with red spots, and even his lips were swollen. His voice was weak even as he cried. Ste frowned at once. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Weston strode over and picked Zachary up. He ordered sternly, ¡°Call the doctor over.¡± Warren heard the news and rushed over too. He was so furious to see Zachary like this. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He questioned with red eyes. ¡°How could this happen? Wasn''t he just doing fine?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s an allergic reaction¡­¡± Weston said. He scowled at Zachary and gave Guinevere a cold re. ¡°What did you just feed him? Seeing that, Warren also looked at Guinevere angrily,¡° You were taking care of him, right? What were you doing?How could this happen?! Warren was so furious his tone harshened immediately. You are his mother, aren''t you? You kept whining about wanting to take care of him. Look at what you have done?!¡± ¡°Sorry, Grandpa. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either¡­¡± Guinevere panicked. ¡°What is he allergic to? Is it the mosquitoes in the house¡­¡± She never expected that things would turn out like this. She stood up, feeling a little weak. ¡°Let the doctore and take a look at him... ¡°Do you even need to say that?¡± Warren scolded her.¡°Just stay there. Don''te over and make things worse!¡± Wendy also rushed over and was shocked to see Zachary in this state. ¡°How did this happen?!¡± Her eyes were red. ¡°Is he having allergies? He¡¯s allergic to nuts. Did someone feed him nuts?¡± Hearing that, Warren got furious. ¡°Didn''t I order everyone not to feed him nuts? Who did it? Do you want to get fired? Get over here now!¡± Guinevere stopped dead inher tracks. She was still holding some nuts in her hand. Warren quickly noticed it and roared at her. It''s you!!! Why did you feed him nuts?! Do you want him to die?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Lost and in apanic, Guinevere opened her hand, and out fell the nuts. ¡°I didn''t ?.?vel.?.book know he was allergic to nuts... Wendy stood up at that and gave her a resentful look. ¡°You were screaming at Ste because she fed Zack some sweet dessert. I thought you were so devoted to Zack, but it seems you didn¡¯t even know about his nut allergy!¡± Wendy yelled so loudly thateveryone around heard her clearly. Guinevere¡¯s face paled. She could hear the voices of people criticizing her. ¡°She is the real mother¡­ Original content from N?velDrama.Org. but she is worse than the stepmother!¡± She''s so strict to others when she¡¯s so lenient to herself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that with the child at thatage, she never knew he was allergic to nuts. Look at the mess she¡¯s ?.?vel.?.book caused. It seems the mother doesn''t care about his son at all¡­? The criticizing voices engulfed Guinevere, leaving her withnowhere to run. She looked pleadingly at Weston, but his face was grim. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html He did not even look at her. She could only look to Warren for help. Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Warren adored Zachary most and felt sorry for him. When he saw the child¡¯s swollen face, he panicked and became anxious. "Where¡¯s the doctor??? Why isn¡¯t he here yet?" The doctor finally arrived amid themotion. Weston stayed calm and said to Warren, "Grandpa, take Zack to the hospital first.I''ll take care of the party." Warren gradually regained hisposure. His birthday party was still ongoing.If it was dyed because of this, it would have to be postponed. However, his guests were busy people and had little time to attend birthday celebrations. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. If it were postponed, rescheduling everything would be a mammoth task. At that, he looked at Weston and said, "I''ll leave it to you." There was a tone of trust he did not even notice. Warren trusted Weston more than anyone else he knew.He knew Weston could handle the rest. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Seeing that, Xavier wanted to go with Warren too. "Dad, I''ll go with you." Warren gave him a look. "No.You stay here and help Weston with the party." The rest of the family would have to exin to the guests about the incident in his absence. The exnation would have to be sincere enough not to embarrass the Ford family while expressing the family¡¯s sincere apologies. In other words, this incident left a huge mess behind. Chris also rushed over in a panic. "Did something happen to Zack?" Chris¡¯s face was filled with fear.He was obviously extremely anxious. "Dad, I¡¯ll go with you! Zack! How is Zack doing?!" Warren red at him. "What¡¯s the use of youing? You¡¯ll only cause trouble! Stay here and help your son with the family dinner!" "No! Dad! I¡¯ming with you!" Chris had to see that Zachary was okay with his own eyes, or he would not be relieved.He would not budge and insisted on following Warren. Seeing that, Warren had no choice but to allow Chris to follow. "You''re just a good-for-nothing fellow!" Warren was most worried about Zachary, though. Zachary¡¯s face was swollen badly.His heart ached to see his great- grandson¡¯sborious breathing and inability to speak. "My poor Zack... How could he have such an irresponsible mother n Guinevere wanted to follow them, but Warren red at her when she got to the door. "What are you doing here? Haven''t you hurt him enough?!" "I -I..." Guinevere panickedpletely. Now, she was unsure of what to do.She did not know if she should get in the car or leave. Warren was annoyed at her obstructing the way. "Hurry up and get lost!" Guinevere¡¯s face was ashen.She stood there, unable to move. When Warren was about to have a fit of anger again, Wendy stepped forward and took Guinevere¡¯s arm before Chris did.She pulled Guinevere back and said, "We''ll take the car in the back." Guinevere finally came to her senses and followed Wendy into the car behind. The only people who went to the hospital were Warren, Wendy, and Guinevere. Meanwhile, the men stayed back and took care of the party. Chris wanted to tag along, but Warren¡¯s powderkeg temper sobered him up. Atst, he decided to stay and take care of the mess. Even if he went to the hospital, he would be a bother and do nothing but annoy Warren instead.Ste watched as the cars drove away, feeling a little worried. "Will Zachary be alright?" Ste harbored no affinity for Zachary, though she knew he was just an innocent child.She did not want to see him, but that did not mean she wanted him to die. Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Looking a little stern, Weston took Ste¡¯s shoulder and reassured her, "It''ll be fine with Grandpa around. "I wanted to have a good walk in the mansion with you..." Ste understood what he meant and shook her head at him. "It¡¯s okay.I understand.Your business is more important." With Warren gone, the rest of the burden would fall on Weston¡¯s shoulders. Needless to say, Xavier had always been the spoilt rich kid who did nothing. Meanwhile, Chris was dying to help but he was powerless. There wasn¡¯t much he could do. Besides... Ste nced at Chris, who seemed very worried about Zachary and kept mumbling.She sighed emotionally. "Your family...They all seem to like Zachary a lot." https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Weston suddenly gave her a deep and meaningful look. "Many things are not what you expect." "What do you mean?" Ste asked. She couldn¡¯t understand. Weston did not exin and just patted her head. "You don¡¯t have to know too much.Just stay by my side." He reached out to her. Ste hesitated a little before she put her hand in his. "Mr.Ford, did something happen earlier? Chairman Ford left in such a hurry." A few people who weren¡¯t aware of the situation came up to Weston and asked questions. Weston patiently exined things to them and calmed them down as best he could.Some were very interested in Ste. "I¡¯ve only seen Mrs.Ford from afar at the wedding before.Nice meeting you again.Mrs.Ford is really worthy of the name!" Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "Mr.Ford is very blessed!" Ste had heard many simrpliments like these. Mixed with both sincerity and falsehood, no one knew how sincere thesepliments were. Most people were just envious of the powerful. A woman with just good looks wasn¡¯t really a big deal, but if she had a great man, her charm would suddenly skyrocket. Many were curious about her; their curiosity was piqued because of her identity as Weston¡¯s woman and not herself.She knew that very well, so she did not find thepliments a form of ttery.They were shackles. Weston could see herck of interest. "Feeling bored?" Ste responded with a weak hum.She had not been in a good mood since yesterday, thinking she would have to kill Weston one day. Thus, she had the strength to y the love game with him. However, things had changed.She could no longer do it, which meant she would have to live like this for the foreseeable future until Weston got tired of her. Ste had a change of heart and started to react to things around her negatively. That was the way her life was. Why try to force herself to do anything? Besides, she still had Roger... Weston would always threaten her as long as he was alive.The ck shadow in her mind returned at that thought. "You¡¯re the stupidest person in the world! You could''ve killed him! Look at you now! How pathetic..." As she thought of that, a familiar voice sounded. "I was just talking to an old friend.What''s going on over here?" Ste looked up and saw it was Jason. "Hi, Jason." Ste greeted him politely, to which Weston followed and greeted Jason with a gentle nod.He exined to him about the incident earlier. After listening to him, Jason became a little worried. "Is Zack alright?" Jason was a long-time friend of Warren¡¯s, and he knew how much Warren loved his great - grandson. Weston reassured him, "It¡¯s an allergy, but it was caught in time, and nothing serious happened.Don¡¯t worry.If there¡¯s any update, we''ll let you know immediately." Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 "That¡¯s great." Jason let out a sigh of relief and looked at Ste apologetically. "I was a little too worried about Zack I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you." Ste was surprised. "It¡¯s no problem..." Unlike Warren, Jason had a great appreciation for Ste. They were both music lovers, and he admired Ste¡¯s talent on the piano. "It¡¯s been a long time since west met at the mansion.I didn¡¯t get to wish you a happy wedding." Ste had a good impression of Jason, and she replied him in kind. "Thanks, Jason." "Remember the piano I gave you? How is it? Is it good?" Hearing that, Ste felt a little guilty. "I¡¯ve been ckingtely.I haven¡¯t been practicing..." Jason looked at Weston with a thoughtful look and smiled. "You two are newlyweds.I understand why you have little time to practice." https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Ste smiled, but there was not much sincerity in it. After Jason left, Ste fell silent and appeared disinterested in everything around her. Even Weston noticed her strange behavior. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After calming the guests, he pulled her aside. "Is something wrong?" "I''m fine." Ste shook her head. Weston fixed his gaze on her. "I don¡¯t like it when you hide things on your mind." "You forced me to stay by your side...fine.Now, are you going to care about what''s on my mind?" "All of you are mine.You¡¯re mine.Of course, I¡¯m in charge," Weston¡¯s dered in that unmistakable tone of his. Ste dropped her hands.She did not feel like saying anything. Meanwhile, Guinevere looked at her hands in anxious delirium in the car and could not help but me herself. What was she thinking? Why was she unaware of Zachary¡¯s nut allergy? Wendy massaged her brows and did not look at Guinevere. After a short moment, Guinevere initiated a conversation with Wendy. "Wendy, I really didn¡¯t mean to..." Guinevere and Wendy were not on good terms, but she could only seek her understanding at this point. "I really didn¡¯t know he was allergic to nuts...No one ever told me ¡° "Are you ming me for not telling you???" Wendy frowned and looked at her in dissatisfaction. "It has already happened.What¡¯s the use of you saying these things?" Guinevere pressed her lips. "I know it¡¯s no use now..." "I¡¯m d that you know," Wendy cut her off. "I hope Zack will be fine.If something were to happen to him, Dad would never forgive you." Wendy casually added fuel to the fire, making Guinevere¡¯s blood boil. Even so, she could not refute Wendy. Instead, her anxiety only ballooned in severity. If this went on, she would only push Zachary further and further away. There might be a day when even Warren would not allow her to meet Zachary again.Those from the Ford family were men of their word. They could do things like this. However, Zachary was the only child she would ever have... Guinevere¡¯s thoughts became more and more confused. What should she do? Wendy seemed to notice her uneasiness. After a short silence, she mentioned coldly, "Illness always happens because of what we eat.Some things are poisonous and should not be eaten." Wendy paused for a moment and said nonchntly, "Just like Ste.She even has a pot of oleanders.I¡¯m afraid that she herself doesn¡¯t know that oleanders are highly poisonous.If anyone eats them, they might die a horrible death." At first, Guinevere did not take it seriously and was slightly annoyed.Why was Wendy talking about Ste for no reason? She was not interested in Ste! Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 As Guinevere listened, dark, unspeakable thoughts arose in her mind. These thoughts made her hands tremble a little. Ste had the poisonous oleander nt in her room. Meanwhile, Zachary was no longer someone who could help her keep Weston in line. One day, Zachary would call Ste mother. Guinevere¡¯s eyes were nk and slightly distracted for a moment. Wendy stared at her face for a few seconds and suddenly asked, " What are you thinking about?" Guinevere jumped in shock and covered her chest. "I-it''s nothing " She made a sad face. "I¡¯m just wondering if Zack will be okay." Wendy¡¯s expression darkened.She had a cold smile but said nothing. After getting out of the car, the two went straight to the hospital. While the doctors treated Zachary in the emergency room, Warren was waiting at the door. Wendy and Guinevere walked over and greeted him in unison. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl "Grandpa." "Dad." Warren looked at them coldly. When his gaze fell on Guinevere, it turned colder. "I thought you cared a lot about Zack¡¯s safety, but I never thought...I¡¯m really disappointed in you!" "Sorry, Grandpa.It really wasn¡¯t deliberate!" Guinevere knelt on her knees and pleaded for his pardon. "I¡¯m willing to do anything for your forgiveness..." "What else can you do? Can you keep Zack safe?!" Guinevere moved aside and stopped talking.Warren knew she never meant for this to happen. After all, why would a mother do such a thing to her biological child? He was just angry. "Guinevere¡¯s indifference to her child is astounding! It seems you¡¯re no better than Ste, Zack¡¯s stepmother!" Guinevere¡¯s face changed sharply.That was what she dreaded hearing the most. Did they just say she was no better than Ste? That was ridiculous! Despite the absurdity of the situation, she knew she would lose her positionpletely if she continued like this. Hence, she had no other choice.It was then that a horrible idea came to her mind. ¡®Zack, don¡¯t me me.." Guinevere went to the end of the corridor and made a call ina hidden corner. "Gwen! Why did you call?" The person on the other end of the line seemed very excited. Guinevere hesitated for a moment and asked, "I just want to ask you something.Was the guy who threw the acid at the birthday party yesterday an aplice of yours?" After herst engagement party incident came to light, many fans began to desert her, save for a loyal few. Thus, to maintain their loyalty, she had personally stayed in contact with their leader. The person who threw acid yesterday did indeed ring some bells, but she did not want to admit it. There was a long silence on the other end. "Don¡¯t worry, Gwen.We won¡¯t drag you down.This has nothing to do with you.It¡¯s been us all along!" Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Guinevere knew they were a gang. She lowered her voice and asked him, "I have a question.Are you still in the mansion?" The man fell into a short silence, then quickly confessed. "Yes.Two of us got in, but the first one got caught..." "Do you still have more ns?" The man answered honestly, "No.We found out that our little stunt would drag you down, so we n to stop." Guinevere took a deep breath. "I''ll ask you then.Have you noticed ...anything strange about Ste?" "Gwen, I don¡¯t understand what you mean..." Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Guinevere put her excellent acting skills into high gear and suddenly burst into tears. ¡°You must¡¯ve heard¡­¡± she said between sobs. ¡°Zack¡­He just had an allergic reaction to nuts..." "I''ve heard,¡± replied the man. He then immediately tried tofort her, saying, ¡°But it''s no big deal! There isn¡¯t aw that requires mothers to know their children like the back of their hand! You''re only human, after all, and it''s only natural that you make mistakes sometimes.What right do they have to me it on you???" The more the man spoke, the more agitated he got. ¡°That''s not what I meant,¡± Ste interrupted him. " Zack''s condition is actually moreplicated than that ¡­.¡± She paused, gulped, and added in as low a whisper as she could manage, "It''s possible that this is more than just a simple case of nut allergy.He¡¯s in a critical state right now.The doctor is suspecting that he might''ve been poisoned.¡± https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Though her voice was very low, the man heard each and every word as clear as day. ¡°What?!¡± he cried in shock. ¡°Poisoned?!¡± ¡°Yes.That''s why I want to ask if you''ve noticed Ste Sealey behaving weirdly these few days¡­¡± Guinevere chose her words cautiously, but the man immediately understood what she was trying to say, and he went on, carefully recollecting his memories. ¡°Yes,¡± he finally answered. ¡°The day I pretended to identally fall into her room by breaking through the window, I saw potted nts and flowers on the balcony, and there was one nt that she was particrly fond of Guinevere held back her excitement, but the corners of her mouth had begun to curve upward. She knew exactly which nt the man was referring to¡ªit had to be the oleander that Wendy was talking about! At first, she thought that Stewas probably clueless about the whole thing, that she had unknowingly cultured an extremely poisonous oleander nt. But now it seemed that she might be wrong. Perhaps Ste had really meant to harm Zack! Now that a golden opportunity had fallen into herp, Guinevere couldn¡¯t possibly just let it slip through her fingers. "Don''t make too much noise about this," she warned the man. ¡°We need to collect more evidence!" "Of course! I''d do anything for you, Gwen!¡± After hanging up the call, Guinevere almost shook all over in excitement. She had finally found a way to get rid of Ste forever! Yet, a dull pain kept tugging on her heart. Zachary was her very own child, after all¡­ How could she¡­ Was there anyone on earth who would be willing to harm their own child? Guinevere did not know,and that caused her resolve to waver. After a long time, Warren finally made a move. "Please don''t worry," the doctor assured him as he left. ¡° Right now, his life is not indanger.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that,¡± Warren heaved a sigh of relief. ¡° I''m d to hear that..." "Grandpa..." Guinevere stepped forward, sounding a little worried. ¡°You must be exhausted from watching over Zack for so many hours.Why don''t you get some rest? I''ll stay in the room and take care of him instead.¡± Warren glowered coldly ather. "Do you think that I''ll ever trust you with him again?¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± Guinevere said, looking somewhat aggrieved. ¡°I admit that it was totally my fault.But I promise you that it will never happen again...It really was an ident.I''ve learned my lesson, and I''ll be very careful from now on.I''ll never make that stupid mistake again!" Surprisingly, even Wendy took her side and tried to convince Warren, telling him, ¡°Father, she''s still Zack''s mother, after all.Mistakes are unavoidable sometimes, but she''s learned a hard lesson.I''m sure she''d take better care of Zack than the nurses.¡± Hearing this, Warren suddenly looked up at Wendy, asking, ¡°What about you?¡± It was obvious that he wanted Wendy to look after Zack. ¡°Father¡­¡± Wendy spoke apologetically. ¡°The truth is that I''ve just taken my heart medicine, and I still don¡¯t feel the best, so¡­I''m really sorry." ¡°Fine," Warren waved his hand at her, fully aware that he shouldn¡¯t aggravate his wife¡¯s heart problem. ¡°I''ll hand him over to you this time,¡± he nced at Guinevere. "But you must take very good care of him, or else¡­¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Guinevere quickly nodded. ¡°Don''t worry, Grandpa!" Zacharyy silently in the private ward. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He had always been an obedient child¡­ Guinevere stared at him and sighed. Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 If she had known that she would end up like this, she would have spent much more time with him in the past. Shortly afterward, Guinevere received a call from an unknown number. "We''ve finally got hold of the surveince video!" the voice from the other end announced as soon as she answered the call. Some of these people who were diehard fans of celebrities were just like hackers. They had all sorts of impressive technical skills that could break through pretty much any security system. ¡°Ste Sealey really fed Zack something!¡± he continued. ¡° Luckily, the cameras caught it on tape!¡± Guinevere recalled that Zack had indeed been in Ste¡¯scare for a while. The child often threw tantrums when he wanted to try some food, and it was inevitable that Ste must have given him something. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Macarons aside, who knew what else she could have fed him? As for whether or not there was anyoleander poison in the food, that would depend on whether any oleander toxin was found in Zack''s body. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. If there were , then Ste would have no way to defend herself! ¡°I see,¡± replied Guinevere. "Don''t let anyone else know about this for now." ¡°What are you nning to do next, Gwen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure myself¡­¡± replied Guinevere as she wipedaway her tears. "I hope this all turns out to be a huge misunderstanding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely more than that!¡± the man retorted. "That woman is a vicious, scheming viin! I''m sure she''s not above doing something so cruel!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait till the investigations are over,¡± Guinevere sighed. ¡°All I want right now is for Zack to wake up.¡± She then paused and added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I Really don''t want anyone to misunderstand me...I''m only calling you because I wanted to find out about something and if it¡¯s ever revealed that I contacted you..." She hesitated, but the man quickly replied, "I understand youpletely, Gwen.I¡¯ll remove all traces of ourmunication .No one will ever be able to link you to us!¡± They had learned a harsh lesson from the man who tried to ssh acid at Ste. They knew now that they couldn''t just pull wild stunts for Guinevere¡¯s sake , lest it would only bring her more trouble. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Guinevere. ¡°I''m so lucky to have your love and support..." The man almost lost his mind when he heard that. ¡°Hearing that alone makes everything worth it, Gwen." Her expression changed instantly the moment she hung up. Oleanders were far from rare, and they weren''t hard to find, so getting them was no trouble. The only problem was that¡­ Guinevere gazed at Zack, who was still sound asleep, and she felt a pang in her heart. I¡¯m sorry, my baby¡­ "I truly wish I didn''t have to resort to this,¡± she sobbed. ¡± But I really have no other choice.You''ll understand, won''t you?¡± She cried till her whole body trembled uncontrobly. But then the image of Ste standing in front of her, all happy and proud , popped up in her mind. Coupled with the image of Warren Ford''s cold expressions just now, Guinevere knew that she had no other choice. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my baby¡­I''m so sorry...¡± Zack suddenly opened his eyes, perhaps awakened by the sound of Guinevere crying. His stomach had just been flushed, so he was still very weak. In a daze, he looked at the person in front of him and cried out, ¡°Mom¡­Mommy ¡°What?¡± Guinevere froze. "What did you just call me?" Zack grimaced in pain, sniffled, and broke into tears. ¡°Mommy...¡± This time, he called her mommy loud and clear. It seemed he was demanding her attention. Guinevere¡¯s heart sank. At that moment, hesitation about going on with the n began to set in. But shortly afterward ¡°Great-grandpa¡­¡± Zachary cried suddenly. ¡°Granny¡­¡± ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Guinevere covered his mouth. With tears in her eyes, she looked at him with deep sorrow and told him,¡± Great-grandpa and Granny are resting.Mommy is going to take care of you now, okay?" Zachary pouted as if he was about to cry. "Don''t cry!" Guinevere grabbed the oleander flowers that she had brought with her. "You''re a good boy, aren''t you? Don''t you want something to eat?¡± Zachary had always been a glutton, but because his stomach had just been flushed, he had no appetite yet. Guinevere was in so much agony that she could almost feel her heart ripping itself into pieces, but she endured the pain and continued to coax the boy. "Come on, Zack, take a bite, will you?¡± Children his age could never stand much coaxing.It was in their nature to give in. Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Zack blinked innocently, as he took one bite of oleander flower after another that Guinevere fed to him. He couldn¡¯t understand why she would cry so hard. Was it because he finished all her food? Was that why she was upset? With that thought in mind, he grabbed one oleander flower and offered it to Guinevere. "Mommy, you eat too!¡± Looking at his little face and realizing that he wanted to share his food with her, Guinevere finally could no longer hold her emotions back.She buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly. "Ugh..." Not long after that, Zack''s face suddenly turned blue. He began to have difficulty breathing as excruciating pain crippled every part of his body. ¡°Waaa!!!¡± He started crying while kicking and screaming. ¡°Arghhhh¡­It hurts..." TE Guinevere watched on quietly, tears streaming uncontrobly down her face. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Just when Zack was about to stop struggling , she finally cried out, ¡°Doctor! Pleasee and see my son!¡± ¡°Doctor! My son! What¡¯s wrong with my son!¡± She shouted sorrowfully, running frantically through the hallway, looking for the doctor, as she clutched Zachary in her arms. "Please help my son! Please! Save him!¡± When the doctor finally rushed over, Zachary was already foaming at the mouth ¡°What¡¯s going on? But that''s impossible...¡± ¡°I don''t know, Doctor! Please just save him..." Back at the Ford Mansion, the party was still in full swing when the shocking news arrived from the hospital Zachary Ford, Warren Ford''s first great-grandson , had just died. Ste was so stunned by the news that she swayed a little, almost losing her bnce.She could hardly believe her ears. ¡°But how can that be¡­?¡±. Wasn''t it just an allergic reaction to nuts? It was discovered quickly, too, so Zachary was sent to the hospital right away. Shouldn''t he be fine once his stomach was flushed? Why would he suddenly die? Ste fell into a daze.She felt as if she was dreaming, Then she suddenly felt a sharp pain stinging her arm.She turned around to find the man beside her looking extremely glum. ¡°Weston¡­¡± she began. N?velDrama.Org ? content. But she soon discovered that she did not know what to say. Zachary was his son, after all. No matter how cold hearted he was, news of his boy¡¯s death would surely hit him hard. But Weston remained silent. The only change was his tightening grip on her arm. Even Ben, who hade to pass the message to Weston, found it impossible to believe. But he kept his calm and asked his boss, "What do you n to do, Mr.Ford?¡± ¡°We''ll keep the guests calm and under control,¡± he replied. ¡°Then we''ll wait for the confirmation from the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr.Ford.¡± The person who reacted most strongly ended up being Chris Ford.He almost stumbled over when he first heard of Zachary''s death. All he could say was, ¡°It''s not true, is it? No, it can¡¯t be true¡­¡± Completely disoriented, he looked at Weston and asked, eyes reddened. "It''s all a lie, isn''t it, Weston? Zack can''t be dead, right? Right¡­?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes revealed nothing. They were even more inscrutable and unfathomable than they had ever been. He opened his mouth and answered his father in with a cracked, hoarse voice. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the hospital and find out, Dad.Please stay calm.¡± ¡°Stay calm?!¡± Chris exploded. ¡°How can I possibly stay calm? Zack is dead, and you want me to stay calm?!¡± His voice caused a huge stir. Prying eyes now turned towards them. ¡°Is Zachary Ford really dead?¡± ¡°It can''t be true! He seemed fine just now!¡± ¡°I know he had an allergic reaction to nuts, but he was quickly sent to the hospital, wasn''t he? How could he die all of a sudden?" ¡°What a tragedy! Such a young child too..." Someone frowned and whispered, "I heard from a friend at the hospital just now. Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Ste''s pupils shrank slightly as she heard this. She turned to Weston beside her. Poisoned¡­? It sounded like a groundless rumor. But if it was true that Zachary was poisoned, then anyone in the Ford Mansion could have done it. Her mind instinctively went to that rabid fan of Guinevere''s who tried to ssh acid on her, to the other man who made the rude entrance -suddenly crashing into her room through the window, allegedly losing his footing and falling from above. The party had been so lively just moments ago, yet they were suddenly told that the party was over. Naturally, this raised many questions. Weston¡¯s stoic face still disyed little emotion, however. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Later, once everything at the mansion had been settled, he got ready to go to the hospital. Ste had been quiet herself, saying nothing while staying by Weston¡¯s side all the time. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html In times like these, thest thing she wanted to do was cause him more trouble. Besides, her own mind was still in chaos.She hardly knew what to think. Even now, she still struggled to believe what had just happened. Was Zachary really dead? Or could be just some cruel prank? She had a sensation that none of it was real. Completely numbed, she could feel nothing either, as if she was still unsure that Zachary¡¯s death actually happened.She nced at Weston. His expressions were cold and intense, but he never lost hisposure. Perhaps even he couldn''t believe that this was all happening. Perhaps he was in denial that Zachary really was dead. Everyone got to the hospital as fast as they could. As there were not many people on the floor where the VIP private wards were, the vacant and empty lobby juxtaposed starkly with the incessant and urgent cking of footsteps of the worried Fords. ¡°We''re Zachary Ford''s family," Chris announced as soon as they arrived. With red and swollen eyes, he seemed much more flustered than Weston. ¡°Where is he?" The doctor sighed and replied, "He''s in there¡­¡± Chris immediately rushed over and shoved the door open ¡°Zach??? Zach!¡± A sharp shriek pierced the air as soon as the door opened. It was Guinevere¡¯s voice. "My baby..." she wailed as she sobbed and choked with sheer grief. ¡°My baby¡­You can¡¯t just leave me like this¡­What am I going to do without you???¡± Ste stood at the door, her heart tightening by the second. She was suddenly reminded of the day she lost her own child. Back then, she was helplessly weeping bitter tears, not unlike what Guinevere was going through now. Weston stood there behind her. He did not enter the room, nor did he try to leave. Ste was unable to describe her feelings.She felt as if she was stuck between two walls that were closing in upon her, crushing her till she suffocated. The whole ward suddenly felt like it was flooded in blindingly white light. Warren sat beside the bed, lookingpletely devastated.With his shoulders slumped and his head stooped low, he seemed to have aged ten years since Stest saw him. Chris rushed into the room and knelt next to the bed, gazing at Zachary, who wasying still with his eyes closed. ¡°Zach¡­¡± hemented. "How did this happen? You were all fine when I saw you.How did you get poisoned all of a sudden?" Guinevere raised her head to look at Chris, and fresh tears began welling up in her eyes again when she told him," He had clearly gotten a lot better, but suddenly, he started choking up, and he couldn''t breathe...I kept asking him what was wrong, but he couldn''t speak.So I called the doctor for help, but it was already toote¡­¡± Her words that were punctuated by sobs left her out of breath. Warren, who was just beside her, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and demanded in a hoarse voice, ¡°This must be investigated.We must get to the bottom of this!¡± Though he spoke slowly and his voice was low, those words carried undeniable strength and resolution behind them. Brown age spots dotted the back of his hands. His blue veins bulged up as he gripped the cane in his hand.It was true that the more grief-stricken people were, the more silent they became. Sorrow and despair filled the air. Even Wendy was staring vacantly into the air, her eyes nk and empty, not knowing exactly how to react to everything that had just happened. Seeing all this, Ste began to feel restless.She couldn''t even begin to describe exactly what she was feeling right now. Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 So now, Guinevere''s lost her own child too, Ste thought. She must have finally understood the pain she had to endure back then and finally experienced the excruciating torment that came with the loss of her own child... Even Weston, the person she hated the most, could finally have a taste of what she had gone through. Undoubtedly, the tragedy that had befallen them should have brought her some satisfaction , but she wasn¡¯t the least satisfied.She should have relished in their misery, yet why did she feel so dispirited? Why did she find it so¡­ hard to breathe? She turned around, not wanting to face the tear-filled room, when she bumped into Weston, who had been standing behind her. His tall and sturdy body blocked her like arge mountain. Faced against his wide chest, Ste just stood there, neither saying anything nor trying to leave. After a long while, she finally heard his hoarse voiceing from above her saying, ¡°I¡¯lllet Ben take you to a room so you can get some rest. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl I''lle to you once I''ve dealt with everything here." There could not be a better arrangement than this. Ste made no objections and briefly replied, "Okay." If the tragic incident hadn¡¯t happened so suddenly, Weston would never have allowed her to leave his side. But then again, even now, in her brief respite, he still sent his assistant Ben to guard her closely. Because it was such arge hospital , the elevator Ste was in basically stopped on every floor. It finally stopped at the Obstetrics and Gynecology floor, and just as Ste raised her head, she caught sight of a familiar figure ¡°Ste? What are you doing here?¡± It was Michael Sealey. d in a white trench coat, he held aboratory test sheet in his hand as he stepped into the elevator. Frowning slightly, Ste stepped back to make room for him. "Something just happened, so I had toe here," she told him calmly, treating him like he was nothing more than a distant acquaintance. Michael had nned to attend Warren Ford¡¯s birthday banquet. But because Weston asked for Ste''s opinion about it, knowing that she had a strained rtionship with her uncle, he ended upnot sending Michael the invitation. Michael was well aware of this, which was why he wore a curious expression when he saw Ste. "It looks like you''ve really made up your mind that we¡¯re no longer your family now,¡± he asserted. "Even your aunt asked me the other day why you''vepletely neglected to send us an invitation to WarrenFord''s birthday banquet..." "Aunt Diana wouldn''t say that,¡± Ste retorted with a thin smile.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She looked into his eyes and added, "I have exined to her privately that both of you would not be invited to WarrenFord''s birthday banquet.She said nothing more about it, which meant that she completely understood.¡± Michael¡¯s face changed the moment he heard this, and his tone turned grave as he asked her, "What else have you told her? So you''ve been secretly contacting her?!¡± It was in to the naked eye that the man was being hostile against Ste. Seeing this, Ben quickly got in between them and warned Michael, ¡°Careful, sir.Control your temper." His appearance startled Michael for a while, but after taking one look at Ben, he said, ¡°Oh, I remember you! Aren¡¯t you Weston Ford¡¯s assistant? What happened to you? Have you been demoted to Ste''s bodyguard?" Ben merely swept a cursory nce at him, having no intention of giving him any time of his day.He turned straight to Ste and asked her, ¡°Would you like me to deal with this for you, Mrs.Ford?¡± Ste shook her head. Michael sniggered and turned to Ben before saying, ¡° Come on.I¡¯m her uncle.I just want to have a brief chat with her, that¡¯s all.¡± He had lost his cool just now but quickly regained hisposure,plete with his usual phony smile. On the outside, he looked nothing short of the perfect gentleman, but there was nothing noble or honorable beneath that gilded exterior of his. Ste had long understood his true nature, so she had no desire to associate herself with him. Once the elevator door opened, she quickly headed out. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy,¡± she told Michael tersely. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± . Seeing that she was leaving, Michael rushed after her and followed her out of the elevator. "Wait! It has been a long time since west chatted, hasn¡¯t it, Ste?¡± Ste suddenly stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re worried about?¡± she asked. Michael froze, not expecting her sudden blunt question, but he soon shed his trademark phony smile and replied, ¡°I just want to have a chat.Is that too much to ask?" ¡°You don''t have to waste your time with your meaningless babble,¡±she snapped. Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 When she finished talking, she saw that his face had tensed, and he was exuding the air of a man who had been disparaged and belittled. "It must be really nerve - racking when you''re trying to keep a secret from someone ¡­unless you do something about it yourself, right?" Ste replied with a smile. "You must be worried sick every time I contacted Aunt Diana, fearing I¡¯d bring up your past sins toher.It must be hard to bear, huh, knowing that your secret may be exposed any time, that you¡¯ll never be at peace for the rest of your life¡­¡± The longer she spoke, the darker Michael''s face turned...and that was when he suddenly grabbed her wrist and yelled, ¡°We need to talk!¡± When Ben saw this, he immediately headed toward them with his brows frowning deeply. ¡°Just wait for me here,¡± Ste told Ben. "I''m going to talk to him for a while." "I can¡¯t do that,¡± Ben refused. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°I must make sure you¡¯re safe, Mrs.Ford!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Michael snorted. ¡°What''s wrong, my niece? Why do you need to be so closely guarded? You haven¡¯t been making enemies, have you? No, that¡¯s not possible ! With your gentle nature, who else apart from your love rival would ever want to harm you?¡± "That''s none of your business," she interrupted him. ¡° Let''s find a quiet ce to talk." "You can watch over me from afar," she told Ben. ¡°If you see any sign of things going wrong, step in right away.I won''t be hindering you from doing your job, will I?¡± Ben considered it for a few seconds before he finally nodded. ¡°Please call for me as soon as you''re in trouble, Mrs.Ford!¡± "Okay." They were both at the end of a hallway. Michael nced at the time andmented, "You''re doing real well now, aren¡¯t you? Weston Ford practically treats you like his most precious prized possession. He even has a bodyguard follow you everywhere!" He peered at Ben, standing not so far away, and shrugged , adding, ¡°I remember him well.He¡¯s Weston Ford¡¯s highly capable personal assistant .He¡¯s far more valuable than your average employee.Perhaps Weston Ford is the only man who would assign an assistant of such caliber as his wife¡¯s bodyguard.Isn''t he worried that he''ll waste his assistant''s talents with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also none of your business,¡± Ste frowned. ¡°It has nothing at all to do with you." Michael looked away casually. "I just think that since you''ve gotten yourself such a powerful man to rely on, twisting your arm wouldn¡¯t be such an easy task anymore, right?" He kept that phony smile stered on his face, concealing his sinister intentions under a thin veil, though the only thing Ste was really focused on was the laboratory test results in his hand. ¡°Why did youe to the hospital?¡± she asked. ¡°Any health problems? Or is Aunt Diana...¡± "She''s pregnant,¡± he announced while waving the test results around. Right after he spoke, he noticed Ste''s expressions change for a millisecond, and he took small delight in it. "Surely you must be happy for her, mustn''t you?¡± Ste said nothing, but her face betrayed her mixed feelings. ¡°I know,¡± Michael sighed. ¡°You want to tell her the truth ¡­But whatever happened in the past should be left in the past.We all have to move forward, Ste.Look at you and Weston.You¡¯ve gone through many hurdles.Even your engagement party turned into such a scandal.But despite all that, you still had a wedding and got married in the end, didn''t you? ¡° N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Everyone made stupid mistakes when they were young," he confessed earnestly. ¡°That old version of me is long gone.I cut all contact with those women a long time ago.If you tell her what I did back then, all that would achieve would be to bring her pain and suffering¡­¡± Ste was still in a daze,thinking about the news that Diana was pregnant. ¡°How far along is she?¡± she asked frankly. Michael was taken aback by the question for a while but soon regainedposure , and his expression softened significantly. ¡°Only two months,¡± he replied in a gentle voice. ¡°She was bewildered herself.She thought there was something wrong with her because her period had been erratic¡­¡± When the topic turned to his unborn baby, the man¡¯s eyes shone with genuine tenderness, which was rare. Even his smile looked sincere , unlike the doctored ones he would usually disy. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Ste stopped him, feeling confused herself. ¡°I will tell her the truth no matter what..." She had been meaning to tell Dianaabout it but, having been hit with crisis after crisistely, simply couldn''t find the right time to do so. Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Of course, Ste would definitely let Diana know the whole truth once she had the chance. Michael¡¯s face instantly fell when he heard of Ste¡¯s resolve. ¡°Do you think you''re helping her by doing that?¡± he argued. ¡°Do you think it''ll do her any good if you tell her the truth? I¡¯m telling you, Ste , you¡¯re being selfish!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as perfection in this world, yet your aunt is a perfectionist.She''s blissfully unaware now, and she can still get on with her happy life, enjoying her pregnancy before peacefully giving birth to our baby.I will make sure that she remains clueless about this forever!¡± ¡°As long as I can keep hiding this secret from her for the rest of her life," he added, ¡°it''ll just be as if my past mistakes never happened!¡± Ste did not speak for a while and slowly clenched her fists.She could not refute him at the moment, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel contempt for this despicable man. "You clearly should''ve treated her better from the start," she rebuked. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl "You should never have deceived her or let that low- hanging fruit below your waist overrule your head!¡± Ste just couldn''t wrap her head around Michael''s audacity to look so righteous when he was demanding that she conceal his infidelity from his wife. It was he who cheated on Diana, and the fault was clearly his, yet Ste would be at fault if she ever revealed the truth to her. "You were the one who made the mistake," she snapped fiercely at him, ¡°yet all you¡¯re worried about is that I don¡¯t expose your lies?! Has it ever urred to you that you should''ve controlled your own lust in the first ce?" ¡°I admit I''ve made mistakes...but that was all in the past, and there''s nothing I can do about them now.All I can do is to make up for my mistakes.But if you tell her the truth ¡­judging by her nature, I''m afraid I would not even have the chance to make amends.¡± ¡°If you really want what''s best for her,¡± he repeated ,¡° then don''t ever tell her the truth..." As he spoke, Ben rushed over and announced, "Mrs.Sealey is heading over here, Mrs.Ford!¡± Ste and Michael turned around simultaneously when they saw Diana approaching from a distance, craning her neck to take a better look at both of them. Neither of them knew how long she had been there, ¡°Ste!¡± Diana smiled as soon as she recognized Ste.¡° What are you doing here? What a coincidence!¡± She walked towards them and stopped by Michael''s side. "Why didn''t you tell me that you met Ste here?" she asked while giving Michael an angry look. "I was wondering where you''d been..." ¡°Be careful,¡± Michael instinctively held her to make sure she was safe. Ever since discovering she was pregnant, Michael had been extra watchful of her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have rushed in like that.We''re not going to run away from you anyway." Diana, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t so pleased with him being overly cautious all of a sudden. ¡°The doctor said that the baby in my belly is in good health,¡± she argued. "Do you have to treat me as if I''m about to have a miscarriage?¡± ¡°Hush!¡± Michael instantly frowned. ¡°Don''t say such ominous things!" Ste watched the affectionate couple with mixed feelings. After a while, she finally spoke up. "Aunt Diana..." Only then did Diana suddenly remember that Ste was still there. She blushed slightly and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.I''ve been ignoring you..." She then added, ¡°I haven''t even congratted you on your wedding and being a new wife,Ste." "Thank you.¡± Ste smiled. For some reason, the air grew tense and awkward. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?" Diana asked, looking at Ste with confusion on her face. Michael nced furtively at Ste the instant he heard his wife¡¯s question. "What could she possibly have to tell you?¡± he asked casually. ¡°Aren''t you both always secretly gossiping with each other anyway?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Well, how did you know?!¡± Diana turned to Michael, chuckling. Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 "Don''t be ridiculous...¡± Michael joined in his wife''sughter. ¡°Ste just told me,¡± he continued while shooting Ste a meaningful look, ¡°that both of you have been secretly talking to each other." ¡°But that''s only because ...¡± Diana abruptly paused mid sentence , attempting to gauge the expressions on both Michael''s and Ste''s faces. A few years ago, when Ste''s parents passed away, Diana came to know that Michael had indeed wronged Ste. Although she was always close to Ste, she couldn''t deny that her husband always stood between them, so even as they were privately talking to each other, Diana would make it a point not to mention Michael N?velDrama.Org ? content. "So what did the doctor say?" Ste changed the subject, looking at Diana''s belly. Diana gently stroked her tummy. Even though it was t with no visible bump, it still made her glow with bliss to touch her belly. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl "Both the baby and I are healthy," she informed Ste. " Although I am a little older now, my body is still healthy, and besides¡­¡± She smiled and turned to Michael, ¡°Your uncle has been spoiling me so much that I hardly need to lift a finger.He wouldn¡¯t let me worry over anything.I''m sure he''ll take good care of our baby and me.¡± Mixed feelings arose in Ste¡¯sheart as she heard these words. For a moment, her resolve to tell Diana the truth wavered a little. U What if Michael was right? What if learning the truth would only bring her more pain and suffering? Besides, it looked like she was gleefully anticipating the arrival of their baby... ¡°So why did youe to the hospital?" Diana asked. " Feeling unwell, Ste?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. "Something came up, that''s all.¡± "Are we holding you up from something important?¡± Diana hastily asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Diana replied, saying nothing more than that.She just had a feeling that Ste was acting out of sorts today as if she was upset for some reason. "Honey," Michael finally interrupted them, "we still have another medical examter¡­¡± ¡°You guys go ahead,¡± Ste took the initiative to suggest. "I''ve got to do something, so I need to get going too.¡± ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll meet again next time.¡± Once Ste had gone, Diana rubbed her belly and worriedly asked Michael, ¡°Did I say something wrong to upset Ste?" ¡°Nah," he replied, pinching her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.You''re carrying a baby in your belly, remember? Try to keep yourself in a good mood.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Diana fell silent and pondered over the matter for a while. Then she suddenly turned to Michael and asked, "Could it be that she still remembers what happened and was unhappy to see you?" She felt that the conjecture made a lot of sense. "She seemed fine when we were talking privately," Diana recalled. ¡°She only started acting weird when she met you ¡° Michael¡¯s expression turned stony as soon as he heard this.But then he thought of something, and he quickly smiled. ¡°So what exactly do you guys normally talk about, hmm?" ¡°Just run-off-the-mill stuff¡­¡± she answered before something suddenly dawned upon her. "Oh, no! Is it because she found out I''m pregnant...? ¡° ¡°Ste has a rare blood type,¡± Diana continued with concern in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible that she gets pregnant again¡­¡±. She had always tiptoed around this subject, never daring to bring it up to Ste. But Ste had found out that she was pregnant today. Could Diana''s pregnancy have reminded Ste of her own condition and upset her? Michael remained silent.He scrutinized his wife for a while before cautiously asking her, ¡°Has she ever told you anything else?¡±. His question startled Diana for a moment, as if she sensed something else going on. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°What happened? Are you hiding something from me?" ¡°It''s nothing," he stroked her hair. "Stop thinking too much." He swiftly stepped forward and knelt in front of her, resting an ear over her belly. ¡°Let me listen to it,¡± he said. "Is my baby a boy or a girl?¡± 1 Diana blushed and pushed his face away. ¡°It¡¯s only two months old, silly.It''s so tiny that we can''t even see anything yet.¡± Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Ste got to the room with a mind full of messy thoughts. Ben stood guard at the door. Since it was a private hospital, everything was on the ready to cater to their wealthier clients. In fact, their private wards were no less luxurious than a five-star hotel suite. Ste turned to Ben, and out of nowhere, asked, ¡°Would you rather find out the truth or be blissfully ignorant for the rest of your life?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Ben stared nkly into the air, somewhat bewildered by her question that hade out of the left field. It took him a while to figure out that she was asking about what happened just now. ¡°You¡¯re probably asking the wrong person , Mrs. Ford.¡± Ben rubbed his nose abashedly and admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t have much experience in love and romance.¡± Besides, he did not even have an inkling about what they were all talking about just now. It was, after all, none of his business. All he had to do was focus on the tasks Weston Ford had assigned to him and not waste time sticking his nose into the affairs of others. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Ste had known him for quite some time by then, so she was fully aware of what he was really like. She sighed heavily and asked again, ¡°Imagine you had a girlfriend, and she cheated on you. But she treats you very well, and you¡¯ve always believed that she loves you very much. Even though she betrayed you in the past, she is now truly repentant and has really changed. She even cuts all contact with her lovers. In that case, would you rather know the truth, or would you rather stay ignorant by believing that illusion that makes you happy?¡± Ben fell silent for a long time, pondering Ste¡¯s questions. ¡°What a conundrum¡­¡± he stated. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯d prefer to know the truth, but then again, it would be heartbreaking¡­¡± As he considered his options, he suddenly gasped. His expression changed abruptly as he cautiously asked,¡± Mrs. Ford¡­ You didn¡¯t have an affair yourself, did you?¡± His shock was written all over his face. This rendered Ste utterly speechless. ¡°Forget it,¡± she finally relented. ¡°Just pretend I never asked you anything.¡± She turned around and walked into the bedroom, and sat down on the bed. Her encounter with Michael and Diana had distracted her for a while. But now that she was alone with time on her hands again, her mind wandered back to Zachary Ford. She had not heard anything from Weston for a while now, and she wondered what was going on over there. Ste was sure that she had never felt anything for Zachary, but still¡­ She sighed, feeling inexplicably agitated. She simply couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Meanwhile, downstairs, Warren Ford¡¯s man had returned and was whispering something into his ear. Warren raised his head and looked at Weston, who was right in front of him. ¡°How do you feel,¡± he asked, ¡°now that your son is dead?¡± Weston was too calm, so calm that everyone in the room could sense that something was awry. ¡°How do I feel?¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Does that matter?¡± Warren suddenly lifted his hand and violently swept the medical instrument and medicine bottles off the table. Crash! Everything fell to the floor and shattered. ¡°I must get to the bottom of this!¡± he shouted, his eyes locked on Weston. Weston slowly clenched his fists and said, ¡°Are you implying someone was behind this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it!¡± Warren sprang up to his feet. ¡°Someone poisoned Zack¡¯s food!¡± His cane clicked as it hit the floor, mirroring the rage that surged in its owner¡¯s heart. ¡°All the food in the Ford family has always been carefully prepared,¡± he stated. ¡°How else was it possible that such a tragic mistake could ever happen?! The only logical exnation is that someone must¡¯ve intentionally poisoned Zack!¡± He closed his eyes and remembered Zack¡¯s tiny purple face that resulted from the poisoning. He found it difficult to breathe. ¡°I want you to investigate this right now!¡± he ordered. Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 ¡°Okay,¡± Weston nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. You should get some rest now. I¡¯ll handle everything from here¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been lukewarm when ites to Zack,¡± Warren interjected. ¡°How can I trust that you¡¯ll take this matter seriously?!¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± Weston quickly interrupted him. ¡°Zack is a member of the Ford family no matter what. The blood that flowed in his veins flows in mine.¡± Weston had always been cold and aloof, even with family. He was just never one to express much warmth or affection to anyone. But even he was not so cold-blooded as to turn a blind eye to Zachary¡¯s death. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°Good, I hope you remember those words of yours!¡± Warren¡¯s grief had reached the degree where he could not even shed another tear. With reddened eyes, he stood there trembling, reiterating, ¡°The murderer must be caught! That¡¯ll be the only way my great-grandson can be buried in peace!¡± After a while, the sound of crying in the room finally faded. Weston sat down on a chair and massaged his brows vigorously. He could feel his temples throbbing ,bringing with it a wave of dreariness. Then he heard the sound of rushing footsteps approaching him. It was Chris. He stormed towards him and frantically yelled, ¡°I heard from your grandpa that someone poisoned Zack!¡± He clearly still had not recovered from the terrible blow that was the news of Zack¡¯s death. His eyes were bright red as he demanded, ¡°Who did that to him?! I want that person to pay with their life!¡± Weston massaged the point between his brows, suppressing his tumultuous emotions. ¡°It¡¯s still under investigation,¡± he coldly told Chris, looking straight at him. ¡°Right now, you should calm down a little.¡± ¡°How could I possibly calm down?!¡± Chris grabbed Weston¡¯s cor and pulled him up. This irked Weston very much. Of course, Chris was far inferior in strength, but it was still his father whether he liked it or not, and it gave him no choice but to stand up along with him. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you the slightest bit upset?!¡± Chris went straight to the point and demanded . ¡°Zack is dead! Yet here you are looking indifferent! You really never regarded him as your own son, have you?!¡± By then, they were the only people in the room. The rest had left earlier to keep vigil at Zachary¡¯s side. Weston couldn¡¯t help but find his father¡¯s questionughably ludicrous. ¡°Is he my son?¡± he asked. Chris drew a sharp breath. Without hesitation he countered, ¡°But he¡¯s still your flesh and blood! He¡¯s like your own younger brother! ¡°And now, he just died all of a sudden!¡± he stressed, his eyes as red as ever. ¡°Someone just poisoned him to death for no apparent reason, and this is how you react?!¡± ¡°How should I have reacted?¡± argued Weston. ¡°Should I have reacted like you, crying and screaming hysterically Weston shoved his father¡¯s hands aside, eyes frosty. ¡°And what good did that bring???¡± ¡°Weston, you¡­¡± ¡°I will get to the bottom of this,¡± Weston cut him off impatiently. ¡°But for now, please don¡¯t bring me any more trouble, and just get out of my way.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Weston!¡± Chris roared, his shame turning into rage. But after a moment of silence, that ballooning anger suddenly popped, quickly dissipating through the gaping hole. Only exhaustion remained now. ¡°You me me, don¡¯t you?¡± Chris closed his eyes, suddenly realizing that they were filled with tears. ¡°You hate me, don¡¯t you? You hate this father of yours because he pushed all the responsibilities onto your shoulders, don¡¯t you?¡± Weston stopped in his tracks. His posture stiffened slightly. For Chris to say such things to him now, Weston could only find it ridiculouslyughable. All it did was fill him with cold, empty anguish. ¡°He¡¯s dead now, so what¡¯s the point of hating you?¡± Chris couldn¡¯t find the right words to say. He was overflowing with pent-up emotions, and too many feelings had piled on him to the point he was unable to bear them anymore. He had to find a way to let out what he had suppressed for so long. ¡°I know that you must hate me and me me for all this! But what can I do, Weston? I had no choice ¡­ You know the position I was in! What else could I do?¡± Weston turned around abruptly, and with bloodshot eyes, he punched his father in the face. ¡°What else could you have done? If you kept your distance from Guinevere back then, would any of this ever happen?¡± Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 If only he had restrained himself that night, they would not be in this situation. They wouldn¡¯t have made so many mistakes.. And so many tragedies wouldn¡¯t have happened. The punch came toote. Weston had sacrificed a lot for the sake of his father, Chris. His father, however, stillcked the self-awareness of a father even after so many years. Chris was hit so hard that his head tilted to one side, and he stumbled backward a few steps. He looked at the empty wall, just like his heart which was hollowed out. It was an unbearable feeling. As the wind blew, he felt a chill in his heart. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°What could I have done¡­¡± He kept mumbling the same thing. ¡°It has already happened. What else could I have done? Wendy¡¯s heart is not well. Do you want me to confess to her?¡± The more he said, the more agitated he became. ¡° Guinevere can only have one child in her entire life. She has a rare blood type. It was impossible for her to abort the child, so what else could I do?¡± ¡°What about now?¡± Weston turned to look at him and said sarcastically, ¡° That child who could not be aborted is now gone. Everything and everyone that could keep her secret intact is gone as well.¡± He looked at Chris as if thetter was a clown. ¡°Until now, you are unrepentant and insist on hiding it?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me,¡± Chris pleaded. ¡°I am your father. Zack is dead. I cannot afford to lose anyone else.¡± Weston massaged his wrist. For a brief moment, he felt a deep disgust and revulsion toward his father. He looked at the face that bore great simrity to his, and his blood overflowed with disgust. ¡°You are the most unqualified person to question me.¡± Why didn¡¯t Chris know that? He lowered his head and could only use the promise to suppress him. ¡°Weston, you promised me that you would treat Zack as your own son. You could not do this¡­¡± ¡°What else do I have to do?¡± Weston gazed at him and moved forward. His dark eyes were overwhelmed with hidden madness.¡° How far should I go for such an absurd lie?¡± He was never like this, on the verge of losing control. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡± Can¡¯t you see how much I have lost?¡± His only child was long dead. The child disappeared alongside Ste¡¯s feelings for him. No one had ever told him who was going to make up for his loss. Zachary¡¯s death was like a key that unlocked the door that stood between them. All his emotions escaped his heart. Weston gazed fiercely at the man in front of him, but his tone was cold and calm. ¡°What else do you want from me? Tell me.¡± Chris sat on the floor in dismay, as if he had been drained of his energy. He seemed undeterred and muttered, ¡°You are at least still with Ste¡­ Now that Zack is dead, shouldn¡¯t she be very happy?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Weston interrupted him coldly. ¡°She is different from you all. Even if she hates a person, she would not do such a thing!¡± ¡°You were fooled by that woman!¡± Warren¡¯s voice suddenly came. He coughed violently a few times when walking toward the two people step by step with the help of Wendy. Chris¡¯ face stiffened, and he stood up, wondering how much of their conversation they had just overheard. He looked over at Wendy subconsciously. ¡°Wendy¡­¡± Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Wendy looked grief-stricken with her downcast eyes. She seemed to have not seen his gaze. Guinevere followed behind them, wiping away her tears continuously Warren walked directly toward Weston and threw a pile of evidence in his hand into his face. ¡°See for yourself! This is what that good wife of yours did!¡± The evidence was surveince camera footage and Zachary¡¯s autopsy report. Weston picked them up and read the diagnosis. He slowly knitted his brows. The footage showed the scene of Ste feeding something to Zachary. ¡°Do you all suspect her?¡± His face looked very sick. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°There is no way she would poison Zachary.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± Warren interrupted and said sternly, ¡°Are you still going to defend her when the evidence is right in front of you?¡± He was like a raging lion. ¡°I knew that woman was up to no good. She actually had the guts to harm my great grandson! She has to bear the consequences!¡± Weston clenched his fists so hard the blue veins in the dorsal side bulged. His eyes were filled with frost. Just as he was about to say something, Warren suddenly moved forward and lifted his shirt. Therge scar due to the acid ssh plunged into view, leaving everyone gasping in shock. ¡°I knew you were injured!¡± Warren¡¯s eyes widened, and his face was full of disappointment and anger. ¡°You were clearly hurt when you defended Ste from that attack! You pretended to be fine because you feared I would take it out on her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Weston remained quiet. There was a fierce storm in his eyes. He looked hard at the old man in front of him.¡± Grandfather, the poisoning has nothing to do with her.¡± ¡°Shut up! How long are you going to protect her?¡± Warren suddenly raised his walking stick and struck him hard. ¡°How long will you continue to be unrepentant ?¡± He used his full strength until they could hear it hitting the bone. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Weston only snorted and frowned slightly, but his face remained unchanged when he insisted, ¡°It must be a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°The evidence is all here. How much more evidence do you need to believe that this woman is a scourge?¡± ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± Weston had just opened his mouth when he suddenly grunted again. The sound of a wooden stick hitting the body was strikingly clear. Warren took advantage of his inattentiveness to let someone knock him out with a stick. Chris was shocked and looked at Warren in confusion.¡° Father, what is all this about?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you understand? As long as he is here, he will definitely take Ste¡¯s side. I will not allow the person who killed my great-grandson to get away with it!¡± His expression was extremely gloomy. ¡°Lock him up! Don¡¯t let him out until the matter is finished!¡± Chris understood what he meant, and his face turned dark. ¡°I understand¡­¡± When he looked at Weston, who had fainted on the ground , his eyes darkened, and he heaved a heavy sigh. A long time had passed. Ste still had not heard from Weston. She wanted to ask Ben, but her room door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. She stood up instinctively and looked in the direction of the door, only to see Warren walking in with a group of people. ¡°Drag her out!¡± Ben stood up automatically and was a bit stunned to see Warren barging in. ¡°Mr. Warren¡­¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Warren did not even look at him and went straight to Ste. ¡°Get her!¡± Ste stood up slowly. Warren¡®s eyes were full of resentment when he looked at her. It confused her. ¡°What happened?¡± Ben was the first to react and stood in front of her. ¡°Mr. Warren, what¡®s going on?¡± ¡°Get out of my way! Drag that woman out!¡± Warren ordered, his voice still as cold. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Ben raised his guard immediately. ¡°What exactly happened here, Mr. Warren?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that he was in the way, Warren frowned. ¡°Get out of my way! Don¡®t make me do the same thing to you!¡± His men obviously outnumbered Ben¡®s. Ben was a little confused. ¡°Mr. Warren, I don¡®t wish to disobey you, but I need to heed Mr. Ford¡®s orders. If you don¡®t tell me what happened, I¡®m afraid I can¡®t let you take her...¡± ¡°This woman poisoned Zack. She killed my great grandson. I want her to pay for it with her life!¡± Hearing that, Ben widened his eyes at once and retorted instinctively. ¡°It is impossible. There must be a mistake somewhere...¡± After saying that, he looked at Ste. Ste stood up in shock. ¡°Poisoning?¡± Warren snorted when he saw her puzzled face. ¡°Your acting is rather good. Keep on pretending!¡± She calmed herself down and knitted her brows. ¡°Should I ept it when you nder me for no reason???¡± ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Warren¡®s eyes burned with rage. ¡°You are nothing but a vile sorceress! Weston even blocked the acid attack, but what did you do? You killed his son!¡± ¡°I did not.¡± She took a deep breath, and her body was shaking. ¡°Why do you identify me as the killer when you have no evidence whatsoever?¡± He sneered. ¡°Of course, there is. It¡®s just that I have handed it over to the police. You just wait for your doom!¡± While he said that, a group of police officers suddenly appeared behind him. ¡°Ms. Sealey , you are being suspected of murder. Pleasee with us to help with the investigation.¡± Everything happened so quickly that Ben had no time to react. ¡°Mr. Warren, there must be a mistake . How could Mrs. Ford possibly...¡± Before he could finish, he realized that no one was listening to him, so he asked, ¡°Where is Mr. Ford?¡± Warren swept a cold nce at him. ¡°Don¡®t think that he wille and rescue her. She killed his son! He will never look at this ruthless woman again!¡± She paled. The police were already standing in front of her. ¡°Please cooperate, Ms. Sealey.¡± She looked at them. Knowing they were ready to pin her down, sheplied with the men in a hoarse voice.¡° Okay, I will go with you. ¡°I believe you will have the truth...¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Warren shouted, ¡°Bring her away. She shall die for her sin!!! Ste, I want you to rot in jail for the rest of your life!¡± **** Ste sat quietly in the small room. She did not say much during the whole process, finding the situation somewhat ridiculous and ironic. In fact, she had imagined herself being held in the lockup some time ago. The only difference at that time was that she thought she would be charged with Weston¡®s murder, not Zachary¡®s. She smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. Right then, awyer came in. ¡°Ms. Sealey , what are you smiling at?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just thought of something funny.¡± The woman in front of her turned grave. ¡°Ms. Sealey. This is a very serious charge. I hope you will cooperate with me.¡± Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Ste looked up at her. ¡°I know. You can ask me anything.¡± Warren had nearly everything under his control. In the end, it was Ben who got her a reliablewyer. Tina fixated her eyes on her for a moment and frowned, suspecting this would be a tricky case. ¡°Are you repulsed by me because of my rtionship with Justin?¡± At times, the world was such a small ce. After everything had happened, it was she who became Ste¡®swyer. Ste and Juston almost got married at one point, but due to Weston¡®s aggressive interference, they stopped contacting each other. Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t mind. I¡®m not in a rtionship with Mr. Hall.¡± https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl Tina smiled in response. ¡°Me too. Apart from having a child together, I am only his ex¨Cwife. And now, you can consider me a professionalwyer, so I hope you can put aside our conflict and work this out together.¡± Ste nodded. Tina was perplexed to see her unusually calm demeanor. ¡± You are now being charged with intentional homicide ...¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Ste, ¡°but I didn¡®t do it.¡± ¡°That¡®ll have to depend on the evidence.¡± Tina said helplessly, ¡°The intiff¡®s side seems to have persuasive evidence and confidently ims that you killed someone intentionally.¡± Ste frowned and repeated, ¡°I didn¡®t.¡± Seeing her response, Tina fell silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I didn¡®t n to take your case at first.¡± Because of the matter between Ste and Justin, Weston once threatened them with Bryce. Tina was disgusted with the kind of people who used power to suppress people. ¡°But I heard that Warren is looking for ways to suppress you by not letting thosewyers take your case. Your situation is very critical ...¡± She paused for a moment and asked, ¡°I wonder where Weston is.¡± If she fought against Warren alone, she was sure she had little chance of winning. However, she married Weston only some time ago. Since everyone witnessed their grand wedding, Weston shouldn¡®t just leave her alone. ¡°Who knows?¡± Ste stretched the corner of her lips.¡° Maybe he thinks that I am the murderer.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Tina sighed. ¡°All I can tell you is that there is no way to get bail in a criminal case. You can only stay here for now. And since I took your case, I¡®ll do my best to keep you safe, but I need to make sure of one thing. Did you have anything to do with Zachary¡®s death?¡±. Ste raised her head and looked into her eyes. She uttered word by word. ¡°I have no intention to kill him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tina nodded. ¡°I will do my best.¡± The evidence was ready, and the prosecution could soon proceed with their charge. Warren sat in the middle of the hall with a sullen face. Wendy and Chris sat by his sides. No one spoke. Only Guinevere was still wiping away tears with her head down. ¡°Stop crying!¡± Warren snapped. ¡°You are bothering me.¡± Zachary¡®s death had hit everyone hard. Warren felt heartbroken just thinking about it. The only thing he could do now was to take out all his anger on Ste It was the only way he could divert his attention a little. ¡°Do everything you can to give this woman the death penalty, and if you can¡®t, make sure she stays in jail for the rest of her life!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Warren.¡± Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Ford Corporation owned a whole team ofwyers. Tina, on the other hand, had a good reputation in the field and was verypetent, not to mention she was the only one who dared to take Ste¡®s case. She was outnumbered, but there was nothing to be concerned about. With clenched fists, Chris growled, ¡°I will make that woman pay!¡± Wendy sighed. ¡°But she is family, regardless. If this is known to the public...¡± ¡°What are you scared of? Why should she be afraid of criticism when she dares to do such a thing?¡± Chris said through gritted teeth, ¡°We must make Weston divorce her. We should never have allowed her to marry into our family in the first ce!¡± Restless and emotionally charged, the two showed signs of getting into an argument. Warren chided. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl ¡°Enough! This whole thing is frustrating enough. Do I still have to listen to your argument?¡± He looked at Guinevere, who was silent. ¡°Why won¡®t you say anything?¡± Guinevere shook her head. Her eyes were red, and she was in a daze. Chris spoke for her immediately. ¡°She must be grief stricken. Give her some time. She needs rest...¡± He was concerned for her, worried that the matter would stimte her. What if she recalled everything that happened in the past? What should he do? Would she tell the truth? Wendy swept a nce at the two. Her heart was numb, and even the sarcasm disappeared. It was just that she feltplicated when looking at Guinevere¡®s eyes. This woman was way more terrifying than she thought. Warren did not notice their gestures and said in a hoarse voice, Send more men over to Weston, don¡®t let him get out.¡± Hearing his name, Guinevere raised her head. ¡°How is he? Is he alright...¡± She wiped her tears. ¡°Zack is his son after all... I want to be with him.¡± Warren said coldly, ¡°He only has that Ste on his mind right now. Letting him out now will be allowing him to go and defend her!¡± Guinevere stood up. ¡°I¡®m sure he¡®s not that kind of person.¡± Coming to Weston¡®s defense, she exined, ¡°The evidence is right before our eyes. Even if he loves her very much, he will not side with Zack¡®s murderer...¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± asked the old man impatiently. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I want to see him,¡± Guinevere continued. ¡°He is just not good at expressing himself. I know he loves Zack.¡± Warren waved his hand. ¡°Whatever. Go if you want, but you have to be careful not to let him escape.¡± ¡°I understand...¡± Guinevere nodded with a heart filled with indescribable emotions. Zachary¡®s death was too much for her to bear. She needed someone tofort her. The first person she thought of was Weston, but all he could think about was how to get Ste off the hook. Only then did she realize that his affection for Ste was deeper than she thought. All the more, she had to make him believe that it was Ste who had killed their child! She just didn¡®t believe that even such a big blow was enough to bring Ste down. In the basement of the mansion, Weston woke up in darkness. He figured out where he was the moment he opened his eyes. The basement was a ce for interrogation. Powerful families like theirs would ambush victims and use special methods to interrogate these people in secret. Regardless , he did not expect that he¡®d wake up in this ce one day. Heughed sarcastically and walked to the door. His eyes darkened, and he kicked it hard. Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 Bang! The hard kick caused the iron door to creak and shake. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Immediately, the voice of the guard outside could be heard. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Ford. Mr. Warren says that you¡®ll have to be here for the time being...¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± His words were few but stern. ¡°Don¡®t force me.¡± The smell of blood in the room was heavy. There were all sorts of tools for enhanced interrogation around him, used to pry open the mouths of corporate spies who stole confidential information from thepany. This put the guards outside in a difficult position. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html?dev=tl They did not dare to offend both Weston or Warren. ¡°Mr. Ford, it¡®s Mr. Warren¡®s order. We do not dare to disobey him...¡± Weston rubbed his be. He felt a faint ache in his waist and abdomen. Ignoring it, he said impatiently to the people outside , ¡± Get out of the way.¡± Before they could understand what he meant, they heard , a loud bang ¨C followed by a heavy sound from the door. ¡°Mr. Ford, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± They panicked and stared at the rickety door. Weston kicked the door again and again. Loud, shrill shrieks from the metal door followed The heavy door rattled and seemed like it would fall soon. He was surrounded by a hostile aura, and with eyes glowing red, he was not unlike a wild monster that could not be tamed. When Guinevere came, this was what she saw. She walked through the long dark corridor to the entrance of the basement and saw the huge door wailing in pain and was about to be kicked open by the person inside. ¡°What is going on?¡± She looked flustered and took a few steps forward. ¡°Ms. Cohen , Mr. Ford said he wasing out, then he started kicking the door...¡± Guinevere widened her eyes. ¡°Then why don¡®t you open it? If he keeps kicking it, he will be hurt!¡± The few guards exchanged nces, wondering if they should listen to her. Warren¡®s order to them was to guard Weston properly and not let him out. The loud banging continued in front of them as the door shook so violently it was as if there was an angry beast locked in the room. Anxiety filled Guinevere¡¯s mind and said to them hurriedly, ¡°Warren sent me. Open the door quickly. He will be hurt if you keep waiting, and we shall see if you can afford the responsibility!¡± After she said that, the two guards finally opened the door. At the same time, Weston had nearly seeded in kicking the door open He got out with a cold face and walked away without even looking at Guinevere. Guinevere froze for a moment before she came to her senses, ran forward, and stood in front of him. ¡°What are you doing, Weston? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Get out of my way.¡± He shrugged her off and walked straight out the door. His eyes were bleeding, and Guinevere could not catch up with him. ¡°Calm down, Weston. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± The man brushed her hand away coldly. She stopped in her track and suddenly hugged him tightly. ¡°Are you going to save Ste? I won¡®t let you do that...¡± She choked back her tears and said, ¡°She killed Zack, and the evidence is solid! She should pay for the murder with her life, and I won¡®t allow you to disregard your son¡®s life for such a woman...¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± The man brushed her hand away coldly. She stopped in her track and suddenly hugged him tightly. ¡°Are you going to save Ste? I won¡®t let you do that...¡± She choked back her tears and said, ¡°She killed Zack, and the evidence is solid! She should pay for the murder with her life, and I won¡®t allow you to disregard your son¡®s life for such a woman...¡± Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 When she finished, she saw the sudden burst of anger in Weston¡¯s eyes. His intense ruthlessness swept over her, sending chills down her back. The man pressed his thin, knifelike lips into a straight line as he uttered icily, ¡°She would not do such a thing.¡± ¡°Face reality!¡± Guinevere shouted, her eyes red. ¡°It is more than normal that she would hate Zack in her position. She can¡¯t have a child on her own anymore, so she despises mine¡­¡± Weston suddenly grabbed her neck. The veins in his temples and the back of his hands bulged and throbbed, making him look like a devil from hell. ¡°I repeat myself. I don¡¯t want to hear such a im anymore.¡± Her eyes snapped wide open in fear. They were, in fact, bloodshot. She pped his palm hard. The suffocation drove away the air from all directions. As the overhead light blinded her, she could also smell the stench of death. She looked at the man in front of her quietly and then swept a nce at the guards behind him. The men behind him hesitated. They did not dare to move due to the fear of the ruthless aura that now surrounded Weston. She was almost fainting. Her fear of death caused her to show trepidation, and she pleaded for mercy. She looked at his bloodshot eyes and stopped resisting . With a trembling voice, she said, ¡°Kill me¡­ Even if you¡­ kill me. It won¡¯t change reality¡­¡± His gaze changed immediately , and he suddenly threw her aside and marched out. In the tea room of the mansion, Warren was sitting at the tea table, looking somewhat disheveled. His hands had somehow lost their energy to move, and as he gazed at the teaware he used for his favorite pastime, his heart felt numb. The moment he closed his eyes, he would see Zachary¡¯s mischeviousness, and his heart would ache. ¡°Mr. Warren, Mr. Ford ising¡­¡± the man outside informed him hurriedly. He looked up and knitted his brows, looking rather dissatisfied. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to keep an eye on him?¡± The man retreated to the side sheepishly. They were told to guard him, but their capability didn¡¯t seem to match up to the task. Who knew Weston would be so crazy? He was hostile to the point of killing someone. They didn¡¯t dare to stop him, nor were they strong enough to. The moment Warren withdrew his gaze, he heard an icy voice. ¡°I want to see her, Grandfather.¡± Warren looked in the direction of the voice, and his eyes met with Weston¡¯s. One¡¯s eyes were filled with weariness and hurt feelings, and the other with anger and urgency. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°All you ask about is that woman the moment you came out! Ste so deeply blinds you!¡± Warren said with immense disappointment, ¡°Even Zack¡¯s death couldn¡¯t make you see her for what she really is.¡± ¡°Things aren¡¯t clear yet¡­. ¡°Not yet? The evidence is right before your eyes!¡± Warren shouted sternly, ¡°I know you would take her side, which is why I locked you up. When things come to light, and you see her for who she truly is, I¡¯d let you go. However, it does not seem necessary now.¡± He stepped forward. ¡°She would not do such a thing.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were so red they seemed to be bleeding. Warren seemed very disappointed and closed his eyes.¡° See for yourself. These are the evidence.¡± He stood up trembling , despite the help of his walking stick. ¡°The report said Zack died from the toxicity of oleander . Think about it¡ªwho has been holding those pots for the past few days ¨C and who had the oleander?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Warren opened his eyes and looked at him steadily. ¡°I¡¯ve already had someone investigate . One of those pots she has on the balcony is oleander, and it happens to be blooming!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Weston¡¯s eyes stiffened sharply, and he pressed his fingertips until they turned white. At Weston¡¯s silence , Warren knew that Weston did not believe him. ¡°I retrieved the surveince camera footage. Just before Zack was poisoned, she fed him something! It must be something that she brought out of her room. No matter the timing or the action, everything matches! How long do you want to defend her?¡± Weston remained silent for a long time. Looking at the evidence in his hands, his eyes were smeared with a frostyyer of decay. ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked with a husky voice. Warren instantly knew he had achieved his purpose. He patted him on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s your son, your own son! Don¡¯t let everyone get cold feet over a woman.¡± Weston closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± In the interrogation room, Ste had a long dream. In the dream, she was covered in blood, lying on the cold ground, and looking up at the sky. ¨C It was the same dream again-the nightmare of that night when Weston abandoned her on the balcony. Now, this nightmare was re-enacted once more. She saw him holding Guinevere¡¯s hand and looking at her with an inexpressible look of disappointment. Then, he left. Ste kept trying to exin, but could not make a sound. She wanted to say that it was not her. She did nothing. How could she possibly kill an innocent child? But no one listened to her. Guinevere¡¯sughter was heard from a distance. Then, she told her with a victorious voice, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t have a child, and my child was dead, you still can¡¯t beat me!¡± This dreamsted for too long. So long that she thought it was real. She could not help but recall the day she met Weston for the first time¡­ In fact, she had actually fallen for him for a long time. This crush hadsted for umpteen years, so when he proposed to her, she did not hesitate to say yes. It was a dreame true for her, but little did she expect that she would have to pay such a heavy price for her fluke. She was so tired. She did not want to go on anymore. The only thing that had been holding her up was Roger. She lived like a walking corpse by Weston¡¯s side, and only the knowledge that Roger was safe could give her a littlefort. But now, with so many usations weighing on her, she could not even iron out the personal issues that gued her life. She seemed to have used up all of her luck when she met him, where it was all a never-ending nightmare and darkness after that. ¡°Ste¡­¡± A familiar voice rang in her ears, with a faint patchouli scent filling her nose. The man¡¯s voice was so melodic. Ste liked the piano and had been keen on music since she was a child. To her, Weston¡¯s voice was like a high quality bass that ran deep and heavy, and it was a pleasure to listen to. But at that moment, it was like the voice of a devil. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She snapped her eyes open and broke into a cold sweat. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him¡­¡± The first thing she said when she grabbed his hands was, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Weston froze, looking uncertain for a moment. Then, he pulled Ste into his arms and kissed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here.¡± The man tilted her face and looked at her. ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°They just locked me up, and they keep saying that I killed someone¡­¡± She clutched the corner of his shirt hard, tightening her grasp gradually. Trust me. I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Weston didn¡¯t answer and simply patted her back. ¡°I have hired a team ofwyers to exonerate¡­¡± Hearing this, she looked at her in shock. ¡°Exonerate ? I am not guilty! You don¡¯t believe me as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡± He avoided her eyes and tucked her messy hair behind her ears to reveal her small face. ¡°I will ask the lawyers tomunicate with youter. Even with all that evidence, they still cannot convict you. However, you must fully cooperate with thewyers.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± Ste interrupted and fixed her gaze on him. ¡°Do you also think that I killed Zachary?¡± He looked at her sullenly. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not important.¡± He cupped her face. ¡°The most important thing now is to clear your name. I don¡¯t care or want to care about the rest.¡± She suddenly startedughing. ¡°Haha.. hahaha¡­¡± She looked at the man in front of her with teary eyes. ¡°I am so moved. How could you love me so much? You love me so much that you want to clear my name even after I killed your son¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Ste¡­¡± Still cupping her face, Weston wiped away the tears from her eyes with his thumb. ¡°Make sure you tell thewyers that you did not kill him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him in the first ce!¡± He pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°Tell themter.¡± His voice was low as usual, but her heart sank when she heard what he said. ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me. You still think that I killed him¡­ You are doing this now just to exonerate me¡­¡± ¡°Ste.¡± He lifted her chin and made her look straight into his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not important. Look at me. We will talk about itter, okay?¡± Ste shook her head and stopped talking. With lips tightly stuck together, her face was so pale that it was almost transparent. He fixed his gaze on her with his deep eyes. After a while, he stood up. ¡°Let thewyers in.¡± Tina was flipping through the documents in her hands outside the interrogation room when Weston walked to her and looked at her condescendingly. ¡°How do you view your chances of sess?¡± Tina stood up and frowned. ¡°In my experience, aplete acquittal would be unlikely. The evidence indicates that Ms. Sealey is the culprit. However, if we tackle the case from the point of involuntary manughter, we may have a chance.¡± Weston pinched his be. Still wearing the same ck suit a few days back, bloodstains marked the hem of his shirt, but they were not obvious. Although he was in a mess, a powerful aura was still surrounding him. Tina held prejudice against this man, but she could not deny that his face was the most captivating and handsome one she had ever seen. It was very hard to find someone like him, even in the entertainment industry. Even some top actors were unable to exude the regal aura that he did. And she was a bit surprised that such a man was willing to do so much for Ste. She had thought that they wouldn¡¯t be together for very long, living under the impression that Weston simply wanted Ste out of momentary novelty and possessiveness. Moreover, with Guinevere being by his side at that time, she did not hold high hope for Ste. It was not until the incident during the engagement ceremony that shocked the whole city that she learned the truth-it turned out that Ste and Weston were deeply entangled with each other. She looked at the man in front of her. ¡°And there is one thing we must confirm. Did Ms. Sealey¡­¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Weston knew what she was about to ask and interrupted her. ¡°That¡¯s is not important. What matters now is that we must minimize the penalty put on her.¡± Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Tina frowned and sized up the man. ¡°If she really did that, do you still want to clear her name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes shed a hint of impatience. ¡°The sky high legal fee Ford Corporation is paying you, and the reputation your firm will be getting from this should be enough for you to give it your all.¡± ¡°Certainly. We are professionals,¡± Tina said. ¡°We will do our best to fulfill your request.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me down.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Ste to look at the man who had gone and returned. Weston did not look as if he had any excessive emotions and walked up to her as usual and held out his hand to her. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were hollow. ¡°I heard from thewyer that there is no bail for criminal cases.¡± He held her hand straightaway. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Juste with me.¡± She stood up, but her legs gave out. She obviously had little energy left. Weston picked her up and brought her out of the police station. A luxury car was waiting outside the door. Once they were out, Ste heard a chorus of curses, ¡°They are out, they are out!¡± ¡°Is it Ste?¡±: ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Murderer! She¡¯s a murderer!¡± Reporters were pervasive creatures ofte, and they swarmed toward them like locusts the moment they received news from unknown sources. ¡°Mr. Ford, is it true that your new wife killed your son out of jealousy?¡± ¡°Ms. Sealey, you killed an innocent child after bing Mrs. Ford because you couldn¡¯t tolerate him being Guinevere¡¯s son. Do you have any regrets? Do you feel guilty?¡± Apart from the rabid reporters, Guinevere¡¯s fans who received the news had alsoe and were gathered outside. ¡°It¡¯s her! She killed Gwen¡¯s son!¡± ¡°She is a bitch! She snatched Gwen¡¯s husband away, then killed her son!¡± ¡°Gwen has a rare blood type. She won¡¯t be able to have another child again¡­¡± ¡°What a ruthless woman! I hope she goes to hell!¡± Ste was not sure who threw a rotten egg at her, but it seemed that they had nned it in advance. Subsequently, all the eggs they had were smashed into her face N?velDrama.Org ? content. The stench was unbearable. Ste closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found nothing on her. Weston had blocked all the attacks for her. With a stoic face, he ordered Ben, who was beside him,¡° Arrest all the troublemakers.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Ste, say something if you dare! Exin yourself!¡± ¡°Murderer!¡± ¡°Murderer! Go to hell!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die, murderer!¡± ¡°Quiet, quiet! Stop it!¡± Considering that thergemotion broke out outside the police station, the officers on duty immediately came to restore order. At the sight of the police, the mob quickly dispersed and made their quick escape. Ben looked in the direction the people were running at and understood the situation. Those reporters were real, and so were the fans. However, only that person would know if there was someone manipting these people in secret. They got into the car. Chapter 1031 Weston had Stella seated in the back seat. Chapter 1031 Weston had Ste seated in the back seat. Chapter 1031 Weston had Ste seated in the back seat. He had switched to a Maybach with plenty of room for two people. He reached out, took off his jacket, and threw it at his feet. Ste finally looked at him and realized that he wasn¡®t shaved. With stubbles around his mouth, he looked tired and haggard. https://novelebook/mr-ford-is-jealous-bd1969.html N?velDrama.Org ? content. Weston noticed her gaze and looked down at her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Ste said, ¡°I didn¡®t kill anyone.¡± She suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of his shirt. Perhaps it was the way Weston protected her from those attacks; the way he defended her, reminded her of the day he had saved her from the acid attack without hesitation. ¡®Did you believe in me?¡® she wondered. ¡°I really didn¡®t,¡± she repeated again stubbornly. Weston had an unreadable emotion on his face. He did not say he believed her, but he did not refute her either. He exhaled and looked at her with a serious face. ¡°Ste, this is a serious matter. You have to tell me the truth. Did you know? The oleanders you have are highly toxic.¡± Ste¡®s eyshes fluttered twice. She knew there was no point in lying at a time like this, so she nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Weston tightened the force of his hand, clutching her wrist. ¡°If you knew, why did you keep it anyway?¡± Ste lowered her eyes and said nothing. How could she exin? She had never thought of killing Zachary, but she did want to kill Weston... Weston seemed to understand something from her silence. He pulled her into his embrace. ¡°It¡®s not important anymore. I told you.¡± Weston lowered his head and pressed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°This will be over soon as long as you cooperate with me.¡± T He tipped her chin and looked into her eyes. ¡°From now on, you¡®ll be staying at Stardust Mansion. No one will hurt you.¡± Ste looked straight back at him, but she only repeated a single phrase under her breath. ¡°I didn¡®t kill anyone.¡± Weston squeezed her chin until it turned red. Seeing that she refused to give in even though it hurt, he had no choice but to let her go. He stood up. ¡°I¡®m going out to take care of some things. You think about it. Ms. Hampton will be with you on the details.¡± After saying that, Weston turned away. Ste¡®s stubborn voice came from behind. ¡°You can say it again and again, but it¡®s no use. I didn¡®t do it. I¡®m not going to confess to what I didn¡®t do just to make it look good.¡± Weston felt like his feet weighed a thousand pounds. His handsy limp at his side. Weston was simply helpless against her. His deep voice had a sense of exhaustion. ¡°Ste, I¡®ll say it again. I don¡®t care about whatever you¡®ll say. What I care about is the result. I don¡®t care about the process. I just need your cooperation, not your approval.¡± Ste¡®s eyes were red. ¡°I know what you mean. Ms. Hampton has exined this to me. You want me to admit that I killed Zachary by mistake and find a way to reduce my sentence. Then, you¡®ll help me get probation to keep me out of jail, right?¡± However, the basis of doing that was so that she¡®d admit that she killed Zachary by mistake. Why should she admit to a crime she neveritted? Why did Weston tell her to do so? Did he think of her as the murderer too? ¡°Stop being so stubborn.¡± Weston did not look back at her. He was afraid that he would say yes to her after seeing her tears. He knew what would happen if he agreed to her. He couldn¡®t afford to be soft¨Chearted. If he did, she might have to spend the rest of her life in prison. Even if she hated him, he had to keep her by his side. He could protect her, as long as she was within his sight. ¡°Stay here and don¡®t go anywhere. Ben will watch over you.¡± Then, he closed the door. After the sound of the door closing, the room fell back into darkness. Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Ste fell into the shadows and looked at his back. At this point, she felt she had returned to the moment when he refused to trust her. They were on the rooftop, and someone was holding a dagger against her waist. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She told him that Guinevere had hired those kidnappers, but he did not believe her. All Weston had in his eyes was Guinevere, and all he knew was that he had to save her. No matter how much she begged and exined, he refused to believe her. She tried to make him stay with the baby in her belly, but he would not. He never believed her. Meanwhile, in the hallway, Ben came forward. ¡°Mr. Ford. The board of directors refuses to stop. They want an exnation from you.¡± ¡°What do they want me to say?¡± Ben paused and observed Weston¡®s expression. He said cautiously, ¡°They want Mrs. Ford to...¡± It was only obvious. However, Ben feared Weston and did not want to offend him, so he spoke softly. Weston rubbed his brows. ¡°Send more men over. Don¡®t let anyone near her.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± After a long silence , Weston suddenly remembered the cup of tea Ste had given him the night before with obscure eyes. He rasped, ¡°Has the test reporte out yet?¡± Ben said, ¡°The young master¡®s autopsy report has been reissued, and this time, by trusted people. There isn¡®t a high probability of falsification. We¡®re in the process of identifying the authenticity of the surveince video. The snacks Mrs. Ford gave Zachary have also been tested, and the report should be released soon.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Weston responded. There seemed to be heavy fog in his eyes. ¡°Has the ss been sent for examination?¡± Ben was slightly startled. Then, he remembered the ss with tea stains retrieved from the trash can. He replied, ¡± It was sent for examination already. The results should be out together.¡± Ben didn¡¯t quite understand why Weston would send such an ordinary ss for inspection. Was there something that he did not know about? Weston did not say anything. He looked back in the direction of the vi and left just a sentence. ¡°Keep a close eye on her.¡± After that, he turned to leave. The whole Ahn City was talking about Zachary overnight. Weston had been trying to keep the news down, but Warren was determined to bring Ste down. Warren wanted to make her submit to the crime and ruin her reputation. He wanted to crush her to oblivion. The so¨Ccalled evidence had been released to the media with Warren¡®s approval. Several media outlets had already written influential articles revealing much of what Ste did at the Ford Mansion. Everyone had been talking about the Ford family¡®s family affairs. Numerous shocking versions of the story had been written before the trial even started. One of the mostpelling reasons for all this was Ste¡®s strong jealousy, which led to this tragedy. Although she married Weston first, she resented Weston¡®s rtionship with Guinevere as his childhood sweetheart. All these years, Guinevere had been the only woman with Weston. The public saw Guinevere as Weston¡¯s only woman, so even though Ste was revealed as Weston¡®s official wife at the engagement party, they assumed Guinevere was the original spouse. There were also rumors that Ste used her child to marry Weston. In particr, one newspaper made it clear that Weston and Guinevere were childhood sweethearts. Everyone knew they had a crush on each other. Guinevere even confessed her love for Weston in public during her school years. The two came from simr backgrounds and were a match made in heaven. However, it was not long before Ste appeared around Weston. Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Ste was this scheming woman. No one knew how she managed to get pregnant with Weston¡®s child. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He had no choice but to marry her out of duty, but he still loved Guinevere in his heart. When Guinevere got pregnant herself, Weston had to divorce Ste. Unfortunately, thest thing he expected was for Ste to have a miscarriage and would never have a child again, while Guinevere gave birth to Zachary. Weston finally decided to return to Ste out of sympathy. Ste, however, still held a grudge against Guinevere, who was Weston¡®s first love. Although she had gotten Weston, she was still not satisfied. To get her revenge, she attempted to kill Zachary using whatever means orded to her. This version of the rumor was the most widespread. The person who leaked the story imed to be an insider. Everyone in the circle knew about their love¨Ch?te rtionship for years. It was Ste¡®s obsession that led to this tragedy, and Weston chose her several times out of guilt. With all these, everything seemed to make sense. Ste¡®s presence seemed to be a cloud in their love affair. In the end, her jealousy and malevolence led her to murder Zachary. Everyone guessed that Ste would be kicked out of the Ford family soon. ¡°I¡®m afraid it¡®s not so easy to just kick her out. I heard that the Ford family has filed awsuit against her. They¡®ll send her to jail!¡± ¡°Maybe even the death penalty...¡± Ste was shut from the spreading rumors and storm in the outside world. Nothing could get to her ears. She waspletely cut off from the world and locked up in Stardust Mansion. She could hear nothing and see nothing. No one but Joan had ess to her. Her friends, Yvonne, Angelina, and Bradley, had been desperately trying to contact her but to no avail. The rumors outside were snowballing and getting out of hand. No one knew the truth. Her friends tried their best to contact Ste , but Weston blocked them all without exception. It seemed like he wanted to make Ste disappear from the world. He did not want anyone to find her. ¡°Mrs. Ford, why don¡®t you eat something...¡± Joan came to the bedroom door and knocked. Ste¡®s weak voice came from inside. ¡°Leave it there. I don¡®t feel like eating.¡± ¡°But you haven¡®t eaten for the whole day...¡± Joan¡®s eyes were full of worry. ¡°Don¡®t worry. Mr. Ford will take care of your problems.¡± Joan had heard the rumors too, but she did not believe that Ste was the type that would hurt an innocent child. After so much time together, she knew Ste¡®s character well and treated her like her own daughter. ¡°You have to trust your husband. Trust the police. They¡®ll definitely give you justice...¡± Ste sat on the bed with her hair draped over her shoulders, cascading behind her like a waterfall. Her dark hair made her skin look unusually ashen. As she looked out the window at the sun, the beautiful sunshine lit her face up, making her seem a little pale. ¡°He doesn¡®t even believe me himself...¡± Steughed at herself mockingly. ¡°Weston doesn¡®t believe me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford...¡± Joan sighed again. Seeing that Ste refused to budge, she could only put the cooked food at the door. ¡°If you¡®re hungry,e out and eat.¡± There was no more sound from inside. Joan looked at the closed door, shook her head, and turned around to leave. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Joan had been trying to get ?te to eat from the morning, but she failed despite her best efforts. The pastries were still at the door, in the same position as when they had been brought. Joan gave it a little thought and called Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, Mrs. Ford refuses to eat... She says she has no appetite. She hasn¡®t eaten anything since morning.¡± There was a short silence from the other end of the call. Then, Weston¡®s low and mellow voice came. He sounded tired. ¡°I see.¡± He did notment anything. ¡°Mr. Ford? Are youing home today?¡± Joan asked spectively Weston did not answer her, but nced in the direction not far away and muttered, ¡°We¡®ll see.¡± Then, he hung up the phone. ¡°Mr. Ford? Mr. Ford?!¡± Joan shouted a few times and sighed as she looked at the disconnected phone call. When she turned around, she saw Ste standing behind her. She did not know how long she had been standing there. Ste was still wearing the same white nightgown that Weston had put on her when he left. Loose and velvety, it hung down to her feet. With her hair down and unadorned face, she exuded a sense of fragility. Ste spoke softly. She asked, ¡°He¡®s noting back, is he?¡± Joan felt sorry. ¡°Mr. Ford must be busy with work. When he¡®s done, he¡®ll be back¡­¡± Ste¡®s eyes turned gloomy. She repeated, ¡°He¡®s noting back.¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford¡­¡± Joan felt that Ste was not in the right mental state. She asked, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Ste shook her head and did not say anything. ¡°I want to go back to my room...¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford, but you¡®ve been in your room all day!¡± Joan took her arm and urged her, ¡°Come and eat something.¡± When Joan¡®s hand touched her, Ste flinched and took a step back. ¡°No...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°You haven¡®t eaten all day. How can you not?¡± Joan was getting anxious. ¡°If Mr. Fordes home and finds you hungry, he¡®ll hold me responsible!¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°He won¡®t. I¡®ll talk to him.¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford...¡± Joan wasn¡®t actually afraid that Weston would pursue the matter. She was just worried about Ste¡®s health. ¡°At least eat something. You¡®re not well...¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were nk. It was as if there was nothing in them. It was as if she had lost her soul. She pushed the door open, went inside the room, and closed the door. The soft click on the door sounded as fragile as her breath. It was as if she could disappear at any time. The smell of disinfectant water was particrly strong at the hospital. Weston rushed over as soon as he received the news. When he arrived, Zachary was already covered with a white cloth. The weather was getting warmer, and they needed to hold the cremation as soon as possible. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As soon as he entered the room, he heard a small sobbing sound. It was Guinevere. Guinevere had been crying a lot in the past few days. Her tears would not stop. When it was time for the actual funeral, her sobbing became weaker. Guinevere stared nkly in Zachary¡®s direction with swollen eyes. When she heard the sound of footsteps at the door, she looked up and saw Weston. ¡°You¡®re here?¡± Her voice was very hoarse. Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Weston responded and withdrew his gaze. He looked at Warren and greeted him. ¡°Grandpa¡­ ¡°You finally came!¡± Warren gave him an expressionless look and tried to suppress his anger. ¡°I heard that you took Ste away?¡± Weston did not answer his question. Instead, he walked to Zachary and looked at him through the ss enclosure. Warren hunched over. ¡°Zack is here. I don¡®t want to say anything harsh, but I¡®m not going to forgive Ste.¡± Weston still did not say anything. He went over to the casket and put his hand on it. ¡°Have you made arrangements for the funeral?¡± No one answered him. Everyone thought that he was too cold¨Cblooded for Zachary. Only Wendy gave him a look and answered softly, ¡°Dad said he didn¡®t want to make a big funeral. He wanted Zack to leave quietly...¡± There wasn¡®t a greater sorrow than death. At this point, Warren barely had any energy to organize a big funeral. Zachary¡®s death seemed to have sucked his spirit away. Warren said in an old voice, ¡°The Cohen family will be here in another hour. We¡®ll hold a short ceremony for Zack. Be humble in front of the Cohen family. Zachary is their grandson too...¡± Weston responded with a nod and said nothing more. Most of the Ford family members were here. Xavier and Daisy were waiting for them outside. They understandingly left some time and space for the people inside. It was a human life, after all. Although Xavier was not close to Zachary, he felt sorry about his death. Meanwhile , Daisy felt like she was in a dream. She even held Zachary in her arms two days ago and teased him. She was thinking how amazing it was to see a little face that resembled Weston so much. She did not expect to see Zachary lying lifelessly in a blink of an eye, unable to open his eyes again. She breathed a sigh. ¡°I didn¡®t think Ste would be so cruel...¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, Xavier looked up at her. He tilted his head slightly and leaned against the wall behind him. ¡°You sound like you¡®re sure that Ste is the murderer.¡± His tone, however, was unclear. Daisy looked up at him with some confusion. ¡°In this situation, isn¡®t it obvious that she¡®s likely the murderer?¡± The evidence was released to the inte at Warren¡®s order. Looking at the way things looked, it was obvious that Ste was the murderer. The rest had no motive tomit the crime. The poisoning had been confirmed, and the only one who could poison Zachary was Ste. After all, Warren, Wendy, Chris, Guinevere , and Weston did not seem capable of poisoning Zachary. Smoking was prohibited in the hospital. Xavier fished a lighter out of his pocket and yed with it in his hand. He lighted it and put it out every now and then. ¡°Do you really think she¡®s the kind of woman who¡®d hurt a child who¡®s barely two?¡± Xavier used to hate Ste and held a strong prejudice against her. However, the events at the engagement party made him see her in a new light. Although he still had a bad feeling about her, he believed there was no reason for her to take such a huge risk to kill Zachary. No matter which way it went, there would be no benefit for her. Besides, she had used oleanders to poison him. It was too obvious. She would undoubtedly be the first suspect because she had a pot of poisonous oleander with her. She did not have to do this at all. Daisy frowned a little and thought about it. ¡°I don¡®t know. Maybe she¡®s not scared of the suspicion ? Maybe she thinks Weston will protect her for sure?¡± ¡°Well, she¡®s pretty confident of herself then.¡± ¨C¨C Xavier looked up nonchntly and shot Daisy a quick nce. ¡°You¡®re a woman. What do you think is going on in Ste¡¯s mind?¡± ¡°I haven¡®t the slightest.... A smile tugged on Daisy¡®s lips. ¡°Not every woman can do such a thing... After all, it¡®s a human life.¡± Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 While the two spoke, the man inside came out. Xavier stood up straight and looked at Weston. ¡°IS everything taken care of? What are you going to do next?¡± Weston did not look at him. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked out, his eyes looking straight ahead. After that, he said faintly, ¡°Follow the procedure.¡± Xavier followed him and looked at the rest who remained in the room. Warren was still sitting in the middle of the room. He looked grim , exuding the majesty of an elder. Guinevere silently wiped her tears. Her eyes were red and swollen. She looked nk as if her soul was out of the body. Chris and Wendy were leaning together to warm each other, but there was a sense of distance. These people were not in the right state to handle thepany¡®s affairs. Weston had to take charge of Zachary¡®s funeral arrangements in addition to taking the me from thepany¡®s board of directors. This time, the scandal from the Ford family was too much. One scandal emerged after another. With the stock price fluctuating , the board of directors was desperate to have a solid ount. They needed Weston¡¯s guarantee. Their rivalpanies were already spreading rumors. Competition and rivalry were inevitable in business battles. Ford Corporation¡®s stock value evaporated overnight. While most people cared only about the gossip about the prestigious family, many stockholders were genuinely hurt by the scandals. If unchecked, this could severely damage Ford Corporation¡®s reputation. Weston had to deal with it. Even Xavier, who had been fighting with him, felt Weston looked overworked and drained. ¡°Do you need me to help you with thepany?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Weston rejected it quickly. ¡°You can¡®t help much.¡± Xavier stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°I¡®m not as useless as you think.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Weston rubbed his brow. He did not intend to show any sarcasm or contempt to him. He stated, ¡°Thepany¡®s projects overseas are on track. I still have to keep an eye on the progress. Once the n is confirmed and settled, I¡®ll transfer some projects to you.¡± Xavier was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡®s what you think it is.¡± Weston looked him in the eye. ¡°Haven¡®t you beenpeting with me for the right to speak in the company? You don¡®t have to fight anymore. I¡®ll give it to you.¡± When Xavier heard that, his immediate reaction was to nce behind him. Daisy was not far away. She was smart enough not to follow them closely. Daisy knew they were talking and did not dare to disturb them. The rest of the group was still in the room. Xavier withdrew his gaze and looked at Weston for a few moments. He knew Weston was not joking. Xavier lowered his voice and said, ¡°Let¡®s talk on the balcony.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. The wind was quiet. Xavier¡®s heart was full of mixed feelings. Xavier lit a cigarette. He finally reacted when the cigarette burned to the end. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Weston did not say anything. He tugged his cor sharply. ¡°If you¡®re going to be so nagging, don¡®t waste my time.¡± With that, he turned to leave. Xavier hurriedly stopped him. ¡°I mean, what do you want me to do?¡± There was no free lunch in the world. Although they were from the Ford family, Xavier still knew this. Weston stopped in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. You shouldn¡®t need me to tell you.¡± Xavier was stunned for a moment. Then, he burst outughing. ¡°You¡®re seriously...¡± Xavier wanted to be sarcastic and mock him for falling into a woman¡®s hands despite his sess. However, the words remained stuck behind his lips. He could not say it out loud. ¡°Have you really thought about it? Doing this all for a woman...¡± Weston furrowed his brow slightly. ¡°You just have to tell me one thing. Can you do it or not?¡± Chapter 1037 Chapter1037 Chapter 1037 ¡°Of course. You¡®ve agreed topromise on the shares. How can I not agree?¡± Xavier held up his hands. ¡°Just tell me. What do you need from me?¡± Weston¡®s eyes deepened. He wanted to light a cigarette, but he stopped when he thought of something . After a long time, he said, ¡°Anyone who might influence the final verdict must be dealt with.¡± Xavier stood up sharply. He thought he had misheard him. After a long moment, he raised his voice at the absurdity. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Was Weston going to make an enemy of everyone? After that, inside the car. Daisy saw Xavier¡®s silence. She wanted to speak to him and ask him a few questions, but she eventually gave up. The car drove on for half an hour. Xavier looked outside. ¡°We¡®re almost at your house. I won¡®t go in tod ay.¡± Daisy nodded. When the car stopped, she unbuckled her seat belt and was ready to go out when she paused and asked, ¡°What did you¡­ What did you say to Mr. Ford today?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Xavier did not answer her right away. He put his hand on the steering wheel and tapped his fingers. Th en, he looked at her differently. ¡°Don¡®t you think you¡®re overly concerned about Weston¡®s affairs ?¡± Daisy¡®s eyes changed a little and reverted back to normal. ¡°Why are you being paranoid again? Such a big incident has taken ce. It¡®s only normal that I am curious¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal,¡± Xavier cut her off with a cold voice. He sounded a little impatient. ¡°It¡¯s also normal for a couple to be together and be apart. Daisy , this is myst warning. If I catch you thinking about another man again, there¡®s no need for us to continue.¡± After that, he directly opened the car door and got out. Daisy paled instantly. Night soon fell. Joan kept calling Weston, but no one answered the call. She was anxious but still worried about Ste. Weston was not ignoring the call on purpose . He just could not get away from the situation. Meanwhile, in front of the funeral hall, the Cohen family was wiping their tears. Guinevere and Mrs. Co hen hugged each other and wept. Chris nced in Guinevere¡®s direction asionally , but he could only join Wendy in calming apletely downtrodd en Mr. Cohen. When Guinevere¡®s parents heard about the news , they fainted . When they woke up, it was already Za chary¡®s funeral. They were not in the right state of mind to participate in the cremation process, so they showed up at th e wake for a little while and soon went back to rest. At their age, they were unable to take such heart¨Cwrenching motions. At thest minute , Weston stood in front of the funeral hall and looked at Zachary¡®s tomb. He finally sho ¡°Rest in peace.¡± Weston ced a daisy in front of the tomb with dark and sullen eyes. Guinevere stood behind him and sped her hands together. She called his name. ¡°Weston¡­¡± Weston did not respond and kept his back turned away from her. Guinevere took a deep breath. She took a step forward and hugged his waist. ¡°I feel horrible¡­ Can I hug you?¡± Weston frowned and wanted to push her away reflexively. Guinevere sensed his intention, so she hugged him tighter. She let out a sad whimper. ¡°Please ¡­ At a time like this ¡­ Please just hold me¡­ Please ¡­ Let me hold you¡­¡± She squeezed her sobs out of her throat with a depressed and suppressed cry of grief. Weston lifted his Chapter 1038 Chapter1038 Chapter 1038 Guinevere lost her only child. A child¡®s death would probably be the saddest thing its mother would experience. At this point, all of Guinevere¡®s past ipetence and mistakes could be erased and forgiven. No one would remember that she identally fed Zachary with nuts, giving him an allergy. No one would remember how she neglected him. Guinevere did not know Zachary¡®s preference and rarely spent time with him, but she remained his biological Original content from N?velDrama.Org. mother. No one would doubt her love. She was now a mother who had lost her only child, which added to her tragedy. It was as if Zachary¡®s death had made Guinevere appear full of motherly love. Sympathy for the child q uickly transferred to Guinevere. Guinevere was just a mother who lost her only child. What could be more painful than that? Chris wanted to calm her down andfort her, but as soon as he stepped forward , he saw Guinevere walking toward Weston. She hugged him from behind and looked very dependent on him. Chris could only stop in his tracks and stand still while looking in their direction . Wendy had been stand ing by his side. She saw Chris¡®s grievance for Zachary and concern for Guinevere¡®s emotions. It made her heart feel numb. Wendy did not even have the mood to sneer. She stood up and said to Chris,¡° I¡®m a little tired. I¡®ll go back and rest.¡± Chris finally withdrew his gaze and forced himself to suppress his pain.¡° I¡®ll go with you.¡± Wendy did not refuse . As she got up, she wobbled a little. She felt a sharp pain in her heart. Chris¡®s face changed. He focused on her. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Does your heart hurt?¡± Wendy shook her head. She put her hand on his arm and did not speak. After a moment, she said, ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± Chris nodded. When he nced in Guinevere¡®s direction again, he saw how Guinevere only had her eyes on Weston and sighed softly . Then , he took Wendy away. After paying their respects to Zachary, Guinevere¡®s parents straightened up. Their face changed when they saw Guinevere hugging Weston closely. Mrs. Cohen wiped her tears. ¡°Why is Gwen still thinking about him after all these things that happened¡­¡± Mr. Cohen snorted coldly, ¡°You¡®ve taught our daughter well!¡± Mrs. Cohen muttered, ¡°Could it be that Weston finally realized what kind of person Ste was and regre tted marrying her? Is he trying to get Gwen back ¡°It won¡®t be that easy!¡± Mr. Cohen¡®s face turned cold. ¡°Did he really think he could have my daughter and reject her whenever h Mrs. Cohen stepped forward. She seemed like she wanted to take Guinevere back. However, Mr. Cohen ¡°I can¡®t stand the two of them together ! How can you let them get back together after what he did to Gw Mr. Cohen said coldly, ¡°Even if you separate them now, will Gwen listen to you? Look at her obsessive lo ¡°What else can I do? Do we have to watch her repeat the same mistake¡­¡± Mr. Cohen felt troubled too. ¡°Just leave them be. I don¡®t want to care about their affairs anymore. Now, Z Mr. Cohen stopped abruptly. Both of them fell into silence. Zachary was their only grandson. Guinevere had such a rare blood type and was likely to have only one child in her life. Chapter 1039 Chapter1039 Chapter 1039 Mr. Cohen said, ¡°With her situation now, can she still get a good match?¡±. Guinevere was so hopelessly obsessed with Weston that if they allowed her to be with him again , Wes ton might feel guilty about her and fulfill her dream. ¡°That makes sense, but wouldn¡®t it be unfair to Gwen?¡± Mr. Cohen nced at Guinevere.¡° Unfair for her? Look at her now! Ask her if she¡®ll feel aggrieved!¡± ¡°So are we going to leave her be?¡± Mr. Cohen¡®s eyes changed. ¡°This time, we¡®ll have to help her as parents¡­¡± Guinevere¡®s obsession was too strong. She would not stop until she got Weston. They did not want more trouble, and neither did they want to see their only daughter go cr azy because of her obsessions. One by one, the guests left the room and said goodbye to Zachary. Atst, Guinevere and Weston wer e the only ones left. After a long silence, Weston said, ¡°It¡®s time. ? ¡°Weston, do you feel sad?¡± Guinevere cut him off. ¡°Zack is dead. Aren¡®t you sad?? Weston did not answer her question. He lowered his gaze and looked at her hand, hugging his waist. Then, he put his hand over hers. Guinevere¡®s heart fluttered. She thought he was going tofort her, but he only pulled her hands away.¡° It¡®s no use saying these things now. He¡®s gone. Those who are alive can only look forward.¡± ¡°I don¡®t want to move on!¡± Guinevere suddenly got a little emotional . ¡°Why must we move on? The murderer hasn¡®t confessed to t he crime, has she?¡± Weston¡®s face sank. He pushed her away. ¡°This was an ident. There¡®s no murderer¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Guinevereughed. ¡°No murderer? Just an ident?¡± ¡°Weston, I never thought you¡®d be so protective of her¡­ Look at all the evidence. Do you still want to deceive yourself?¡± Guinevere looked at Weston with tears in her eyes. ¡°I beg you. Don¡®t do this to me, okay? It¡®s our baby¡­¡± Guinevere started crying again. ¡°I wanted to give you guys my blessing, but Ste won¡®t even let our on ly child go!¡± ¡°I said this was just an ident.¡± Weston¡®s eyes were a little cold. Guinevere knew that the n would backfire if she continued. She wiped her tears away. ¡°Grandpa won¡®t let you take sides with her¡­¡± ¡°I¡®m not going to take sides with her either.¡± Weston looked into Guinevere¡®s eyes. ¡°She¡®s not guilty. Even if she is, it was unintentional.¡± Guinevere pressed her lips hard and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Must you plead her innocence?¡± Weston said nothing, but his silence clearly showed his stand. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere was still in disbelief. ¡°Even if Ste did kill our baby, you wouldn¡®t care?¡± ¡°I don¡®t consider a baseless hypothesis.¡± Weston was unshakable. ¡°She won¡®t kill someone on purpose.¡± ¡°But the evidence clearly points to her!¡± ¡°It was just an ident.¡± Guinevere came to a sudden realization. ¡°You don¡®t care about the truth, do you? You just want to get Ste out of trouble, right?¡± Guinevere saw his silence and started crying again. CT ¡°Why must you do this to me¡­ Why? What have I done wrong?¡± She gripped his hand tightly, refusing to let go. ¡°Why won¡®t you give up on her after what she did?¡± Chapter 1040 Chapter1040 Chapter 1040 Weston looked at her teary¨C eyed face. He lifted his hand and handed her a tissue. ¡°I¡®ve already given up on her once. Have you for gotten?¡± Guinevere¡®s eyes shook. She asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°She still hates us, right? We were kidnapped to gether, but you chose me over her. Ste has always hated us, hasn¡®t she?¡± Guinevere¡®s eyes were red. She suddenly understood something. ¡°Is she getting back at us? Weston , tell me. Does she hate us so much that she kills Zack?¡± The look of pain on her face was not fake at all. She looked heartbroken. ¡°Why would she do that? If she wants revenge, juste at me! She¡®s gotten everything she wants! Sh e got you. She took you away from me. She has punished me hard. Why did she have to take it out on my child? Why¡­¡± Guinevere¡®s cries gradually faded. She was finally left alone. Guinevere watched as Weston left. Weston was unmoved. Then, the tears on her face slowly dried. As the pain from Zachary¡®s death eased , Guinevere feit d at her decision. If she had not made up h er mind this time, she might watch them fall deeper in love If she ad nothing, Weston¡®s feelings for Stell a would grow stronger. When that happened, there would be nothing more sbe could do but watch. It was hard to remove Weston¡®s feelings for Ste non, but if she waited a little longer, things might bec ome unimaginable for her. Would he really fall in love with that woman? Guinevere wanted Weston¡®s love so badly. Was she going to give it away at this point? She would neve r let that happen. Guinevere dried her tears and stood up. She nced in the direction of the funeral hall and muttered to berset. Zack, sorry¡­¡± 1 ¡°It was so hard to give birth to you. Treat this as returning the favor. I¡®ll treat you well the next lite.¡± ¡®If she can still have children.¡® The lights lit up the lobby brightly Guinevere¡®s parents were waiting there. When they saw Westone out alone, they told him, ¡°Gwen has been very unstabletely, so we called Dr. Quirk over.¡± Beside them, Hayden stood up. ¡°Mr. Ford, it¡®s been a long time.¡± He was trying to solve Ste¡®s psychological problems when he was politely invited out of Stardust Man sion. Joan had made a nice excuse , but Hayden knew why he was escorted out. Hayden looked at Weston in front of him. He felt that Ste was not the only one who needed to see a d Weston did not seem surprised that he was here. ¡°Dr. Quirk.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston was a man who was rarely interested in the outside world. Nothing seemed to excite his curiosit a man who was not naturally inquisitive about others. This made him seem cold and quite aloof. Mrs. Cohen exined to them, ¡°Gwen¡®s emotions have been stable a while ago, but Zack died so suddenly. We¡®re worried that she¡®ll rpse, so we¡¯ve called Dr. Quirk over.¡± Weston nodded without anyment. Hayden looked at the group. ¡°Where is Ms. Cohen right now?¡± ¡°The funeral hall.¡± ¡°Can I go in and talk to her now?¡± Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 ¡°Of course,¡± Mrs. Cohen agreed. Dr. Quirk nced at Weston before turning on his heels and heading into the funeral hall. He reappeared not long afterward, announcing with some relief, ¡°Miss Cohen is in a stable mental state. There¡®s no cause for concern at the moment, so, you can rest easy.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hearing this, both Mr. and Mrs. Cohen sighed in relief. But they then quickly looked at each other with quizzical eyes. The fact that Zachary¡®s death did not cause Guinevere much psychological turmoil felt peculiar... But still, they wished for nothing more than for her mental health to improve as soon as possible, so they just thanked the doctor and left. They had wanted to take Guinevere with them too, but she had expressed her wish to stay by Zachary¡®s side a little longer. As they didn¡®t have the heart to say no to that, they relented. There were then only Weston and Dr. Quirk left in the main hall. Dr. Quirk was the first to break the silence, saying, ¡°I¡®ve heard about Ms. Sealey. So, what is your n, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°That is none of your business,¡± Weston bluntly responded. ¡°You¡®ve misunderstood me,¡± Dr. Quirk told him. He was not at all angry. In fact, he even smiled after hearing Weston¡®s brusque response. ¡°I only asked because I¡®m worried about Ms. Sealey. After all, I did warn you earlier that her mood was vtile and that she was in danger of causing harm...¡± ¡°She never intended that,¡± Weston interrupted him, frowning ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Quirk quickly figured out what Weston implied. ¡°So you intend to help Ms. Sealey get exonerated?¡± Even Dr. Quirk was surprised by this himself. Men with high status, like Weston Ford generally valued their bloodline above everything else. No matter how much they loved a woman, they would never let thate in between them and their children. ¡°You¡®ve really surprised me,¡± Dr. Quirk eximed. Weston regarded him with his dark, brooding eyes, exuding an intimidating air. ¡°What happened was an ident,¡± he stated. ¡°Ste¡®s mood was unstable, which led to such a tragedy urring. At the end of the day, it¡®s all my fault because I neglected her mental health. She never had any history of hurting or harming anyone else before, so whatever she might¡®ve done, she was clearly not in full control of herself and, therefore , should not be held ountable . You¡®re her psychiatrist. You should be fully aware of this.¡± He had spoken at length. Dr. Quirk had never heard him exining anything so verbosely before. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± The doctor suddenly caught the meaning between the lines. His eyes trembled. ¡°Are you trying to Weston tapped his finger on the table. He knew that Dr. Quirk finally understood him. ¡°You¡®re an expert psychiatrist. You have first¨Chand and professional knowledge of her psychological condition. She is mentally ill. She could not possibly be responsible for her own actions.¡± ¡°You want me to be a witness proiming that she¡®s unfit to be held ountable for her criminal actions?¡± ¡°Isn¡®t that just the truth?¡± Weston retorted inly while looking straight at him. ¡°You warned me about it a long time ago. It was all because I didn¡®t listen to you that such a tragedy happened. At the end of the day, it was my fault for neglecting the problem and not handling it properly...¡± ¡°Are you going to shoulder all the me yourself and exonerate her in the process?¡± Dr. Quirk asked. Weston¡®s eyes were as chillingly cold as ever. Dr. Quirk was smart enough and he didn¡®t need more exnation to grasp the true situation. He touched the tip of his nose and said, ¡°I¡®ll think about it.¡± ¡°There¡®s no need to think about it.¡± Weston stood up. ¡°If you¡®re not willing to do it, I¡®ll just find someone else. I¡®m only asking you now out of sheer convenience.¡± Hearing this, Dr. Quirk changed his approach, calmly looked at Weston, and asked, ¡°You seem pretty confident about this. Aren¡®t you afraid I might betray you and expose the n you just revealed to me?¡± ¡°You won¡®t do that.¡± Weston adjusted his watch and nced at the time. ¡°At most, you¡®d just refuse my offer. Going against me would be a stupid move that will benefit you in no way.¡± ¡°What if I decided to take Mr. Warren Ford¡®s side and help him instead?¡± Weston sped the metal band of his watch, emitting a crisp click. ¡°If you have the balls to do it, then go ahead and try.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 The corners of Weston¡®s lips twitched. He smiled, but there was no mirth in his eyes. Only a sh of bitter coldness remained. ¡°But I must warn you,¡± he said. ¡°You may choose to take his side, but are you sure he¡®ll be powerful enough to protect you?¡± ¡°Warren Ford is still the chairman of Ford Corporation. He is, for all intents and purposes , more powerful than you.¡± ¡°You can try it then,¡± Weston patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡®ve never forced anyone to do anything. In fact, I prefer working with people shrewd enough to judge how things will turn out before they make a decision.¡± Once he was done speaking, he strode away and left the ce. Dr. Quirk looked at his disappearing figure and shook his head. ¡°Lunatics... They¡®re all lunatics...¡± The Ford family driver drove him to the crossroads when Dr. Quirk stopped him and said, ¡°Just drop me off here.¡± ¡°But Mr. Ford instructed me to drop you off at your house.¡± ¡°It¡®s fine,¡± he insisted. ¡°I¡®m getting off here. I¡®d like to take a walk.¡± Dr. Quirk stepped out of the car and picked up his phone when a white Porsche suddenly stopped right beside him. ¡°Get in the car.¡± The car window rolled down, revealing Yvonne¡®s strikingly exquisite face. ¡°Sister¨Cinw!¡± Dr. Quirk raised his brows in surprise.¡° What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡®ll exinter,¡± she replied. ¡°Just get in the car!¡± Dr. Quirk opened the door and sat in the passenger¡®s seat. Yvonne stepped on the elerator , and the car sped off. She drove into a quiet alley, and when there were no more cars in front, she finally broke the silence and asked him, ¡°Did you juste from the Ford Mansion?¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± Yvonne pursed her lips, found a quiet ce, and parked T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. her car there. ¡°I wanted to ask you¨Chave you seen Ste?¡± ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°I haven¡®t seen her for a long time now.¡± Yvonne tore off her seat belt and turned off the car engine. Her eyes were full of concern when she asked, ¡°I heard someone say that she¡®s locked up somewhere. Do you have any insider information?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know much more than you do, really.¡± Dr. Quirk rolled down the window and rested his arm on it. ¡°She killed someone,¡± he continued. ¡°And now Weston Ford is finding a way to protect her...¡± ¡°How could she possibly kill anyone?!¡± Yvonne raised her voice. ¡°I refuse to believe it. Those are all false rumors!¡± In the past few days, news about Ste poisoning Zachary Ford to death had spread like wildfire. By now, the whole of Ahn City knew about it, and virtually everyone regarded Ste as a vicious murderer. It had not been that long since hervish wedding, where Ste was the object of envy for all of Ahn City¡®s young women from elite circles . No one would have expected her fate to turn on its head so drastically and so quickly. Both Ste and Guinevere¡®s reputations seemed to have taken a one¨Ceighty¨Cdegree turn. Before, everyone had mocked and jeered at Guinevere. Yet now, it was Ste¡®s turn to be the public¡®s target for scorn and derision as she was believed to have taken a life. But Yvonne had a first¨Chand ount of Ste¡®s disposition, and she was naturally adamant in defending her innocence. But even she could not say it with much confidence when she said, ¡°She would never do such a thing...¡± ¡°I¡®ve only known her briefly,¡± Dr. Quirk said, ¡°but from what I¡®ve seen of her, she didn¡®t look like someone who could murder a child. But then again...¡± He nced at Yvonne and patted the back of her hand. ¡°She hadn¡®t been in the best mental healthtely,¡± heforted her, ¡°so even if she did do such a thing, it was probably not intended in the first ce.¡± It would seem that Dr. Quirk had fallen into Weston¡®s trap and was seriously considering this line of reasoning himself. ¡°Is that true?¡± Yvonne¡®s expressions turnedplicated. ¡°I haven¡®t been able to contact her. I don¡®t know how she¡®s doing right now, but I really don¡®t think that she can do something so evil... Besides, she¡®s been through so much herself! She should know more than anyone about how painful it is to lose their own child! No, she would never do such a thing!¡± ¡°But perhaps it was precisely because she suffered such a traumatic loss whichpletely changed her into a different person,¡± Dr. Quirk said. ¡°Yvonne,¡± he sighed, ¡°I know I probably shouldn¡®t be saying this, but the truth is, you¡®ll never know someonepletely inside and out. Everyone hides a certain facet of themselves from the rest of the world, a side you would never get to see.¡± He spoke at length as though trying to make his point sound more convincing. Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 ¡°I¡®m sure even Lucas is hiding something from you,¡± Dr. Quirk added. ¡°Impossible!¡± Yvonne refuted instantly. ¡°Lucas and I grew up together! I know absolutely everything about him!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Dr. Quirk chuckled, which sounded suggestive. Yvonne frowned as soon as she noticed his expression. me?!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Dr. Quirkughed and put up his hands in the air. ¡°How did we end up talking about this? Weren¡®t you just asking me about Ste Sealey?¡± ¡°I was asking about Ste,¡±ined Yvonne, ¡°but you kept skirting around the subject. You¡®re clearly not willing to tell me the truth!¡± Dr. Quirk shook his head. Then, he smiled and asked, ¡°Do you mind if I smoke here?¡±. ¡°Yes!¡± Yvonne replied bluntly. ¡°I absolutely do mind! I hate the smell!¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± Dr. Quirk burst intoughter again. ¡°Lucas is probably the only man who can stand that horrid temper of yours!¡± ¡°Well,¡± she grumbled, seeing that she could not tease any information out of him. ¡°I don¡®t need anyone else but him to be able to stand me, so I¡®m perfectly fine with that!¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry too much,¡± Dr. Quirk assured her, knowing that she was still concerned about Ste. ¡°I¡®m sure Weston will protect her.¡± ¡°I know he will,¡± Yvonne sighed, ¡°but he still can¡®t just cut her off from the rest of the world!¡± No one had been able to meet or contact Ste ¨Cneither before nor after the incident. Surely, Ste would need a friend tofort her and be by her side at a time like this, especially after she had taken such a serious blow. Could Weston¡®s action of keeping her isted really be good for Ste? It was already veryte at night when Weston was on his way back to the Stardust Mansion. Joan had called him many times, but he had been busy dealing with all kinds of things, and he couldn¡®t answer them. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Joan spoke quietly, as if trying to prevent someone else from hearing her. Weston¡¯s brows knitted, sensing that something was wrong with Joan¡®s tone of voice. He signaled the driver to keep driving and asked Joan, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Joan nced furtively in the direction of the bedroom before responding, ¡°Are you with Miss Cohen right now?¡± As she spoke, she tiptoed slowly to the living room, trying her best not to let Ste overhear her. She was on her phone earlier, scrolling through the Moments section, when she came across a photo that Guinevere posted recently. She had added Guinevere into her circle a long time ago. In fact, it was Guinevere who wanted to add Joan into her circle first, citing that she wanted to keep in contact with the housekeeping staff because she might need their help in the future. Joan did not think much of this at the time and just epted her friend request. Still, Joan was always very cautious whenever she posted This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. anything on Moments, ensuring she never revealed any information about Ste and Weston. Despite that, she would still browse through Guinevere¡®s posts every now and then, but she never expected to see a post like this ¡ª a photo clearly showing Guinevere with Weston together. She was leaning against him. The photo was apanied by the following words: ¨C ¡°It has been such a harrowing time, but I¡®m lucky to have you by my side.¡± Joan froze in shock for a moment when she first saw that. It could be said that it would only make sense for Weston to be with Guinevere since their son had just died. After all, they were still Zachary¡®s biological parents. But Joan was only human, and it was only natural that she would be biased. It was only natural that Joan took Ste¡®s side. Ste hadn¡®t eaten anything for the entire day, cooping up in her room the whole time. Joan wished Weston would hurry home to check up on Ste. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± Joan began earnestly. ¡°Mrs. Ford hadn¡®t eaten or drank anything for the entire day, not even a sip of water...¡± Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Weston frowned. ¡°I¡®ll be home soon,¡± he assured her. Back at the Stardust Mansion , Joan sighed in relief and replied, ¡°I¡®m d to hear that. Should I prepare anything for you, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°No.¡± After hanging up the phone, Joan turned around and discovered that Ste had been standing behind her. ¡°Mrs. Ford!¡± Joan almost jumped in shock. ¡°How long have you been here...?¡± Ste said nothing. She then stared at Joan and casually told her, ¡°I heard everything you said on the phone just Original content from N?velDrama.Org. now.¡± ¡°E¨CEverything?¡± Joan¡®s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What exactly did you hear...?¡± ¡°He¡®s with Guinevere Cohen right now, isn¡®t he?¡± Joan¡®s eyebrows shot upward. ¡°Mrs. Ford, I wouldn¡®t worry too much about it...¡± ¡°How could I not worry about it?¡± Ste¡®s eyes were fixed on Joan. Perhaps it was because she hadn¡®t eaten anything the whole day that Ste¡®s face looked nched and sickly. Her eyes fell on Joan¡®s phone, and she said, ¡°Let me see it.¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford,¡± Joan tried to exin, ¡°it¡®s really nothing to worry about. Since their son just died, Mr. Ford had to be by Miss Cohen¡®s side out of normal familial obligations. Please don¡®t think too much about it...¡± ¡°Let me see it,¡± Ste firmly insisted. Joan sighed. She had no choice but to show Ste Guinevere¡®s recent post on Moments. It was a beautiful photograph. Weston¡®s herculean stature still towered over Guinevere¡®snky and slender figure, making the tall woman look small and fragile next to him. They were both wearing ck. Weston was in a smart ck suit, which was his usual ¨C attire anyway, and he gave off an intimidating air of superiority. Guinevere wore a ck dress with a delicate white flower pinned on her chest. The dress subtly entuated her curves and highlighted her ravishing figure. She was hugging Weston from behind. He did not push her away. If they had not been at a funeral, this photo would have been dazzlingly charming. ¡°They look like they¡®re made for each other,¡± Ste observed. Joan knew, of course, that she was being sarcastic , yet, for some reason, she could not sense any irony in Ste¡®s eyes. In fact, she looked oddly earnest when she said that. This utterly unsettled Joan. ¡°Please don¡®t overthink things, Mrs. Ford...¡± ¡°I¡®m not overthinking.¡± Ste turned around and added, ¡°It won¡®t matter anymore whether hees home or not.¡± She then slid back into the bedroom and gently closed the door behind her. All she knew was that there was no escape for her now. The car was already parked outside the Stardust Mansion when Weston¡®s phone suddenly rang. It was Ben¡®s number. ¡°What is it?¡± Weston asked coldly. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Ben sounded distinctly anxious. ¡°We have a problem...¡± Ben had just received the news himself, and the first thing he did was to report it to Weston Ford. ¡°Roger Sealey has...¡± When Ben was done reporting, Weston¡®s countenance turned frigid. It was only after a while that he finally opened his mouth and instructed Ben, ¡°Don¡®t let the news spread and bring him back.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± As soon as he hung up the phone, his face clouded severely. His eyes shifted towards the Stardust Mansion. He saw the dim yellow light that was still on in the bedroom, as if someone was waiting for him toe home. He tore off his necktie, feeling utterly on edge. Why did it have to be now...? He closed his eyes and told the driver to get out of the car. He then mmed his foot on the elerator and sped off. It was already past midnight, yet Weston was still nowhere to be seen. Joan had repeatedly gone to the door several times and looked outside to see if there was any sign of himing home, only to be disappointed time and time again. Chapter 1045 Chapter1045 Chapter 1045 T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joan sighed, wondering if he could really be with Guinevere. Ste knew Joan was not asleep yet, so she came out of the room wrapped in a woolen shawl. ¡°¡­ You should go and get some rest. It¡®s gettingte now.¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford?¡± Joan looked at the frail figure in front of her and couldn¡®t help butfort her, saying, ¡°I¡®m sure Mr. Ford i s held up by something urgent right now. Once he¡®s dealt with everything, I¡®m sure he¡®lle home. Don¡® t you worry about it. I¡®ll wait for him here. You can go inside and get some rest¡­¡± 122 ¡°I¡®m not waiting for him anymore,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°You should go and get some rest too.¡± She smiled and added, ¡°He¡®s probably by Guinevere¡®s side.¡± After all, their son had just died. As Zachary¡®s father, it was only natural that he would be with the child¡®s mother right now. Ste had nothing against that. ¡°Mrs. Ford¡­¡± The more she acted that way, the more Joan felt bad for her. ¡°I¡®m certain Mr. Ford will e home once he¡®s dealt with everything out there.¡± Ste¡®s eyebrows drooped. She closed her eyes. It no longer mattered to her whether he came home or not. The awsul weatherte at nighit made going out to sea unsuitable. Ben stood on the deck as the waves violently rocked the boat. He nced around and turned to Weston, saying,¡± It looks like it might rain soon, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston stood tall and firm at the front deck. His eyes w ere as dark as the surface of the nocturnal sea, dotted with faint starlight. The aura around his body was frosty enough to condense the air, but his voice was eerily calm when he said, ¡°This matter must be resol ved before dawn.¡± Whether Roger was alive or dead, they had to get to the bottom of this. Ben nodded. ¡°We never expected things to evere to this, Mr. Ford ¡­¡± Ben exined apologetically. He rarely ever fumbled in the tasks Weston assigned him, and although what had happened was due to f actors that were out of his control, he still med himself for being ipetent, ultimately leading to We ston having to clean up all the mess himself. But now that the ship had sailed, it was no longer the time to look for someone to me. ¡°Make sure that Ste docsn¡®t know about this for now,¡± Weston raised his wrist and nced at the time.¡± Negotiate with those people over at the delta. Do what you can to bring him back.¡± U ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± Ben noticed his visibly somber face and couldn¡®t helpmenting, ¡°Who would¡®ve thought that he¡®d be s o simr to Mrs. Ford? They¡®re both just so headstrong¡­¡® They had finally managed to rescue Roger from those dangerous people over at the delta. However, not only was Roger not grateful, he even insisted on treating Weston like an enemy. Not only that, but he even went so far as¡­ Ben sighed again. TIL Weston turned around , his eyes dark as the night. Like the vast endless sea, dangerous turbulence hid behind their ostensibly calm surface. Th Joan couldn¡®t fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. She had been raring to give Weston another call, b Even Ste was probably asleep by now, so why shouldn¡®t she just wait till the next morning to talk to him? That was what she thought, but Weston might be spending time alone with Guinevere Cohen right now at such ate hour. What if something happened? She could hardly be med for worrying over this because it was in for everyone to see th Zachary¡®s death must have caused them indescribable pain, which presented an excellent opportunity for This would be the perfect fuel to reignite old mes, and once that spark was lit, no one could contain the Just as her thoughts ran wild, she suddenly heard the gate opening downstairs. The creaking noise distinc ¡°Could that be Mr. Fording home?¡± Joan sprang up to her feet. The ck Maybach slowly pulled into the driveway as the gate opened. When Weston stepped out of the car, he noticed Joan waiting for him at the elevator door. ¡°You¡®re still awake?¡± he shot her a nce and frowned. Chapter 1046 Chapter1046 Chapter 1046 ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡®re finally home¡­¡± Joan seemed immensely relieved to see him. ¡°Mrs. Ford still hasn¡®t eaten or drank anything yet,¡± she informed him. ¡°I really am at a loss of what to do.¡± For a moment, Weston froze in silence before handing the car to the driver to be parked. ¡°I know.¡± He turned back to Joan and added, ¡°It¡®s getting reallyte. You should go get some rest now.¡± Joan nodded repeatedly. She was nowpletely relieved. ¡°It¡®s good that you¡®re back. It¡®s good that you¡®re back¡­¡± As Joan got older, she still retained her conservative view of things. To her, it did not matter what Weston and Guinevere did when they were together that night. As long as he came home in the end, it meant he still cared about Ste. As for what could have happened between them, to Joan, it was customary for men to lose control of themselves and make mistakes sometimes. It was good enough that he came home in the end. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. By the time Weston entered the bedroom, the first light of the day had started to appear at the edge of the horizon. He had been hard at work the whole night, getting practically no sleep at all. The room was diml y illuminated. He could see a tiny bulge beneath the thickyer of nkets on the bed. He walked over a nd noticed that the bulge trembled slightly with the sound of his approaching footsteps, but it soon return ed to its initial stillness, 11 Weston¡®s eyes slickered, with a glimmer ol mirth emerging from inside them. 1L He walked to Ste¡®s side and reached out his hand to pull the bulge under the nket into his arms. ¡°Still awake?¡± he asked in a deep, husky voice. Ste stayed silent, pretending that she was asleep. 1 Weston naturally would not let her get away with that. He kissed her several times on the forehead and s aid, ¡°Joan told me that you hadn¡®t eaten anything for the whole day. If her cooking isn¡®t to your taste, I ca n find someone else to rece her..¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with her cooking!¡± Ste swiftly pushed the nket off her body. ¡°Don¡®t you dare repl ace her!¡± ¡°So you¡®re finally willing to talk, hmm?¡± he asked gruffly and pinched her nose. Ste stopped pretending to be asleep and scrutinized him from head to toe. He was still wearing the same clothes he did yesterday. In his strikingly straight and majestic eyebrows, t here was a sign of barely noticeable exhaustion. Weston was a demanding perfectionist in every aspect of his life. He rarely allowed himself to look as sloppy as he did. Evidently, what happened to Zachary and Guinevere must have distressed him quite significantly. Ste opened her mouth to speak, looking straight at his dark eyes, asking, ¡°Where¡­ have you beens t night?¡± Her voice was hoarse, sounding distinctly frail and weak. Her delicate lips were cracked, likely d ue to the fact that she had not drunk any water for a long time. He raised her chin and pressed his thumb against the corner of her lips. ¡°I had some business to attend tost night. What¡®s wrong? Are you angry with me?¡± VV Ste said nothing, but her eyes were still fixed on him. After a period of silence, she finally asked, ¡°What kind of business? Why did it take you so long?¡± He was clearly by Guinevere¡®s sidest night, she thought. Why did he have to bo with concealing the truth? ¡°Are you starting to get clingy now?¡± Weston smiled, stroking her chin. He then picked her up and put her down on hisp. ¡°All these messy problems will soon be dealt wit Naturally, he wasn¡®t about to tell her what had happened to Rogerst night, at least for the time being. He Ste leaned against his chest, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat. After holding her for a while, Weston said, ¡°Since you can¡®t sleep, why not sit here with me for a while?¡± He then effortlessly picked her up. She limply leaned on his shoulder, as if her body had no bones. It suddenly urred to Weston that all he needed was to exert a little force, and he could easily break her ¡°Joan told me that you haven¡®t eaten anything today,¡± he fretfully raised her chin. ¡°Did you do that on purp Chapter 1047 Chapter1047 Chapter 1047 ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I just had no appetite¡­¡± ¡°I did promise not to force you to eat anything,¡± Weston cut her off. ¡°But that was only if it doesn¡®t affect your health.¡± He nced at the shimmering light on the horizon. It was already sunrise, and rays of sunlight had crept i nto the room through the curtains. ¡°You should go eat something,¡± he added, kissing her on the forehead. Ste frowned. She truly had no appetite at all, but she also knew that there was no arguing with Weston, so sh e kept quiet and said nothing. Joan was already asleep by then. Weston had no intention to disturb her either, so he put Ste down on the sofa and went into th e kitchen himself. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste did not have a good sleep at all, basically having tossed and turned all night. Even so, she probably wouldn¡®t be able to fall asleep now if she tried. Weston knew this too, so he allowed her to watch TV, hoping to kill time and relieve her boredom. Stardust Mansion was much quieter early in the morning than it was at night. Ste could hear the faint noisesing from the kitchen. She got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. She gazed at Weston wliose back was facing her. He heard hering but did not turn around. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± he asked. Ste said nothing, leaned against the door and continued looking at him. As he did not hear her reply, he put down the knife in his hand, ced the cut tomatoes in the bowl and s et it aside, and covered the pot with the lid before turning around to look at her. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± he asked. She shook her head and stood up straight. Weston pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, asking h er, ¡°Are you getting hungry?¡± Ste shook her head once again. He knew that she was not in the mood to talk, so he just kissed her hair and quietly held her in his arms. After a while, the silence was broken by the bubbling sound of water that was starting to boil. ¡°The food¡®s almost ready,¡± he told her. ¡°Why don¡®t you go sit down and wait for me outside?¡± Only then did Ste raise her h ead to look into his eyes before turning around to go back into the living room. Soon afterward, Weston emerged from the kitchen with two bowls of noodle soup in his hand. A mild, savory aroma permeated the entire living room. Even t hough Ste said she had no appetite, the smell was so tantalizing that her stomach suddenly growled Rumble¡­ Rumble¡­ Weston chuckled softly as he put down the bowls on the dining table and went back into the kitchen to br ing the cutlery over. Once the table was set, he raised his head and called out, ¡°Come here. It¡®s ready.¡± Ste got up and headed toward the dining table. She took a seat andid hier eyes on the two bowls of soup in front of her. He liad made a simple chicken noodle soup, a dish that Ste used to often cook for him. Weston had always been a fussy eater. He never liked dishes with too many ingredients in them, but he made an exception for Ste¡®s chicken noodle soup Ste picked up the spoon and looked at the clear surface of the soup dotted with green bits of chopped s It looked like he even made some adjustments to the recipe himself. ¡°I just made that on the fly,¡± he said, stroking her hair before taking a seat opposite her. ¡°My cooking skills are probably nowhere near as good as Joan¡®s, but it should be good enough to fill your Ste leaned her head down and took a bite. Weston did not move. He merely peered down to observe her expressions. She knew he was waiting for herment on the food, so without raising her head, she slowly savored th ¡°It¡®s just as good as the one Joan makes,¡± she added earnestly. Ste had long realized how much God favored this man. It was as if he had been blessed with all the tale life could offer. Chapter 1048 Chapter1048 Chapter 1048 She used to think that a man like Weston probably did not know how to take care of himself in terms of daily chores. Perhaps that would be his sole weakness. But then again, although someone of his stature had no need to bother himself with such trivial matters, t hat did not mean he did not know how to do it. He had rarely ever stepped into the kitchen, yet he could easily rustle up a dish that tasted pretty good in spite of his inexperience. Ste could not help but wonder how such a lucky man could exist in this world. Everything he wanted w as seemingly served up on a silver tter for him. There was just nothing that he could not have or do. ¡°Judging by your expression,¡± Weston scrutinized her closely, ¡°it doesn¡®t look like you enjoyed the food.¡± Ste smiled and put her spoon down. She looked straight into his eyes earnestly and said, ¡°I have a que stion for you, Weston. Do you always get what you want? Was there ever anything you wanted that you c ouldn¡®t get?¡± He paused before responding, ¡°Why ask that all of a sudden?¡± Ste smiled and replied, ¡°I just always felt like you have everything you desire. It¡®s such an enviable pos ition ¡­¡± His eyes gradually clouded over. He massaged his brows as a helpless expression cropped up on his fac e. ¡°Who said that I have everything I desire?¡± he asked.¡± You know what I desire the most, and yet you can¡®t give it to me.¡± ¡°And yet, I¡¯m still by your side,¡± she reminded him. ¡°That¡®s true,¡± he replied. ¡°And yet, you are still by my s ide.¡± He ran his fingers through her hair and gently toyed with a strand of it between his fingers, adding, ¡°You¡®r e already by my side, but why am I still unsatisfied? Why do I still desire for more?¡± FL Ever since Zachary died, the two of them had never spoken so casually with each other before. LUI 12 Ste had no intention of asking him if he was with Guinevere or what they had been doing together yesterday. Likewise, Weston had no intention of telling her what happened to Roger. Once they finished their food, Weston cleaned up the table and went back into the kitchen. He then came up to Ste and held her in his arms. ¡°Do you want to go back to sleep, or would you like to take a walk instead?¡± he asked. ¡°Let¡®s take a walk.¡± L They then went into the back garden. ¨C11 11 A stroll so early in the morning felt like a strange deviation from their usual habits. Ste sat on the swing, feeling a little lightheaded. ¡°You didn¡®t sleep wellst night, did you?¡± Weston asked, kneeling in front of her and holding her calf in his hand. He found that her skin felt cold to the touch. ¡°You should go back inside and put on more clothes beforeing out,¡± he frowned. ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I¡®m not cold.¡± Weston¡®s grip tightened as he squeezed her calf. ¡°How could you say that when your skin feels so cold?¡± Ste paused suddenly and looked down at him. As her toes touched the ground she asked him, ¡°Did¡­ something happen?¡± She felt that Weston was unusually gentle and considerate today. If nothing had happened, why would h e suddenly change abruptly, especially when they were still mad at each other thest time he left the ho use? 12 Weston briefly fell into silence. His warmth spread from his palm onto the skin on her calf. It felt scorching had happened to Roger. ¡°Nothing happened,¡± he insisted. ¡°Why ask?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I just feel you¡¯ve been weird.¡± She withdrew her leg and released it from his grip. Weston made no objection to this. He rose to his feet a the bedroom to get her a pair of cotton slippers, which he then helped her put on her feet. Then he gently ¡°Be careful, or you¡®ll catch a cold,¡± he said. Ste stopped mid¨Cswing when she heard those words and sprang up to her feet. ILLET 1. II. ¡°I don¡®t want to stay here anymore¡­¡± she said. ¡°I want to go back to bed.¡± Weston had just made all the effort to make her warm, yet she suddenly changed her mind and wanted to go back to bed. It was a little too obvious that she was doing it on purpose. He stared at her but said nothing before picking her up in his arms and carrying her back into their bedroo N?velDrama.Org owns all content. 1 IL He then gently tucked her under the nket. Upon noticing that he was leaving, she reached out a hand to grab his wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked. Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 ¡°I¡¯m going to the study,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got some work to do.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t rested sincest night, have you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he grabbed her hand and ced it back under the nket before leaning down to kiss her forehead. ¡°Unless¡­¡± He brushed away the hair on her cheeks, then looked at her as if he could read her mind. ¡°¡­you need me by your side for you to fall asleep?¡± He treated her so gently that Ste even doubted if the conflict between them had even existed. She pursed her lips and softly said, ¡°I¡¯d like to meet someone.¡± Weston remained silent, his expressions unchanged. His eyes were steadily glued on her. ¡°I just want to meet Aunt Diana once,¡± she added.¡° Please?¡± ¡°Tell me why.¡± She took his hand and pressed his fingers. He had long and straight fingers that looked very elegant. Ste always thought of how much more enchanting those fingers would be if Weston could y the piano. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me to see anyone else,¡± she said, ¡°but I have something really important to tell Aunt Diana Weston looked at her as if he was waiting for her to continue. Ste took a deep breath and added, ¡°There¡¯s something that I simply must tell her. I just can¡¯t continue to keep her in the dark about this¡­¡± She raised her hand, ced it on her heart, and earnestly asked, ¡°Just let me see her once, please?¡± Weston fell silent for a while. Then, he pinched her cheek and looked into her eyes, telling her, ¡°I can let you see her once.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes lit up¡­ ¡°But,¡± Weston continued, ¡°you must promise me one thing-from now on, you must always eat properly. You must never do what you did yesterday.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ste asked incredulously. She could hardly believe how easy it was to persuade him. Weston stared at her for a moment. There seemed to be something stirring in his eyes. He nodded. ¡°Great!¡± Ste quickly responded. ¡°Then I promise you I will eat properly from now on.¡± Hearing this, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I will have Ben follow you closely at all times,¡± he told her. ¡°Contact me as soon as anything happens. You¡¯re also not allowed to stay outside for too long, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, understood.¡± He looked at her and sighed deeply. ¡°Get some rest,¡± he said. ¡°I have some work to do at thepany now.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t had any rest for the whole night,¡± she argued while stealing a nce at him. Her voice wasced with concern, perhaps out of gratefulness that he agreed to her request. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep for a while?¡± ¡°No,¡± he gently kissed her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t need sleep. As long as you listen to what I say, it¡¯ll be the only peace of mind that I need.¡± The two seemed to have some tacit agreement on not bringing up the subject of Zachary¡¯s death. ¡°Sleep tight,¡± he said, tucking her under the nket. After seeing that she had closed her eyes, he finally walked out of the room and left. By the time Ste woke up, it was broad daylight. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Weston had already left Stardust Mansion. He had been extremely busy these past couple of days. Last night, het was only back to be with her for a few hours before he had to go out again. When Ste walked into the living room, she noticed that Ben was already sitting there. ¡°You¡¯re here already?¡± she asked, though she did not look one bit surprised. Ben nodded. ¡°Mr. Ford has instructed me about what to do, Mrs. Ford. We can leave anytime you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied before going back into her room to change. SELLES After long contemtion, she still came to the conclusion that it would be best to tell Diana the truth. But, as for what Diana should do after learning the truth, she would leave that choice to Diana herself. But she knew one thing for sure-she could not possibly keep concealing the truth from her like everyone else. This was perhaps thest thing she could do for someone else, she thought to herself in despair. Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 She used to have aically whimsical idea that she would carve out her own sessful career, then escape Weston Ford¡¯s grasp through the power and reputation she had gained. But now, when she looked back, she could not help but find the notion silly and naive. The power gap between them couldn¡¯t possibly be bridged by her individual efforts alone. It was the same as what happened after Zachary¡¯s death. She had no way to protect herself or fight against those determined to see her getting convicted as Zachary Ford¡¯s murderer. Even Weston didn¡¯t believe that she didn¡¯t kill the boy. Indeed, he was doing all he could to help her escape punishment, but he never truly thought she was innocent. Ste was inside a quiet private room of a restaurant, contemting the words she should say and the best way to tell Diana the truth when the door was suddenly pushed open. The person walking in turned out to be Michael Sealey ¡°We meet again, Ste.¡± Under her surprised gaze, he took a seat right in front of her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ste scowled. ¡°Where¡¯s Aunt Diana?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well,¡± he replied. ¡°So I came here on her behalf. You can tell me whatever you wanted to tell her.¡± ¨C Ste¡¯s eyes turned cold and stony. She stared at him without saying anything. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Michael raised his brows and smiled a meaningful smile as if he had expected to see such a reaction from her. ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t have anything to say to me, but I do, in fact, have news to break to you¡­¡± he said. He paused to pick up the cup of coffee in front of him and took a sip, before adding, ¡°Roger is dead.¡± Crash! The coffee cup in Ste¡¯s hand slipped through her fingers and smashed on the floor, noisily shattering into a thousand pieces. The windowsill of the private room on the second floor was lined with lush green nts , filtering the sunlight through their leaves, and casting faint shadows on the table. Ste did not move, nor did she say anything. She just stared vacantly at the broken fragments of the coffee cup on the floor, the expression on her facepletely unchanged. Time seemed to be extended indefinitely, flowing imusibly slowly between the two of them. One second. Two seconds. Time went by so slowly that Michael wondered if he had pressed a pause button. He looked on as the blood slowly drained from Ste¡¯s face, until, atst, she became deathly pale. Yet he waited patiently. In no time, a waitress soon rushed into the room and politely asked in a soft voice, ¡°Pardon my intrusion, but do you both need any help?¡± The loud smash could be heard from outside the door, and she rushed over to see what was happening. Ste did not react at all. She just sat there very still like a puppet. Michael nodded at the waiter and said, ¡°Could you please clean up the broken cup?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The waitress immediately called another person in, who efficiently tidied up the mess. She then turned to Ste and thoughtfully asked her, ¡°Would you like me to bring you another cup of coffee, madam?¡± Ste¡¯s hands trembled slightly. Only then did she seem to be jolted awake from her dreams as she turned to look at at the waitress. ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the waitress responded. She then apologized for her intrusion again before exiting the private room, leaving Michael and Ste alone. Michael rested his chin on his hand and calmly looked at Ste, telling her, ¡°I can understand how you feel. But, to tell you the truth, the moment I heard the news, I couldn¡¯t ept it either, but¡­¡±. ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Ste interrupted him, looking straight at him with piercingly icy eyes. ¡°I will never believe you.¡± ¡°You actually think I am lying to you right now?¡± Michael frowned. ¡°Do you think I would ever joke about something like this?¡± Ste pursed her lips vehemently, saying nothing. Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In fact, her pale face exposed her true feelings. It was not that she didn¡¯t believe it; she just didn¡¯t want to, nor did she dare to believe it. She had cut ties with Roger, and Weston promised her he would not touch him. She could only endure all these because of her wish for Roger to have a brand new life¡­ How could he die? He would not die. Michael looked at her eyes and suddenly felt pitiful for her. ¡°I am not sure if Weston protects you too well, or he lied to you¡­¡± Her gaze sharpened instantly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He sighed. ¡°Actually, I have been looking for Roger sometime now¡­¡± ¡°Why are you looking for him?!¡± she interrupted him emotionally. Even though she tried her best to hold back, Michael could easily see the anger in her eyes. She was now like a bowstring that had been stretched to its limit. From the moment she heard of his death, even though she had subconsciously tricked herself into not wanting to believe the news, she was still gradually consumed by her fear which slowly manipted her emotions. Michael tapped his finger on the table. ¡°I admit that my intention of looking for him was malicious. I know I can¡¯t touch you since you are with Weston, so the only one I could target was Roger. I wanted to manipte you through him, so you¡¯d take that secret to your grave and not tell Diana about me cheating on her¡­¡± The more he spoke, the darker Ste¡¯s face became. In the end, Michael stared into her eyes and said slowly,¡° Soon, I discovered that there was another person looking for him apart from me, and that was Weston.¡± Seeing her face turning stiff, he asked, ¡°You never intended for Weston to look for him, right?¡± He could roughly guess the answer from her reaction. Michael went on, ¡°Weston wanted you to stay with him forever by using Roger to threaten you.¡± Ste knew this all along, so she made no rebuttal. Her hands on the table were sped so tightly that her fingertips turned white. Michael nced at her hands quietly and said, ¡°Roger knew Weston was using him to threaten you, so hemitted suicide¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± she blurted. She let out those words in a shrill and unrestrained tone, seeming to lose her stately poise to a certain extent. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can deceive me so easily with a few words¡­¡± Michael did not seem surprised to hear her say that. He took out a recorder and ced it in front of her. ¡°This is what Roger wanted to say to you before he died.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes turned red immediately. Sheughed and shook her head continuously. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me with this lousy trick. I won¡¯t believe it!¡± But tears were already rolling down her cheeks when she said that. Seeing her like this, Micahel sighed. ¡°Why bother?¡± He said, ¡°I am your uncle. You can¡¯t imagine how sad I am to see you like this.¡± ¡°You are not!¡± Ste said sternly, ¡°From the moment you chased me out of the family, embezzled my parents¡¯ property, and ignored Roger, who was seriously ill, you have no more rtion to me!¡± Finally, she could not hold it any longer and vent those emotions and revulsions that she had not bothered to express. Perhaps she was in urgent need of a channel to fight off the sorrow of learning of Roger¡¯s death. She had never been like this, wishing that that person was simply lying to her. ¡°I¡¯ve said all I have to say.¡± Michael¡¯s expression had not changed much from the beginning, remaining as svelte as he was. However, under the sheep¡¯s skin lurked an unknown amount of selfish and self-serving thoughts. He had always been a pragmatic one. Apart from Diana, there was nothing that could influence him. Of course, he could have used some other means to tell Diana the truth since she had nowhere else to go, but he didn¡¯t want to see her in sorrow. Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Ste looked at the recorder on the table and asked, ¡° Why are you telling me all these?¡± Michael thought for a while, then sighed and said, ¡° Although you hate me to the core and want Diana to know about those mistakes I made when I was young and brazen, I am still your uncle. And Roger¡¯s as well. He was not your parents¡¯ biological son but watching him grow up, I still have some feelings for him ¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to say such grandiose things !¡± Ste snapped; her voice cold and stiff. ¡°What exactly do you want to say? Just say it.¡± Michael stared into her eyes, knowing that she had reached the limit of repression. He picked up his coffee and took an unhurried sip. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking that I spent so much time finding him, yet all he wants to do is to end himself, so it seems my purpose is defeated¡­¡± She remained silent when her face grew paler and paler until it almost became transparent. ¡°Ste, I really don¡¯t want to be in a hostile rtionship with you all the time.¡± He sighed lightly. ¡°Before Roger died, he asked me to do something. If you promise me that you will keep my secret and never tell Diana about it, I will tell you. How does that sound?¡± Ste red at him coldly. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Of course not. This is just an exchange. It¡¯s fair and square, isn¡¯t it?¡± LV T Michael looked at her in anticipation. ¡°As long as you promise me, it will be good for both of us. Ste, as long as you say yes, you will get what you want, my Diana will forever be a happy woman, and none will be the wiser.¡± TV She sneered. ¡°But that¡¯s just a lie.¡± ¡°Even if it is, what is wrong with living under the lie of happiness?¡± Ste withdrew her hands and put them on the table, sping them tightly. After a while, she said hoarsely, ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Michael was instantly relieved. ¡°Remember our promise.¡± He stood up and was about to leave when Ste called out to him. ¡°Did you forget something?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Michael swept a nce at her. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday in two days. Roger has prepared a birthday present for you.¡± He paused momentarily and said, ¡°He said that it was the After he said that, he chuckled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that you two shared such strong sibling rtionships, I would have suspected that kid had a thing for you.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes fluttered , but her face remained calm. ¡°Is that all?¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± After he left, Ste was the only one who remained in the private room. She just sat there motionlessly. The recorder was still on the table. She wanted to pick it up and listen to it but failed to gather the courage to do so. Perhaps, when grief reached a certain degree, it would turn into cowardice. She just wanted to escape at this very moment. Ste took a deep breath. Finally, she yed the recorder with her trembling hand ¡°Sister, when you are listening to this, I should have been no longer alive¡­¡± After hearing the first sentence, Ste couldn¡¯t help sobbing She shut her eyes as tightly as she could, but tears still flowed out. ¡°Actually, I always knew that Weston was using me to threaten you¡­ When you chased me away, it is because you didn¡¯t want to get me involved , right? I knew it all along.¡± Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Rogerughed a little. ¡°What I regret most is leaving you rashly out of anger back then and not bidding you a proper farewell. ¡°Sister, I really miss you... ¡°If possible , I¡®d like to see you again and live with you. ¡°I don¡®t dare to be greedy, nor do I expect us to be lovers. As long as we stay together as a family, I¡®ll be satisfied enough. ¡°Thinking of it now, I think I had a hunch at that time, and I told you what I had hidden in my heart. I don¡®t have any regrets, except that I¡®ll never get to see you again.¡± Ste closed her eyes. Her eyshes fluttered wildly, and her whole body shook uncontrobly. ¡°Yesterday, Weston¡®s men came for me, so I knew something must have happened. He needed me to threaten you to stay by his side. ¡°I really hate myself sometimes for being your dead weight. I said I wanted to make your life better, but I only ended up dragging you down... ¡°How could I let myself be used as a tool to threaten you? ¡°I want so much for you to be happy. ¡°But in the end, it turned out that the biggest obstacle to your happiness was probably me...¡± As he was saying that, he drew in breath gently, seemingly trying to suppress the lump that had risen in his throat. ¡°You know, sister, when I realized this, I really wanted to die...¡± Roger¡®s voice was shaking a little. Evidently , he was trying his best to calm himself down. It was only after a long time did he let out a soft sigh. ¡°Sister, I have never done anything for you, and... this seems to be the only thing I can do for you. ¡°I don¡®t want to see him threatening you anymore. Perhaps only when I die can you be truly free.¡± ¡°No, it¡®s not like that!¡± Ste¡®s nose was red. She wanted to refute him. ¡°I never thought of you as a burden! You are the only family I have...¡± Unfortunately, Roger would never hear this. ¡°Sister, I wish you a happy twenty ¨C second birthday in advance.¡± ¡°If there is another life, I don¡®t want to be your brother again.¡± In the end, the boy¡®s voice trembled so much that he was almost unable to continue. Seemingly not wanting to make himself cry in front of Ste, Roger forcefully chuckled. ¡°Sister, I really love you. ¡°No matter if it¡®s love for a family member or whatever other feelings, I just want you to live well.¡± ¡°But if you leave me, what¡®s the point of me living...¡± Ste asked in a hoarse voice. No one answered her in the private room. Her question echoed in the room and drifted into the still air, never to be heard again. Ben had been waiting outside the door of the private room. Seeing that Ste didn¡®te out even after Michael had left for some time, he frowned. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Just as he wanted to enter to check on her, he saw hering out with her eyes red. ¡°What¡®s wrong, Mrs. Ford?¡± Ben was alerted immediately, and his face turned serious. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± When he said that, he instinctively wanted to bring Michael back. Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± She was just about to leave when she suddenly thought of something and looked into Ben¡®s eyes. ¡°By the way, I haven¡®t contacted Roger for a long time. Have you heard from him?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Ben froze and was instinctively flustered. Roger was... However, he knew that he couldn¡®t tell Ste about it, so he could only bite the bullet and lie. ¡°I am not sure myself, but I heard that he¡®s living quite well abroad...¡± He touched his nose subconsciously. Ste knew this was a very clear sign of lying. She suddenly could not pretend any longer and asked, ¡° Tell me the truth, Ben. How is Roger now?¡± He avoided her eyes. ¡°You better ask Mr. Ford about this She closed her eyes. His attitude made her heart freeze. ¡°Tell me honestly. Is Roger in trouble? Why are you being so secretive?!¡± ¡°I really don¡®t know!¡± Ben¡®s tone sounded a little stiff. ¡°If you really want to know, you can ask Mr. Ford. I am really not sure...¡± She pressed her lips and knew that she would not get a word out of his mouth. *Let¡®s go back to Stardust Mansion,¡± she snapped, frustrated Ben let out a sigh of relief, thinking he¡®d just survived a close shave. ¡°Sure, let¡®s go back now.¡± He even forgot to ask Ste what had happened and why she was crying Ste did not say a word the whole journey. She leaned against the car window and looked out at the recedingndscape. The trees on the side of the road were so lush and thick that they blocked her view. She was in a trance, as if she was in a dream. There could still a lucky break. Although Roger had the intention ofmitting suicide, he... there was always a glimmer of hope, she thought. Perhaps he had not done it yet? Maybe something else happened to stop him... She couldn¡®t help thinking that way. Regardless, no matter how much she convinced herself, she knew in her heart that she was simply refusing to face the cruel reality. Suddenly, a familiar face caught her eyes. She sat up straight , thinking that she might have been mistaken. But she clearly saw Riley¡®s face just now... Was it an illusion? Riley should be studying abroad at Compassvale University. Why would she appear here? Ben noticed Ste¡®s strangeness and slowed the car. ¡°Is there anything wrong, Mrs. Ford?¡± Ste paused for a moment and looked at him. ¡°Can you stop for a while? I need to go to the washroom.¡± ¡°But...! Ben hesitated and surveyed the surroundings. ¡°This is a public ce. If there are any bad hats around...¡± ¡°I am in a bit of a hurry. It¡®ll be quick and won¡®t hold you up much.¡± Ben quickly checked the remaining agenda. They were at least an hour and a half from Stardust Mansion. There was no way he would let Ste hold it in for that long. Having little choice, he nodded and pulled into a parking spot. ¡°We will be waiting outside. Shout for us if anything happens.¡± He wanted to send a bodyguard with her at first, but since it was thedies¡® room, they could only keep watch outside. Ste had just gone inside when she saw Riley exiting the cubicle ¡°Weston is watching you too closely. This was the only way to reach you.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 ¡°Is it really you?¡± Ste couldn¡®t believe it. ¡°I thought you were in Compassvale!¡± ¡°I was.¡± Riley looked at her with a calm face. She disyed no emotion as if she was looking at a stranger. ¡°Ie back this time just to tell you something.¡± Ste clenched her fists as if she knew what Riley would say. ¡°Roger is dead,¡± Riley stated indifferently. She saw Ste clench her fists quietly until her nails cut into her palms. Ste was shaking, forcing down the redness in her eyes and the turbulent emotions swirling in her heart. ¡°Why don¡®t you seem surprised?¡± Ste exhaled. ¡°I know you are joking with me.¡± Sheughed, but the smile on her face was a little awkward. ¡°Did you make a special trip home just to pull a prank on me?¡± Riley stepped forward. Her eyes were red. ¡°I am not joking with you. You know well enough that I won¡®t lie about something like this, don¡®t you?¡± She grabbed Ste¡¯s shoulders and looked into her eyes.¡± Roger just died yesterday. Do you know how he died?¡± Her voice was suddenly filled with hatred. ¡°He¡®s dead because of Weston!¡± Ste looked away, not daring to face her re. Riley pressed on. ¡°We were obviously living a good life in Compassvale, but since hest disappeared for no reason, everything has changed...¡°. ¡°Why won¡®t he leave him alone? Why! What has he done wrong?¡± She had been waiting in Compassvale for Roger¡®s return, but the news of his death arrived instead. She heard that he was trapped in the delta and tried everything to get his family to get him back with their influence. But still, he was found by Weston first. ¡°Why didn¡®t he spare Roger??? Why? He is your man, Roger¡®s brother¨Cinw! I really cannot understand why he has to push him over the edge!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Riley was almost hysterical. ¡°You are his sister! Why didn¡®t you protect him? Why?!?! Why did you just watch Weston drive him to his death?¡± Her questions were like a shower of swords, stabbing into Ste¡®s heart without warning. She could no longer lie to herself nor escape anymore. She burst into tears and started crying. ¡°It¡®s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault...¡± She closed her eyes, and her ears were flooded with the sound of the recording. She didn¡®t expect that her submission and forbearance that was intended to let Roger live a brand new life would make him feel that he was a burden. She didn¡®t expect that he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to end his life in exchange for her escape from the prison. Had she known it would be like this, she should have fought her way out and escaped with Roger... So what if Weston recaptured her? Even if he would threaten her, so what? Could it have ended any worse than it did? It couldn¡®t. Riley, on the other hand, had gradually calmed down. She took a deep breath. ¡°It seems you already know about this. I came here this time just to tell you.¡± She was in love with Roger, and Ste was his most beloved sister, so she couldn¡®t really hate her no matter how she tried. Maybe, she was just projecting her anger onto Ste. However, she knew that it would not be something Roger would want to see. Ste closed her eyes tightly, but the tears only kept flowing harder. Her voice was so hoarse she could only repeat these exact words: ¡°It¡®s my fault...¡± Riley watched as she slumped herself against the wall, squatting slowly, and shot her a condescending look. ¡°He might be dead, but do you really want him to die in vain?¡± Ste stared into the void with her red eyes. After a long time, she shook her head slowly. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Time crept by at a snail¡®s pace. If she didn¡®t go out soon , Ben might notice something . The two regained theirposure , and Ste turned on the tap and flushed cold water on her face. She looked up at herself in the mirror with eyes that were still red. Riley inhaled deeply and asked behind her, ¡°Is there anything he left for me?¡± Ste pondered for a long time. ¡°There is only a recording.¡± ¡°Was there any mention of me?¡± Her silence made Riley understand something. Sheughed self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°Perhaps there isn¡®t.¡± She murmured with her head lowered. ¡°It¡®s always been me pestering him, whether studying abroad or something else; it¡®s always been wishful thinking...¡± Roger didn¡®t even leave her a message before he died after all that had happened. Riley had never loved a person so much. Despite all that had happened, she still could not let him go, She felt his pain, and she felt his happiness. The only sound left in the space was the water from the faucet dripping onto the extremely hollow¨C sounding white tiles. Ste said nothing; her breathing a little heavy. She thought about all the twisted feelings Roger had for her and wondered if she should tell Riley about it. After a pause, she said, ¡°You have done enough for him. You should go and live your own life...¡± ¡°I¡®d really like to, but things like emotions are beyond my control.¡± Riley said with a husky voice, ¡°What if I can¡®t let him go... I simply can¡®t...¡± Sheughed at herself and suddenly looked at Ste and begged her. ¡°Can you give me the recorder?¡± When Ste heard Riley, her eyes turned when looking at her through the mirror. Riley¡®s eyes were downcast and filled with sadness. She wiped away the tear stain at the corners of her eyes.¡° That¡®s thest thing he left in this world. Even if it was not for me, I still want to keep it, just as ast memento Ste was silent for a long time, but still took out the recorder and gave it to her. There were two recorders in the bag. One was the one she used to record her conversation with Michael just now. Knowing that Diana would not believe her if she told her straight about his affair, she recorded their conversation as evidence. The other recorder was Roger¡®s. She handed it to Riley. ¡°Everything he wanted to tell me is in there. Maybe you might hear some incredible things From the recording, it was clear that Roger¡®s feelings for her went beyond the love of a sibling. She did not want to hide it from Riley. She could see that Riley loved Roger sincerely , and she didn¡®t want such a girl to be kept in the dark. It would be up to her to decide once she¡®d learned the truth. ¡°It¡®s gettingte, you should go out first.¡± Ste nodded. Before she left, she looked at Riley again. ¡°Thank you for taking care of him.¡± Riley just looked at that one recorder, and there seemed to be a great heaviness in her eyes. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Outside the door... Previous Chapter Next Chapter Coming Soon... Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Ben was already getting anxious as he waited outside, pacing back and forth in front of the car. However, he was relieved when he saw Ste rushing out to him. ¡°Mrs. Ford, can we go now?¡± She nodded. ¡°Let¡®s go back.¡± He gave her a nod, but he had a feeling that something was wrong with her. Although she was already very depressed from the beginning , he felt she looked even worse now, as if her heart had turned into ashes. Everything seemed not to matter to her anymore. There was a kind of desperate silence that could be seen in her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Ben couldn¡®t help but ask. Ste shook her head. Her expression was so frigid one might even say that it was the epitome of a gloomy day.¡± It¡¯s nothing. Go back to the vi.¡± She went to her room as soon as she got out of the car, and Ben immediately told Weston about the incident today. ¡°Nothing happened in particr. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡®t look very happy. ¡°Mrs. Ford seemed very emotional when she got out of the private room after talking to Michael,¡± he confessed. Although Ste said she was meeting Diana , Diana and Michael were a loving couple with a strong rtionship. Michael was Ste¡®s uncle, so Ben didn¡®t think there was anything wrong with his presence there. After getting Weston¡®s order, Ben exined to his driver to pick him up from the mansion. Ford Corporation¡®s sudden calling for a shareholders¡® meeting meant Warren was about to make a big move. On the balcony , Weston hung up the phone and turned around, only to see Guinevere standing behind him, wanting to say something Guinevere was carrying a fruit tter and said gently, ¡° Grandfather and the others are still waiting for you...¡± She was in a long white dress with a thin tulle that entuated her beautiful figure. Her hair was meticulously styled into an elegant updo, and her face was lightly applied with makeup. She looked gentle and lovely, and it could be seen at first nce that she had put in a lot of effort to doll up. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± she asked carefully. Weston swept a nce at her and put his phone into his pocket without answering her question. ¡°Let¡®s go inside.¡± He had only amodated her a little more in the few days after Zachary¡®s death, but he now treated her as he did before, neither cold nor warm. Guinevere¡®s heart ached, and she called out to him from behind. ¡°Weston, must you cover up for Ste?¡± He frowned but pretended not to hear it. He did not want to argue with her about this matter. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She put the fruit tter on the railing beside her, looked at his back, and smiled bitterly. ¡°I hate her to the extent of wishing she would die, but...¡± She turned the conversation sharply, touched her exposed arms, andughed sarcastically. ¡°I don¡®t want to see you in a dilemma.¡± She lowered her head and inhaled lightly. ¡°Grandfather has solid evidence. Unsurprisingly, Ste will at least get one life sentence.¡± Weston didn¡®t even look at her once. Sunlight shone on him, extending his alreadynky figure into an infinite shadow as he stood indifferently and coldly on the balcony. He said coolly, ¡°You are not the judge. Don¡®t tell me that here.¡± ¡°Weston!¡± Seeing that he stopped and was about to leave again, Guinevere¡®s eyes turned red. She grabbed his wrist from the back and looked at his back pleadingly. ¡°I will not say this again. I just want you to be happy... can¡¯t you understand?¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°If you can really be happy if you are together with Ste , I am willing to let you go. But now, she is not willing to be together with you!¡± ¡°She killed Zachary. Who will be her next target? You know she hates us. She hates me, and she hates you even more!¡± ¡°She just killed Zachary. What if she tries to kill you one day?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 ¡°Shut up!¡± Weston brushed off her hand. His cold, clear eyes were tainted with a murky hostility that would instantly send shivers down the spine. The aura around him suddenly froze over. Standing on the narrow balcony, Guinevere had nowhere to run. ¡°If you don¡®t know how to shut up, I don¡®t mind teaching you.¡± Guinevere¡®s heart fluttered, but she still bit the bullet and met his cold gaze dead¨Con. ¡°No, I am going to say it. You know what? When we were filming, when Ste was still E at that time, she told me that she stayed by your side just for those benefits you could give her! ¡°What she loves is your status and money! She stepped forward and stared intensely into his eyes, trying to convince him. ¡°She does not love you! Weston, that woman is unlike who we are. She is born lowly; that¡®s why she is greedy and wants everything! ¡°She stays by your side only for the convenience that you can bring her!¡± Weston tugged the bowtie around his neck single handedly to breathe more easily. His tone was t and sounded emotionless . ¡°It¡®s much better if she just wants money and fame. It just so happens that I¡®m able to give her all of these things.¡± Guinevere clenched her fists instantly and felt a growing sense of humiliation. She stared at the man¡®s back, wanting very much to sternly question him if it was worth putting himself in such a low position just for this woman. He was very much willing to give it even if she coveted his money! But Guinevere did not do it. Instead, she changed her approach and reminded him with a calm tone. ¡°Even so, will Ste be able to let go of her hatred? It is useless no matter how much you treat a woman like her nicely. She will always remember that the person you saved was me and not her. No matter what the reason is, she will not listen to you no matter how much you exin, and she will take advantage of you with her dead child again and again!¡± The more she spoke, the more emotional she became. She had totally forgotten her self¨Creminder to get back to Weston in a calm manner. Instead, her voice was tinted with a hint of madness. ¡°Think carefully. That woman is not worthy of such dedication! Even if you treat her so well and give her so much, she will still bite you because of a past incident! Even if you treat her well, it¡®s useless. She will turn away from you without hesitation as soon as she gets the chance. You know this all along, don¡®t you?¡± Weston did know this in his heart. Ste would have left his side long ago if he had never forced himself on her. The good he did for her was not what she wanted. If he had not decided the moment they met in Fern City that he would not let her go, Ste might have started a new life by now. In a world without him, her life would be better and happier. It¡®s just that he was not present. ¡°Gwen, she deserves to hate me.¡± After a long time, Weston said with a hoarse voice, ¡°It is I who has imposed on her all the pain she suffers. It¡®s only normal that she hates me.¡± Even if she hated him, he still wanted to tie her to his side. Even if she would no longer love him from now on and look at him with affectionate eyes like before, not even in disguise... he would still not let go. He could not. Even if they could only torment each other, he wanted to grow old together with her. In the spacious hall, sandalwood incense burned on the incense burner. Warren had not slept for days. At his age, he could not use drugs to force him to sleep, so he had asked for a master incense maker to burn some sleeping incense, but the effect was just a little better than nothing . Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 He thought about a lot of things during this period, and a clear n had formed in his mind Ste definitely could not remain. Thest time he wanted to send her away, he was discovered by Weston. He nned topromise at first. Since Weston liked her so much, there was no reason for the Ford family to tolerate a woman. Moreover, Weston already had Zachary, so he would not ask Ste to bear children for him. Although he was a traditional and old¨Cfashioned character, he wasn¡®t too rigid and unchanging, so he decided to turn a blind eye and stopped looking for trouble with her. He would only criticize her a bit asionally. But he never thought that because of his tolerance , this damned woman, Ste, would dare to attack his grandson! Had he known this, he would never have been soft on this woman again. ¡°I have asked all the directors toe here today because I have one thing to say.¡± He said, ¡°I¡®m getting older now. I don¡®t know how many years I have left to live, and it¡®s time to hand over the reins.¡± In the hall, the directors sat on the two sides of the sandalwood table. Although not showing on their faces, they knew what Warren wanted to say today. Warren established Ford Corporation years ago, where it experienced a few ups and downs over the years. Hister heirs were not presentable, especially Chris. N?velDrama.Org ? content. His most famous deed in the entertainment industry was to marry Wendy. The impression he gave off was that of a phnderer. Because of his marriage to Wendy, he became the most high¨Cprofile rich boy in the whole circle and the most famous one. Although his fame was high, his capability did not match his reputation. Some years ago, they almost needed Wendy to make aeback topensate for Ford Corporation¡®s losses. Fortunately, this couple had a promising son, and that was Weston. He grew up with an unusual talent, clear¨Cheaded, stable, and precocious. Warren, of course, would not waste such a good talent. He brought him around at a very young age to nurture him personally. When Weston¡®s innate talent was enhanced with acquired cultivation , he became the true proud son of the family. He had not disappointed anyone since he took over thepany. In fact, he had almost be the business genius who would revolutionize the industry. There were very few people in the entire business history of Ahn City that couldpare with him, not to mention those of his age. He was like a bright star that emerged from the sky and directly elevated the declining Ford family to the top of the circle. Apart from the trivial problems he faced in his personal rtionship , he had never let anyone down in terms of work. Therefore, the directors also subconsciously thought Warren would hand over the reins to Weston. Warren swept the room with a nce. When he saw Westone in from the balcony, his gaze changed, and he raised his chin slightly to signal him to sit in his ce. After seeing him seated, he started speaking slowly. ¡°The shares in my hands ount for almost arge part of the entirepany. But as you know, I have a few my legitimate heirs...¡± He nced at Weston, frowning slightly at his usual unperturbed expression. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Weston¡®s life had been too smooth. He was so capable that no one dared to call his bluff or go against him. Perhaps it was this that made him so disobedient when it came to the matters of Ste. Warren thought he would teach him onest lesson before he died. That was, to never give up your interest because of a woman. ¡°ording to my original n, Chris and Xavier should get an equal share of my equity as they are my sons. However, as you all know, Chris has a son, Weston, who also happens to be my only grandson. His contribution to thepany over the years is more than apparent , so I n to divide his father¡®s equity into half and give it to him.¡± As soon as he said that, all the directors exchanged nces and gasped.¡¯, They seemed to find it bizarre. Based on Weston¡¯s contribution to thepany over the years and their inherent understanding , they would not say a word even if he gave a significant portion to Weston and would only think that it was normal. But now, Weston could not get even a third, but half from the half meant for Chris. In other words, it was a quarter at best. This was a ratherrge¨Cscale downsizing for a business that directly affected his authority. Moreover, there were many rtives in the Ford family. If all those people were included in the calction, Weston might get even less than a quarter. ¡°What? Do you have anything to say?¡± Warren knew that the shareholders would surely disagree. Although the transfer of ownership had little to do with them, the impact it would bring to them was closely linked to their interest. After all, the person who managed thepany had a direct rtionship with its revenue. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. If a not¨Cso¨Cclear¨Cheaded person were to lead thepany, the annual dividend they could get would shrink significantly. At least until now, they were very satisfied with Weston¡®s performance. No matter how absurd the scandal he caused some time ago, at least he has made everyone in the company get enough money to make the otherpanies jealous and achieve a target unachievable by otherpanies in the nation. Besides, he had already started to develop an international market. By that time, Ford Corporation would definitely be a famous global enterprise in one fell swoop. By that time, perhaps only a fewpanies in the whole continent would be able to surpass them, not to mention Ahn City. If his power was weakened at this time, the impact might be incalcble. ¡°Mr. Warren , although Mr. Ford is Mr. Chris¡®s son, his ability is evident. Besides, Mr. Xavier hasn¡®t been working for the past few years, and if you give him so many shares, would it be a bit...¡± Everyone always addressed Weston as ¡°Mr. Ford¡± and Xavier as ¡°Mr. Xavier.¡± It was a clear indication of their attitude towards the heirs. ¡°Indeed!¡± i Another man echoed. ¡°No one understands thepany more than Mr. Ford, and no one is more capable than him to lead thepany to worldwide recognition.¡± Warren knew these people would oppose him, and he red at them. ¡°I know that you approve of Weston, and I am also d I didn¡®t choose the wrong person. However, allowing him to make decisions for such a bigpany alone will still be a bit hard on him.¡± He pondered for a moment and pretended to be thinking about something. ¡°You¡®re right. Xavier is indeed a bit inexperienced, but everything has a beginning. Letting a person manage apany alone is not good. I can let Xavier and Chris both support Weston. When three make ns together, the results will be better than one person doing it. They would be able to see the whole picture better together.¡± Warren laughed after saying that to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Besides, I am not transferring him away, but I am only getting some people to help him. Don¡®t worry about it.¡± Although his words sounded nice, they understood that he meant that Weston would have the same workload , but there would be two more people to share his achievements and glory. This would be a thankless job. Previous Chapter Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 These people did not expect Warren to set up Weston like that and were at a loss for words. Warren concluded decisively, ¡°I¡®ve made up my mind on this. I gathered everyone here today just to announce the decision formally...¡± He suddenly paused and turned to Weston. ¡°This matter is closely rted to you. Do you have anything to say?¡± Weston tapped his fingers on the table lightly and suddenly curled his lips into a smile. ¡°You¡®ve made up your mind. I don¡®t think I have anything to say.¡± ¨C Warren furrowed his brows immediately. He stood up, furious. ¡°How dare you talk to me like that?¡± After that, he got so emotional that he coughed violently and fell back to his seat. The butler hurriedly got him some water, patting Warren¡®s back to calm him down. ¡°Rx. The doctor said you shouldn¡®t get angry...¡± Weston frowned a little and said nothing. After a short silence, he said, ¡°Okay. I ept your arrangement.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°What?¡± The directors looked at Weston with some surprise. They did not expect him to ept such an unreasonable decision without any resistance. Weston looked at Xavier, who had not spoken. ¡°Grandpa is right. After all, I¡®ve been at the helm for the past few years. I should give others a chance. Maybe it¡®s better that we pool our efforts. It¡®s better to work as a team.¡± Weston had already put the word out, so Xavier could only take his stand. ¡°I won¡®t let you down.¡± Warren finally let out a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°Then it¡®s settled.¡± While they were on the way from the mansion to the vi, Ben was indignant at Warren¡®s treatment of Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, why did you ept Warren¡®s suggestion? He¡®s obviously trying to stifle you!¡± Weston rubbed his brow. ¡°He¡®s not trying to stifle me. He¡®s forcing me to make a choice.¡± Ben paused a little , then let out a sigh. No one expected things toe to this... Warren was forcing Weston to stop protecting Ste. He wanted Ste to confess to the crime in the next trial. He wanted her prisoned forever. If Weston insisted on bailing her out. Warren would take his power away and slowly crush him. Weston would not be able to protect Ste anymore at that point. Ben felt troubled. If it were him, he would not know what to do in such a dilemma. After that, when Weston got out of the car at Stardust Mansion, he instructed Ben to continue to reinforce security around the area. Warren wasn¡®t going to stay idle, and he¡®d look for Ste everywhere. ¡°Don¡®t let her out again until this is over.¡± Weston ordered, ¡°No matter the reason or excuse, don¡®t let her out of this door unless I ordered it. Understand ?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Weston came into the living room and nced at the sofa. ¡°Ste?¡± Ste was nowhere to be found. Joan was out working, so the house was empty. Weston furrowed his brow as a dull feeling of restlessness surged through him. Weston searched the bedroom and did not find Ste. Then, he went to the back garden to look. There was still no one in sight. Weston¡®s face sank instantly. He couldn¡®t stand it any longer, but he couldn¡®t see her when he came home. Then, just as he was about to call her, soft footsteps came from behind him. Weston turned around and saw Ste appear behind him, holding a handful of thorny noses. Her face was covered in dirt, and her hair was disheveled. Her white nightgown had a few cuts and holes. Weston moved his gaze down and stopped at her pale hands. The thorns of the rose had pierced her skin, leaving spots of blood. She just stood there, looking at him but not saying a word. ck hair and red roses... Ste¡®s face was so pale that she looked like a white, delicate, lifeless doll. Weston¡®s eyes looked dazed for a moment. Then, he came back to his senses and strode over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡± Ste looked into his eyes and saw his urgency and pressure. She was quite surprised to find herself so calm when seeing Weston. She heard her voice answer him calmly, ¡°The roses I nted were blooming, so I went to pick a few.¡± Weston frowned harder. ¡°Are you still fiddling with your flowers and nts?¡± He took her hand and looked at the bruises on her palm, and his face stiffened up. ¡°Don¡®t do that ever again.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ste frowned. ¡°Are you afraid I¡®ll poison someone again?¡± Weston¡®s grip on her tightened. It was so hard and painful, but Ste didn¡®t cry out. Ste stared at him nkly. She wanted to find some other emotion in his eyes, but there was nothing. How could he be so calm, she wondered. ¡®How can you be so calm...¡® Weston drove Roger to his death and kept it to himself. He hid the truth from her. How could he stand in front of her without any guilt? Weston¡®s gaze was oppressive. ¨C ¨C Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¨C ¨C ¨C He swept his cold gaze over her, put her hands together, and avoided the tiny wounds on her. He threw the roses in her hands aside and ordered, ¡°Don¡®t say these stupid things again.¡± He looked down and kissed the back of her hand, which had no wounds. ¡°I¡®ll go get some medicine.¡± Ste saw him get up and leave, so she turned and went to the bathroom. She was not as precious as Weston thought. She turned on the shower, letting the cold water cascade over her. She put her hands under the water and rinsed them hard. It stung a little, but she did not care. The clothes on her body were a bit of a nuisance. It clung to her skin with an ufortable and sticky feeling. She ripped it off and threw the white dress aside. No amount of scrubbing could get rid of that bitter annoyance in her heart. She felt that the switch to the emotions in her heart was broken. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Ste¡¯s feeling at this point was no longer sadness, but outright boredom and annoyance. Yes, she was bored. She did not see the point of living in the world anymore. She had no interest in any of these. The world had no one she cherished. ¨C She was still alive, b?t barely. It wasn¡®t until her fingers were white from soaking in the water that she got out. Weston was already waiting for her in the living room. When he saw here out, his eyes were full of disapproval . ¡°Your hand is injured. You shouldn¡¯t have showered yourself.¡± Ste¡®s mouth tugged slightly. ¡°It¡®s just a shower. It¡®s not like I broke my hand. What¡®s wrong with bathing myself?¡± Weston looked at her steadily and sensed her unusual mood. He pulled her to the sofa and sat her down. ¡°What? Did the person you met today give you a hard time?¡± Weston thought Ste was depressed because she must¡®ve had a bad meeting with Michael and Diana. Ste looked at him indifferently and suddenly said something meaningful, ¡°With you, who would hurt me?¡± Weston¡®s hand movements paused for a moment. He knew what she said was not apliment, but he still nudged the tip of her nose. ¡°I¡¯m d you know.¡± Weston was very indulgent with her. He gave her everything except for letting her leave. Steughed, but no one knew why she wasughing. She did not seem to beughing at anything. She justughed. It was a pure smile. Perhaps, she found it funny This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston looked down at the small wounds that dotted her hand. Before he applied for the medicine, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Endure it. It might hurt a little.¡± Weston disinfected her wound and then used tweezers to pick up the thorns lodged in her flesh. Some of the thorns appeared to have gotten stuck so deep into her flesh that it showed how bemused she must¡®ve been while handling the roses. Thus, Weston could not help but lecture her. ¡°You still don¡®t know how to take care of yourself.¡± Her skin was so pale from soaking for so long in the bath. The blood from the wound had been washed away, leaving the transparent edges of the skin exposed to the elements. Weston frowned slightly and simply clipped off those edges a little. ¡°Don¡®t let yourself be hurt again. Try not to bleed,¡± Weston said, subconsciously making his movements lighter. ¡°You know your blood type. It¡®s hard to get supply. If something happens, you¡®ll be in great danger.¡± Ste looked down at his serious side profile and hid the sh of contempt in her eyes. She said faintly, ¡°You won¡®t put me in any danger, would you?¡± Weston¡®s movements paused slightly. His fingers lingered on her skin for a moment, then raised his hand to pinch her cheek gently. ¡°As long as you listen to me.¡± Weston¡®s movement was gentle, but he worked quickly. Soon, Ste¡®s hand was fully wrapped in a bandage. ¡°Remember to keep it away from water,¡± he ordered. Ste looked at him and suddenly put her hand on his hair and stroked it gently. Weston was a little shocked. He looked up at her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It just urred to me. I haven¡®t heard about Roger in a long time...¡± She paused for a moment while waiting for Weston¡®s response. Weston¡®s expression did not change. Instead, he put the remaining bandages on the table back into the medical kit before saying calmly, ¡°I remember you saying that you¡®ve cut ties with him.¡± Ste watched his expression quietly, not wanting to miss a single change. ¡®Will his face ever show the slightest guilt?¡® she wondered. ¡°I¡®ve cut him off, but he¡¯s still the only family I have. I just want to know how he¡®s doing without bothering or letting him know I¡®m asking about him. Is that okay?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Ste¡®s tone seemed a little agitated. Sensing she was losing control, she took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°A lot has happened in thest few days... Weston, I want to know... I want to know that he¡®s safe and alive, so I can ¡°He¡®s in Compassvale,¡± Weston interrupted her. Weston¡®s eyes were dark, more intense than the night. Only her shadow reflected off of his eyes. Turbulent emotions flowed in them, like dark currents under the calm sea. ¡°He¡®s doing well. You don¡®t have to worry.¡± Ste tried to suppress the urge to cry and dropped her head. She knew Weston would not tell her the truth, but her heart pounded heavily and hurt whenever she heard him lie with her own ears. She wanted to grab him by the cor and question him for lying to her. Why? He had clearly forced Roger to death, but he could still lie to her. Was he simply heartless? ¡°Okay, I know.¡± Ste did her best to suppress the surging emotions in her heart. She tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°I¡®m relieved as long as he¡®s well.¡± Then, she reverted to her lifeless look. Weston frowned. He was keenly aware that something was wrong with her. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Did you hear something?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡®m just a little ufortable being cooped up here for so long...¡± Weston picked her up. ¡°You¡®ll get used to it in time.¡± Then, he strode into the bedroom and put her on the bed. ¡°It¡®ste. Get some rest.¡± After saying that, he nted a kiss on her forehead. When he was about to leave, Ste tugged his wrist. ¡°You haven¡®t rested for a long time either. Aren¡®t you going to sleep?¡± Weston turned around. ¡°I have some things to take care of.¡± He caressed her cheeks, ¡°I¡®ll be back with you soon.¡± Ste shook her head and looked him in the eye. ¡°I want you to sleep with me. I can¡®t sleep without you by my side.¡± Weston¡®s eyes twinkled a little because of her sudden clinginess. Ste knew he could never regret her request in this manner. Weston would rarely reject her whenever she showed weakness and reliance on him. Just as she expected, Weston¡®s gaze gradually deepened.¡± Sleep. I¡®m right next to you,¡± he said with a doting tone. Weston took off his jacket and casually threw it aside. He lifted the nket andy down beside Ste. He lifted his hand and took her into his arms. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste closed her eyes and nuzzled into his arms. She put her ear close to his chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. ¡°Don¡®t leave until I fall asleep.¡± Her seemingly domineering words softened Weston¡®s heart at once. He put his broad palm on her back and stroked her long hair. Weston looked down and kissed her on the top of her head. ¡°Don¡®t worry. P¡®ll always be there for you.¡± He thought that keeping her locked up and close to him was the right choice. Ste would resent and hate him at first, but with time, he would be the only person left in her world. Everywhere she looked, there would only be him. Her initial resentment would change and fade. Eventually , she would uncontrobly be dependent on him. Even if Ste did not want to, she could not fight her instincts. She would be so attached to him that she could never leave. She only had him as the only person in her world. Who else could she rely on? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Ste could only have him in her eyes. She could only see him in her sight. There were only two things left in Ste¡®s life: staying with him, and waiting for him to return. Whenever Weston thought of this, he vaguely felt his blood boil. The natural possessiveness and dominance in his bones made him sleepless in the dark. He opened his eyes and looked at Ste¡®s peaceful sleeping face in the dark. All he wanted was to possess herpletely , from her body to her soul. Ste became unusually well¨Cbehaved over the next few days. However, Weston could see the strong emotions brewing in her eyes whenever heid his eyes on her. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She seemed to want to spend time with him, cling to him, and pester him at all times, giving him no breaks. Ste had been this passionate before, but it was just an act. All she wanted was to get through the one year, then get away from him. Weston secretly enjoyed her passion for him, so he never exposed her acts. However, things were different now. He had a taste of what it was like to be truly loved by Ste, and an act of affection simply wasn¡®t enough now. He wanted more. Weston was on the phone with Hayden in the study. He described to him how Ste had been acting strangely. Hayden sat in the clinic and stared at the two vibrant cactus pots on the windowsill. He was a little tired after a night shiftst night. When he heard Weston¡®s question, he gradually went back to his usual spirits. ¡°Are you saying that she¡¯s suddenly very clingy? Are you worried she¡®s still putting up an act?¡± ¡°Even if it¡®s an act, it¡®ll be fine,¡± Weston said in a cool and low voice. Weston was wearing a ck and blue silk robe. He casually stood on the balcony and held a ss of red wine in his hand. He twirled it slightly and looked at the ripple on the surface. ¡°If she¡®s willing to act with me for life, I¡¯ll dly ept it. Of course, I¡®ll be more than happy to see her being serious.¡± Hayden pondered for a moment and thought for a long time. ¡°In her case, maybe she¡®s not really acting.¡± Hayden thought about it ording to his experience and found only one possibility. ¡°Maybe Ste has Stockholm syndrome...¡± Weston raised his eyebrows slightly and seemed interested. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°It is a type of psychological disorder, where a victim falls in love with its abuser. It¡®s not an umon condition. I think what she¡®s experiencing is very much in line with the principles of Stockholm syndrome.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡®m the abuser and she¡®s the victim in this rtionship?¡± Hayden heard the displeasure in Weston¡®s stone and smiled. ¡°I¡®m just an outsider. You should be clear about this. Besides, I can¡®t be sure if Ste really has Stockholm syndrome. Maybe she simply fell in love with you. Who knows?¡± ¨C He knew what Weston wanted to hear and spoke with a touch of sarcasm. ¡°Who says only crazy people fall in love with those who force themselves on them and hold them captive?¡± Hayden¡®s smile faded after the call disconnected. The pen he was spinning in his hand fell on the table. The tip of the pen dropped and split. He picked it up and tried to write a few words on the paper, but the words only came out intermittently as the ink had stopped flowing It was one of his favorite pens. Hayden was a little annoyed and put the cap on with a loud click. Then, he threw it on the table. The pen almost fell again. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Hayden rarely felt incredibly frustrated and irritated, unable to get his mind off it no matter how he tried. After flipping through the medical records, he tossed them aside again and closed his eyes. His emotions were still in turmoil. It would be hard for a doctor to heal himself. A psychiatrist was human too. They might have psychological problems as well. However , Hayden was well aware of his psychological state, and he attempted to ease his thoughts. He would not allow himself to fall into the same emotional distress as other mortals. . Despite that, it seemed like he had inevitably descended into a downward spiral. The few short days he spent counseling Ste had turned into a nightmare for him. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He opened Ste¡®s medical records, which documented her emotional state. Hayden looked at it over and over again. It was as if Ste was standing in front of him and talking to him. He kept drawing a picture of Ste alive in his mind. Sometimes, they wouldn¡®t just talk about her psychological state, but things unrted to work like daily conversations... That was not how it should be. Hayden shook his head hard. He shouldn¡®t have crossed the line and spoken too much to his patient, even if he simply thought he did. He should¡®ve treated Ste professionally as he was with Guinevere. While working , he would try to probe every thought in the patient¡®s head, trying to find out the reasons behind their emotions and thoughts. However, as soon as the clock indicated the end of work, he should¡®ve just treated them as strangers. How could he have be so unprofessional? Weston stood on the balcony, feeling the chilly breeze on the long cold night, his deep¨Cfeatured face looking cold. The few ice cubes he added to the sses clinked distinctly. The screen from theptop cast a little shadow under the bridge of his nose, making him look even more enigmatic and profound. It was difficult to read his real emotions. On the screen was arge amount of information about Stockholm syndrome. Weston spent half an hour learning about the condition and made a guesstimate on Ste¡®s chances of developing it. Hayden vaguely mentioned the possibility, and Weston already had all the ns in his head. What would he do if Ste really had Stockholm syndrome? He thought if Ste was really sick, what she needed might not be a remedy, but him. He could be her cure. This possibility made his blood rush again. It took him a long time before he calmed down, though the thoughts in his head made his body scream and tremble in excitement. Then, the door to the study clicked open. Weston looked up and looked over to the door slowly. ¡°Ste?¡± The only person who coulde and go freely from his study was Ste Ste walked in barefoot . ¡°Where have you been? Why have you been gone so long...¡± She trotted in and stood in front of him, disying a face full ofint and grump. ¡°I woke up to find you missing. Didn¡®t you promise to sleep with me?¡± Ste looked into Weston¡®s eyes and saw that they were dark. Then, she vaguely saw a surge of emotion that screamed at her, trying to consume her. Ste instinctively felt a hint of danger and backed away, but Weston grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her into hisp. ¡°Sorry. It¡®s my fault.¡± He tipped her chin and pecked her lips softly. ¡°I had a phone call just now. I didn¡®t want to disturb you, so I came to the study.¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1067 Chapter1067 Chapter 1067 Seeing that Ste wasn¡®t buying it, he cupped her face and kissed her on her pouty lips. ¡°From now, even if this happens, I¡®ll answer the phone with you in my arms, okay? I won¡®t let you leave my side ever again. Hm?¡± He sounded a little crazy and obsessed. Ste¡®s eyes flickered, and her hands shook a little. She let out a breath to suppress her slight annoyance and l eaned into his arms intimately. ¡°Don¡®t lie to me again.¡± Ste hugged his waist and tilted her head slightly, and that was when she caught a glimpse of the information about Stockholm syndrome on hisptop screen. Ste straightened and sat up immediately. ¡°What are you reading?¡± Weston moved his hand and quietly closed hisptop.¡° It¡®s nothing.¡± ¡°Show me!¡± Ste insisted. She opened theptop and nced through the information quickly. It wasn¡®t a deep and hard¨Cto¨Cunderstand condition, and she quickly understood what was happening. After reading it, Ste gradually rose to anger and showed it on her face. ¡°Weston. Do you think I¡®m sic k?¡± Her eyes turned slightly red as if she was a little aggrieved. ¡°Do you think I¡®m crazy? Do you think I¡®m cl inging to you like this because I¡®m mad?¡± ¡°I don¡®t think so.¡± Weston lowered his head to her ear and kissed her a little. ¡°I just think you should¡®ve clung to me a long time ag o,¡± he murmured as he tipped her chin and kept tasting her lips. He said, ¡°Do you know? If you had done this to me earlier, things between us wouldn¡®t have gotten so c omplicated.¡± Weston had been waiting for the day Ste could no longer live without him. He did not care about the r eason. He just liked the way Ste could not live without him. He slowly lowered his kiss from the corner of her mouth to the nape of her neck, making her neck burn from his warm breath. Ste flinched, feeling a little ticklish. Weston slid his hand under the hem of her dress and traveled up slowly, grabbing her waist. He did not stop, though, continuing his ex ploration. Ste stiffened a little and emitted a low grunt. She clenched his shoulder so hard that her nails sank into his skin, leaving a trail of scratch marks. ¡°Don¡®t¡­¡± She began to lose her breath. Weston lifted his head and kissed her chin again. ¡°So what if you turn out to be crazy? My crazy little girl¡­¡°. Weston called her that with a hint of intimacy. ¡°Are you my crazy little one, hmm?¡°. Ste refused to answer. She curled her fingers and rxed a little. Atst, she grabbed his muscr ar ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Weston chuckled softly, slowly kissing all her fingers as he whispered, ¡°So don¡®t try to fool me.¡± He looked into her eyes as if to see her thoroughly.¡° Ste, you can do anything you want under my nose, but don¡®t even think about leaving me.¡± ¡°I won¡®t leave.¡± Ste smiled and cupped his face in her hands. She observed his delicate jawline and murmured, ¡°I¡®ll always be by your side.¡± ¡®I¡®ll be by your side until I see you go to hell,¡® she thought. Warren was quick to act. He wanted Weston to understand how much he had to lose for that woman, so he let X Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Everyone knew that Warren was very fond of his youngest son, but they knew he was angry at Weston Ste, so the decision came as no surprise. Ste was quick to notice the signs. For several days, Weston stayed home and focused on spending time with her Chapter 1068 Chapter1068 Chapter 1068 The news had spread throughout Ahn City. Naturally, everyone was expecting Weston¡®s r eaction. Weston, however, seemed like he wasn¡®t taking the matter seriously. It had been days now since he showed himself, and nobody knew where he had gone. At the same time, Warren released the big news, iming that they had found a witness that could prove Ste had poisoned Zachary. This was bad news for Ste. The evidence was already pointing at her, the sudden appearance of an eyewitness only made matters worse. With all the evidence at hand, it seemed everyone was simply w aiting for her to be convicted. Tina was already very busy, and when she heard the news, she grunted and shoved the stack of docu ments in front of her. ¡°My head hurts¡­¡± Tina had worked hard on the case for so many days and even neglected Bryce because of this. The otherwyers at her firm did not dare to ept the case or even help her. Not wanting to get involved in Warren and Weston¡®s war, they refused to take any side. Only Tina did, which was in itself quite surprising. Justin came up behind her. He reached out from behind and set a ss of water on her desk. ¡°I didn¡®t think you¡®d take the case.¡± ¨C After all, it was Ste¡®s case, and he thought she would¡®ve been bothered. Tina froze for a moment before realizing that she hadn¡®t had a ss of water for several hours. Her lips were so parched that they cracked and peeled. Without much thought, she picked up the ss of water and gulped it down. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Justin frowned a little. ¡°Drink slowly. No one is going to take it from you.¡± Justin continued standing behind her, not seeming to be leaving. ¡°How long are you going to be this bu sy?¡± Tina did not even look up and went back to reading the files in her hand. ¡°I don¡®t know¡­¡± Seeing that Tina wasn¡®t really paying much attention to him, Justin¡®s frown deepened. ¡°With your current state, why don¡®t you let Bryce live with me instead?¡± Bryce was just a teenager. Although Justin had custody of him, he was still closer to his mom and often came to live with her for a while. Of course, Justin couldn¡®t say anything. However, when he came to pick his son up today, he discovered that Tina and Bryce were eating takeout. He had a lot to say about it. Justin and Tina were both very busy people. They got divorced because they were too busy and alway s fighting, unable to bnce their career and family. In the end, their love faded, and they simply drifted apart. As a result, they had never really devoted much time to Bryce a lot. Thus, if they continued to fight, it would only impact him more. After the divorce, the two were able to live together in peace. However, that was about it. Justin was very annoyed with Tina today. ¡°If you don¡®t have the energy, stop bringing Bryce over all the time. He¡®s just a teenager. He¡®s growing up. How can he eat takeout all the time?¡± Tina was looking at the information sent by the other party¡®swyer. She was irritated by Justin¡®sint and nagging. ¡°That¡®s being prejudiced to takeout meals. I often order from that store. It¡®s clean and hygienic. What¡®s wrong with ordering from it? Besides, aren¡®t ¡°At least I don¡¯t let him eat takeout,¡± Justin stressed in a harsher tone. Tina snorted coldly. ¡°Yeah, all you do is take him to eat at the school cafeteria. How is that any better?¡± Justin grimaced and was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Bryce stood in the doorway with his biology homework, looking at his parents nervously. ¡°Mom, Dad. Are you guys fighting again?¡± Justin turned back and eased his expression. ¡°No. What¡®s the matter?¡± Bryce shook the paper in his hand. ¡°I have a few questions I can¡®t answer.¡± Chapter 1069 Chapter1069 Chapter 1069 ¡°Okay. Go back to your room first. I¡®ll have a few words with your mom. I¡®ll tutor youter.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡®ll be in my room then¡± ¡°You can go.¡± Bryce turned around and walked a few steps, but he suddenly turned back. ¡°Mom, Dad¡­¡± He looked at his parents cautiously. ¡°Can you not fight?¡± Justin¡®s heart throbbed when he saw the longing and hopeful expression on his son¡®s face. He opened his mouth and tasted a l ittle bitterness. ¡°We¡®re not fighting. Don¡®t overthink things. Study hard. Your midterms areing.¡± ¡°Oka y. I¡®ll study hard. Mom, Dad¡­ Stop fighting¡­¡± After that, Bryce ran back to his room. Tina dropped her work and sighed softly. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Justin did not look at her. He only helped her put the messy papers on her desk in order. ¡°You should talk to Bryce about that.¡± Tina paused a little. She frowned, staring at Justin¡®s actions. ¡°Don¡®t touch these. They contain confident ial information.¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡®t.¡± Justin put down the file in his hand without looking at it. ¡°Sort it out yourself. I¡®ll go help Bryce with his homework. We¡®ll take him out to the moviester¡­¡± Before Justin could finish, Tina interrupted him, ¡°The movies?¡± Tina looked troubled. ¡°I don¡®t think I can make it. I still have a lot of work to do¡­¡± Tina saw Justin looking at herself expressionlessly and could only sigh. ¡°I¡®m really sorry, but I have to d o my best in this case.¡± ¡°Is this case so important to you?¡± Justin asked her. Tina nodded. ¡°It is. You know it too. I¡®ve always needed just one more case to be the topwyer in my firm¡­¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡®re already the topwyer in your firm.¡± ¡°It¡®s different.¡± Tina sighed and pressed her forehead hard. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°If I had a choice , I would definitely like to apany my son. I would go to the movies and amusement parks with him, but this time, this one is really critical¡­¡± Tina looked up and met his gaze. ¡°It¡®s the same as your performance evaluation before. You¡®re just a st ep short. Are you willing to give in to yourpetitors?¡± Justin said nothing and gave her a long look. After a long silence, he asked, ¡°Are you so invested in this case because of Ste?¡± After he asked the question, he saw Tina¡®s face slowly turn serious. Then, she asked him with a derisiv e tone,¡° What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡®m asking you a question.¡± ¡°I¡®m not,¡± Tina said, ¡°But why do I feel like you care?¡± Justin gave her a look. ¡°No need to look at me like that. It¡®s over between her and me.¡± ¡°It never started, did it?¡± Tina teased him. ¡°She¡®s been with Weston for so long. Why would she agree to marry you? I¡®m really cu you that charming? How did you win Weston¡®s woman?¡± Justin looked a little frustrated, and he cut her off. ¡°You better not show the child this mean side of yours After that, he turned to leave. The two ended up arguing again. Tina watched Justin leave and felt a slight headache. Chapter 1070 Chapter1070 Chapter 1070 Justin helped Bryce with his homework patiently. Bryce initially listened to Justin¡®s exn ation , but he slowly got distracted. As a teacher, Justin could easily sense Bryce¡®s distraction. He tapp ed his finger on his son¡®s head to get his attention. ¡°Hey. Why are you getting distracted? Your exams are coming soon. Don¡®t divide your attention elsewhere.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Bryce took the pen and doodled on the paper. He suddenly looked up at Justin and asked, ¡°Dad, will you and Mom remarry?¡± Justin froze for a moment, dumbfounded, seemingly taken aback by the question. After a short moment, Justin asked Bryce, ¡°Why the sudden question?¡± Bryce shook his head. ¡°I just miss the old days. We were always a family of three¡­¡± Justin stopped talking and looked at him steadily. ¡°I thought you¡®d gotten used to it after all these years.¡± Bryce bristled, ¡°Are there any kids that¡®ll get used to their parents¡® divorce?¡± Justinughed. ¡°You¡®re right.¡± He patted his head and asked, ¡°Are you unhappy because Mom and Dad haven¡®t been able to pay muc h attention to you?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Bryce shook his head at first, then suddenly nodded. ¡°Actually, a little.¡± ¡°So, is it a yes or a no?¡± ¡°Alright. I admit I¡®m just a little¡­¡± Bryce pinched his fingertips and gestured, ¡°Just a little bit.¡± ¡°If you¡®re unhappy, just say it. It¡®s not like I¡®m going to scold you.¡± Justin nudged him in the head. ¡°What. Are you afraid that Mom will get mad at you?¡± Bryce scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I was afraid you two would be upset.¡± After that, the father and son stopped talking about the matter of remarriage. Bryce was still a kid, but he was grown enough to read his parents¡® faces. After Justin guided him through some questions, he closed the door to the study and turned to leave. As soon as he walked out, he saw Tinaing out of the other room. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Tina looked past him to the room behind him. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He¡®s doing his homework,¡± Justin replied. However, when he saw how relieved Tina looked, he suddenly changed to a slightly more serious demeanor and asked,¡° What¡®s the status of Ste¡®s case now?¡± Justin wanted to know when Tina¡®s busy days would end so she could focus on preparing for Bryce¡®s m idterm. Tina found his question strange. ¡°Are you trying to get Ste¡®s information from me?¡± Justin admitted frankly, ¡°Yes, but if it¡®s inconvenient, you don¡®t have to tell me.¡± ¡°You¡®re so honest.¡± Tina sneered. ¡°You still can¡®t forget about her at this point. You¡®re really loyal in love.¡± Justin frowned a little. He identally blurted out, ¡°Will you hurt her because of me¡­¡± As soon as he said that, he realized he had crossed the line. He did not finish his sentence. However, Tina clearly understood his implied meaning and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What do you take me for? Do you think I hurt others for my private interest in the name of work?¡± Tina got a little worked up. ¡°I¡®ve told you before. I epted the case for my own career. It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°I know, sorry. I didn¡®t mean to¡­¡± Justine said apologetically. ¡°You clearly did!¡± Tina red at Justin and refused to say anything else. She turned around and stormed away without looking back. Justin watched her leave and rubbed his brow in slight regret and annoyance. Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 The door behind him opened with a creak, and Bryce¡®s tiny head popped out. He looked at him and asked, ¡°Did you just argue with Mommy again, Daddy?¡± Justin sighed helplessly and pushed his son¡®s head back out. ¡°This is an adult problem,¡± he scolded his son. ¡°You¡®re just a kid. Stay out of it.¡± The family ended up deciding not to go to the movies after all. Under Bryce¡®s begrudging gaze, Justin told him to go back to his room and do his homework. Tina was still angry at Justin, so as soon as she finished her dinner, she quickly went back to work without saying a word to him. ¡°Wait!¡± he suddenly stopped her. ¡°Have you ever thought about us getting back together?¡±. ¡°What?!¡± Tina froze. She could hardly believe her own ears. Justin sighed and took a step towards her. He looked straight into her eyes and earnestly asked her, ¡°Have you ever thought about us getting back together?¡± ¡°You¡®re¡­¡± Tina was still in shock. ¡°You¡®re joking, right?¡± ¡°I would never joke about this,¡± he replied, his eyes still fixed on hers. The truth was, he could already guess what she was thinking from her reaction. He still would not give up, though. ¡°Weren¡®t you the one who suggested that getting back together would be good for our son?¡± At the time when Tina suggested they get back together, Justin was thinking about getting together with Ste, so he refused her offer. Back then, he thought it would be pointless to repeat the same mistake. Buttely, he had been thinking about a lot of things. He realized that there was no longer any need to pursue love and romance at their age. ¡°Bryce said he¡®d like us to get back again,¡± he exined. ¡°He¡®s in the middle of his high¨Cschool entrance exam right now, so I thought, for his sake perhaps...¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± Tina interrupted him. She looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡®t think I can agree...¡± Justin fell silent for a long time before he responded,¡± Why not?¡± In fact, he could hazard a guess about what she would say Original content from N?velDrama.Org. from how she acted, but for some reason, he still would not give up. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that if we got back together, it would do our son a lot of good?¡± ¡°That is true, but I...¡± Tina paused, not knowing how to continue. After hesitating for a while, she looked into his eyes and admitted the truth. ¡°I have a boyfriend now.¡± The appearance of the new eyewitness was a dark foreboding. Even Ben, far from an expert, knew that Ste would more than likely be convicted as the murderer now. ¡°What should we do now, Mr. Ford? The eyewitness from the mansion is adamant that Mrs. Ford is the perpetrator In fact, after sleuthing around, he even found out that the other side had acquired a lot of evidence to support the eyewitness¡®s testimony. Weston perused the documents sent by thewyers from the other side and fell silent for a good while. ¡°How is Guinevere Cohen behaving right now?¡± he finally asked. ¡°Her side is not willing to budge at all...¡± Weston raised his brows. ¡°Set up a time for me to meet her,¡± he instructed. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ford.¡± As he had not set foot in thepany thesest few days, all the documents had basically been sent to him here. Once he looked through them, he would give them some basic feedback, and that was it. Most of the decision making authority had now been handed over to Xavier Ford Once Ben had left, Ste suddenly walked in and wrapped her arms around Weston¡®s waist from behind. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± she asked. ¡°I saw Ben looking really grim just now...¡± Weston naturally had no intention of letting her know all the worrisome stuff that had been happening lately. He took her hands, turned around, and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Don¡®t worry about it,¡± he assured her. Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and with a gruff voice, asked, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± It had been nothing short of a wild night. Weston even lost control and inadvertently hurt her. Ste¡®s cheeks blushed softly. Although they had been giving each other the silent treatmenttely, she was surprised at how prepared he wasst night with all the tools and toys. Between the smooches, Ste asked while panting heavily, ¡°Why do you sometimes use those things and sometimes not...?¡± ¡°Do you prefer that I use them or not?¡± Weston responded to her question with another question. Seeing that her blush only deepened, he chuckled softly and enfolded her in his embrace. ¡°I might have to go out tonight,¡± he told her. ¡°Why?¡± Ste frowned, looking at him with displeasure.¡° Why can¡®t you just stay here with me and not bother yourself with all the problems out there?¡± ¡°You know I want that too, Ste, but things aren¡®t as simple as you think.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she suddenly let go of him. ¡°You¡®re trying to help me escape the charges, aren¡®t you?¡± The man did not speak. Ste turned away from him, not wanting to see him. ¡°I told you I didn¡®t do it, so why do you still refuse to believe me?¡± ¡°And I told you that none of those things you said matter,¡± he argued. ¡°What¡®s important right now is to minimize the severity of your sentence as much as possible.¡± ¡°So you still don¡®t believe me,¡± said Ste. ¡°You didn¡®t even answer my question...¡± With reddened eyes, Ste looked at him and asked, ¡°You believe , like everyone else, that I¡®m the kind of woman who would kill a child, don¡®t you?¡± Weston said nothing. ¡°I understand,¡± she suddenly wiped her tears dry. ¡°You don¡®t have to exin anything.¡± She turned her back towards him and added, ¡°You can go now. I¡®ll be right here waiting for you.¡± Over at the Old Cohen Mansion, Guinevere was all dolled up in avender dress that made her look smart and N?velDrama.Org ? content. elegant. She poured Weston a cup of tea and quietly took a seat beside him. ¡°I never thought I¡®d get another chance to pour you a cup of tea at my own house. I thought you would never set foot here again after our engagement ended,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡®s cut to the chase,¡± he interrupted, unwilling to delve into all that nonsense with her. ¡°What do I have to do to make you drop the charges against Ste and sign a waiver?¡± ¡°Do you still remember back when we were still at school,¡± she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.¡° When you and Henry always came to my house to y? Henry was always so jealous of you. He says I¡®ve always favored you more than him and that it¡®s unfair....¡± Weston¡®s brows knitted as he listened to her thering about the past. ¡°What exactly do you want me to do for you to let her off?¡± he interjected. Guinevere put the teacup down on the table. ¡°Is there really no trace of affection left between us at all?¡± she asked while looking at Weston with reddening eyes. ¡°Everything used to be so perfect between us. Is all that going to be ruined just because of that woman, Ste?¡± ¡°The fact that our rtionship became what it is now has nothing to do with Ste,¡± he argued. ¡°Even without her, we still...¡± ¡°Of course it has everything to do with her!¡± she cut him off agitatedly. ¡°Don¡®t even bother making excuses! I know you¡®re only trying to protect her! If that woman hadn¡®t appeared, we would¡®ve married happily long ago!¡± Her eyes then turned vacant, as if she was reminiscing about something. ¡°We used to be so happy together... How did we even get to this point...?¡± Weston tapped his finger lightly on the table. Guinevere knew that this gesture meant he was starting to lose his patience. She chuckled bitterly and said, ¡°He was our son, Weston. Do you really not care about his death at all just because of that woman?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± In the end, that was all that Weston responded with. C Guinevere¡®s eyes shed with hatred and indignation, seemingly triggered by Weston¡®s cold indifference. ¡°Will you agree to do anything that I want?¡± she asked. Weston tore off his tie irritably, ¡°Only if you get to the point while I still haven¡®t lost my patience with you.¡± Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 ¡°Okay, then.¡± Guinevere wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and sniggered before continuing, ¡°I want you to divorce her and be with me instead. Can you do that?¡± The ck Maybach drove away from the Old Cohen Mansion. When Mrs. Cohen noticed that Weston had left, she went into her daughter¡®s bedroom to find her. Guinevere was obviously in an excellent mood. She was even humming a tune to herself as she pulled out all the dresses in her closet andid them out, looking over each of them one by one. ¡°Gwen... What are you doing, honey?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Guinevere turned around as soon as she heard her mother¡®s voice. She smiled and continued, ¡°Come over and help me choose the best dress!¡± The way Guinevere was acting made Mrs. Cohen feel a little anxious. ¡°Is something wrong, dear? Did Weston refuse to do what you asked...?¡± ¡°No,¡± Guinevere replied with a big grin. ¡°He agreed. He¡®s finally agreed to marry me!¡± She picked up a dress and pressed it against her body to see how it looked. ¡°After so many years,¡± she said, sighing softly, ¡°he ended up marrying me after all.¡± ¡°Is this true, Gwen???¡± asked Mrs. Cohen. ¡°He didn¡®t...¡± ¡°Of course it¡®s true!¡± Guinevere interrupted, then asked with displeasure, ¡°How could you not believe me, Mom?¡± Mrs. Cohen said nothing. She kept looking at her daughter with eyes full of doubt. Guinevere sighed and walked up to her mother. ¡°Stop worrying about me,¡± she insisted. ¡°My dream finallyes true now, so you should be happy for me instead...¡± ¡°Of course I¡®m happy for you, dear. But I also feel a little ... sorry for you.¡± Mrs. Cohen couldn¡®t quite exin the anguish that gued her heart. ¡°Did you... agree to do something for him so he¡®d...¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Guinevere replied with a smile. ¡°I promised to drop all charges against Ste Sealey and sign a waiver.¡± Mrs. Cohen froze for a moment before exploding in a massive fit. ¡°Have you gone mad?! How could you even consider signing such a thing?! Don¡®t you understand that as soon as you sign a waiver, Weston will certainly find a way to minimize Ste¡®s sentence as much as possible? Then they¡®ll file an appeal, and that woman might end uppletely off the hook!¡± ¡°So?¡± Guinevere shrugged indifferently. ¡°If I don¡®t sign the waiver, then Weston will never agree to marry me...¡± ¡°But how could you let Zack¡®s murderer off just so you could marry Weston?¡± ¡°But, Mom! I have no other choice...¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Guinevere tossed the clothes in her hands aside and sat down on the bed. ¡°I didn¡®t want to let Ste off so easily myself, but this might be my only chance to marry Weston. I can¡®t just let this opportunity slip through my fingers!¡± T Mrs. Cohen suddenly felt as if she did not know Guinevere at all. For a split second, she even felt that the woman in front of her wasn¡®t her daughter but aplete stranger. Later, when she revealed what had transpired to her husband , he fell silent for a long time before he finally said, ¡°Let her do what she wants.¡± ¡°From now on,¡± he sighed, ¡°I just don¡®t want to interfere with her problems again.¡± Once she had gotten Weston¡®s agreement to marry her, Guinevere could not wait to spread the happy news. However, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen thought it was a little too embarrassing, so they did not want her to announce it publicly. But even so, many people in their circle still got wind of what happened. Most of them were skeptical that Weston Ford would want to marry Guinevere Cohen, though none were surprised that he was about to divorce Ste Sealey. After all, no one would want to stay married to a murderer, especially not if the victim was their own child. Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 Ste had truly started living the life of a bird in a golden cage. After Zachary Ford¡®s death, there was even more reason for her to be locked up inside all the time, for as soon as she stepped outside, she would be instantly hit by a barrage of assaults. Not only would she be hounded by packs of reporters, but there were also numerous others aiming to attack her. Warren Ford and the Cohens were also eager to snatch her up at the first opportunity and throw her into the gallows. Perhaps their wedding was a bad omen after all. Ever since the day the press dubbed it ¡°The Caged Wedding,¡± Ste had befittingly be the woman in the gilded cage. Ste saw Joan hanging up the phone in chagrin, so she asked, ¡°He¡®s noting home again today, is he?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Ste didn¡¯t seem half as disappointed as Joan was. In fact, she even spoke exceptionally calmly. Joan couldn¡®t tell what she was thinking, but she could sense that the girl was just pretending to be strong. ¡°Mr. Ford has been swamped with worktely,¡± Joanforted Ste. ¡°He might be tied up for now, but as soon as he gets some time, I¡®m certain he¡®ll be home and be by your side, Mrs. Ford...¡± Ste smiled and asked, ¡°Do I look like the lonely wife waiting for her husband toe home every day?¡± ¡°That¡®s not what I meant ...¡± Joan corrected her, fearing that she might have said something wrong. The truth was that she had been hearing rumors about Weston¡®s change of feelings towards Guinevere and how he had spent much more time with her these two days. But Joan was certain that these were all just false rumors. She had witnessed first¨Chand how much Weston Ford loved Ste Sealey and knew about the animosity that existed between Ste and Guinevere. So how could Weston even consider getting closer to Guinevere? Lately, she had been spending most of her time at Stardust Mansion caring for Ste. Perhaps these were rumors spread by thosepletely clueless about the truth of the matter. Judging by Guinevere¡®s character , if all these had been true, she would have proudly announced it publicly so that everyone would know about it. Yet to Joan¡®s surprise, she soon discovered that Guinevere had posted a photo of Weston Ford to her circle of friends on Moments. It looked like they were having dinner together. The background of the photo was a ck marble table. Only Weston¡®s silhouette could be seen, but it was unmistakably him. The photo gave off an air of warmth and intimacy, clearly suggesting that it was a photo of her lover. But the apanying words were even more unambiguously suggestive. ¡°No matter how far I¡®ve wandered, I¡®ll alwayse back to you in the end.¡°. Joan almost stopped breathing. She just could not tell what Weston might be thinking. Did he not care about exonerating Ste anymore? Guinevere Cohen and her family had been trying to frame Ste for young Zachary Ford¡®s murder, and they were determined to let Ste rot in prison. As her husband, Weston should be doing all he could to help Ste. Why was he spending his time with Guinevere instead?! ¡°What¡®s wrong, Joan?¡± Ste suddenly appeared behind her. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked Joan again. ¡°Why do you look so upset?¡± ¡°It¡®s nothing...¡± Joan quickly hid her phone away and forced a smile. ¡°Anyway, since Mr. Ford won¡®t being home tonight, should we go ahead and have dinner?¡± Ste initially nned to wait for him, but judging from what Joan had just said; she was probably suggesting they shouldn¡®t wait for him anymore. He was already having dinner with someone else anyway, Joan thought. She was sure that he would not be coming home tonight. ¡°I¡®ll go prepare your dinner now, Mrs. Ford. You should eat something first.¡± Ste could see that Joan was being evasive, and she quickly understood something but remained silent. She nodded and returned to the piano room. All Ste did during the past few days in the Stardust Mansion was practice the piano. Apart from ying the piano, it seemed there was really nothing else that she could do. Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 Besides ying the piano, all she ever did was wait for Weston toe home. Now that he wasn¡®ting home, she was clueless as to how she should spend her time. As Ste ate, Joan looked at the lonely figure sitting there all by herself and was reminded of that photo she saw on Moments and couldn¡®t help but sigh, feeling incredibly sorry for Ste. Ste had been waiting for Weston toe home, yet he was somewhere else enjoying his dinner with another woman. Joan had no idea if Weston was nning something secretly, but even so, could he not inform Ste about it first? Why would he leave her here all alone with all those thoughts and questions in her head? Meanwhile, at Golden Eve Apartments, Guinevere had just taken the photo and posted it to her circle of friends when she noticed Weston getting up and leaving. She quickly put her phone away and rushed towards him. ¡°Are you leaving already, Weston?¡± The man was wearing his usual white shirt and ck trousers that entuated his wide shoulders , long legs, and lean body. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± he asked, looking up slightly to nce at her. Guinevere went up to him and rested her hands on the marble table. With a self¨Cdeprecating smile, she said, ¡°I asked you to have dinner with me, and you really just had dinner and nothing else...¡± ¡°If there¡®s nothing else,¡± he said, cing his suit jacket on his arm and ncing at the time, ¡°then I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°You¡®re going back to Ste Sealey, aren¡®t you?¡± By that point, Guinevere knew that things hade so far that there was no point in acting all jealous toward Ste or causing a scene in front of Weston. He had promised her, and she knew that he was not the kind of man who broke his promises, so all she had to do now was patiently wait for him to leave Ste ande back to her. She knew that, yet she was still foolishly bothered by the fact that he was going back to Ste. As she expected, she soon saw Weston frown and his voice turned icy cold as he replied, ¡°I thought I¡®ve made myself very clear ¨C as long as she is still notpletely let off the hook, then there is absolutely nothing between 1. us. Nothing at all.¡± He had only agreed to stay for dinner because she had promised to sign a waiver and drop the charges against Ste. Guinevere knew this more than anyone else, yet she was still inevitably hurt by it more than anyone else. ¡°If it hadn¡®t been for her, you wouldn¡®t even give me a second look, would you?¡± Weston said nothing, but his silence said it all. ¡°I clearly knew the answer,¡± Guineveremented with pain in her voice. ¡°Yet I still insisted on humiliating myself by asking you that kind of question... sometimes I just wish that I never loved you so much.¡± She had never been the person who wanted to appear vulnerable; in fact, she had always been a little proud, to the point of arrogance. Yet now, thanks to Weston, she had be the woman she detested the most in the past. ¡°Do you remember that it was you who gave me this apartment ...?¡± She wiped the corners of her reddening eyes and pretended to be calm andposed. With a smile, she continued , ¡°I¡®ve kept it up meticulously and stayed here every now and then. Every time I remember that you used to live in this ce, my heart fills itself with a sense of belonging.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡®s just a house to me,¡± Weston touched his brows. ¡°But to me, it¡®s like a home,¡± Guinevere smiled bitterly. Back when they were still engaged, they were supposed to be living together, but Weston would always stay in this apartment instead. This was his personal space, a ce he would let no one else in. Guinevere dreamt that one day, he would invite her to this ce. Her wish was eventually fulfilled when Weston gave her this apartment. Yet, to her dismay, he ended up never returning ever again after that. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 In the end, Weston insisted on leaving. Guineverepletely expected this to happen. She watched as he went away, reminding herself not to be too impatient, yet deep inside, she still felt extremely powerless. She leaned against the door and slowly slumped down to the floor. When Weston got to the underground parking lot, he received a call from Ben. ¡°Mr. Ford, we¡®ve got the test report you asked for.¡± ¡°Send it to my email,¡± he instructed while turning the steering wheel. Later, in the car, Weston tapped the screen of his phone and read through the test report. In the next second, his eyes turned cold and frosty. Even Ben, who had beenpiling the documents, froze for a moment when he first read the report. He could hardly believe his own eyes. How could there be traces of oleander poison in the cup too? He remembered that the cup was found in Weston and Ste¡®s room, so how did the oleander poison end up there? Ben suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility, and his back was soaked in a cold sweat. He rushed to give Weston another call. ¡°Mr. Ford, there¡®s one test report I¡®ve just sent you whose reliability I¡®m not entirely sure about. Perhaps they made a mistake...¡± ¡°But you oversaw the whole process didn¡®t you,¡± Weston interrupted him, knowing exactly which report Ben was referring to. ¡°Yes,¡± Ben replied. ¡°Our team oversaw the entire testing process, so there shouldn¡®t be a mistake.¡± As soon as he finished the sentence , he hastily added, ¡° But the staff might¡®ve been careless, or something might¡®ve gone wrong during the process ¡­ Don¡®t worry, Mr. Ford. I¡®ll have them redo it immediately!¡± ¡°No,¡± Weston answered in a raspy voice. ¡°We¡®ll continue with our original n. Arrange everything necessary and contact every member of the board of directors. I¡®ll meet them one by one.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Ford...¡±, Ben was still soaked in cold sweat when he hung up the phone. If he was not mistaken, then the person who left the poison there... was probably Mrs. Ford. But why would she want to poison Weston Ford? And if that was true, did that mean she was also the one who poisoned Zachary Ford? Could the allegations be true after all? Besides, there were only Weston and Ste¡®s fingerprints on the cup. Weston couldn¡®t possibly have tried to poison himself, which meant all evidence pointed towards Ste The more Ben thought about it, the more confused he became. Initially, he had always been skeptical about Ste being Zachary¡®s alleged killer, but he wasn¡®t so sure anymore. He could not help but think of how cruel women could be. Once their love was gone, they were capable of doing anything to you. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He even used to believe that he knew Ste¡®s character very well. Thus, he was sure that there must have been some misunderstanding. He sighed and called his parents back in his hometown, telling them to cancel the blind dates they set up for him. For the time being, he was just too afraid of women. Meanwhile, in the underground parking lot... Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Under the dim lights, Weston¡®s car had been parked there for a long time and still hadn¡®t moved. His eyes were as dark and inscrutable as the pitch¨Cck night. He had gone through the test report over and over again, but the results were still the same. He still could not find a difference from what he had read before. He covered his eyes with the back of his hand to block the harsh light from the elevator entrance. The look in his eyes was colder than winter frost. He then suddenly stepped on the gas pedal, and the car lurched away, like an arrow shot from a bow. He wanted to rush back to Stardust Mansion. He wanted to question Ste. She actually wanted to kill him. How ironic. But once the monstrous rage had simmered down, he suddenly didn¡®t feel like seeing her anymore. He was afraid that the moment they met, he would not be able to stop himself from strangling her to death. ¡® He kept changing routes. He had initially nned to call Joan, but he kept his phone on silent and headed straight toward the sanatorium Henry Moore was at without sending her a word. Henry had been discharged from the sanatorium a while ago, but because of Angelina Thompson, he had to return. Weston found his room with ease. When he pushed the door open, he saw a familiar woman leaning on Henry¡®s bed, asleep. Henryy on the bed with a book in hand, quietly flipping through the pages. The whole scene looked peaceful and harmonious. Hearing the door open, Henry looked up and raised his brows when he saw Weston standing there. ¡°What an honor,¡± he stated with a smile. ¡°I thought you¡®d be too busy to go anywhere these days. Who would¡®ve thought you¡¯d spare some time to visit me?¡± Weston shot him a quick nce and gestured at Angelina with a jerk of his chin. Without saying a word, Henry quickly understood what Weston meant. ¡°She insisted oning to take care of me,¡± he exined. Weston snickered before finding himself a ce to sit beside Henry and settling down. He then closed his eyes to rest for a while. But the snicker just now really hit Henry¡®s nerves. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°What was that supposed to mean?¡± he demanded. ¡°You don¡®t believe me, do you?¡± He then put his book down and continued, ¡°This woman finally left me alone, but the Ste Sealey conundrum happened, and she¡¯s returned again. She¡®s been pestering me day in and day out, trying to get some information from me... trying to find out how Ste Sealey is doing right now...¡± Weston finally opened his eyes when he heard Ste¡®s name. He nced at the sleeping woman nonchntly andmented, ¡°It seems she¡®s surrounded by friends who really care a lot about her...¡± ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Henry teased him. ¡°Don¡®t tell me you¡®re jealous of them?¡± Angelina slept on,pletely oblivious that news about Ste that she was so desperate to hear about was discussed in front of her. Weston massaged his brows, looking extremely exhausted. ¡°I don¡®t want to talk about her today.¡± Henry turned to him with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, ¡° Are you guys having a row?¡± Weston said nothing. It prompted Henry to observe him even more closely now. ¡°The rumors can¡®t be true, can they? That woman didn¡®t actually kill your son, did she?¡± He then continued, ¡°Tsk tsk. The jealousy of a woman really is such a terrifying thing.¡± Angelina was suddenly roused from her sleep, probably because Henry¡®s voice was too loud. She got up and rubbed her eyeszily before asking, ¡°What time is it?¡± Henry looked at her indifferently and made no attempt to answer her question. Angelina was already used to such cold treatment from him, so she just yawned and looked up when a handsome and familiar face greeted her. She froze for a moment ¨C She thought she was still dreaming. So it was true that the things that upied your mind the most during the day would appear in your dreams. Angelina had been talking about Weston Ford non¨Cstop during the day, and seeing him in her dream surprised her. She rubbed her eyes again and again, suddenly feeling like something was wrong. Why did this dream feel so real? ¡°You¡®re not dreaming,¡± she heard a cold voiceing from above her head say. ¡°He really is right in front of you. You can ask him anything you like.¡± It was only then that she suddenly reacted. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± she cried. She sprang to her feet and frantically asked, ¡°What are you doing here? How is Ste right now? Are the rumors true? I heard Guinevere Cohen and her family, along with Mr. Warren Ford, are determined to bring Ste to justice. People on the inte are saying that things are looking really bad for her right now. Is that true? If it is, then what will happen to her? Will she go to jail?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 She basically blurted out all the questions that had been on her mind. Henry¡®s brows twitched as he listened to her, before he impatiently cut her off. ¡°What do you think you¡®re doing? Interrogating him?¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry...¡± Angelina looked at Weston¡®s cold expressions and tried her best topose herself. Atst, she chose to ask him the one question she cared about the most. ¡°Is Ste ... doing okay?¡± She saw the man¡®s eyes darken and hisrynx move up and down. However, after a while, all he did was turn toward Henry and tell him, ¡°Since you have a guest, I¡®d better make myself scarce.¡± As he spoke, he got up and left the room. ¡°Mr. Ford! Mr. Ford!¡± Angelina ran out after him in a hurry. ¡°We¡®re all really worried about how Ste is doing...¡± she told him. ¡°Could you please at least tell her that we all miss her... that no matter what help she needs, she always has me, Yvonne , and Bradley Lane by her side?¡± Weston stopped abruptly and turned around to look at her. Angelina had always known that he was an intimidating man, but she was still petrified by the look he just gave her. ¡°If it¡®s inconvenient,¡± she sputtered, ¡°I could just tell her myself when I see her...¡± When she returned to Henry¡®s room, she could not help butin to him. ¡°Are you really Weston Ford¡®s friend? He¡®s such a cold man. How could you even stand him?¡± ¡°I don¡®t have to. Only Ste has to stand him.¡± Angelina was a little upset when she heard this. ¡°Don¡®t you think Weston Ford is too possessive?¡± she asked. ¡°What right does he have to treat Ste like his property? He wouldn¡¯t even let her friends ask about her! Is Ste an inanimate object owned by him and him alone?¡± Henry continued to flip through his book. Hearing herints, he did not even look up at her when he replied, ¡°None of this concerns you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± she argued. ¡°We¡®re all concerned about Ste. Weston is just simply too selfish! Does he really think Ste shouldn¡®t contact anyone else but him?¡± ¡°Can you be quiet?¡± Henry was starting to get a headache from her endless grumbling. ¡°If you can¡®t, then just stay away.¡± ¡°Why did you have to be so cold? I came here with a sincere intention to help, you know...¡± ¡°Help me with what? Help re up my old sickness again? And bother me all day?¡± ¡°I didn¡®t mean to bother you. I just felt guilty for bumping into you, so I wanted to take responsibility for what I did...¡± ¡°You just wanted information about Ste from me, didn¡®t you? Well, you got it now, so you should leave.¡± Henry saw through her and exposed her without any hesitation, causing Angelina to blush instantly. ¡°How can you say that...?¡± Although it was true that she wanted to get information about Ste, her intention of taking care for him was actually sincere. Henry suddenly paused and looked at her. ¡°Haven¡®t you heard them say that you actually look like Faye, and that¡®s why you¡®re trying to get close to me?¡°, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Angelina¡®s eyes widened.¡° That¡®s all nonsense!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Henry sneered. ¡°I¡®m d it¡®s not true.¡± ¡°What I hate the most,¡± he added, ¡°is a woman who just doesn¡®t know her ce.¡± Angelina started to feel like he was acting really weirdly. ¡°And what I hate the most is a man acting all weird and saying iprehensible things!¡± she eximed. Henry was speechless for a moment. He massaged his brows, suddenly feeling a throbbing headache. ¡°Can you go now?¡± he asked. Angelina got up and said, ¡°Well, since I¡®ve expressed my honest intentions, taken care of you for many days, and even paid for your medical expenses...¡± Before she could finish speaking, Henry waved his hand impatiently and interjected, ¡°You won¡®t ever need toe back here.¡± Previous Chapter This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Angelina finally learned something about the situation surrounding Ste today. Although it was all very upsetting, and she still did not know Ste¡®s condition in the end, at least she found out about one thing¨Cthat she could never tease any information out of Weston¡®s mouth. Even though she actually met Weston Ford himself, she still ended up getting no information about Ste. At least he made her finally give up the undertaking entirely, and she would still thank him for that one helpful deed. Angelina picked up her bag and looked at the time. It was already veryte. She was just about to call a friend to pick her up when something in the distance of the underground parking lot caught her eye¨C it was Weston Ford, and he was with another woman. She paused. That woman was not Guinevere Cohen¨Cin fact, she was quite sure she had never seen this woman before. But that face somewhat reminded her of someone else, especially her eyes and eyebrows ¡ª she seemed to bear a slight resemnce to Ste. Angelina dashed behind a nearby pir to hide. Those two could not see her now, enabling her to eavesdrop on their conversation. Belle was a little rmed when she saw Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, what are you doing here?¡± She then scanned her surroundings and added a little nervously, ¡°I just came back to Ahn City because I have some business to attend to. I¡®m leaving immediately after I¡®ve dealt with everything...¡± Weston leaned against the car door while smoking a cigarette. Exhaling a faint cloud of smoke, he nced at her, asking, ¡°What kind of business?¡± Belle pursed her lips when she heard the question before deciding to honestly admit, ¡°An old friend from Lowe Garden told me she could introduce me to a new job...¡± Back then, she was forced to leave the city because of Guinevere Cohen. Although she received heftypensation from Weston Ford, thanks to her being ustomed to avish lifestyle, it did not take long before she spent her money once she returned to her hometown. Owing to that, she thought she could find a ce where she could return to her old job again. She shouldn¡®t havee back to Ahn City, though. Guinevere Cohen would never let her reappear in Weston¡®s life ever again. If Guinevere were to ever find out that she was here, she would certainly not let her off the hook and attempt to eliminate her as she did in the past. But Belle did not expect to meet Weston here either. She carefully regarded him and asked, ¡°Miss Cohen isn¡®t anywhere nearby, is she, Mr. Ford?¡± Noticing her anxious and wary looks, Weston tapped the ashes off his cigarette twice. ¡°You seem very afraid of her.¡± Belle lowered her eyes and looked aggrieved when she told him, ¡°She¡®ll be upset if she sees me. I wouldn¡®t dare to provoke her either. Besides, I¡®ve heard you¡®re back with her againtely...¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡®re fully up to speed about things,¡± Weston sneered, but he lookedpletely indifferent with no discernible expression. Belle was actually quite smitten by this man, but she was also afraid of him because she could never guess what was exactly on his mind. Having followed their news after she left Ahn City, she knew everything that had happened to them. The engagement party and the wedding were so extravagant, not to mention how the oleander poisoning turned out to be such a massive scandal; one would actually have to live under a rock not to be up to speed. She heard that Guinevere Cohen and Weston Ford had been getting much closer to each othertely. Many even spected if they were going to rekindle their rtionship. Belle had no idea if any of that was true, but she knew one thing for sure¨Cif Guinevere Cohen were to ever see her, she would be taught a harsh lesson. She had nned to stay away from Weston Ford forever, but after her short stint of poverty, the sight of a rich, handsome man suddenly induced her with courage and audacity. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, being with Weston Ford once was something she could boast about for the rest of her life. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Weston didn¡®t ask much of Belle when they were together. At most, he would go to Lowe Garden to meet her once or twice, and even then, he never allowed her to get anywhere near him. But that was good enough for her. She could still remember how all the other women gawked at her with unmistakable envy in their eyes. Even if she did nothing besides apany him, Belle would still feel completely satisfied. Weston was simply the most unforgettable man she had ever been with, and no one came close to being as strikingly handsome , wealthy, mature, and powerful as he was. She even got a little carried away sometimes, especially when she got to see his body up close. It would be then that she would almost forget the horrifying lesson Guinevere taught her. She had always been kept on her toes, kept eagerly waiting to see what this man could offer her. Back at the Golden Eve Apartment, although Guinevere reminded herself that she did not want to appear possessive and jealous, she still could not help herself from sleuthing around Weston¡®s movements and whereabouts. She had expected him to go straight back to Stardust Mansion, but to her surprise, he had gone to a completely different ce. Lowe Garden. Lowe Garden was situated right on the border between Ahn City and Fern City. They operated a shady business, so this location made it the safest and most convenient for them. Everyone in the elite circle knew Lowe Garden was the exclusive version of a high¨Cend club, a ce for the rich and powerful to have fun. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. They operated under a membership system , so joining the club simply because you had the money was completely out of the question. Inside, a variety of services were offered to their members. It was, after all, a ce where wealthy men would go to enjoy themselves, so the club strove to provide its best in every aspect and catered to their every whim and fancy. Guinevere clenched the phone in her hand tightly. ¡°Was he really at that ce?¡± she asked. ¡°I saw him with my own eyes, Miss Cohen! He even brought a woman with him!¡± Guinevere shot up to her feet. ¡°What woman?!¡± She thought of Belle; the presumptuous woman who had once dreamed about bing Weston¡®s mistress and the one who was eventually forced out of Ahn City by Guinevere herself. In this regard , Guinevere considered herself to be much better than Ste. If Ste truly loved Weston, it would be impossible that she wasn¡®t at least bothered by that woman¡®s existence. But Guinevere was also certain that no one else ever loved Weston as much as she did. She truly believed this in her heart. ¡°Keep an eye on her,¡± she ordered. ¡°Check the woman¡®s background. Make sure Weston knows nothing about this.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Cohen¡­¡± She hung up the phone. If she found it difficult to fall asleep before the call, she found it impossible to sit still now. She started to wonder why every time Weston made a promise to be with her, he would immediately do something and upset her like this. He had never been the kind of man to fool around with women. Even though he asionally went to socialize at ces like Lowe Garden, he rarely ever let any woman near him. He had always been a dignified man, soaring high above everyone else; always unreachable , always unattainable. As long as he did not want them to, those women would never have the audacity to touch him, let alone throw themselves at him. Besides, for the entire time he was with Ste , rumors about him fooling around with other women had never floated around. So why was it that every time he promised to be with her, he would start to mess around with women? Guinevere thought of one possible exnation, and it made her face turn pale as a sheet. He didn¡®t do it on purpose, did he? Not only was Weston a remarkably talented businessman, he was also frighteningly good at manipting people. So, could he be taunting her on purpose, or could it be his way of telling her that even though she finally found a way to force him to be with her, she would never get what she truly wanted? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 He also wasn¡®t going to be the man she wanted so obediently. In Lowe Garden, under the dim light, the man put two ice cubes into his ss of champagne. Lively music yed in his ears. Weston nced at the girl who was ying the piano. She was wearing a butterfly mask. He asked casually, ¡° What is she ying?¡± He remembered that Ste yed it before in Stardust Mansion. He was not a big fan of music. Although he learned the basics when he was young, he quickly turned to learning the financial stock market instead. It was only because Ste liked it that he roughly learned about it a littleter. His question prompted the manager to sh a ttering smile. ¡°Mr. Ford, she is our new girl, and she¡®s amazing on the piano. If you like her, I will get her to y for you in your private room. How does that sound?¡± Weston was only asking about her casually, but when the manager advertised her so diligently, he swept a nce at her. ¡°Why is she wearing a mask? Is she very ugly?¡± The butterfly mask she wore nearly covered the entire face of the girl. The manager smiled as soon as he heard that. ¡°Of course not! How could an ugly persone to our ce? They are all beautiful in their unique ways. She is wearing a mask only because she is too beautiful!¡± The manager continued to promote the girl. ¡°But she wants to focus on ying the piano, so...¡± Heughed sneakily. They were all men, after all, and it wasn¡®t too hard to understand such a ruse. Belle, who was beside Weston, seemed dissatisfied. ¡°Mr. Manager...¡± After putting in so much effort to get to Weston¡®s side, she thought it would surely be her stage tonight. Who knew that a neer would suddenly appear? ¡°What¡®s the big deal about being able to y the piano?¡± she muttered, thinking that she could even dance... Weston rubbed his brow, seemingly having lost his patience. ¡°Let them alle here.¡± The manager was overjoyed. ¡°Fantastic! We will arrange it immediately!¡± Although Weston didn¡®t go to Lowe Garden frequently, he had an exclusive private room there. He would never stay long in a ce where others had fun. The manager knew this man¡®s temper well enough and attempted to butter him up while leading him into his private room. ¡°Don¡®t worry, Mr. Ford. No one else uses this room, and it is bright and spacious! If you need anything, just tell me and we will get it done for you, by hook or by crook!¡± The manager¡®s boisterous behavior annoyed Weston, and his dissatisfaction showed on his face. The manager was very good at reading people¡®s minds, so he promptly shut his mouth and prepared to leave. Before he left, he whispered to the girl in the white dress. ¡°Usually, you can put up a show, but you must never offend this guest. He is a big man. If you offend him, we won¡®t be able to run our business anymore, understand?¡± The girl nodded. She looked somewhat cautious and restrained. After giving her the reminder, the manager nodded to Weston respectfully and said, ¡°I will go out right after I talk to her. Little Butterfly just turned eighteen, and she is not very knowledgeable in certain things, so I am worried that she might upset you. If she does anything wrong, Mr. Ford, please do not hesitate to teach her. She is still young, so you can teach her...¡± The manager squinted his eyes, and his words overflowed with obscenity, especially when he mentioned the girl¡®s age. The girl wearing a mask felt awful. She hated being sold like amodity. Belle could not watch it anymore and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Manager. I am here. I will teach her properly.¡± ¡°Then I shall be relieved.¡± The door of the private room was closed. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Belle put on a friendly smile and reached out to grab the girl¡®s arm. ¡°Don¡®t worry. Mr. Ford is the most gentlemanlike man I have ever met...¡± She tried to be a kind sister, but the girl wearing the butterfly mask drew her arm with some disgust, said nothing, walked past her, and went to Weston. It was as though she was disgusted by Be. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Feeling humiliated, the woman sulked instantly. Was this girl just disliking her for being dirty? Wasn¡®t she the same as her? She did not deserve the right to dislike her! But she did not dare to say anything in front of Weston, so she only grunted in annoyance. ¡°It seems this little sister does not like me, Mr. Ford. I...¡± Weston was irritated by her. ¡°Shut up.¡± Belle widened her eyes in shock. She felt exasperated. The girl wearing the butterfly mask could not help but chuckle, delighted to see Belle not getting any advantage in front of Weston. Weston raised his eyes and looked at her, sizing her up. Belle immediately came forward and said, ¡°Don¡®t be angry with her, Mr. Ford. She is still a little girl who does not quite know the rules...¡± Listening to her clumsy exnation, the little girl felt even more ridiculous. Even she could see that Weston was irritated by her noisiness. Yet she still tastelessly tried to please him. The girl thought of herself as a bit high¨Cminded. She thought she was fundamentally different from a woman like Belle since she did not sell her body but only her skills. This was why they could still see a hint of arrogance and nobility in her eyes, even with a mask on. Weston lit a cigarette and said nonchntly to Belle,¡± You can go now.¡± Belle was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Ford, have I done something that upset you¡­¡± ¡°You are too noisy.¡± He looked at her indifferently. ¡°Wait in the room outside and go out when the time is up.¡± Belle was already very familiar with this routine. When Weston came for her previously, it was probably like this every time. Sometimes, he would watch her sing and dance if he was in a good mood, but if he wasn¡®t, he would simply make her wait in the room outside. When the time was up, she would go out. It might seem to the outsiders that they spend the night together, but she knew very clearly that Weston never touched her. He was an extremely squeamish man. Not to mention touching her, there had never been any physical contact. He always seemed dignitary. His long bony fingers were on his knees while he slowly cleaned them one by one with a wet tissue as if a person¡®s touch was profanity rather than tter. Belle got up and left, knowing the routine well. However, the girl with the butterfly mask obviously could not understand the situation. If Weston did not like Belle, he should just let her leave. Why did he make her stay outside and let her off only after the time passed? Was he trying to make people think that Belle was well ¨C liked by him? Was he giving her some face? But he certainly did not look like that sweet of a man with his attitude just now. Weston closed his eyes to rest, then opened them slightly. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Seeing her still standing there dumbfounded , he asked coolly, ¡°y the piano. Do you need me to teach you?¡± The girl came to her senses right away. She nodded and rushed to the piano. ¡°What song do you want to listen to?¡± Her incredibly sweet voice melodiously filled the room as she spoke, and he could tell that she wasn¡®t very old. Weston doubted whether she had even turned eighteen. Anyway, he was not interested in it. He tapped his finger on the table lightly, reminded of the tune Ste would always y on the piano, ¡°A Maiden¡®s Prayer, Op. 4.¡± The girl froze for a moment. She put her hands on the keys and was a bit taken aback. ¡°This is also my favorite piece...¡± He frowned but said nothing. The way the girl looked at him was a little different now. She had been working here for some time. Before she reached her legal age, Lowe Garden was quick to use her juvenility as a selling point, and only arranged for her to perform musical performances. Previous Chapter Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 She couldn¡®t deny that the management here really knew how to leverage the preferences of those men. Easily attainable things weren¡®t deemed as precious. They had to be hung far above the treetops and over the bright moon before they could evoke any desire to be picked. Those men would always gawk at her lustfully, dying for her to y a song for them. However, no one could say a name when she asked them what song they wanted to listen to. The girl knew clearly that these men did not know or even liked music. Their concept of music was merely something of an appetizer or a catalyst for something else. This man was an exception. He seemed to have no regard for those things. This made her feel that he was different from those men who just wanted to y with her. Besides, he was excessively handsome. This was very attractive to a girl who had just stepped into society. Although she worked here for the money, she hated it and found it vulgar. If she were not forced to do so, she would¡®ve never sacrificed her dignity just for a petty dime. She always thought of herself as someone different, far superior to those women around her. She always felt that she was nobler than them. This was why she held a demeaning attitude toward Belle. As she began to y the piece, her mind was a mess, and she made several mistakes. Weston frowned. ¡°Is that the best you can y?¡± The girl felt embarrassed by his interruption. ¡°I am sorry. I will start over...¡± He even knew that she yed some wrong notes? The girl¡®s face blushed very unusually. However, she quickly calmed herself down to y the song in its entirety. After that, she regted her breathing and finally did not make any more mistakes. When she finished, she looked at Weston, anticipating hisment. To her surprise, he did not react much to it and rubbed his temple. ¡°Wait outside with her.¡± The girl was shocked. ¡°Mr. Ford, I...¡± ¡°You can¡®t understand?¡± ¡°No, I just...¡± She pressed the corners of her lips and said, ¡°I can also y other songs for you if you want to listen to any.¡± ¡°No need. Wait outside with Belle.¡± His words were aloof and direct. The girl clenched her fists as she felt his dismissive attitude. Dissatisfied, she defended herself. ¡°I am not like her. I am not that kind of woman.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston opened his eyes and looked at her with a slightly twisted face. He wasn¡®t even slightly interested in the kind of woman she was. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± The girl said, ¡°The manager asked me toe over and y the piano for you, and that was what I did. He doesn¡®t allow me to do the stuff Belle does, so I mustn¡®t stay with her.¡± Her statement sounded ridiculously childish. Weston sneered. ¡°You think you are very different from her?¡± ¡°Not very, but I¡®m just not like her,¡± insisted the young girl with a strained neck. He stared at her for a moment. There was a certain stubbornness in her eyes that was simr to Ste¡®s. ¡°What¡®s your name?¡± Her eyes fluttered, and she looked down to hide her inexplicable shyness. ¡°I am Nicole Dous. My friends call me Nicole.¡± ¡°Nicole Dous.¡± He said her name once, thinking that the name sounded nowhere nearly as good as Ste¡®s. ¡°I see. Go to the manager tomorrow morning, and he will give you what you want.¡± Nicole blushed and gently clenched her fist. ¡°Mr. Ford, perhaps you might¡®ve misunderstood something? I¡®m not trying to get your money.¡± M ¡°Whether you want it or not has nothing to do with me. To me, this is a done deal.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 The word ¡°deal¡± deeply stung the tender heart of the young girl. These days, even those men who had the word ¡°deal¡± clearly written on their faces would coax her. No one would say that word directly in front of her face. Weston¡®s words just now were like a p in her face, leaving her ashamed and, at the same time, a little annoyed, ¡°Mr. Ford, I think you misunderstood. I just y the piano, you may be used to treating me with the same attitude as you treat that woman outside , but I want to tell you that even if I work here, it doesn¡®t mean that you can trample on my dignity!¡± Weston flicked the ash off his cigarette. ¡°So?¡± The embers between his fingers glowed brightly in the dim surrounding , exuding a cold sense of misanthropic decadence. Nicole raised her head, stretched her neck, and said, ¡°I make my money with my own hands, so I don¡®t take your insults!¡± She said proudly, ¡°If you are interested in me, you should pursue me openly like the other men in Lowe Garden, and you should get in line.¡± Westonughed out loud as if he had heard something funny. ¡°Pursue you? Do you think that those guys are pursuing you?¡± Nicole frowned. The contempt in his words made her feel sick. ¡°I am not a fool. Of course, I know what their pursuit means, but at least they respect me.¡± As if desperate to prove something, she continued arguing her case with Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, I¡®m not going to be like that woman out there who would immediately offer herself up the moment you beckon her.¡± Weston did not ce his eyes on her again and asked the manager toe and take her away. The manager was stunned upon arrival and questioned her quietly beside her ear. ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡®t I ask you to serve him well? Were you stubborn and offended him?¡± Nicole felt aggrieved and insisted resolutely, ¡°I did not. It¡®s Mr. Ford who does not like me.¡± She swept a nce at the calm man. Seeing that he wasn¡®t taking her seriously, she grunted angrily,¡° Manager, if there¡®s nothing else, I¡®ll leave first.¡± ¡°Hey! You...¡± Seeing her strutting off, the manager was so angry that his head throbbed. He could only appease Weston first for fear of upsetting him. ¡°Mr. Ford, I¡®ll teach her a lesson right now...¡± Finding them to be a nuisance, Weston made them all wait outside. His phone was sitting quietly when suddenly, he picked it up and disabled the do¨Cnot¨Cdisturb mode. Joan did call a few times, but there were no other messages. Ste had been so clingy these days that she behaved like someone with Stockholm syndrome, though she had never actually contacted him on her own. She never seemed to care when he was not in Stardust Mansion. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Only when he returned to the mansion would she put on an act. It felt so real. The man¡®s eyes shed with a hint of self¨Cdeprecation. He actually believed it. It was such an obvious act, yet he couldn¡®t see through it. If it were not for the test report, knowing that Ste was trying to kill herself, he probably would not be suspicious of her right now. Weston ordered some drinks and gulped down a few sses. Under the dim light, his dark eyes seemed even stiller and colder. His finger rubbed over the familiar number, but he still did not dial it. He stood up, grabbed his jacket, and turned to go out. Belle was drowsy from all the waiting. When she saw himing out, she stood up hurriedly. ¡°Are you leaving, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man walked past her and headed straight out. Belle was reluctant to let him go, and she was about to go after him when a sudden thud from one of the rooms in the corridor caught her attention... ¡°Do you really think you are something?¡± A slender figure was thrown out of the door, only to be dragged back by the ankle. The woman raised her head, her face covered in tears. ¡°I said that I don¡®t sell my body!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 ¡°Nicole?¡± Belle looked at her in surprise. ¡°Why do you...¡± Nicole had just upset Weston, so the manager felt that if he didn¡®t give her a lesson, it would cause him a big mess in the future. It just so happened that a big client had been very interested in her. He had a preference for young girls, so the manager made Nicolee over. However, little did he expect Nicole to get angry and refuse to serve the client properly, not to mention making the client lose his patience and p her twice. She broke down immediately, crying and wailing that she wanted to go back. ¡°I¡®ve said it already that I don¡®t sell my body!!! You cannot force me...¡± When she saw Weston, her eyes shone with hope as if witnessing her savior. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± The moment she shouted for him, she saw that man walking past in front of her without even giving her a second take. All she saw was his handmade leather shoes gradually moving away from her, clicking away on the translucent marble floor. It was as if he had gone to a different world, leaving her in the dusty spot. Belle also looked at her gloatingly for a few moments, not intending to go after Weston. ¡°Weren¡®t you very arrogant before this? Now you know how to beg for mercy.¡± In the parking ce outside the gate of Lowe Garden, Weston sat in the car, embers glowing red between his fingers. He had quit smoking for some time but started again recently, though the cigarettes could not suppress the restlessness in his heart. In the end, he made a call to Ste. It was already midnight, and there was no answer. He did not care that Ste might be asleep and kept calling, determined to wake her up. It took a long time for the call to get through. Ste¡®s voice came on the line, as he had hoped. She sounded sleepy, obviously having been woken up earlier. ¡°Hello? Are you back?¡± she croaked in her husky voice that was thick with sleepyziness. Weston took a long drag and exhaled a huge cloud of smoke. ¡°Ste, do you want me to go back?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The woman who wanted to kill him was now pretending to be deeply in love with him. He wanted to know how far she had perfected her acting skills. Ste sobered up a bit. She took her phone with her and leaned against the bay window, staring outside at the night sky. ¡°I was waiting for you? Where did you go?¡± ¡°You didn¡®t wait for me. You fell asleep.¡± Weston did not hesitate to expose her. Ste didn¡®t know why he suddenly became so difficult to coax. After a pause, she asked gently, ¡°So are youing back?¡± Weston did not say anything. The final drag he took from the finishing cigarette almost burned his fingertips. Just as he stepped on the gas to pull out, a petite figure ran out through the gate of Lowe Garden ¡°Let me go! Let go of me!¡± Nicole¡®s face was covered in tears, and she ran out in her thin white dress, followed by the security guards who were chasing after her. Weston watched steadily as his eyes darkened. ¡°Ste, have you always wanted to leave me?¡± Ste¡®s breathing became heavier, but she said nothing. She noticed that Weston must be in a bad mood, so she did not speak for a while. The man suddenlyughed. ¡°I won¡®t being home for a few days because I have some work to do. I¡®ll have Tina contact you before the trial.¡± After saying that, he directly hung up the phone. He then turned off the phone, threw it into the shelf, turned off the engine , and pushed open the car door to get out. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Ste did not feel like sleeping again after hanging up the call. She was leaning against the balcony window. Underneath her feet was the soft carpet that Weston had laid throughout the vi to prevent her bare feet from getting cold by stepping on the floor. Although Weston told her countless times that she was not allowed to get out of bed barefoot, he still had the entire vi carpeted just in case. He had always been meticulous. Ste could not help but think that he was like an obsessivepulsive, infiltrating her life in every detail. His mind could retain every single detail. He took care of her in every way but never respected her thoughts. Maybe he really wanted her to suffer from Stockholm syndrome, which for him was not a disease but a crowning sess. If she really got used to his presence and gradually softened into his tenderness, she would be the most miserable person in the world¨Cbecause once Weston pulled away and left her where she was, she would be at a loss. It was too dangerous to fall for such a man. The news that Weston had taken a young girl from the gate of Lowe Garden soon went viral. There was another woman who was with him that night. Belle. So, gossip soon spread that Weston had been seen with two women at Lowe Garden at night¨Cone of them was a young woman who had just turned an adult and a gifted student at a nearby art college. When Guinevere heard the news, she swept all the bottles and jars off the table and onto the floor. ¡°Sluts! They are all sluts!¡± She originally nned to put on light makeup and have dinner with Weston, only for him to decline her invitation half an hour ago. She thought it was because he didn¡®t have the time due to work¨Crted matters, or maybe he was apanying Ste , but she did not expect him to be in Lowe Gardenst night. She had warned Belle long ago to stay as far as she could from Ahn City and to never return. It seemed she should have taught her a hard enough lesson that it would knock her paralyzed. Guinevere¡®s eyes gleamed a little wickedly. And the girl called Nicole was such an insolent girl. ¡°I want those two women to never step into Ahn City again. As for the one before , chop off both her feet, and for the one who yed the piano, scrape her hands. You know what to do!¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Cohen.¡± After she finished giving the order, she let the servant tidy up the messed¨Cup bedroom. Mrs. Cohen walked in at the sound of her voice and frowned when she saw the scene in front of her. ¡°Why are you suddenly losing your temper again?¡± She sat next to Guinevere, put her hand on her daughter¡®s shoulder, and sighed. ¡°You need to restrain yourself. I know the news that came outst night made you ufortable, but your father was already very unhappy that you used the family¡®s connections to deal with those irrelevant people. Now, you¡®re making a scene again...¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Guinevere interrupted her, feeling rather aggrieved. ¡°I, too, do not want to trouble the family and use our connections to do something risky, but I really can¡®t stand it anymore. I cannot stand any of the women that appear around him!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She could noty a finger on Ste because Weston protected her too well. Her best chance to get rid of Ste had long passed. She failed to ensure Ste was really dead on that rooftop two years ago. Couldn¡¯t she teach that woman called Nicole and Belle a lesson now? The more she argued , the more emotional she became. When Mrs. Cohen saw that her eyes were already tinged with a touch of madness, she immediately stopped talking. She did not dare to provoke her daughter any further. Previous Chapter Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 ¡°We will let it go this time, but you have to be more careful in the future,¡± she reminded her as requested by Mr. Cohen. ¡°Someone has been investigating the power behind our family. There should be someone trying to drag us down...¡± Mrs. Cohen continued, ¡°Although nothing¡®s happened so far, we still need to be careful. After all, this is a critical time when our family will run for the President of the Chamber of Commerce¡­¡± ¡°I understand, Mother. Don¡®t worry,¡± Guinevere interrupted her. She wasn¡®t taking this matter seriously. There were just too many dirty facts in the circle of affluent families. Behind almost every family was some gray power that was hidden from the public, used to deal with clients unsuitable to be dealt with in the open. Even in a huge event like Warren¡®s birthday party, they could capture the acid attacker, throw him into the basement immediately, and silently get rid of him. Her tactics, however, were simplymon, well ¨C tested methods that the underworld often employed. These actions were naturally unsightly if they were to be done on the surface. The kidnappers she sent over to kidnap. Ste were also the secret forces that were difficult to locate. Nheless, to be on the safe side, she still took care of those people one by one. The leader of the kidnappers that was in Weston¡®s hand also died some time ago, so no one would find out it was her. It was just the same now. She wanted to get rid of the woman secretary. She nned to do it on Ste at first, but removing the thorn from the flesh seemed to be the most pressing issue now. A woman who was overwhelmed by jealousy had little sense left in her. She even thought of dragging Ste into this because she didn¡®t want to bear this jealous rage alone. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She knew Joan had been checking her socialwork profile, so she nned to make Joan turn against Ste by offering her a sky¨Chigh sry. Joan, however, remained unmoved and stayed on Ste¡®s side. This only made Guinevere hate Ste more. Why were all these people on her side? She seemed to be taking everything away from her all the time. It wasn¡®t something she could let her get away with. She posted a post that was only visible to Joan, dispelling the rumor using the tone of a wife. [I heard rumors about Weston? He didn¡®t go to Lowe Gardenst night. He was at Golden Eve Apartment. How am I so sure? I hope you don¡®t take s?ch gossip to heart.) The attached photo was a picture of her having dinner with Westonst night. In Stardust Mansion, Joan soon saw the news through the socialwork, and her face changed immediately, thinking that something bad must¡®ve happened. Could it be that Weston and Guinevere had reconciled? Then what about Ste? If the two got back together , Ste would definitely not be spared by Warren and the Cohens. Was Weston really going to give Ste up? Joan did not want Ste to see the mess at first, but after thinking about it, she still felt that she should still let Ste know, so she could be prepared and stop feeling so dejected. ¡°Mrs. Ford¡­¡± She knocked on the bedroom door. ¡°I don¡®t know if I should tell you, but...¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Ste only nced at the post before she put her phone aside and said, ¡°Guinevere doesn¡®t need to dispel the rumor. It should be true,¡± ¡°It can¡®t be.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Joan put away her phone in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Ford is not that kind of man...¡± Besides, she had heard of what kind of ce Lowe Garden was, Weston would go there to socialize, but how could he possibly have anything to do with those women? She had been working with them for so long and had never seen Westone homete on any day. Even if there was something at work, he would always inform Ste Although he had been isting her these days, she still believed that Weston was not that kind of man. He always maintained his moral integrity when he was with Ste. Ste pressed her lips together and said nothing. She began to wonder why Weston¡®s attitude toward her had suddenly changed in the past two days. Maybe it was really as Joan feared, that he had rekindled his romantic rtionship with Guinevere and left her aside as he suddenly felt that she was no longer interesting If she had thought about that earlier , Ste might have felt relieved But now... She clenched her fists at once and looked out the window, hatred surging inside her eyes. Roger was dead, and she did not know what she could still live for. Even if he let her go, where would she be able to go? The world was sorge, yet she couldn¡®t find a ce she could go to. He wanted to destroy everything she had and abandon her again. How could she let him have his way? Weston woke up in his bedroom. He got up and pushed the door open. When he got out, his nostrils were immediately permeated by the fragrant smell of fooding from the kitchen. When Nicole heard the noise, she came out of the kitchen, wearing the apron, and looked at him shyly.¡° You are awake.¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± She lowered her head, already ustomed to his coldness, and said softly, ¡°Last night... thank you. If it were not for you, I really wouldn¡®t have known what to do.¡± At first, she was a bit irritated by his disrespect for her, butst night, her manager sent her to that old man and almost made her... When she ran out with all her might and saw Weston about to leave in his car, she looked at him pleadingly but there was no hope in her heart. When she was thrown out by that man from the private room, he cast her an indifferent look and walked away, leaving only his determined back to be seen. She thought that she was doomed this time... but Weston unexpectedly opened the door and got out of the car. He was light a beam of light who granted her salvation. ¡°I have nothing to repay you...¡± Nicole said, ¡°I can cook well. Would you like to try?¡± She subsequently made a simple bowl of noodles with a sunny¨Cside¨Cup egg lying on top. Weston nced at it for a moment when a throbbing pain struck his temples. He chased her away impatiently. ¡°You can go now.¡± Ste also liked this dish. She had a poor appetite, but she could eat quite a lot of this every time. He did not want to think about Ste, so he did not go back to Stardust Mansion. But he was reminded of her everywhere. She seemed to be everywhere. Nicole had somewhat adapted to his bad temper. Although still a little hurt, she knew that he wasn¡®t a bad person. ¡°It¡®s okay. I¡®ll leave it here. If you don¡®t want to eat, then don¡®t.¡± After saying that, she smiled, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°My cooking skills are okay, but you might not be used to eating home¨Ccooked food like mine, and I don¡®t know what you usually like to eat, so I just made a small...¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Her mumbling only made his headache worse. He opened the door directly and gestured for her to leave. Nicole looked at him, wanting to say something, but then stopped. Finally, she took off her apron and bowed respectfully to him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ford. I will definitely repay you. I will also pay you back the money I owe you...¡± Bang! Weston mmed the door shut. Nicole stared at the door with indefinable feelings growing in her heart. This man was not as forsaken as he appeared to be. He was obviously a kind person! Why else would he have saved her yesterday? With the money he gave her, she could go back to school with peace of mind and no longer be cornered by debt. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. That was a good thing. It was good to meet him. Themotion outside woke Lucas up. He walked out of his bedroom wearing slippers. ¡°She¡®s left?¡± He came to Ahn City on a business trip and did not expect to bump into these two people in the middle of the night. At that time, he saw Weston wanting to leave this young girl on the street. From the young girl¡®s cries, he learned that Weston had rescued her from Lowe Garden. Lucas knew what kind of ce Lowe Garden was, so he could roughly guess the story behind the problem as soon as he heard this. It should be a story of a rich man rescuing a girl on the spur of the moment. However, such a man would generally help the girl to the end. Why did Weston do things halfway and try to leave her on the street? He could just give her some money and tell her to go anywhere she wanted and leave him alone. Lucas knew this man. He was a very picky human, meaning that he would never bring a woman back apart from the one he chose. ¡°Didn¡®t you give the Golden Eve Apartments to Guinevere ? What¡®s wrong with having one more Nicole now?¡± Weston didn¡®t even look at him. He unbuttoned his shirt casually and sat at the bar while sipping his drink. ¡°Why are you being so unhealthy, drinking so early in the morning?¡± Lucas walked over to him and habitually took a ss of warm water for himself. Weston gave him a look. ¡°Are you already this weak at this age?¡± Lucas wasn¡®t angry, and he merely shook his head. ¡°You don¡®t understand. This is called health preservation. When you get into your forties and find your body going downhill, but realize that am still about the same, you will know why I drink warm water.¡± Weston sneered and took his jacket. ¡°Bye.¡± Lucas stood behind him. ¡°Leaving so soon after I did you such a big favor? Nicole stayed at my ce last night. If Yvonne finds out about this, I¡®ll get an earful from her.¡± When talking about Yvonne , Lucas¡® eyes softened a bit. Weston was not in the mood to listen to his show of affection. He also knew that he just wanted to inquire about Ste for Yvonne, so he said coldly without turning his head, ¡°Mind your own woman, and don¡®t let her bother Ste again.¡± ¡°They are close friends.¡± Lucas shrugged helplessly. ¡°I don¡®t feel the need to interfere in a woman¡®s friendship.¡± Weston nced coldly at him ¡°You seemed to disapprove of her hanging out with Ste before.¡± ¡°Are you holding a grudge?¡± Lucas walked to him. ¡°It¡®s because you did not even give her a status in the first ce that I was worried she might be a bad influence on Yvonne.¡± Weston sneered. ¡°Who can influence someone with that personality?¡± He closed his eyes. Ste... He wanted to escape from her, but he saw her everywhere. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 ¡°Seriously, what¡®s wrong with you?¡± Lucas looked at Weston and felt that something was off.¡° Hayden told me that you and Ste are not in the right state of mind at the moment. Don¡®t avoid the doctor if you don¡®t feel right. An illness should be treated as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Weston opened the door and left. Lucas looked at his back and shook his head with a smile. Not long after Weston left, the doorbell rang again. Lucas rubbed his eyebrows and opened the door. The moment he opened the door, a petite figure came scurrying in. ¡°Where is that woman? Where is she?¡± Yvonne sniffed at Lucas¡® body like a hound dog. ¡°Say it! Where did you hide that woman?¡± Lucas¡® face darkened, and he looked at the little woman who had rushed here in a hurry, pushing her away against her forehead. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Someone saw you bringing back a womanst night. What happened?¡± Lucas asionally traveled for business, and he had a house in this city where he would stay when he was on business trips. Yvonne asked, ¡°Who is that woman? How long have you been with her? Is she from Ahn City? Are you with her every time youe over for business?¡± Yvonne bombarded him with a barrage of questions. Lucas¡® face was very gloomy. ¡°It¡®s okay for you to be jealous, but don¡®t go overboard.¡± He tapped his finger on the table in annoyance. ¡°Are you stalking me?¡± She frowned for a second, then poured herself a ss of water and drank it in one go. Watching her throat move up and down, Lucas did not even have time to stop her before she had already swallowed the entire ss of ice water. He walked up to him, snatched the ss in her hand, and set it aside on the table with a loud thud. ¡°Do you know that you¡®re about to get your period, and drinking ice water now will hurt you to death?¡± ¡°Don¡®t change the subject!¡± She red at him. ¡°Who the hell is that woman? Tell her toe out now. Don¡®t wait until things get ugly for you both!¡± Lucasughed at her. ¡°There is no woman.¡± ¡°You must¡®ve told her to leave!¡± ¡°I told you, there is no woman...¡± Lucas sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Weston was herest night. It was him who brought her here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yvonne was shocked and jumped onto her feet right away. Her reaction was more violent than just now. ¡°He got himself another woman again?¡± When she realized what was happening, she became very disheartened and banged on the table. ¡°I thought he¡®d settle down and treat Ste well after he married her! But what is happening now?¡± ¡°You should let him cushion the blow.¡± Lucas knew that nothing was going on between Weston and Nicole, so he spoke up for him. Besides, not everyone who had gone through the loss of a son could recover so quickly. Whether or not Ste was the killer, the two of them would have to endure this test of their rtionship. Yvonne exploded. ¡°I knew you men would only find excuses for men! After such a big incident, Weston wasn¡®t helping Ste to clear her name but was ying around with women instead. The rumor that he was at Lowe Garden yesterday was all over the news!¡± Speaking of which, Yvonne was furious. ¡°And what¡®s going on with him and Guinevere anyway? Why do I hear people saying that the two of them are getting back together, while some say that Weston is divorcing Ste to be with Guinevere?¡± Lucas found the way she was concerned with something to be cute. Anyway, she shouldn¡®t be worrying that much about other people. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°You just need to know that there¡®s nothing wrong with Ste right now, and don¡®t worry so much about the rest.¡± ¡°How can I not care? They said Ste killed someone !¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Yvonne said so much that she got angry again. She was so furious, she had to drink ice water to calm down. Lucas grabbed her wrist and stopped her from leaving. He pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°You¡®ve been talking about Stetely. Why are you so mad? Don¡®t you care about your body? Have I been too indulgent with youtely, Yvonne?¡± ¡°I¡®m worried about my friend. What¡®s wrong with that?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. VI Yvonne gave him an angry thump on the shoulder. She did not use much force. Instead, it seemed like she was throwing a tantrum and whining at him. Lucas grabbed her hand and kissed the back of her hand.¡° Since you¡®re here, stay with me on my business trip. I have to go to the hospitalter. Will you wait here for me ore with me?¡± Yvonne legend on his shoulder. ¡°Well, you¡®re quite sincere, so I¡®ll apany you to the hospital.¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°I knew it. You¡®re just so clingy.¡± Yvonne said she would not miss him whenever he went on a business trip. Even so, she would always sneak over to him after two days. Perhaps Yvonne had disyed her aggressiveness earlier as an excuse to cling to him. Yvonne suddenly asked with some concern, ¡°Will you get tired of me one day?¡± The two had been very close since they were young, and Yvonne would always follow Lucas around. Lucas pretended to think about it and then told her with a serious face, ¡°It¡®s possible . So behave and don¡®t annoy me.¡± Yvonne immediately put on a face and grunted.¡° Whatever! I don¡®t care!¡± Lucas¡®s eyes gradually darkened without her noticing. He sighed in his heart. Somehow, she would never understand that he was deliberately making her cling to him like this. The next day, at the Ford Corporation building. The incident yesterday did not affect the work, but there were still some rumors. Even Ben asked Weston tentatively about the rumors.¡° Are the rumors true?¡± Weston replied with a cold stare. Ben did not dare to ask any more questions and concentrated on the investment work. Weston was in his office. He looked at his phone and saw no message from Ste. When he realized what he was waiting for, he felt silly. He should have seen through her acting. Why would he think she would be jealous? Ste would only act in front of him. She thought she could fool him. Ste did not even bother to act whenever he was absent. Perhaps, she did not care at all. Maybe his absence from home for a few days was what she wanted. When Weston was about to tell Daisy to bring in the files, his phone rang suddenly. He nced at the screen, and his gaze stopped. It was a call from the mansion. Weston did not want to answer it at first. Perhaps Ste realized that he had not been back in thest few days, which made her reflect on her acting. She should not just stop her acting on the surface . Perhaps she should also use those skills in his absence, so she called to act out her jealousy and envy. Weston believed that everything Ste said was untrue, especially when she said she loved him. Even so, he picked up the call anyway. He said nothing and waited for Ste to speak on the other end of the call. ¡°Weston...¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Do you not want me anymore?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Weston drove home at breakneck speed. The ck Maybach raced to its top speed on the highway. After what Ste said, Weston hung up the phone and headed straight for the mansion. The one sentence she said hit him hard. Weston rested his wrist on the steering wheel as a hint of self¨Cdeprecating emotion shed in his eyes. Since when could Ste easily affect his emotions? Ben called on the phone. ¡°Mr. Ford, the foreign business attaches are waiting for you in the meeting room.¡± ¡°Push it back. We¡®ll start by showing them a preview of the n.¡± ¡°When will you officially meet them?¡± Weston nced at the time. ¡°Tomorrow afternoon.¡± Ben¡®s heart thumped. It seems Ste will suffer today, he thought. ¡°Okay, Mr. Ford.¡± Ben was about to go out after ending the call when he saw Daisy ncing around in the hallway. As Ben came out, Daisy hesitated before she went up to him. She asked, ¡°Mr. Sullivan, does Mr. Ford have something urgent?¡± She had never seen Weston so anxious before, especially in thepany. He was always at ease and rarely lost his cool like earlier. Ben sighed a little and said nothing about Weston¡¯s matter. He only told Daisy about Weston¡®s orders. Daisy noted it down. She could not help but ask him, ¡°Did Mr. Ford leave to meet Ms. Cohen... or Ms. Sealey?¡± Ben furrowed his brow a little, thinking Daisy¡®s question sounded inappropriate. She had overstepped the bounds, so he politely reminded her, ¡°How¡®s your rtionship with... How are you with Mr. Xaviertely?¡± Daisy froze a little. She did not expect Ben to ask that. Ben had always been slow on such matters. He was good at his job and socialworking, but he was almost clueless regarding rtionships. ¡°Mr. Sullivan, I didn¡®t mean anything. I¡®m just...¡± Daisy paused a little. Then, she smiled apologetically. ¡°It¡®s just the rumors I heard in the past two days... I thought it would do some damage to Mr. Ford¡®s image, so I asked you the question. Maybe I sounded a little unprofessional. Sorry.¡± Daisy¡®s apology wasContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. sincere, and Ben believed her. He nodded. ¡°It makes sense that you are worried. Mr. Ford should be able to handle it.¡± ¡°That¡®s great,¡± Daisy exhaled and said. ¡°If there¡®s nothing else, I¡®ll go back to work?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± As soon as Daisy turned around, her expression changed. After that, she returned to her workstation without any expression on her face. Then, her colleague came over and said, ¡°Ms. Daisy, a woman was looking for you. She ims to be your younger sister!¡± Daisy rubbed her brow and stood up. ¡°I see. Where is she now?¡± ¡°The receptionist told her to wait for you in the lobby.¡± Daisy responded with a hum and hurried there. She could see Nicole sitting in the lobby with a childish¨C looking shoulder bag from a distance. Nicole looked nervous and insignificant but straightened her back, not wanting to be looked down upon. A hint of annoyance shed in Daisy¡®s eyes. She strode up to her and lowered her voice as she said in Nicole¡®s ear,¡° This isn¡®t the right ce to talk. Come with me.¡± Nicole stood. Before she could say anything , Daisy had turned to leave. When Nicole saw Daisy¡®s determined back, her eyes darkened a little. She followed her in stride anyway. Then, the two walked into a storeroom. Daisy nced out and closed the door. ¡°Say it. What do you want?¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 Nicole watched Daisy¡®s actions and smiled sarcastically. ¡°Am I such an embarrassment? Are you so afraid that others will look at me as your younger sister?¡± ¡°Don¡®t waste my time by saying such meaningless things.¡± Daisy cut her off and said, ¡°I have work to do. Just say what you want.¡± With that, she paused a little and gave her a meaningful look. ¡°I didn¡®t think you¡®d find out where I work.¡± ¡°That¡®s because you even blocked my phone number!¡± Nicole clenched her fist for a moment. Nicole saw Daisy¡®s expression turn obscure. She exhaled and calmed down, not wanting to bring up their old scores at such a time. ¡°I¡®m not looking for you this time. I¡®m looking for a man.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°His name is Weston.¡± Daisy froze for a moment. Then, she looked at her intently and showed a helpless, amused, and sarcastic face. ¡°Why are you still the same as before? Are you daydreaming again?¡± ¡®How could Nicole meet Weston so casually? Is he that kind of man?¡® Daisy wondered. ¡°No. I just want to thank him...¡± Nicole lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°He helped me a lot. He paid off my family¡®s debts and allowed me to return to school.¡± Nicole sounded very sincere. Daisy gathered herposure and looked at Nicole in silence. Nicole looked up into Daisy¡®s eyes. ¡°Daisy. I found out that you¡®re Mr. Ford¡®s secretary. Can you pass the message on to him? I would like to thank him personally.¡± Seeing Daisy¡®s look of disbelief, Nicole took out something from her bag. ¡°Mr. Ford left this watch at my cest time, but it broke identally. I¡¯ve repaired it for him. Can I give it to him in person?¡± Daisy inhaled sharply. Then, she looked at the young girl seriously. ¡°When did you meet him?¡± ¡°1... ¡± Nicole refused to say. ¡°If you don¡®t tell me, I won¡®t pass the message.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Nicole then stammered and told her the story. Daisy¡®s face changed. ¡°How dare you! How dare you sell yourself at such a ce?¡± ¡°Don¡®t be so nasty. I just y the piano there... Don¡¯t forget. You¡®re the one who left our grandparents and me behind!¡± Daisy took a deep breath as the past was brought up again. She snatched the watch away from Nicole and warned her, ¡°Anyway, you can¡®t afford to mess with someone like Weston. If you see him again, stay away from him. Otherwise, I can¡®t help you if something happens.¡± Meanwhile, at the Stardust Mansion. Weston drove his Maybach through the gate and saw Ste¡® standing on the frontwn. She was tendering to a flowering tree. When Ste saw the caring in, she stopped what she was doing and looked at him from a distance. Weston got out of the car and walked in. Joan was not expecting Weston toe back suddenly. She was a little excited and went forward. Before she could say anything, Weston walked right past her to Ste. He picked Ste up and walked towards the door. ¡°Ah... ¡± Ste gasped as her feet dangled in the air. She reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Mister!¡± Joan followed behind him. When she saw Weston¡®s eagerness, she rubbed her nose a little ufortable and averted her gaze. She would not have to enter the mansion for the next few hours. Weston pinned Ste to the sofa in the living soon. He ced his hands around her waist and tightened his grip. Then, he kissed her fiercely, overwhelming her. Ste pressed her hands against his chest and resisted weakly. ¡°Weston ... ¡± Ste called his name in between breaths. Weston did not seem to hear it. He clutched her hands hard and above her head to restrain her from struggling.¡° Yes. I¡®m right here.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Weston looked up and down at her. Ste had gotten used to wearing a nightgown at home. The light pink cotton fabric gave her a docile disposition. At least, there was nothing to suggest that she could have hurt, poisoned, or killed him. Weston cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Ste¡®s nose suddenly felt sore. With an aggrieved face, she asked, ¡°Have you deliberately stayed away from home?¡± She hooked onto his neck with her arms and buried her head in his arms. ¡°I¡®ve heard it all. All those rumors out there are...¡± Ste slowly tightened her fingers and clutched the hem of his shirt. ¡°Are the rumors true? Are you going to reconcile with Guinevere...¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± Weston frowned and pulled her out of his arms. He wanted to see her full face. Ste¡®s eyes were a bit red. Weston could not tell if her sad look was real or fake. He was unsure if she was really sad or if it was all an act. ¡°No one told me.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Is it true? You don¡®t want me anymore?¡± Her question seemed to hit him harder than the words he had heard on the phone earlier. Weston had to grit his teeth hard to suppress the raging emotions in him. The veins on his forehead and the backs of his hands were bulging. He propped himself above her, tipped her chin, and kissed her without a word. The sound of their passionate kisses could make hearts race. Weston kissed her so hard, like he was trying to eat her up. His possessive aura was dense in the air. ¡°I won¡®t leave you.¡± Weston rasped and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡®ll never leave you.¡± Weston had resigned to his fate. Even if it were all an act, he would take it. It turned out that hungry men who hadn¡®t satisfied their urges for days were the worst. Ste often admired Weston¡®s self¨Ccontrol. He could go a long time without touching her, but whenever the fire ignited, he would devour her like an insatiable and unstoppable beast. They went from the sofa in the living room to the stairs and then to the bedroom. Weston did not bother restraining himself when they moved to the bathroom. Even during the heat of the moment, Weston didn¡®t forget to take out a box of condoms from a nearby cab. Ste pressed his arm with slightly red eyes. She asked, ¡° You didn¡®t use it thest time. Why are you using it this time...¡± Weston looked down at her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°You¡®re about to have your period. It¡®s not a good time to go straight in.¡± He leaned into her ears and said slowly, ¡°You¡®re too weak.¡± Ste paused a little and blushed. Then, she said helplessly, ¡°What¡®s the point of caring about this? I¡®m not going to get pregnant anyway.¡± Weston froze a little. Then, he wrapped his arms around his waist tightly, sweeping her up like a storm. He kissed her hard on the lips, making her unable to speak. Naturally, he did not want her to repeat such things. Ste soon drowned in the whirlpool of his fiery passion. The two of them had not spoken for days, and they seemed to have grown a little distant because of the cold war, though everything seemed to have faded. No one knew how long it took before the intimate moments inside the mansion calmed down. Joan had taken care of them for a period. She was experienced enough and knew not to disturb them at such a moment. Otherwise, they would end up in an awkward situation. Joan went out to do some shopping, leaving the two alone in the mansion. Ste was covered in sweat as if she had just been fished out of the water. Shey on Weston¡®s chest and panted hard as she curled her fingers weakly. ¡°Didn¡®t those women out there satisfy you?¡± Weston furrowed his brow slightly. The lust in his eyes remained burning Previous Chapter Next Chapter N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 When Weston heard what Ste said, he rolled over and pinned her on the bed. ¡°Are you still thinking about that? It seems I didn¡®t try hard enough just now.¡± Ste closed her eyes. Her eyshes fluttered a little. She pleaded, ¡°I really can¡®t...¡± Her tone was thick with fatigue. Ste was so tired that her hands were shaking. Her skin was still red and covered in marks. She looked somewhat pitiful. Weston¡®s heart softened at her look. He pecked her on the cheek andy on the bed again. After that, he turned on his side and hugged her. ¡°From now on, you won¡®t have to worry about anything outside.¡± He said, ¡°You¡®re my only one. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll ever have. Don¡®t listen to the rumors. I¡®ll take care of them.¡± Ste rested her hands on his waist and stomach. She quietly ran her fingers through his beautiful toned muscles. When she heard the heavy breathing above her, she immediately retracted her hand. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± She looked up at him with an innocent look and hesitation. Weston knew she made that face on purpose, but she did not seem to understand how tempting it looked to a man. Weston kissed her on the forehead. Ste could not breathe and tried to retreat, but Weston cupped her chin and demanded a deeper kiss. This day, he tasted all the sweetness in her mouth. Atst, Ste was so exhausted that she drifted off to sleep. Weston got up and lit a cigarette. He looked at the sleeping face next to him. After a short silence, he put out the cigarette. Weston never thought he could be so childish at times. He never thought that he would be so insecure with a woman one day and not stop until he saw her jealous side. His feelings were spiraling out of control. Joan sighed after seeing Weston¡®s deep affection for Ste, relieved to see that he still had Ste in his heart despite the troubles out there. A storm of rumors was swirling out there. They said that Warren had found strong evidence. Many reputablewyers analyzed the case and said that Ste would definitely go to jail this time. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. There were all sorts of ims, and all of them were not optimistic. Unlike Ste, Joan was still anxious. Ste, on the other hand, had just stayed at home and did not seem to care about anything. However, Joan could not help but look for more updates, which made her more worried. She had heard nothing of the two women from Lowe Garden in the past two days, so she was unsure if those scandals had calmed down. Or could there perhaps be bigger trouble in waiting? Meanwhile, at the Ford Corporation towers. Weston had postponed the meeting with the foreign businessman, so the details would be confirmed in a meetingter. The negotiation couldn¡®t bepleted due to Weston¡®s absence yesterday, so the foreigners decided on the meeting location. The foreigners who came to do business here had obviously prepared ahead and were aware of Weston¡®s reputation. Many came because they were interested in the benefit of working with Weston. These people knew Weston would definitely open overseas branches in the future, so they wanted to work with him first. The entire process went without a hitch. The discussion was about to conclude after three rounds of wine. After the business partners left the room, Ben suddenly came over and whispered in Weston¡¯s ear. ¡°Mr. Ford, bad news... Ms. Cohen is here too. She seems to have done something.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 Weston looked up and nced at Ben once. He did not show any response. Ben hurriedly exined, ¡°She seemed to have heard about Belle and Nicole , and she tricked them both intoing here. They thought they were here to work...¡± ¡°Well, Ms. Cohen clearly wants to teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°A lesson?¡± Weston asked indifferently. Ben said, ¡°The people over there seemed like they were going to cut off Nicole¡®s hand. She would never y the piano again.¡± Ben felt a little overwhelmed at this point and thought that Guinevere was too cruel. Weston remained indifferent. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°And Belle. Ms. Cohen seemed to be talking about cutting off her feet so she can nevere back to Ahn City.¡± After that, Ben asked tentatively, ¡°Mr. Ford, should we do something?¡± ¡°No need. Keep an eye on it, but don¡®t make too much of a fuss.¡± Weston nced at the time on his wristwatch. ¡°Distract her and gather the evidence of power behind the Cohen family.¡± After that, he paused a little before asking, ¡°How¡®s it going with Xavier?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, it should be soon. Warren trusts Xavier very much. The Cohen family thinks he¡®s our competitor , so they don¡®t suspect him at all.¡± Weston responded with a hum, seemingly uninterested.¡° Get on with it.¡± After a drink, Weston got up to return to the mansion. The driver was at the wheel, and while they were exiting the parking lot, Weston saw a familiar figure waiting at the entrance. Weston ordered the driver to stop and wound down the window. The man outside heard themotion and looked over. When Michael saw Weston, his face changed. He immediately came over with a smile and greeted him,¡± Mr. Ford, what a coincidence.¡± Michael thought for a moment and decided to give it a try. ¡°I heard that there¡®s a big multinational project ongoing recently that would cooperate with the Ford Corporation. Were you discussing the details here?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston nced at him with indifference. ¡°Mr. Sealey, what¡®s the matter?¡± Michael could tell from Weston¡®s attitude that perhaps Ste hadn¡®t told him about Roger. Michael gathered hisposure and said sternly, ¡°I¡®ve been unable to contact Ste for a while. I have something to tell her, so I hope you can pass the message to her, Mr. Ford.¡± Weston finally turned his head and looked at him at the mention of Ste¡®s name. Michael said with regret, ¡°Ste¡®s grandparents... My parents passed away a while ago, and tomorrow is the funeral. I hope she can attend it.¡± He paused a little in sorrow and said, ¡°I know she has some issues with the Sealeys, but his father is the eldest son of the family, and I hope she cane over to see them off on behalf of her father.¡± Michael did not tell Weston that Ste already knew Roger was dead. After all, he was the one who broke the news to Ste. He did not want Weston to go after himter. When Ste heard the news, she did not show any emotions. Weston cut the steak into small pieces and swapped her te with his. Ste was startled by his thoughtfulness andughed.¡° You¡®re quite the gentleman.¡± She remembered that Weston used to do the same thing with Guinevere. He would cut the steak for her before giving it to her. Weston pulled out a tissue and wiped his fingertips. He asked straightforwardly, ¡°Are you going to their funeral?¡± Ste fell into a short silence. ¡°I don¡®t know...¡± She sighed a little. ¡°They weren¡®t nice to me, but my dad was very close to them.¡± Ste always thought that her grandparents loved her very much until the ne crash happened. ¡°Don¡®t push yourself.¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Weston said, ¡°If you want to, I¡®ll go with you. If you don¡®t, I¡®ll reject it for you.¡± Ste was torn between decisions. After a long time, she looked at him and asked, ¡°Will you take me out?¡± ¡°If I¡®m around, yes.¡± Weston lifted his hand and wiped the juice from the corner of her mouth. Ste smiled meaningfully. ¡°I thought you were going to keep me here forever...¡± ¡°That¡®s because you never listen. If you behave, however, I¡¯ll take you out for events like this.¡± Ste nodded and took a piece of steak with the fork. She brought it to her mouth but did not eat it. ¡°The trial¡­¡± The two hadn¡®t talked about this topic for the past few days in mutual understanding. Weston paused a little. He picked up the ss of water on the table and took a sip. ¡°It¡®ll go as nned. Don¡®t worry. Tina will tell you what to doter.¡± Ste held up her fork but did not eat for a long time. She could not help but ask him, ¡°Have you ever thought of it in your heart? Did you ever suspect me as a murderer?¡± Weston raised his eyebrows. He clearly didn¡®t want to talk about it. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter to me. I just want you to stand in front of me, safe and well.¡± ¡°Even if I did kill your son, you wouldn¡®t care?¡±. ¡°I told you before. Zachary isn¡®t my son.¡°. ¡°The child is dead, so it¡®s not yours anymore?¡± Ste gripped the fork with all her might. ¡°Then the child we lost before...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Weston cut her off and stood up. ¡°Don¡®t overthink this. It¡®s already been decided. It¡®ll be fine as long as you cooperate with Tina during the trial.¡± ¡°Also...¡± Weston walked to her and tipped her chin.¡° Don¡®t try to contact anyone on your own. After the trail, stay in the mansion. Don¡®t ever leave without my permission.¡± Ste¡®s eyes trembled, but she did not say anything. After a short while, she put the food in her mouth and ate without expression. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Ste had gotten used to the always ¨Cchanging tension between the two of them. Weston was sometimes soft and gentle but sometimes very cold. Weston was pleased to see her obedience. He loosened his tie and pressed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Finish your dinner and get some rest today. I¡®ll take you to the funeral tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, at the Sealey family home. Ste had mixed feelingsing back. There were already numerous cars parked outside. Among them, Weston¡®s ck Maybach stood out the most. The Sealey family was considered a middle¨Css family in the area. Ste¡®s parents were both university professors and had a good reputation. Ste and Roger grew up like little princesses and princes when they were young. They had never experienced any hardship Though their family was not as rich as the richest ones, like the Ford and the Cohen family, they were still very well off. Ste held Weston¡®s hand and got out of the car while everyone was watching. She looked at the familiar building before her eyes and felt like a stranger. ¡°This is where you grew up?¡± Weston observed the look on her face. Then, he tucked her hair behind her ear gently. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah....¡±. The Sealey family was dumbfounded at the scene. They had heard about Weston and Ste¡®s rtionship, but seeing them interact in person waspletely different. Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 If the Sealey family and Ste¡®s rtionship hadn¡®t been such a big deal, they would¡®ve been all musing over Ste¡®s marriage to Weston. Those rted to her were eager to bask in Weston¡®s glory. However, they knew how ruthless they were when they kicked Ste out of the family, so they did not dare to bother her without any notice, fearing it would make things worse. They only thought about contacting Ste after her grandparents passed. After all, it was Ste¡®s grandmother who kicked them out of the family. No one else stepped in. They did not help Ste when she was kicked out of the family, but they could say that they were afraid of Grandma Sealey and didn¡®t dare to mediate the situation. They were in a difficult position themselves, but at least they could justify their action. The dead had passed and would nevere back to life. It was easier to let the dead take the me anyway. ¡°Ste, it¡®s been so long since I¡®ve seen you. You¡®re all grown up!¡± One of Ste¡®s distant uncles came over and looked at her with emotion and nostalgia. ¡°I felt guilty all these years. I couldn¡®t give you a hand before...¡± He sighed a little. ¡°But you should know. Your grandmother is too stubborn. I can¡®t just disobey her. She¡®s gone now, but she actually misses you. Before she passed away, she specially told us to let youe visit on behalf of your father.¡± If it was before, Ste would have just ignored him. She knew they were being hypocrites . Things had changed, however. She had learned to smile and speak with these people despite her disdain. ¡°I¡®m d she thought of me before she died. After all, she¡®s never asked about me after all these years,¡± Ste said with an indifferent smile. Ste¡®s uncle smiled awkwardly and sighed. ¡°She¡®s stubborn and unwilling to admit her mistake to the younger children. We tried to advise her, but... Anyway, it¡®s good that you¡®re back. After all, blood ties are inseparable. Don¡®t you think so?¡± After that, he moved his gaze from Ste to Weston, who stood next to her. He acted as if he had just seen him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡®re here with Ste?¡± He smiled with relief. ¡°I¡®m d that Ste has you with her.¡± ¡°It¡®s what I should do,¡± Weston responded differently. Ste nced at him. Weston was again distant to outsiders . He shook hands with Ste¡®s uncle and then quickly withdrew it. Weston remained humble from the beginning to the end. He gave off the impression that he was not overly arrogant, yet was somehow distant and unreachable. There were a lot of people waiting to catch up with Ste. However, they were all here, in fact, for Weston. Ste understood how it was all about Weston. After all, his status and power were very attractive to these people who coveted fame and fortune. Even so, she could not help but feel tired at heart. There were no reporters at the funeral due to Ste and Weston¡®s presence. However, people were waiting outside for Ste to show up, ready to flock to the scene as soon as she appeared. There were many different opinions about Zachary¡®s cause of death, and everyone wanted to find out more. With paparazzi flocking around, eager to know thetest, harsh security measures were put in ce.,¡® No one else except for family members and guests coulde in. Michael hade over with Diana. ¡°Ste, Mr. Ford,¡± he greeted them while holding the woman beside him carefully. ¡°You came.¡± Diana was a woman who adored the concept of beauty. She could never live without her high heels, but due to her pregnancy, she was actually wearing ts and maternity clothes. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to have child, so they cherished it with their lives. Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Diana was delighted to meet Ste. ¡°Ste, I thought you wouldn¡®te.¡± When Ste saw Diana, she finally showed a genuine smile on her face. ¡°I left in a hurryst time, and I couldn¡®t congratte you. How are youing along?¡± ¡°We¡®re good.¡± Diana rubbed her belly, wanting to share the joy of her pregnancy with Ste. However, after some thought, she decided not to for fear that Ste would start overthinking After a few pleasantries, Michale and Diana took their leave. Before leaving, he looked at Ste for a few moments, only smiling and saying nothing. Diana could not help but whisper in his ear, ¡°Am I imagining things? Why are you looking at Ste in such a strange way? Are you two still not over what happened back then...¡± Michael sighed. ¡°I¡®m sorry for her and Roger for what happened back then, but there¡®s no other way. I only hope they¡®ll let it go eventually. We¡®ll try to make it up for them too.¡± At the mention of Roger, Diana suddenly thought of something. ¡°I haven¡®t heard about Roger in a long time...¡± She then got a little worried. ¡°Why isn¡®t he here at an event like this?¡± Diana was unaware of the fact that Roger was not the Sealey family¡®s biological child. Michael had no n to tell her anything, so he said, ¡°Roger is more willful than Ste. It¡®s only natural that he doesn¡®t show up.¡± Diana nodded but felt something was wrong. Grandpa and Grandma Sealey were a bit patriarchal and preferred boys over girls. As their daughter¨Cin¨C law, even she could sense it. However, Grandpa and Grandma Sealey did not seem to favor Roger a lot. When they told them to invite Ste to pay her respect on behalf of her father at the funeral, they did not say a word about Roger. It was as if Roger was not a member of the Sealey family. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Diana couldn¡®t help but voice her doubts. Michael put his arm around her shoulder and nudged her nose with a smile. ¡°You¡®ve be paranoid since you got pregnant. Roger probably didn¡®t want toe. Don¡®t overthink things.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Diana touched her head and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m probably overthinking then...¡± Ste and Weston came to the funeral hall. As soon as they arrived, the others automatically made way for them. Ste found it ironic to see her rtives speaking so nicely to her after ignoring her for years. She stared at the portrait of Grandma Sealey with a strange feeling. Despite that, she still paid her respects. After all, it was her father¡®s family. Ste had fond memories of them over the years. She just did¡®t expect the world to be so unpredictable as soon as they tore the superficial peace, revealing the cold and hard truth. It was cruel. Weston portrayed himself as a very understanding son¨Cin w and apanied Ste to speak to her rtives. They did not n to stay long. Besides, both knew very well that as long as Weston stayed, these people would be here not just to pay their respects to the dead but to strike up a conversation with Weston. Ste was finally able to rest for a while, so Weston let her lean on him. ¡°Feeling tired?¡± ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± Weston cupped her chin. ¡°Don¡®t push yourself too hard. You¡®re here to pay your respects on your father¡®s behalf. It¡®s alright if you want to leave now.¡± Ste said nothing and rested while leaning on him. Suddenly, Ben came in from outside. He nced at Ste and hesitated a little. ¡°Mrs. Ford...¡± Ste knew Ben had something to say to Weston, so she stood up and gave them space. ¡°I¡®m going to the washroom.¡± Ben watched her disappear in the distance before whispering in Weston¡®s ear, ¡°Mr. Ford. Nicole and Belle are looking for you right now. They¡®d like to meet you. Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Let them wait.¡± Ben nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Just as he finished, Ste came out of the washroom. Ste saw Ben leave in a hurry and walked to Weston. She asked, ¡°Did something happen at work? Ben looks like he¡®s in a hurry.¡± Weston caressed her head. ¡°It¡®s nothing. It¡®s just some work matter. I¡®ll deal with it when I have the time.¡± He paused slightly and said in her ears, ¡°Also, you should meet with Tinater. She¡®ll tell you what to do at the trial.¡± Ste¡®s eyes darkened. She lowered her head and did not say anything After a short moment, she answered in an inaudible voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Weston parted her bangs, revealing the beautiful face underneath. He lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Everything will be over after this.¡± ¡°Ste, listen to me. Don¡®t be capricious.¡± Ste nodded again and watched him walk away. After he left, she let out a breath. Ste looked a little dazed and exhausted. ¡®I¡®m too tired. I¡®m really too tired,¡® she thought. As she closed her eyes, the shadows of many people began to appear. Her unborn child and Roger were no longer alive. There was nothing she could hold on to in this world. When she first learned about Roger¡®s death, she wanted to let Weston feel the same pain she had suffered, but things had changed. ¡®I¡®m just too tired now. I¡®m tired,¡® she thought. A ck car was parked outside the estate. When Ste got in, she saw several carsing over from the other road. Ben sat in the driver¡®s seat and said to Ste, ¡°Mrs. Ford,e on up. I¡®ll take you to a quiet area.¡± Ste was startled to see Ben here. ¡°Aren¡®t you with Weston?¡± Ben said, ¡°Mr. Ford gave his orders. Someone he trusts must apany Mrs. Ford in his absence.¡± Weston had to deal with the matters over there, so he left Ben with Ste. Ste nodded and said nothing as she got in the car. As the car drove away, she looked at the dozens of ck cars outside and asked Ben, ¡°Who are these people?¡± Ben paused a little and gave it a thought, wondering if he should tell her the truth. After a slight hesitation, he answered, ¡°These are the people Warren sent... and the Cohen family.¡± Ste understood immediately. She propped her cheek and looked out the window. ¡°Are they still looking for me?¡± Ben nodded, ¡°Mrs. Ford, rest assured, they won¡®t get what they want with Mr. Ford around.¡± Ste did not say anything. Ben looked at Ste in the rearview mirror and was a little lost for words. When they arrived at the destination, Ben apanied Ste out of the car. Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 ¡°Ms. Tina Hampton, thewyer, is waiting for you inside, Mrs. Ford. You can go on ahead. I¡®ll be right here, on guard. If there¡®s any problem, you can call for me.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Ste nodded and walked inside. The office was a suburban studio. Because it was very secluded, there was no worry about nosy eavesdroppers or getting followed. As Ste pushed the door open, she saw Tina Hampton sitting in front of herputer, perusing through the files. Hearing the noise, she turned around and nced at Ste. ¡°You¡®re here already?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ste responded and walked in before taking a seat in front of Tina. ¡°Mr. Ford has probably informed you that we have an urgent task today,¡± Tina bluntly told her. ¡°So I really need you to cooperate with me.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°It looks like you¡®re very calm about it all,¡± observed Tina with a frown when she noticed how Ste had been At the very least, she seemed much calmer than when shest saw her at the detention center. ¡°Have you epted the reality of your situation?¡± Tina asked. Ste smiled almost imperceptibly, looking resigned but also cooperative at the same time. ¡°What could I do even if I can¡®t ept it?¡± she replied.¡± He¡®ll find a million ways to make me ept it eventually.¡± Tina nodded and went straight to the point. ¡°So this is the current situation,¡± she exined. ¡°Mr. Warren Ford and the Cohen family have acquired watertight evidence against you, which means that we might not be able to fully exonerate you at this point. If we try that, the probability of sess is very low, and it would take up too much time. This would be disastrous for your future, so we¡®ve decided that the best n is for you to confess that you¡®ve identally killed Zachary Ford, and it¡®s never been your intention. In fact, you didn¡®t even have any idea that oleanders were highly poisonous. In other words, you must insist, without a flinch, that you are ignorant of the fact that oleanders are harmful or toxic. This is the only way that we can minimize your sentence as much as possible. If the sentencing is light enough, Mr. Ford can then easily find a way to release you on bail.¡± ¡°So you¡®ve all made up your mind?¡± Ste asked, her face drained of color. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Tina. ¡°All the preparations are done.¡± Seeing that Ste looked a little unsure, she sighed and tried to convince her, saying, ¡°To tell you the truth, your case is an extremely difficult one. The fact that all thewyers working for the other side are the cream of the crop isn¡®t helpful either. If we go by the original n, there¡®s simply no way we¡®d win this case, and you¡®d end up in prison, so why not change the strategy instead? They¡®d never expect you to confess to the murder. Besides, if you insist on being ignorant about the poisonous nature of oleanders, they¡®d have no way of proving that it was a premeditated murder, so¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Ste gently cut her off. Tina stared at her and continued, ¡°If you have no objections, we¡®ll start discussing the next steps. I will exin in detail what will happen on the day of the trial. Then, I¡®ll simte the questioning you might receive from the prosecution. We¡®ll try to anticipate everything that might happen on that day so you¡®ll be perfectly prepared when the timees.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste responded. Tina nodded, ¡°Then I¡®ll call in my assistant now.¡± She then turned towards a closed door and yelled, ¡°Okay, you cane out now!¡± The door was pushed open. Ste turned towards it, and shock was written all over her face when she recognized who it was. ¡°Professor Hall? What are you doing here...?¡± Justin Hall walked out holding a thick stack of documents. ¡°It¡®s been so long since west met, Ste.¡± Tina nced at the two of them and stood up. ¡°I have some backup documents to prepare,¡± she said.¡° I¡®ll leave you two to it.¡± After speaking, she walked straight out of the room, leaving only Ste and Justin inside. Ste was about to stand up too. She was confused and a little awkward. ¡°What exactly is going on here...?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡®t worry,¡± Justin assured her. ¡°Please sit down.¡± He then walked up to her with a smile and exined , ¡± It¡®s just as Tina told you ¨C I¡¯m her assistant right now, and I¡®m here to help you with the whole process. Don¡®t be nervous. I assure you that I have no other intentions.¡± The corners of Ste¡®s mouth twitched, and she smiled, saying, ¡°I wasn¡®t thinking about that. I was just a little surprised...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Justin opened the file in his hands and handed Ste a pen, followed by some notes. ¡°I thought we¡¯d never see each other again, you know.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°So much has happened since then.¡± She took the pen and paper from Justin and asked, ¡°Are these for me to take down some notes?¡± ¡°That¡®s right. You might need to write down the most important points so you can carefully review them when you go home. It is important that you try your best to appear as natural as possible during the trial.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 ¡°You might be required to act at certain points,¡± Justin continued. ¡°You¡®ll have to cooperate with us. If you don¡®t like pen and paper, you can type down your notes with theputer instead.¡± ¡°No, thanks. I¡®ll just use the pen and paper.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Justin nodded. ¡°Let¡®s start, then.¡± After that, time passed very quickly. Ste earnestly remembered everything that Justin had told her. ¡°That¡®s all for now,¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything that you don¡®t understand?¡°. ¡°No,¡± she replied. Justin put away the documents in his hands and nced at her before asking, ¡°So what are you nning to do after this?¡± Ste knew then that he must have had other reasons to be here today, reasons other than simply being Tina¡®s assistant. She sat back down and looked straight into his eyes before saying, ¡°Professor Hall, if you have anything to say, juste out and say it.¡± Justin paused for a while and smiled helplessly. ¡°Actually,¡± he began, ¡°I shouldn¡®t be the one to bring this up, but everything between us... it¡®s been over a long time ago, hasn¡®t it?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He found himself being perfectly at peace when he said all these. Perhaps all his feelings for her in the past were simply apetitive instinct in the face of a man like Weston Ford. Perhaps that was the real reason behind his obsession with Ste back then and why he found it so difficult to give her up. After all, it was extremely difficult to beat someone like Weston in any way. As a man, Justin had a natural tendency to bepetitive. This urged him to prove that although Weston was remarkable in every other way and could get everything he wanted in his life, he could at least beat him in one aspect by having Ste. Now, looking back, he realized how reckless and impulsive he had been. ¡°You¡®ve probably guessed that... I¡®m here because I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Justin sighed. ¡°The truth is... it¡®s a little embarrassing for me to say this, but since west met, I¡¯ve always been trying to find an opportunity to make it clear to you that...¡± Ste slowly sat up straight. Her fingers curled up, seemingly worried about what he would say next. Noticing that she was tensing up, Justin chuckled and reassured her, ¡°Rx. I¡®m not here to make things awkward for you. I just want to apologize.¡± ¡°Back then,¡± he continued, ¡°I noticed you because of your brother Roger. I was attracted to you. At the time, I really did have feelings for you.¡± He paused to loosen his tie, then went on toe clean about the whole thing. ¡°Butter on, when I suggested that we get married, I must admit that I didn¡®t take careful consideration before I made the decision. Now that I¡®ve calmed down and thought a lot, I realize that even if we did get married then, it might not have resulted in happiness. I know you only agreed to marry me because you wanted to get away from Weston Ford. Your reasons for wanting to marry me were not pure and sincere. But my own reasons were... not so pure and sincere either. ¡°Ste, perhaps all I wanted was to triumph over a man like Weston Ford. I know I have thatpetitive streak that men tend to have, which ultimately inted the affection I felt for you. ¡°Besides, the way he coerced you made me feel like I could be your savior , swooping in and saving you from the clutches of misery. ¡°Although I did not seed, I still made a false promise to you out of my own selfishness ,¡± he admitted. ¡°That alone must¡®ve caused you harm.¡± After speaking , Justin felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had always been troubled by his past behavior towards Ste. Already pushing forty, he was no longer an immature kid who¡®d get carried away by love and romance. Even his own son was now ten. He should have never acted so rashly and unwisely. After hearing all that, Ste also let out a long sigh of relief. She smiled and softly said, ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. I wasn¡®t rational back then. All I could think of was how to escape Weston¡®s control...¡± Seeing that she was relieved, Justin teased her, ¡°You didn¡®t think that I would confess my love to you and try to take you away again, did you?¡± Now sure that he had now let go of his feelings for her, Ste chuckled and replied, ¡°No, not at all...¡± ¡°But you looked really nervous just now...¡± As they chatted andughed, the previously tense atmosphere rxed considerably. It was at that moment that Tina, d in a business suit and busily flipping through the document in her hand, returned... Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 As she entered the room, she was met with the sight of the two peopleughing and joking. She frowned and asked Justin, ¡°Are you done with the task I gave you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Justin¡®s smile faded a little. ¡°I¡®ve exined the whole process to her in detail.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Tina then put the documents away and told Ste, ¡°I¡®ll send the rest to Mr. Ford¡®s email. He¡®ll tell you what to do.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste rose up to her feet and asked, ¡°If there¡®s nothing else, can I go now?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Tina. She watched Ste as she walked away and suddenly thought of something. She turned to Ju?tin and suggested, ¡°Why don¡®t you send her off?¡± Justin scrutinized her with a meaningful look, but Tina seemed oblivious, focusing intently on the computer screen in front of her. Thus, he had little choice but to get up on his feet. ¡°I¡®ll send you off then,¡± he told Ste. ¡°Okay.¡± Although they had spoken about it before, thest time Ste met Justin , she still felt an awkward atmosphere existing between them. But this time, they¡®d completelye clean and said everything they needed to say, and she no longer felt that sinking feeling when she looked at him. They had just walked out of the door together when Justin suddenly stopped and told Ste, ¡°I think I¡®d better leave you here. If I go any further, I¡®m afraid Weston Ford might...¡± The corners of Ste¡®s mouth twitched. She seemed to be smiling, yet her eyes were bereft of joy. Justin knew what she had been going throughtely, so he patted her shoulder and said, ¡°I know you¡®re not the kind to murder anyone. You still have a whole life ahead of you. Right now, just focus on protecting yourself.¡± Ste jerked her head up suddenly and looked at him. ¡°Do you really believe that I didn¡®t kill anyone?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied without any hesitation. ¡°You wouldn¡®t kill anyone, much less a young kid like Zachary Ford. You would never harm an innocent child like that.¡± Ste¡®s eyes turned red. This was her first time hearing someone say explicitly that they believed in her and that she would never do such a heinous thing. Even Weston had been evasive about the matter. Sure, he had been trying to shield her from harm, exonerating her from the charges, but he had never been willing to look into her eyes and truly trust her. Seeing Ste in that way made Justin sigh heavily. He looked up, and he got a sudden longing to smoothen the messy strands of hair on her head. But then he thought about it and decided against it. He knew such a gesture might send the wrong message, and he put his hand back down. ¡°We¡®re still friends, you know. If you need any help from me, just say the word, okay?¡± After that, he walked up to her and gave her a polite and friendly hug. ¡°Let¡®s put the past behind us,¡± he said. ¡°The next time we meet, we¡®ll just be good friends.¡± Ste nodded and patted his arm before letting him go. Justin chuckled under his breath when he noticed her distant gesture toward him. ¡°So I guess this is goodbye then,¡± he said. ¡°I see Weston Ford¡®s assistant has been waiting anxiously for you over there.¡± Hearing this, Ste turned around and, as expected, saw Ben standing at the car door looking at her. When Ben saw both standing at the door, he wanted to approach them. However, he frowned deeply while exuding an intensely austere aura. He was bing more like his boss by the day. Previous Chapter Next ChapterThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Ste smiled apprehensively and waved Justin goodbye. ¡°I¡®m getting into the car now,¡± she said. ¡°Okay.¡± He watched Ste leave, then turned around and returned to the office. ¡°How was it?¡± Tina asked without even looking up when he got inside. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He paused in his steps, looking at her quizzically. ¡°I was only saying goodbye to her.¡± ¡°I know you two were saying goodbye,¡± Tina¡®s gaze shifted from theputer to Justin, giving him a meaningful look. ¡°That¡®s what I was asking you¨Chow did your farewell go?¡± Justin walked over to the water cooler and poured himself a ss. Her words told him that she had another meaning between the lines. ¡°It was just a farewell between two friends, and I was just sending her off. How else could it go?¡± ¡°I thought you must have had other things to talk about,¡± Tina replied simply. ¡°After all, you came here to be my assistant because you wanted to meet her, right? I left you both alone for quite a while just now. I¡®m sure I¡®ve given enough time, haven¡®t I?¡± ¡°Tina!¡± he suddenly snapped in anger and abruptly thumped the ss loudly on the table. ¡°You think there¡®s something between Ste and me, don¡®t you?¡± ¡°It¡®s not that I think there¡®s something, I just know that there used to be something between you two,¡± Tina argued. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She put down the pen in her hand, wondering why Justin would suddenly lose his temper. ¡°It just didn¡®t work out, that¡®s all. Don¡®t think I don¡®t know what¡®s on your mind, Justin.¡± Justin¡®s expressions soured drastically. ¡°I¡®ve just made it clear to her,¡± he exined, ¡°that I did have feelings for her in the beginning, but it was more of a man¡®s ego and desire to win. Besides, she was being coerced by Weston Ford, so I just wanted to save her from that dire situation. The affection I felt for her was nowhere near enough to support a marriage...¡± ¡°That¡®s is your private business,¡± replied Tina with a shrug, paying little attention to his exnation. ¡°It doesn¡®t concern me.¡± Justin suddenly got inexplicably agitated by her response. He walked up to her with fists on his hips. ¡°If it doesn¡®t concern you, then why did you agree for me to be here today?¡± ¡°Because you¡®re still the father of my son, after all. If you still have any lingering feelings for Ste or if you have something to tell her, I¡®m always ready to help you... Mmmph...¡± Before she could finish speaking, the man suddenly kissed her. Tina¡®s eyes widened , but she was too shocked to react. She stared at the handsome face right next to hers and was in a daze for a few good minutes. But after a while, the silence was broken by the sound of a p, Tina raised her hand and pped him hard across his face. ¡°You a*****e!¡± she cursed. Justin never thought that he would ever do such a thing himself. With a clear red mark on his face , he turned to the other side and remained motionless. He panted heavily as he wiped the mark on the corner of his mouth and stayed silent. Tina got up and went to the water cooler to get herself a ss of water. She then used it to rinse her mouth thoroughly. Seeing this, Justin sneered, ¡°We have a child together, you know. Which part of your body have I never touched?¡± ¡°A*****e!¡± she repeated, as if it was the only expletive she knew. She raised her hand as if she was about to give him another p. But in the end, she simply lowered it. Justin¡®s eyes darkened as he stared deeply at her. ¡°Why didn¡®t you hit me again?¡± he asked. Tina took a deep breath to calm herself down and replied, ¡°I¡®m not totally blind to your intents, Justin , but I think I¡®ve made myself clear... I have a boyfriend now.¡± Justin¡®s pupils shrank instantly. Only then did he realize what he had just done. He rested his arms on the table and massaged his forehead hard. After a long while, he finally said in a low raspy voice, ¡°I¡®m sorry. I was being impulsive.¡± After that, he picked up his coat from the chair and turned to leave. Previous Chapter Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 ¡°I won¡®t be disturbing you with your work now,¡± said Justin. ¡°Okay,¡± Tina replied simply, having no intention of sending him off. ¡°Close the door behind you.¡± Justin suddenly paused his steps. Hearing that reply from her made him head out of the studio without even looking back. Meanwhile, outside, Ste was already inside the car. As Ben drove, he nced at her through the rearview mirror. ¡°Who was that man, Mrs. Ford?¡± ¡°Professor Justin Hall,¡± Ste rested her chin on her hand and stared outside the window. ¡°He used to teach Roger.¡± Ben was struck with guilt momentarily when he heard Roger¡®s name and thus avoided Ste¡®s eye contact, ¡°Oh, so that was Professor Hall, huh? No wonder he looked a little familiar...¡± ¡°Just a little?¡± Ste shot him a cold look. ¡°I thought you should know him very well.¡± Ben touched his nose and turned the steering wheel, saying, ¡°You must be kidding, Mrs. Ford.¡± Ste did not question him any further , but judging by how possessive Weston was, she knew that even the background of a male animal that got near her would be checked thoroughly, and since Ben was his assistant, he should naturally know everything about it. ¡°I¡®ll take you back to Stardust Mansion now, Mrs. Ford. Mr. Ford should almost be done dealing with the rest. You¡®ll have to appear in court tomorrow. Is there anything you¡®re still unclear of?¡± Ste shook her head, then nodded, saying, ¡°Ms. Hampton has exined everything clearly to me.¡± ¡°That¡®s good.¡± Ben had been driving in an orderly manner, but suddenly Bang! A white Porsche had rushed up from the side and hit them. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± Ben frowned and unbuckled the seat belt to get out of the car to check on the situation. Just then, he saw someone familiar stepping out of the other car. ¡°Miss Cohen...¡± Ben was stunned for a moment. He was not expecting to see her here at all. ¡°What are you doing here, Miss Cohen?¡± Guinevere seemed a little surprised as well. She was wearing sunsses, and her high heels clinked as she walked up toward him. ¡°I was meeting a director in this area,¡± she replied.¡° What are you doing here?¡± As she spoke, she took a peek at the car behind Ben and saw Ste inside. Then, it seemed a realiziation hit her. ¡°So you brought her here to find a way to save her at the trial tomorrow, huh?¡± Ben ignored her question and said, ¡°I¡®m sorry for hitting your car, Miss Cohen. Perhaps you can find out the total cost of the repairs and send the bill directly to my email, or perhaps...¡± Even though Guinevere had clearly crashed into Ben¡®s car, he knew he should offer to shoulder the me based on social etiquette. ¡°That won¡®t be necessary,¡± Guinevere refused generously, very satisfied with Ben¡®s attitude. ¡°It was all my fault. I¡®ll call my insurancepany over now.¡± Ben nodded. At that point, Ste got out of the car and asked, ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± ¡°Just wait in the car, Mrs. Ford. We¡®ll wait for the insurancepany to arrive, and I¡®ll talk to them.¡± Guinevere saw Ste, and she eyed her from top to bottom before strutting up to her with a sneer. ¡°It¡®s been a while, Ste... Sealey...¡± She uttered Ste¡®s name slowly, hatred obviously pouring through her teeth, though she tried her best to conceal it. Guinevere would never let Ste know how much she truly hated her because, to a woman, being hated by another woman could be seen as an aplishment and a form ofpliment. So far, Guinevere had always been the one who was hated. She had never hated anyone before; she had only felt contempt for some. It was precisely why she didn¡®t want Ste to think that she ever gave her the time of day, yet at the same time, ¡®Guinevere wanted nothing more than to eliminate Ste. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Ste nced at Guinevere and ignored her right away. She had no intention to put up a false pretense of courtesy , nor did she pay any attention to the apparent venom in her words. Seeing this, Ben sighed in relief and nodded at Guinevere. He soon went to the insurancepany representatives who had just arrived to speak to them. Guinevere¡®s eyes were icy. She suddenly went up behind Ste and told her, ¡°I¡®m sure you don¡®t know about it yet, but Weston has agreed to marry me. Ste abruptly paused her steps and turned around to ¡¤ look at her without saying a word. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You look like you don¡®t believe me,¡± Guinevere observed. She sniggered and shook her head before getting nearer to her and said, ¡°Why don¡®t we have a little chat? Ben¡®s right there, so I can¡¯t do anything to you anyway.¡± ¡°If I¡®m not mistaken ,¡± Ste stared coldly at her, ¡°I¡®m pretty sure that bigamy is illegal in this country.¡± ¡°Naturally, he¡®ll divorce you first,¡± Guinevere casually exined. ¡°And then he¡®ll marry me. ¡°But you know how generous I¡®ve always been, so even if Weston wishes to keep you by his side, you know I won¡®tin.¡± Ste clenched her fists and sneered, ¡°I have no desire to be the third wheel.¡± Guinevere shook her head and said in a sympathetic voice, ¡°But what can I do? He wants something from me, so he has no choice but to agree to my demands. He seemspletely obsessed with you, so he definitely won¡®t let you go. It seems I have no other choice but to trouble you by being his secret mistress again...¡± ¡°What did he want from you?¡± Ste asked, her pupils suddenly dted. ¡°Something to do with the murder case, of course.¡± Guinevere checked her freshly manicured nails and casually added, ¡°You didn¡®t actually believe that he could just protect you without any problems, did you? Don¡®t you know how serious this case is, not to mention how powerful Warren Ford is?¡± ¡°Don¡®t ever forget,¡± Guinevere added with a contemptuous smile, ¡°that if he decides to stand on your side, it means he¡®ll have to go against the whole world. Protecting you is not that simple of a task, you know.¡± Guinevere tapped the corner of her mouth with her fingernails, smiling triumphantly, ¡°With my help, however, things would be entirely different. After all, I am Zachary Ford¡®s mother, and my words carry significant weight. If I am willing to sign a waiver and disavow the charges Warren Ford¡®s side has thrown at you, your chances of winning the case increase dramatically, and your sentence will be much lighter too.¡± ¡°But you know full well that I didn¡®t kill Zachary Ford!¡± Ste uttered each word slowly through clenched teeth.¡± ¡°You¡®re still trying to deny it at this point?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Guinevere shook her head. ¡°The only thing the court cares about is evidence , Ste Sealey. Perhaps you¡®re just too young to understand how powerful Warren Ford truly is. He may be old now, but he used to be unrivaled in his prime. To his credit, the Ford family also has an heir as impressive as Weston. So if a man like that decides to crush you with all his power, not even Weston could stand up against him. Weston needs me, don¡®t you understand?¡± Ste remained silent, her face white as a ghost. Guinevere was extremely delighted by the sight. ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you before?¡± she continued. ¡°Someone like you will never be able to beat me. You¡®re utterly unworthy of Weston¨Cnot in terms of your family background and not in any other aspect.¡± She then leaned closer to Ste¡®s ear and softly added, ¡° Two years ago, I could make him choose me over you. Likewise, I can make him divorce you now and marry me instead.¡± Finally, she dered, ¡°You can never beat me, Ste Sealey.¡± She had sessfully provoked Ste , whose eyes were now totally reddened. Ste¡®s hand suddenly flew up and pped Guinevere¡®s face ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± Ste snapped. ¡°You¡®re the most repulsive person I¡®ve ever met!¡± Guinevere gasped and stared at Ste incredulously. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± she yelled before raising her hand to hit Ste back. Just then, Ben rushed over from behind and stopped her. ¡°Miss Cohen!!! What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°Didn¡®t you see?¡± Guinevere responded , pointing at her own face. ¡°She pped me first!¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry, Miss Cohen... My duty is to protect Mrs. Ford.¡± In other words, he was only tasked to protect Ste, which meant he would never let anyone hurt her, regardless of their reason. Guinevere was so enraged that her breathing became unsteady. ¡°Fine!¡± she shoved Ben aside violently and huffed in anger. ¡°You only have a few days left anyway!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 ¡°By the looks of it...¡± Guinevere added, giving Ste a cold derisive look as she spoke. ¡°You¡®ve obviously been kept in the dark by everyone around you.¡± ¡°Ben, do you have the guts to tell her what Weston has promised me, huh?¡± she scoffed. ¡°Or what about all those women Weston¡®s been fooling around with thest few days? Why don¡®t you ask her if she can ept Weston doing all that?¡± ¡°I¡®m the only one who can ept him no matter what he does,¡± she added. ¡°And I¡®m the only one who will always be by his side!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She was so agitated that she did not notice Ste¡®s clouded countenance. Ste walked up to Guinevere and once again vehemently pped her hard across the face p! The noise rang crisply in the air. Guinevere could hardly believe what just happened. Her eyes widened as she stared at the woman in front of her. ¡°You ¡± She took a deep breath and intended to fight back, but just as soon as she raised her hand, she was once again blocked by Ben. ¡°Miss Cohen...¡± Ben uttered a little helplessly. ¡°I¡®m truly sorry.¡± In fact, he could hardly be med for it. Ste had made her move too swiftly that he couldn¡®t prevent it. By the time he noticed it, it was already toote, and Ste had alreadyid her hand on Guinevere. Still, he could not possibly let Guinevere retaliate and hurt Ste, even though it made him seem like he was acting unfairly against Guinevere.¡± ¡°You did that on purpose!¡± Guinevere yelled, shaking with rage. ¡°Why didn¡®t you stop her when she hit me?!¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± Ben replied. ¡°I only noticed what was happening when Mrs. Ford was done hitting you. The next thing I saw was you trying to hit her back...¡± Guinevere was speechless. She gritted her teeth indignantly and turned to look into Ste¡®s eyes. ¡°Fine!¡± she spat. ¡°Just you wait! Let¡®s see how bold you¡®ll be a few days from now!¡± She smiled, wiped the corner of her mouth, and added, ¡° Because you lost your child that day on the rooftop, Weston pitied you, and you used his guilt to make him stay with you. But things are different now...¡± She did not bother to exin further , but Ste clearly understood what she was trying to say. Guinevere meant to say that she now had the same leverage as Ste. Now, she, too, had lost a child, not just some unborn child but Zachary Ford, who had been very much alive not long ago. Now everyone assumed that Ste was the one who murdered Zachary. If it was guilt that made Weston stay with Ste, then the guilt he felt for Guinevere must now be a thousand times heavier. No matter how one looked at it, Ste had nowpletely lost. In the end, Guinevere gave Ste onest cold nce before returning to her car. Once they returned to Stardust Mansion , Ste headed straight into her room. Ben hesitated for a while before telling Joan, ¡°Please take good care of Mrs. Ford.¡± Not knowing what had happened, Joan simply nodded. Soon afterward, Ben went directly to Weston and reported what had just happened. Meanwhile, Belle was all tears, her face contorted by a deep grimace as she knelt in front of Weston, clutching the hem of his pants and begging, ¡°Please save me, Mr. Ford...¡± ¡°It¡®s Guinevere Cohen!¡± she continued. ¡°She¡®s gone mad! She¡®s about to chop off my legs so I can never set foot in Ahn City ever again!!!¡± Weston frowned and shoved her away without expression. Nicole Dous just sat there, her face deathly pale. Her lips were trembling, and she seemed not to have recovered her senses when she muttered , ¡°Mr. Ford...¡° Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 It was the first time Nicole had ever experienced anything like it. She had just escaped from Guinevere Cohen and wasn¡®t as familiar with the situation as Belle was. She truly would never have believed that in a society ruled byw, Guinevere would dare to act so rampantly... so rampantly that she wanted to chop her hands off! Guinevere cursed and yelled at her, saying she never wanted her to y the piano ever again! Nicole didn¡®t want to be like Belle. She didn¡®t want to kneel in front of Weston, crying and begging him in the hopes that he would pity her and help her. But being in a really desperate situation and having no other choice, she could onlye here and ask for his help. ¡°I seriously don¡®t understand what I¡®d done wrong,¡± Nicole said. ¡°Why would that Guinevere Cohen woman do such a horrible thing to us...¡± She turned to Weston and, in a choked voice, continued,¡± Mr. Ford, this is a matter between you and her. Why should I suffer for it?¡± ¡°What do I have to do with her?¡± Weston tugged at the folds of his pants lightly. His move was so nonchnt that it gave him an air of utter coldness. ¡°Everyone in Ahn City knows that I¡®m already married,¡± he continued. ¡°I have nothing to do with Guinevere Cohen. If you have any problems with her, then you should go directly to her.¡± ¡°But...¡± Nicole¡®s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°But Miss Cohen clearly attacked us because of you...¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Belle quickly cut Nicole off. She could hardly believe that Nicole could be this naive. ¡°This is all Guinevere Cohen¡®s fault. It has nothing to do with Mr. Ford. We¡®re only here to ask for his help, not to make any demands, do you understand?¡± Belle found Nicole¡®s simple¨Cmindedness almost unbearable. How could she still not understand the whole situation yet? How could she still assume that Weston Ford would help them simply on the principle of justice? This man was a capitalist wolf, not a charitable phnthropist. How could Nicole really assume that she could persuade him to help them just by saying a few words? Besides, all of this was Weston Ford¡®s n, to begin with. He had been setting up the snares from the start, tricking everyone into thinking that he was interested in them, thus triggering Guinevere¡®s ire and provoking her to take revenge. By that point, Weston could easily wipe his hands clean of them and just minded his own business, so if they wanted to live, their only choice was toe to him and beg for his help As for why Weston Ford would do this, there could only be one exnation ¨C he must have wanted to use them somehow. He must have wanted them to do something for him. Belle had to admit that this man had the terrifying ability to read through other people¡®s minds, especially when it was pertinent to achieving his goals. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She hated herself for falling so stupidly into his hands! Why could she not control her feelings and fall into his traps the moment she saw him again? Even after having learned such a harsh lesson once in the past? It was already toote when she finally understood that the problem didn¡®t lie with Guinevere¡®s hatred for them since all these fell under Weston Ford¡®s ns and calctions. She could not help but relent to the fact that ordinary people like them just simply could notpare to a man like Weston Ford. They were just on entirely different levels. This man was renowned for being all¨Cpowerful and unrivaled in the field of business after all, so it should not havee as a surprise that he was an artful and devious man with his own ns up his sleeves. ¡°Please...¡± she continued to beg. ¡°Please save us, Mr. Ford ... We¡®re willing to do anything...¡± She reached out her hand and tried to grasp his pants again, but the contempt in his eyes crept into her mind and she decided against it. ¡°Mr Ford...¡± she looked at him and tearfully pleaded.¡° Please save us...¡± ¡°Why should we beg for his help?¡± Nicole was still confused. ¡°Wasn¡®t it all because of him that Guinevere Cohen attacked us? He should be helping us deal with this matter anyway, right?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Belle red at her. ¡°Didn¡®t you hear what Mr. Ford said? He has nothing to do with Guinevere Cohen. She did this to us on her own ord, so what right do we have to demand him to deal with this? If Mr. Ford is willing to help us, then it will all be due to his kindness and generosity, but if he¡®s not, it¡®ll still be perfectly reasonable for him to do so...¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Belle had spoken very well. But Weston merely nced indifferently at her and asked, ¡°You¡®re willing to do anything?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Belle nodded repeatedly. ¡°Anything! But I really don¡®t want my feet chopped off, Mr. Ford...¡± Weston lit up another cigarette, his fingers rubbing against each other lightly as he looked over to Nicole.¡° What about you?¡± Nicole suddenly copsed to the floor as if her soul had just escaped her body. Only then did she realize that it had all been a trap. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She had assumed Weston had been kind to her and even paid off all her debts because he had taken a fancy to her, or that at least he harbored some feelings for her. Never did it ur to her that he had done all that just to provoke Guinevere , subsequently causing her to attack them, which in turn, forced them to work with Weston in exchange for their own safety. In their current position, they had no other choice but to do what Weston wanted. How else would they escape Guinevere¡®s clutches otherwise? This man truly was terrifying, a thousand times more terrifying than Guinevere Cohen, in fact. ¡°How could you do this to me?!¡± she asked tearfully.¡° Never mind Belle, but what have I ever done to you to deserve this?!¡± Even then, Nicole still thought of herself as a ss above Belle or those other women like her. It would be perfectly understandable for Weston Ford to use and manipte women like Belle, but Nicole was different. She was pure and innocent. Why would he help her and build her up, only to shove her down and drag her to hell? Weston was in no mood to humor the naive sentiments of an immature woman. The cloud of smoke curled upwards from the tip of his fingers, amalgamating with the facial features that made him seem even more striking and intimidating He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I¡®m sure you¡®ve both heard of the oleander poisoning case.¡± ¡°Y¨CYes...¡± Belle and Nicole answered simultaneously. Weston paused. ¡°Belle,¡± he began again in a perfectly calm voice, not unlike a prowling lion slowly luring its prey, ¡°you have a history with Guinevere that made you hate her. That was why you¡®ve always been nning to kill her son...¡± As soon as she heard this, Belle¡®s eyes were as wide as saucers. Her face turned sickly white, and she felt a chill down her back. ¡°B¨CBut, Mr. Ford...¡± Weston seemed oblivious to Belle¡®s horrified face. He turned to Nicole and told her, ¡°And you needed a big sum of money to settle your debts. It just so happens that a sum of money has been transferred to you from Belle¡®s ount. That¡®s because you¡®re her helper and her witness.¡± Nicole was stupefied. She knew that Weston had given her arge sum of money so that she could go back to school, but she had never thought about where that money came from, She had always assumed that it hade from Weston without giving it much thought. Belle was suddenly struck with a realization. She crawled forward on her knees and asked, ¡°Mr. Ford, are you saying that you want us to take the me for Ste Sealey?¡± Weston raised his hand and massaged his eyebrows. ¡°You¡®d be taking the me for her if she was guilty,¡± he corrected her in an impatient tone, ¡°but she is not guilty.¡± He nced over at the two women on the floor and added, ¡°If the situation ever gets too perilous for her, I want both of you to keep her safe, understand?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Belle said with trembling lips, finally understanding the whole situation, ¡°You¡®ll try to get the lightest sentence for her, but if that fails, then you want both of us to take the me. Is that correct?¡± Weston¡®s true intentions were in to see. He did not answer any more of their questions. All he did was brush the ashes off his body and casually say, ¡°Don¡®t worry. Even if you¡®re both needed in the end, my team ofwyers will do whatever they can to fight for you. The worst that could happen is staying in prison for a few years, that¡®s all.¡± With his piercing eyes, he raised his head and swept a nce over Belle and Nicole¡®s faces. ¡°That¡®s still a lot better than losing your limbs, right?¡± Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Belle was shaken to her core, but after a moment, she suddenly thought of something and quickly crawled up to Weston. Tugging at his trousers, she asked, ¡°But why must I be the murderer? Why can¡®t I be the witness...?¡± She then tearfully begged, ¡°Can you please let Nicole be the murderer and make me the witness instead?¡± Belle was not an idiot. Of course, she knew that ying different roles meant shouldering different consequences. She also knew that there was no way she could persuade Weston to change his ns, but she still had no desire to go to prison, even if only for a few years. ¡°It¡®s not my decision,¡± Weston frowned. ¡°Everything has been decided based on the motive and evidence. Don¡®t make things awkward for me.¡± V He shoved her hands away as he spoke and got up to his feet. He pulled out a wet wipe nearby and wiped his trousers before hurling it into the bin. ¡°There will bewyersing hereter to inform you about what to do next,¡± he said. ¡°Once everything is over, you will get whatever your heart desires. I¡®ll give you thirty minutes to think it over. If you refuse, I won¡®t force you to change your mind ¨C the door is right there¨Cyou can show yourselves out.¡± There were only the two of them left in the room now. It was the first time Nicole ever felt such a downright chill. Fear radiated from her bones. She copsed in a dark corner and turned to Belle in panic, ignoring the fact that she had looked down on her all along. ¡°Did Weston Ford really mean what he said?¡± she asked.¡° Is he really going to throw us to Guinevere Cohen if we don¡¯t do what he wants...?¡± ¡°How can you still be so naive?!¡± Belle wiped her tears and stood up. ¡°Why else would he say that? Do you think he¡®s toying with us and ying this trick on us because he likes us?¡± ¡°I just thought...¡± Nicole clenched her fists. ¡°I just thought that he might be, at the very least, a good man...¡± Belle responded as if she had just heard a funny joke. ¡°He is indeed an outstanding man,¡± she told Nicole. ¡°But he¡®s not a good man.¡± ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do?! We only have two choices now either we agree to do what Weston Ford wants, or we fall into Guinevere Cohen¡®s hands. Unless....¡± Belle fell silent for a moment before adding, ¡°You can also choose to go to Guinevere Cohen and reveal Weston Ford¡®s ns to her. Perhaps she might let you off because of it, but that¡®spletely up to you.¡± ¡°But...¡± Nicole hesitated. ¡°Even if we go to Guinevere. with Weston¡®s ns... Will she really protect us?¡± Compared to Guinevere Cohen, Weston Ford seemed a lot more reliable. At least he was the kind of man who would never go back on his words. He always delivered on his promises. ¡°Looks like you¡®re finally using your brain,¡± Belle sighed. ¡°Even if we don¡®t want to help Weston Ford, we still can¡®t go to Guinevere Cohen because that woman is just pure evil! She does whatever she likes without giving a single thought about anything else...¡± ¡°So the only choice we have is quietly being the scapegoats?¡± Belle gave her a derisive look and said, ¡°At least you get to be the witness! You won¡®t have to go to prison, unlike me!¡± Nicole¡®s eyshes trembled hard as if she could still not wrap her head around the reality of her situation. In fact, it was only when the team ofwyers arrived that the two women finally realized the gravity of the situation they were in. The ck Maybach pierced through the air at high speed. Ben was giving Weston a report when he nced at the time and said, ¡°Those two have agreed, Mr. Ford.¡± It happened a little sooner than they expected. ¡°Okay,¡± Weston responded simply. Ben looked at Weston¡®s striking profile and couldn¡®t help but sigh. ¡°You really care about Mrs. Ford a lot, don¡®t you, Mr. Ford Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Thanks to this incident, Weston had basically gotten no rest at all. In order to ensure that she would not go to jail, he had been considering every possible solution whether it was cooperating with Xavier Ford to quash the power wielded by Warren Ford orpromising with Guinevere Cohen so she would sign a waiver and withdraw the charges against Ste, or even nning a third contingency by letting Belle and Nicole take the me in case the tide really turned against Ste. He gave every aspect and angle a long and thoughtful consideration , all in the hopes that he could obliterate the possibility of Ste going to jail. Weston said nothing in reply and fell silent for a while before asking him, ¡°How¡®s she doing?¡± Ben¡®s first reaction was to tell him about the chance meeting between Ste and Guinevere, emphasizing the fact that Ste had pped Guinevere twice. Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Undoubtedly, he was worried that Guinevere would make a big deal out of the two ps she received. But the man¡®s eyes unexpectedly revealed a kind of smile. He put his finger on his brow ridge and chuckled. ¡°She actually hits people?¡± ¡°Miss Cohen must have said something unpleasant to Mrs. Ford.¡± Ben said, ¡°Mrs. Ford seemed to be very angry.¡± However, even if it was Guinevere who provoked her first, assaulting someone wasn¡®t right. What did this rather relieved tone of Mr. Ford mean? Weston knew what Guinevere had said to her. It was nothing more than to irritate Ste with the deal between them. All he had to do was go back and coax her a bit. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Mrs. Ford¡­¡± Ben hesitated but still told him the truth in the end.¡° Mrs. Ford met Justin today. It seems he¡®s gone to Tina¡®s office to help her out.¡± The man opened his eyes and cast a cold nce at him. Ben touched his nose nervously, wondering if he had said the wrong thing ¡°But Mrs. Ford should have nothing to do with him anymore, and I didn¡®t see any inappropriate behavior...¡± The more he said, the worse it became until he did not know why he was being honest. He clearly knew how possessive Weston was of Ste.¡° I¡®m sorry, Mr. Ford...¡± ¡°Thepany has sent over the details of the contract...¡± He attempted to change the subject, but Weston interrupted coldly. ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°Nothing! Really!¡± Ben said. ¡°It was just a friendly hug when they parted. But I am very sure that it was a polite hug!¡± The more he spoke, the more anxious he became. Weston swept a cold nce at him with eyes that were like crackling ice. The air around them froze, and the temperature dropped a few degrees. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Ben shut his mouth and didn¡®t dare to say more. Ste headed straight to the kitchen once she got back to Stardust Mansion. Joan was a bit surprised. ¡°Ma¡®am, do you want to cook by yourself?¡± Ste nodded. It was thest dinner, she thought. She wanted to bring it all to a close. Joan was unsure of Ste¡®s intention and thought she had changed her mind and wanted to be with Weston properly. So, she said nothing and went to do her own work happily. Soon, the Maybach pulled into the gate of the mansion. Joan was waiting outside and she greeted Weston when he got out of the car. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡®re back...¡± She paused for a moment, realizing Weston did not look so good. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Weston ignored her. He casually handed her the suit jacket and strode into the mansion. She could feel his solemn aura just by looking at his back. She exchanged nces with Ben, who got out of the car soon after and asked softly, ¡°What happened? Why does Mr. Ford look so angry...¡± Ben shook his head, signaling her not to ask more questions. ¡°We¡®d better stay out of his business with his wife and do our own thing.¡± He was annoyed that he had just said the wrong thing and deeply regretted it. Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Ste was in the kitchen when she heard footsteps and subconsciously looked back. Seeing Weston walk in, she asked, ¡°Why are you back so early today?¡± ¡°What, you don¡®t want to see me?¡± The man pushed the man directly against the zed table the next second. Her back hit the hard surface of the table, and she hissed out of pain. ¡°Be gentle... Let go of me...¡± Weston¡®s eyes darkened. Hearing her refusal and thinking of her meeting with Justin today, he thought she was rejecting him because she had met someone else. This only prompted him to clutch her waist harder. ¡°I can¡®t even touch you now, huh?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She struggled a little, and her face showed impatience. However, it was this look of impatience that irritated Weston. A cloud of gloom shed across his eyes. He untied her apron, threw it on the floor, and carried her directly up to the countertop as he reached out to probe upwards. Ste shuddered at the touch of his calloused fingers on her skin and pped his hand away forcefully. ¡°What are you doing?!?!¡± Weston bit her earlobe and uttered one word. ¡°You.¡± The water behind her was still boiling. She felt one tender kiss after anothernd on her neck. She trembled as her skin felt his warmth. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before hoarsely pleading, ¡°Not here, okay?¡± Weston was gasping. As he heard the unmistakable tremble inside her voice, he had no choice but to settle down. Looking down at her disheveled clothes, he tidied them a bit. ¡°Go and take a shower,¡± he said. Ste frowned slightly, somewhat disgusted by his beastly behavior that craved sex anytime, anywhere. But thinking that today would be thest time, she relented. She was about to get down, but Weston picked her up and headed straight to the bathroom. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She didn¡®t know what was happening, but she could clearly feel that he was in a hurry today. If it were not for the fact that her legs were shaking, she was sure he would have pushed her into the bathroom and had his way with her alr¨¦ady. This time, he seemed more intent on cleaning her whole body, especially her arms, back, and chest. He grabbed her arms andthered her body again and again under the shower to the tune of her skin bing a little red and sore. Ufortable and in pain, she could not help but remind him, ¡°I¡®m already sparkling...¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He looked up and asked. She nodded. ¡°What¡®s wrong with you today?¡± He stared at her and, without saying a word,thered her body again before finally wrapping her in a towel and bringing her out. That one thought of her cuddling with Justin was way more than he could rationalize. Even scrubbing her until her skin was red couldn¡®t wipe off the soot that choked his heart. Ste struggled to sit up after being ced on the bed. ¡°Wait. ¡°Are you thirsty ? Let me get you some tea, okay?¡± she said to him. Weston¡®s eyes darkened even more as he stared at her in silence. Ste already had a hunch about what was toe when she saw his face. His tempestuous, deep eyes swirled with countless dangerous whirlpools , as if whipping up a tornado that was about to makendfall. Ste got up, and as she passed by his side, she could hear his heavy huffing. Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 When she came back with a cup of tea, Weston suddenly grabbed her wrist, making her drop the cup on the floor Crash! The cup shattered, throwing shards of broken ceramic in all directions. Water flowed on the floor, and two dried flowersy on the plush carpet. The crocus¨Clike flowers spread beautifully. He stared at the woman coldly with his solid gaze. ¡°Tell me. Are you thinking of poisoning me like thest time?¡± Ste shuddered. She raised her head quickly and met his gaze. ¡°How did you¡­ )) Though she knew very well in her heart that Weston would find out one day, she did not expect him to know at such a time. Her reaction answered all his questions. His eyes turned red, and he grabbed her by her neck. ¡°Do you want me to die?¡± He could ept that she was acting in front of her, but not for a second did he anticipate that¡­ the person he shared his bed with actually wanted him dead. ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± He increased the force of his grip and looked at the face that was slowly turning pale from suffocation. At that moment, he really wanted to choke her to death. ¡°Do you really want to poison me to death?¡± Ste was speechless. Tears rolled out of the corners of her eyes. She stared straight at the man in front of her with short, rapid breaths. Weston inhaled deeply and let go of her before she suffocated. Immediately, she fell onto the carpet like a broken doll, wheezing and coughing her guts out. The man turned around to face away from her, and a chilling aura filled the room. In a voice like a demon from hell, he said, ¡°You told me that you didn¡¯t kill Zachary. It turns out that I was the one you wanted to kill, am I right?¡± Ste stared nkly at the floor and didn¡¯t deny it. He turned around and condescendingly looked at her. ¡° You wanted to kill me with oleander, right?¡± She still did not deny it, nor did she look at him. The man dropped to his knees in front of her, cupped her chin, and made her look into his eyes. ¡°Zachary¡¯s death was an ident. You wanted to kill me with the oleander but identally killed him, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Ste looked him straight in the eye and said stubbornly, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, and neither did he die unintentionally ¡­¡± ¡°Still denying it?¡± Weston pinched her chin hard until her skin was bruised. ¡°Hayden told me that your emotions would make you somewhat aggressive, but I did not expect you would want me dead, and you even dragged Zachary into this.¡± She closed her eyes. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She knew that it was useless no matter how she exined. ¡°I wanted to kill you, but I never meant to do anything to Zachary. He¡¯s innocent.¡± ¡°Ste!¡± He suppressed his voice, called her name, then whispered in her ear with seething, unabated rage. ¡°You hate me that much? You hate me so much that you want to kill me???¡± Those sweet moments from the past shed before him. For a moment, it was like they were back in the old days. The only difference was that he would not ignore her and leave her alone like he used to. He always thought that Ste wanted to go back to the past just like he did, but in the end, it was all just wishful thinking. ¡°You¡¯ve been pretending and acting. You¡¯ve never taken me into your heart¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I no longer love you.¡± She suddenly pushed him away and pierced her stare into his eyes. ¡°What makes you think I would willingly love you after what you did to me? On what basis? ¡°I stopped loving you the moment you chose Guinevere on the rooftop and abandoned me. No woman would love a man who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give her up.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Ste closed her eyes. She would never be able to face the man in front of her as long as she recalled the past. ¡°You know, even when you gave up on me, I didn¡¯t hate you. I just didn¡¯t want to love you¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you then because you simply didn¡¯t love me, and you just abandoned me. However, my child was dead, and there was no way I could forgive myself, much less you. ¡°But I still had Roger. I wanted to start a new life, even if there was little hope left. I still wanted to live¡­ But what did you do? ¡°You forced me. You obliterated whatever little life I had left and separated me from Roger!¡± She almost gritted her teeth when she said this. He did not know that she had learned of Roger¡¯s death, so he thought that the separation she was talking about was just so that the two of them would never see each other again. But Ste had made it very clear that it was his death that did them apart. Weston¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°He had an uneptable intention for you. You treated him like a brother, but he never treated you like his sister. I don¡¯t think it was a bad decision to keep you both apart.¡± ¡°Is that so? It looks like you have done me a favor¡­¡± Ste stood up. She looked horribly thin, like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind. ¡°You said that it is for my sake, but it¡¯s all an excuse to satisfy your own selfish desire! Are you really going to prevent Roger from having inappropriate feelings for me? You¡¯re just trying to monopolize me. You only want to possess me; you don¡¯t actually love me!¡± He moved forward and locked her wrists, forcing her to look him in the eyes. ¡°And what about your im to love me? You gave up on us so easily.¡± ¡°Haha, hahaha¡­¡± Steughed abruptly. ¡°Do you know how many years I have loved you?¡± Her tears kept falling. ¡°I gave up on us so easily? I¡¯ve loved you for so many years¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually saying this¡­¡± His pupils contracted. ¡°What do you mean by many years?¡± It had only been two years ago since they first met. At most, Ste was only in love with him during their time together. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. What did she mean by so many years? She shook her head, unwilling to talk about the time when she had a crush on him. She would never bring it up in front of him again. To her, it was a brand of shame. ¡°Say it clearly. Weston, however, was unwilling to let her escape. He intensified the force of his hand and was on the verge of crushing her jaw. ¡°When did you start loving me?¡± ¡°This does not matter anymore.¡± She gently brushed his hands away. ¡°What matters now is that I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡± >> >> She looked at the man¡¯s darkening red eyes. She thought he would be furious at first, but he calmed down. The pair of deep eyes looked at her solemnly. He ran his fingers on his face with a touch of unprecedented tenderness. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to love me.¡± His gaze was soft yet cruel. ¡°I just need you to listen to me.¡± She took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. ¡°As you wish.¡± He yanked her hair, and when he tightened his fingers, she hissed. There was a sharp pain in her scalp. She opened her eyes to look at him. The corners of her eyes were a little red, but she stubbornly kept them from tearing. He yed with her hair, twirling it around his fingertips. ¡°I heard that you pped Guinevere today?¡± She sneered. ¡°Why? Have youe to chastise me?¡± He was silent. She looked at him sarcastically. ¡°She told me you promised her that you would divorce me and marry her in exchange for her dropping the charges against me. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He admitted without hesitation. He stared directly into her eyes. His overpowering, suppressing aura made her tremble. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 ¡°Do you want to make me the third wheel again?¡± ¡°So what, don¡¯t you want to kill me as well?¡± Hisrge palm was mping her chin, disabling her from lowering her head, and she was forced to tilt her head upward and look at him. Weston looked like he was trying to prate the deepest part of her soul. ¡°Since you know it was a deal, then the two ps you gave her cannot be considered a wise action. I hope you will apologize to her before the court hearing tomorrow.¡± This one sentence was thest straw. She pushed him away frantically. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I would rather die!¡± She shouted hysterically. ¡°I will never apologize to her! Never!¡± ¡°She killed my child and nearly killed me. She ruined my whole life. You are both murderers! You are headsmen!¡± ¡°STELLA!!!¡± He roared suddenly and cupped her face, restricting her movement with force. ¡°You killed her son, too, and nearly killed me¡­¡± She quieted down instantly, tears swirling in her eyes, and it was how she gazed straight at the man before her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. Her chest was heaving violently, but her face was unusually stoic. She inhaled deeply. Emotions surged in her chest like a whirlpool, so intense that it was almost agonizing. The string, which had long been taut to its limits, was about to snap. But the man in front of her was still recklessly tightening it, still pressuring her. Why? Why did he have to force her? Whose fault was it that she hade to this point¡­ Ste began to breathe heavily, and her eyes looked dull. Her thoughts were disorganized, as if she could no longer think straight. What should she do? What was she supposed to do? She hated it so much¡­ And she was so tired¡­ Was it her own fault that she hade this far? She was wrong. She was wrong for not dying sooner. She was wrong for not doing it sooner. If she had ended her life in the beginning, so many conflicts wouldn¡¯t have happened and there would not be so much suffering¡­ Indeed. Her death was the only way to solve the problem. She was unaware that she had an extreme depressive mood swing that caused her to me everything on herself. How much better would it have been if she had died early? Somewhere in the man¡¯s heart caved in as he watched her sudden confused and painful appearance with his red eyes. But the thought of her embracing Justin and her plot to kill him made him fail to contain his anger and desire to destroy everything. He pushed her away coldly. Then, watching her fall onto the carpet, he turned around mercilessly and left. ¡°You are emotionally unstable now. You need to calm down. Someone will bring you to the court tomorrow. Do your best. Don¡¯t waste the days I spent preparing everything for you.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. 3133 Ste watched him leave. She copsed on the edge of the bed and watched Weston¡¯s back disappear at the end of the room door without blinking. She knew it would be thest time she looked at him. She closed her eyes tightly; her body was stripped of its strength. She really could not hold on anymore. Infinite darkness overwhelmed her, and her thoughts could no longer sustain her as she continued to live. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 She was exhausted, very, very exhausted. She did not want to hate or love. She did not even want to live. Pain gripped her chest every time she breathed, and her head felt like it was being shed. She had no one left to love. All the people she cared about had left her. The love she once regarded as her salvation was the source of her destruction. She couldn¡¯t help but look at herself and think that she was downright sinful, disgusting, worthless, and unworthy of redemption. She should die, just die¡­ She covered her face. Weston was right. She had nned to kill him. What difference did it make to who died? She already had the idea of killing someone. Or maybe he was right, maybe Zachary really did die because of her¡­ Because of her inattention. No matter how it went, the boy died from the oleander, didn¡¯t he? It was oleander was cultivated by her own hands. Ste suddenly broke out into fits ofughter from the uncertainty and sorrow. She didn¡¯t know why she wasughing or crying but only knew that the tears wouldn¡¯t stop falling and that she didn¡¯t even know why she was alive. In the evening, it started to rain, and the dark clouds were thick. Peals of thunder rumbled in the distance, underscoring the drab, depressing atmosphere. Ben held up his ck umbre and nced at the slender man beside him. ¡°Mr. Ford, you won¡¯t be staying in the mansion tonight?¡± Weston said coldly, ¡°Go to the office.¡± He ordered as soon as he got into the car. ¡°After Hayden gets everything ready, tell him to send a copy to me for review.¡± Ben nodded. He now realized that Weston had actually prepared a backup n- the proof of Ste¡¯s mental state. If Belle and Nicole suddenly turned against her, this would be the key to turning things around, that was, Ste was suffering from a mental disorder and was legally unfit to take responsibility for her actions. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He has calcted almost every step. The most important step, however, was to seize power from the old man. Only then could hey out the subsequent steps. Even if he encountered some difficulties, he was always able to quicklye up with another set of ns to remedy the situation. Ben couldn¡¯t help but admire him. That man was a born leader. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t achieve as long as he wished for it. That woman, Ste, was the only variable in his life. Because of Ste, he often found that Weston was unlike his old self. He had be out of control, paranoid, and autocratic. ¡°Don¡¯t let anything bother me until the court hearing tomorrow.¡± As soon as they reached the office, he dropped his orders and went straight into the building. Ben hurriedly began to execute his order. On his way, he ran into Michael and Diana and sighed as he watched their iparable love for each other. He wondered when he would ever see Weston and Ste like this. On the way¡­ Previous Chapter Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 After a while, Diana felt tired of walking. ¡°We¡¯d better go back now, Riley is still at home¡­¡± Michael nned to bring her out for a date but sighed when hearing what she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that niece of yours a little bit inconsiderate?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Her ssmate just passed away, so she wants to stay with me for a few days. It won¡¯t be for long anyway¡­¡± Michael shook his head and stopining. ¡°You are pregnant, so you are the boss.¡± Diana pecked him on the cheek. ¡°Thank you, darling!¡± The man pinched her face, smiling. When they got home, they were much more restrained. Riley knew that she¡¯d been disturbing the twotely, so she tried her best to lower her voice. In fact, she wasn¡¯t as annoying as Michael made her seem to be. He simply felt she was often in the way of his alone time with Diana. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, you are back.¡± Michael responded with a brief grunt and went straight to the study. Diana hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, he is always like this.¡± Riley smiled. As a niece, she was naturally happy to see her aunt having a good rtionship with him. After dinner, she suddenly asked Diana, ¡°By the way, is Ste¡®s trial happening tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Diana nodded, a little puzzled. ¡°You seem to be quite concerned about her.¡± ¡°Just curious,¡± Riley answered with a smile. Michael and Diana knew that she was heartbroken over the death of her ssmate, but they didn¡®t know the person was Roger. And because of Michael¡®s long¨Cstanding feud with his sister, very few of the Belfords knew that they were siblings. Riley wanted to return to campus at first, but when she heard about Ste¡®s case, she became a little worried about her. Ste was, after all, the sister of the person she was deeply in love with, and she did not want anything bad to happen to her. After a short rest, she returned to her room. In her hand, she was holding the recorder that Roger left behind before he died. She didn¡¯t dare to listen to it until now. She didn¡¯t want to waste thest thing he gave her. Right when she was deeply absorbed in thought, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Riley, are you taking a shower?¡± Riley stood up immediately to answer the door. She replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After that, she walked past Diana and headed to the bathroom. Seeing her room door was left open, Diana shook her head. ¡°Careless girl¡­¡± As she walked to her room, she saw the recorder on the carpet and bent down to pick it up. Just when she wanted to put it somewhere, she identally pressed a button, and it started ying. Startled, she hurriedly tried to turn the recorder off, not wanting to vite Riley¡¯s privacy, but that was when she heard a familiar voice from the speaker. ¡°Ste, what exactly do I have to do to get you not to tell Diana that I cheated on her?¡± She would never fail to recognize the owner of the voice. He was the man who just hugged and sweet¨C talked to her a moment ago. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. For a very brief moment, Diana felt as if she had fallen into an ice cer, and her blood was flowing backward. She suspected that she might have heard wrong. She froze on the spot and listened to the conversation in a self¨Ctormenting way. Michael didn¡¯t know why Diana took so long, so he went to look for her. Seeing her standing at Riley¡¯s room door, not doing anything, he called out to her. ¡°Darling, why are you standing here?¡± She ignored him. He frowned and went in. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You say that you love Diana, but why did you fool around with my roommate? Don¡¯t you think that you should not have made such a mistake in the first ce?¡± This was Ste¡¯s voice. Michael nched for a moment, realizing that this recording was the conversation he had with Ste that day. ¡°Diana, I can exin¡­¡± Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 The rainst night was much less intense. When Ste woke up the next morning, she saw that the branches of many nts in the backyard had snapped off from the strong wind. She pushed open the window to bring in the fresh air. She stood on the balcony to sober up a bit. Then, she changed her clothes as she usually did every morning, walked downstairs to sit on the sofa in the hall, and waited for Ben toe and pick her up. Ben arrived right on time. His expression eased a bit when he saw Ste sitting there, all ready and waiting.¡° Mrs. Ford, the trial is about to begin. Let¡®s go.¡± Ste stood up and walked silently to him. He studied her face and said to her out of concern that she would feel nervous, ¡°Don¡®t worry too much. Everything has been taken care of. Miss Cohen has dropped the charges and will not appear as the intiff. There will only be Mr. Warren...¡± While he reminded her of the precautions, she felt rather calm. She was in fact much calmer than she ever was in such a situation. As he was talking, he noticed the unprecedented calmness on her face. Finding it rather unusual, he stopped. ¡°Mrs. Ford, is there anything you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°No. Ms. Hampton has told me all about it yesterday.¡± She smiled and said to Ben, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too nervous. It¡¯s my business. You make it look like you¡¯re the defendant.¡± She was still in the mood for jokes, so Ben touched his nose and smiled reservedly. Indeed, he looked a little uneasy. Finally, he decided to tell her. ¡°Sorry, Mrs. Ford. I was the one who identally told Mr. Ford about you and Justin yesterday¡­¡± Ste seemed unconcerned and showed no expression on her face. ¡°You are his personal assistant. It¡¯s your job to supervise me. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ben was surprised by her answer. He felt odd and was still a little guilty. ¡°I know there is nothing between you and Justin, and I was just reporting to him about your day, as usual, I didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Ford¡¯s reaction would be so big¡­¡± When he said this, he felt a little guilty. If this had happened in the past, he would never believe that a friendly hug would enrage Weston this much¡ª When Weston was with Guinevere, he never even cared when Guinevere shot intimate scenes. But after he got together with Ste, he turned extremely over possessive. Ben saw him do a lot of things that he would never have done before. It wasn¡¯t his first time disying such pure and intense possessiveness, though, so he felt a little sorry for her. It was obviously a small matter, but it could have caused them to fight. Ste smiled and did not say anything. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± He pulled open the car door and watched her get in. The car wafted steadily across the road. Everything was going well. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. In the car, she suddenly asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford has a multinational meeting today, so he cannot apany you to the trial,¡± Ben stiffly made an excuse for Weston. He rarely lied, so he was a little nervous. Weston should¡¯ve been by her side at a time like this. He had made so much preparation for her, so Ben thought he would¡¯ve definitely apanied Ste, what more in such a period. Besides, the meeting wasn¡®t that important and could have been postponed. But to his shock, Weston wasn¡®t showing up and was simply letting her face it alone. He had no idea what went on in Weston¡®s mind. He obviously treasured Ste and took care of everything, yet he was absent at such a time. Was it necessary to be so angry, though? Ste propped up her chin and looked out the window, ignoring Ben¡®sfort. Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Ben could see that she was a little upset, so he said, ¡°Mr. Ford still cares a lot about you. It¡¯s just that he can¡¯t let go of his pride sometimes¡­¡± ¡°I want to be quiet for a while.¡± Ste turned her head and smiled at him. There was a peaceful glow in her eyes, though the glow was like a pool of dead water. Ben froze for a moment, that strange feeling growing deeper and deeper. Yet, he could not describe it, so he could only nod. >> ¡°Okay, Mrs. Ford. Have good rest. The car soon arrived at the entrance of the courthouse . Tina was already waiting there with herwyers, ready to 1. go. At the door, Ste saw Warren sitting at the intiff¡¯s N?velDrama.Org owns all content. table. Warren looked like he aged a lot. When he got out of the car, he nced at Ste from afar and then shunned away disdainfully. She did not say anything and simply nodded to him, expressionlessly. The calmer she looked, the bigger the fire burning in Warren¡¯s heart. He sneered. ¡°Do you think that you will be fine with Weston¡¯s support for you? I am not a person to be trifled with either. The oue has not been decided yet!¡± She smiled at him. ¡°You are absolutely right.¡± Her indifference made him feel very uneasy, as if he had just thrown a punch at a pillow. He red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I will let you go by acting weak! You killed my great¨Cgrandson, and I must make you pay with your life!¡± She remained silent. After he finished talking, she asked, ¡°Are you done talking? Can I go in already?¡± Warren¡¯s face turned stiff. Holding his walking stick, he inhaled deeply and said to hiswyers, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tina approached Ste. ¡°It¡¯ll be better if you lessen arguments with the intiff before the trial.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I am not arguing with him.¡± ¡°Good then.¡± Tina brought her in. Ben stopped at the door. He stood in front of the stone carving of a lion¡¯s head, watched the courtroom door slowly close, and exhaled . The trial soonmenced. A low¨Cprofile luxury car slowly pulled up at thending of the high stone steps. Ben focused on it and found it very familiar. It seemed to be the Gust that Weston would asionally use. A car synonymous with the term ¡®post¨C opulence,¡® it was a limited edition, with only two units ever built in the world. This was why Ben remembered it. Weston looked in the direction of the court from inside the car. He rolled down the window only after Ste¡®s figure disappeared from his view. He lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers, but didn¡®t smoke it. There were a few visible scratch marks on the back of his palms , marks that Ste made when he held her in the kitchen. A few of the buttons of his shirt were left unbuttoned, revealing his chest where simr scratch marks were visible. Ste was docile when she was obedient but was very rebellious when she was not. When she wasfortable, she would scratch him subconsciously, but she would also do the same when she was not. Ben walked over to him and interrupted him. ¡°Mr. Ford? ¡°You came,¡± he continued respectfully. ¡°Hmph,¡± Weston replied, his eyes still fixed on the courthouse. Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Ben wasn¡¯t too surprised that Weston actually came. He was clearly concerned about his wife, so why did he have to put himself in such a dilemma? He would only push his woman further and further away. ¡°Mrs. Ford is in good shape today. If there is no ident, the trial should go well.¡± Weston wasn¡¯t worried about the trial. He had made so much preparation that diminished confidence was out of the question. However, even though a desirable oue was almost a sure thing, he still wanted to see Ste walk out of the courtroom with her name cleared. Ben stayed by his side and waited quietly with him. As a light drizzle came upon the area, the low rumble of a car got louder as it approached from the distance. A white Lexus stopped in front of them, and a man in casual clothes stepped out ¡°Mr. Ford, so you are here. I went to the office just now, but the receptionist told me you were not in the office.¡± Michael smiled, pulling his cor. His red eyes told of how little sleep he must¡¯ve slept. He always looked neat and clean, though he looked a bit messy at the moment. His tie was nowhere to be seen, and the top of his shirt was left unbuttoned casually. He was unshaven , and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked disheveled and miserable. ¡°I guessed you would be here. It¡®s Ste¡®s trial today. You will certainly apany her.¡± He let out an ambiguous smile that looked fake. His appearance alerted Ben. ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Sealey?¡± Michael¡®s face turned gloomy instantly, and he charged toward Weston. His tone had lost its initial calmness, and the anger he was holding back was finally cut open. He red at Weston. ¡°I¡®d like to ask Mr. Ford about his wife, Ste, who also happens to be my niece... about what she said to Diana!¡± When he uttered thest word, he was almost gnashing his teeth. How could he have ever imagined that? Thinking that everything was wless, he would still end up with Diana knowing that he had cheated on her. He could never forget Diana¡®s heartbroken lookst night. She was standing at Riley¡¯s room door, looking at him with a pale face and streaking tears. His heart ached as he watched. For a moment, he really wanted to go back in time and strangle himself. Why was he such an a*****e at that time? Doing those things that made her sad¡­ He knew she would be sad, but he did it anyway. He could find countless excuses for himself in front of Ste, but when facing Diana, the woman who carried his child, he became speechless, unable to utter a single word. He had prepared a thousand excuses to exin himself, but he could say nothing to her face. Diana was still standing there with red eyes and tears streaming down her face waiting for him to speak. In the end, he only said three words. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Then, he saw the light on Diana¡¯s face fade instantly. Her face was so pale that it was almost transparent, and her body shook uncontrobly. He hurriedly moved forward to hold her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. You can scold me or hit me, but don¡¯t hold it in your heart. You are pregnant¡­¡± At the mention of this, her face changed immediately, and she pushed him away violently. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± He tried to stop her and even knelt in front of her.¡± Diana, don¡¯t go¡­¡± He tried to beg her not to be so impulsive for the sake of the baby. They argued and fought for a long time that day. Later, Riley figured out what had happened and was a little shocked. She did not know that Ste and Michael were rted. What¡¯s more, she did not know that the uncle she had always thought was Mr. Nice Guy was actually unfaithful to her aunt behind her back. Riley originally wanted to side with Diana and scold Michael, but Diana was still pregnant, and she shouldn¡¯t get too emotional. Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Diana wanted to run away from home. Riley could only help Michael to calm Diana down. Soon, it was nightfall. Diana was unwilling to stay with Michael, so she slept in the guest room with Riley. When Riley got up in the middle of the night, she was surprised to see that Diana was gone. She had no choice but to wake Michael up and look for Diana. Michael got no sleep the entire night. He thought he would have to sit and stay awake all night, but he did not expect Diana to sneak away. Having been searching for Diana since midnight, Diana was, however, still nowhere to be found. f Michael did not dare to alert Diana¡®s family. If her family knew what he had done, they might take Diana back and force them to divorce. Michael could not live without Diana, and he could only ask Riley to keep this a secret until they found her. Riley did not think much about it. Finding Diana was her most important priority at the moment. They searched all night, but still, Diana was nowhere to be found. Michael still had no clue about Diana¡®s whereabouts. Michael knew Ste would be on trial in court on this day, and when he thought about the recorder Ste had given to Riley, his worry turned to anger. He wondered if Ste had done it intentionally, or if she had just taken the wrong recorder by mistake. So far, all he knew was that his marriage mighte to an end because of Ste. Michael was the vindictive kind, and there was little chance he would let her get away with it. Therefore, he found Weston. Ste got him into this situation. He had a hard time and wanted to drag them along. After hearing those things, Ben seemed to have remembered something. ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡± No wonder Ste had inexplicably asked him what he¡¯d do if his partner was cheating on him and if it was better to keep it to himself for the rest of his life or to tell the truth. Ben initially thought Ste had done something wrong to Weston. Although she wasn¡¯t close to Justin, Ben still reported to Weston everything she did with someone of the opposing gender. Little did he know that Ste was only asking that question because she felt lost about Michael and Diana¡¯s rtionship. Ben was wrong about Ste. With a frown, Weston stubbed out his cigarette. He looked at the man with red eyes in front of him indifferently, harboring little sympathy for him. ¡°You should be looking for Diana, not shouting at me here.¡± Michael suddenly felt a little disillusioned and took a few steps back. He clutched his head hard, fell, and slumped down on the edge of the flower bed. ¡°I can¡¯t find Daina. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve searched everywhere. I¡¯ve searched every ce she could have gone, but I still can¡¯t find her. ¡°Where could she have gone?¡± Michael hoped that Diana would beat him and scold him. He was fine with any of that as long as she stayed. Weston frowned and looked a little impatient. He tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel in annoyance. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in the business of others, but Ste greatly cared about Diana. When Weston realized his thoughts, heughed at himself a little. He was still reluctant to let go of a woman who tried to kill him. He knew Ste had a grudge against him, but he never thought she hated him enough to kill him. In the end, this led to Zachary¡¯s wrongful death. ¡®Does she hate me that much?¡® he wondered. Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 The hours flew by in the blink of an eye. The heavy rain outside showed no signs of ceasing. Ben nced at the weather and suddenly noticed Tina walking out of the courthouse alone. She kept her head down and looked somber. Ben took a nce at the time. ¡°Howe it¡¯s over so soon? Could it be¡­¡± A bad feeling crept into his heart. Weston looked in Ben¡¯s direction, and when he saw Tinaing out alone, his eyes turned grim. He opened the car door and swiftly got down. Tina walked to him slowly, not daring to meet his eyes. Instead, she rasped, ¡°Mr. Ford, my apologies¡­¡± Weston interrupted her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you tell me you lost.¡± A cold storm brewed in his eyes, and with clenched fists, he looked as furious as the dark sky pouring itself out. The rain only got heavier and heavier. The aura around Weston became colder. He looked like a messenger from hell. Tina pushed her sses and sighed, ¡°I did my best¡­ But I didn¡¯t expect Ste to confess to her crime.¡± ¡°Crack.¡± At the end of the sentence, Weston cracked his knuckle hard. He enunciated each word slowly, ¡°Confess to her crime?¡± After saying that, he sneered. ¡°Are you telling me that she just confessed to her crime?¡± Tina shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Ford¡­ Even if I had the power, Ste has confessed to the crime¡­ Even if I was the judge, there¡¯d be nothing I could do to save the situation.¡± Michael was slightly surprised when he heard this, but he quickly understood the situation and snickered. ¡°This is nothing surprising. Ste didn¡¯t want to be with you. Maybe she confessed to escape you.¡± Michael looked up and gave Weston a mocking look. ¡° Maybe she thinks it¡¯s better to stay in jail than to stay with you.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Bam!¡± Weston rammed his fist directly into Michael¡¯s face, his eyes red and bloodthirsty. After the punch, he calmed down and rubbed his wrist. Weston looked down at the man who fell on the ground. If Diana wants to divorce you, the Belford family will have my support.¡± ¡°Weston, don¡¯t you dare!¡± (( What Weston said hit Michael hard. Having taken away Ste and Roger¡®s inheritance in order to gain the Belford family¡®s approval, he no longer needed to rely on the Belford family. But then this happened... If Weston were to provide his support to the Belford family, Diana would certainly divorce him. Michael, in a fury, screamed , ¡°If Ste hadn¡®t recorded our conversation, Diana wouldn¡®t have known about that! She wouldn¡®t have run away from home! She wouldn¡®t have left me!!! ¡°In the end, it¡®s all Ste¡®s fault!¡± Weston grabbed him by the cor, dragged him up from the ground, and punched him hard again. Punching Michael seemed like the only way to vent his anger. Bish! Bam! Bish! Weston didn¡®t say a word and kept punching Michael in the face. Soon, Michael¡®s nose and mouth pooled with blood. Weston was about to beat Michael to death in public. Realizing that the situation was getting out of hand, Ben tried to mediate. ¡°Mr. Ford, our priority now is to contact Mrs. Ford... We don¡®t know what¡®s going on inside...¡± Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Weston stopped and looked at the man on the floor. ¡± Diana left you, and you deserve it.¡± ¡°Ste confessed, and you deserve it!¡± Michael shouted from behind him. It was as if attacking Weston would give him some sort of relief. In reality, it was just two losers attacking each other. Michael knew this very well, making the whole situation seem so sadly ironic. ¡°You¡¯re powerful, but what can you do? You can¡¯t even protect your loved one!¡± Michael continued to scream and cursed behind Weston to vent his anger. Unable to find Diana, Michael felt helpless. He finally found an outlet to vent all the anger he had built up throughout the night. Weston ignored Michael coldly and walked straight in. His goal was clear. He wanted to see Ste. The staff apanying him told him, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Ford. Mrs. Ford doesn¡¯t want to see you¡­¡± ¡°I said I want to see her,¡± Weston said in a sharp, icy voice. The people around him held their breaths, afraid to disobey him. However, one man bit the bullet, saying, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Ford. If the defendant doesn¡¯t consent to it, even her family won¡¯t be able to see her¡­¡± Ste refused to see him, and even if he went there, she would not see him. Weston did not say a word, but his face was scary. The trial was over. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Warren walked to Weston and looked at him. He shook his head, saying a little regrettably, ¡°I thought you would win this time. You had it all worked out. You and the board of directors took power, but you never thought Ste would make you lose in the end.¡± Warren wanted to tap Weston on the shoulder, but he missed. Weston took a step back as soon as Weston held his hand mid¨Cair. Weston gave the old man a cold nce. ¡°It¡¯s not just the directors and me. Someone you didn¡¯t expect took part as well.¡± Weston paused for a moment and said, ¡°Did you know that Xavier was involved? Your good son, the one you trusted most, is on my side.¡± Warren paused with a look of shock that shed in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Anger filled his old and wrinkly face. ¡°You¡¯re deliberately sowing discord between us!¡± ¡°You can confront Xavier yourself and find out if it¡®s intentional or not.¡± Weston suppressed the anger in his heart and took a deep breath. ¡°Xavier chose to be on my side. I don¡®t think he¡®d be despicable enough not to admit it.¡± He then looked into Warren¡®s eyes and said, ¡°Grandpa, you¡®re old. Even if.you don¡®t want to admit it, Xavier is no longer the obedient son he once was. He used to listen to you all the time, but now, he knows exactly whose side would benefit him most.¡± Warren widened his eyes as if in disbelief. He stmbled backward, unable to say a word. Even so, Warren knew in his heart that Weston would never deceive him when it came to this. He simply never thought that Xavier would be the one to betray him. ¡®Xavier... I trusted him so much!¡® Warren thought in despair. Warren loved his youngest son, Xavier, the most. Although he left most of the responsibility to the more capable Weston, he never treated Xavier poorly. Why would Xavier be on Weston¡®s side?! Was what Weston said true? Had he grown too old to grant Xavier what he wanted? Warrenughed bitterly and hunched in agony. He had been a schemer his whole life, but he did not expect such an ending to befall him. Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Warren looked up at Weston. ¡°I know you hate me. You me me for hurting the woman you love. That¡¯s why you deliberately made Xavier turn on me. You¡¯re trying to get back at me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Weston, a filial grandson, naturally couldn¡¯t directly hurt his grandfather, but he knew how to make him suffer. Thus, he remained indifferent and looked ahead. ¡° Grandpa, aren¡¯t you overthinking? Xavier is the one who has decided on his own actions. What does it have to do with me?¡± he asked, his sharp voice devoid of emotion. After saying that, he shot Warren a cold nce. Then, he turned back and walked away without looking back. Warren looked at Weston¡¯s back and felt a gush of blood in his throat. He consoled himself with the fact that he had at least sent Ste to prison and avenged the death of his great¨Cgrandson. Warren tried to tell himself that he didn¡¯t lose too badly. However, Weston¡¯s words forced themselves into his head again, and he took a few steps forward before suddenly cking out. He shuddered a little and lost consciousness. ¡°Warren! ¡°Warren!¡± The people around him picked him up in a panic and sent him hurriedly. Ste was in a small room. Amid the heavy and quiet atmosphere, she sat on a stool obediently, watching passersbye and go. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Some of them were in uniform, while some of them looked serious. They would stop in front of her for a moment, then walk away. Ste sat with her head hanging low, pretending she never saw them. A short momentter, a staff member came in and said to her in a low voice, ¡°Your family wants to see you.¡± Ste shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡®Family? Who else does she have now?¡® she thought. ¡°Weston is outside. He¡®s yourwful husband. He has the right to meet you,¡± the staff said, trying to persuade her. Ste refused. ¡°I don¡®t want to see him. Even if I die, I won¡®t see him again.¡± The staff seemed a little troubled. ¡°But he¡®s already here. He specifically asked for you. Why don¡®t you go out and say a word to him? After all, it¡®s such a big deal...¡± The corners of her mouth tugged slightly. She said, ¡°I¡®ll stay here. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Aren¡¯t you going to send me to jail?¡± Ste raised her head and looked at the man in front of her. When she looked at him like that, a chill ran down his spine. Ste was undoubtedly a gorgeous woman. She had a pretty face with skin so fine that dormant veins under her skin could be seen. However, her eyes were nk and dull,pletely devoid of life and light. The staff had witnessed many death row inmates in the courtroom. He had seen some chilling sociopaths too, but never someone as depressed as Ste. She seemed to havepletely given up on life. It was his first time seeing a different kind of beauty like her. After a short silence, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to him. If you change your mind¡­¡± Ste shook her head and cut him off, ¡°I won¡¯t. Tell him to leave.¡± ¡°Tell Weston I¡¯m never seeing him again in this life.¡± Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 The staff subsequently passed the message to Weston. Weston sat in the lounge and listened to the staff retelling Ste¡¯s message. At first, he showed no emotions in his eyes. He simply sat there, as though all happiness and sorrow in the world couldn¡¯t shake him. However, underneath his seemingly unbridled coldness, countless cracks had already developed. No one could see the turbulent emotions under his cid facade. Weston stood up and said expressionlessly, ¡°She can choose not to see me, but do pass the message to her. As long as she¡¯s in there, I¡¯ll find a way to get her out. ¡°She knows what I¡¯m capable of.¡± After that, Weston turned and left without a word. Ste refused to see him, but that was fine since he would still get her out unscathed in just a few days. This left him in no hurry. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. After that, outside the courtroom. After seeing Weston¡¯s quick return, Michael asked him mockingly, ¡°Ste has confused her crimes. Even if you want to see her, she probably doesn¡¯t want to see you, does she?¡± Weston ignored him and went straight to his car. Michael shouted after him, ¡°I know what you¡®re thinking right now. Do you think you can get her out of there as long as you try? It¡®s useless. You can try and find more evidence to clear her name, but if she doesn¡®t want toe out, it¡®ll be in vain!¡± ¡°What if she¡®s mentally ill and has no way to take responsibility for her actions?¡± Weston stopped and looked back at Michael, saying calmly, ¡°Did you know? She¡®s been mentally ill since a year ago. The psychiatrist has her medical record. If we release the evidence, she¡®ll stille out unscathed.¡± Michael was stunned for a moment, not expecting Weston to have a backup n. He clenched his fist in anger. For some reason, he hated seeing Weston¡®s confidence. He had lost Diana. How could Weston still get what he wanted? Michael looked at Weston¡®s stiff figure from behind when some evil thoughts grew in his heart. He spat out a broken tooth andughed sarcastically. ¡°You¡®re always so confident, but I don¡®t think you can wait until she¡®s out. Even if you get her out, so what? She¡®ll never forgive you.¡± After a pause, Michael gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You killed her brother. She¡¯ll only want to kill you!¡± Weston stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Michael. Anger welled in his eyes. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Do you think you hid it so well? Ste long knew about Roger¡¯s death!¡± Michaelughed at Weston¡¯s anger. ¡°Guess what? I told her on that day she recorded it! I wanted to give her Roger¡¯sst recording, but she returned the favor by recording my conversation with her and gave it to Diana! It¡¯s retribution! She ended up where she is because of her actions¡­¡± Weston could not listen to the rest of the story. He walked to Michael and mmed him against the car door. Weston gave him a death red and questioned, ¡°Are you saying that she already knew about Roger¡¯s death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Michael got a littlefort seeing Weston lose hisposure. He said, ¡°Even the famous and all¨C powerful Weston can lose control because of a woman!¡± He said with a sarcastic smile, ¡°You, of all people, should know how important Roger was to her! When she left the Sealey family, she threw away her dignity and begged us for mercy, all for Roger¡¯s health. I regretted a little not helping her before¡­ But now that she¡¯s done this to me, I¡¯m d to see her end up like this¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Weston almost tried to kill him. He grabbed Michael by the neck and exerted more force. Ben saw other carsing in and guessed that the reporters might have gotten the news. He urged Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, we should go¡­¡± The car stopped. It was Guinevere who came. Chapter 1126 Chapter 1126 Chapter 1126 Guinevere got off the car and closed the door, and rushed over. She was shocked to see the situation. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± When she heard that Ste had lost the case, she was stunned for a good while. With Weston¡®s power, she shouldn¡®t have lost the case. After that, she found out that Ste had pleaded guilty in court. Guinevere couldn¡®t understand Ste¡®s actions, but it was none of her business. All she could care about was her agreement with Weston. Ste had lost the trial, so would Weston¡®s promise still count? ¡°Stop fighting! Why can¡®t you calm down and talk about it?? Guinevere rushed to Weston and tried to stop him, but Weston shook her off. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Michaelughed hysterically. He seemed topletely ignore his injuries. ¡°Just look at you. You¡®re not much better than me. I lost Diana, but you won¡®t have it any better! What if Ste is trying to punish you? Maybe she wants to let you suffer as she did before. After all, you forced her most important person to death. How could she stay by your side in peace? You¡®re underestimating her!¡± Weston¡¯s face was cold. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to kill Michael. He mmed his fist at Michael hard. In the next second, Michael stopped making a sound. Michael looked nkly ahead and slowly fell to the ground. Ben jumped in shock. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± He rarely saw Weston like this. Weston waspletely out of control, so mad that he was about to kill someone in the street. The rain only came down harder. Guinevere held the umbre in her hand and did not dare to step forward. When Weston threw her aside, she hit the ground and had a small cut on her knee. Guinevere urged, ¡°Weston, you need to calm down. You¡¯re not helping¡­¡± Weston ignored her. He walked past her and headed straight to the courthouse, stumbling a little. Michael¡¯s words served as a harsh reminder. Ste had known about Roger¡¯s death, which meant her recent behavior might have been an act. She might be suicidal. Weston walked forward. The further he walked, the weaker he felt. It was as if his heart was hollowed out. Ben looked at his back with concern. He went after him and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, I¡¯m sure Mrs. Ford wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Weston shook him off and hurried forward. He was afraid that he was one step toote. He feared that it would be toote. Weston finally understood the look on Ste¡¯s face when he left the mansion that day. It was thest time she would look at him. However, what did he do then? He got angry at her, made her apologize to Guinevere, and forced her. He mistreated her so terribly. A feeling of regret grew and overwhelmed him. It was just a short distance to the courthouse, but it took all his strength for him to get there. Weston had never been afraid of a thing, but his fear was at its pinnacle at this moment. It was heavier than the pain of watching Ste jump from the rooftop back then, so heavy that he felt suffocated. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He thought he had everything under control. He knew that even if Ste hated him, she would be unable to do anything with Roger around. Weston was inplete disarray after knowing the truth. Ste knew Roger was dead. What would she do next? He didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. ¡­ The rain was so heavy that the thick wall failed to block out its roar. Ste was taken into the detention room to be held temporarily . Tomorrow, it seemed she would officially start her new life in prison. The guards took her to a small room and told her, ¡°Mr. Ford has already given his orders. We won¡®t give you too much trouble. Take care.¡± After that, he closed the door and left. Ste was left alone in the small, enclosed space. She looked at the tiny window, feeling a little lost. She could see a little light there, but the light in her life had already extinguishedpletely. Chapter 1127 Chapter 1127 Chapter 1127 Ste opened her palm and looked at the few oleander leaves. She deliberately took them with her before she left. No one knew about them. The dose here was enough to kill an adult. Ste stared at it for a few seconds and swallowed them without hesitation. When she was in Stardust Mansion, Joan watched over her all the time, and she had no way to end herself. Even if she tried, Joan would soon find out something was wrong and report it to Weston. After that, she would only be watched more strictly. Ste really did not want to live anymore. She could finally end her life without distractions right here. The fragrance of oleanders lingered in her nose. The flower was so beautiful yet deadly. It could take a person¡¯s life. Ste thought of how it resembled her short¨Clived love. It was full of color, yet so deadly. Ste leaned against the wall and suddenly remembered something. It was her twenty¨Csecond birthday. She was only twenty when she married Weston. It had been almost two years after that. In the recorder, Roger said that he would surprise her today. She wondered what kind of surprise he had prepared. Unfortunately, she could not see it anymore. Even so, it did not matter. Soon, she would be meeting him on the other side. Ste would soon be reunited with her unborn child and Roger. She might not need to suffer so much pain in that afterworld of bliss. There might just be fewer tears. She hoped Roger would not have any twisted feelings for her in that world. They would live together as a family again. She might even see herte mom and dad. What would she have in that world? Would there be less cold and pain and more flowers and sunshine? Ste¡¯s consciousness grew weak. She began to show some signs of poisoning. She did not call out to anyone and sat in a corner quietly. Soon, her breathing started to be labored. She felt like a piece of ice, slowly melting and rotting away in a dark ce. She felt like she was turning transparent and fading away. Soon, the air in her lungs was being drained little by little. The angst in her blood gradually dissipated as time passed. Atst, her body gradually turned stiff. She closed her eyes and seemed to hear the sound of fireworks outside. At the same time, a firework burst into the sky at Fern University as nightfall came. Everyone came out to look at the fireworks through the window. This was Roger¡¯s gift to Ste for her twenty¨Csecond birthday. Unfortunately, he could no longer see it, and neither could Ste. Roger prepared the surprise ahead. It was a rainy day, so the fireworks did notst long before they went out. Roger left Ste hisst words in the recorder. He said that his name might have signaled his end. Thest thing he wanted to do was set the whole city on fire for her. That night, many witnessed the gorgeous but short¨Clived fireworks disy. Once the lights ended, no one remembered the beauty of the sparkles that streaked across the sky like shooting stars. People continued to go about their business. No one would remember after the end of the firework. It onlysted just a moment in people¡¯s memory. Ben got the news about the fireworks at Fern University. Apparently, Ste¡¯s name was spelled out at the end of the fireworks. However, it was raining, so the name did not show up perfectly. It was a waste. After the fireworks went off, they got the news of Ste¡¯s death. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1128 Chapter 1128 Chapter 1128 Without any source of light, the room was dark and damp. The space inside was so cramped that amodating a corpse would be difficult, not to mention three adult men. At first, no one thought Ste would take her own life. Instead, they all thought she would just stay in jail obediently and wait for Weston to get her out. By the time they realized what was wrong, Ste had stopped breathing. Her heart stopped for good within just an hour. Ste must have been determined to die. She had taken far more than an adult¡¯s lethal dose of oleander. The world thought she had killed an innocent child with oleanders, but she chose to end her own life in the same way. How could this not be a justification? Even if Ste died, she was unwilling to be med as the murderer for nothing. Rumors soon spread that Ste hadmitted suicide because of fear. Some said she killed herself to prove her innocence. Regardless of the rumors, she was already dead. The dead could not talk nor speak for themselves. As time passed, the dead would soon be forgotten. The corpse was still in the detention room. Michael was surprised at Ste¡¯s determination, not expecting her tomit suicide. Looking at her corpse, he had mixed feelings and couldn¡¯t tell what he felt. He thought he would be happy, but all he felt was a faint bitterness in his heart. Ben was still dumbfounded over Ste¡¯s death. Everything was fine before. Ste was still smiling and talking to him in the morning. However, in the blink of an eye, they lost both the trial and Ste. Ben then came to a realization. Perhaps Ste had been determined to die. She had been putting on an act during all this time. Ben looked at the man beside him. He tried to say something but could not make a sound. Weston seemed unaffected on the outside . He stood in front of Ste and caressed her face as usual. He spoke to her naturally, ¡°How can you sleep so well in such poor conditions¡­¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He sighed, ¡°I originally intended to let you stay here for a few days before taking you home. I thought you should learn your lesson, but you were too obedient ¡­ I¡¯ll take you home today, okay?¡± Ben stood aside and listened as Weston spoke to Ste, as his expression turned a little grim. At first, Ben thought Weston was unwilling to ept Ste¡¯s death, but he soon felt a little creepy after listening to what he said. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Ben didn¡¯t want to believe that Ste was dead, but the deceased could note back to life. The forensic pathologist determined the cause of death after examining Ste¡¯s corpse. Her heart had stopped due to an overdose of oleanders¨Cthe poison was too lethal, and although they took her to the hospital and tried to resuscitate her, it was in vain. After a long afternoon, Ben finally mentioned the burial in fear. Weston acted as if he had not heard what Ben said. He told Ben, ¡°Have the driver bring the car over. I¡¯ll take her home.¡± He looked at Ben indifferently. There was barely any emotion on his face. ¡°Call Joan. Tell her to make Ste¡¯s favorite food for dinner. We¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Ben did not say anything and looked a little numb. He nced at Michael, who stood next to him. Ben urged, ¡°Mr. Sealey, say something¡­¡± Michael¡¯s mouth was set in a grim line. Weston¡¯s current state spooked him out a little. ¡°You should wait a moment. Give him a break,¡± Micheal told Ben. Diana¡¯s running away from home was already too much for Michael to handle. So how was Weston going to handle Ste¡¯s death? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129 Weston needed time. Not long after, the staff came over and told Ben, ¡°Ady outside says she wants to see the deceased.¡± Weston frowned a little at the word ¡°deceased.¡± His eyes disyed a sharp cold as if he was shooting daggers, making a chill run down the spine of whoever had the misfortune of meeting him Ben hurriedly stepped in front of him. He lowered his voice and said to the staff, ¡°Who?¡± The staff jumped in shock and stammered, ¡°She said her name was Diana¡­¡± Michael stood sharply. ¡°Diana? She¡¯s here?¡± Ben stood up as well. Diana must have heard about Ste¡¯s death and wanted to see her since she wouldn¡¯t have shown up in Michael¡¯s presence. She would have avoided him at all costs. Ben looked at Weston and sought his permission. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± ¡°Let her in,¡± Weston rasped in a hoarse and broken voice. Weston focused all his attention on Ste. He tidied her hair and treated her like his precious treasure. He only paid attention to the outside world asionally. but Weston thought Ste did not want to see Michael, she was probably worried about Diana. He thought he should grant her wish, so he let her in. Ste had a grievance and was always angry with him. If he stopped Diana from seeing her, she might get angry again. Weston thought he should not have been so hard on her. He should have spoiled her little temper. What was the big deal about spoiling her? After all, Ste was his dearest woman. If she wanted something, he would give it to her. So there was no point fighting about right and wrong. It was simply pointless. Diana hurried in once she was granted permission. She was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. It looked like she had not found a ce to stay. No one knew where she had gone. She didn¡¯t seem to fare much better than Michael. Her face was full of anxiety, and her eyes were red and swollen, either from crying too hard yesterday or because of Ste¡¯s death. Diana rushed over in a hurry and didn¡¯t notice Michael. She only looked straight at Ste, muttering her name. ¡° Ste¡­¡± Her voice trembled as she whispered her name. She had cried so much that her tears had already dried up. Michael saw her staggering and rushed to her. He tried to reach out and hold her. ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. You¡¯re pregnant with a baby¡­¡± Diana didn¡¯t expect to see Michael around. After a short pause, she shook his hand away and warned coldly, Don¡¯t touch me!¡± (( Michael looked at his empty hands andughed bitterly. He followed behind Diana, not daring to speak again. Diana went to Ste¡¯s side and looked down at her sleeping face. She wrinkled her nose and turned her head away, refusing to give the corpse another look. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Ste seemed fine a while ago and didn¡¯t even show the slightest suicidal tendency. She would greet her with a smile and ask her about the pregnancy. Why was Ste so desperate that she took her own life? Diana clenched her fist in silence. Then, she shot a re at Weston. ¡°Did you force her? Did you do something to her? That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t think straight and took her own life!¡± Weston said nothing. He continued holding Ste¡¯s hand and focused on just her. Ste¡¯s fingers curled slightly. Weston smoothed them out one by one, keeping her muscles rxed. He said tly, ¡°She¡¯s just angry. She didn¡¯t kill herself. I won¡¯t make her angry again. I¡¯ll give her whatever she wants.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying that now?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Diana bellowed out rashly, ¡°She¡¯s already dead¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dead!!!¡± Weston cut her off with a stern voice. As a murderous aura shed in his eyes, the air around him froze over. He looked gloomy and furious. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1130 Chapter 1130 Chapter 1130 Michael rushed forward and stood in front of Diana, protecting her behind. He frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now. We have to prepare for Ste¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Ste¡¯s funeral¡± was what he wanted to say, but thinking of Weston¡¯s current state, he quickly swallowed his words. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Michael muttered in a low voice, ¡°She can¡¯t stay here forever. Just let Mr. Ford take her away.¡± Weston got up and picked Ste up in his arms. The oleander¡¯s poison had not worn off yet, and there were still visible purple spots on her body. Weston took off his suit jacket and wrapped her in it. He whispered in her ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go home and have the doctor look at you, okay? I know you love to look good. You don¡¯t like these ugly marks on your body.¡± What he said caused the crowd in the room to look at each other in disbelief. Diana was just as grief¨Cstricken, but it was obviously nowhere near Weston¡¯s extent. Was Weston refusing to ept her death, or was he hallucinating? The news of Ste¡¯s suicide spread through Ahn City like a fire razing a dry field on a windy day. Guinevere originally thought she would have to fight Ste for a little longer. She did not expect Ste to give up just like this. Now, she could rest easy and wait for Weston to fulfill his promise. Either way, she did drop the charges against Ste and signed a letter of understanding. Ste¡¯s suicide in prison had nothing to do with her. Weston had not left Stardust Mansion after the news of Ste¡¯s death¨Che handed over his responsibilities at Ford Corporation to Xavier, seeming to be giving up his own share in addition to the shares he had promised Xavier before. The Cohen family had a problem with the new arrangement. After all, they had a project with Ford Corporation and did not feelfortable with Weston leaving everything to Xavier. Mainly, it was because they were unsure if they would make any money. Guinevere tried to meet with Weston many times, but he kept her away. Weston would not see anyone, not even Warren, let alone her. Guinevere returned to the Cohen family home and did not go to Golden Eve Apartment. Mrs. and Mr. Cohen said to her directly, ¡°Can you contact Weston? He was in charge of thepany¡¯s project. It mustn¡¯t go wrong. Now that Xavier is in charge, the board of directors is having doubts. The company is on edge¡­¡± ¡°Mom, Dad. Stop pushing me. If I can contact him, would I be sitting here?¡± Guinevere was upset. ¡°He promised to marry me, but he wouldn¡¯t even see me now¡­¡± Mr. Cohen said nothing. His face turned ugly. Mrs. Cohen was silent. She wanted to say something, but she stopped. Mrs. Cohen had been looking at Guinevere¡¯s deal with Weston. She hoped to find a breakthrough with Guinevere, but it seemed futile. ¡°Ste is already dead. Why is he still obsessed with her?¡± Mrs. Cohen had toin, ¡°She¡¯s just a murderer. She took her life in prison because of fear. I don¡¯t understand. How is she better than Gwen?¡± Guinevere did not say anything, but she thought the same. Ste was finally dead this time. Guinevere did not have to do anything, and Ste was already dead in prison. Weston was very obsessed with Ste, but she died just when he loved her most. Previous Chapter Chapter 1131 Chapter 1131 Chapter 1131 Guinevere could not help but wonder if she¡¯d ever rece Ste in Weston¡¯s heart someday. But she was dead now anyway, so what would be next if she could never win over her? Guinevere still had a long future ahead. She was sure that in the end, Weston¡¯s heart, body, and soul would eventually belong to her. Hence, she was in no hurry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mom, Dad. Xavier is still a Ford, after all. If something serious happens to the project, I¡¯m sure Weston woulde in and help him.¡± ¡°That would be best, of course. Otherwise¡­¡± Mr. Cohen nced coldly at Guinevere and said, Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to consider withdrawing our cooperation with the Ford family.¡± (( It was Weston Ford who had been overseeing their coborative projects with Ford Corporation. Now that Weston wasn¡¯t at thepany, there was no guarantee that Xavier Ford would be able to take over all of Weston¡¯s roles effectively. Warren Ford had personally gone to Stardust Mansion countless times, but each time, he was barred from entry without exception. The only exnation he ever got was, ¡°Mr. Ford is not epting any visitors. He will not see anyone.¡± Warren Ford had just stepped out of the car when he received the same excuse again. He was so enraged that he flung his cane to the ground, snapping, ¡°Is he going to forsake the whole company just for one woman?! He hasn¡¯t stepped out of this house for the entire week! What on earth is he thinking?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Mr. Warren. We¡¯ve done all we could to persuade him, but it was all futile¡­¡± Ben was looking utterly exhausted. His bloodshot eyes had thick red veins in them. It had already been a week since Ste¡¯s death. No matter what happened, her body had to be buried soon. Yet Weston would not listen to anyone¡¯s pleas or advice. To this day, he still lived with Ste¡¯s corpse as if she was still alive. In order to slow down the rate of decay, he hired the most renowned experts to preserve her body in a state as close to its original as possible. All the projects at thepany had now been handed over to Xavier Ford. Right now, there was only one thing on Weston¡¯s mind¡ªto build a new hospital not far away from Stardust Mansion with the sole purpose of keeping Ste in apletely sterile ce where her body would never rot. Even Ben thought he had gone raving mad when he heard it. Yet Weston simply would not listen to anyone now. He would spend his days doing nothing but talk to Ste¡¯s corpse. Ben was totally at a loss for what to do. ¡°If I¡¯d known this would happen,¡± Warren Ford said, ¡°I would¡¯ve dealt with Ste Sealey a lot sooner so Weston wouldn¡¯t turn out to be a brainless zombie like he is now! Everyone¡¯sughing at him!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should say that, Mr. Chairman. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t think Mrs. Ford had anything to do with Zachary Ford¡¯s death¡­¡± ¡°But the evidence speaks for itself!¡± barked Warren Ford furiously. ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still making excuses for that woman? You¡¯re no different from your boss! You¡¯ve all beenpletely blindsided by that witch!¡± Ben said nothing in reply. Although Warren Ford lost his temper, Weston was still unwilling toe out and meet him, leaving him with little choice but to go home. Not only was Weston¡¯s family unable to see her, but even Ste¡¯s friends couldn¡¯t see her either. Bradley Lane, Yvonne, and Angelina had been calling Ben so many times that his phone almost exploded. Yet Weston still refused to relent, harshly disallowing anyone from even taking a glimpse of Ste. Yvonne had the most intense reaction. But, unfortunately, it was her husband Lucas who had to bear the brunt of her anger. ¡°What kind of a lunatic do you think Weston Ford is?¡± she asked him. ¡°She¡¯s already dead! Why would he keep her body and refuse to bury her? Can¡¯t he just let her friends pay theirst respects to her?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. As she spoke, she got so agitated that she burst into tears again. ¡°I knew nothing good woulde of her being with Weston Ford!¡± she continued. ¡°Two years ago, she lost her only child because of him, and now, this happened! Is Weston Ford cursed, or is he her nemesis who wouldn¡¯t stop harming her even though she¡¯s dead?!¡± She had put it so terribly that Lucas massaged his temples, feeling deeply sorry about the whole matter. ¡°It¡¯s all happened now,¡± he reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re not helping anyone by saying all these things. Just give him a little more time. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll eventually pull through this.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1132 Chapter 1132 Chapter 1132 But Lucas¡¯s words only sought to rile Yvonne¡¯s anger. ¡°What if he never gets over it?!¡± she asked. ¡°Is he going to wait till Ste¡¯s body rots and stinks before he does something about it?!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he replied. ¡°None of this is my fault, so don¡¯t take it out on me. It¡¯s pointless.¡± Lucas reached out a hand and pulled her down to sit on hisp. ¡°In two days,¡± he said, looking at her, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving for a work trip. You¡¯ll probably have to be home alone for a while.¡± Yvonne paused and turned towards him. ¡°But you¡¯ve always brought me along when you¡¯re on a work trip!¡± she argued. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Hadn¡¯t she always been by his side whenever he was on a work trip? ¡°But it¡¯s different this time,¡± he answered, looking seriously at her while tucking her hair behind her ear. ¡°I might have to go to a very remote ce this time. There¡¯s been an infectious disease outbreak, and I don¡¯t want you to be there. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous for me,¡± she argued, ¡°then it must be dangerous for you too, right?¡± Yvonne suddenly realized something and moved on hisp, but in the next moment, Lucas pinched her waist to make her stay still. ¡°No!¡± she insisted. ¡°I¡¯m going with you too!¡± ¡°No,¡± Lucas grabbed her hand and patiently reassured her, ¡°it¡¯s really too dangerous for you. You¡¯ll only be a burden to me. I¡¯m going with the intention to help them, but with you there, I¡¯d have to divide my attention, and that¡¯s not ideal.¡± Yvonne pursed her lips tightly and stared at him stubbornly. Lucas couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Ste right now?¡± he asked. ¡° What if Weston thought it through suddenly and decided. to give her a proper funeral, but you¡¯re not here to send her off for thest time?¡± Those words instantly hit Yvonne¡¯s raw nerves. As Ste¡¯s friend, she had always felt herself inadequate and regretted that she never helped her enough. She had so many opportunities to help Ste in the past. She should have done more back then, but all she did was helplessly watch as Ste jumped into the fiery pit of hell. ¡°If only our family was more powerful than Weston Ford ¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°If I¡¯d known it would end up this way, I would¡¯ve taken her away from him. I wouldn¡¯t have let her end up like this.¡± ¡°Are you forgetting that you¡¯re a woman?¡± Lucas chuckled softly. ¡°What would you do with her once you¡¯ve taken her away from him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she red at him, ¡°I don¡¯t like women in that way. I just¡­¡± The more she spoke about Ste, the more she sighed with mncholy, and her heart grew gloomier and gloomier. It was almost unbearable to even think about her. ¡°I need to go calm myself down,¡± she said, pushing Lucas away and rising to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to make Westone to his senses. The weather is getting warmer, and if Ste doesn¡¯t get a proper funeral soon, things might get really ugly¡­¡± Meanwhile, Bradley Lane had been going everywhere, inquiring about Weston. At the time, the whole of Ahn City was guessing what Weston would do. All the evidence he had prepared to prove Ste¡¯s innocence was now useless since she was already dead. Yet he still would not let anyone see Ste¡¯s body at all. Stardust Mansion was heavily guarded around the clock, and nobody could get through to the inside. Apart from Joan, the housekeeper, who would asionally enter and exit the mansion, no one else knew the real situation that they were in. No one could contact Weston Ford, so as his personal assistant, Ben became the target of public criticism. Still, Ben waspletely powerless to do anything. All he could do was to follow Weston¡¯sN?velDrama.Org owns all content. orders, nothing more. Soon, those people learned that they could never tease anything out of Ben¡¯s mouth, so they shifted their attention to Xavier Ford instead. Xavier Ford had been extremely busytely. Even his girlfriend Daisy had not contacted him much at all. Having just dealt with a big project, he saw Bradley Lane approaching him from a distance as soon as he stepped out of the car. ¡°Where is Weston Ford right now? Where has he been hiding Ste? He¡¯s taken too long! Isn¡¯t he going toe out yet? How long will he hide in his shell like a tortoise?¡± Bradley hit Xavier with a barrage of questions as soon as they met. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1133 Chapter 1133 Chapter 1133 Xavier rubbed his brows, but he did not look all that surprised. ¡°So you finally caught me¡­¡± he muttered. Ofte, everyone in their social circle had been trying to get a hold of news about Weston from him. He had been able to fend off some, but someone eventually slipped through. Bradley finally caught him, though. ¡°It¡¯s totally pointless to say all these to me,¡± he told Bradley. ¡°Weston does whatever the hell he wants now without the slightest care for the advice of others. No one can influence him or change his mind. He¡¯s just too deeply obsessed with Ste Sealey. He won¡¯t let go of her so easily, not even in death.¡± ¡°Does he not understand what it means to let her soul rest?¡± Bradley was now so agitated that he grabbed Xavier¡¯s cor. ¡°The film is about to be released. By tomorrow, it will be shown in cinemas across the country. Why can¡¯t he let Ste¡¯s soul be in peace? Let tomorrow¡¯s premiere be ast farewell to her.¡± ¡°I can tell Weston everything you just said,¡± said Xavier, but I can¡¯t guarantee if he¡¯ll listen to me.¡± (( Xavier let out a sigh. He had indeed hated Ste before, but never to the point where he wanted her dead. Now that she was dead, it was as if all the hatred and anger he felt for her gradually dissipated, and only fond memories of her were left behind. ¡°Weston treated Ste horribly when she was alive,¡± continued Bradley. ¡°Now that she¡¯s dead, he should try to make up for it by being kinder to her¡­¡± In the end, Bradley released Xavier with those heartfelt parting words. Xavier fell silent for a while before nodding, saying, ¡± Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll convey those words to him.¡± Xavier wasn¡¯t the only one who was troubled. Henry Moore himself had been getting headachestely. Ever since thest time, Angelina hardly ever came for him, and they both peacefully led their own separate lives. Henry himself had no desire to have this inferior substitute of Faye prancing around him. But ever since Ste died, Angelina had once again started to badger him like crazy. Every time they met, the first thing that woulde out of her mouth was, ¡°Have you seen Weston Ford?¡± She would appear in front of him every day with reddened eyes, all just to hear some news about Ste Sealey. At first, Angelina simply couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Ste had really died. But gradually, reality sank in, and she learned how to handle the blow. All she wanted now was to see Ste for onest time. At the very least, Ste¡¯s friends should have a chance to attend her funeral and bid her their final goodbyes. Yet Weston Ford would not even let them have that. He insisted on keeping Ste all to himself. When she was still alive, he was so possessive over her he wouldn¡¯t even let her meet her friends. Now, although she was dead, he still wouldn¡¯t let her friends see her body either. Even for Weston Ford, this was a bit beyond the pale. Knowing that Henry Moore was Weston¡¯s best friend, Angelina could only go to him and beg for his help. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to,¡± she told him. ¡°Please just ask Weston Ford toe out and say something ¡­¡± At that point, Angelina was no longer interested in finding out if Ste had anything to do with Zachary Ford¡¯s death. It no longer mattered if she was the murderer or not since she was dead anyway. As things stood, the guilt of the crime would forever be chained to her name if nothing were done about it. ¡°Even though she died,¡± Angelina added, ¡°Weston Ford muste forward to clear her name. Then he should give her a proper funeral. Whatever the case, he shouldn¡¯t act the way he is¡­¡± As she got to this point, Angelina even cried out, ¡°Henry Moore, please do me a favor and talk to Weston!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad enough that he tormented her while she was still alive?¡± she asked. ¡°Does he have to imprison her after her death too?¡± Henry said nothing. His countenance remained cold and indifferent. While she begged, Angelina couldn¡¯t stop herself from shedding a few tears. She sniffled, trying her best to hold them back. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1134 Chapter 1134 Chapter 1134 Henry was turning his wheelchair when he saw her tears falling, and a strange pain began to ache in his heart. He was stunned. It felt as if the person in front of him was not Angelina Thompson, but¡­ He quickly closed his eyes, wishing to rid his mind of those messy thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to persuade him,¡± he said, ¡°but whether or not he¡¯ll listen to me will depend on him.¡± He then swept a nce over at the woman in front of him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever show up in front of me again after this. It¡¯s annoying. >> As soon as he finished his sentence, he turned his wheelchair and left. Angelina watched his silhouette receding into the distance, making no move to chase after him. All themotion outside seemingly didn¡¯t reach. Stardust Mansion at all. Inside, Joan was on pins and needles. Devastated over Ste¡¯s death at first, she was soon horrified by whatever was taking ce there. OSTA Weston would carry Ste¡¯s body around every day and go on with his daily life with the corpse just as he would back when she was still alive. He would hold her up early in the mornings and help her wash up. Then he would take her to the dining table as he sat beside her, eating the breakfast Joan had prepared. Every once in a while, he would say something to the corpse with the gentlest of expressions. In fact, Weston seemed to be acting just like his usual self. Had it not been his chilling behavior these past few days, Joan wouldn¡¯t have been so terrified or walked on eggshells all the time. At first, she still tried to talk some sense into him, butter, she didn¡¯t even dare to say a word to him. Sometimes he would carry Ste into the back garden so she could bask in the sun after changing her into a white dress. Those purple spots on Ste¡¯s skin still had not faded, so Weston hired a makeup artist to cover them up nicely for her. Ste¡¯s eyes were now always shut. Her hair was starting to dry up. Her face was so pale that it seemed translucent. In fact, she was ashen and gray, just like a corpse. As if dissatisfied with the makeup artist¡¯s skills, Weston decided to do it himself. One day, as soon as Joan entered the door, she was met with the sight of Westonbing Ste¡¯s hair. He had even learned how to groom her eyebrows. He was quick to pick up these skills, and soon, he could do the things that women did and could even apply makeup and dress her till she looked quite decent. But this only terrified Joan further. As she watched him live with a corpse every day, she could not help but worry about Weston¡¯s mental state, so she secretly contacted Dr. Quirk. As soon as he received Joan¡¯s call, Dr. Quirk quickly rushed over to see him. He had, in fact, been trying to contact Weston himself these past few days but to no avail. Even his best friend Henry Moore, his uncle Xavier Ford, and his grandfather Warren Ford failed to speak any sense into him, so there was not much hope that a stranger would fare any better. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As he arrived at Stardust Mansion, Joan was already waiting for him at the door. Had it not been for her help, he might not even get the chance to enter the ce. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you, Dr. Quirk!¡± ¡°Please go check on Mr. Ford,¡± she spoke in a hushed voice as she led him into the mansion through the back door. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into him. He¡¯s been carrying Mrs. Ford¡¯s corpse around all day. He even speaks to her. I¡¯m really worried about him. If this goes. on, things might get really bad¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Dr. Quirk nodded and reassured her. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look at him now.¡± From afar, he could already see Weston sitting on the swing in the back garden with Ste in his arms. He would lean down from time to time to say something to her. His expressions were tender and warm, and his eyes were clear¨Cthere were ostensibly no signs of madness at all. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± Dr. Quirk slowly approached him. Weston¡¯s face turned cold as soon as he heard the footsteps. He turned swiftly around and asked, ¡°What are you doing here, Dr. Quirk?¡± He stood up slowly while still propping Ste up. An obvious look of displeasure shed across his face as he watched Dr. Quirk walk up to him. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for you,¡± he said. ¡°I just stopped by to see you,¡± replied Dr. Quirk. ¡°Joan is really worried about you.¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1135 Chapter 1135 Chapter 1135 Dr. Quirk paused after he spoke, then added, ¡°There are many others who are very worried about you... and Ste.¡± LULU He did not refer to Ste as a dead corpse right away and maintained a natural and casual tone as he spoke. ¡°Ste has many friends who want to see her too, you know. Shouldn¡¯t you let them meet her for a short while?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston quickly refused very decisively. ¡°She doesn¡®t need those friends of hers. She only needs me.¡± He stroked her hair and gazed at her closed eyes. Emotions seemed to be churning inside his eyes... but he quickly recovered and regained hisposure. When he looked up at the man in front of him again, all the tenderness in his eyes vanished, and only icy coldness was left. ¡°If that¡®s all you came here to say,¡± he told Dr. Quirk,¡± then you can leave now.¡± Dr. Quirk knew that this was hisst opportunity to get through to him. If he failed to persuade Weston this time, there wouldn¡®t be another chance. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± he began, ¡°I know you still can¡®t ept the truth, but you can¡®t change the past. You can only move forward now...¡± ¡°When she was still alive,¡± he hastily added, ¡°you¡®ve always neglected her needs and desires. Now that she¡®s dead, will you continue to treat her so poorly?¡± His words managed to make Weston instantly freeze in his tracks. Weston¡®s eyes were clouded over as if a gloomy storm was brewing inside. He turned around and looked straight at Dr. Quirk. ¡°She has to always stay by my side,¡± he said solemnly.¡± She¡®s not allowed to go anywhere.¡± ¡°But that was not what she wanted, right? She must¡®ve uffered severe depression before she died. That¡®s why she decided to...¡± ¡°Back then, you told me that she might have Stockholm syndrome, which made her fall in love with her captor,¡± Weston taunted him in a sarcastic tone. ¡°And now you¡®re telling me that she was suffering from severe depression? You can¡®t me me for questioning your credentials now, can you, Dr. Quirk?¡± At this point, there was no longer any need for Dr. Quirk to keep on pretending. ¨C¡°I confess that I lied to you about Stockholm syndrome,¡± he admitted, ¡°but it was only so you would drop your guard against her... because I knew that she had a n in mind. I just didn¡®t know that her n was to...¡± Commit suicide. ¡°So you¡®re partially responsible for her death too,¡± Weston suddenly rushed up towards him with an intimidating air surrounding him. LE It was undeniable that this man exuded a mighty aura. Even after cutting all contact with the outside world for so many days, that cold and terrifying aura around him didn¡®t weaken in the slightest. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Dr. Quirk took a step back without even thinking. ¡°I came here today just to try to persuade you to change your mind. If you want to seek revenge, then go ahead.¡± He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and added, ¡± Let her go. Do her onest favor.¡± ¡°Everything I¡®ve done,¡± Weston clenched his fists, ¡°I did it all for her. What right did she have to leave me just like that? No, I¡®ll never let her go.¡± ¡°But she is gone!¡± Dr. Quirk could not help reminding him. ¡°All that¡®s left by your side is a corpse! A corpse, do you understand?! It¡®s time to give her a proper funeral. If souls really do exist, then surely she wouldn¡®t be willing to be chained to you after her death...¡± Those were thest words that would send Weston off the rails. He punched Dr. Quirk in the face and told him, ¡°Get out of my house.¡± Dr. Quirk let Weston hit him without fighting back. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter even if you punch me to death,¡± he said. ¡°The truth remains...¡± ¡°Weston,¡± continued Dr. Quirk. ¡°Let her go.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Weston was panting heavily as he glowered at the doctor with red, burning eyes. For a long time, it seemed he didn¡®t hear what Dr. Quirk had said. He pursed his lips tightly and pulled Ste into his embrace. Then, looking at her face, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice turning warm and gentle as he said, ¡° Let¡®s go back to our room.¡± As soon as he said that, he turned and strode away. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1136 Chapter 1136 hapter 1136 Dr. Quirk watched as Weston¡®s figure receded into the distance. He wiped the blood smear off the corner of his mouth and said nothing. As he struggled up to his feet, Joan rushed over to his side, asking, ¡°Are you alright, Dr. Quirk? Should I call a doctor?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dr. Quirk shook his head and told her, ¡°I¡®m not sure if I¡®ve persuaded him just now, but if he still hasn¡®t changed his mind after this, then I¡®m really out of ideas ...¡± After speaking, he let out a heavy sigh. Joan was very concerned too. ¡°Who else in this world could knock some sense into him now?¡± she asked. Meanwhile, inside the room, Weston ced Ste on the bed and covered her under a nket. Then, he leaned down and gazed intensely at her. He was in a hurry just now, and her hair had be a little messy. Thus, he reached out his hand and smoothed the wild strands of hair on her head. It a rough sensation through his fingertips and uddenly realized that Ste¡®s hair was getting drier and drier. No matter how much essential oil of the highest quality he used, he simply couldn¡®t restore it to its original luster. Even Ste¡®s skin was gradually drying up. No matter how many methods he tried, there was no way he could maintain her appearance when she was alive. The air¨Cconditioning in Stardust Mansion had been turned to the maximumtely. Joan even had to wear her winter coat inside just to keep warm. Yet it seemed as if Weston couldn¡®t feel the chill. He stroked Ste¡®s face and asked her in an extremely raspy voice, ¡°Is what Dr. Quirk said true? All you¡®ve always wanted was to leave me? And even after your death, you still refuse to leave behind any memories¡­?¡± LLL He pressed her hand against his face while rubbing her palm, but he could no longer feel any warmth from her. Instead, there was only icy coldness on her skin. L His eyes suddenly turned red, and he buried his face in the palm of her hand, Her hand was so small that it felt like he could break it without effort. ¡°You¡®re not willing to stay with me even after death...¡± ¡°Ste, how can you be so cruel...?¡± Bradley Lane¡®s film was released the next day. With one scandal after another guing the film, it was released quietly with little to no publicity in the beginning. Even Guinevere Cohen, the star of the film, paid little attention to it. Feeling it was not worth her time, she was already in talks with new investors , with ns to shoot a new pce drama. Over the years, Guinevere had been known for her strong heroine roles, but as the audience was starting to get sick of seeing her portraying simr characters over and over again, she had to transform herself in the hopes of garnering another grand award. Pce dramas were nothing new, though; it would be hard for such flicks to stand out among the rest. This was why a well¨Cwritten script was absolutely paramount. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. But what took Guinevere entirely by surprise was that not long after the film was released, it suddenly gained traction and even garnered a good reputation It had surprisingly done very well for a film that did not have much marketing behind it. Many who watched the ¨C premiere were so impressed they began to rmend it, and heap praises on it. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1137 Chapter 1137 Chapter 1137 (What a great movie! It¡®s been so long since Ist saw such a unique martial arts film!] (I must admit that Guinevere Cohen really is talented. Her acting is so good! Simply outstanding!) (Five stars for the director, the excellent script, and all the fantastic actors in this film! The cast was just perfect! Even though the main character had the most airtime , what surprised me the most was how brilliant the supporting actors were, especially the actress who yed Sophie! She had very few scenes, and they¡®re all concentrated in the second half, but her role is just the cherry on the icing that made this film a killer!) (I take back my words. I have to admit that I only decided to watch this because I was intrigued by the scandals revolving around Guinevere Cohen and Ste Sealey. I went in expecting to see a dumpster fire, but to my surprise, this movie actually turned out really good!) Those were thements that went viral online. Many people had gone to see the film because of the rumors about Guinevere and Ste, but they were pleasantly surprised to find the movie itself wasn¡®t that bad. (This film was totally worth the money! I almostpletely forgot about all those dirty scandals between the two actresses. Their acting was just that good!) (Ste Sealey¡®s acting felt amateurish at first, but it fit her role, Sophie, like a glove. She was a naive pung woman in the beginning, so it didn¡®t feel out of ce at all. Then by the movie¡®s second half, her acting skills had improved so much that she was on par with Guinevere Cohen! She truly was a talented actress!) Once a good film received enough publicity, the buzz would continue snowballing until its poprity exploded. Even Bradley Lane never expected the film to cause such a stir. He assumed that the film would probably be a flop because of the grievances between Ste and Guinevere, not to mention all that had happened recently. All he wanted to do since Ste died was to release this film to the public. It was, after all, her first piece of work. He wanted her to be shown on the silver screen without leaving any regrets behind. After all, even though Guinevere was the protagonist, Ste took her role as a supporting character seriously and put her heart and soul into the job until the end. LIL (At first, I thought Ste Sealey probably got the role because of her husband¡®s influence , but her acting was surprisingly impressive!) (Those who thought she got the role because of her husband must be naive! I can tell from first nce that she got it through her own effort. If she really did depend on her husband, why would she want to be in the same movie as his ex¨Cgirlfriend? And she even got a small role too! After all, this movie is all about the grea. Teroine !] 1 (That makes sense, but maybe she just wanted topete with Guinevere Cohen?] These spections about their private lives, however, were quickly drowned out by all thements lamenting the loss of such a great actress. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. (What a special aura she exuded! Beautiful and talented actresses are a dime a dozen in this industry, but you rarely see someone with so much talent and such a maic aura!] Soon, more people joined in toment Ste¡®s untimely death. [What a pity! She had such a promising future...) TI TU [Although it is a pity, what happened to her was self inflicted! Who would¡®ve thought that such a promising talent would turn out to be a murderer?!) (But I just don¡®t think that Ste Sealey was someone who could ever do such a thing! It must¡®ve been something like what happened to Sophie in the movie. I just feel like there must be apelling reason why they both turned to the dark side!) [LOL am I the only one who thinks that she should¡®ve just killed them all? Have you all forgotten about what happened at the engagement party and the Caged Wedding?] (That¡®s right! Why don¡®t people consider what? Sealey must¡®ve been through...? Any sane person would¡®ve been driven mad in that situation!] At first, Guinevere was ted that the movie was suddenly doing so well and had gotten so popr, but when she read thesements, her face sank instantly. ¡°How can she be so irksome even when she¡®s dead?¡± she snapped. ¡°Even now, she¡®s still trying to steal attention from me?!¡± TETT V ¡°But don¡®t forget,¡± her manager tried to appease her,¡± that no matter what, this movie is still Ste Sealey¡®sst piece of work before her death. If we use this to promote e film, we might boost its poprity even further!¡± In fact, Guinevere had received an announcement that they nned to use Ste¡®s death ¡®o promote the movie more aggressively. They had big ambitions for the movie, after all, both in terms of box office numbers and potential awards garnered. Guinevere only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She had been too blinded by emotions earlier. All she thought about waspeting with Ste and winning. But Ste Sealey was already dead. What could she possibly do to her now? Why not just go with the flow? In this current situation, the shrewdest thing she could do Ficap as many benefits as possible by whatever means necessary. Guinevere had no qualms about stepping on Ste¡®s corpse so she could get to a higher ce. In this world, the winner took all, after all, and the dead told no tales. Only the living had the right to speak. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1138 Chapter 1138 Chapter 1138 What Guinevere didn¡®t expect at all was that no matter how she tried to redirect the attention back to herself, it would always eventually lead back to Ste. Perhaps it was just the right time and ce, but Ste¡®s role suddenly exploded in poprity. Sometimes the world just worked in mysterious ways without following any rules. It was as if, after her death, everyone suddenly became more understanding and forgiving, and the whole world seemed to start falling in love with her. Not long ago, Ste had publicly confessed to murdering ding her trial, but in a blink of an eye, her role as Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Sophie seemed topletely overshadow her past sins That, coupled with the ups and dou s in Ste¡®s life and her harrowing experiences, had convinced everyone that, like Sophie, there must have been a reason behind her heinous act and that she must¡®ve been forced into a corner somehow. Everyone remembered the caged wedding and the woman trapped in a golden cage. Ste¡®s life seemed to echo that of her character, as though life imitated art and not the other way around. They had both been hurt, disappointed, and discouraged II time and time again, eventually leading them down a dark path that ran counter to their original disp ition. Both Ste and Sophie had been kind and innocent young women by nature, yet in the end, they turned into viins This gradual and dramatic transformation was undeniably much more fascinating, three¨Cdimensional, andplex than the character Guinevere Cohen yed, which had been extremely powerful all along. Ste¡®s role as Sophie seemed to have dictated her real life. It was as if both of their lives were destined to be tragedies from the start. They were fated never to escape the shackles imposed on them, forever overshadowed and overpowered by women like Guinevere Cohen. At the ? ne time, all her aplices stood by the side,ughing at her as they trampled on her. ¡°There must be someone behind allt is!¡± cried Guinevere, refusing to believe what was happening.¡± Otherwise, how could Ste Sealey possibly get so popr?!¡± ¡°But we¡®ve investigated it and found that all the supportivements were genuine. There doesn¡®t seem to be anyone pulling the strings behind...¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Guinevere¡®s face was distorted with anger. ¡°She clearly yed a minor and insignificant role! How did she manage to get all these crazy fans?¡± She simply couldn¡®t believe that a woman who had been long dead would ever be capable of stealing her ...under. F What really took her team by surprise, however, was that after they spared no effort to smear Ste¡®s reputation online by spreading all kinds of unfavorable rumors,izens soon noticed something strange, and many suspected something fishy going on ¡°Why do I feel like there are more and more posts about Ste Sealeytely? And they¡®re all trying to vilify her too!¡± ¡°I can feel it every day when I¡®m scrolling through my phone that someone is trying to drag her through the mud...¡± Come on! She¡®s already dead! What¡®s with this smear campaign against her? Who¡®s behind this?!¡± Netizens quickly discovered the original ount posting unfavorable rumors about Ste. They found that the ount had posted many rumors about Ste before, not to mention they were all negative comments too. Soon, many other simr ounts were quickly sniffed out and exposed. The aspiring sleuths then followed the clues and, in no time, discovered that all these ounts seemed organized and had the same goal in mind, likely to be hired by a certain celebrity who tried to control public opinion. It didn¡®t take long beforeizens found themonality between all these ounts¡ªthe ison who benefitted the most from all these posts turned out to be Guinevere Cohen. 1 This revtion almost broke the inte. Soon some dedicatedizens quickly produced a list of names, exposing that apart from paying these ounts to smear Ste Sealey, Guinevere Cohen had also used the same tactic against other actresses in the past. In fact, she had attacked quite a number of them as well. Basically, any actress who had worked with her before would suffer the same fate. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139 She had, in fact, routinely paid for these ounts to spread unfavorable rumors about other actresses, especially those whopeted for her limelight. ¡°I can¡®t believe it! They looked as close as sisters, yet she actually paid people to smear my idol!¡± ¡°As expected of a spoiled rich socialite! She just does whatever she wants and smears anyone that comes in her way!¡± ¡°Oh my God, the more this goes on, the more I have a feeling that this whole thing is not as simple as it seems ¡°I felt a lot of sympathy for her when she lost her son, but I really never expected her to be such a horrible person!¡± ¡°Let me tell you something¨C I was a part of the film crew, and I learned that Guinevere Cohen pretty much never even saw her son. When Wendy Ford brought her son to the film set to visit her, she didn¡®t pay much attention to the boy at all. In fact, the boy cried as soon as ¨C he saw her!¡± TA ¡°I was a part of that film crew too, and Guinevere Cohen often bullied Ste Sealey on set...¡± The more Guinevere¡®s team spread fake rumors about Ste, the more skepticalizens became and we more bacsh they would receive. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Soon, Guinevere¡®s die¨Chard fans couldn¡®t stand still any longer and decided toe out and speak up for her. ¡°It¡®s pretty obvious now who paid for all these fake fan ounts, right?¡± ¡°Where did all these Ste Sealey fanse from all of a sudden? She¡®s been long dead! What are you doing being the fan of a dead woman?!¡± ¡°So anyone can be a keyboard warrior as long as they can type nowadays, huh? Firstly, all these usations came with no proof, and there¡®s never been a reliable source. Yet, you all confidently spread rumors that Guinevere is smearing other actresses?! This is hriously ridiculous!¡± Just when thisment received the most attention, an entertainment reporter suddenly released a short video clip. It showed Guinevere Cohen deliberately demanding Ste Sealey to be her stand¨Cin. Due to her poor performance , take after take, director Bradley Lane lost his patience and had to give up. Also shown in the clip was Ste Sealey. Wearing a heavy period costume and repeating a martial arts move repeatedly without uttering a singleint, she surprisingly did a good job until the shot was done. Although it was just a short clip, it sparked a new heated discussion on the inte. By now, the impable image Guinevere Cohen had built for herself was copsing like a house of cards. ¡°Back then, she tried to act all lovey¨Cdovey with Weston Ford in public. Later, we found out it was all a lie and that the man never cared about her. At most, she¡®s just his ex girlfriend and nothing more!¡± ILL ¡°The woman Weston Ford chose to marry was Ste Sealey, after all! She was his real wife!¡± ¡°What¡®s even more ridiculous is how she wore a wedding dress to their wedding! What the hell was she thinking?!¡± ¡°There are pictures and evidence now! She even bullied Ste Sealey on set! Oh my God, she really did use her wealth and status to drag others down!¡± ILL ¡°Besides, no matter how you look at it, I think Ste Sealey really must¡®ve gone through some horrible things. Two years ago, she married Weston Ford, but because Guinevere Cohen got pregnant, she was forced to divorce him. I heard that she was actually pregnant at the time, but sheter got a miscarriage. Then a year after that, Weston still wanted to be with her. He even wanted to marry her again, so he gave her a new identity so they could be together.¡± ¡°From my point of view, this matter couldn¡®t be any simpler¨Cit¡®s nothing more than Guineverer hen loving Weston Ford, but he loves Ste Sealey, so Guinevere did everything she could to harm Ste!¡± ¡°Don¡®t ever underestimate a woman¡®s jealousy.¡± Evidently, public opinion had developed to a point beyond anyone¡®s control. Guinevere¡®s team had no choice but to urge her loyal fans toe out and defend her again. These loyal fans of hers proved to be doggedly determined . They put outment afterment on the inte in her defense. ELE ¡°Excuse me, but whose fault is all of this after all? Whose sun actually died, huh?¡± ¡°Ste Sealey murdered Guinevere Cohen¡®s son, and that¡®s a fact! She was a cold¨Cblooded murderer!¡± ¡°What kind of barbaric age are we in right now? Or is it just me who¡®s out of touch? Didn¡®t she murder a child? How could so many people be defending a murderer?¡± ¡°That¡®s right! No matter what happened, killing an innocent child is simply indefensible!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1140 Chapter 1140 Chapter 1140 ¡°But the court hasn¡®t even convicted her yet. Isn¡®t it a little unfair to call her a murderer?¡± ¡°She¡®s admitted it herself! She clearly pled guilty, yet all these people areing out to defend her! I really don¡®t get it!¡± ¡°So what if she¡®s dead? I¡®m just so sick of people saying that you have to respect the dead so much right now!¡± And so another war of words ignited on the inte. 11 11 But overnight, all the heated discussions about this matter mysteriously vanished. Everything that had to do with this huge scandal simply disappeared without a trace. Even when people searched for it specifically, nothing came up at all. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. It was as if the name Ste Sealey waspletely wiped out from the inte. LL LLLL Apart from the film that she appeared in, there was no other news or gossip about Ste Sealey at all. Even when people posted ament using a confusing code name instead of Ste¡®s real name, it would all be quickly deleted. This left everyone online dumbfounded. ¡°What¡®s going on here?¡± afterward, an official statement was released with de following words: Ms. Ste Sealey was never anybody¡®s mistress before she died. She had always lived an honest and conscientious life and was a dedicated actress throughout the filming process. She had never wronged anyone her whole life.¡® This statement was officially released by the Ford family, and it even came with their official seal. As soon as the statement came out, it immediately caused an uproar. Guinevere was immediately thrown into chaos as she rushed to suppress the public opinion against her. But before anybody could catch a breath, Weston, who by that point had been missing for so many days, suddenly spoke up and announced that he would be holding a press conference. Guinevere¡®s first reaction when she heard the news was a pang of guilt. She had a looming feeling of doom about it and went on to repeatedly call Weston. But, unsurprisingly, he did not answer any of her calls at. all. She was about to go mad! She hadpletely no idea of hat Weston was trying to do! All along, she had been trying to contact hit but to no avail. Now that he suddenly appeared, she was sure that nothing good woulde of this. She just had to find out what exactly he was nning to do,e what may. She went to Warren Ford for help, but because Weston had previously enraged him so much, he had been cooped up in his mansion ever since and refused to receive any guests. But seeing that it was Guinevere who hade over, he still forced himself to see her briefly. Guinevere plopped down on the floor as soon as she saw him, kneeled in front of Warren Ford, and pleaded, ¡°You have to rein Weston in, Grandpa! I don¡®t know what he¡®s trying to do...¡± ¡°He¡®s only holding a press conference,¡± replied Warren. His eyes looked old and tired as he sat on the carved mahogany chair, sipping a cup of tea. Wearily, he added,¡± At this point, he wouldn¡®t even listen to me anymore, so just let him do what he wants to. Besides, that woman is dead now, so there¡®s no need to stop him from doing whatever he wants anyway.¡± ¡°But...¡± Guinevere clenched her fists, her heart feeling extremely uneasy. ¡°I just have a feeling that he¡®s going to take revenge on us.¡± ige?¡± Warren reacted as if he¡®d heard a funny joke. anat woman killed herself! What does it have 2 do with is? She even saved me the effort of having to deal with her myself.¡± Guinevere could not exin how she felt at the time. She just knew that it was so hard to bear. ¡°But Grandpa,¡± Guinevere continued to beg, ¡°in case Weston is really trying something...¡± ¡°You can leave now,¡± Warren waved his hand dismissively at Guinevere. ¡°I have no desire to interfere with the business between you and Weston anymore.¡± ¡°Grandpa !¡± Guinevere stared incredulously at Warren, who had just turned to leave, her eyes shing with hatred. He used to be so supportive of her in the past. He even took her hands and assured her that he wanted her to be his granddaughter¨Cinw, but now? He hadpletely gone back on his word. All those people who had promised to help and support her had now turned a deaf ear to her pleas. Guinevere could hardly bear it. She had gone to countless other people to seek their help, but to no avail. In the end, she had no one else to turn to but Chris Ford. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1141 Chapter 1141 Chapter 1141 ¡°Chris, do you know that Weston is going to hold a press conference?¡± As soon as she arrived at Ford Mansion, Guinevere got out of the car and rushed straight to Chris¡® study. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chris was in a terrible fix after what happenedtely, and now he only focused on apanying Wendy. He knew that she might have noticed something, but he would not let anything go wrong with his marriage at this juncture. LIL This was all he could take. ¡°I know.¡± Guinevere grabbed his hand and said earnestly, ¡°I think Weston will definitely not give up. Is he nning on getting back at us?¡± Chris thought that she was overthinking and pulled his hand out. ¡°Ste killed herself. Why would he?¡± She froze for a moment, not knowing how to exin this. She was the one who drove her to her suicide. If only she didn¡®t kill her own son and framed Ste for it... Guinevere inhaled deeply to stop herself from thinking about it. No one knew that she had done such a thing. in 1 1DT 11 It took a long time before she looked at the wom front of her in shock. ¡°Did you actually hit me?¡± Chris was equally shocked, not anticipating Wendy¡®s sudden outburst. He walked up to Wendy hurriedly and grabbed her wrist.¡° What are you doing?¡± ¡°What am I doing? Ask her yourself!¡± Wendyughed, then looked at him. ¡°Your son has already told us everything at the press conference.¡± Guinevere¡®s heart skipped a beat. ¡°The conference isn¡®t until tomorrow night...¡± LLLLLL LLL ¡°It¡®s been brought forward.¡± Wendy walked up to Guinevere slowly, with red eyes as if smeared with poison. ¡°I really didn¡®t expect you two to do such a thing under my nose!¡± After she said that, she pped Guinevere again. ¡°What a shameless b*tch!¡± Guinevere was struck so hard that she fell onto the ground this time. . She looked back at Wendy with extreme shock written in her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡®t understand a thing...¡± ¡°You can¡®t understand? Watch the press conference, then! Everyone knows about it.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1142 Chapter 1142 Chapter 1142 Wendy took a step backward and looked at Guinevere, then at Chris, who was standing in ce, dumbfounded.¡± Great, just great. Zachary, who I¡®ve been raising as a grandson, is actually the son of you two! Hah! Hahaha!¡± She burst outughing. Sheughed fiercely, and her tears were falling uncontrobly. The more she spoke, the paler Chris¡® face became. He wanted to go up and exin to her, but his feet seemed nailed to the spot, preventing him from walking. His hands started to tremble. It was summer, but his back was soaked with sweat. He never thought that Wendy would discover it. Of course, he knew this would happen someday, but he never expected it to happen now. The secret he had kept for so long had been revealed so easily. LLLLL Suddenly, something shed across his mind-if Weston announced this in the press conference, didn¡®t this mean that everyone must¡®ve known about it already? Having figured it out, Guinevere shrieked loudly, covering her ears and screaming like crazy. It was the very thing she had refused to face, yet it would be exposed like a gaping wound. She stood up, looked at the people in front of her in uncertainty, and then broke down and ran out. All the reporters at the press conference were stunned. The man in front of them was still as cold and reserved as he always was. It was as if his disappearance for thest few days meant nothing. Donning a full suit, he sat in the middle. Though all the microphones and cameras were pointing at him, he moved around with practiced ease, as if he were a noble. ¡°I have said everything I needed to say. Any questions?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, is it true what you just said?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The reporter was so shocked that he could not speak. ¡°You just said that Zachary is the son of your father and Guinevere. Then why was it rumored before that he was yours?¡± ¡°It was just a rumor. I never admitted it. I never rified it simply for the sake of preserving his dignity.¡± When he said that, everyone came to a realization. Guinevere had been, in fact, the only yer all this while. Weston had never cooperated with her, and he did this by showing no affection. At first, they thought it was simply not in Weston¡®s interest , but little did they expect that Zachary was not his son. ¡°So then, the feud between you three...¡± ¡°There is only one thing I want to rify in this press conference: my wife, Ste, has no reason to kill Zachary,¡± Weston interrupted indifferently. 1 He knew the public was under the impression that she killed Zachary out of jealousy. Only he knew that he was the actual person she intended to kill. He didn¡®t care at all whether she killed Zachary by mistake; all he had to do now was tell the truth and keep Guinevere from ndering Ste. ¡°Guinevere and I were never like what the tabloids put. It was always a means to cover up a family scandal.¡± Previous Chapter This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1143 Chapter 1143 Chapter 1143 The reporters were astounded, not expecting to hear such shocking news. ¡°Then why does Guinevere keep iming that you are the father of her child? It doesn¡®t make sense!¡± After a long silence, Weston said, ¡°I didn¡®t want to tell you this at first. But since it has harmed my wife¡®s reputation, I must rify this. Guinevere had been pursuing me for a long time, but I never responded, so she got very upset and slept with my father instead with the intention of punishing me. After that night, she got pregnant. Because of her rare blood type, she could only have one child, so she had to keep the baby. I nned to tell everything to my mother at first, but I was afraid she couldn¡®t take it because of her heart disease. So, I decided to keep it a secret. Anyway, I did not expect that Guinevere would suffer a memory distortionter, where she couldn¡®t recall who she slept with that night, thinking it was me. My father begged me, hoping I¡®d shoulder the responsibility since he didn¡®t want this to affect his family and marriage...¡± When he said this, he paused for a long time. A hint of gloominess shed across his eyes before he continued, ¡°It¡®s partly my fault for not handling the matter well that my wife became the victim. I shouldn¡®t 1 have dragged her into this before I could sort it out.¡± The reporters were still holding their equipment, and camera shes and shutters went off in a frenzy. Apart from that, however, it was silent all around. They were probably speechless at the mind¨Cblowing truth. Apparently, Ste was the innocent one from the beginning until the end. She hadn¡¯t done anything else except marry Weston, yet she suffered unbearable criticisms and finally perished. ¡°Mr. Ford, were all those things after Guinevere¡¯s doings?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I will submit the evidence to the court.¡± Weston¡¯s cold voice matched the look in his eyes that were devoid of warmth. ¡°It will be announced officially in the future.¡± Everyone understood that he was about to take action against Guinevere. Bradley was also standing among the crowd. As he was listening to Weston, heughed sarcastically. What was the point of thinking about taking action against Guinevere now? 1 Ste was already dead, and these people killed her! If they thought that Ste was jealous of Zachary¡¯s identity of being the son of Weston and Guinevere, it did not hold water now. Bradley never believed that Ste could be that kind of person. Then, he saw Weston, surrounded by the reporters, standing up and saying calmly, ¡°If there are no other questions, I shall end the press conference.¡± He continued, ¡°My wife is still waiting for me in the car.¡± The atmosphere became eerily silent the moment he said. that. Wasn¡¯t Ste his wife? Wasn¡¯t Ste dead? They exchanged nces, unable to fathom what Weston meant. Regardless, some of them heard inside stories that Weston had not been in the right mind recently. Ste was obviously dead, but he was treating her as if she were alive. He took her to his home daily and lived with her as usual. This sounded a bit creepy. With that said, although they found it horrifying, no one dared to say anything. It was then that Ben rushed in anxiously and said to LLL Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, something terrible has happened! Someone set your car on fire! It¡®s burning!! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1144 Chapter 1144 Chapter 1144 Weston went pale as a sheet and marched outside, followed by an anxious Ben. The reporters did not know what was happening and swarmed out, pursuing him. Weston had almost lost his mind when he ran out. His eyes were tinted with a dark color. He wanted to bring Ste along with him at first, but her current state didn¡¯t allow her to meet outsiders. In their eyes, she was a corpse now. To him, however, she was his wife, dead or alive. With that in mind, he had left her in the car and nned to return to her soon. However, he did not expect such an ident to ur. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a mere ident. Standing beside the ck Gust was Guinevere, holding a jerry can andughing so hard that she was tearing up. When she saw Weston run out, she broke out into a hysterical fit, yelling, ¡°I have done so much for you, yet you did this to me, all for a dead person?!¡± She thought they would¡¯ve taken the secret to the grave with them. She was unwilling to ept the fact that she slept with Chris, so she kept lying to herself until she believed in her own lie. However, she vaguely recalled the scene of that night after some time. Unwilling to ept the truth, she kept deceiving herself.. Then,pletely out of expectation, Weston destroyed her dream in front of everyone She fell to the ground and watched as the man she had been dreaming about stormed towards the ck luxury car like a madman. Sheughed tearfully. ¡°Hah¡­ You really love her. How could you love her so much¡­¡± She wanted to demand an exnation from him, an exnation of why he had to do such a thing to her. But the moment he got out of the car, she saw Ste, who had been dead for days, sitting in the worldwide limited edition Gust owned by Weston ¨C She was so jealous at that moment that she almost went crazy. What the hell??? How could a person who was already dead still get Weston¡¯s love? It also seemed that Guinevere only realized that Weston was already deeply in love with Ste after her death. 4LL She had never seen Weston like this before. Even when the two were in the best state of their rtionship , Weston would merely be courteous to her. VV Now that she thought about it, maybe Weston was acting out of guilt, or perhaps he only amodated her because of his father. Why? UA VV Why? The more she thought about it, the more resentful she felt. Her eyes were bloodshot. She wanted to destroy Ste totally, even if it meant burning her body. As the me was ring up, she saw the man rushing straight over. She had only seen Weston like that once before. It was when they were on the balcony two years ago, when he had to choose between her and Ste while they ¨C were both in the hands of the kidnapper. Ste jumped straight off the balcony. TT She did not expect that Ste would do this. She told the kidnappers to bring her to a secluded corner to dispose of her. She never thought that Ste would resist in such an aggressive manner. It was on that fateful day when she saw Weston lose control of himself. If the person next to him had not moved quickly enough, he would have jumped down with Ste. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The scene from two years ago suddenly ovepped with the scene before her. She saw Weston rushing towards the burning limousine as if he wanted to die. Guinevere let out a shrill cry. ¡°Aaahhh!!!¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1145 Chapter 1145 Chapter 1145 Guinevere covered her ears as though deafening sirens were ring all around her. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Ben hurriedly got some men toe over to restrain Weston so that he could not move any nearer. ¡°Mr. Ford! Mr. Ford!¡± She could only see the man frantically shake off the bodyguards, wanting to dive into the fire. Finally, from the craziness in the beginning, it gradually turned into calmness. ¡°She is dead. She is totally gone, not even leaving you with ashes!¡± Guinevere startedughing. She was not the only one in the world who loved the unattainable. She also wanted to witness Weston suffer the same pain. She felt satisfied. Weston fell to the ground and watched the car burning with red eyes. Seeing him finally stop struggling, Ben knelt beside him and begged, ¡°Calm down, Mr. Ford, don¡¯t act recklessly.¡± The fire burnt thest bit of Ste into nothingness. It suddenly started to rain. LILIT LL It had been a sunny day, just like the weather on the day she confessed in court. It started out as a little drizzle and got heavier and heavier. Weston stayed on his knees, not moving. By the time the smoke cleared, the car had long been empty with nothing left inside. He ended up not even being able to keep her body. Time flew and soon three years had passed. It was sunny in Compassvale. In Lavender Mansion, a woman was lying on a recliner wearing a straw hat and sunsses , enjoying the sound of the breeze. There was a grand piano sitting beside her. A young girl ran to her from a distance, smiling. She hugged the woman¡®s leg and shouted adorably,¡± Mommy, Elias!¡± She held her finger and pointed in the direction of the little boy not far away. 3/4 Ste took off her sunsses, sat up, and beckoned to the little boy. ¡°Elias,e here.¡± 1 The little boy not far away sniffed and reluctantly put down the ball in his hand, slowly paced up to him, and buzzed. ¡°Mommy¡­ >> ¡°Emma said that you bullied her just now.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Elias waved his hands quickly. The two were still speaking a bit indistinctly, and somewhat slurred. Anyway, Ste could understand them. Ste was about to lecture him with a stern face when the crisp sound of a man came from not far away. ¡°I just saw that it was Emma who snatched away Elias¡® cookies.¡± The man squatted down in front of the two. The sister gave a cheerful cry, rushed into the man¡¯s arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and called out to him. ¡°Big brother!¡± The man smiled and pinched her nose. ¡°I am about the same age as your mother, why are you calling me brother? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s confusing?¡± He had to correct Emma every time she did this. However, it was of little use. The next time the two little ones saw him, they would still call him that. He sighed and stood up. The moment she looked at Ste, his face turned serious. ¡°There is one thing I need to tell you. Do you still remember Ahn City?¡± Ste¡¯s face turned grave and nodded. She walked to Emma and wiped off the cookie crumbs at the corner of her mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Something goes wrong with our coboration this time. You may have to go back for a while¡­ are you okay with that?¡± She did not waver as she put the tissue in the trash and went back to tidy Elias¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯m okay with that.¡± It had been three years. The one in Ahn City should have already forgotten about her, right? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1146 Chapter 1146 Chapter 1146 Ste closed her eyes, and all those things that happened in the past flooded into her mind. It seemed to be happening before her own eyes, but the image had faded a lot... like in a dream. She never thought that such a bizarre thing could happen to her. But it did happen. By the time she woke up, she was in a strangend She was surrounded by foreigners of different skin and eye colors, and there was only one old man of her kind. The men told her that she had escaped Weston¡®s control. She struggled to sit up, instinctively not believing the strangers in front of her. At that moment, a man who looked uncannily simr to Roger suddenly appeared. The resemnce threw Ste into a momentary trance. She gazed at him and called his name. ¡°Roger...¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The man gave her a somewhat sympathetic look, sighed, and said to her, ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®m not him. He¡®s dead.¡± She clenched her fists, a little reluctant to believe him.¡° Am I in heaven?¡± She grabbed his hand and refused to let go. ¡°You¡®re Roger. There¡®s no mistaking it.¡± The man sighed and pushed her hands away. He looked at her and said solemnly, ¡°I am not him. I am his brother, Miguel. Some say we look identical, but we really are two different people.¡± She still refused to believe it. 4 The man told her with a serious face, ¡°You should know that Roger is not the biological son of your parents. Many years ago, my parents came to Compassvale and gave birth to me. I never knew I had a brother until recently. After searching for him for a long time, I didn¡¯t expect to find him in the delta. Weston was also looking for him. when we found him, so we provided protection. However, he was unwilling to trust us and left in the end. Unsurprisingly, he was found by Weston¡¯s men. At that time, he didn¡¯t want to be a burden to you, so he chose the foolish way and ended his life. By the time we found him, it was already toote. Regardless, we wanted to fulfill hisst wish to separate you from Weston. Hence, we nned this for a long time and finally executed it. Everyone in Ahn City thinks you are dead, but you are actually living a new life with a new identity.¡± Ste still felt that it was oundish and felt like she was dreaming. ¡°But I had clearly taken so many oleanders. How am I still ¡­¡± The manughed. ¡°Of course, it was because we switched your oleander and gave it some special treatment. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to know about this now. The most important thing is to recuperate.¡± At first, Ste remained doubtful of what she was hearing and insisted that the person in front of her was Roger, but as time went on and she regained strength, she slowly came to believe him. With a face so simr to Roger¡¯s, Ste became a little less wary of him. But it was also during the time they spentter that she gradually felt that this man was indeed not Roger, but his brother. After epting this fact, Ste became silent. Her health had recovered a lot, but she showed signs of depression again after some time. Miguel knew very well that it was because she felt that there was nothing in the world that she could hold on to. Watching her lose weight day by day, Miguel got really anxious. She was someone Roger cared about the most, so he certainly wanted to take good care of her. One day, the doctor suddenly told him the news that Ste was pregnant. He was startled at first since he knew all about her condition before saving her. She had a rare blood type which made it difficult for her to have babies. He did not expect her to be pregnant. Hadn¡®t she already had a miscarriage? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Coming Soon... Chapter 1147 Chapter 1147 Chapter 1147 ¡°Yes,¡± said the doctor, ¡°We found that her body must¡¯ve been treated with great care, and it recovered well. The baby is very healthy. This is indeed unprecedented¡­ a miracle.¡± Miguel told Ste about it immediately. He still remembered her expression when she learned about it. At first, she was dumbfounded, as if in disbelief. After a long time, she put her hand on her stomach and looked down, unable to tell what she was feeling. Just when she thought she would have to live like this for the rest of her life, God blessed her with such a gift. She felt as if her whole body had been injected with a powerful life force, especially when she heard the doctor say that there were two fetal hearts which meant she had twins. Having a home was what she wanted the most. And the most important thing about home was family. From that day on, Ste began to cooperate with the treatment actively. She is getting better day by day, both physically and MARK KUM mentally. Her babies were healthy. Later, they found that the twins were a boy and a girl. Miguel couldn¡¯t forget the contented and serene look on Ste¡¯s face the first time she looked at the ultrasound image of her babies. He knew he shouldn¡¯t have any feelings for her. He only treated her as his older sister, like how Roger did. But somehow, every time he saw her, he had the illusion that his heart was racing. This was why he was unwilling to let the twins address him as uncle after she gave birth to them. In the end, the twins called him ¡°Brother.¡± Although it made him a little unsatisfied, he just let them 1. Perhaps their life over here was too happy. He only realized what they might have to face next when he heard the news from Ahn City. If they went back to Ahn City, they might run into Weston. That man¡­ Although they chose not to hear anything about him all these years, he was still the father of the twins¡­ 16 G Ste knew what he was thinking and said nonchntly, ¡°Miguel, I am not the same person I was. Moreover, Ahn City is so big. We won¡¯t necessarily run into him, and even if we do, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± She stood up and looked into his eyes. ¡°No one can force me to do anything now.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Three years of growth hadpletely transformed her. Because of the children in her womb, she drew unprecedented strength and honed her courage. She wanted her children to be proud of her, and she couldn¡¯t afford to be a parasite that only relied on others. She had something she was good at. In just three years, she became an internationally acimed piano virtuoso. At one point, she even broke the prejudice of foreigners against people of her kind, garnered awards in majorpetitions, and became the well¨Cdeserved best pianist with absolute talent and strength. Ste knew she could only protect her children if she grew in stature. She would never again let anyone or anything hurt her family. Absolutely not. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1148 Chapter 1148 Chapter 1148 Compassvale was a city with good weather all year long. Being there for three years, the one thing Ste felt the most sentimental about was the slow pace. As a single mother, life was hard wherever she went. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It was fortunate that Miguel had helped her a lot in the initial stage, at least during her pregnancy, and provided her with a reassuring environment. Sheter learned that the old man Roger met in the delta was part of his biological parents¡® family. He was Miguel and Roger¡¯s grandfather. Their parents, too, had their own sad story. ¡°More than ten years ago, my father fell in love with my mother, but my grandfather disapproved of their rtionship and tried to break up the couple. My father was an exchange student, and my mother was a local of Ahn City. They fell in love at first sight and have been dating behind my grandfather¡¯s back since then. ¡°But my grandfather still found out about their rtionship and used every means he could to break them up. ¡°The family was very powerful. They initially disagreed with my father going to Ahn City as an exchange student and wanted him to return to take over the family business. When they knew that he was in love with a civilian girl, they became even more unhappy. ¡°But my mother was already pregnant at that time. My grandfather wanted her to abort the pregnancy, so they went into hiding. After the baby was born, my parents were worried that my grandfather would snatch him away and harm him, so they put my brother on the doorstep of a professor couple they trusted a lot¡­ ¡°They were your parents. ¡°They took my brother in.¡± Miguel continued, ¡°And then my parents have been hiding from my grandfather. But in the meantime, they identally got pregnant again¡­¡± ¡°This time, my grandfather found out where they were and put my mother under house arrest, and forced her to abort the baby. ¡°I was only saved after my father threatened him with his life. Later, he was forced to marry another woman. Both my parents were devastated and eventually died of severe depression.¡± Miguel sighed when he said that. ¡°It was only after my parents died that my grandfather came to his senses and took me in to raise me.¡± Ste could not react for a long time. It was the first time she was hearing this story. ¡°Then¡­ how did your grandfather know about Roger¡¯s existence?¡± ¡°It was because of my father¡¯sst words just before he died. He was worried that my grandfather still held prejudice against him, so he didn¡¯t dare to talk about that child. My grandfather only found out about his existence long after his death.¡± In fact, when it came to Roger, Miguel had very little memory of him. After all, he had not even met him personally. When he received news from his grandfather and rushed to delta, Roger had already left the ce, fearing Weston¡¯s pursuit. And because of Weston, hemitted suicide. Thus, he hadn¡¯t even met Roger, not even once. In fact, he was even more familiar with Ste. Because of Roger¡¯sst wish, Miguel also treated her as his sister. Grandpa¡¯s intention, too, was to treat Ste as the youngdy of the family. He wanted to compensate her for everything he couldn¡¯t do for Roger. Although she was a very determined woman, Ste decided that she¡¯d ept their help for a while. After giving birth to the twin boy and girl, she soon got ready to perform. She knew she was taking advantage of the opportunities orded by the Gracia family, but she repaid them tenfoldter. All around the world, Ste¡¯s incredible talent on the piano was an indisputable fact. She even gained the adoration of the Queen. She soon became the new celebrity that the other stars in the entertainment circle would talk about, thus gaining herself a great reputation and fame. But she didn¡¯t stop there or intend to sit on herurels. In addition to winning the Golden Wheat Award in piano, she also had a deep knowledge of dance. Thus, in a span of just three years, the name Cicily gained international acim. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1149 Chapter 1149 Chapter 1149 It was the name Miguel picked for her. Cicily, blind of self beauty. It was how he felt about her. The only thing was that he did not expect that the meaning of the name would spread through the circle. Many people knew that the beautiful pianist, Cicily, possessed beauty she was unaware of. It was even so popr that, at one point, parents often used this name when naming their children. ¡°Today¡¯s performance was a sess!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. In Infinity Hall, a performer walked to Ste and gave her a warm hug. ¡°Cicily, you are such a miracle!¡± Ste was the first from her nation to stand on the stage as the youngest performer in Infinity Hall. Her graceful dance performance and dexterity on the piano moved foreigners who weren¡¯t shy about expressing their emotions. After a while, he excitedly invited her. ¡°Cicily, I have asked you out many times, can you please have dinner with me this time?¡± Ste always remained single, although she had children. A number of gentlemen pursued her over the years. Edward was one of them. This man had been attending every show since her first tour. A massive fan in his own right, he was acquainted with her ying style and was extremely appreciative of her. Ste had no ns to start a rtionship at the moment, however. She shook her head and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Thank you for your affection, but I simply have no intention to start a romantic rtionship at the moment. I¡¯m really sorry.¡® )) Edward was very disappointed. ¡°Why? Cicily, you are so charming and young. Are you going to waste your great youth on children?¡± Ste frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a waste to be concerned about my children, I¡¯d be in a rtionship if I wanted to, but it¡¯ll not be with you.¡± This was the first time she had said something so obvious, even sounding rather aggressive in her rejection. She had always refused politely before. Edward smiled and touched his nose. ¡°Okay, Cicily, but I won¡¯t give up¡­¡± Just as the words escaped his mouth, two small children suddenly hopped to her. ¡°Mommy!¡± Elias hugged Ste¡¯s left leg while Emma held her hand. ¡± Congrattions, Mommy!¡± The little one would congratte her at the end of every performance. Ste smiled in return, stroked their hair, and squatted in front of them. ¡°Why are you up here? Didn¡¯t I tell Miguel to take you guys outside to wait for me?¡± Sucking her thumb, Emma pointed to Edward with her finger and then looked at Miguel, who was standing not far away. Ste understood at once. Miguel had deliberately let theme to rescue her. Instead of feeling embarrassed, however, Edward became more enthusiastic, greeting the two children. ¡°So cute! Your children look so much like you!¡± Ste smiled and did not say anything. In fact, they both looked more like Weston, especially their delicate eyebrows, a feature inherited by the males of the Ford family. We Anyway, the children were still young, so their faces were chubby, bearing some resemnce to her. With that said, they couldn¡¯t be identified as Weston¡¯s children at a nce. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150 Regardless, there were still many simrities if they looked carefully. It was not hard to tell that the children would greatly resemble Weston growing up. ¡°Thank you, Edward. I shall bring my children to dinner now.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I invite you and your children to dine with me?¡± Ste shook her head, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. ¡°I already have a date with someone,¡± she added with a smile. Edward was a little taken aback. He nced in the direction of the door. Miguel was standing at the end of the golden hall, wearing a white suit. ¡± He took another look at Ste¡¯s attire today. Her white dress made her look like an angel that had descended into the mortal world. This woman didn¡¯t like to wear too much makeup. For such asions, she would only put on a light film of makeup. + ** Edward found her very enchanting every time he saw her. He adored the ssical beauty of a foreign lady. ¡°Why are you willing to date someone else but not give me a chance? I know this man. His name is Miguel, the heir of the Garcia family. I heard that the Garcia family only considers you as an adopted daughter. You should be like siblings¡­¡± ¡°You think too much, Mr. Edward.¡± Her face suddenly changed, and she said to him, ¡°We are a family. Why can¡¯t a family have dinner together? I¡¯m going to have dinner with him with my children. Goodbye.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left. Edward looked resentfully at her as she left, knowing he had said the wrong thing. But he did not know what he had said wrong. He seemed to have irritated Ste, but what he said wasn¡¯t wrong either. However, he did not know that his words just now reminded Ste of the feelings Roger had for her when he was alive. She had never told anyone about it except for Riley, mainly because Weston knew about Roger¡¯s feelings for her. Thus, he was hostile to Roger and vowed never to let him go. It was once her darkest nightmare. To her, Roger was the most important person in this world. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. At least until the birth of her two children, he was her most important family member. But because of this, she could only push him away from her. This action had also caused Weston to drive him to the brink. Whenever she thought of the past, a sharp pain would still sting her heart. Miguel keenly noticed that something was wrong with her and rushed forward to take Emma from her arms. He looked at Ste, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Did he say something to you just now?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Seeing that she was fine, Miguel said, ¡°I¡¯ve booked the restaurant on the top floor to celebrate your performance ¨C today.¡± The twoughed and joked as they walked outside before arriving at the restaurant. The two little ones were already fist¨Cpumping, their stomach growling with hunger. Miguel ordered a steak, carefully cut it into small pieces, and exchanged them with the one in front of Ste. While watching his movements, Ste was in a bit of a daze. It suddenly urred to her that Weston would habitually do the same thing. ¡°Does this denote the character of a gentleman?¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1151 Chapter 1151 Chapter 1151 Ste smiled and hid the strange look on her face. After she learned that she¡®d be making a trip to Ahn City in a few days, she couldn¡®t help but think about her messy past. Miguel Garcia did not notice her thoughts. He smiled gently at her and said, ¡°It¡®s my job to take care of you.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. At first, Miguel treated Ste like a sister. However, the more time he spent with her, he found a lot of new emotions in her. A few years younger than Roger and only twenty years old at the moment, Miguel was too young. Ste was already twenty¨Cfive. She was still very young, but she had gone through a lot and matured from her experiences. She was no longer as childish as before. ¡°You¡®ll graduate from Compassvale in two years. By then, Grandpa Marcus will let you take over the family business. If you want to shist the focus to another country, you¡®ll have to go there to tender your cooperation...¡± As she spoke, her voice became quieter until it was inaudible. Miguel seemed like he could read her mind. He put down his knife and fork and straightened his bow tie. ¡°If you don¡®t want toe with me, I can¡®t put it off...¡± he said to her with a sigh. Ste shook her head. After a short silence, she told her,¡± Don¡®t let me affect your n. The people and Ahn City have be things of the past.¡± ¡°But the children¡®s father is there,¡± Miguel said. Then, there was silence at the table. The two children sat in their ces and behaved well. Emma blinked her dewy eyes and yed with the bread crumbs on her hands. Ste looked at her helplessly and took out a tissue to wipe it for her. As soon as she leaned over, Emma kissed her directly on the cheek, leaving an oily trail on her face. Ste gave her a gentle and helpless pat on the head.¡± You¡®re a girl. Why are you always so naughty?¡± 1 Meanwhile, Elias stood from the side and kissed her on the cheek too. The siblings were not shy and refused to lose. They kissed Ste¡®s cheek one after the other. Ste hugged both of them at once. After a short ytime , Ste turned to Miguel, who sat across the table. She told him, ¡°I don¡®t know if you understand how I feel now, but with these two, I feel like I¡®m not afraid of anything anymore.¡± Miguel looked at her steadily and realized she had spoken those words from her heart. He nodded after a long pause. ¡°Okay. There¡®s just one more thing. You have to promise me.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°He¡®s Elias and Emma¡®s biological father, after all. If anything happens, I hope I can protect them legally.¡± Ste was a little confused about what he meant. Miguel took a document and handed it to her. ¡°I want to be their legal father.¡± Ste frowned and pushed his hand away at once. ¡°Are you crazy? You¡®re only twenty!!!¡± ¡°I¡®m not crazy.¡± Miguel fixed his eyes on her. ¡°We¡®ll go back to Ahn City. If Weston finds out about this, I¡®m sure he won¡®t let you go. He mighte back to haunt you. I¡®ll need a proper identity to justify it. Otherwise, I can¡®t let you go back to Ahn City.¡± Ste instinctively refused his offer. She had always treated Miguel like family. Miguel¡®s face resembled Roger so much that she sometimes treated him as Roger. Ste refused, ¡°No. We can think of something else.¡± Chapter 1152 Chapter 1152 Chapter 1152 Ste was about to ask Miguel if he had a crush, as she wanted him to start dating. However, she did not expect him to make such a ridiculous proposal. Even so, Miguel insisted, ¡°If you don¡®t agree, I won¡®t go to Ahn City.¡± ¡°Will you stop that?¡± For the first time, Ste found Miguel incredibly naive. ¡°It¡®s just a document, not a real marriage. This will help to grant me legal status. Ste, what are you afraid of?¡± Ste let out a breath. She knew he would not stop. After a short silence, she told him, ¡°I won¡®t sign the document, but... If I really need you to pretend to be my other half, I won¡®t expose you.¡± That was all she could say. Otherwise, with Miguel¡®s capriciousness, he might give up this opportunity for her sake. ¡°Okay. That¡®s a promise from you.¡± Miguel was d to get her agreement and did not push her any further. Then, he put the papers back and went back to his meal. Miguel was in a very good mood today. He was all smiles when he took Ste home. Presently , Ste no longer lived with him at the estate. She had moved out on her own. At first, Miguel had a problem with this. However, Ste thought it was better to be on her own with two kids. Fortunately, Grandpa Marcus did not say anything and allowed her to move out. Even so, Miguel visited her often and stayed overnight asionally. Ste and Miguel shared a close rtionship. Ste treated him like family. If it was not for him, she would not be who she was. Miguel carried Emma to the bathroom right after changing his shoes. ¡°Let¡®s take our stinky baby to the bath!¡± Miguel was a bit of a neat freak, which was very different from Roger. Roger was a boy at heart and he cared little about the nuances of hygiene. Thanks to his parents¡® teaching, althoughzy, he was not aszy as some boys. He didn¡®t smell as bad as them and at least, maintained basic cleanliness. Miguel was very different. He was probably a little obsessed with cleanliness like Weston. He would clean up whenever he arrived home. ¡°A girl has to stay clean!¡± Miguel carried Emma to the bathroom and made herugh and giggle. After the bath, the little one was a little tired. Emma hugged Ste¡®s neck softly. ¡°Mommy.. Ste melted at Emma¡®s soft mutter. Soon, the two children were dozing off. Ste then put them both in their cribs in the nursery and walked out of Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. the room with ease. When she saw Miguel still sitting on the sofa, she had to go up to him. ¡°It¡®ste. Aren¡®t you going home? Grandpa might be worried about you.¡± ¡°I¡®m a grown man now. What does he have to worry about?¡± Miguel said indifferently, cleverly avoiding Ste¡®s real question. Ste gave him a helpless look. ¡°You know that¡®s not what I meant.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 1153 Chapter 1153 Chapter 1153 Miguel nodded slightly. ¡°Why do I feel like you¡®ve been avoiding metely?¡°. ¡°Have I?¡± Ste took a sip of water and concealed her emotions. ¡°I¡®ve agreed to go to Ahn City with you. What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡®s not that, but... I don¡®t know how to describe it.¡± Miguel sighed again. He said, ¡°Have you ever felt that you¡®ve been avoiding me emotionally?¡± Miguel believed he had made it clear. Ste instantly frowned. She put the ss of water down and looked him in the eye. ¡°That¡®s irrelevant. I¡®ve always treated you like my own family.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Miguel was stubborn. He said, smiling, ¡°We can be a family as husband and wife too.¡± ¡°Miguel!¡± Ste raised her voice at once. She said to him sternly, ¡°Don¡®t make jokes like that. I don¡®t like it!¡± Ste treated Miguel like Roger. When Miguel said those words, it brought her back to the time when Roger made his bizarre confession in the hospital. Ste felt like a failure. She had no idea what she¡®d been doing all these years. She could not believe that she did not realize Roger¡®s feelings for her. L Miguel was surprised by her overreaction . After a short silence, he said, somewhat hurt, ¡°Aren¡®t you being a little too conservative? We¡®re family, yes, but we¡®re not blood rted. You don¡¯t have to keep pushing me away...¡± The weather was getting a little cool. Then, the rain started to pour. It was almost midnight. Ste stood on the balcony and watched Miguel leave angrily. She sighed heavily. They had just engaged in a very harsh argument. Miguel said nothing. After looking at her for a few moments, he picked up her car keys and turned around. Ste treated Miguel like Roger. When Miguel said those words, it brought her back to the time when Roger made his bizarre confession in the hospital. Ste felt like a failure. She had no idea what she¡®d been doing all these years. She could not believe that she did not realize Roger¡¯s feelings for her. Miguel was surprised by her overreaction . After a short silence, he said, somewhat hurt, ¡°Aren¡®t you being a little too conservative? We¡®re family, yes, but we¡®re not blood rted. You don¡®t have to keep pushing me away...¡± The weather was getting a little cool. Then, the rain started to pour. It was almost midnight. Ste stood on the balcony and watched Miguel leave angrily. She sighed heavily. They had just engaged in a very harsh argument. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Miguel said nothing. After looking at her for a few moments, he picked up her car keys and turned around. Ste didn¡®t know how to express her emotions. The feeling of exhaustion engulfed her. For the past three years, she lived a peaceful and happy life. With her job and career on the rise, she had everything she wanted in her hands. However, she inevitably felt empty and ufortable. Looking back, she missed her parents and Roger a lot. Even so, she was fine with what she had. Ste did not want to get involved or respond to Miguel¡®s feelings. She was at a loss, having no idea how to handle their rtionship. Miguel expected everyone to be asleep, but he found the living room brightly lit as he arrived home. He walked over and saw his grandfather Marcus sitting on the sofa in his favorite ck nightrobe. Marcus Garcia sat there quietly. When he heard the movement at the entrance, he turned over to see Miguel. ¡°Why are you sote? Were you at Cicily¡®s ce again?¡± Miguel nodded. ¡°Grandpa , why are you still up sote?¡± ¡°I heard some gossip about you two today. You picked Cicily at Infinity Hall with flowers and looked pretty close,¡± Marcus said in a casual tone. He sounded as if it was nothing serious. Miguel observed the look on Marcus¡®s face and was a little relieved to see that he wasn¡®t here to ask questions. ¡°This is between the two of us. Don¡®t bother.¡± Marcus was older and more enlightened. In the past, he would use his influence to force a couple to break up, but his son¡®s tragedy woke him up. 1 Marcus never did something like that again. Instead, he was very careful at dealing with Miguel. ¡°I¡®m not lecturing you. I just thought the both of you shouldn¡®t blow things out of proportion. If it¡®s not confirmed yet, don¡®t make yourself aughing stock...¡± Chapter 1154 Chapter 1154 Chapter 1154 After all, the Garcia family had imed that Ste was their adopted daughter. Ste and Miguel were regarded as family members, and if they became a couple suddenly, it would hurt his reputation, not to mention their five¨Cyear age gap. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Miguel frowned at Marcus¡®s words. ¡°What era is it now? Why are you still so conservative?!¡± ¡°Besides, couples with big age differences aremon now. She¡®s only five years older than me. So what?¡± Marcus wanted to say something else, but Miguel cut him off. ¡°I suppose you¡®re going to talk about the two children again, right? You better not!¡± Miguel said in a straightforward manner, ¡°As you know, I¡®ve never believed in marriage for a long time. If I don¡®t get married, no good girl would be willing to bear my child out of wedlock, is there? Besides, don¡®t you like Elias and Emma too? The two little ones are so beautiful, cute, and smart. Isn¡®t it good to have them as my children?¡± Miguel¡®s words angered Marcus. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If you are going to be with Ste , you¡®ll have a child with her after a few years!¡± Miguel was only twenty. He was in no hurry to have children. However, he would still need a woman to bear his child, regardless of whether he stayed with Ste or not. Miguel did not take it seriously. ¡°I don¡®t care what people say. I know what I want. Just stay out of my business.¡± Marcus sighed heavily. ¡°I¡®m too old to be controlling young people like you. I won¡®tin as long as you study hard now and take over the Garcia family business in the future.¡± Marcus was an old blond man who spoke to Miguel in French. The family had a maid who had been with them for many years, and she had be almost like a family member. When it was time, the maid came over to help Marcus go to his room to rest. Later, Miguel returned to his room and turned on hisputer. On the screen were Weston¡®s details. Miguel looked at it sullenly with indistinct emotions. Miguel and Ste did not meet until the flight. They thought it would be awkward to meet again after their cold war, whichsted a few days. Miguel acted as if nothing had happened, however. When he saw Ste at the airport, he came over and took her luggage naturally. ¡°Why didn¡®t you bring Elias and Emma?¡± ¡°They¡®re still asleep in the car. I¡®ll go get them when it¡®s time to board,¡± Ste said. Miguel frowned. ¡°Did you leave them alone in the car? Do you how many stories have emerged about children who suffocated in cars?¡± ¡°Of course not. The nanny is watching them.¡± Miguel breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡®s good.¡± Ste looked at him steadily, unable to describe her feelings. She truly realized that Miguel treated her children as a family. He could not have saked that kind of heartfelt concern for them. Soon, they boarded the ne, and Ste and the two children fell asleep as the aircraft took to the skies. Miguel watched as Ste slept soundly, observing the fine features on her face with voracious eyes. Ste did not have a seductively pretty face, but she was pretty without makeup and had good skin. Twenty¨Cfive years old was a very good age. She had lost her innocence and naivety of her teenage years but wasn¡®t overly mature as someone in their thirties. She was right between the age of a little girl and a grown woman. Miguel thought even if Ste was still a teenager, he might like the youthful impulsiveness she had. Who knew, he might even still like her in her thirties or forties. Chapter 1155 Chapter 1155 Chapter 1155 Upon arrival, Miguel naturally offered to help them with their luggage. The group was at the airport. Elias and Emma had returned to their home country for the first time. There was something about the people around that made them feel close to home. Ste could tell that the children were both nervous and happy. After all, they were always surrounded by blondies and foreigners abroad. Although her family looked simr, it was exciting to see so many people of their own ethnicity on the street. As expected, Ste¡®s homnd felt different. Ste had been abroad for so many years, living a happy life, but when she returned to her homnd , she felt a familiarity that no other ce could give her. Ste took Elias and Emma with her. After they got into the car, Ste gave the driver an address. Miguel was a little surprised and looked back at her.¡± Why don¡®t you go to the apartment next to Fern University?¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°It¡®ll take a while to get there. Let¡®s find a ce to rest.¡± After that, she suddenly realized something and looked at the person in the front passenger seat with suspicion in her eyes. ¡°I don¡®t remember saying that I lived with Roger in an apartment near the university.¡± In fact, she rarely mentioned anything about Roger to Miguel, especially her stories in Ahn City and Fern City. Miguel paused for a moment. His face turned stiff with a sh of guilt. However, he soon returned to his usual state. Miguel said to Ste, ¡°Did you forget? You managed to fake your death and escape Weston before. I helped you to get such a big thing done. Your residence is just simple information. What makes you think it¡®s that hard to investigate where you live?¡± Ste seemed a little more convinced after Miguel exined. She answered with a nod, ¡°We¡®ll go back to Ahn City for now and settle down. I¡®m meeting someone.¡± Ste had never told anyone about her return , save for one person¨CBradley Lane. She had been keeping in touch with Bradley over the years. Bradley would share her news with her other friends, since Ste couldn¡®t contact them directly. After all, she was afraid Weston would find out about her through them. After the news of Ste¡®s death got out, Weston went quiet for a while before he returned to living a normal life again. It was business as usual. Weston was in his office in the Ford Corporation building. He had justpleted a contract negotiation when Ben knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡®ve got the rest of your schedule free.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Weston answered with a nod. ¡°What did the church say?¡± ¡°You may go there at any time.¡± It had been three years after Ste¡®s death. Weston seemed to have moved on from the past. Ben was worried at first. He thought Weston would be devastated by Ste¡®s death. However, he seemed to havee out of it after Ste¡®s burial. Weston started to live a normal life again. Meanwhile, a lot of things had happened in the past three years. For example, when Guinevere¡®s affair came to light, she became aplete loser. She was then put in a mental hospital. All the things she did were gradually exposed, not to mention that she was the one who hired the kidnappers years ago. Chapter 1156 Chapter 1156 Chapter 1156 The Cohen family wanted to bail Guinevere out of jail, but they didn¡®t realize that Weston had already gotten a hold of the family¡®s weakness a long time ago. Too busy taking care of their own affairs, the family naturally had little time to care about Guinevere¡®s problems. Guinevere had tried to end her life in the sanatarium many times, only to be thwarted by Weston, who wouldn¡®t let her have an easy death. He was determined to make her go through the same suffering as Ste, or even worse. Weston would not spare anyone who had hurt Ste, and that included himself. Guinevere¡®s affairs involved too many people. Warren was so angry about it that he became ill and was still in bed. He did not recover from his illness. Soon, Weston retook control of thepany. Weston originally made a deal with Xavier. He would give up his position as long as Xavier helped him to remove Warren from power. EL Xavier wasn¡®t expecting what was about toe. After he took over, the board of directors was very unhappy with him. When theypared Xavier¡®s performance to Weston, the consensus was that Weston was better suited for the position. Xavier then realized Weston¡®s n. Weston used his retreat as a good move. The board could make aparison with Xavier in power. It would better reflect Weston¡®s ability to lead thepany as well. In the end, everything Xavier did was in Weston¡®s favor. However, Xavier realized it toote. He had no choice but to hand over all the technology he had built up to Weston. Weston adapted quickly. Atst, he took over the reins of Ford Corporation. Even so, Weston did not break his promise to Xavier, giving him position and power. Meanwhile, he took all of Chris¡®s shares back and kicked him out of the board. When the story came to light, it became the most bizarre news in Ahn City. Everyone was talking about it. Guinevere always had such a good person to the public. No one would have thought that Guinevere would do such a thing! Chris and Wendy were known as a perfect couple and were never caught up in any scandals throughout the years. Before the big revtion , everyone thought Weston and Guinevere would follow Chris and Wendy¡®s example. No one expected Guinevere to have an affair with Chris. As though getting between Chris and Wendy was not bad enough, she even gave birth to Zachary, who was Chris¡®s illegitimate son! 4111 When the story broke , Wendy immediately announced her divorce from Chris. At first, Chris begged for mercy on his knees, trying to keep her. However, Wendy was determined to leave him. Thus, Chris had no choice but to ask Warren to step in. Chris did not expect Warren¡®s reaction to the whole scandal. Warren was so ashamed of him and pped him in the face. Not long after, he was hospitalized due to his anger and could not be bothered about him. Chris went to Weston for help. Weston, of course, simply ignored him. Ste was already dead. Weston was in despair and did not want to see anyone. For a while, Ben was worried that Weston would die for love. However, something happenedter. Weston suddenly moved on and recovered from his grief. He acted as if nothing had happened and was back to his old self. Xavier and Wendy were helping to take care of thepany¡®s matter. After the scandal , Wendy figured out that she no longer wanted to stay at home as a housewife or a rich wife. She wanted to make aeback in her acting career. At her age, there were not many roles for her to choose from. Fortunately, Wendy was not picky with the opportunities. Having gone from being the best actress to ying the mother of some C¨Clisters, she didn¡®t care about that and received a lot of praise for her acting skills. The Ford family had been theughingstock of the circle for some time. After all, it was such a bizarre story. As a son, Weston actually willingly raised his father¡®s illegitimate son. Of course, most of the mockingughter was directed at Chris.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 1157 Chapter 1157 Chapter 1158 Weston seemed to be deaf to Ben¡®s advice. He quietly watched as the blood from his wrist slowly dripped into the ancient copper basin. The thick blood and copper color formed a strong contrast that looked strikingly beautiful. However, it was just too weird. Ben had to bite the bullet. He stood in front of Weston and tried to stop his madness. ¡°Mr. Ford, you can¡®t go on like this. You¡®ll faint from bloodloss...¡± Weston ignored him. He focused his attention on the priest and asked him, ¡°Is this enough?¡± The priest wiped his sweat and nodded slightly. He said, ¡° Whether she cane to your dream or not is still an uncertainty. If your feelings aren¡®t sincere enough...¡± Weston suddenly cut him off coldly, ¡°Did you deceive me?¡± The priest frowned. ¡°Everything in heaven and earth is about destiny. If you¡®re not fated, no matter how you push it, you won¡®t have it. I¡¯ve told you from the beginning. You¡®re pushing it now. If you must have the result, I can¡®t help you.¡± Ben understood immediately. The priest was just a liar. He made Weston do this and that, but nothing worked in the end. Ben told Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, don¡®t go on like this. Mrs. Ford has been gone for three years. She¡®s not coming back anymore. ept the fact...¡± At the end of his sentence, Ben sensed the cold air around him. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Weston¡®s eyes were as cold as ayer of thick frost. For the first time in years, Ben mentioned Ste in front of him. Weston remained silent. Then, he made another cut on his palm with the knife. As the thick drops of blood sshed down, Weston asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Is this enough?¡± At this point, he no longer believed what others said. The saying that using the soul of the dead to bring back the dead was ridiculous. Weston knew in his heart that it was impossible. In desperation , Weston turned to make dreams, hoping to see Ste in them. Even so, the results were not satisfactory. Weston had trouble sleeping for the past three years. His insomnia was very serious. He had been to many doctors, but all of them said it was because of the trauma in his heart. Ben had watched Weston grow colder and colder over the past three years. There was nothing he could do about it. After Ste¡®s departure, no one could convince him to change his mind. Ford Corporation grew blossomed over the years, gaining an international reputation that surpassed many major international brands. Weston did all these at the age of thirty. It would be his thirtieth birthday in two days. Ben sighed at Weston¡®s cold, lonely figure, not knowing what to do. It was a cold morning. Weston stayed up all night. He stood on the balcony, looking at the stars outside the window. It waste into the summer. Although the days would see rainy showers, the nights were a little warm. Joan went home three years ago, saying she had to take care of someone. Weston knew it was just an excuse. After Ste¡®s death, Joan did not want to stay anymore. Weston gave her arge sum of money and let her go. After all, Joan was the one who had taken care of Ste well. He wanted to treat her as well as possible. Weston lived in Stardust Mansion alone. When he was not working, he would stay at home and asionally clean the house. The ce was full of memories of his life with Ste. It was just a few years, but the memories of her shadows lingered everywhere. Weston thought his feelings would fade with time. However, it seemed like his memories of Ste became deeper as time passed. Chapter 1158 Chapter 1158 Chapter 1158 Weston seemed to be deaf to Ben¡®s advice. He quietly watched as the blood from his wrist slowly dripped into the ancient copper basin. The thick blood and copper color formed a strong contrast that looked strikingly beautiful. However, it was just too weird. Ben had to bite the bullet. He stood in front of Weston and tried to stop his madness. ¡°Mr. Ford, you can¡®t go on like this. You¡®ll faint from bloodloss...¡± Weston ignored him. He focused his attention on the priest and asked him, ¡°Is this enough?¡± The priest wiped his sweat and nodded slightly. He said, ¡° Whether she cane to your dream or not is still an uncertainty. If your feelings aren¡®t sincere enough...¡± Weston suddenly cut him off coldly, ¡°Did you deceive me?¡± The priest frowned. ¡°Everything in heaven and earth is about destiny. If you¡®re not fated, no matter how you push it, you won¡®t have it. I¡¯ve told you from the beginning. You¡®re pushing it now. If you must have the result, I can¡®t help you.¡± Ben understood immediately. The priest was just a liar. He made Weston do this and that, but nothing worked in the end. Ben told Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, don¡®t go on like this. Mrs. Ford has been gone for three years. She¡®s not coming back anymore. ept the fact...¡± At the end of his sentence, Ben sensed the cold air around him. Weston¡®s eyes were as cold as ayer of thick frost. For the first time in years, Ben mentioned Ste in front of him. Weston remained silent. Then, he made another cut on his palm with the knife. As the thick drops of blood sshed down, Weston asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Is this enough?¡± At this point, he no longer believed what others said. The saying that using the soul of the dead to bring back the dead was ridiculous. Weston knew in his heart that it was impossible. In desperation , Weston turned to make dreams, hoping to see Ste in them. Even so, the results were not satisfactory. Weston had trouble sleeping for the past three years. His insomnia was very serious. He had been to many doctors, but all of them said it was because of the trauma in his heart. Ben had watched Weston grow colder and colder over the past three years. There was nothing he could do about it. After Ste¡®s departure, no one could convince him to change his mind. Ford Corporation grew blossomed over the years, gaining an international reputation that surpassed many major international brands. Weston did all these at the age of thirty. It would be his thirtieth birthday in two days. Ben sighed at Weston¡®s cold, lonely figure, not knowing what to do. It was a cold morning. Weston stayed up all night. He stood on the balcony, looking at the stars outside the window. It waste into the summer. Although the days would see rainy showers, the nights were a little warm. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Joan went home three years ago, saying she had to take care of someone. Weston knew it was just an excuse. After Ste¡®s death, Joan did not want to stay anymore. Weston gave her arge sum of money and let her go. After all, Joan was the one who had taken care of Ste well. He wanted to treat her as well as possible. Weston lived in Stardust Mansion alone. When he was not working, he would stay at home and asionally clean the house. The ce was full of memories of his life with Ste. It was just a few years, but the memories of her shadows lingered everywhere. Weston thought his feelings would fade with time. However, it seemed like his memories of Ste became deeper as time passed. Chapter 1159 Chapter 1159 Chapter 1159 Weston had so many questions for her. Ste said she had loved him for years. He wanted to know what she meant. He thought they had a lot of time left together, but he did not know they would be separated forever in the blink of an eye. Time flew. HULIILI Ford Corporation had grown at a phenomenal rate and became a globally recognizedpany. Weston was at the top of the list of the richest men in the world. He was the youngest person on the list and had a face like a celebrity. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Everyone knew about the powerful Mr. Ford, the man who captured the hearts of wealthy and famous women in the city. Few, however, noticed his increasingly gloomy personality. Chapter 1159 Weston had so many questions for her. Ste said she had loved him for years. He wanted to know what she meant. He thought they had a lot of time left together, but he did not know they would be separated forever in the blink of an eye. Time flew. Ford Corporation had grown at a phenomenal rate and became a globally recognizedpany. Weston was at the top of the list of the richest men in the world. He was the youngest person on the list and had a face like a celebrity. Everyone knew about the powerful Mr. Ford, the man who captured the hearts of wealthy and famous women in the city. Few, however, noticed his increasingly gloomy personality. It had been a long time since Xavier had a chance to get together with Weston. Even Henry had not seen him for a while. Henry and Weston fell out because of Guinevere¡®s affair. Henry, Weston, and Guinevere grew up together, which was why Henry still had some affection for Guinevere. Plus, she used to mean something very special to him. When Weston had Guinevere locked up in a mental institution and tortured her, Henry intervened to lessen her suffering. Weston soon noticed Henry¡®s actions and naturally kept his distance from him. He also removed all of Henry¡®s people. Henry argued with Weston because of this. However, Weston did notpromise with him. He went on with his n against Guinevere as he wished. The Cohen family was not spared. Anyone who dared to help the Cohen family was considered his enemy. Weston was looking through the papers in his hand in his empty office. Ben came in and told him about his following schedule.¡± Mr. Ford, there¡®s a lunch party at the Cloud Club this afternoon¡­¡± Hearing that, Weston looked up at him and said, ¡°Cloud Club?¡± Weston was unwilling to go to a ce like this. It was always noisy. Besides, the women there would always try to cling to him. He became more ufortable with women than before. However, there were always people who tried to approach him daringly. Without exception, none seeded. There were very few women around him over the years. Ben was aware of this and was very careful whenever he arranged a schedule for him. However, it was a very important client this time. Weston frowned and finally agreed. He appeared at Cloud Club that night, and when he walked in, he found the private room empty. ATT JUILLLLL Sensing that something was amiss, he looked around to see a figure walking over from not far away. It was someone he hadn¡®t seen for a long time. ¡°Fashionablyte, as expected from the richest man around. You¡®re now so casual when doing business,¡± Henry said and came over with a ss of wine. Henry had donned a nice suit and looked like he was attending a grand event. Persistent and sessful rehab over the years enabled him to be free of the wheelchair. It seemed everyone was moving forward from their past. Only he and Ste were left in the same ce. Weston gave him a cold nce and said nothing. Then, he turned around to leave. A woman in a short dress appeared behind him and stopped him from leaving. She said embarrassedly,¡° Sorry, Mr. Ford. I nned this on my own...¡± She motioned Weston to look at the LED lights behind her. Weston found the words Happy Birthday written in rge letters. Chapter 1160 Chapter 1160 Chapter 1160 Weston¡®s face turned sullen: ¡°Who told you guys to do all these?¡± Daisy fell silent with a slightly unpleasant expression on her face. She smiled stiffly and exined to Weston, ¡°I¡®ve been worried that you¡®ve been so down for the past few years, so I thought I¡®d throw a party... I personally cooked for you, and I hope you¡®ll like it.¡± Daisy had all her lines ready, but she always fumbled whenever she faced Weston. She was no longer the same confident self she once was. Weston did not say a word and pressed his fingers against his brow. He showed no response, though the gloominess in his eyes stayed like a longsting fog. Daisy felt intimated by his cold gaze. However, there was no turning back at this point, and she could only bite the bullet and try to convince him to join the party. ¡°It¡¯s time for the meal. You¡®re already here anyway. Why don¡®t we sit down and have a meal?¡± Ben also said, ¡°Mr. Ford, why don¡¯t we have a seat? It¡®s been a long time since you¡®ve had a break.¡± As soon as Ben finished his sentence, they heard another person¡®s footstepsing from the other side. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± Nicole came over and looked at them in surprise. Then, she turned around and looked at Xavier behind her. Nicole told Xavier about her intention to celebrate Weston¡®s birthday. She had to go through a lot of trouble before she found Xavier, and it took more than her fair. share of convincing to get him to agree. Nicole was going to talk to her sister about this, but Daisy was her rival in the pursuit of Weston. Therefore, Nicole gave up and found her own way. Unfortunately, Daisy got her way first. Xavier nced at Daisy indifferently. She felt a chill from his stony gaze. Not expecting Xavier to show up, she kept her head down, not daring to look at him. At the same time, she was a little angry and frustrated. Xavier knew she was pursuing Weston. Why did he interfere? He was Daisy¡®s ex¨Cboyfriend and technically her ex fiance too. Daisy did not want Weston to think she was still involved with Xavier. Xavier gave her a cold and sarcasticugh. ¡°Long time no see. So you¡®re here for Weston¡®s birthday?¡± Daisy forced a smile. ¡°It¡®s been a long time.¡± After that, she looked at Weston and tried to find some emotion on his face, but there was nothing but a sh of impatience. Xavier walked to Weston with Nicole. He smiled and teased him, ¡°You¡®re so lucky. These two rushed here to celebrate your birthday. They¡®re sisters too.¡± His tone was thick with sarcasm, which stiffened Daisy¡®s face. Nicole, on the other hand, seemed unaffected. Her eyes darted around as she tried to think of a way to strike up a conversation with Weston. She did not care about the man beside her. Xavier and Daisy were former lovers, and there was nothing strange about giving her a few mocking remarks. This made her chances even better. Nicole walked to Weston with a bright smile on her face.¡± Mr. Ford, I¡®ve asked the chef to make some of your favorite dishes. I wonder if you¡®d be so kind to...¡± One of the sisters had cooked on her own, while the other arranged for the food. Ben listened to the conversation and had a headache. He could not help but peek at Weston¡®s face. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Weston looked as usual and did not seem to be affected. A few momentster, Weston looked at Henry indifferently. ¡°You¡®re here. Come. Sit down and eat.¡± Weston was indifferent to everything nowadays. Ben obviously saw it and he could only sigh in his heart. Chapter 1161 Chapter 1161 Chapter 1161 Everyone began to take their seat at the table. Daisy wanted to sit by Weston¡¯s side, of course, but Nicole obviously wanted to grab that seat. The two women red at each other, both seething with hostility for the other in each other¡¯s eyes. Weston had no intention of choosing either, so he walked across to the opposite side of the table and took a seat across from the two women. Seeing this, Daisy and Nicole finally let go of the chair and gloomily sat themselves down. Xavier couldn¡¯t help himself from sniggering when he saw how Daisy was walking on eggshells around Weston. He and Daisy broke up not long after Ste died, and shortly before that, he had warned Daisy that if she still showed interest in Weston, he would immediately end things. Once Ste died, Daisy instantly became restless and antsy. She couldn¡®t stop asking about Weston, not to mention that she didn¡®t bother hiding it from Xavier anymore. Xavier had no lingering feelings for a woman like that, of course. He had wanted to dump her, but to his surprise, Daisy was the one to strike first, dumping him before he had the chance to do it. In all his life, no woman had ever treated him that way before. Except, of course, for that silly girl named Zeta. As he thought of Zeta, he became inexplicably irritable again, so for the rest of the meal, he spoke very little. He basically spent all his time eating in silence. Daisy and Nicole had prepared a lot of food, all neatly filling the table to the brim. Henry had initiallye just to see all themotion, but he was interested in seeing how Weston was doing too. It had been three years, after all, and he was curious if Weston had forgotten Ste Sealey. Unfortunately, Weston was not very weing to him at all. The rtionship between the two former best friends had been strained for a long time now, all because of Guinevere Cohen. The main reason Henry was here was actually Angelina Thompson Angelina had been pestering him day in and day out, asking him toe so he could keep an eye on Daisy and Nicole to see if they had any ulterior motives. Although Ste had died a few years ago, all her friends still missed her very much. As soon as they got wind of Weston¡®s slightest movements, Angelina would never fail toe to Henry to find out all about it, as if she was being jealous and resentful on Ste¡®s behalf. ¡°What right does he have to surround himself with beautiful women after Ste lost her life?! You have to go there and keep an eye on him...¡± Henry had no idea why he had to do what Angelina said. She clearly wasn¡®t the woman in his memories anyway. Everyone at the table was lost in their own thoughts. The two sisters kept giving each other meaningful looks. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Full ofpetitiveness and jealousy, they wouldn¡¯t stop squabbling, and neither would give way to the other. Neither of them would let the other win. Nicole clearly hadn¡¯t learned anything from Belle¡¯s stark warning in the past. She knew Weston was only tricking them into exonerating Ste Sealey, though all of his ns came to naught when Ste ended up dying in prison. Yet it was then that Nicole felt herself falling into a deep rabbit hole where she became hopelessly obsessed with Weston. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much he must have loved that woman to make such intricate ns to save her life. If a man who would do such a thing for her did exist, Nicole would never throw her life away so carelessly the way Ste Sealey did. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but feel disdain for that woman. She just couldn¡®t understand why Ste wouldn¡®t cherish and treasure what she had. If it had been Nicole, she would¡®ve never been willing to leave a great man who was so in love with her for anything in the world! On the other side of the restaurant, Ste, carrying her two kids, had finally settled down at a table when she was interrupted by a waitress rushing over. ¡°We apologize for the long wait, Madam, but someone has reserved the whole space downstairs, so we have no choice but to move you upstairs. We¡®ve arranged a table for you by the window. Is that okay with you?¡± Chapter 1162 Chapter 1162 Chapter 1162 Having her two children with her, Ste naturally didn¡®t mind having more space for herself. ¡°Great,¡± she agreed immediately, not wanting to trouble the waitress anymore. ¡°Just lead me there, then.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Madam.¡± Each child by Ste¡®s side, Both Elias and Emma, could now speak in simple sentences. Although they were little over two years old, their development was closer to that of a three or four¨Cyear¨Cold toddler, especially Elias, who was a little too smart for his age. Ste even brought him to a doctor to get examined. Everything about him was found to be normal, but she still could not help but worry about him. The doctor assured her not to be too worried about it and told her toe back again in a few years to check his IQ. Suddenly, Ste¡®s phone rang. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked as soon as she answered the call. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m downstairs,¡± Miguel sighed. ¡°Can youe down here and take me up? I¡¯ve been drinking, and I¡¯m a little tipsy right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have your assistant with you?¡± Ste frowned. ¡°We managed to score a huge deal today,¡± Miguel replied, ¡°so I let them all go home. I¡¯m here alone.¡± ¡°But I have Emma and Elias with me.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Miguel replied, sounding as if his feelings were hurt. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs myself then¡­ ¡°How old are you?¡± Ste asked, finding his reaction amusing. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re acting like a child. How much did you drink? If you can¡¯t even climb up the stairs¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Miguel interrupted her before continuing in good humor. ¡°I get it, I get it. I¡¯m going upstairs to find you guys now.¡± As soon as Ste hung up¡­. St! Emma hurled the contents of a bowl in her hand toward Elias. There was now a massive red, sticky blotch of jam on his shirt. Elias frowned and red disapprovingly at his sister before yelling, ¡°Naughty! Emma is naughty!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste had little choice but to hurriedly wipe the jam stain off her son¡®s shirt with a napkin. Emma sat quietly on the side, watching her mother and brother with a guilty look on her face as she covered her ears with her hands. eal Seeing this, Ste¡®s anger quickly subsided. She naturally had no heart to reprimand her daughter, so all she did was pick Elias up in her arms and tell Emma, ¡°Be a good girl and stay here, okay? Mommy¡®s taking Elias to the restroom to clean him up, understand?¡± Emma nodded. Ste was still a little unsettled, so she called for a waitress. ¡°Could you please keep an eye on my daughter for a minute? I need to take my son to the restroom to clean him up so he won¡®t catch a cold.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the waitress nodded. ¡°No problem, Madam.¡± The waitress was watching Emma in the room when someone called out for her. She hesitated for a while, but she quickly thought of the safe and perfectly guarded restaurant and how quiet and well¨Cbehaved the little girl usually was. ¡°I need to take a customer¡®s order,¡± she told Emma, ¡°so just stay here and wait for your mommy, okay?¡± Emma nodded and stayed in her seat, quietly waiting for her mommy like a good girl. Seeing this, the waitress turned and left. Meanwhile, downstairs, the meal proceeded under a strained atmosphere. It wasn¡®t long before Weston put down the fork and knife in his hands and got up to leave. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± Daisy sprung up on her feet. ¡°Full already?¡± He had barely touched the food. ¡°Yeah,¡± Weston responded tersely and strode away. But he only took one step before feeling something hitting his leg. m! A little girl with a cute round face had bumped into him and fell butt¨Cfirst onto the floor. Her eyes reddened. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears. WAAA!!! WAAA!!! * Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163 Weston frowned and shot a nce at the child. For some reason, the sight of this girl quickened his breathing Nicole grimaced as soon as she saw this. ¡°Where did this girle from?¡± she asked. ¡°What a rude child!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Weston snapped at her as soon as he heard her, and his hawkish eyesnded hovered over her head. Weston¡®s look gave Nicole a fright. She soon mmed up and dared to say not a single word after that. ¡°Unkie...¡± Emma softly mumbled as she got up to her feet and rubbed her eyes. ¡°I¡®m sowwy...¡± Emma couldn¡®t speak properly yet, but she remembered what her mother taught her¨Cshe had to always apologize if she bumped into someone. The little girl¡®s heartful apology instantly warmed up Weston¡®s expressions. ¡°It¡®s okay,¡± he responded tenderly and, with a rare disy of patience, kneeled down in front of the girl, asking, ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Emma shook her head in confusion. She had no clue what the word ¡°parents¡± meant. Weston chuckled and rubbed her head before asking,¡± Where¡®s your mommy and daddy?¡± Emma understood what he meant now. She nodded and quickly answered, ¡°In the westwoom!¡± Weston frowned in disapproval. What kind of parents would leave such a young girl unattended and let her roam about the whole ce on her own? Everyone else at the table was still examining the little girl. She was certainly beautiful and was probably around two or three years old. She was also so adorable that anyone who saw her would be tempted to pinch those chubby cheeks of hers. And in fact, it was exactly what Weston did next. ¡°Let¡¯s go find your mommy and daddy,¡± he said after pinching Emma¡¯s cheeks. Emma blinked as she stared at Weston¡¯s face and nodded her little head. Without thinking, she reached out to take Weston¡¯s hand. Her tiny hand felt pillowy soft to Weston¡¯s touch. He nced down at her, unable to fathom why he felt so fond of this girl. Emma then stretched out her hand and cried, ¡°Pick me up, Unkie!¡± Daisy had been frowning deeply all along. She remembered how Weston never liked children at all. Fearing that he would be annoyed, she rushed over and asked Emma, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me so I can take you to your mommy and daddy, hmm?¡± Emma was surprised that a pretty woman suddenly showed up and talked to her. She swiftly hid behind 1 Weston to avoid Daisy, looking a little frightened. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Weston quickly picked the girl up in his arms. ¡°I¡®ll do it. You guys should continue eating.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he strode away. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± Daisy dabbed her mouth with the napkin and got up to follow him. ¡°Let me help you.¡± Seeing this, Nicole pushed her chair away and rose to her feet as well, fully intending to follow them. ¡°I¡®ll go with you too!¡± she insisted. ¡°I¡®m good with children!¡± Daisy stopped in her tracks and turned around to re at Nicole. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she snapped. ¡°If you can go with him,¡± Nicole argued, ¡°then why can¡®t I?? As the two women were busy arguing with each other, Weston had already left with the little girl in his arms. At that moment, a loud noise rang from upstairs. ¡°We¡®re so sorry, Madam! We will absolutely help you find your daughter!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°We¡¯re incredibly sorry, Madam! This is the waitress¡® fault! We will check the security cameras right away!¡± Ste almost didn¡®t hear a word that they were saying. She sped Elias to her chest as her heart almost burst with anxiety. She had only left with her daughter for a few minutes to clean up her son, but just as she got back, all she saw was an empty room without a soul in it. Her first reaction after realizing that Emma had disappeared was to call for the waitress, but unfortunately, she was just as clueless as Ste was when asked about Emma¡®s whereabouts. Ste could hardly describe how she felt then. It was just as numbing as if she had fallen into a tub of icy water on a hot day. But she had only left Emma there for a few minutes! Where could she run to in that short span of time? She was only a tiny girl, after all... u ¡°I don¡¯t care for your apologies! The most important thing is to find my daughter no matter what!¡± She took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking violently, but she still forced herself to keep her composure. What she didn¡¯t notice was that as she was uttering those words, a tall and muscr man who was carrying a young girl in his arms downstairs suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head towards her. Chapter 1164 Chapter 1164 Chapter 1164 Just as she appeared on the first floor, she threw everyone there into a deep shock. That familiar voice... Everyone¡®s first reaction was that they must have been mistaken. But when they saw that familiar face of hers appearing among the crowd, the room got so quiet that the sound of a pin drop would be like a shriek. Time seemed to stop at that moment. It was as if the moment had frozen in ce, and the clock stopped ticking because of her. Weston¡®s eyes were glued on that face in front of him, suddenly doubting if he was actually dreaming right now. 1 But the sun was still high in the sky. How could he be dreaming? The little girl sensed something strange going on around her. She twisted and turned, but her chubby arms still sped themselves around Weston¡®s neck. ¡°Unkie...?¡± she softly murmured. Her voice brought Weston back to the present. Before he could react, the woman in front of him took the little boy¡®s hand and rushed towards him. She reached for the girl in his arms and cried, ¡°Give her back to me!¡± Weston instinctively stepped away from her and held the girl even more tightly in his arms. Seeing this, Ste¡®s expression changed drastically. Initially, she was anxious and dismayed, but now she seemed to be burning with rage. ¡°Give my daughter back to me now!¡± she yelled. The word ¡°daughter¡± dropped like a bombshell in the room. Everyone exchanged looks with each other as they tried to digest the new shocking information... Ste Sealey was still alive, and she had finally returned. She had even brought her daughter back with her. But what about the little boy she was holding? Who was he then? Emma had never seen Ste looking so angry before. Her eyes reddened, then suddenly bawled her eyes out. Warm streams of tears streaked down her cheeks. She assumed Mommy was still angry with her because she made Elias¡® shirt dirty. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sowwy Mommy¡­¡± A pang of pain spread out from Ste¡¯s chest at the sight of her daughter crying, as if someone was clutching at her heart in their hand. ¡°Give her back to me¡­¡± she repeated, her voice shaky now as if she was holding back her tears. She could not forgive herself for causing this. How could she have left her daughter alone at the table? She shouldn¡¯t have trusted a stranger to look after her own child, assuming it would be fine since she would only be gone for a few minutes anyway. Weston could see the sudden change in her face, but he did not move. His eyes still stared at her, but giant turbulent waves like the dark, tempestuous sea had long crashed against his heart. After all these years, this woman had reappeared in front of him just like that. It all happened so suddenly without any warning signs at all. Even for someone with steely self¨Ccontrol like Weston, the corners of his eyes couldn¡®t hide an almost imperceptible sign of reddening. He had to grit his teeth as he blurted out each word slowly to ask her, ¡°Tell me, who are you? Who is she?¡± Ste took a deep breath and avoided eye contact, only ncing at Emma, who was still in his arms. ¡°She¡®s my daughter,¡± she replied. ¡°Can you give her back to me now, Mr. Ford?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. As soon as everyone there heard her call him Mr. Ford, it was as if the riddle waspletely solved. There could be no more doubts now¡ªthis woman was Ste Sealey. She was not someone who looked exactly like her or sounded just like her¨Cshe was definitely Ste Sealey! Weston subconsciously tightened his grip around Emma, inadvertently hurting the girl. ¡°Unkie...¡± Emma couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°It hurts...¡± Ste¡®s voice turned raspy as she pleaded with the man,¡± How much longer are you going to hold onto my daughter? Give her back to me, please. She¡®s afraid of strangers.¡± It was only then that Weston got his senses back. He stared deeply at the girl in his arms, scrutinizing her eyes and her brows. 11 21 ALL She had looked so familiar to him the moment heid eyes on her. So this girl was her daughter... Chapter 1165 Chapter 1165 Chapter 1165 Weston rubbed the girl¡®s head, trying very hard to keep his trembling hands under control as he gently asked her, ¡°What is your full name?¡± Emma sucked on her thumb and rolled her eyes as she thought about the question. ¡°I¡®m Emma...¡± she replied. Ste had always called her Emma and her brother Elias at home. Their full names were almost never brought up, so she had forgotten what it was. All she knew was that she was Emma. Weston chuckled at her response and then asked her,¡± How old are you this year?¡± Ste immediately gave Emma a look to warn her. Emma, noticing this, carefully replied with a gulp, ¡°I¡®m turning two this year...¡± Before they came to Ahn City, Ste had repeatedly reminded her children that while they were in this country, it was imperative they said they were a year younger than their actual age if anybody asked them how old they were. The two children had no idea why their mother would want them to do such a strange thing, but they still listened to her and did as they were told. Emma was a little relieved that she remembered her mother¡®s instructions in time just now. Otherwise , she would havemitted mistake after mistake today, which would have meant that she was no longer a good girl! Ste sighed in relief when she heard her daughter¡®s response. Then she saw Weston¡®s face abruptly turn cold before he shifted his icy gaze towards her. She turned away, ignoring his questioning looks, and merely asked him again impatiently, ¡°When are you going to give my daughter back to me?¡± Everyone else was still in total shock. When Weston slowly calmed down, the blood that had been boiling in his veins because of Ste gradually simmered down because of her too. Feeling a little hot under his cor, he unbuttoned the top of his shirt and gazed deeply at the woman in front of him. ¡°How are you going to prove that she really is your daughter?¡± he asked her. ¡°But she IS my daughter!¡± Ste¡®s eyes widened, appalled. ¡°Why would I need to prove it? Didn¡®t you hear her calling me mommy?¡± ¡°But you heard what she said. She¡®s not even two years old.¡± With a shadow of a smile on his face, he turned to Ste and nonchntly added, ¡°She¡®s only a baby. What would she know? She even called me Daddy just now, so the fact that she called you Mommy doesn¡®t really prove anything, does it?¡± 2 LII LE Hmm? Emma looked up at the man and stared at him in confusion. When did she ever call him Daddy? She clearly called him Unkie just now... Ste took a deep breath, barely able to keep herself from exploding in anger in front of him. But she had not seen him for three years. Now that they bumped into each other again, she had no desire to be too enmeshed with him again. ¡°Just give her back to me now,¡± she begged, ¡°and we¡®ll talk about the restter.... She¡®s still very young, so she¡®d get scared if she stays too long with a stranger.¡± ¡°But I don¡®t think she¡®s afraid at all,¡± argued Weston. He turned to the little girl in his arms with a smile and asked her, ¡°Are you scared of me, hmm?¡± Emma looked at him, then turned to Ste. She could that she should be afraid of this man, from the way Ste was eyeballing her. But didn¡®t Mommy tell her that good girls never lied? So what should she do? Emma struggled with the dilemma for a while before she made up her mind. With her face all scrunched up, she replied, ¡°I¡®m not scared of you. I like you very much...¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. In the end, Emma decided that she would be an honest girl. As she spoke, she sped her hands on the nape of Weston¡®s neck. The faint scent of milk wafted through the air and tickled his nose. His eyes softened significantly as he looked at her. ¡°Now that¡®s a good girl,¡± he told Emma in a polite tone. ¡°Thanks!¡± Emma responded, giggling happily. She then turned to her mother and saw the look in Ste¡®s eyes. She instantly became more cautious and reserved before telling Weston in a low voice, ¡®¡®But I still like Mommy the most, so if Mommy wants me to be scared of you, I¡®ll be scared of you¡­¡± Ste took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a headacheing on. How could her own daughter betray her like that? But in that instant, the initially strained and serious atmosphere suddenly rxed. After hearing what Emma said, Weston chuckled and lovingly stroked her head. Ste stared coldly at the interaction between Weston and Emma. She knew that he was only treating Emma so nicely because he thought that the girl was his daughter. Chapter 1166 Chapter 1166 Chapter 1166 ¡°I know what¡®s on your mind,¡± Ste reminded Weston in a cool voice, ¡°but she¡®s only two, so what you¡®re thinking ispletely impossible.¡± Hearing this, Weston turned to her and inly replied, ¡± I¡®ve never been around children much, but even I know the difference between a two¨Cyear¨Cold and a three¨Cyear old. Judging by how well she can speak, and how she could even speak French with me, you can¡®t expect me to believe that she¡®s only two.¡± ¡°But that¡®s only because we¡®ve been living in a different country,¡± Ste argued, clenching her fist. ¡°It¡®s completely normal for her to speak French, where she grew up.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Weston nodded. ¡°So you¡®ve been living in another country. No wonder I¡®ve been never able to find you.¡± Ste¡®s countenance abruptly changed. She had not expected that even after three years, he could still be so nonchnt about everything, that he could still be so... infuriating! Meanwhile, at the table, the group of people was all stunned and speechless. None of them had the sense to respond properly yet. Ben stared in disbelief at how cool and unruffled Weston was when in front of Ste. In the past three years, Weston had done so many shocking and outrageous things just to bring Ste back to life. He tried it all¡ªfrom trying to capture her spirits to reawakening her soul. Later, when he found out that none of these was possible, he calmed down a little before shifting his efforts to try to make Ste appear in his dreams. In short, he looked nothing like the cool and calctive man standing in front of him right now. LILIT Where had the man who had been living like a zombie for the past three years gone? Ben shook his head, then turned to look at Ste. He had not seen her for three years now, so her sudden reappearance utterly shocked him. In fact, seeing her alive and kicking had put the group of people at the table into total shock. None of them was able to react yet as they all still thought they must be dreaming Ste Sealey had clearly died a long time ago. In fact, Weston had been living with her corpse for so many days after her death before it was entirely burned to ashes in that car... So how could she suddenly reappear out of nowhere, just like that? Unless... A thought popped up in Ben¡®s mind, a thought that horrified him so much that he suddenly turned pale. Could all those weird sorcery and voodoo stuff that Weston tried in the past have actually worked? Did Weston really seed in bringing his dead wife back to life? Ben¡®s jaw actually dropped when he thought of this possibility. He regarded himself as a young and sensible man who had been working at Weston Ford¡®s sise the start of his career. He was a knowledgeable modern man with a faithpletely rooted in science! How could he even entertain such an idea? Surely nothing so bizarre and unscientific could be possible! No, it was simply impossible, wasn¡®t it? Right...? Ste Sealey was not actually a ghost, right? But the more Ben looked at her, the less convinced he became. If she was not a ghost, then how was Ste even more beautiful than she was three years ago? He only saw her from a distance, but even from there, he could see that she was as beautiful as a rose in full bloom. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She was only standing there yet she managed to draw everyone¡®s attention toward her. She looked nothing like the young, innocent woman she was three years ago. Now, it was as if an enchanting aura surrounded her body, in turn, giving her a much more confident and charming outlook than before. She personified the exquisite blend of pure grace and alluring passion, which perfectly matched the elegant Chanel dress that she was wearing Chapter 1167 Chapter 1167 Chapter 1167 Even Nicole and Daisy, who were both dressed to the nines, paled inparison to Ste, whose elegancepletely outshone thebined beauty of the other two women. Grace and charm flowed out of her body with every gesture she made, making it almost impossible for Ben to take his eyes off her. How could such a bewitching woman not be a ghost? The thoughts in his own head shocked him over and over again. His palms began to sweat, and he did not know what to do. VI In the end, it was Henry who spoke up, breaking the long silence in the room. ¡°So you¡®re not dead after all,¡± hemented. ¡°Looks like you¡®ve been duping us for three full years.¡± He then chuckled under his breath, acting as if he was the only one in the room. ¡°Don¡®t mention death in front of my children!¡± Ste red coldly at him and hissed. She took Elias¡® hand, nced at Emma, who seemed to be extremely fond of Weston, and sighed. SITISNITIIVSE ¡°What do I have to do for you to return my daughter, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°All you need to do is prove that this really is your daughter, and I¡®ll dly return her to you. What do you say?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Ste gritted her teeth so hard that she could hear them grinding against each other. ¡°Stop messing around with me!¡± she snapped. Weston¡®s eyes slowly turned gloomy as he stared fixedly at her. ¡°All I¡®m asking for is proof,¡± he spoke slowly, word by word. ¡°After all, you can¡®t expect me to believe a word you say, can you? You¡®re the one who hoodwinked me into thinking that you¡®re dead all this time. To think that you¡®d deceive your own husband about something so serious as that, you can¡®t me me if I can¡®t trust you enough to hand over this innocent little girl to you.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡°Ste¡®s expressions altered. Instead of getting angry, though, sheughed as she stared at him and asked, ¡°Fine, how would you like me to prove it then?¡± Weston put Emma down on the floor , rubbed her head, and took her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll do a DNA test to start,¡± he said. Ste clenched her fists tightly, and her fingers dug deep into her flesh that marks were visible. With a pale face, she looked at him and said, ¡°I know what you¡®re thinking, Weston, but don¡¯t you think that you¡®re being ridiculous? Don¡®t tell me that you still can¡®t let go of me after all these years. Are you actually hoping that I¡®ve given birth to your children? Have you forgotten why I became infertile?¡± Ste uttered those words in an utterly in voice, yet each word hit his raw nerves, again and again, causing him unimaginable pain. His face changed as he gazed wistfully at the face that he had been dreaming about day and night for the past three years. ¡°I told you,¡± he said, ¡°that I don¡®t care if we had children or not. I never minded the fact that you¡®re infertile¡­¡± ¡°But I did!¡± she interrupted him. ¡°You didn¡®t want children, but I did!¡± She then paused and frowned before impatiently adding, ¡°This is not the time to be talking about these things. What exactly do you want?¡± UIT 11 Emma had never seen Ste so furious before. Thinking that it might be because she had done something wrong, those tears that had stopped flowing not too long ago started to gush out again. ¡°Stop fighting,¡± she cried, waving her chubby arms,¡± stop fighting... It¡®s aw my fawt... Stop fighting...¡± The sight of her daughter crying pierced straight through Ste¡®s heart. ¡°Mommy¡®s not mad at you,¡± sheforted the girl.¡± Don¡®t cry, Emma...¡± She wanted to wipe away Emma¡®s tears, but stopped and merely red at Weston when she saw that Emma was still in his arms. Seeing that Emma was crying again, Weston wiped her tears and, without any hesitation, gave her back to Ste. This move stunned Ste, but before she could react, Emma flew straight into her arms and softly sped her hands behind Ste¡®s neck before kissing her gently on her cheek. ¡°I¡®m sowwy, Mommy. I didn¡®t mean to run...¡± Ste quickly held her daughter close to her chest and hugged her tight. She closed her eyes and breathed in the faint scent of milking from her daughter. Only then did her heartbeat return to its steady pace. ¡°I¡®m just d that you¡®re alright, Emma... That¡®s all that matters. But you¡®re not allowed to run away like that ever again, understood ? You will stay exactly where you are until Mommy returns, okay?¡± ¡°From now on, no matter where we go, I¡®ll always make sure that you¡®re by my side,¡± she added after a pause. Emma nodded solemnly. Elias, who was standing by the side, folded his arms as if he was an adult and shook his head disapprovingly, saying, ¡°Emma is a naughty girl! A stupid one too!¡± Emma had always been so mischievous, and she was always causing trouble. She liked to bully Elias a lot, too, aside from being so dumb. How could she run off like that when she was left alone for just a few minutes? How could she possibly help him protect Mommy in the future if she kept on acting in this stupid way? I Chapter 1168 Chapter 1168 Chapter 1168 Weston¡®s attention was drawn to the boy as soon as he spoke. Because Ste¡®s reappearance had been too astounding, he had focused solely on her and Emma. It was only now that he noticed the little boy beside Ste. The boy seemed to be of the same age as Emma. He also looked almost identical to her, although he was evidently much bolder than the girl. When the boy noticed Weston¡®s gaze, he looked straight at him and fearlessly demanded, ¡°Please give my sister back to me!¡± He spoke much more clearly than Emma, though he still uttered each word slowly. He was obviously brought up in a bilingual environment because he spoke both English and French fluently, switching between the two with ease. Weston studied the boy. He already had an idea in mind, but his eyes were perfectly calm, not revealing much emotion at all. ¡°What¡®s your name?¡± he asked, his voice hoarse. Elias frowned and turned to Ste. Then he curled his lips and replied, ¡°I might be a child, but my name is still my privacy. I won¡®t tell you that so easily!¡± Weston was dumbfounded, but he showed no sign of irritation. In fact, there was a glimmer of a smile in his eyes when he asked, ¡°Do you know what privacy means?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± answered Elias, raising his head to look at Weston. ¡°Privacy means something that you don¡®t want other people to know!¡± IT That was, in fact, not what Ste taught him. The truth was, while it might still be a bit too early for the twins, she had indeed instilled the ideas of safety and self defense into their minds. For example, she told them that all children had their own privacy and they were forbidden to allow any adult to take off their clothes or touch their private parts. She had originally intended it as a way to teach them to protect themselves, but Elias had stretched the concept of privacy beyond the private parts of his body. Now everything that he did not want to talk about had be a matter of his privacy! Elias was a confident and daring boy. He was also a lot cleverer and more obedient than most children, so naturally, he had been following Ste¡®s advice consistently all along. Emma, on the other hand, was timidpared to her brother. Although she was generally obedient too, she was easily influenced and provoked, especially when she was left alone, when she would falter against her own good judgment Ste knew that she couldn¡¯t stay by her children¡®s side forever, so she wanted to teach them these things early on. She did not want them to be too sheltered, like flowers in a house of ss ¨C just as she used to be. She had been so sheltered and protected in her childhood that the first setbacks she encounteredpletely shattered her into a thousand pieces. Ste picked Emma up and told Weston, ¡°If there¡®s nothing else, we¡®re leaving now.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. DiMT TITEIT Then she turned and walked away. Weston¡®s brows knitted. Before he could speak, he was suddenly interrupted by Daisy, who until then was as good as invisible. ¡°What a surprise!¡± she eximed. ¡°It¡®s been so long since west saw you, Ms. Sealey! Who would¡®ve thought you¡®d have children and they¡®d be so grown up!¡± Daisy did her very best to keep herposure, even though her heart was as turbulent as the stormy sea. ¡°But since you¡®re already here,¡± she continued, ¡°why don¡®t you join us for a meal? We¡®re all friends here and, besides, we¡®re all curious about... what happened to you. We¡®ll be excited to hear what¡®s happened thest few years and why... why you¡®ve never contacted Mr. Ford.¡± She was all politeness, giving off an air of kindness and generosity. Nicole could hardly stand looking at Daisy¡®s pretentious facade. She knew that Daisy was clearly jealous of her, yet she was acting all friendly for some reason. She, for one, didn¡®t care to put up such a fake performance. She was no hypocrite. ¡°We made a reservation here,¡± she grumbled with displeasure, ¡°because we wanted to celebrate Mr. Ford¡®s birthday. We didn¡®t n for a dead woman to show up suddenly. If someone like that were to join us, I¡®m afraid it would take all the fun out of the party...¡± Just as she spoke, she could feel an icy gaze directed at her. It was Weston. His eyes had always looked cold and indifferent without a trace of emotion, but right now, it was bitingly, piercingly ruthless. His thin lips only parted slightly, but the words he spat out were like sharp icy des, ¡°Get out.¡± Two short words, yet the air in the restaurant instantly froze, as if they had been transported into a freezer. Nicole quickly realized that she had made a huge mistake, regretting her words as soon as she spoke them. But it was toote to turn back now. She could see that Weston¡®s expressions had changed drastically. With a face that gradually got paler, she meekly uttered, ¡°I...¡± ¡°Didn¡®t you hear me?¡± Weston barked while unbuttoning the top of his shirt with his long fingers so he could get some fresh air and breathe a little more easily. ¡°I said, get out.¡± ¡°Get out now,¡± he stressed. ¡°And never ever let me see your face again.¡± Chapter 1169 Chapter 1169 Chapter 1169 Weston tried his best to suppress his anger in front of the children. Unfortunately , Nicole had no skills of reading people¡®s expressions, which was why she just sat there hemming and hawing without making a move. She had not matured or improved much at all in the past three years. She was still the kind of person who loved to be loud and brash, yet in the end had no courage to bear the consequences of her actions. Luckily, Ben could read the room very quickly. He walked up to Nicole and made a gesture with his hand to ¡°invite¡± her to leave. Nicole¡®s face was as pale as the belly of a fish now. A hot wave of embarrassment rose up from the sole of her feet. She turned to Weston with pleading eyes, begging for his mercy. But the man never even gave her a nce. All along, his gaze had been consistently glued on Ste and Ste alone. Nicole suddenly felt a chill in her heart, followed by the rising of an unbearable pain. It had been three years now. Why was he still pining over that woman? She suddenly remembered how, three years ago, she had assumed that the reason why he helped her and treated her so kindly was because he must have taken a fancy to her. At the time, she was just an impoverished college student. Because of the financial straits her family was in, she decided to work at Lowe Garden to earn some extra money. It was Weston who eventually waved all her financial problems away. It was him who pulled her out of that filthy ce so that she could go back to her studies with her dignity intact. But it did not ur to her at all that¡­ Everything he did was actually for the sake of another woman. All Weston wanted was for her and Belle to take all the me for Ste should things turned south for her. In his eyes, she was no different from women like Belle. They were all his tools and nothing more. But by the time Nicole realized all that, she had fallen head over heels for Weston. In fact, the more she learned about him, the more she became hopelessly obsessed with him. Belle, on the other hand, seemed to have awakened from her initial stupor. She hade to realize that a man like Weston was just out of her reach, and so she took the big sum of money she was offered and disappeared. But Nicole could not give up just like that. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. All she wanted was for him to take a good look at her once, and in the past three years, she had been staying by his side, walking on eggshells all the time so as to not annoy him. But what did she get in the end for all that? Just the words ¡°get out¡°. How could she not be indignant about it? As she walked past Weston, her eyes reddened and she told him, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have said what I said, Mr Ford, but my intentions were pure! All I wanted was to give you a nice birthday party¡­ Weston gave her a frigid look with eyes as sharp as pointed des. Up until now, he had just been ignoring her, but now there was even a trace of disgust in his eyes as he looked at her. This almost froze Nicole¡¯s heart into a stone. She could feel an unbearable wave of humiliation surging up her body. She knew then that it would be pointless for her to grit her teeth and remain there, and she had even less hope that Weston would change his mind and have mercy on her. Before, she had assumed that since Ste Sealey was dead, she could probably take her ce in his heart one day as long as she stayed by his side, but now that Ste somehow came back from the dead... Weston¡®s gaze never once left Ste ever since she showed up. This filled Nicole with rage, yet she was powerless to do anything about it. She bemoaned how unfair it was that life depended so much on timing. After all, she never thought for once that she was in any way inferior to Ste Sealey. But because Ste hade into Weston¡®s life before she did, it was her that had always held a special ce in his heart. This thought distraught her so much that it was almost unbearable. ¡°Mr Ford,¡± she continued. ¡°I really was only trying to give you a nice birthday party. I¡®m so sorry.¡± Chapter 1170 Chapter 1170 Chapter 1170 Her heartfelt confession did little to nudge Weston¡¯s heart. Instead, he merely lifted his eyes impatiently and swept a cold nce, asking in a savage tone, ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Nicole could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Her head was drooping as she mumbled, ¡°Yes¡­¡± Her nched face had now turned beet red. That brutal sense of humiliation intensified, making it impossible for her to remain there for a second longer. Finally, with a flushed face, she turned and ran away. Daisy sighed in relief when Nicole was gone, scoffing at how childish Nicole was and how shepletely couldn¡¯t control her emotions. But perhaps that was for the best, as it would make it clear to Weston how different Daisy and Nicole were. He would finally see that she was the one who was calmer and more mature, that she was the one who could always keep her temper in check. Unlike Nicole, Daisy was fully aware that she could neverpete with Ste Sealey for Weston¡¯s love. After all, she couldn¡¯t find a way to rece her in his heart, even when everyone believed that she was dead, much less now, when she suddenly turned up not just alive and kicking, but with two children in tow¨Cchildren that might very well be Weston¡¯s. Daisy still had some doubts about these children, though. After all, Ste had a rare blood type that made it impossible for her to get pregnant again. Based on this alone, Daisy felt that she might still hold an advantage over Ste. As it was now, her position by Weston¡¯s side was very stable, even if she was only there as his secretary. She never wished for anything more anyway. She was not foolish like Nicole, who immediately threw a tantrum and attacked Ste out in the open as if she was a child whose candy had been taken away from her. No, Daisy would never harm Ste in any way because she knew that in order for her to remain in Weston¡¯s favor, she must treat Ste very nicely or even be on good terms with her. Daisy knew that only by treating the person Weston loved as someone she loved would she have a chance to remain in Weston¡¯s orbit. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Sealey. That was my cousin. She¡¯s always had a bad temper since she was a child. I apologize on her behalf if she has offended you. She really shouldn¡¯t have said¡­¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daisy?¡± Ste interrupted her, looking Daisy up and down before pointedly adding, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.¡± Ste recalled that this woman was Weston¡®s secretary, whoter became Xavier Ford¡®s girlfriend. But judging by how she was acting now, she somehow seemed a little... different. She nced at Xavier, who was not far away from them. He was sitting beside Henry Moore, and they were both gazing in her direction, amused by what they saw. Ste turned to Daisy again and said, ¡°So, you...¡± Daisy seemed to understand what Ste was thinking and smiled resignedly before exining, ¡°I broke up with Xavier three years ago. We¡®re just good friends now.¡± 1 ¡°Really?¡± Ste smiled almost imperceptibly, looking as if she did not find the revtion surprising. ¡°That¡®s just too bad.¡± Daisy¡®s face instantly froze. She knew that Ste probably did not mean anything more than what she said, but it made her feel a little awkward! She had a hunch that Ste had long seen through her feelings for Weston. Daisy clenched her fists and suppressed her emotions before telling Ste with a smile, ¡°It really is such a surprise to see you here, Ms. Sealey. It¡®s Mr. Ford¡®s birthday today. He has been thinking about you these past three years. Why haven¡®t you contacted him, considering you¡®ve been alive all along?¡± Before Ste could open her mouth, Daisy let out a sigh and continuedmenting, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been doing these past few years, but you should¡¯ve at least let Mr. Ford know that you¡¯re still alive, right? He¡¯s been missing you so terribly¡­ why don¡¯t we all sit down and have a chat?¡± She then pressed on earnestly, ¡°I¡¯ll bepletely frank with you, Ms. Sealey. Mr. Ford has suffered a lot because of you these past three years. Since it is his birthday today, why don¡¯t you spend some time with him? I¡¯m sure it would make him immensely happy¡­¡± At that point, Ste suddenly paused and turned to look at Daisy with a smile. Chapter 1171 Chapter 1171 Chapter 1171 It seemed this was the first time she looked at her properly. Ste sized her up several times. If this was the past, she wouldn¡¯t have cared about these small thoughts of Daisy. She had long sensed the schemes of this woman. It was just that she refused to entertain her like some jealous woman. This time, she didn¡¯t return to Ahn City to y dumb in front of these women. She smiled and said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to sound me out. If you want to pursue Weston, just do it openly. I have no problem with it. I have nothing to do with him. Didn¡¯t you say everyone thought I was dead? It¡¯s been three years. Let¡¯s assume I¡¯m dead, and we shall not see each other again.¡± After she said that, the man with gloomy eyes interrupted. His sound was rather hoarse, with a hint of persistence ¡ª ¡°What do you mean? Are you still going to leave?¡± He looked at her sullenly. A powerful aura formed around him, with an overwhelming pressure that was hard to resist. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. STR A W.TVS povokiis emotions so castly... Daisy watched at the side, feeling a little sour in her heart. Three years had passed, yet she could not stir up any unusual emotions in Weston. Just by appearing, this woman could turn himpletely amlike himself. Weston only cared about whether Ste would leave. He did not notice her feelings for him from her remark just now at all... ¡°As you can see, Ms. Sealey, Mr. Ford still cannot get over you. As for what you said about me pursuing him or not, that¡®s all¡­¡± She paused for a moment and took a nce at Weston. Seeing liim still not spare a nce at her... it would be a lic if she said she wasn¡®t hurt. Regardless, she still pretended to be strong. ¡°My feelings are my own. It will not affect you. The most important thing to me is to see Mr. Ford happy.¡± ¡°That¡®s pretty considerate of you.¡± Ste yawned, a little disinterested. ¡°I wish you get your heart¡®s desire.¡± As soon as she said that, the man¡®s face darkened. The atmosphere turned even colder, so cold that it was about to freeze. Ste, however, seemed to bepletely unaware of it and was not very interested in Weston. She looked at Emma, sucking her thumb, and frowned, pulling her hand away from her mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you cannot suck your thumb anymore? You are a big girl now!¡± Emma chuckled and put her hand behind her back. Elias shook his head as he was watching. With an adult like tone, he said, ¡°You are indeed two hours younger than me, acting so immaturely!¡± The moment he said that, the people in the restaurant understood at once. These two children were twins. No wonder they both were so nice¨Clooking. Both of them had delicate faces which still had not shed the chubbiness of babies, urging kisses from whoever saw them. Even people like Henry and Xavier, who found kids. annoying, couldn¡¯t hate these two children. Daisy¡¯s eyes fluttered. She keenly sensed the subtle changes in Ste. If it was in the past, she would never have said these words to her. She did not know if Ste was ying dumb, if the current Ste was also probing her, or if she simply did not take her seriously. But what she was sure of was that she was apletely different person from the one she was three years ago. Daisy inhaled deeply and decided she wouldn¡¯t be polite any longer. She asked the question that everyone else wanted to ask. Ms. Sealey, please excuse my brashness, but are these two Mr. Ford¡¯s children?¡± Chapter 1172 Chapter 1172 Chapter 1172 As soon as she asked, the restaurant fell silent. It was so quiet that they could hear a strand of hair falling onto the ground. Even their breathing slowed down. She could clearly feel the sudden tightening of the man¡®s body beside her. Daisy would always keep her eyes on Weston, watching his every move. She could almost sense his breathing slowing down at that moment as well. The white shirt that concealed his strong and toned muscles was now taut. Daisy had imagined countless times that Weston could use his sinewy arms to hug her and get it on. But it was only imagination she had in the dark and silence. Everything that was happening, and all of Weston¡®s madness and gaffes were in no thanks to this woman in front of him. Only because of her... This thought made Daisy froth over with jealousy. Ste was tying Emma¡¯s hair into a bun. Her face did not change much when she heard the question. ¡°Why did you ask if you know you are being presumptuous? You don¡¯t seem to be as thoughtful as before, Ms. Daisy.¡± Emma was unaware of everything. She simply hugged Ste¡¯s leg and yed with the tassel pendant on her dress. Elias stopped talking when he noticed that the vibe of the adults had changed, and he stayed beside Ste quietly. She had raised these two kids well. They were well¨Cbehaved and obedient. When Weston nced at them, his eyes unconsciously softened. Ste, however, did not notice his demeanor and stood up slowly, smiling. ¡°That is indeed a ridiculous question.¡± She curled her hair with her hand, running her silky hair through her fingers with charming indolence and complete indifference. ¡°Of course, they are not his.¡± Ste looked into Daisy¡¯s eyes, not provocatively, not dismissively, but just with a sense of bone¨Cdeep indifference. She said it loud and clear, without even a hint of hesitation, and cared little for the man¡¯s cold and sunken eyes. He looked at her as if he wanted to devour her alive. The endless void in his eyes seemed to be brewing a raging wave. The air around them instantly became still. Even Daisy did not expect her to answer so confidently. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She thought that she would hesitate a little, but it suddenly dawned on her¨Cit was Ste¡¯s attitude that intrigued people to find out the background of these two children. Moreover, when Weston said he wanted to do a DNA test just now, Ste totally rejected it. Although she denied that the children were his, it was difficult to be sure. Daisy was a bit confused, thinking that this woman was very elusive. What exactly was the identity of these two children? Ste had lost the ability to bear children. They shouldn¡¯t be¡­ The atmosphere all around was a little dead. Even Elias and Emma sensed the unusualness and felt uneasy. Nobody spoke a word, and the whole space was about to freeze. The servers dared note out for fear of getting into trouble, thinking there was a war. In the end, it was Ste who broke the silence. She unmasked her pretense and looked at them impatiently.¡± I¡®m really sorry, but I don¡®t have the time to have dinner with you.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1173 Chapter 1173 Chapter 1173 She held the hands of the twins, one in each hand, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our private room.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Weston was, of course, unwilling to let them go. He stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed her small wrist, only to realize that it seemed thinner than before. When they met again, he thought she was doing well as herplexion looked good. But the fragile and tender bones in her wrist indicated she hadn¡¯t been living too well for the past three years. She must have suffered quite a lot. Falling into deep thought, he forget what he wanted to say. She looked at him impatiently and shook off his handnguidly and somewhat indifferently. ¡°Mr. Ford, why don¡¯t you say anything after calling out to me?¡± She sniggered, not showing any annoyance, but with a hint of awkwardness. ¡°I have an appointment, and I don¡¯t have the time to talk riddles with you here. By the way, I heard that today is your birthday. I shall wish you a happy birthday, then.¡± Weston tightened his grasp, and his eyes darkened. ¡°Who are you meeting?¡± She shook off his hand andughed. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°You are my wife.¡± He gazed into her eyes and said emphatically, ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that you are mywful wedded wife.¡± Sheughed with a calm face. She smiled asionally, but it was insincere. ¡°We got divorced five years ago. After that, you married a woman called E. She¡¯s dead. Have you forgotten?¡± She was now Ste. She had gotten back her real name. In all seriousness, she was only his ex¨Cwife. Miguel had been waiting for some time on the second floor of the restaurant. When seeing Stee in, he said discontentedly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have just arrived.¡± The private room was spacious. The appetizer for children had been served on the table, and the napkins had been used. It seemed like he was a little drunk and wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Ste came with the two little ones in her hands. ¡± Something happened, and I went to take care of it just now. Shall we go now?¡± Miguel sat up straight and put his jacket aside casually. He obviously had just returned from a meeting at the bar. When she got close enough, she could smell the strong smell of alcohol and tobo on him. He seemed to be irritated. As he tugged on his cor, he fixed his light¨Ccolored eyes on her. ¡°I have just arrived. Why are we leaving?¡± He grabbed his hair. ¡°Why don¡¯t you three have dinner with me? I didn¡¯t even get to eat at the dinner party just now. I only drank¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°No, you stink of smoke and liquor. The kids will smell it.¡± In fact, she simply did not want to see Weston again. Besides, it was a little tricky to escape from him. If it was not because of Emma¡¯s crying at the right time, he would not get agitated, and she would not be able to get away from him so quickly. With her understanding of his character, she was already expecting that Weston woulde to his senses soon and investigate her thoroughly. Moreover, with this drunk here, she did not want to stay there for a second longer. If Weston bumped into Miguel, she couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen. Three years had passed, and Ste didn¡¯t care for Weston¡¯s feelings. However, that man was terribly possessive, and she bet he would spring into action. Fortunately, she was no longer the woman he once had full control of. She had her own career and status now and a family she cherishes. She wasn¡¯t about to let him have his way and do as he pleased like he always did. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1174 Chapter 1174 Chapter 1174 Ste dismissed all these troubling thoughts and exhaled sharply. She looked at the man on the couch with the smell of alcohol, feeling a little helpless. ¡°Get up. We shall go back to the apartment first. I will cook you something.¡± Miguel¡¯s eyes shone the moment he heard that. ¡°Really?¡± Even through the fog of drunkenness, he still retained some of his consciousness. ¡°You haven¡¯t cooked for me for a long time¡­¡± He sounded a bit aggrieved. He liked her cooking. Although she wasn¡¯t nearly as good as a professional chef, her home¨Ccooked concoctions had a unique taste, . especially her noodles, and though he did not know what recipe she used, it was always different from the other cooks. Ste knew he was craving her food and said to him, still holding hands with Elias and Emma, ¡°We will wait for you downstairs. Youe down quickly.¡± She knew he needed time to sober up after all the drinking. He closed his eyes to rest for a moment. After that, he opened the window and let out a breath. ¡± You guys go first. I wille down in a minute after a smoke.¡± She frowned immediately. ¡°If you want to smoke, we will leave without you, and you can call the driver to pick you up yourself.¡± ¡°Man, you are so heartless.¡± ¡°I said it already. You reek of alcohol and tobo.¡± She disliked the smell of alcohol and tobo very much and did not want Elias and Emma to smell it. After hearing that, Miguel could only extinguish his cigarette. ¡°Forget it. I shalle with you.¡± When they were at the basement parking, she subconsciously nced at the rearview mirror and was slightly relieved to see no sign of Weston. As soon as she turned her head, she saw Miguel, who had been staring at her since who knew when. Seeing her turn around, he smiled and asked her, ¡°Why am I feeling that you¡¯re acting weird today?¡± He reached out his hand to trace the outline of her face. She immediately dodged it, frowned a little, and covered her nose. ¡°You stink! Stay away from me.¡± That was what she said, but in fact, she simply didn¡¯t want to get too close to him. Even with his mind muddled, Miguel could detect her detachment and avoidance. She really seemed to treat him like a brother. When he thought of this, he could taste the bitterness on his tongue. Looking at Elias and Emma, who were already asleep in their child seats, he closed his eyes and put his arm over them, blocking out all the light in front of him. It was then that his heart felt like sinking into the darkness. ¡°Don¡¯t see me as a brother. See me as a man, can you?¡± She frowned. Jusst as she was about to say something, he interrupted her as if he knew what she was going to say. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t say it. I know you are going to reject me again¡­¡± After a pause, he said with a yful tone, ¡°I have no intention of confessing my love to you either, so it¡¯s very unreasonable for you to reject me.¡± As long he was fast enough, she wouldn¡¯t be able to reject him. His childish remark amused Ste a little. After a while, she looked him in the eyes very seriously. I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s really impossible between the two of us. As you know, I¡¯ve always seen you as my brother. I really¡­ You can¡¯t force this kind of thing.¡± He was still covering his eyes with his arm. Therefore, Ste did not notice the fluttering of his eyshes and the redness of the corners of his eyes under This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. his arm. After a while, he adjusted his tone and said with amusement. ¡°It is very difficult to separate love and kinship. After a long time, love can also be kinship. So, why can¡¯t kinship turn into love?¡± ¡°There are so many friendships in this world that turn into love,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°As long as there is no blood rtion, I believe everything is possible. Besides¡­¡± Chapter 1175 Chapter 1175 Chapter 1175 He paused for a while and put his arm down suddenly. Gazing at her, he said earnestly, ¡°At least I¡¯m someone important to you. That¡¯s enough for me to outweigh all other suitors of yours.¡± He still sounded very confident in himself. All her suitors were basically unappealing to her. No matter in which aspect, none of them couldpete with him. The only man he found to be a threat was Weston. He lit a cigarette. ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s the one who wields all the power in Ahn City¡­¡± As soon as he took a puff, he saw Ste frowning. He hastily put it off. ¡°I am sorry. I was a little This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. overwhelmed by drinking too much.¡± Without saying anything, she wound down the car window to let the air in. She did not like the smell of cigarettes and did not want Elias and Emma to be exposed. ¡°You are still young. Now is the time for you to sharpen your skills. Smoke and drink less. These habits are unhealthy,¡± Times had changed. Drinking and smoking might have been required to get business deals in the past, but it all depended on one¡¯s capability now. Although socializing was still important, it was more about a person¡¯s potential. Miguel hummed in response. He loved the moments when Ste cared for him. His actions were actually deliberate. He liked to see her nag at him. As he thought about it, he suddenly reached out his hand and tried to touch her hair again. Ste was shocked and dodged him immediately, averting her eyes. ¡°We are almost there. Why don¡¯t you close your eyes and sleep for a while? You¡¯ve drunk a lot.¡± Miguel dejectedly withdrew his hand and closed his eyes. ¡°Okay. Call me when we arrive.¡± Ste carried Elias and Emma into their bedroom in the apartment and tucked them in. They woke up as soon as they got out of the car. Emma was a bit fussy and kept crying. Fortunately, Elias was docile and did not insist on Ste reading him a bedtime story. The twins slept peacefully. Ste sat beside their bed, staring at their sleeping faces. ¡°They look like angels only when they are asleep¡­¡± Miguel came in through the door and stood behind her. They are also cute when they are awake. They are even cuter when they are sleeping, though, especially Emma.¡± ?? He stood next to Emma¡¯s bed. He intended to reach out and poke her chubby cheek but was worried that he would wake her up and make her throw another tantrum. ¡°Her eyes were red just now. Did she get bullied in the restaurant? I forgot to ask just now.¡± He had sobered up quite a bit after having some soup and only noticed that something was amiss when he thought back on her sudden request toe back to the apartment. They had already decided to have dinner in the restaurant, but she changed her mind on the spur of the moment. Did something happen? She mouthed some words at him: Let¡¯s talk outside. They gingerly left the children¡¯s room. She went to the kitchen and made him some noodles. They each had a te with a couple of eggs nestled on top of the noodles. Ste gently poked the egg yolk with a fork and let the golden liquid flow out. Miguel propped his chin and looked at her. Smiling, he said, ¡°You always like these half¨Ccooked eggs so much.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1176 Chapter 1176 Chapter 1176 Ste smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± The two ate the noodles quietly in a cozy atmosphere. Miguel had eaten all sorts of expensive delicacies over the years, yet his favorite was still the taste of home cooking. After finishing eating, she raised her head up, pulled a tissue paper, and said out of nowhere, ¡°I met Weston today.¡± The man¡¯s hand, which was holding the fork, froze, and he looked up at her almost immediately. ¡°When did it happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell me until now?¡± She wiped her mouth and tossed the tissue paper into the ss jar beside her. ¡°It was just downstairs from where we were dining. Someone had booked the ce, it was his birthday.¡± He snorted. ¡°I have totally forgotten about that. He turns thirty today, right?¡± Then, he put down his fork and spat out two words. ¡°Old man.¡± She found it hrious to see him looking so childish. She covered her nose and giggled, though her reaction didn¡¯t escape his eyes ¡°What are youughing at? Was I wrong? Isn¡¯t he an old man?¡± He raised his eyebrows, puffed up his chest suddenly, and hinted at Ste. ¡°You know, men¡¯s bodies start to go downhill when they reach thirty, and so does their sex drive. Luckily you had Elias and Emma when he was in his twenties. If you want to have children in the future, you will need to find a young man in his twenties. An old man won¡¯t be as good!¡± After he said that, he saw the smile on her face slowly disappeared. He suddenly remembered something and regretted what he had said. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± He knew that Ste was no longer able to have children. It was already a miracle for her to be able to give birth to this pair of twins. But it was also because someone had taken good care of her body, just so that she was in a state to be able to conceive. It was why she could get pregnant. He hastened to remedy the situation. ¡°I¡¯m not that fond of children either, and if it weren¡¯t for Elias and Emma, I find children very annoying whenever I see them.¡± She knew he was trying to remedy the situation and interrupted him. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± She still refused to bring this up. It felt awkward. Miguel sighed and changed the topic. ¡°What was his reaction to seeing you?¡± She shrugged. ¡°No particr reaction. I expected this. But ¡­ he thought Elias and Emma were his kids.¡± ¡°How about you? What did you say?¡± ¡°Of course, I denied it.¡± ¡°He should not believe it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°With that man¡¯s character, he¡¯ll probably investigate you.¡± Just as he said that, his phone rang. He looked at his phone and speed¨Cread the message. Then, he raised the corner of his lips and said sarcastically, ¡°He has already done it. He has been investigating you, and now he is investigating me. I bet he will find out everything about Cicily soon.¡± She stood up indifferently, cleared the table, and went to the kitchen to do the washing up. After that, she came back, sat in front of him, and said, ¡°I am not the same person I was before, so what if he investigates? I am not the same Ste who is at his mercy anymore. If he wants to hurt those I care about, he¡¯ll have to ask me first.¡± A hint of sharpness shed across her eyes. Miguel was stunned, and a strong,plex feeling rose in his heart. He thought that he should not have sobered up yet. Otherwise, why would he feel so hot? ¡°Well, since they¡¯re both asleep, I¡¯ll go first. Tell me if he gives you a hard time. Don¡¯t carry it alone.¡± She knew he was referring to Weston. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle it myself.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. After the meeting today and seeing Weston¡¯s attitude, she already got a picture of the situation. It seemed he still had feelings for her. Ste smiled faintly but felt that it was a little ironic. Previous Chapter Chapter 1177 Chapter 1177 Chapter 1177 Such a man could only truly love after a great loss, even at the cost of death, before he could realize what it meant to cherish someone. Regardless, bted love was lowlier than none. Ste was no longer the one who would give all her heart upon receiving just a little warmth. ¡­ It was veryte at night. Weston stood on the balcony, holding a thick stack of papers in his hand. They were all about Ste¡¯s life experiences in the past three years. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He never thought that this woman would fake her death to escape from him. And he was actually unaware of it. He thought of the corpse she left behind three years ago. He did not even notice that it was not her at all until the car was burned to ashes. She had been living a prosperous life these past few years, with the Garcia family supporting her, so it was unsurprising that he hadn¡¯t been able to find out about her. He was more focused on sorcery and faith, hoping that those strange powers would allow her to see him again. But it did not ur to him that she was not dead at all. The man¡¯s eyes darkened as he rubbed the words on the paper. His fingertip stopped at the name Cicily, leaving behind a ck mark. The street lights against the apartment building were shining brightly, and the neighborhood was very quiet. Ste had moved in here for a few days. It was very near to Miguel¡¯s workce. She came back also because of a coborative project and was set to meet Bradley tomorrow. It was said that he had now started to venture into new genres and had a great deal to offer in various film and television shows. She put her phone on the table. When she was just about to check on Elias and Emma, it suddenly rang. She had a hunch that it was Weston calling. Sure enough, once she answered the call, she heard the man¡¯s low voice. 3/3 ¡°It¡®s me.¡± Sheughed, tapping her finger lightly on the table, pretending to be surprised, ¡°How do you know my number?¡± The man¡®s low and hoarseugh came from the other end. ¡°It¡®s been three years, and you seem to have really changed.¡± She became ambiguous, like a little fox, mixing truth and lies when speaking with him. He thought that she would hate and question him when they met again, but she showed in indifference. And she could even talk him around effortlessly. He suddenly remembered a saying. Hate was not the end of love, indifference was. Still smiling, she walked to the balcony and turned around. ¡°You didn¡®t call me just to say a few irrelevant things, did you, Mr. Ford?¡± Under the streetlight, the man¡®s shadow was stretched out infinitely. The silent shimmering light lingered around him as he looked at the slender back on the balcony, his voice carrying a heavy hint of yearning. ¡°Ste, look downstairs.¡± Chapter 1178 Chapter 1178 Chapter 1178 This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The streetlights were dim, and pedestrians were scarce. The night sky was dotted with stars; the background was a boundless horizon. The tall man stood in the light, his shadow stretched out infinitely with the light from his back, exuding subtle loneliness. Ste walked to the balcony and looked down with her phone in her hand. ¡°What business do you have that youe looking for me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me how I got your address?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Do I have to? Who in Ahn City would not know about your ability? It is just an address. Anyone who has it will send it to you.¡± Hearing her teasing tone, Weston raised his head and looked at the slender figure on the balcony and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Youe down, or Ie up?¡± She withdrew her eyes and leaned on the railing behind her, leaving him with only a back view. A momentter, she looked at her nails and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not going down, and you don¡¯t have to come up. It¡¯s good for us to be separated by a distance like this.¡± Of course, he could understand what she implied. Thus, he hung up the call without saying anything. Seeing that he had been standing there and did not seem to be doing anything, she turned around and returned to her room. Elias and Emma slept were sleeping soundly, with serene smiles on their little faces. She immediately rxed from her state of tension a while ago. As soon as she looked at them, it was as if all the worries in the world had disappeared. She leaned forward, gave Elias and Emma a kiss on their cheeks, propped her hands on the bed, and watched for a while before gingerly leaving the room. It was past midnight, but the man downstairs hadn¡¯t yet left. The moon cast a pale light over him, and there was a floor of cigarette butts. Ste was sound asleep and did not notice the man downstairs at all, believing that he must have left long ago. The next morning, seeing that Elias and Emma had not woken up, she cleaned up a bit and went downstairs to throw the garbage. Out of her expectation, she saw Weston still standing under the streetlight just after she stepped out through the front door. He was dressed in a thin ck trench coat, covering his tall and strong figure. His broad shoulders and small waist made him look just like a one point eight meters tall male model in a fashion show. His shoulders were cast with ayer of morning ray, like the afterglow left byst night¡®s starlight. Hearing the noise, Weston raised his eyes lightly and looked this way. ¡°Ste.¡± His voice was extremely hoarse, as if all that cigarettes he had been binging on had burnt his throat. Each and every word he said was heavy with dense smoke. She knitted her eyebrows, turned around, and looked at him. Then, she cast her eyes down and saw the cigarette butts on the ground beside the man. There was still a cigarette burning in between his fingers, glowing with red light. The smoke went up and blended with the morning light, highlighting the man¡¯s defined features. She tucked her hair behind her ear, her movement was elegant and gentle. ¡°Have you been standing here all night, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯te down and would not let me go up, so I could only wait here.¡± He heard the ridicule in her words, and said lightly, without any emotion, ¡°Anyway, I have waited for three years, I don¡¯t mind waiting for this bit of time.¡± He was not being polite. Without her by his side, his insomnia had been incurable. It was just another sleepless night. There was nothing to be sorry about. It was better to be standing near her apartment. Ste raised her eyebrows and tapped her fingertips on her arm. ¡°Since you are so patient, then you can continue to wait.¡± Chapter 1179 Chapter 1179 Chapter 1179 When she finished, she turned around, entered the building, and did note out again. When it was time to go to work, everything had already been recharged. It wasn¡¯t time for her appointment with Bradley yet, so she leisurely made breakfast for Elias and Emma. When she heard the sound of a car engine downstairs, she knew it was Weston driving away. She took two sses of milk and ced them in front of Elias and Emma, staring at them as they drank them. Emma¡¯s small hands held therge ss of milk. She reluctantly finished it, and milk foam was all over her mouth. Seeing this, Elias said in disgust, ¡°Dirty cat, messy cat.¡± He pulled out a tissue paper and wiped her mouth. When Ste walked out of the kitchen with a te of poached eggs and saw the interaction between the twins, her heart felt warm and tender. So many things happened in the past few years, and she felt that her life was rather unfortunate, filled with many ups and downs. But sometimes, she felt that she was very fortunate to have such a lovely pair of twins in the end. Elias was too obedient, unlike a three¨Cyear¨Cold child. He¡®d always treat Emma and her like an adult. Her eyes were iparably loving as she sat in front of the two. ¡°Mommy has something to doter. I have called the aunt you like over. When she arrives, you two will stay home with her while Mommy goes out to work, okay?¡± Emma was still seriously battling the breakfast in her hand and did not listen to her. After Elias heard that, he was a bit unhappy. But only a little. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, he nodded solemnly. ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± Ste smiled and rubbed his head. ¡°Don¡®t be sad. I wille home early. Mommy has to work to earn money to give you a better life, right?¡± Elias seemed to understand and nodded his head. In Ford Corporation , Daisy was so preupied that she was a little distracted as soon as she got to work. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± After leaving the restaurantst night, she felt apprehensive about what Weston might think of her because of what happenedst night. She thought she was performing well but didn¡¯t want to upset him. She came to the office very early today and did not expect to see Westoning to work so early as well. Weston was not surprised to see her here. He only raised his eyes and looked at her lightly without saying much. After greeting her briefly, he then went to the office. Daisy¡¯s eyes darkened as she looked at his back. She had been working with him for so many years. Why was she still getting such a cold and indifferent response? Did he really consider her an insignificant secretary¡­ As she was thinking about this, she personally made a pot of hand¨Cground coffee for Weston. Then, she knocked on the office door and brought it to him. ¡°Mr. Ford, I made this myself. It¡¯s to your taste.¡® He did not look up. ¡°Leave it there.¡± Daisy nodded and walked to his desk to pour him a cup. Then, she asked out of nowhere, ¡°Did you contact Ms. Sealey after we got back yesterday?¡± When she mentioned Ste¡¯s name, the man raised his head and looked at her. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to ask¡­¡± Daisy¡¯s hand shivered, and she said apologetically, Maybe I¡¯m being a bit presumptuous, but it is still something unbelievable to see Ms. Sealey suddenly appearing alive in front of us¡­ After all, three years ago¡­ Chapter 1180 Chapter 1180 Chapter 1180 Weston frowned upon hearing that. Daisy tensed up, seeing his facial expression. Just as she was specting which of her words made him ufortable , the man suddenly opened his thin lips lightly and said, ¡°She¡®s married. You shouldn¡®t call her that.¡± She froze for a moment, and her eyes flickered, not expecting that he would care about this by this time¡­ She nodded, barely tugging her lips, and said, ¡°My mistake ... I just didn¡®t expect that Mrs. Ford did not look for you in the past three years... After we leftst night, didn¡®t you have a proper conversation with her?¡± He curled his fingers and held them against his eyebrows, slightly closing his eyes for a moment. She saw the dark circles under his eyes and was a little distressed. He must¡®ve only slept a littlest night. He must be thinking about that woman again. What was so good about her that she could make him miss her so much... She was stillughing at Nicolest night. But the actual fact was that she was simr to hers, and her mind was the same. She disappeared for three years, and what kind of life was Weston living during these three years? But Ste was living it up over there! Even though she did not have the ability like Weston to investigate Ste thoroughly, she could guess that she was doing very well from her appearance¡­ not just a good life, but a wonderful one. Daisy felt a little bad for him when she thought about it. ¡°She has two children, and you don¡¯t know what happened in the past three years. If you have time¡­¡± He suddenly interrupted her coldly, ¡°This is my family matter. What does it have to do with you?¡± He stared directly at the woman in front of him as if he could see through her. ¡°Just do your work, Ms. Daisy.¡± She was taken aback, not expecting him to talk to her like that. She had been by his side for the past three years, serving him carefully, asking for practically nothing. She thought he would know her feelings, so she carefully approached him, although she had never confessed to him. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He did not refuse her, so she thought he would ept her eventually¡­ Was it because of Ste¡¯s sudden return that he rejected her? Daisy felt more and more disturbed, and said with a husky voice, ¡°I was just worried about you. You saw what happened yesterday, Ste did not take you seriously at all¡­¡± This time, she neither called her ¡°Ms. Sealey¡± nor addressed her as ¡°Mrs. Ford¡± anymore but called her directly by her name. The man swept a cold nce at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to work anymore, you may go to the finance department to get your pay.¡± Was he firing her? A void suddenly filled her heart, and her eyes reddened. ¡± Mr. Ford¡­¡± She had maintained her emotional stability all these years in order to help him with work. But now, he was actually firing her? And he did it all in one sentence. Daisy felt a pang of heartbreak. But she quickly gathered her emotions and wiped her eyes. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Ford. It¡¯s my slip of the tongue. I won¡¯t do that again.¡± She was more convinced with her n than ever. It was true that she couldn¡®t go against Ste and could only y along with her. What happened just now, denigrating Ste in front of Weston, must never happen again. Chapter 1181 Chapter 1181 Chapter 1181 Even if Daisy hated her and was disgusted with her, she still had to take her side. This was so Weston would pay more attention to her. After thinking it through, Daisy said to Weston, ¡°I won¡®t make such a mistake again. I¡®ll take care of whoever you care about...¡± Weston waved his hand and motioned for her to leave. Daisy responded and quickly reverted to being a professional secretary. She arranged his schedule for him and said, ¡°There¡®s a dinner party at The Dog House tonight. It¡®s a meeting with the boss of the uing steel business in Ahn City. If we work with him, we can haverge savings.¡± ¡°Then arrange it.¡± Weston agreed to the schedule, so Daisy took the file and left. Weston had no reason to fire Daisy as long as she was efficient and kept her personal feelings to herself at work. Ste finished cleaning up by noon. The nanny waste. ¡°Sorry, Miss Cicily. I¡®m a littlete. Where are the two little ones?¡± Ste got to know her in Compassvale. She was a nice person. Unfortunately, it was hard to find local domestic helpers in the market, not to mention most of them were foreigners with anguage barrier. As a result, Ste couldn¡®t leave her children in their care with ease. It was rare that she¡®d meet a fellow countryman who worked the job. Thus, Ste and the nanny got to know each other well. The nanny went on to serve her for three years and got along reasonably well with the family. Ste took her with her wherever she went, just like she would take Joan back then. It was tough to meet the right person. Ste knew this very well. AT ¡°It¡®s okay. You can rest for a while. I¡®ll be going outter. Elias and Emma are still ying in the room. I¡®ll hire two early childhood teachers at home soon. It¡®ll make things easier.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Cicily!¡± Elias and Emma took a nap and woke up happy to see their familiar nanny. The two little ones adapted to life there in no time. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Seeing how happy they were together put Ste¡®s mind at ease. Ste went out shortly after. Her appointment with Bradley was in the afternoon. After that, in a private room in The Doghouse. Away from Ahn City for three years, Ste had yet to visit The Doghouse and was surprised by how big the ce had be. It seemed to be more lively and prosperous than before. As soon as she got there, she saw Angelina waving at her. ¡°Ste! Ste! Over here!¡± Ste walked over with a smile. Angelina gave her a big hug right away. ¡°It¡®s been so long! I¡®ve missed you so much!!!¡± Angelina had almost all her weight on her. Ste patted Angelina on the back and looked at Bradley, who was sitting and the circr coach. When their eyes met, they saw the long¨Clost surprise in each other¡®s eyes. Angelina was still very excited about Ste¡®s return. ¡°It¡®s been three years. You¡®re finally back. Will you be leaving after this?¡± Ste told her, ¡°I came back to follow up with a project. I¡®ll probably stay for a few months. I might even have to stay for a year or two if things don¡®t go well. However, I¡®ve decided to settle in Compassvale, so my time here is definitely limited.¡± Angelina seemed a little disappointed at that, but she quickly gathered herself. ¡°It¡®s fine. As long as you have a good life, where you stay makes no difference!¡± Chapter 1182 Chapter 1182 Chapter 1182 ¡°Thanks.¡± Ste led her to sit down on the sofa and looked at Bradley. She joked with them, ¡°Thanks . You kept your mouth shut and didn¡®t say a thing, knowing I was still alive. I¡®m d Weston didn¡®te to disturb my life.¡± ¡°It was such a big deal.. Of course, I¡®d keep it a secret!¡± ¡°I¡®m not someone with a big mouth,¡± Angelina said. After she said that, Ste shot her a look. Angelina felt a little weak and covered her mouth. ¡°Well, about Yvonne... It was just a slip of the tongue...¡± The only people who knew she was still alive were Bradley , Yvonne, and Angelina. She only told them after her situation had stabilized. After all, they were the ones who really cared about her. She did not want to show up one day by surprise suddenly . They might think that she did not take them seriously as friends at all. Ste¡®s character had matured over the years. She could be indifferent to those she hated but cared about the people she loved more than ever. Bradley did not say anything. He opened a bottle of wine and toasted her. ¡°When you get back, no matter how long you stay, I¡®ll make a movie for you. How about that?¡± Ste shook her head, smiling. ¡°I don¡®t n to be an actress anymore.¡± ¡°Did you know? Your role, Sophie, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress of the year. If it wasn¡®t for the fact that they couldn¡®t award it to the deceased¡­¡± Bradley said and came to an abrupt pause as if remembering something terrible. He drank another ss of wine. ¡°But now that you¡®re Cicily, the international piano master, I¡®m sure everyone knows your name now. There¡®s no need to go through all this nonsense anymore.¡± : Ste said, ¡°It¡®s not nonsense. I do appreciate your kindness, but I think ying the piano is something I like better.¡± ¡°Well, you do what you like. I¡®m happy for you.¡± The group, busy catching up, didn¡®t pay attention to the other side of the private area. In the corridor, Weston was walking in a group that surrounded him. The people next to Weston handed him cigarettes and ttered him, but he did not respond. When Weston suddenly caught sight of Ste in the other private room, he gazed down at her body and stopped dead in his tracks. The people around him thought he was not serving Weston well and stopped. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Mr. Ford...¡± Weston did not say anything at first. Then, he raised his chin slightly and said suddenly, ¡°We¡®ll sit here.¡± ¡°But we¡®ve already booked a room...¡± Weston looked at him indifferently. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The man immediately gave in and tried to tter Weston. ¡°Yes, sure. We¡®ll talk in this room.¡± Ste was unaware that Weston was merely a stone¡®s throw away. When she spoke, Weston could hear her voice through the wall. Ste came to meet Bradley as soon as she returned. It seemed they had been in close contact over the years. Chapter 1183 Chapter 1183 Chapter 1183 Weston¡®s eyes gradually darkened, and his attention drifted from what the person next to him was saying. He was distracted until Daisy nudged him as a reminder. Weston nced at the people in the room and pointed out all the mistakes they had just said. Daisy froze for a moment. She knew Weston was clearly distracted earlier, but she never expected that he¡®d still see through their ns at a nce. Weston was born to be in the business world. His perceptiveness and insight were very rare and one of the best in the world. The investors sitting next to Weston heard Weston¡®sments and nodded in agreement. ¡°We weren¡®t going to work with such a young principal initially, but your name is just too big.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. One of them casually said, ¡°After this project, we n to involve ourselves in the entertainment industry. It¡®s a profitable time. I heard a movie has the potential to earn over a billion or two at the box office.¡± ¡°That¡®s true, but you¡®ll need enough upfront capital to invest,¡± someone interjected. ¡°Don¡®t just look at the movies that make money. There are even more unprofitable movies out there. Some have invested over a billion into it only to lose everything.¡± ¡°Right? Some low¨Cbudget films could stand out and earn a lot... they turn our eyes red with envy. Some spend a lot, only to get nothing in the end.¡± When it came to movies, someone said, ¡°Wasn¡®t there a big production movie made three years ago? But that one was lucky and became a hit, except for the actress who yed Sophie¡­ What was her name?¡± ¡°E!¡± Some of their faces had changed. They warned that guy to stop talking, but the man had been drinking a little and was slow to react. He didn¡®t realize the actress E was Weston¡®s wife, Ste. The drunken man continued with a smile, ¡°I really liked that actress. She was at a good age. I think she was still very young. At that time, I thought of getting to know her if I got the chance. What was the reason again... Anyway, it didn¡®t work out...¡± T The person beside him hit the man¡®s hand twice hard, but he still did not realize what he had said wrong. He continued talking about Ste with great interest until he felt the strange atmosphere inside the private area. It felt very chilly and cold. When he looked up and met Weston¡¯s brooding and cold eyes, he had a chill down his spine. He finally turned sober and stuttered, ¡°Mr. Ford ...¡± The drunken man finally remembered why he had not messed with that little actress in the first ce. She was Weston¡®s wife! The drunken man was stunned into silence. Realizing the grave mistake he had just made, he began apologizing profusely. ¡°I am so, so sorry! I drank too much and said the wrong thing. Please ept my apology!¡± As he said that, he picked up the ss and downed several rounds of wine. He felt it was not enough and pped himself twice. ¡°I¡®ve said too much!¡± Weston seemed a little impatient. He casually rested his hand on the back of the chair and shook his wrist slightly. The person next to him immediately understood and gestured to the drunken man. ¡°If you know you¡®ve said too much, don¡®t be an eyesore! You¡®ve drunk a lot. You¡®re not needed here anymore. Get out!¡± That man knew he had said the wrong thing and offended Weston. He got up and bowed to Weston. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mr. Ford. I said the wrong thing. I¡®ll never do it again. Please forgive me!¡± After that, he did not stay and left the room immediately. Weston did not show any reaction. His eyes were as cold and sullen as ever. The people around him feared offending Weston and tried their best to please him. ¡°Mr. Ford, let us know if you need anything. We¡®ll do anything within our capabilities!¡± The other man next to Weston was going to get right to the point. The drunken man clearly spoke without thinking. Upsetting Weston because of this would only put them at a loss. The man came up with an idea and suddenly suggested warmly, ¡°We know all the managers here. There are some pretty girls around... Mr. Ford, are you interested?¡± Chapter 1184 Chapter 1184 Chapter 1184 Thrilled by his own idea, the man suggested that he introduce someone to Weston. If this worked, a lot of things would be much easier. After all, Weston had abstained from sex for three years. A man would feel the need eventually. The man chanced his arm abroad while observing Weston¡®s reaction. Weston¡®s face remained cold and unapproachable in the light. With just one look, he began to feel weak. He thought Weston would reject him. What Weston said next surprised him. Weston said indifferently, ¡°The one in the next room is good.¡± Everyone in the room was startled by Weston¡®s reply. Did Weston agree to the suggestion? Did they hear wrongly? Did he not always stay away from women? The guy who proposed it was stunned at first, but he quickly reacted with a smug look. ¡°We¡®ll get on it!¡± He knew it. They were all men. How could Weston reject such a suggestion? He probably hadn¡®t encountered a woman he wanted yet. Was he finally going to break the chaste? ¡°Leave it to us, Mr. Ford. I¡®ll ask right away!¡± After a few drinks, Ste decided to go to the bathroom. She told Bradley and got up to leave. Meanwhile, Angelina was still singing happily in the room. Ste looked at her and shook her head with a smile. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The washroom was bright. Ste looked in the mirror and did her makeup. When she returned to the room, she suddenly sensed something was wrong. Ste¡®s smile faded as she saw the scene in the room, as though waiting for someone to exin the situation to her. There were many strangers in the room, and among them, strange men who were drinking and toasting in a lively manner. Angelina stopped singing and sat in the same ce, dumbfounded. When Angelina saw Steing, she quickly got up and went to her side. ¡°A group of people came for nowhere earlier. They insisted on sharing the same room with us and even got the manager here...¡± Bradley was not going to agree at first, but the group mentioned Weston¡®s name. Angelina lowered her voice and whispered in Ste¡®s ear, ¡°What should we do? I didn¡®t know how Weston suddenly came here...¡± Ste looked at the group steadily and suddenly let out augh. She soothed Angelina and said, ¡°Don¡®t worry. Since they¡®re here, let¡®s y with them.¡± Angelina froze for a moment and began to look at Ste in a different light. She seemed to notice her new character, which was quite different from before. However, she believed it was a good thing. At least Ste could finally protect herself. Angelina was unaware of Ste¡®s status as an internationally known piano virtuoso. She only knew Ste was doing well abroad. As soon as Ste came over, someone witty smiled and said, ¡°Hey, she¡®s here! We¡®re so sorry. The manager said our room was too small, so we came to your side. I hope you don¡®t mind.¡± Ste smiled at him and tapped her finger on her arm.¡° Even if I do, you guys are already here, aren¡®t you?¡± Ste remained smiling, though she didn¡®t mince her words. Truly, she wasn¡®t trying to give them a hard time. Somehow, her smile dazzled the man who initiated the conversation. Chapter 1185 Chapter 1185 Chapter 1185 Ste had a unique sense of charm in the light. Ste¡®s beauty was immense, so breathtaking that nobody could take their eyes off of her. She had a kind of charm thatpletely bewitched him. He was staring so hard at her that he almost forgot to reply. When the guy next to him nudged him in the arm, he finally came back to his senses. ¡°I¡®m so sorry... Come over! Miss, please sit over here. I¡®ll pour you a ss of wine!¡± Bradley shot the guy a cold re. He got up and walked to Ste, ¡°If you don¡®t want to, I¡®ll take you out now.¡± ¡°No, it¡®s fine.¡± Ste looked him in the eye and said faintly, ¡°Even if we leave now, he¡®ll still find ways to come to meter. There¡®s no need to keep hiding. I¡®ve done nothing wrong, have I?¡± Bradley looked at her steadily and did not say anything. Atst, he sighed and returned to his seat. Ste nced at the current seat and saw only one empty spot next to Weston, seemingly left on purpose. She let out augh. ¡°I can¡®t sit next to someone I don¡®t know. Why don¡®t you move me to a seat with someone I know?¡± ¡°What do you mean by you don¡®t know?¡± The man next to Weston immediately said, ¡°You¡®ll know him after you get to know each other better. Just sit here and talk to the person next to you more. Fate has gathered us! Speak more and get acquainted!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Weston looked up at Ste in silence. He watched her approach and sat down next to him, showing no hint of cowardice. Weston raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°I thought you¡®d say no.¡± Steughed and put her hand on the back of her chair.¡° I have no reason to.¡± She sounded unbothered and acted as if there was nothing to refuse. In fact, she didn¡®t refuse him because she was afraid of getting into a mess. Her seat would not change her treatment of him. Weston¡®s eyes gradually turned sullen. His hand was already on her waist. ¡°It looks like you¡®ve learned a lot abroad. You can handle this kind of asion with ease now. Why don¡®t you teach me about it, hm?¡± Ste pulled his hand away impassively. ¡°Excuse me, sir. I may be avable, but not every man can meet my requirements.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so? Tell me your requirements then.¡± Ste tapped the corner of her mouth. ¡°I don¡®t have any requirements. I only care about those who make me happy.¡± ¡°How can I make you happy?¡± Weston took her waist and pulled her closer. He let her feel the heat of his body and whispered in her ears, ¡°Tell me and see if I can do it.¡± The investors were d to see the two whispering to each other intimately. They winked at each other, thinking that had made the right decision. Everyone said Weston was deeply in love with his long ¨C dead wife and had never gotten close to any women. Well, what was he doing then? How could men have no needs? That would only happen when they did not find the woman they liked. Daisy sat in the corner without much presence. As she listened to the lewd conversations revolving around her, she felt like hiding somewhere dark and blocking the noises out of her world. Daisy had been working with Weston for a long time. She would drink on his behalf and had done so much for him. Even so, he never looked at her... Daisy thought Weston agreed to share a room with other patrons because he was finally interested in another woman. She did not expect to see Ste again! ¡®Not Ste again...¡® Daisy thought, feeling a little sour and self¨Cdeprecating. ¡®Yeah. Who else but Ste could make Weston act so strangely?¡® Chapter 1186 Chapter 1186 Chapter 1186 Daisy kept drinking like she wanted to get herself really drunk. Ben couldn¡®t stand looking at her like that. ¡°You¡®re drinking too much. What are you doing to doter? Mr. Ford needs someone to follow up on the details of the contractter,¡± he asked. Daisy gave him a hard stare. ¡°Can¡®t I drink a bit? I¡®m just drinking a little more than I usually do. Was I born to do all the work for him? Can¡®t I have a little emotion of my own?? Ben gaped, dumbfounded by her question. After a short pause, he said incredulously, ¡°But its¡® your job. Mr. Ford is paying you to work. We¡®re all paid to work, aren¡®t we?¡± Daisy spoke and made it sound like Weston was some kind of capitalist who did not pay his employees. Weston naturally had capitalist roots, but he had always been generous to his employees. Ford Corporation did not get to its glory through pure exploitation. It became sessful thanks to Weston¡®s brilliant business acumen and crafty business techniques. Daisy was stunned by Ben¡®s question and didn¡®t know what to say. She swallowed them all and continued sipping her wine. Suddenly, Daisy staggered to her feet and went to Ste with a smile. ¡°May I offer you a toast?¡± And she meant it. She really wanted to raise a toast to Ste. Daisy never thought that after all these years, Ste could still grasp Weston¡®s heart with little effort. Seeing Daisy wobbling, Ste told Weston thoughtfully,¡°. Your secretary seems a little drunk. Why don¡®t you tend to her?¡± Weston frowned and gave Daisy an unpleasant look. ¡°Get out of my face.¡± Daisy lowered her eyes at his cold words. She exined,¡± Sorry, Mr. Ford. I just want to... to be a good friend with Mrs. Ford.¡± After a short pause, Daisy chose to call Ste that. Weston¡®s reaction was as expected. She was pleased to see Weston ease his frown slightly. See? She could make him happy, after all. Ste frowned and looked at Daisy with amusement.¡° Excuse me, it looks like you¡®re drunk. You¡¯re starting to talk nonsense...¡± ¡°I¡®m not talking nonsense!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Daisy suddenly squatted down in front of Ste and looked at her with tears. She choked, ¡°I don¡®t know why you haven¡®t contacted Mr. Ford for so many years, but I saw how sad he was for you. He was really broken... Please, just look at him again, okay?¡± Daisy said it with sincerity and a sore nose. She looked like she was about to cry. Ste listened to Daisy¡®s sad words, feeling troubled.¡° How about this? You seem pretty thoughtful about Weston. Do you think he can¡®t live without women? If so, why don¡®t you sacrifice and be his?¡± Ste said with a sincere tone and gentle smile, but her words humiliated Daisy. It was a great insult to her. Daisy clutched the hem of her dress and roared, ¡°Why are you pushing him to another woman? Are you happy with that? He has waited for you for three years! For three whole years!¡± Daisy¡®s voice trembled as she spoke up for Weston, unable to help herself. ¡°Don¡®t you feel a little bit of pain for him? Don¡®t you feel any guilt at all?¡± Ste rubbed her nose apologetically. ¡°I¡®m sorry, no. But if you like him that much, I¡®d really like to see you two...¡± Before Ste could finish her sentence, she felt a hard and painful grip on her wrist. Chapter 1187 Chapter1187 Chapter 1187 Daisy saw how Westonpletely lost control of himself. Unable to hold back, he grabbed Ste¡¯s wris t and pulled her to her feet. Ste staggered to her feet and followed him, stumbling a few steps. Bradley was behind Ste, and he wanted to follow her, but Ben immediately grabbed him by the shoul ders. He said to him with a cold face, ¡°Sorry. I hope you don¡¯t intervene with Mr. and Mrs. Ford¡¯s private matters.¡± Daisy watched the two leaving one after the other and felt a little sore in her eyes. She took a deep bre ath and held back her tears. Then, she said to the others, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s continue with the details of the contract that didn¡¯t work out earlier.¡± Ben was worried about the way Daisy yed it cool. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s okay if this project doesn¡¯t wor k out. Mr. Ford will take care of it.¡± The project was no longer that important by the look of Weston earlier. Daisy shook her head. She told Ben, ¡°As his secretary, I have to do everything well for him.¡± Weston took Ste to a dark corner and pinned her against the cold wall. Ste felt pain shooting up her back. Then, arge palm came to her. Weston looked down and trapped her in his arms. His mesmerizing eyes were as deep as the universe and the stars, trying to suck her in. Weston had had enough of her hurtful words. He pinched her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡°How exactly do you want to torture me?¡± As Ste met his eyes, her expression gradually changed. She put her hand on her arm and gently pus hed him away. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you that?¡± Ste reminded him, ¡° You tortured me so much three years ago. Hav en¡¯t you had enough? What? Do you want to do something to me again? Are you going to lock me up somewhere or bully me and threaten me with my family?¡± Weston suddenly felt weak. He embraced her in a deep hug and said in her ear with a husky voice, ¡°I w on¡¯t do any of that to you again.¡± After that, he suddenly straightened up and pressed her head hard against his chest. ¡°Do whatever you want to me, but please, never ever leave me again.¡± Ste was somewhat surprised to see him in such a vulnerable state. She reached out and nudged his chest, (( If I heard correctly, were you begging me?¡± Weston looked at her steadily. ¡°If I beg you, will you stay?¡± Ste smiled. ¡°That seems insincere. You won¡¯t beg until I say so.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Weston said without hesitation, ¡°Please.¡± Ste paused slightly and met his burning gaze. She suddenly turned away and reminded him, ¡°You kno ¡°Then why did youe back?¡± Weston asked. Ste could feel his breath on her ear. It was hot enough to make her skin flush with goosebumps. Ste felt ufortable and tried to push him away, only to find Weston holding her tighter in his arms. Weston held her as if he missed her so much. Holding her was the only way to calm his surging emotion Ste sighed again. She looked over his shoulder into the distant air and said softly, ¡°Ah. Mr. Ford, I think you¡¯ve misu Chapter 1188 Chapter1188 Chapter 1188 Ste¡¯s tone was gentle. She sounded as if she waspletely aware of her own hurtful words. Perha ps it was her indifference that cut Weston even deeper. Weston pulled her away to observe her expression from above. Ste¡¯s usually clear eyes seemed a little obscure. She had a smile in her eyes, but she was not smiling. Weston could no longer read her real emotions hidden deep inside. All he could see was just a bubble of illusion. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Weston squeezed her shoulder and tightened his grip slowly. ¡°I know you¡¯re saying that on p urpose¡­ ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡± The smile on Ste¡¯s face instantly faded. Ste looked at Weston steadily and cut him off, ¡°Why do I have to say that deliberately? I have a boyfriend. Besides, it has been three years. Do you really think I should keep my chastity for yo u?¡± Ste had no idea which word hurt him more. Weston¡¯s eyes changed at once. He sped her wrist, You¡¯re my wife. You¡¯re Mrs. Ford. You may have a boyfriend, but it¡¯s best to get rid of him soon. Ste¡¯s face changed. She shook off his hand with a frown. ¡°Who do you think you are? Aren¡¯t you the one who forced me to divorce you four years ago? Who made me sign the divorce agreement? Why ar e you pretending as if you love me so much now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know how I felt about you then.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Weston suddenly looked a little sad. He gradually tightened the force on his hand and exined, ¡°After the divorce, I realized how important you were to me. It was a strange feeling. I couldn¡¯t do anything but imprison you by my side¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Ste interrupted him impatiently. Thest thing she wanted to do was to listen to his exn ation. ¡°You¡¯re just sad for losing what you used to have. If you had sympathy for me, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this¡­¡± ¡°Weston, you¡¯ve hurt me all over before. It¡¯s time for you to learn how to let go.¡± Ste looked straight into his eyes. Her pupils seemed darker than her hair color. She said slowly and coldly, From now on, p lease stop haunting me again. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± Meanwhile, Daisy had been drinking herself into a stupor in the private room. Ben¡¯s earlier words served as a reminder to her. What was the point of her working so hard? She was g ood at her job but not irreceable. She worked so hard for Weston, but so what? Weston was able to take things into his hands and complete them within minutes. He would not be moved by her efforts. If so, why bother working so hard? Daisy had gone to so much trouble and followed Weston around for three years. However, she was inco ¡°Miss Daisy, why are you drinking alone here?¡± A supplier came over and sat next to her. He rubbed her arm lewdly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it boring to drink alone? Shall Daisy frowned in disgust. ¡°No, thanks.¡± After that, she pulled out the jacket that was pressed against him and stumbled to her feet. In actual fact The man, however, yanked her hand and pulled her back. He made her sit in his arms and stroke her chin with a teasing smile. ¡°You¡¯d do anything to get a deal, wouldn¡¯t you? So why aren¡¯t you willing to drink with me?!¡± Daisy¡¯s face immediately turned unpleasant. She had no idea that her determination to do anything for W anyone. Chapter 1189 Chapter1189 Chapter 1189 Agitated by his rude advance, Daisy pushed the man away hard. ¡°Get your filthy hands off me! I¡¯m Weston¡¯s secretary. He hates these dirty things. Do you think he¡¯ll con tinue to work with you after knowing what you¡¯ve just said to me?¡± The man narrowed his eyes. He did not expect Daisy to be so stubborn. The man next to him whispered something in his ear.¡± It¡¯s true. If you piss Weston off, it won¡¯t be worth ¡­¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Although Weston did not seem to treat Daisy any differently, she was still his secretary. It would be good if Daisy was willing, but if they forced her ag ainst her consent, their actions would likely anger Weston. It was indeed a bad deal. The man suddenly changed his tactic. He said to Daisy with a ttering smile, ¡°Sorry if I offended you earlier , Miss Daisy. I really like you so much. You¡¯ve been working hard with Mr. Ford for so long. Being a stro ng woman, I wonder if you have a boyfriend?¡± The person next to the man raised his eyebrows and also leaned closer with some ill intention. ¡°Yeah. He was too excited earlier. It was hard for him to meet his goddess, so he got ahead of himself. Miss, I hope don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± The two men looked at each other and quickly shared a tacit understanding. After all, Daisy was with Xavier before. She might not be Weston¡¯s favorite, but she was still a kind of talk as Xavier¡¯s ex- fiancee. If they could get her, it would be a good deal. Daisy frowned at the two men¡¯s dramatic attitude change. She knew what was on their minds. Although she knew they were up to something, she still indulged in their ttering. Perhaps she enjoyed it because she never got it from Weston. With Weston, she was always the one trying to impress him. Even if their ttering was superficial, it softened Daisy¡¯s attit ude. Just as she epted the man¡¯s ss, a soft bang sounded. The door to the private room was opened, making a soft noise. Ste came in first. When Daisy saw her, she immediately withdrew her hand with a start. Daisy saw Westone in after Ste. Her eyes shed with a sense of weakness. She stood up imm ediately and greeted Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± The words came out, but she did not know what to say next. Weston gave her a cold nce and looked a little impatient. He unbuttoned his sleeve and ordered, ¡°G et out of the way.¡± Weston always seemed to think she was in the way. Daisy looked a little sad, but she obeyed her boss and walked aside. When she saw Weston following S Ste did not care about the messy situation behind her. She strode to Bradley and grabbed the car keys. Ste said to Bradley, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. Do you want a ride?¡± When they came, Bradley did not seem to be driving. Bradley stood up and pulled Angelina to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Time to go home.¡± Angelina felt a little ufortable and was eager to leave. She nodded and immediately pick up her ba Weston¡¯s gaze stayed focused on the woman in front of him. His expression was very heavy. Ste acted as if she saw nothing. She led her friends away and left with ease. When she walked past h Chapter 1190 Chapter 1190 Chapter 1190 After that, in the car¡­ Ste turned on the navigation. She nned to send Angelina home first. ¡°Where do you live now?¡± she asked casually. Angelina gave Ste her address. Ste looked at Angelina in the rearview mirror and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s done v ery well for herself in three years.¡± Angelina smiled a little embarrassedly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Bradley¡¯s help.¡± Angelina starred in a few more moviester, which did well. She had a good reputation and umte d some fans. She was quite a famous actress in the circle. The three friends wereughing and joking inside the car when Bradley suddenly stopped talking after l ooking in the rearview mirror. Angelina followed his gaze and also froze for a moment. She said helplessly, ¡°Mr. Ford seems to have been trailing us.¡± Ste tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and lifted her eyes slightly as she nced in the mirror. She saw Weston¡¯s Cullinan following behind her car at a steady pace. Ste did not react and kept driving. Angelina gently reminded her, ¡°Should we stop? Or he might follow you to where you live¡­¡± Ste sighed and gave her a helpless look. ¡°It¡¯s toote. He already knows.¡± Angelina was surprised. ¡°So quick? I thought he was following you to find out where you live¡­¡± Bradley was not surprised. He lifted his hand and rubbed his temple. ¡°What are you going to do? You can¡¯t let hi m haunt you like this.¡± Bradley actually had many questions for Ste. Why would she suddenlye back? Ste knew she would be in Weston¡¯s sights as soon as did. Why didn¡¯t she stay abroad instead? Bradley originally nned to settle in Compassvale this year and wanted to tell Ste his n. However, it did not seem like the right time to say it. Ste remained silent. She turned the wheel and drove to another road. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Even if I avoid him, he¡¯ll do things his way and follow me all the time. It¡¯s better to appear i n front of him publicly. After all, I can¡¯t stay in hiding forever, right?¡± Ste¡¯s smile was very faint. She seemed quieter than before. Angelina looked at Ste and could not help but marvel at the changes as people age. Ste seemed very rxed and had a different kind of charm because of her confidence. It was hard to take her eyes off her. Angelina was not the only one who thought so. Bradley was obviously attracted to Ste too.. Angelina could tell, but she just kept quiet about it. When they arrived at Angelina¡¯s ce, Ste stopped the car. Angelina said goodbye to the two and gave Bradley and Ste some space to talk. Bradley wanted to talk to Ste but lost interest after seeing Weston, who kept following the car. He let o Ste smiled and shook her head. The tassel earrings on her ears moved like a beauty in the light. Bradley was enchanted and lost in thought for a moment. It was not long before the car came to a stop. Ste unlocked the central look and nced at him. ¡° We¡¯re here.¡± Bradley finally returned to his senses and responded with a hum. He unbuckled his seat belt, ready to g Bradley suddenly leaned over and hugged Ste. Ste was stunned and subconsciously pushed him a man whispering in her ear and said something. Chapter 1191 Chapter 1191 Chapter 1191 ¡°Don¡®t move. Just let me hug you for a while.¡± Ste seemed to catch on to what he was doing and nced at the Cullinan through the rearview mirror. She chuckled and made no objections. Meanwhile, in the other car, Weston¡®s eyes turned gloomy as he stared at the appalling sight of the two people hugging. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He said nothing, he just switched on the turn signal and honked The screeching noise rang through the parking lot. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Bradley straightened up in his seat and whispered to Ste, ¡°He looks angry now. Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡®ll deal with him myself.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡®t need my help?¡± Bradley asked again, staring deeply at her. Now that he had provoked Weston¡®s ire, there was no way he¡®d let things go without causing some trouble. He was, in fact, waiting for Ste to speak up, to ask for his help. But all she did was shake her head lightly as she toyed with her earrings with her fingers. Looking away from him, she said, ¡°This is my problem. I¡®m not about to drag someone else in.¡± So she still regarded him as an outsider, keeping him at an arm¡®s length. Bradley¡®s eyes darkened. He knew that he couldn¡®t be too rash about this. He pushed the door open and got out of the car, and when he walked past the Cullinan, he paused and looked straight into the eyes of the man inside it. Their eyes glinted in the shadows like daggers. The temperature seemed to drop suddenly, and the air in the surroundings turned frosty. It was only a brief nce before Bradley withdrew his gaze and turned to leave without looking back. Ste gazed indifferently at the ck luxury car through the rearview mirror without saying or doing anything. Once she had seen Bradley safely entering the elevator, she turned her car around and drove away. As expected, Weston mmed the gas pedal and started to tailgate her, seemingly without any hurry at all, as if he was ying a cat¨Cand¨Cmouse game with her. Ste remained silent. Every once in a while, her fingers tapped on the steering wheel listlessly. She drove on like that for some time until she suddenly realized that the ck car that had been following her was gone. She chuckled. Was that already too much for him to handle? She shook her head. Then she gave no more thought about it and drove straight home. When she reached the apartment, she pushed the elevator button and walked in. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of the dark, forcing the elevator door open Before Ste could react, a tall and muscr man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist appeared before her. His ck inky eyes were staring fixedly at her. His strikingly handsome face was illuminated by the elevator light, making his elegant features seem even more pronounced. He said nothing at all. With a cold, stony face, he grabbed her wrists and dragged her out of the elevator, just as he did at the private lounge earlier. But this time, Ste had lost all her patience for him. She scowled at him and demanded, ¡°Let go of me!¡± The man did not seem to hear her at all. He dragged her to a dark corner nearby and pinned her on the wall with both his hands holding her shoulders tight. ¡°Have you had enough fun?¡± he asked, his eyes peering down at her. Ste wanted to shove him away, but he had locked her hands in ce and pressed her hard against the wall, forcing her to look into his eyes. ¡°I¡®ll ask you again,¡± he repeated, ¡°have you had enough fun?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she frowned. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me again?¡± ¡°I¡®m not,¡± he whispered, leaning down close to her ear.¡° I¡®m just...¡± He could not finish his sentence, either because he had no idea what to say next or because he was still lost in thoughts. It was a long while before he spoke up again with a calmer tone, whispering, ¡°I want to see the twins.¡± Ste¡®s body stiffened instantly. Then she violently shoved him away as if she had just gotten an electric shock. ¡°What right do you have to demand to see them?¡± she snapped. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± Chapter 1192 Chapter 1192 Chapter 1192 ¡°I¡®m not saying I have any right,¡± he replied, his eyes pitch ¨C ck and his voice raspy. ¡°I¡®m not trying to take anything from you.¡± ¡°Trust me,¡± heforted her gently as if she was a frightened little creature. ¡°Ste, this time I won¡®t force you to do anything, like how I did. All I want is to see them. Please?¡± As soon as the thought of those two children popped into his mind, an uncontroble feeling of tender affection overcame him. That day, in the restaurant, he only had a chance to hold Emma for a while, but he could never forget how it felt. He wanted to see his children again. Especially the boy. He had not even had a chance to hold him yet. Ste could easily see the desire in his eyes. ¡°I think you must¡®ve misunderstood something,¡± she sneered, trying to chip away at his hope bit by bit. ¡°You should¡®ve known a long time ago that I could never get pregnant, Mr. Ford. The truth is, the twins aren¡®t my children, much less yours.¡± ¡°Then why do they look just like you?¡± he asked, his eyes full of tenderness. He took no offense from her biting sarcasm, and he kept his patience intact. ¡°I know you won¡®t be able to ept me right now, but I honestly just want to see them. Please, Ste, I won¡®t disturb them at all. I¡®ll be content with watching them from a distance...¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Ste snapped coldly. ¡°I told you they¡®re not your children, so what else do you want from us? Why won¡®t you leave us in peace?¡± She uttered each word with icy rity, showing him absolutely no mercy. ¡°By the way,¡± she continued, ¡°since you seem really curious, perhaps I should just tell you that I adopted those kids.¡± Weston¡®s face sank. He remained silent as he kept staring at her. A long time passed before he finally said, ¡°If you¡®re trying to hurt me, go ahead. I don¡®t mind it. Just let me see them again, please. Just for a little while.¡± Ste stepped away from him and scoffed. ¡°But they¡®re not your children,¡± she said. ¡°Why on earth would you want to see them?¡± She looked defiantly at him and added, ¡°You¡®re acting strange, Mr. Ford. You didn¡®t seem that interested in your own son back then. I wonder why you¡®re suddenly interested in someone else¡®s children?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Weston frowned. ¡°You know perfectly well what I meant,¡± answered Ste, checking her nails casually, but with eyes that were full of contempt. ¡°Or perhaps you¡®re more forgetful than I thought? It was only three years ago that Zachary Ford died. He was your own son no matter what. How could you be so unbothered and act like he never existed just because he¡®s dead? Instead of being upset, you¡®re so eager to be a father to children who aren¡®t even yours! You really are something else!¡± Ste spoke very harshly, and her words touched directly at his raw nerve. She could see that Weston¡®s face grew darker and darker until she could sense a terrifying coldness emanating from him. ¡°Get out of my way,¡± she pushed him aside. ¡°I¡®m going home.¡± Weston grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her back towards him. With his other hand, he lifted up her chin, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that Zachary Ford was not my son?¡± He could remain rtively calm before, but at this point, he could no longer hide his vexation. It was clear that in the past three years, he had never crossed Ste¡®s mind at all. She had never paid any attention to whatever that had been going on around him. If she had even cared about him a bit, she wouldn¡®t have neglected to contact him at all in the past three years, and she would¡®ve known what had happened to him. Back then, he had publicly revealed Zachary¡®s true parentage, and by now, virtually everyone in Ahn City knew Zachary Ford was Chris Ford¡®s son. And yet, Ste, the one at the very center of the scandal, was still none the wiser. How could he not be angry with her for it? Right now, he was not entirely sure if there was more hate or love in his heart. All he knew was that every time he looked at that face of hers, he yearned for nothing more than to see some kind of emotion on that face. Just as it was all those years ago, when all there was in her eyes was him and him alone. If that was too much to ask, then he would be content with her hating him, fighting with him... anything but the look on her face right now. All that was left there was indifference, sarcasm, and almost no emotion , save for a minute trace of contempt. Chapter 1193 Chapter 1193 Chapter 1193 Not this again¡­ Not Weston acting all passionate again. ¡°Let go of me now!¡± Ste yelled, glowering as she pushed him away. But Weston didn¡®t budge. He just kept gazing at her, searching for something. Ste took a deep breath and told him, ¡°Don¡®t make me hate you more than I already do.¡± Those words instantly made him ease his grasp on her ever so slightly. But as soon as she sensed that his grip was loosening, Ste took the chance and shoved him forcefully away and said, ¡°It¡®s gettingte. You should go home now, Mr. Ford.¡± Then she turned and left straight away. She headed towards the elevator and pressed the button. Weston didn¡®t follow her this time. He just stood there in the dark corner, his gaze steadily following her every move, with eyes so dark and profound that they seemed to be merging with the darkness of the night. Ste watched him through the gap in the elevator door. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. For a moment, she thought she could perceive an indelible sadness and loneliness radiating from his body. Her heart was calm and unmoved, however. The elevator door closed, blocking off her sight. Ste looked down and immediately tossed the images of what just happened out of her mind, thinking nothing more of it. Ste pushed the door open, and the first thing she did was call out for Elias and Emma. Nobody answered. She turned around, and her eyes met Miguel¡®s displeased gaze. ¡°Why are you home sote?¡± he asked. Ste froze for a moment before responding, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard from the nanny that you¡®d be out this evening,¡± he exined. ¡°And I came to make sure everything¡®s alright. The two ruffians are asleep.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ste replied simply. She tossed the keys into the bowl near the entrance, changed her shoes, and walked inside. As Miguel noticed her cool and calm demeanor, he suddenly felt as if his heart was shrouded by a heavy gloomy cloud. It seemed that, in her eyes, he was nothing more than a brother. She was always calm and at ease around him because he was just a family member. There was never any spark between them that there should be between a man and a woman. Ste had barely taken a few steps inside her house when she suddenly felt her waist encircled by a pair of muscr arms. She turned around and saw Miguel rushing up toward her and hugging her from behind. ¡°Ste...¡± he only managed to murmur her name before she swiftly pushed him away. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she snapped , visibly agitated.¡° Let go of me!¡± ¡°I saw him just now...¡± said Miguel. ¡°The man who sent you home was Weston, right? I saw his car downstairs.¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. She took a deep breath and told him,¡± I drove home myself. I didn¡®t ask him to send me home.¡± ¡°Then what was he doing here?¡± Miguel demanded. He stepped forward and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°How would he know that you live here?¡± Ste stepped back to get away from Miguel until her back was up against her bedroom door. From there on, there was no more room for retreat. ¡°I¡®ve told you many times,¡± she said in a helpless tone, her eyes staring at a random spot on the floor. ¡°We can never be anything more than family... Stop acting this way, Miguel.¡± Miguel¡®s eyes reddened the instant he heard this. ¡°It¡®s him, isn¡®t it? Everything¡®s been fine between us in the past three years, but the moment he came back into your life, you started rejecting me. What¡®s going on, Ste?¡± Chapter 1194 Chapter 1194 Chapter 1194 All of a sudden, Ste clenched her fists and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never returned your feelings once in the past three years, and besides, you¡®ve treated me like a sister all this time... or am I just mistaken?¡± ¡°But you¡®ve never openly rejected me before!¡± argued Miguel. ¡°So why is it exactly that now you¡®re suddenly saying obvious things like how we can never be anything more than family...?¡± Miguel paused and stared at her silently for a while. Then he could not help butugh, although theughter that escaped his lips was filled with bitterness. ¡°So you knew all along...¡± ¡°So you knew all along, huh?¡± He stared vacantly at his own hand as it clutched at the empty air. ¡°Don¡®t you understand,¡± he asked with a hoarse voice,¡± why I¡¯m so restless all of a sudden? It¡®s because I¡®m scared. I feel insecure. I¡®m afraid that as soon as you return to Ahn City, you¡®ll fly back into his arms. That is why I have to hold onto you as firmly as I can right now. I¡®m so scared of losing you, Ste.¡± Ste was not sure how to feel about that. She raised her hand, meaning to pat him on the shoulder, but then decided against it. ¡°I¡®ve always regarded you as a brother,¡± she insisted firmly. ¡°And nothing can ever change that. I¡®m really sorry... But as for Weston Ford, he¡®s nothing to me now. Nothing at all.¡± Miguel¡®s eyes seemed nk. After a long while, he finally regained hisposure and smiled at her. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°So long you allow me to be by your side, it means I still have a chance, right? We have all the time in the world anyway. There¡®s no need to hurry.¡± ¡°Miguel...¡± Ste¡®s brows knitted again. ¡°Let me tell you about my next n,¡± Miguel interrupted her. ¡°I¡®ve already met the person in charge in Ahn City...¡± Now that he had turned the subject to business, Ste had no choice but to go along with him. ¡°Okay,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡®ll go change into something morefortable and take a quick look at Elias and Emma. Then we¡®ll talk.¡± Elias and Emma were both already asleep. Ste had not been home since the afternoon, but she saw their activities that day because the nanny had recorded videos of them doing various activities and sent them to her. She had not seen them for only a few hours, yet she had already missed them so much. She gazed lovingly at the twins. They were both lying t on their back, arms and legs stretched out. She could not help but pinch their noses. ¡°Naughty kids,¡± she grumbled. ¡°You should¡®ve waited for Mommy toe home and say goodnight before you go to bed...¡± She then kissed their cheeks and walked out of their room. After changing into something a bit more more casual , she saw Miguel already waiting for her on the couch with some documents in his hands. She walked up to him and poured him a cup of coffee. ¡°Looking at you, I¡®d guess you must¡®ve encountered some major obstacles already. Am I right?¡± They had returned to this country with a n to expand their business, but neither would have guessed that such huge hurdles would block their path so soon after arriving ¡°The majority of the market share is basically dominated by Ford Corporation,¡± Miguel exined. ¡°It¡®s practically impossible for us to make any kind of breakthrough here. Our only hope is to get Weston Ford¡®s help.¡± Miguel had been having headaches about this exact matter. If it had been anybody else, he would¡®ve dlyid down his ego if it meant he could get ahead. But it just had to be Weston Ford, the only person in the world he was unwilling to bow down to or beg for help. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. But Ste found none of this surprising at all. She took a sip of her coffee and sat down across from Miguel. ¡°He was already building his own business empire three years ago,¡± she said, ¡°and now it can only get bigger and bigger. There¡®s nothing extraordinary about that. In fact, he has even expanded his business into Europe, and he¡®s still quite powerful in the delta too. Going up against him will certainly be no mean feat.¡± Chapter 1195 Chapter 1195 Chapter 1195 No wonder even Marcus Garcia wanted Miguel to give Ahn City a try. The Garcias were already the most esteemed and prominent family in Compassvale, but they were ambitious. They wanted Miguel, who was still very young, to pick up some skills here and gain valuable experience by being a Ford Corporation employee. This alone demonstrated the Garcia family¡®s audacity and cunning ¡°I¡®ll find a way. Somehow.¡± Miguel sighed. Heid the documents on the coffee table and eximed , ¡°I simply refuse to believe that apart from Weston Ford, there¡®s just no one else in the whole of Ahn City that we can work with!¡± ¡°But working with him would clearly be most beneficial for us,¡± argued Ste. ¡°Wouldn¡®t it?¡± She flipped through the documents and pointed at a line of words on one of them, saying, ¡°With your qualifications, as long as you could properly point out the benefits that you would bring them, I believe that there¡®s a high chance that Ford Corporation will agree to work with you.¡± She had been closely studying the economy of the past few years and found that they themselves were quite powerful in many ways. ¡°Why do you know all this stuff so well?¡± Miguel asked with displeasure in his voice after hearing Ste¡¯s clear headed analysis. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that you don¡®t care about Weston Ford anymore?¡± Ste massaged her temples. Those words proved that Miguel was being a bit too naive about all this. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°This concerns our profits and interests,¡± she exined, ¡°so of course, I have to pay close attention to it. Besides, have you forgotten that I own some of the shares too?¡± These past three years, Ste had managed to earn a lot of money as an internationally renowned pianist. She even had a lot left after giving a portion of it back to the Garcia family, so she used it to make investments. ¡°We¡®re strictly talking about business right now, not . about anything else,¡± she stressed , her voice suddenly turning serious. Don¡®t you remember why we feared Weston Ford so much in the past? It¡®s all because he has too much money and power for us to even have a fighting chance. The only way for us not to ever be intimidated by him again is to amass just as much money and power as he does, that way, we¡®ll be on a level ying field with him, do you understand? So before we get to that point, if all we need to do to get to our goal is to work with him, then why on earth shouldn¡®t we do it?¡± Miguel fell silent for a long while after hearing her speak. Eventually, he chuckled drily and said, ¡°I don¡®t think I can be as mature as you are.¡± ¡°But you have to be!¡± she reminded him. ¡°You¡®re not a child anymore, you know.¡± She looked him in the eyes and told him, ¡°Interests and benefits alwayse first in the adult world. As long as we don¡®t cross a certain line, we should be willing to do anything.¡± Miguel stared fixedly at Ste. After three years, it seemed that she had grown wiser and more astute about many things. She was always calm andposed now. Nothing ever seemed to provoke or distress her anymore. But at the same time, it was obvious that there were certain things that she cared about, that she would pursue doggedly without giving up. Miguel massaged the point between his eyebrows and muttered, ¡°You know that it¡®s not any of those things that have been bothering me. It¡¯s just that I...¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ste cut him off. ¡°You¡®re worried that I might get back with Weston Ford, right? Don¡®t worry about that.¡± She¡¯tapped her finger on the table and nudged the coffee cup forward. With a smile , she assured him, ¡°The thing that you¡®re worried about will never happen. Trust me.¡± For some unknown reason, Miguel was suddenly moved as he looked into Ste¡®s eyes. He felt the urge to believe her, to believe everything that she said. ¡°Okay,¡± he said after taking a sip of the coffee. ¡°We¡®ll do as you say then. I¡®ll do everything I can to surpass him in wealth and power. One day, I¡¯ll never have to fear him again...¡± ¡°And when that dayes,¡± he added, ¡°will you be willing to give me a chance?¡± Chapter 1196 Chapter 1196 Chapter 1196 The next day, at Ford Corporation , Daisy was reporting the oue of yesterday¡®s meeting to Weston Ford. ¡°The project discussion yesterday went very well, Mr. Ford...¡± The makeup on her face was a little thicker than usual, which made her look slightly pale. Last night, in order to score the project, she had been held up by those men untilte. ¡°Mr. Smith told me that as soon as we put our signatures down, they¡®d start the work immediately. They also . assured me that if I sign the contract with them, they¡®d be able to approve it right away...¡± Weston tapped on the table with his fingers and swept a quick nce over her. Even though he¡®d been paying little attention so far, he felt he should say a few words to remind her now. ¡°Ford Corporation has enough strength and capital on its own to win projects without requiring its employees to resort to special means, you know.¡± Daisy understood the meaning between the lines right away, and it felt like a p on her face. Her pale face turned beet red in seconds. ¡°I didn¡®t use any special means at all, Mr. Ford, I was just 11 She had no idea what to say next. After a long pause, she clenched her fists and, in an angry tone and told him, ¡°I was only working as hard as I could to win that project without using any dirty tricks! I assure you I never did anything inappropriate with those men!¡± She then turned on her heels and left. As he watched her stomping angrily out of the door, Weston¡®s only reaction was to look away with impatience. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The telephone on his table rang. It was Ben. He informed Weston of the next meeting in his schedule. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied briefly, his eyes devoid of any expression, ¡°let them in.¡± Soon afterward, the sound of clinking high heels rang. from the door. When Weston looked up, he saw someone that he never expected to see here. Ste, d in a ck dress that entuated her curves, was leaning against the door and smiling gently at him. At that moment, Weston wondered if he was actually dreaming He had been suffering from severe insomnia in the past three years ¨Cover a thousand sleepless nights. On some of those nights, he would asionally catch glimpses of her. She would appear before him, but as soon as he reached out to touch her, she would disappear instantly like a popped bubble. This time though, Ste really was right in front of him, and she was slowly walking toward him. ¡°I¡®ve been waiting for your response, but you were silent the whole time, so I took the initiative to walk into your office without your permission. You don¡®t mind my bad manners, do you, Mr. Ford?¡± Ste¡®s voice pulled Weston back to reality. Without so much as a word, he took her into his arms and pulled her down onto hisp. ¡°You can alwayse into my office anytime you like,¡± he told her. ¡°You know I¡®ll always wee you here.¡± Ste frowned ever so slightly, feeling a little disgusted by his gesture inside, but still keeping a smile on her face. She pressed his shoulder to get up to her feet and said, ¡° I¡®m here to discuss business matters with you today, Mr. Ford. It would be an inconvenience if you keep groping me like that.¡± ¡°And besides ...¡± Ste tapped her light pink lips gently with her slender finger. The makeup on her face was sweet and delicate, yet the words that woulde out of her mouth were unimaginably hurtful. ¡°I think I¡®ve told yo? before that I have a boyfriend now, haven¡®t I? I must ask you to restrain yourself, Mr. Ford.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she could feel the man¡®s grip on her body tighten. The next thing she knew, she waspletely overpowered by him as he covered her lips with his own and kissed her so vehemently that it made her head spin. Weston held her very tightly, pinning her down between his office table and his chest, giving her no chance of escape as he continued to kiss her with the fiercest of passions. The kiss went on until she was almost out of breath. Then he spread out his gentle little kisses on every inch of her skin, from her lips down to her neck, then slowly back up to her face again, where he yfully licked her cheek. It was as if he could never get enough of every inch of her body. Then, his hand wandered down below her waist; his smooth and effortless movements only told of how well he knew that part of hers. Chapter 1197 Chapter 1197 Chapter 1197 Ste found herself so tightly in Weston¡®s arms that she couldn¡®t move an inch. She tried to kick him, but Weston grabbed her ankle and held it in ce before pulling her closer to his chest. The difference between their physical strengths was just too big. Without any effort, Weston then took off Ste¡®s shoes, before he began to pull down her pantyhose. ¡°Weston!¡± she red coldly at him, nting her feet on his knees in an attempt to shirk away. Instead, he took hold of her hand while his other hand finally found her secret spot. ¡°Get away from me!¡± she yelped, losing her temper.¡° Don¡®t you dare touch me!¡± ¡°But you¡®re the one touching me right now,¡± Weston replied in a raspy voice, gazing at her with eyes brimming with pressing desire and desperate yearning. ¡°Do you know how much I¡®ve suffered these past few years?¡± he whispered in her ear, guiding her hand toward his manhood. ¡°I¡®ve been like this every day... whenever I thought of you, I¡®d imagine you by my side, but each time, I realized that you were never actually there...¡± His words were punctuated by heavy breathing. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. His voice was incredibly alluring. It was deep yet honeyed with just the right edge, incredibly pleasant to the ear, just like the sound of a fine fabric being torn. But Ste merely closed her eyes, which were filled with contempt. Hershes trembled as she took a deep breath, ¡°You¡®re disgusting.¡± Weston stopped abruptly. For a long time, he stared quietly at her with eyes full of hurt. It felt like ages when he finally calmed down and loosened his hold on her body. Sensing this, Ste got up immediately, only for Weston to wrap his arms around her waist again as he murmured near her lips, ¡°Ste...¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, I¡®m really sorry about what happened earlier. This document...¡± The voice came from outside the office, and soon afterward, Daisy appeared right in front of Ste and Weston, holding several thick contract documents in her hands. After chancing upon the shocking scene that greeted her eyes as soon as she opened the door, Daisy¡¯s face turned white as a sheet. She had never expected Ste to suddenly show up in Weston¡®s office. It had only been a short few days, yet she somehow already managed to be here in his office, making out with him without a care in the world for decency. Daisy¡®s hands trembled. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her flesh. At that moment, she even felt like going so deep that she¡®d bleed. The scene in front of her was such a huge blow that it almost shattered her hopes into a million pieces. She noticed the undisguised yearning on Weston¡®s face, the ardent passion and longing that she had never seen before when he was around other people. All this was proof that she had only been ttering herself these past three years, believing that she was slowly getting closer to Weston. Weston moved away from Ste¡®s lips when he saw the woman standing at the door. His voice was extremely cold and unfeeling when he barked, ¡°Did no one ever teach you how to knock on the door? Get out!¡± Daisy¡®s expressions changed drastically. She tried to exin herself by telling him, ¡°I didn¡®t mean to¡­¡± But before she could finish her sentence, a heavy ashtray flew straight towards her and fell on the floor right next to her feet, smashing into smithereens.. ¡°Didn¡®t you hear what I said?!¡± His voice was now menacingly cold. ¡°Get out!¡± Daisy took a deep breath and hurriedly turned around to close the door, leaving Ste and Weston alone in the office. When the door was closed again, Weston¡®s gaze shifted back to Ste¡®s face. His whole countenance softened immensely, even showing signs of deep pining and tenderness. ¡°Ste...¡± Every time he called her name, his voice dripped with yearning passion. He held onto her waist, eager to continue from where they left off, but she got straight up to her feet and stared icily down at him, saying, ¡°It looks like you¡®re too horny to talk business with right now, Mr. Ford. Perhaps you should call your secretary back in so she can satiate you. We can talk after you¡®re done.¡± Chapter 1198 Chapter 1198 Chapter 1198 As she spoke, Ste noticed that Weston¡®s expression had turned stone cold. It was as if her words were a bucket of cold water that was poured onto his burning me. His fiery passion was extinguished just like that, so swiftly, so mercilessly, and so painfully. Ste enjoyed that look on his face right now. Her gestures becamenguid yet elegant. Then she sensed that the grip around her waist was getting tighter and tighter. She looked down at the dark and unfathomable eyes of the man. She frowned and . asserted, ¡°You¡®re hurting me!¡± She could see that Weston was already on the verge of fury. Yet he remained calm and patient enough not to lose his temper. Instead, he buried his face in her neck and told her, ¡°You know perfectly well what I want, Ste He kissed her shoulder, and the warmth of his lips spread slowly downwards, though he did not venture any further. He just lingered on the surface of her skin. Weston knew that Ste only said those things to hurt him. She must have known that with his feelings for her right now, telling him to go to another woman would do nothing but only distress him. ¡°You¡®ve always been my only woman,¡± he whispered in his husky voice into her ear as he leaned against her neck. ¡°There will never be another woman in my life except you.¡± Ste knew that Weston was never one to say romantic things, but she knew just as well that this man had always been able to do everything excellently. She had learned long ago, back when he used to keep her as his mistress while publicly being in a rtionship with Guinevere Cohen, that his words could not be trusted, and she wasn¡®t about to believe him now. Ste half¨Cstretched her body to get away from him. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Ford...¡± she sat up and looked at him nonchntly.¡° I came here to see you because I have something to discuss with you.¡± Weston relented and stretched backward, quietly staring and studying her. He did not let her finish speaking before telling her,¡° There¡®s no need to discuss anything. I¡®ll agree to anything you want.¡± Ste was mildly startled, and there was surprise in her eyes. With augh, she asked him, ¡°What if I want the entire Ford Corporation ? Would you give me that too?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, walking up to her and resting his hands on each side of her body while leaning down to look at her. He exuded an invisible aura of intimidation effortlessly ¡°As long as it¡®s something that you want,¡± he said, ¡°I¡®ll give it to you without any question.¡± The smile on Ste¡®s face faded slightly. She could tell that he was not joking. This made her expression gradually turn somber. ¡°You¡®re right,¡± she said, touching his arms and then gently pushing him away, ¡°I don¡®t actually want that. All I want is what I deserve.¡± There was a sudden change in his eyes. They looked more mysterious and inscrutable than usual now. He was about to say something, but Ste abruptly withdrew her hands and stared at him with an amused expression before telling him, ¡°You¡®ve gotten worse, Mr. Ford. Compared to three years ago, you¡®re acting as if . you¡®ve never met a woman before.¡± Weston instantly understood that she was only teasing him just now. Instead of getting angry, he laughed, ced his hand behind her body, and balled it up into a fist before moving slowly downward, while the other hand held her face in ce. ¡°It looks like you¡®ve learned a lot of new skills while you were abroad.¡± ¡°I learned many things indeed, but I¡®m not sure if you can handle it, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Try me?¡± He leaned in towards her till the tips of their noses were so close that with just a tiny nudge forward, they would be touching. But he did not go any further than that or touched her. He just stayed there and quietly observed her, his unfathomable eyes peering into the depths of her soul. Chapter 1199 Chapter 1199 Chapter 1199 Ste looked away from him. Three years had passed, but there was one thing about him that remained absolutely the same¡ªhe still emanated this undeniably intimidating air that made looking straight into his eyes an arduous affair. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some documents about my projects, she said, standing up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at it?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She had no desire to keep ying games with him. She had been here long enough. ¡± Weston seemedpletely unsurprised. He tapped his fingers on the table and got up to sit back down in his chair. ¡°Since you¡¯re here to talk business,¡± he said, looking at her with the shadow of a smile, ¡°then let¡¯s talk with a business attitude. You must¡¯ve done your research beforeing here, so I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you what to do.¡± Ste got up and ced the documents in her hands down in front of him. With a serious and professional tone, she said, ¡°I hope that you would consider working with this tech startup. It¡¯s not easy for a well¨Cknown brand from abroad to break into the local market and gain the trust of localpanies, but if Ford Corporation takes the lead and be the firstpany to work with us, then I¡¯m sure that it would make the endeavor much easier.¡± She spoke in apletely formal tone without a trace of emotion at all. Even Weston, after hearing her speak, returned to the serious expressions that he wore whenever he was working. He nced calmly at her and asked, ¡°So these are yourpany¡¯s project ns?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°If you need some time to go through them, I¡¯ll leave you to think about it¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he interrupted her, putting the document aside. ¡± Since you think it¡¯s fine, then I have no reason to reject it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Ste frowned. With an amused look, she added, ¡°This is a big deal, after all. You should probably take your time to look through it, Mr. Ford.¡± She then stood up and tried to leave, but Weston grabbed her hand to stop her. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that I wanted to say,¡± she said, losing her patience. ¡°Unless you have anything else to tell me, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know,¡± Weston sped her wrist with his fingers and lightly brushed them against her skin. ¡°How hard would it normally be for someone to have a meal with me? How much trouble would they have to go through just to meet me for a little while? Do you think you can sit back and rx, now that you¡¯ve thrown your project ns on my table?¡± Ste read between the lines and slowly sat up in her seat. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re requiring something else from me, Mr. Ford. Please excuse me for being frank with you, but after hearing all your sweet talk to me, I was under the impression you¡¯d be willing to agree to anything that I want.¡± Her biting sarcasm only managed to make Weston chuckle under his breath. He stroked her hair gently and said, ¡°You know exactly what I want from you, Ste.¡± A long time passed when he finally spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon now. Will you have lunch with me?¡± Ste studied his face with great interest but said nothing. Weston pressed his fingers on the point between his brows and told her, ¡°If you give me a nod, I¡¯ll sign these documents right away.¡± Ste still remained silent. She folded her arms, leaned back against the chair, and continued to stare at him wordlessly. It was as if they were ying an invisible game of tug of war. In the end, it was Weston who relented. He picked up his pen and put his signatures on the documents before handing them back to her. ¡°Will you nod your head now?¡± he asked. ¡°dly,¡± Ste stood right up and smiled at Weston. ¡± You can choose the venue. It¡¯ll be my treat today.¡± Once the whole matter was settled, Daisy finally walked into the office. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡­¡± Ste watched her with a smile andmented, ¡°You must¡¯ve been tired of waiting outside, Daisy. I wonder if you¡¯d be willing to pour me a cup of coffee now?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± replied Daisy. She was dismayed, but still kept up the professional attitude of a secretary and poured her a cup of coffee. With a nce, Ste knew that Daisy only got her the coffee from the pantry without putting much effort into it. Meanwhile, the coffee Weston got was freshly brewed and carefully prepared. This small gesture definitely revealed a lot about Daisy. With her chin supported by her hand, Ste turned towards the man beside her and said, ¡°You are a rich and handsome man, Mr. Ford. You¡¯re also very young and strong. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re surrounded by a flock of female employees in thispany who are crazy about you, am I right?¡± Chapter 1200 Chapter 1200 Chapter 1200 As soon as Ste finished her sentence, Daisy, who was standing beside Weston, frowned and nced at Ste with a look of displeasure. But Weston, on the other hand, seemed to be concealing a smile as he turned to Ste and asked, ¡°Are you getting jealous?¡± The smile on Ste¡¯s face was even more obvious, though it was unclear if it was sarcasm or contempt. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, Mr. Ford, then I just can¡¯t help it.¡± She brushed her hand lightly against his armrest, almost as delicately as the way dragonflies skimmed above the water¡¯s surface. Weston nced at her. With just the lightest touch, she already had him wrapped around her fingers. He knew that she did that on purpose. He also knew that she was only weaving a web and was waiting for him to walk into it and get caught in her trap. Nevertheless, he dly headed right into her trap without any hesitation at all, like a moth that flew into the fire. The truth was, Ste had no need to bother herself with all of this. All she had to do was say a few words and shed a tear or two, and he would happily give her the world if she so wished. After setting down the cups of coffee, Daisy was in no hurry to leave. She swept a nce over the documents on the table and noticed that Weston had already signed them. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± she frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think these are ready yet¡­¡± Ford Corporation had always followed a strict set of rules before a document could be signed, and they had always adhered to this process no matter what. Even the orders that she receivedst night had to be approved by the finance department. Yet Ste had just waltzed in here with her unreviewed project ns. How could she get Weston¡¯s signatures just like that? However, she quickly realized that she had overstepped her boundaries. She was his secretary. Her job was to assist him in his various tasks, not to question his decisions. With a half smile, Stemented, ¡°Yourpany really is extraordinary, Mr. Ford, because it seems your secretary makes the final decisions.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t try to stir up any trouble.¡± Daisy¡¯s expression soured instantly. ¡°No matter what, Mr. Ford will always have the final say here. I was only reminding him of the rules because it¡¯s my duty.¡± After she finished speaking, Daisy realized that her tone was a little too harsh. Based on how important Ste was to Weston right now, she would never get on his good side if she spoke to Ste that way. And so, with a much gentler tone, she hurriedly added in an apologetic tone. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for my attitude, but my only intention was to give Mr. Ford a reminder. After all, wouldn¡¯t it serve everyone down the line the best if the cooperation goes through the due process?¡± Ste smiled wryly as she found Daisy¡¯s principled and righteous act incredibly amusing. With her eyes showing no emotion at all, she picked up the coffee cup with her unique elegant demeanor and took a sip. ¡°Daisy sure is an admirably capable secretary,¡± she said. But it pains me to say that her coffee¨Cmaking skills are nowhere as praiseworthy¡­¡± (( Weston nced at her silently. His gaze then fell on his own cup of coffee, and he soon understood what Ste was trying to imply. Without saying anything, he pulled her up from her seat and let her sit on his lap. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let me try your coffee,¡± he said. Daisy¡¯s head jerked up immediately. She turned to Weston in astonishment and instinctively tried to stop him by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t drink from that cup, Mr. Ford!!!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Weston red at her with an icy gaze. At that point, he seemed to have perceived something going on. Daisy naturally realized it too. Her eyebrows twitched violently. She had no choice but to exin, ¡°Mrs. Ford already drank from that cup, so¡­¡® ¡°¡± She paused, then added, ¡°Since you¡¯re a germaphobe, I can get you a new cup if you want to drink this type of coffee.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Ste, ¡°so you¡¯re saying that we¡¯re not drinking the same cup of coffee then?¡± Ste acted as if she had just realized something. With raised brows, she looked at Daisy, then turned to Weston and continued, ¡°I assumed we were drinking the same coffee, but it turns out that we weren¡¯t¡­¡± Chapter 1201 Chapter 1201 Chapter 1201 After saying that, she picked up her cup of coffee and put it in front of Weston. ¡°Why not give it a taste to know the difference, Mr. Ford?¡± Without even blinking his eyes, Weston took a sip of the coffee she handed him. The cup was used by Ste, but Weston drank the coffee without even a flinch. Daisy¡¯s face immediately turned. As his secretary, she knew how serious his obsession with cleanliness was. He would never use what others had used. Did he make an exception for her just because it was Ste? When she was still in confusion, she heard the crisp sound of the coffee cup being ced on the table¡ª And that ¡°ng¡± brought her back to her senses with a jolt. The man¡¯s chilly voice rang. ¡°Is this what you usually serve the guests? Her face paled, and she quickly exined, ¡°I apologize, Mr. Ford. As you are used to drinking hand¨C ground coffee, I personally brew this for you. The coffee we serve the guests meets thepany¡¯s standard practices and has been prepared in fullpliance with the procedure. If Mrs. Ford does not like it, I can make her ground coffee as well¡­¡± Weston was already very irritated. His handsome face was gloomy, like the dark sky that was about to rain. ¡°There is no need for that. You can go out now.¡± She stood still, and her body felt stiff. She seemed to want to go out, but she wasn¡¯t moving. Looking at her trapped in an awkward situation, Ste smiled and said to Weston. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Look at her. she seems to want to make coffee for me. I am interested in tasting the coffee your secretary makes. After all, it¡¯s something Mr. Ford can ept. I bet her skill should be excellent.¡± He gazed into her eyes. Knowing there was something between her line, he still decided to let her have her way. He pulled her to sit on hisp. ¡°If you want, I can make it for you myself. It will surely not taste any worse than hers.¡± Watching the two act like no one was around, Daisy clenched her fists slowly. As her face turned pale, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself, Mr. Ford. I¡¯ll go make it now.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. In fact, she was indeed hiding a small intention in her actions. Being in charge of all of Weston¡¯s necessities, she wanted to give him the best. Therefore, she naturally cared less about other people. Though it was somehow a little deliberate, she thought it brought no harm. She didn¡¯t expect that Ste would expose her so directly She simply wanted to watch her make a fool of herself, didn¡¯t she? After saying that, Daisy escaped the scene. Ste¡¯s eyes darkened, and something yed in her mind. when she looked at her back. The next second, the man pinched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡± Once Daisy left, Ste¡¯s face changed immediately. She pushed him away and got right up off of him. Westonughed and shook his head at how ungrateful she became after using him. ¡°I thought you were jealous.¡± She sneered. She felt intense mockery but still bantered with a charming tone. ¡°Your secretary is such a beauty. She is so capable and is so concerned about you. It¡¯s your blessing. Why should I be jealous?¡± Her heart was cold, yet she was smiling, and her words were ambiguous. Since the day they met in the restaurant, Weston had envisioned a lot about how she would treat herself afterward. But it never urred to him that she would be as vague as she is now. She could smile at him just to get what she wanted. Chapter 1202 Chapter 1202 Chapter 1202 At times, Weston felt that it would hurt if he knew too much. He didn¡¯t want to see too deeply into her. Perhaps a little self¨Cdeception would help him feel better. Hence, not wanting to bother with her anymore, he stood up, tossed his pen casually onto the table, and tucked his hands into his pockets. ¡°Let¡¯s go out. You said you¡¯d treat me to a meal.¡± Ste stood up steadily and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to take it so seriously.¡± ¡°Did you just say that casually?¡± ¡°Alright, since you signed the papers.¡± She ran her finger through her fingers. ¡°But I might need to go home first. My two children are still waiting for me at home. I need to inform them. He suddenly changed his mind. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go to your ce.¡± Without looking at him, she looked down at her phone and sent a text message. A momentter, only then did she faintly spit out a few words. ¡°You wish.¡± She looked up and swept a nce at him. Her smile was beautiful, but it was abominable in the eyes of the man. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. I won¡¯t do anything to them.¡± ¡°Do you want to meet them so badly because you think they might be your kids?¡± He did not say a word and stared at her in silence. He knew that Ste wouldn¡¯t be giving him a definite answer within a short time. Even if she denied it again and again, he knew it wasn¡¯t the truth. She sighed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll ask them if they want toe to dinner with you.¡± ¡°Let me talk to them.¡± She raised her eyebrows, wondering where he got his confidence. ¡°Sure.¡± After that, she hit the call button. It was the nanny who picked up the call. After talking to Ste briefly, the nanny asked Elias to talk to her. Weston nned to talk to the little girl at first, but it was the voice of a boy ¡°Hello, is this Mommy?¡± He nced at Ste. Pulling his necktie, he subconsciously slowed down his breathing and said gently, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Elias sounded confused and was a little alert. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Weston¡¯s gaze changed, and an ineffable aura surrounded him. ¡°I am called Weston,¡± he solemnly introduced himself. ¡°Weston¡­¡± Elias mumbled his name but did not say anything more. Where is my mommy? Why did she put you on the phone? Is there something wrong?¡± He spoke clearly and logically, and it was apparent that he was a brilliant kid. ¡°Your mother wants to invite me to dinner, and she wants to bring you and your Emma along. I wonder if you would like toe with us?¡± Ste blushed immediately, grabbed his phone, and red at him. You cheat. She mouthed. ¡°How could you ask that?¡± Sure enough, Elias¡® cheerful voice could be heard. ¡± Really? Mommy is taking us out for dinner? Yeah! I am going to call Emma right now!¡± Then, he hung up the phone. Ste was speechless. Weston looked at her with a smirk. ¡°See. I asked, and he¡¯s happy to have dinner with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re misleading him!¡± She looked at him, dissatisfied. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little shameless to set up a small child using such tricks?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Chapter 1203 Chapter 1203 Chapter 1203 Looking at how Ste had her hackles up, Weston wanted to reach out to touch her hair, but she avoided it. The gesture didn¡®t annoy Weston. His eyes showed a subtle softness and smile instead. ¡°Let¡®s fetch the two.¡± Seeing Ste remain standing, he stopped and looked at her. ¡°What? Or would you prefer to dine with me alone?¡± Ste immediately withdrew her gaze and walked past him without looking at him. Westonughed dumbly and shook his head as he looked at her from her back. He drove and pulled up at the apartment with no trouble. Ste didn¡®t even give him her address, but he could already drive right to her house. He came once, after all, so it did not seem necessary to pretend. She got out of the car and went straight to the elevator. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The two remained silent, as he followed her from behind. The man would constantly attempt to start a conversation, but Ste would ignore him totally. ¡°It seems like you learned a lot abroad that you can be so ungrateful now,¡± Weston suddenly said as he looked at the floors ascending on the elevator panel. She knew he was talking about her ignoring him after signing the contract, and leaned her head against the elevator. ¡°I can¡®t help it. This is me. If you¡®re not used to it, you¡®ll have to put up with it.¡± He lowered his head, and he beamed a gentle smile. Suddenly, he reached out his hand and pulled her gently.¡± Don¡®t lean against the wall. It¡®s dirty.¡± She red at him, frowning. ¡°Why are you still the same? Don¡®t you get tired of being so obsessed with cleanliness?¡± They fell into silence the moment she said that. The atmosphere changed abruptly when the past was mentioned. Ste , too, restrained her expression and looked ahead without speaking. The door of the elevator opened with a ding. Elias and Emma had been waiting for a long time. When they saw the door open, the two chubby kids scooted toward her. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Ste squatted down and held one in each arm. When Weston came out of the elevator and saw what was happening, his eyes showed a tenderness that he had never noticed he had before. Such a scene only appeared in his dream. Now it was happening right before his eyes. It was only after the children had cuddled Ste enough, that they noticed the tall and handsome man standing beside her. Emma recognized him. She released her arms from Ste¡®s neck, pointed at Weston, and greeted him happily. ¡°Unkie!¡± Emma ran toward him joyfully and spread her arms, asking for a hug. Ste looked helplessly at her chubby back. Emma was a little timid but more enthusiastic than Elias. There were times when she hid behind him, but when she saw someone she liked, she would be very bold. Ste was sometimes worried that her daughter might just go off with someone else if she didn¡®t keep a close eye on her. She reminded Emma from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t be naughty.¡± Weston looked at her quietly. Then, he squatted down and put his hands under the little girl¡®s armpits to pick her up. He moved very gently. Looking at the doll ¨C like girl, he asked, ¡°You still remember me?¡± Emma hugged his neck and nodded. His nose was immediately filled with a baby¡®s scent. Weston¡®s movements were a little stiff, and he exerted little force. Hence, Emma felt a bit ufortable and kicked her short legs slightly. ¡°Unkie, pain.¡± Ste was helping Elias fix his somewhat long sleeves. When she heard that, she looked up and exined to Weston, ¡°You need to put your hands under the bend of her knees to hold her, otherwise her legs would dangle on your waist, and both of you will feel ufortable.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1204 Chapter 1204 Chapter 1204 After hearing the advice, Weston adjusted the way he held Emma. Emma also obediently got into a better angle in his arms, and it felt much better. Eyes filled with happiness, Weston pinched her cheek. When the nanny heard themotion, she came out happily to greet them. Hearing a man¡®s voice, she subconsciously asked, ¡°Is that Mr. Miguel?¡± Weston looked up at the unfamiliar name and frowned slightly. When the nanny came out and discovered that the tall and handsome man was not Miguel, she felt a bit embarrassed. She thought he was a suitor of Ste or something and acted awkward at once. ¡°You are...¡± She had been working for Ste for almost three years. Although she had seen many suitors around Ste , she had never encountered one at home, especially when Elias and Emma were around. Ste was very protective of the two. So... who was this man here today? Weston clearly heard her mentioning the name ¡°Miguel¡± and frowned subtly. He looked at the nanny and greeted her. The nanny was ttered. ¡°Good day, sir. I am the nanny of the two children...¡± Ste briefly introduced her to him andter said to the nanny. ¡°Don¡®t mind him. He¡®s just visitng.¡± L W The nanny nodded and stood at the door, confused. So Ste told her to go and get busy with her own work. And they left, with each of them holding Emma and Elias. The nanny looked out the windows. To her, the man had a magnificent aura, and every movement of his was elegant and noble. She stayed abroad for many years and did not know much about the situation in their home country, nor did she know his name. Regardless, her mind ran wild. She suspected that this man had to be some big shot of some sort. She always thought that Miguel and Ste would get together one day. However, such a man appeared all of a sudden. She pondered, unsure if she should inform Miguel. She was essentially a nanny hired by Ste. So, she sighed and decided to just carry out her duties faithfully and not meddle with anything. Downstairs, they took Ste¡®s car since there were no safety seats in Weston¡®s car. For thefort of Elias and Emma when going out, she purposely purchased a spacious Alphard. The chauffeur was already waiting in the car. After securing Elias and Emma on the seats, Ste and Weston sat in the backseats of the car. Weston nced at her. ¡°What other man wille to your house apart from me?¡± Ste gave him a strange look and did not n to answer him. When Emma heard the question, she raised her hand and said eagerly, ¡°Big Brother wille!¡± Ste pinched her be, feeling a little helpless. Emma was indeed very innocent that she would simply say anything When she wanted to wink at Emma as a reminder, the man beside her suddenly leaned forward and blocked her view. Then, with his deep yet cheerful voice, he elicited an answer from her. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Oh, who is this Big Brother?¡°! Emma thought for a moment, counting on her little hands behind her back as if she was recalling Miguel¡®s name. She felt dizzy thinking about it. So, she covered her face and shook her head. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1205 Chapter 1205 Chapter 1205 Her braided pigtails swung along with her head movement like a rattle drum. ¡°I don¡®t know... I just know he is Big Brother!¡± Weston pursued the matter no further and rubbed her hair, smiling. ¡°Never mind. I will know the next time we meet.¡± Ste sneered. ¡°You seem to take liberties in meeting whoever you like to meet, Mr. Ford.¡± Not to mention he wanted to meet Elias and Emma, and now he wanted to meet Miguel. How could he be this free? Weston asked her where she wanted to go as if not hearing the sarcasm in her words. ¡°It¡®s my treat, of course, you decide.¡± He did not refuse and chose a quiet restaurant. It was very near to Musx in the suburbs. There were not many peopleing over, so basically, they would not be disturbed. Moreover, this restaurant served only the members. When they got out of the car, Ste picked Emma up. So Weston went to Elias. However, Elias was still a bit repulsive of him. Perhaps it was because he was unfamiliar with him that he hesitated and did not hold out his hands. TENER Weston said to him patiently, ¡°I will help you out of the car, and you walk on your own. Is that alright?¡± Elias then nodded his head lightly. When he hugged Elias, it was not as natural as when he hugged Emma, and his hands were a little stiff. As soon as hended, Elias stepped backward a few steps to keep a few meters away from him, and then grabbed Ste¡®s hand. It was a bit challenging for Ste to hold him with one hand and hold Emma with another. ¡°Let me hold her,¡± Weston said as he walked to her. After thinking for a while, she handed Emma to him. They entered the restaurant and requested a private room. When the receptionist ushered them to their room, Ste gave Weston a sidelong nce. ¡°It seems you¡®ve nned this for a long time. You even booked a private room.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I had to take the initiative to have a meal with you, haven¡®t I? It¡®s so hard to ask you out.¡± She smirked without saying anything. Only after she reached her seat did she coldly say, ¡°I¡®m the one who invited you to dinner. Stop talking so pathetically.¡± ¡°I could only get this chance because you need something from me?¡± he replied effortlessly. She took the menu to shield him away from her view. After taking the kids¡® orders, she handed the menu to him. Using tablets to order food was verymon nowadays. Emma stared at the electronic gadget without blinking her eyes. Weston sensed her desire. ¡°Want to y?¡± She nodded. He called for the waiter. ¡°Do you have another tablet? Bring one over.¡± The waiter hesitated. ¡°But they are all used for ordering food, and there are no games...¡°. He handed a card to her directly. ¡°Go to the nearest electronics store and buy one over, you can also choose a few phones you want yourself.¡± The waiter immediately took the card, recognizing it as a limited edition ck card, and nodded quickly. ¡°Sure. Please wait!¡± It was a very generous tip, and it would be a total waste if he didn¡®t take it! Once the waiter left, Ste looked at him disapprovingly. ¡°She¡®s still very young and shouldn¡®t be given electronic devices. Besides, you cannot give them anything they ask ...¡± Children nowadays spend too much time staring at the screen. Not only was it bad for their eyes, but they would find other things uninteresting and just surf the web all day. Ste was very conscious of this aspect. She basically did not y with these gadgets herself and tried to spend as much time as she could with them. So naturally, she couldn¡®t agree with Weston¡®s action of pampering them blindly. Previous Chapter Next ChapterThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 1206 Chapter 1206 Chapter 1206 Weston did not react to herment. The glittering eyes of Emma staring at him softened his heart, so he said, ¡°Just let her y for a while, it won¡®t do any harm.¡± Ste seemed very upset and wasn¡®t looking good. When the waiter returned with a tablet, she picked Emma up, paying no attention to the waiter. Knowing she was angry, Weston told the waiter to leave first. ¡°It¡®s only for a short while before the meal,¡± he said softly. ¡°I think that she is simply interested in the tablet, not that she wants to y games or anything. Children are normally curious.¡± As if agreeing with what he said, Emma reached her hands out in the direction of the tablet. ¡°Mommy, I want to y!¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Just for a short time. You must put it away when we eatter, alright?¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Promise!¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Emma then solemnly stretched out her finger and made a pinky swear with her. Locking the pinkies signified a promise. Ste touched Emma¡®s nose gently and let go of her. Emma sat happily beside Weston and asked him to teach her how to use the tablet. ¡°Teach me, Unkie!¡± Weston assumed that Emma would be a slightly slower learner than Elias. Elias might have very high intelligence, but Emma might just be an introvert. However, it didn¡®t ur to him that her learning speed was equally amazing She simply did not like to talk, especially when there were strangers around. She was timid, so she might appear naive like other children. However, her ability to grasp knowledge was fast. Moreover, at such a young age, she already knew how to synthesize the knowledge she had. She managed to figure out how to navigate the interface in just a short time. Weston rubbed her head, and his eyes softened even more. Seeing them getting along very well with each other, Ste could not say what she felt in her heart. In fact, she had also pondered about how theck of fatherly love would affect the two children these three years. Elias and Emma were the most important people to her in this world. She was willing to do anything for them. However, she couldn¡®t give them a father. She read a lot of books on parenting and knew that children growing up in single¨Cparent families would inevitably face many challenges growing up and that the strange looks from onlookers would impact them greatly. If possible , growing up in a happy andplete family would be best. Yet, it was true that she could not be the mother and the father. Even if she could y the two roles at the same time, she couldn¡®t do it perfectly. Therefore, she was not so resistant to the idea of letting Weston interact with them. But now, she was more concerned about securing their custody. Only when she could fullypete with Weston, would she be confident that he couldn¡®t steal them away. She needed to think ahead and not just considered the near future. The children would grow up one day and have the right to know the truth. As long as Weston could benefit the growth of Elias and Emma, she could only treat him as a tool. Sure enough, when they were about to start eating, and while the dishes were served one by one, Emma was still holding the tablet tightly, without any sense of letting go. Ste frowned and reminded her. ¡°It¡®s time to eat.¡± Hugging the table, Emam pouted and shook her head.¡± No, I still want to y!¡± She was ying a game, tapping her finger rapidly on the screen, and there were some interesting sound effects. The furrow in Ste¡®s brows deepened, and she reminded Emma once more. ¡°Didn¡®t you promise me that you will put it down before we eat?¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1207 Chapter 1207 Chapter 1207 Weston also urged her with a soft voice. ¡°Listen to your mother.¡± Emma refused. It wasn¡®t easy to get such an interesting thing. She hugged it tightly, unwilling to hand it to her. She even turned her back and bowed her head, showing disobedience. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Elias sighed and climbed down from his chair, and walked to her. Touching her head, he said, ¡°You promised, Mommy. You can¡®t take back your words.¡± Emma shook her head, and her pigtails swung in the air. Ste increased her volume at once and called her name.¡± Emma! Put the tablet down.¡± Emma was startled, and her eyes quickly welled up. However, she was still not letting go of the tablet and not making a sound. After a while, she pleaded, ¡°Mommy, I want to y a little longer...¡± ¡°No!¡± Ste said sternly, ¡°What did you promise me just now? A little while means a little while. You are getting addicted!¡± Emma pouted in silence, still not letting it go as if nning to resist until the end. Ste put down the cutlery in her hands and stared at her motionlessly. Emma¡®s tears were welling up in her eyes, and she looked at Elias with a grunt, trying to get him to help. Elias sided with Mommy firmly. Emma looked at Weston again. ¡°Unkie...¡± TTT V She tugged on his sleeve. She looked very pitiful. Weston sighed and looked at Ste. Ste seemed to know what he was going to say. ¡°This is my child. How I educate her is my own business. Don¡®t interfere.¡± She sounded annoyed and gave him a grudgeful look. If it were not for him insisting on giving her the tablet, she wouldn¡®t have acted out. It was all his fault! Weston did not say anything and rubbed his be in dismay. He was caught in the middle. When the atmosphere was getting a little anxious, a familiar voice could be heard ¡°Hey, why is this little girl crying?¡± Aman entered. Miguel came to Emma and picked her up. In a yful tone, he said to her, ¡°Why is our little princess crying? Look at the golden beads you are shedding, is someone bullying you?¡± The moment Emma saw him, she hugged him in grief, burying her face in his shoulder, and cried. She seemed very dependent on him. Ste¡®s eyes fluttered, not expecting him to be here. ¡°Ste, make some space for me.¡± He sat directly next to her, holding Emma and coaxing her while greeting Elias. Elias was also very familiar with him. He ran to him cheerfully, hugging his arm. Weston gazed at this sudden uninvited guest sullenly, and his aura turned cold. ¨C Just as he was about to say something , Miguel seemed just to notice his presence and raised his brows. ¡°I didn¡®t expect to run into Mr. Ford here. It¡®s quite a coincidence Weston did not show much expression on his face. A trace of gloominess shed across his eyes, looking at how intimate the children interacted with him. ¡°You are...¡± The moment he said that Miguel¡®s face changed. Chapter 1201 He twitched his lips slightly. ¡°You are such a forgetful man, Mr. Ford. But I don¡®t mind introducing myself to you again. I am Miguel, and to the two little ones, Daddy.¡± He emphasized thest word. Previous Chapter Chapter 1208 Chapter 1208 Chapter 1208 Miguel¡®s tone was clearly provocative. He sat beside Ste, holding the twin. If it weren¡®t for his excessively young and boyish face, his statement would be a little more convincing. Weston leaned back slightly and looked at him with indifferent eyes. It was a repulsive gesture. ¡°You are just a kid. Don¡®t bluff.¡± Miguel¡®s face turned green. ¡°Don¡®t look down on people, old man!¡± He sneered. ¡°Women like young men nowadays. You are already thirty, so stop embarrassing yourself here. Don¡®t you agree, Ste?¡± He nced at the woman beside him. Ste tapped her finger at the corner of her mouth. She didn¡®t expect him to appear all of a sudden. Although she did not reply to his question, she acted like she was closer to Miguel. Instead, she asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± Miguel looked at Emma, crying, and said, ¡°It just so happened that I picked this ce, and I didn¡®t expect to meet you guys.¡± Then, he said, ¡°Why is she crying? Did someone bully her?¡± And he swept a nce at the man in front. Ste shook her head. ¡°She is acting out.¡± But Weston was partly at fault! Ste recounted the incident. Miguel nodded as he was listening. Then he rubbed Emma¡®s face and said, ¡°You have to listen to your mother and eat properly during mealtime. Give me the tablet, okay?¡± Emma shook her head again, not willing to let go of her hands. However, she had obviously loosened her hands a bit. Miguel lovingly persuaded her. ¡°I will bring you somewhere fun after you eat. It¡®s more fun than this tablet. What say you?¡± Emma raised her head and looked at him when she heard him. Her eyes were red. He went on. ¡°Don¡®t you want to go to the water park? If you behave yourself, I will take you there, okay?¡± Emma then handed him the tablet. ¡°Okay...¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Weston watched everything from the start until the end. Such a scenario obviously showed that they were almost like a family, even when they were not. They could not fake the dependence of the twin on him. Elias, in particr, sat close to Miguel, showing that he trusted him. Weston was about to lose his patience. And his eyes were as deep as a dark night. But he did not snap. There were children around. He did not want to scare them, so he said tly. ¡°Since you are already here, why don¡®t you stay with us?¡± Then, he summoned the waiter to bring him a set of cutlery. Miguel stared at him, not expecting him to be so generous. He sneered. ¡°As expected of Mr. Ford. You are so generous and quite tolerant of people.¡± He was so entric in every word. Ste , who was listening, frowned a little. Anyway, she was, of course, more partial toward Miguel now. For Weston, she was just keeping her promise that she would treat him to a meal. It would seem like she had not gotten over him if she kept avoiding him. It would really mean that she had gotten over him if she could interact with him calmly. Miguel¡®s eyes, however, darkened, and his expression became a little ufortable. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1209 Chapter 1209 Chapter 1209 He just left the client alone toe here. If he had this meal with them here, perhaps there would be no more chance with that project... But if he got up and left. He nced at the man across the table. Although Weston suppressed his emotions , Miguel still sensed his confidence in having everything under his control. He always acted so high and mighty, as if he could control everything Thinking of this, Miguel sat down and nodded. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± He did not deny that he was being impulsive, yet he could not give up his territory to Weston in any case. After eating, Weston casually offered Ste to send her home. Miguel said immediately, ¡°No, we are living together. We can just go back together.¡± From the moment he imed himself as the father of the twin, and now he is unabashedly provoking him, his intention was obvious. Weston pressed his be and cast a distant look at him silently. His slender finger tapped on the table lightly. Without any change of expression , he had the ability to make people feel gloomy and oppressed, much less one that came as hard as a storm. Miguel just stared at him as if afraid Weston couldn¡®t see the hostility in his eyes. Weston suddenly stood up, and Miguel¡®s face immediately turned stiff. He was about to stand up, but to his surprise, the man simply pulled his chair to the back and said nonchntly, ¡°I¡®ll get the bill.¡± Weston smirked at Miguel as if he was encountering his arch nemesis. His eyes were full of disdain , yet his face was still as calm. ¡°Don¡®t be so nervous. It¡®s just a meal. It¡®s nothing.¡± After saying that, he deliberately let his gaze linger on his face for a moment. He seemed to confirm something and then withdrew his gaze. Then, he picked up the suit jacket, turned around, and left. The moment the door was closed, the man¡®s face turned cold. If he was not mistaken, this man called Miguel was simr to Roger. The first time he saw him, he thought he was Roger. But after taking a closer look, he discovered that some subtle differences still distinguished them. When Miguel provoked him by saying that he was the father of the two little ones, he disyed the typical, instinctive male repulsion. LLL Hence, he could see that it was impossible for him to be their father. Besides, with his face so simr to Roger¡®s, he could guess that Ste treated him as her brother. He wasn¡®t a man who could pose a threat, so he did not take him too seriously. After he left, Ste looked at the man beside her somewhat helplessly. ¡°You were so childish.¡± Miguel was still a bit upset. He had a feeling that he had lost the confrontation just now, but he couldn¡®t tell exactly how. He just felt as if he did not have the advantage over Weston. Elias imitated Ste, crossing his arms, and said to Miguel, ¡°You were so childish.¡± ¡°I dare you to say it again.¡± Miguel did not dare to say anything to Ste, but it was not the case for Elias. Eliasughed and jumped in front of him, joking with him. Ste stopped it helplessly. ¡°Don¡®t fool around outside. You might get hurt...¡± But no one listened. Emma grabbed the chance, saying, ¡°Mommy, I want to y with the tablet...¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ste rubbed her temples and sighed as she watched the mess in front of her. ¡°Alright.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1210 Chapter 1210 Chapter 1210 Miguel was ying with Elias when they identally knocked over the ss of water. Ste jumped to her feet. The ss just so happened to roll off the table, and the water sshed on her. Miguel paled immediately. ¡°Are you alright? Sorry, I didn¡®t know there was water in the ss...¡± ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She stood up and said, ¡°It¡®s just in water. You bring Elias and Emma to the car first. It¡®s in the basement. I will go to the washroom ande over right away.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Miguel brought Elias and Emma out of the private room without thinking much of it. Ste took her bag and headed to the washroom. She had just passed a corridor when a bony wrist suddenly reached out from a room next to her, sped her hand, and pulled her in at once ¡°Who...¡± Just as she was about to shout, her mouth was covered by the big palms. When she looked sideways, she met Weston¡®s dark inky eyes with a little chill. **What are you doing?¡± She was pressed against the wall, annoyed and frowning. He did not say anything and simply stared at her. After a while, he raised his hand and closed the door behind her. Click! She looked back immediately, but Weston was the first to stop her. With his strong arms wrapped around her waist, Ste was immediately pulled into his embrace. She wanted to push him away, but her strength was nothing to him. Staring into his determined eyes, she immediately wanted to retaliate. ¡°If you touch me, I will shout!¡± Hearing what she said, the man paused. However, he still didn¡®t let her go. He just looked at her sace silently. Ste was confused by his action. She red at him with a red face. ¡°What are you looking at me like that for? Trust me, I will really scream!¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± Heughed. It was the kind ofughter that came from the heart that even his chest fluttered. His hands were still on her waist, tightening his embrace, and his damp breath rang right in her ear. With an almost flirtatious tone, he said, ¡°Why not call all of them over and see what I do to you.¡± T 2 He moved his hands upward and lifted the hem of her dress. ¡°Do you have any idea how much I¡®ve wanted to do this to you all these years?¡± ¡°In a secluded ce like this, with just the two of us in the space, and front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows of the office...¡± 1 Ste took a deep breath at his shameless words, closed her eyes, and pushed him away fiercely. ¡°Don¡®t say these disgusting things to me!¡± Before she could finish, Weston pulled her into his arms again. This time, he did not hold back. The hallway was empty, and only their breathing could be heard. He cupped her face and kissed her. Her eyes widened in disbelief and she punched his chest hard. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1211 Chapter 1211 Chapter 1211 Weston didn¡®t care. He grabbed her wrists and put them behind her back, then, lifted her with both his arms. ¡°Ah!¡± Ste eximed as she felt her feet dangling midair. She watched as he pushed herself against the wall and kissed her more passionately. Weston pinned her hands down and kissed her repeatedly as if trying to eat her up. Her whole body became numb and soft from the force he exerted, and she simply couldn¡®t break free from his shackles. ¡°Mm, let go of me...¡± She whimpered weakly. Weston seemed to not hear her as he continued his assault of kisses. He kissed her so intensely. He seemed like he was trying to make up for all the years in her absence. No one knew how long the kisssted. Atst, Weston panted in her ear and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Keep your distance from that man.¡± Ste¡®s eyes seemed dazed. She was gasping for air. When she heard his muffled voice, she took a moment to breathe before realizing who he meant. Ste clenched her fists in anger. Her fingers were trembling slightly. ¡°What does he have to do with you?¡± Weston refrained from answering. Instead, he said indifferently, ¡°If you ever let him call himself the father of those two little ones again, I¡®ll make him regret it.¡± Ste gave him a cold look. ¡°Are you going to hurt him?¡± ¡°If he didn¡®t act like a clown in front of me like he did today, I¡®d have considered letting him go.¡± Weston caressed Ste¡®s face. ¡°I know you treat him like Roger, but I don¡®t care about him. Even if Roger is still alive, I wouldn¡®t forgive him if he had any ulterior motives toward you.¡± Just as he finished, Ste suddenly looked up at him with red eyes and gave him a hard p. The air between them froze. Amid the dead silence, they could hear the breathing of the other. Ste red at the man in front of her with intense hatred burning in her eyes. She hated him because of his ridiculous actions¡ªhe disrupted her life after causing her miscarriage and abandoning her¨Che trapped her by his side and made her a mistress. Not only that, he only forced herself to obey and pushed Roger to the verge of death. As a result, Roger killed himself because he refused to be Weston¡®s tool in threatening Ste. Ste hated him so much for all the things he had done. However, Weston simply mentioned it so lightly again, as if it was nothing to him. Weston didn¡®t fight back. Soon, an obvious, red mark appeared on his face. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Are you done?¡± Ste did not say anything, but her body was still shaking. ¡°Ste...¡± Weston took her wrist and put it on his face again. ¡°If that¡®s not enough, p me again. I don¡®t care as long as it makes you happy.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ste pushed him away sharply. She couldn¡®t stand the very thought of Weston, that haunted her like a demon. ¡°How can you be so guiltless? He wouldn¡®t be dead if not for you. Why are you using the same tactics on those I care about?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Ste was getting a little emotional and agitated. ¡°I¡®m telling yoy, no! Never again!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡®m weak because I¡®m working with you on this project? Or do you think that I must cooperate with you and have no other choice?¡± ¡°I never thought so.¡± Weston cut her off. Weston stepped forward and cornered Ste. He said in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡®m d you came to me. You know, I wasn¡®t lying when I said I¡®d give you the whole Ford Corporation.¡± Chapter 1212 Chapter 1212 Chapter 1212 Ste¡®s voice turned cold. ¡°Do you think I care? What I want isn¡®t something you can give me.¡± Weston suddenly stiffened. He closed his eyes and exhaled. Her p earlier was no more damaging to him than her harsh words. Weston put his hands on her side and said in her ear, ¡°I know what you¡®re thinking , Ste. I can¡®t. If I could let you go, I would¡®ve done it three years ago.¡± His voice was hoarse. ¡°Now, you should understand my feelings for you.¡± Weston looked at her with his dark eyes and intense gaze. He reached out to stroke her hair. ¡°Whether you hate me or have no feelings for me, the answer remains the same. You wanted to take my life three years ago, but you couldn¡®t. It¡®ll be the same now.¡± Ste sneered at the fierce obsession in his eyes and suddenlyughed at his persistence. She asked, ¡°Do you love me?¡± Weston said nothing. He set his jaw and pressed his lips into a tense line. Ste asked him once more, ¡°Hey. Do you love me that much?¡± Weston remained silent. The light behind him stretched his shadow, making him appear lonely. Ste suddenly pulled his tie and made him look into her eyes. ¡°Are you a coward? You can¡®t even admit that you love me, can you?¡± ¡°I love you,¡± Weston said suddenly. He looked her in the eye and enunciated word for word, ¡°I love you.¡± Ste immediately let him go. She took a step back and smiled sarcastically. ¡°So what? I don¡®t love you anymore. Your love only sickens me.¡± Elias and Emma were each enjoying a cup of jelly in the car. Miguel was wiping their mouths when he saw Ste rushing over. ¡°What took you so long?¡± he asked, frowning Ste got in the car in silence. Then, he told the driver to drive. Miguel was sharp¨Ceyed. When he noticed that her lipstick seemed to be smudged, his face fell. However, he stayed silent about it because of Elias and Emma¡®s presence. sed Elias and Emma were a little tired by the time they got home. They were used to napping in the afternoon, so it did not take long to put them to bed. Miguel grabbed Ste by the hand as soon as she walked out and pulled her to the living room couch. ¡°What happened earlier? Did you do something with Weston?¡± Ste was already irritated from the earlier incident. Hearing Miguel¡®s question, her tone turned unpleasant.¡± What I do is none of your business, isn¡®t it?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Miguel was stunned for a moment. Then, he became angry. ¡°I can¡®t even ask anything now? Are you starting over with that man again?¡± ¡°That¡®s my business. What does it have to do with you?¡± Ste stood up in annoyance. ¡°I¡®m not about to make up with him, and I¡®m not going to with you either! How many times do I have to say it?¡± The moment she finished, she felt she might¡®ve been a little too harsh. Seeing Miguel¡®s hurt eyes, she lowered her head. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡®t want to hurt you, but I had to make it clear. I can¡®t lie to you and give you any hope. It¡®ll only hurt you more.¡± Love was something that couldn¡®t be forced. Ste didn¡®t feel anything for Miguel. She could only see him as Roger, which meant they could only be family. She was well aware of Miguel¡®s feelings for her, but all she could do was stay as a family and friend. She could not give him anything else. Miguel looked at her steadily. His eyes suddenly glowed red. ¡°Is it because I¡®m too young? Or because I¡®m not as good as him?¡± Miguel fell silent for a moment. Then, he let out a somewhat self¨Cdeprecatingugh. ¡°I know. I acted like a child in front of Weston in the room earlier, right?¡± Miguel was indeed a child. The difference in their years of experience was significant. Besides, Westen had always been smarter and more mature than his peers. Chapter 1213 Chapter 1213 Chapter 1213 Miguel was considerably outstanding in his field, but a prodigy like Weston was a rare urrence in the entire world. Ste took a deep breath. ¡°I¡®m so sorry.¡± Miguel shook his head and said, ¡°I know. You went with him to talk business. Elias told me earlier. You two came out with a document in your hands.¡± Miguel suddenly recalled something. Ste had made a deal with Weston, which exined why his business negotiation had gone so much smoother in the past few days. Miguel initially thought it was because of the recognition of his strength. When he realized that, heughed at himself. ¡°He¡®ll know one day that Elias and Emma are his children. What are you going to do when that happens?¡± Ste exhaled and suddenly let out a bitterugh.¡° Actually, he already knows.¡± Weston must have been sure of this the moment he saw Elias and Emma. Otherwise , he would not have reacted this way. Miguel frowned and then let go of Ste. He seemed like he shared the same thought too. ¡°Yeah. You should¡®ve understood this the moment you agreed toe back to Ahn City, but you came back anyway... Why?¡±. Ste sat on the couch and poured herself a ss of ice water. She closed her eyes and opened them again, feeling a little tired. ¡°I don¡®t know if you¡®ve shared the same experience, but I wanted to forget Weston for the past three years...¡± The harder she tried to forget about him, the harder the memories of her past shed before her eyes. Ste seemed to harbor some resentment. How could she not? After all the pain he put her through, she wanted to know why he treated her so badly. She came back today to face the wounds of the past and to heal her pain once and for all. The next day, Ste went straight to Weston¡®s office at the Ford Corporation building after telling the nanny to watch the two little ones at home. Weston was actually quite surprised to see her. He thought she would not want to see him ever again after yesterday, but he turned out to be pleased with her visit. At least he did not have to go to her again and upset her. Weston decisively canceled all the meetings for the day, to Daisy¡®s dismay. He took Ste to his office and shut the door, forbidding anyone to enter. Ste did not beat around the bush this time. She cut to the chase and said, ¡°I want to meet someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Guinevere.¡± Ste looked straight into his eyes. Seeing the subtle change in his expression, she curled her lips slightly ¡°I came back to settle some matters with her, but I didn¡®t expect her gone... I couldn¡®t find a single trace of her in Ahn City... I thought you were the only one who¡®d do such a thing... Where is she now?¡± Weston looked at her soberly, puzzling over her thoughts. After a few moments, he stood up from his chair and blocked the light with his tall figure. He asked, ¡± Are you sure? Do you really want to meet her?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡®ll take you to her.¡± Weston suddenly propped his hands on her side. ¡°What will you give me in return?¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 1214 Chapter 1214 Chapter 1214 Soon, they arrived at a nursing home in a secluded area in Ahn City. The ce seemed more like an abandoned mental hospital, so calling it a nursing home might not be the most fitting As Ste walked in, she heard the sound of something smashinging from inside. Ste stopped with a frown and looked back at the man behind her. ¡°Are you sure this is the right ce?¡± Weston quietly put his hand on her waist. ¡°Go inside and see for yourself.¡± Ste didn¡®t advance. Instead, she nced at his hand on her waist. Weston looked down at her. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Ste pushed him away. ¡°I hope you can be a little more sensitive.¡± Then, she strode into the nursing home. Weston watched her and followed her in. Even as they reached the door, the woman who was sweeping the leaves outside the door hadn¡®t noticed them yet. Only after she heard the sound of footsteps did she look up. Her eyes lit up when she saw Weston here. She put down the broom and greeted him. ¡°Mr. Ford, what brings you here today?¡± The caretakerdy seemed very surprised. After Guinevere was ced in the nursing home, Weston had onlye to visit two to three times. Guinevere¡®s condition always worsened after his visit. The caretakerdy saw Ste beside Weston and froze for a moment. ¡°She¡®s...¡± ¡°My wife,¡± Weston interrupted her and simply ignored Ste¡®s gaze. He asked thedy, ¡°How¡®s Guinevere doing?¡± ¡°The same as always.¡± Thedy shook her head and sighed. ¡°She¡®s still as mad as a hatter. Sometimes , she fights with other patients and snatches their belongings Thedy¡®s unperturbed descriptions sounded like the story of an unrted stranger. Ste already had a rough idea of Guinevere¡®s life over the past three years. Even so, it still felt surreal. It felt strange until Weston took her into the nursing home. TTT Ste couldn¡®t get a real sense of the atmosphere from the caretakerdy¡¯s earlier description. However, when she saw the inmates running and jumping in simr uniforms, she finally realized what this ce was. The people here were all downright crazy. Their messy clothes and blue and white striped uniforms concealed their personalities. Even their hair was disheveled. Some had their hair tied up, but it was greasy and dirty. Ste took a few steps and saw three peopleughing and running past her. She could not help but stop in her tracks for a moment. Weston stood behind her and said thoughtfully , ¡°If you can¡®t stand it, we can leave.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Ste shook her head and sighed. ¡°Which room is Guinevere in?¡± Chapter 1215 The caretaker led the two into a dimly lit room. The person inside the room was crouching in the corner. She looked up at the sound but seemed slow to react. After raising her head and seeing the man at the door, her eyes suddenly lit up. She jumped up happily and eximed, ¡°Weston! Weston? You¡®re here?¡± Guinevere beamed with a sparkling smile. Did she think she was still the same beautiful and elegant star she had been in the past? After that, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She rushed to Weston to hug him, but she flinched , because of her dirty clothes. Guinevere said, ¡°You finally came to see me. Why didn¡®t youe to see me for so long? Don¡®t you want to marry me anymore?¡± Guinevere¡®s memory seemed to go haywire again. Ste furrowed her brows and looked at Guinevere¡®s state. She asked slowly, ¡°What happened? How did she end up like this?¡± Weston nced at her with a cold gaze. He uttered,¡° She¡®s faking it.¡± Ste squinted her eyes slightly. Her heart tightened slightly. She did not quite believe Weston¡®s exnation.¡° Even if she is, it¡®s too real...¡± Guinevere finally noticed Ste standing next to Weston after hearing her voice. She jolted as if she had come to her senses. Then, her eyes changed suddenly. Guinevere shivered and stepped back in fear. ¡°Ste, why.... How did you...¡± ¡°Are you a ghost? Did I just see a ghost?¡± Guinevere took a few steps back with eyes full of terror. ¡°Didn¡®t you take your own life? I saw your corpse with my own two eyes and burned it. How can this be? How...¡± Seeing Ste again was like a nightmare for Guinevere . She never imagined seeing Ste well and alive again. She trembled, afraid to face her. However, the fear was so great that it gave her some spirit of resistance. Guinevere could not help but grab the kettle beside her and throw it hard at Ste. ¡°Get lost! Get out of here now! You killed yourself this time! It has nothing to do with me! Get out of here!¡± Ste ducked to the side. The kettle crashed into the wall, breaking into pieces. Weston took Ste by the arm and shielded her behind. His eyes were dark and unsettling. He stared at her steadily and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ste jerked his hand away. Ste heard what Guinevere was saying and looked at her coldly. ¡°I chose to kill myself this time, but what about thest?¡± ¡°Last time? Thest time¡­ You asked for it!¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. Her hair was disheveled , and the light in her eyes had all but disappeared. Guinevere had resentment and fear for Ste. She screamed at Ste, ¡°So what? I had you kidnapped on the rooftop, but it was all your fault! Why were you pregnant with Weston¡®s baby? You knew I was going to marry him already. Why did you carry his child?¡± Guinevere was shouting hysterically. Ste pushed the man in front of her and approached Guinevere. She grabbed her by the cor and questioned, ¡°You¡®re finally willing to admit your deeds. You¡®re the one who told the kidnappers to take us both, aren¡®t you?¡± ¡°Yes! But so what? Weston still chose me anyway, didn¡®t he?¡± Guinevere broke into wildughter. Her eyes were glowing red as she looked at Ste crazily. ¡°It feels terrible to be abandoned, isn¡®t it? Yes, I was the one who hired the kidnappers . Even so, Weston doesn¡®t love you. In his eyes, you¡®ll never be as important as me. You¡®ll never be as important as the child in my belly and me!¡± ¡°That¡®s why he abandoned you. Isn¡®t that just normal ? ¡°But you¡®re just too stubborn. Why did you refuse to give in to your fate? You should¡®ve let the kidnappers take you, humiliate you, and kill youter. Only then, Weston would love you more!¡± ¡°You refused and jumped down the building in front of him. Wouldn¡®t that make him think you¡®re getting back at him?¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Guinevere startedughing like a maniac. It had been three years, but Ste was still greatly affected by Guinevere¡®s madness. ¡°You¡®ve done so many wrong things, but you don¡®t have any remorse for what you¡®ve done. You¡®re ... hopeless,¡± Ste said with her eyes red from Guinevere¡®s cruelness. Chapter 1215 Chapter 1215 Chapter 1215 The caretaker led the two into a dimly lit room. The person inside the room was crouching in the corner. She looked up at the sound but seemed slow to react. After raising her head and seeing the man at the door, her eyes suddenly lit up. She jumped up happily a nd eximed, ¡°Weston! Weston? You¡®re here?¡± Guinevere beamed with a sparkling smile. Did she think she was still the same beautiful and elegant star she had been in the past? After that, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She rushed to Weston to hug him, but she flinched , becau se of her dirty clothes. Guinevere said, ¡°You finally came to see me. Why didn¡®t youe to see me for so long? Don¡®t you want to marry me anymore?¡± Guinevere¡®s memory seemed to go haywire again. Ste furrowed her brows and looked at Guinevere¡®s state. She asked slowly, ¡°What happened? How did she end up like this?¡± Weston nced at her with a cold gaze. He uttered,¡° She¡®s faking it.¡± Ste squinted her eyes slightly. Her heart tightened slightly. She did not quite believe Weston¡®s exnat ion.¡° Even if she is, it¡®s too real...¡± Guinevere finally noticed Ste standing next to Weston after hearing her voice. She jolted as if she hade to her senses. Then, her eyes changed suddenly. Guinevere shivered and stepped back in fear. ¡°Ste, why.... How did you...¡± ¡°Are you a ghost? Did I just see a ghost?¡± Guinevere took a few steps back with eyes full of terror. ¡°Didn¡®t you take your own life? I sa w your corpse with my own two eyes and burned it. How can this be? How...¡± Seeing Ste again was like a nightmare for Guinevere . She never imagined seeing Ste well and alive again. She trembled, afraid to face her. However, the fear was so great that it gave her some spirit of resistance. Guinevere could not help but grab the kettle beside her and throw it hard at Ste. ¡°Get lost! Get out of here now! You killed yourself this time! It has nothing to do with me! Get out of here!¡± Ste ducked to the side. The kettle crashed into the wall, breaking into pieces. Weston took Ste by the arm and shielded her behind. His eyes were dark and unsettling. He stared at her steadily and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ste jerked his hand away. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ste heard what Guinevere was saying and looked at her coldly. ¡°I chose to kill myself this time, but wh at about thest?¡± ¡°Last time? Thest time¡­ You asked for it!¡± Guinevere took a deep breath. Her hair was disheveled , and the light in her eyes had all but disappeare d. Guinevere had resentment and fear for Ste. She screamed at Ste, ¡°So what? I had you kidnapped o n the rooftop, but it was all your fault! Why were you pregnant with Weston¡®s baby? You knew I was goin g to marry him already. Why did you carry his child?¡± Guinevere was shouting hysterically. Ste pushed the man in front of her and approached Guinevere. She grabbed her by the cor and ques ¡°Yes! But so what? Weston still chose me anyway, didn¡®t he?¡± Guinevere broke into wildughter. Her eyes were glowing red as she looked at Ste crazily. ¡°It feels terrible to be abandoned, isn¡®t it? Yes, I was the one who hired the kidnappers . Even so, Weston doesn¡®t love you. In his eyes, you¡®ll never be as important as me. You¡®ll never be as important as the child in my belly and me!¡± ¡°That¡®s why he abandoned you. Isn¡®t that just normal ? ¡°But you¡®re just too stubborn. Why did you refuse to give in to your fate? You should¡®ve let the kidnappers the building in front of him. Wouldn¡®t that make him think you¡®re getting back at him?¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Guinevere startedughing like a maniac. It had been three years, but Ste was still greatly affected by Guinevere¡®s madness. ¡°You¡®ve done so many wrong things, but you don¡®t have any remorse for what you¡®ve done. You¡®re ... hope Chapter 1216 Chapter 1216 Chapter 1216 ¡°Why should I? You¡®re the one who stole my man, aren¡®t you!¡± ¡°Everything was fine before you came. Weston already promised to marry me. He¡®ll give my child and me aplete family!¡± ¡°It¡®s all you. You¡®re the one who caused him to marry you! Why did he marry you? Why? All our years of l ove are no match for yours...¡± Guinevere burst into tears whileughing hysterically. ¡°Why... He clearly chose me then. But why couldn¡®t he let you go? It¡®s all because of you! Ste, I killed y ou! You deserved to die! I regret not letting the kidnappers kill you when they caught you!¡± What Guinevere said was no secret to Ste. Weston looked over at Guinevere with cold eyes and a sullen look. The aura around him was intimidating ly fearful. Ste looked into Guinevere¡¯s eyes stubbornly . ¡°When you killed my child and me, did you think you¡®ll suffer the same retribution?¡± ¡°Retribution ?¡± Guinevereughed wildly, as if she had heard something ridiculous. Her face changed at once. ¡°I¡®m sad that Zachary died, but you know what I¡®m most sad about? The fact t hat I couldn¡®t get rid of you with his death!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The look in Guinevere¡®s eyes changed. She approached Ste step by step and even reached out to gra b her neck. ¡°¡°Tell me why. You were better off dead. Why did you return? Why do you want to steal West on away? He¡®s mine!¡± ¡°I have a child with him. With Zachary around, he should¡®ve chosen me. Why did he choose you?¡± Guine vere mumbled as if confused or just asking herself questions in madness. Seeing Guinevere¡®s crazy look, Ste believed Guinevere wasn¡®t faking it. She might really be mentally ill. ¡°You¡®ve hurt me so many times. It¡®s your own fault foring to this point.¡± ¡°If it weren¡®t for you, I wouldn¡®t have ended up like this! It¡®s all because of you! It¡®s all you!¡± Guinevere suddenly screamed in a frenzy. She threw everything she could grab at Ste. ¡°It¡®s all because of you!¡± s he screamed. ¡°I didn¡®t have to kill my own child. It¡®s all because of you! If it were not for you, I wouldn¡®t have lost Zachary! Why! Why are you still alive in the end? Why?!¡± ¡°Now, do you think I¡®m not a ghost? Am I not standing in front of you?¡± Ste said calmly. Ste¡®s words were almost thest straw for Guinevere, She knew, of course, that Ste was alive and not a ghost, Guinevere was not entirely mentally ill. She had been pretending from the beginning, knowing her mental issues would be a convenient excuse to execute what she wanted but couldn¡®t because of her sta tus. After sleeping with Chris that night, they both opened up Pandora¡®s box of endless problems. Guinevere k She suddenly fell to the ground, covered her face, and cried miserably. ¡°I¡®ve been after him for so many years, but I could never im Ste was a little agitated and emotional. She went over and yanked Guinevere off the floor. ¡°He did you wrong, and that¡®s on him. Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°I did nothing wrong to you. Why do you want to kill me?!¡± ¡°I never thought of getting involved between you two from the beginning. That¡®s why I divorced him quickly ¡°Your existence itself is wrong! If not for you, I would¡®ve never be like this! You asked for it!¡± Chapter 1217 Chapter 1217 Chapter 1217 ¡°Didn¡®t you say it yourself? He chose you and abandoned me. I was the one who was abandoned on t he rooftop. You¡®ve achieved your goal and confirmed his feelings for you. So why did you have to kill me?¡± ¡°Because he loves you!¡± Guinevere rasped, ¡°Because he loves you! I wanted his love the most, but I co uldn¡®t get it all... because of you.¡± ¡°He loves me? Do you really think so?¡± Ste laughed ironically and shook her head. She looked at Guinevere with some pity. ¡°If he loved me, he wouldn¡®t have chosen you in the first ce. He left me there to die. Do you think that¡®s love? If so, just let him love you. I have no problem with that.¡± Guinevere covered her face and broke into tears. Her crying sound sounded particrly creepy in the empty room. Ste watched Guinevere cry and remained impassive , unable to sympathize with her. All Guinevere cared about was having Weston. Even when she lost her child, what she cared about wa s getting rid of Ste, her love rival. She never had much love for that child in the first ce. Having spent her life trying to obtain Weston¡®s love, Guinevere cared little about anything else. Howeve r, in the end, she gained nothing and lost everything. ¡°You could¡®ve lived a good life. You would¡¯ve done well even without Weston, wouldn¡®t you?¡± Ste looked at Guinevere nkly and uttered as if she was mumbling to herself. She sounded like she was talking about herself. Why did fate have a way of ying cruel tricks on people? Ste tried so hard to escape Weston¡®s grasp, but he had he squarely inside his hands. Eventually, he f orced her only family to die. Meanwhile, there was someone out there who would kill to get Weston¡®s love. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you to question me? I¡®ve been following him for so many years... So many years...¡± Guinevere was still incredibly obsessed over Weston. ¡°You¡®ve never ever been in my shoes. Who are you to condescend to me? Everyone thinks we¡®re a couple. They all think he¡®ll be with me, but what about him? He kept rejecting me over and over again. Do you know how I feel when those people look at me with ridicule?¡± ¡°I¡®ve gott en everything I wanted all my life! Except for Weston... I couldn¡®t have Weston...¡± ¡°I can¡®t beughed at! I must have him! I wanted to revenge on him, so I went to his father... That¡®s Chris Hearing this, Ste widened her eyes and looked at Guinevere in disbelief. Guinevere continued speaking to herself and did not notice Ste¡®s change. ¡°That night, I slept with his father, but so what? He has never responded to my pursuit all these years...¡± ¡°I wanted to see him heartbroken! I wanted to see his face full of regret!¡± Chapter 1218 Chapter 1218 Chapter 1218 Guinevere smiled bitterly., ¡°But that night, I regretted ... Do you know? When I saw that face like Weston¡®s and his regretful face w hen he got up the next day, I suddenly felt like I was on the wrong track. ¡°Even so, I¡®m Guinevere. How could I be wrong? I am never wrong! So I went down that road with my head in the sand. ¡°That¡®s why I got a reporter to hound Chris. I knew he was very attached to Wendy and their rtionshi p. Weston happened to be at the hotel at the time, so he made Weston take the me. It all makes sen se, doesn¡®t it? Guinevere stared at her empty hands. She had lost everything. It was empty. There was nothing left but blood. ¡°Just like that, Weston took the me for his father... Everyone thought he was the one who slept with me...¡± It was Ste¡®s first time hearing this version of the truth. What¡®s more, she didn¡®t expect to hear it from Guinevere. Guinevere did not seem to know that Ste was stillpletely unaware of this. She thought the truth was all over the city. If Ste was not dead, she must have known about it. Ste came to provoke her deliberately. Guinevere continued to herself, ¡°Everything was going so well. Chris didn¡®t want me to make a scene, so he lied and said I slept with Weston that night. I remembered everything, but I went along wit h their deception and pretended that I¡®d forgotten. I thought Weston was the one who slept with me that night. I knew he would marry, and everything would be great. ¡°I never knew what he was like as a boyfriend. We all grew up together as childhood friends, but he was much closer to Henry than me. ¡°After that day, he got together with me. However, I always felt insecure about our rtionship. After all, I did such a disgraceful thing. I thought he reluctantly agreed to the rtionship, but I didn¡®t think he would treat me so well when we were dating. ¡°I thought he actually loved me. However, he refused to spoil me because of his cold nature. How could he have treated me nicely after I slept with his father? He never got into any messy love scandals outsi de. Later, I realized that he just didn¡®t care about me.¡± ¡°Weston doesn¡®t care about anything. That¡¯s why he could endure me. However, I mistook that for love. I threatened him with breakups, and I was capric ious. Even so, he tolerated me unconditionally . I thought he loved me, but I couldn¡®t feel his love for me. I couldn¡®t do anything but break up with him repeatedly to prove that he cared about me. ¡°During our longest breakup, however, he ended up marrying you!¡± Guinevere stopped here abruptly an d turned to Ste sharply with eyes burning with hatred. ¡°How could I not hate you? I was going to be with him for the rest of my life. Because of you, he knew what it was like to be in love! If it weren¡®t for you, he would¡®ve married me willingly! We would¡®ve raised Zachary together!¡± Ste couldn¡®t stand listening to her ridiculous story anymore. She cut her off, ¡°Don¡®t tell me that Zachar y isn¡®t Weston¡®s child...¡± Guinevere heard her question and stood up in surprise.¡° You didn¡®t know?¡± She came to a sudden realization.¡° You didn¡®t know...¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. It turned out that Zachary wasn¡®t Weston¡®s child. Ste turned back sharply and looked at the silent man behind her. She suddenly remembered something. Weston had ind After all, the truth about Zachary¡®s real identity was simply too bizarre and downright unbelievable. Ste came out of the nursing home dazed. She seemed lost in thought. Weston saw her state and offered to take her home. Ste did not refuse. When she arrived home, she went straight upstairs without staying any longer. Ste locked herself in her room in silence. Then, she went over everything that happened three years ago. ordingly, Ste finally saw the clip of the press conference that Weston held three years ago. Chapter 1219 Chapter 1219 Chapter 1219 Everyone but her knew the truth. Ste sat on the couch andughed at herself. All these years, the joke had been on her. Zachary turned out to be someone else¡®s son. Ste was sent to jail because of Guinevere and Chris¡®s child. She was wrongly used and had tomit suicide to prove her innocence. In the end, all of this happened because of a simple mistake. Ste went to see someone. Wendy was not surprised at Ste¡®s sudden visit. She had be a shareholder in the Ford Corporation, taking over Chris¡®s seat on the board, and had a lot of eyes watching for things around her. Wendy got the news as soon as Ste returned to the country. When she first heard about it, she was surprised that Ste was still alive. She wanted to meet her directly, but after thinking about it, she held back. If Wendy knew about it, Weston would know about Ste¡®s return too. There was no need to get involved. Little did she expect that Ste woulde to her so SUUI. ¡°What¡®s the matter? I have a meetingter in the afternoon.¡± Ste walked to Wendy and ordered a cup of coffee. ¡°It¡®s been a long time. I didn¡®t expect you to work on thepany¡®s business now.¡± ¡°After all, it¡®s sad when a divorcee has no financial resources.¡± Wendy looked at her with a smile. ¡°You¡®re now the internationally famous Cicily. I found your video online. You do y the piano very well.¡± Ste did not ept herpliment. ¡°You know why I¡®vee to you, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Wendy sipped on her coffee and put down her cup. ¡°I¡®ve been watching Guinevere¡®s moveme nts. I know you went to visit her. Weston took you there.¡± Ste lowered her gaze, unsure what to say. Instead, it was Wendy who spoke first. ¡°Actually, I¡®ve been aware of Guinevere¡®s excessive intimacy wit h Chris for three years. I just keep fooling myself and refused to ept the harsh truth...¡± Wendy had divorced three years ago. Time had gradually healed the pain of the past. ¡°Chris and I are wrong to Weston. When we were madly in love, we ignored his feelings and cared abou together. When Weston grew up, his grandfather put all the responsibility on him and never let him breathe. After that, Chris made a mistake , so he forced Weston to take the me on his behalf.¡± Wendy felt some real heartache talking about Weston.¡° He has never lived for himself. He¡®s only lived for you.¡± Ste tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Are you telling this now to get us together again?¡± ¡°No.¡± Wendy shook her head. She looked across at the man striding towards them and smiled. ¡°I don¡®t have the time for that. He¡®s more determined than anyone else.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 1220 Chapter 1220 Chapter 1220 As soon as Weston came, Wendy stood up and looked at him. ¡°You¡®re quick.¡± Weston did not say anything. His mouth was set in a tense line as he looked at Ste with a sullen face. Ste sipped the coffee without looking at him. She seemed rxed. ¡°Since you¡®re here, I¡®ll leave now,¡± Wendy said. After that, she patted Ste¡®s shoulder. ¡°Let¡®s meet agai n.¡± Weston watched Wendy leave and sat down in front of Ste without asking. ¡°Why did you meet her without telling me?¡± ¡°Do I have to tell you?¡± Ste stirred the coffee in her hand, not knowing what to say to him. What happened yesterday was still too shocking for her. Ste could not understand why Weston had never told her anything about such a big deal. During thei r short marriage, she had truly treated him as her husband. However, it seemed he did not look at her as his wife. Weston looked at her soberly. Whenever he saw her silent look, he felt it was better if she was like befo re. In the past, Ste would tell him everything and share all her thoughts. Weston exhaled and looked into Ste¡¯s eyes quietly.¡° What¡®s on your mind? You can tell me. Don¡®t kee p it to yourself.¡± ¡°I¡®m not thinking about anything,¡± Ste suddenly interrupted him and became a little emotional. ¡°You hid so many things from me. Why should I tell you anything?¡± ¡°Weston, you¡®re hiding things like this. I really don¡®t think there¡®s any need to talk to you.¡± Weston took her hand. ¡°I didn¡®t tell you because it was tooplicated. I didn¡®t want to get you involved in this unnecessary mess...¡± ¡°Then why did you marry me in the first ce?¡± Ste shook off his hand fiercely. Even so, she still wanted an answer. ¡°Why did you even marry me? You¡®dpromised and agreed to take the me for your father. Why did you have to involve me?¡± ¡°In the beginning, I did it to protect my honor. When I saw you running around for Roger¡®s medical bills in the hospital that day, I thought you were the right person to marry.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Ste smiled bitterly and wiped the corner of her mouth. ¡°That makes sense, but what aboutter? Don¡®t tell me you fell in love with me after that.¡± Weston looked at her intently for a moment. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something. Before he could speak, Ste clenched her fist and interrupted him. ¡°When did you fall in love with me?¡± Ste seemed to have confirmed his love for her. She was not a fool. She could feel it when he was not sense it after he fell in love with her. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Seeing his silence , Ste repeated her question. ¡°When did you fall in love with me?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know.¡± Weston said, ¡°By the time I realized , I was already madly in love with you.¡± ¡°Madly in love?¡± Ste snorted. She snickered, ¡°So your great love meant taking away the things I care about one after another? Your great love was to push me to hell? Your great love is choosing another woman o die with my child?¡± It turned out that Ste still hadn¡®t let go of the past. Chapter 1221 Chapter 1221 Chapter 1221 Weston¡¯s face turned ashen. It was something he could never deny. ¡°At the time, I didn¡¯t realize how much you meant to me,¡± he exined. ¡°I was also too conceited, believ ing that my men would definitely save you no matter what.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. With a deep frown, he slowly continued, ¡°Guinevere was pregnant back then. It was important to Chris Ford that she remained stable because if she suddenly remembered everything and exposed the truth, it would¡¯vepletely destroyed his reputation.¡± ¡°I get it now,¡± Ste¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°So you were taking everyone into consideration¡­ everyone except me, right?¡± Weston seemed all choked up, unable to utter a singleword. ¡°I see what your love is like now,¡± Ste got up to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I just can¡¯t bear your kind of lo ve. Let¡¯s just end things here.¡± ¡°Weston,¡± she added, ¡°I haven¡¯t contacted you in these three years and never told you that I¡¯ve been ali ve all along because I wanted you to know that I¡¯ve made up my mind. From now on, we¡¯ll just be perfe ct strangers to one another.¡± Once she had coaxed Elias and Emma to sleep, Ste settled down on the couch in the living room an d just sat there, lost in her thoughts. Miguel, who had just returned from work, took a seat beside her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It looks like something¡¯s troubling you.¡± Ste shook her head silently, not quite willing to confide in him. Miguel studied her expressions for a while before he got up and headed towards the fridge. He soon returned with a can of cold beer and pressed it to her face. ¡°Ah!¡± Ste cried before turning to Miguel with a scowl. ¡± What are you doing?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t like seeing you with a long face,¡± Miguelughed. ¡°You look much prettier when you smile.¡± Ste sighed, then decided to tell him everything that had transpired in the past two days. Miguel just sat there and listened to her in silence without interrupting her with anyments. When sh e was done, all he asked was a simple question. ¡°Has your heart softened for him now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste jerked her head towards him, visibly surprised by his question. ¡°How has it? Why would you think that?¡± ¡°I just feel that everything he did made sense,¡± replied Miguel. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might go back t o him ¡­¡± ¡°All I can think of now,¡± said Ste, ¡°is how things never had to turn out the way they did at all. There w ere so many things we could¡¯ve avoided, but how did everything turn out this bad?¡± She just could not help thinking that Weston and herself were like oil and water¨C they were simply ipatible. Right now, every time she saw him, all she could think of was all the suf fering and pain she had endured in the past. It did not matter how he exined himself. No matter what, all that pain he¡¯d caused her was real. Ste simply couldn¡¯t get over this fact. ¡°Perhaps he just didn¡¯t love you enough,¡± Miguel stated bluntly. ¡°If he really did love you, then he¡¯d neve ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Ste chuckled. She took the cold. can of beer from Miguel and gulped it down. ¡°It¡¯ She thought of how forlorn Weston looked as he stared at her before she left. ¡°Is there really no chance for us at all?¡± he asked her. ¡°No,¡± Ste heard herself tell him in an icy voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what really happened in the past. The suffering can never be erased.¡± Love should¡¯ve inspired them to be better; it should¡¯ve been a source of joy, not something that reminde Even now, when Ste closed her eyes, she could still see the look on Weston¡¯s face. He looked utterly crushed and despondent. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed till all that was left wa ¡°Yeah,¡± Ste concluded with clear conviction. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all because there wasn¡¯t enough love be ¡°Yeah,¡± Miguel echoed. ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t love each other enough. He doesn¡¯t love you enough, an Chapter 1222 Chapter 1222 Chapter 1222 The night was dark. Downstairs, below the apartment, a tall dark figure was standing there all alone, casting a long and lon ely shadow. Under the streemp, moths were circling around the light in a frenzy. That was the way it had been sin ce time. immemorial¨C moths had always flown straight into the me, sacrificing themselves for a short but brilliant life. Ste stared at him for some time before retracting her gaze and closing the curtain. Too bad for him, but she was resolved never again to be attracted to the mes like those moths. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. From that day onwards, Weston never showed up before Ste. Then again, now that he had found out it was Guinevere Cohen who had caused all the trouble in the p ast, it would be incredibly shameless even for a man like Weston to keep getting in her hair like he use d to. To Ste¡¯s surprise, though, when she entered the restaurant where she was supposed to meet a music producer, she caught sight of the very man at a table across the room. She knew then that she had vastly underrated Weston¡¯s thick¨Cskinned shamelessness. She had an appointment with a music producer that day to discuss her first concert in this country. She absolutely did not expect to see Weston here as well. She walked up to them and greeted the producer first, before casually sweeping a nce over Weston. With a thin smile, she stretched out her hand towards him and said, ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Mr . Ford.¡± Weston took her hand, briefly shook it in a business¨Clike manner, and quickly withdrew his hand, saying, ¡°Hello, Miss Cicily. He called her by her new name, just as if the two of them were perfect strangers. That was precisely what Ste wanted. She took her seat and went on to discuss matters surrounding her concert with the music producer in a leisurely manner. The truth was, only a few people went to music concerts, but Ste had gained so much fame and repu tation abroad that it would be a shame not to take advantage of 1. it. By then, anyone who had even minimal exposure to ssical music was familiar with the name Cicily. She was now widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of this century. With such prestige, the producer was confident that she had great potential to expand her career here i n this country. While Ste and the producer were happily chatting away, Weston just sat inplete silence without saying a single word the whole time. The producer obviously had no idea what had transpired between Weston and Ste. After talking with Ste for a while, he suggested that they sign a contract right then and there. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, Miss Cicily, you can join us in our holiday retreat that¡¯s happening soon. We¡¯re going to Snow Mountain in Fern City. Lots of industry Ste thought of how she had not been doing much at all since returning to this country. However, consi on the right track in his career, she nodded and agreed right away. ¡°If nothing happens to prevent it, I¡¯ll definitely find some time to join you guys.¡± ¡°Great!¡± cried the producer in delight. ¡°With you there, I¡¯m sure lots more people will decide to join us too They both continued chatting for a little longer until the producer suddenly turned to Weston and asked, Weston said nothing. His clear ck eyes were fixed on Ste. She avoided eye contact and took a sip of her coffee. Whether or not he decided to go, it would bep Weston seemed to be able to read her mind. He pursed his lips and smiled wryly before replying, ¡°I¡¯m to He spoke calmly and politely, but to Ste¡¯s ears, she detected a hint of pain and grievance. Chapter 1223 Chapter 1223 Chapter 1223 Ste frowned. She put down the coffee cup and picked up her handbag before announcing, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing. else, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°No problem, Miss Cicily. I hear you¡¯ve got two young children, and I wouldn¡¯t want to take up any more of your time. Oh, should I drive you home?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I drove myself.¡± She then got up and left without even looking at Weston once. Just as she walked down the steps below the coffee shop, Weston suddenly grabbed her wrist and hel d her in ce. ¡°Ste.¡± She seemedpletely unsurprised by the turn of events. In fact, she had expected that something lik e this would happen. ¡°What is it now?¡± she asked, looking at him with raised brows. That cold, unsurprised look of hers stung Weston¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have something to tell you. Do you have some time to spare?¡± ¡°You surprise me, Mr. Ford. I didn¡¯t think that a man like you would need to ask if someone had time to spare. Why didn¡¯t you just scoop them and take them aw ay if you wanted to see them, just like you did in the past?¡± He could sense the sarcasm in her voice, but he did not try to argue with her. His eyes remained calm and unperturbed. ¡°There¡¯s something very important that I think you should know,¡± he said. Ste nced at him, realizing that he was not joking. She looked at the time and said, ¡°I can only give you half an hour. I have to pick up Elias and Emma, and we¡¯re meeting Miguel today.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes swiftly darkened as soon as he heard the name ¡°Miguel.¡± There was even a sh of anguish on his face. But by then, Ste had turned around with her back towards him, so she did not notice any of that. They both got into the car, and Weston drove to a secluded spot where no one was around. It was a long time before he finally spoke up. ¡°How have you been doing these past couple of days?¡± he asked. ¡°What exactly do you want to tell me?¡± she responded bluntly, not being in the mood to hear any of his nonsense at all. Weston massaged his temples and smiled bitterly. She did. not even have the patience to hear him speak now. ¡°There¡¯s a problem¡­¡± he began in a grave tone, ¡°with Miguel¡¯s identity.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Staring incredulously at him, she asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem with Miguel¡¯s identity,¡± he repeated slowly and clearly. Miguel had apparently been extra careful in concealing his true identity, but Weston still managed to fin d some clues that he had left behind. ¡°These are some information I found about his background,¡± said Weston as he handed Ste a folder of documents. ¡°You can make your own conclusion.¡± Ever since the first time he met Miguel, Weston had always been investigating his identity and backgrou Miguel¡¯s face looked too simr to Roger Sealey. Using that as a starting point, Weston soon found that Records of Miguel¡¯s life trajectory seemed to begin after Roger¡¯s death. Although there seemed to be an thinking that they were two different people, Weston quickly worked out that the details about Miguel¡¯s life prior to Roger¡¯s death seemed ma In fact, it was easy to determine whether or not someone¡¯s life records were genuine or not. But at the s lives of these two identities. Ste¡¯s face gradually got paler as she read through the documents in her hands. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± she gripped the documents tightly between her fingers. ¡°If it¡¯s true that he¡¯s Rog Weston looked straight at her and said, ¡°I think you know why.¡± It was obvious that he wanted to be with Ste as ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D someone else ¡ª not as brother and sister, but as a man and a womanThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 1224 Chapter 1224 Chapter 1224 Ste was still mired in confusion when she got hometer that day. She was still holding the document s Weston gave her in her hands when she opened the door to her house. Elias and Emma flew into her arms,ughing in glee as they hugged her tight¡­ Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re home!¡± Ste tried her best to put on a smile for them. Then she noticed some colorful marks on Emma¡¯s face and asked her, ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°I was ying with Miguel and Elias!¡± Emma replied. The girl spoke a lot more fluently and clearly when she was around people she was familiar with. ¡°Miguel was teaching us to y cards,¡± Elias added, expanding upon Emma¡¯s points as he always did, ¡°and the loser has to have a line drawn on their face!¡± Ste paused. She reached out her hand to wipe the marks on Emma¡¯s face. ¡°You can y as much as you like,¡± she told them. ¡°But you have to be careful not to get the marks on your eyes, okay?¡± Miguelnguidly got up from the couch, still holding a deck of cards in his hands. As he slowly shuffled t he cards while walking up to her, he noticed that she did not look very pleased, so he exined, ¡°We were just h aving fun, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s only a simple game. It¡¯s not going to get them addicted or anything like that, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He assumed that Ste was unhappy about him teaching the children to y cards. Ste said nothing. She slipped the documents into her handbag and silently picked Emma up in her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a bath. It¡¯s gettingte now. Both of your should go to bed early.¡± Miguel was a little disconcerted when he noticed that Ste was ignoring him. Once the mother and da ughter pair had disappeared into the bathroom, he leaned down towards Elias and asked him, ¡°Is your mommy angry?¡± Elias had no clue, so he shook his head, confusion written all over his face. Miguel pouted and patted the boy¡¯s head before saying, Come on, let¡¯s give you a bath too!¡± Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Ste had just ced Emma in the bathtub. Emma was ying with her rubber ducky when she noticed Ste looking worried. Perceptively, she to ok her mother¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mommy? Are you sad¡­?¡± Ste nced at her and smiled, telling her, ¡°No, baby, I¡¯m just thinking about something.¡± She then took Emma¡¯s arm and cleaned it thoroughly. Seeing this, Emma thought nothing more of it and went back to ying with the bubbles in the bathtub. Because Emma refused to sit still, Ste found herself unable to continue her thoughts. She sighed and just focused on giving her daughter a bath. It did not take them long before they were done. Ste wrapped Emma up in a thick towel and carried h er out of the bathroom. Just as she walked out, she bumped into Miguel, who had Elias in his arms. Their eyes met, but for som away. Miguel frowned, sensing that there was definitely something wrong. He wanted to say something, but he twins. Once they were both done coaxing the children to sleep, Ste turned and wanted to leave right away, b acting weird¡­¡± Ste brushed his hand off without any hesitation and withdrew herself away from him. Her cold gesture stumped Miguel. Panic shed in his eyes. ¡°Have I done something wrong?¡± he asked. Ste said nothing. She took a step away from him and stared at him steadily. After a while, she took a d before asking, ¡°Do you have anything to tell me?¡± Miguel¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved as he gulped. Evidently, he was feeling a little nervous. No matter how ha ¡°No,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Can you just say exactly what you want to say? Don¡¯t make me guess. I really Chapter 1225 Chapter 1225 Chapter 1225 Ste¡¯s lips twitched. With a forced smile, she told Miguel, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If you have nothing else you want to say, then you should go home. I need to rest.¡± She then turned and headed towards her bedroom, but Miguel blocked her path by standing in front of her, preventing her from leaving. ¡°Something must¡¯ve happened,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you so cold to me all of a sudden? It¡¯s Weston, isn¡¯t it?¡± Miguel frowned and added, ¡°He must¡¯ve said something bad about me! Or maybe¡­ Maybe you¡¯ve decided to get back together with him!¡± Not again. Not this again. Ste looked at him. Right now, he was acting almost exactly as Roger did in the past, especially his clear hostility towards Weston. He was also always terrified of the prospects of Ste reconciling with Weston. Ste was sure that Weston did not lie to her about Miguel. She was convinced that all the documents he gave her were genuine, but she was still reluctant to believe that Miguel would lie to her. She suddenly thought of the time when they first arrived in Ahn City. Miguel had brought up casually that they had an apartment in Fern City too. Back then, she only thought it was weird, but did not really take it to heart. Now, looking back, she realized that perhaps it was a clue she missed about Miguel¡¯s true identity. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°The weather¡¯s really nice this evening,¡± she said suddenly, looking straight into Miguel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out and watch some fireworks?¡± ¡°Fireworks?¡± Miguel was puzzled by the sudden change of topics. He rubbed his nose and asked her, ¡°Why are you talking about fireworks all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s just been a long time since Ist saw fireworks.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes then zed over, looking as if she was reminiscing about the past. ¡°When I was younger,¡± she continued, ¡°I loved watching the fireworks in the sky. Butter, fireworks were banned in the city, so my parents would take me to the countryside on New Year¡¯s Eve, when almost every household would be setting those things off at night. They are brief and short-lived, but they are beautiful and brilliant while theyst. It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw them, and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll ever have the chance to see them again¡­¡± Miguel fell for it, and without thinking, he replied, ¡± Weren¡¯t there fireworks in Ahn City three years ago? Didn¡¯t you see them?¡± Ste turned to him and pointedly asked, ¡°How did you know that there were fireworks here at the time?¡± Those fireworks were thest bit of warmth she felt before she died. It was also thest memory she had of Roger. Miguel seemed to be jolted awake when he noticed the doubts in Ste¡¯s eyes. He realized that she must have sensed something wrong. ¡°Well¡­¡± he started, stepping away from Ste, ¡°it did cause a bigmotion, after all, so how could I not know about it? Besides, when I was making my own investigation back then, lots of people mentioned the fireworks to me.¡± His exnations were starting to sound like somewhat untenable excuses. Ste did not speak for a while. She just quietly and steadily stared at him. Momentster, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time beating around the bush, nor do I want to keep testing you, so just tell me the truth ¨C are you hiding something from me?¡± Miguel avoided Ste¡¯s gaze, not willing to look into her eyes. After a long silence, he shook his head and replied, No¡­¡± From that day onwards, Miguel started avoiding Ste. But Ste would never have expected that Guinevere Cohen¡¯s parents would find her¡­ For the past two days, Ste spent most of her time practicing the piano. asionally she would y with Elias and Emma for a while, but the majority of her time was spent at Musx, ying the piano with Jason. Slowly, the people of Ahn City became aware of Ste¡¯s return. Although she kept a low profile, most of the elite circle know that not only was Ste Sealey still alive, but she had even returned with two children in tow. Chapter 1226 Chapter 1226 Chapter 1226 As the matter gradually spread around, it caused quite a stir within their social circle, though no one had so far caused Ste any trouble. She herself had no desire to enmesh herself with all the messy problems, so she was a little surprised when she saw Guinevere¡¯s parents looking for her at Jason¡¯s mansion. ¡°Why do you want to see me?¡± she asked them. ¡°We heard that you¡¯re back, and we know you want revenge on Gwen, but considering she¡¯s suffered enough, why don¡¯t you show her some mercy and spare her life¡­?¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± asked Ste, utterly befuddled. The elderly Cohens looked at each other. Only three years had passed, but they seemed to have aged decades. The Cohen family had gradually declined in their influence within the circle. Three years ago, Weston exposed all the shady things they did, and they came very close to having everything they owned seized by the authorities. The Cohens had plummeted nearly to the point of destitution. They lost all the benefits that they used to gain from Weston, and because of that, even as Guinevere was sent to the sanitarium, none of her family could do anything other than watch quietly. They had bepletely powerless. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Weston is clearly framing Gwen for Zack¡¯s murder because of you. Think about it, Zack was Gwen¡¯s very own son! How could she ever do such a thing to him?¡± Three years ago, Guinevere¡¯s affair with Chris Ford had practically rocked the whole of Ahn City. It even spread to the nearby Fern City, where the whole town knew of what they had done, bing one of the most searched ¨C for news on the inte. Everyone now knew that Guinevere Cohen, the former superstar who grew up together with Weston Ford and his supposed perfect match, had gone behind his back to have an affair with his own father. To make matters worse, she even gave birth to a boy whose father was Chris Ford. This whole scandal proved to be a terrible blow to the Cohen family. In fact, it even devastated the Ford family¡¯s reputation as well, but luckily for them, they had Weston¡¯s impressive strength to rely on. Although their reputation took a temporary hit, Weston managed to pull them back up to their initial heights in no time at all. Meanwhile, the Cohens¡¯ wealth and reputation were already in decline even before everything happened. Although they had been insted from any serious consequences in the past, being among the richest and most prestigious families in Ahn City, this scandal was just too devastating a blow to them that even their money and status could not save them from ruin. After all, much of their wealth hade from their reliance on Weston Ford, who naturally refused to do anything to help them after all that had happened. In fact, not only was he unwilling to help, he was even hell bent on attacking them by exposing all of the shady businesses that they had been conducting in secret, thus painting the Cohens¡¯ back as a target for harsh social judgment and criticism. In the end, the Cohenspletely fell from grace and became social pariahs. ¨C Nevertheless, they were still grateful that Guinevere was still alive. Until then, they simply refused to believe that she was the real murderer who killed Zachary Ford! This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s his mother, after all! How could she ever do such a heinous thing?!¡± Amidst the Cohens¡¯ passionate pleas, Ste finally connected the dots and realized what had been happening. It became clear that Weston¡¯s disappearance thesest few days was not because he had finally given up on her, but because he had been busy investigating the truth behind Zachary¡¯s murder¡­ At first, even she was shaken by this revtion. She found it hard to believe that Guinevere would really murder her own child, but she soon calmed down, and memories of Guinevere¡¯s vicious nature came flooding back to her. It wasn¡¯t so hard then to ept the fact that Guinevere would stoop so low and do such a thing. Chapter 1227 Chapter 1227 Chapter 1227 Ste was still in some shock. Even wild beasts like tigers would never eat their own children, what more Guinevere, who was willing to go that far just to frame her. She frowned and looked at the old couple. ¡°Since you¡¯re so adamant that she¡¯s innocent,¡± she told them, ¡°then you should help her by finding the evidence to prove she is. If you find no evidence, then it must really mean that shemitted the murder. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re wasting your time trying to distort the truth.¡± ¡°No!¡± Mrs. Cohen insisted as she stepped forward, tearfully looking at Ste. ¡°It can¡¯t be true! You¡¯re a mother too. Surely you¡¯d understand that no mother would be so crazy as to kill her own child! I¡¯m convinced there must be some misunderstanding!¡± She almost blurted out that it was all because Weston Ford was taking revenge on Guinevere. Mr. Cohen, himself looking decades older after only three years, hunched over, and his eyes were red and bloodshot, but unlike Mrs. Cohen, he managed to stop himself from shedding tears. ¡°My wife and I are both very old,¡± he said, ¡°and we came here to beg you¡­ please spare Guinevere¡¯s life¡­¡± ¡°Weston Ford is clearly doing all this for you,¡± Mrs. Cohen added. ¡°Gwen has suffered enough now, so why can¡¯t you let go of her?¡± 1 They never thought that Ste Sealey-the woman that Guinevere hated so much that she was willing to kill her own son to frame her, the woman that they thought hadmitted suicide in prison¨Cwas now standing before. them, safe and alive¡­ But the better this woman¡¯s life was, the more of a mockery it became to Guinevere¡¯s present condition. ¡°You have everything now. Weston Ford would do anything for you! Please just spare Gwen¡¯s life! I beg of you! Can¡¯t you show a little mercy on her?¡± ¡°A little mercy?¡± Ste scoffed when she heard the word. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask your own daughter that question. back then? You know what she¡¯s done to me all these years, yet you never stopped her or did anything about it. But perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be surprised¡­¡± Ste nced at them and added, ¡°With parents like you, it¡¯s only to be expected that your daughter would turn out this way. Even after all that she¡¯s done, she remains remorseless and unrepentant.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s been punished enough now! She¡¯s been locked up in that sanitarium for three years! What more do you want?¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s enough punishment for what she did?!¡± Ste snapped, her tone audibly raising by a few notches. ¡°Putting aside the fact that she killed her own son, she still owes me a life! She used her son to frame me, and if I hadn¡¯t been lucky, I would¡¯ve died because of her! She¡¯s been only locked up for three years, yet you¡¯re already begging me to let her go? You think that¡¯s enough punishment? You think that¡¯s justice? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± As the Cohens tried to argue with her, Jason could no longer keep quiet and stand aside without interfering. He walked over to them and said, ¡°Stop wasting your time begging her. Why don¡¯t you go to Warren Ford instead? It¡¯s been so many years. You know what¡¯s happened between her and your family, so what¡¯s the use of staying here and begging for her help?¡± Jason was Warren Ford¡¯s good friend. He was aware of Warren¡¯s strained rtionship with Ste, but for some reason, he still liked Ste despite all that. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Still, he was stuck in the middle of them both, so he thought it best not to interfere. All those years, he had stood aside and turned a blind eye to the bleak situation that Ste was trapped in, but he could no longer watch quietly without helping her today. ¡°I just can¡¯t bear to see you bullying a young woman like this!¡± he eximed. The Cohens looked at each other. They paid no attention to anything else Jason said. All they focused on was his suggestion for them to go to Warren Ford instead. Perhaps that might work¡­ After all, Warren Ford had been on their side back then. Seeing how close the Cohen family was with him, perhaps they might be able to persuade him to help them. Perhaps they might even be able to persuade him to spare Guinevere¡¯s life. Jason shook his head as he watched the Cohens leave. ¡°No wonder the Cohen family fell so quickly from grace, hemented. ¡°They really are brainless idiots¡­¡± Chapter 1228 Chapter 1228 Chapter 1228 Ste remained flustered and was silent for a long time, even after the Cohens were gone. Seeing this, Jason sighed, patted her shoulder, and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know Warren well. He won¡¯t be kind to them.¡± Having been in decline in the past few years, the Cohens had perhaps gotten a lot more naive now. They assumed that Warren would value the close ties between the two families enough to help them when they came to him. But the truth was that ever since he learned of the affair between Guinevere and Chris Ford, Warren was so enraged that whatever respect he had for the Cohenspletely dissipated. From then onwards, apart from attending their funerals, he never once wanted a part in anything that involved the Cohens. But the Cohens were desperate and had nowhere else to go, so they had no choice but to beg for Warren¡¯s help. Unsurprisingly, they were blocked at the mansion gate and were not even allowed to step foot inside. Warren Ford had no desire to see them. In fact, he had been sick in bed most of the time these past few years. Because of what happened three years ago, he still had not reconciled with Weston. The only person he would see now was Xavier Ford, who woulde to visit every once in a while. Sometimes, even a proud old man like Warren Ford would feel some sense of remorse. He regretted not respecting Weston¡¯s opinions back then. All he cared about then was how to eliminate Ste. But it was toote to regret it now. Warren had not bothered himself with anything that had been happening outside the gates of his house these days, so he waspletely oblivious to all themotion. When he heard that Mr. and Mrs. Cohen had been kneeling outside the gate, waiting to see him, he merely waved his hand and said, ¡°Let them kneel.¡± To his surprise, the old couple kneeled for the whole afternoon. In the end, Warren had no choice then but to let them in. As soon as they got inside, they dropped down to their knees again and begged, ¡°Please, Uncle! Please save our daughter¡­¡± ¡°Guinevere?¡± Warren frowned. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she sent to the sanitarium three years ago?¡± The Cohens made no objections in these three years, so why did theye here to beg him for help all of a sudden? ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Warren asked, turning to his butler, who was by his side. The butler leaned down close to his ear and informed him of all that had transpired in the past few days. ¡°She¡¯s back?!¡± Warren¡¯s brows shot up. ¡°But wasn¡¯t she This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The butler continued to exin. Warren pressed his temples hard, looking as if he found it all too much to take in. ¡°So she¡¯s still alive¡­¡± He failed to describe what he was feeling when he learned the truth. It just felt as if a heavy weight was finally lifted off of his chest. 1 Back then, he wished for nothing more than her death, yet right now, he really hoped that the rumors about her return were true. Pressing his chest, he looked at the Cohens and impatiently told them, ¡°This is all your daughter¡¯s doing, so why are you here begging for my help? You should¡¯ve raised her better, so she¡¯d have never committed such an outrageous crime!¡± His first reaction after learning that Guinevere murdered Zachary Ford was utter shock. But then he thought about what she was willing to do these past few years, and he did not find it all that hard to believe anymore. Back then, it never urred to him to suspect Guinevere because she was Zachary¡¯s very own mother. He just could not believe that a mother would be so cruel as to kill her own child, which was why he was quickly convinced that Ste was the culprit, then tried to eliminate her without any hesitation. ¡°No matter what,¡± he said, ¡°Zachary was still a Ford family member¡­ Even if he was the result of Chris and Guinevere¡¯s filthy affair, he was still my flesh and blood. Since Guinevere was the one who killed him, there is no way that you can expect to get the Ford family¡¯s forgiveness now! If she weren¡¯t mentally ill, I would¡¯ve sent her to prison a long time ago!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Uncle!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten about your close ties to my parents?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and Gwen is in trouble now. You can¡¯t just stand aside and do nothing when she is about to die¡­¡± ¡°It looks like Weston is determined to have her sentenced to death!¡± Hearing that Weston had already made his moves, Warren sat on his carved wooden chair in a daze. After a long silence, he sighed and waved his hand, saying, There¡¯s no point begging me for help now. Once Weston sets out to do something, no one can stop him.¡± Chapter 1229 Chapter 1229 Chapter 1229 ¡°You¡¯ve seen it yourself, haven¡¯t you? I couldn¡¯t stop him three years ago, and I won¡¯t be able to stop him now! Not to mention now that that woman has returned¡­¡± In fact, not only could he not stop Weston now, but he actually had no desire to do so either. After that, he sent the Cohens out of his mansion and thought nothing about them ever again. No matter how hard they begged and cried, he remainedpletely unmoved. After a while, it started to rain. The butler told Warren that the Cohens had finally left. Warren pushed his wheelchair to the window and stared at the pouring rain outside. He suddenly sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re still alive.¡± Ste had set up her own office now. She hade back to expand her career here, so after signing some contracts, she publicly announced her return and set up her own personal office in the city. Today was their first day of working here, so as the big boss of the ce, she naturally had to be there with everyone. Not long after meeting her new employees, the receptionist came to her and said, ¡°There¡¯s someone here to meet you, Miss Cicily¡­¡± Ste frowned, thinking if it might be Guinevere¡¯s parents again. She was just about to tell the receptionist that she would not be seeing them when the receptionist added, ¡°It¡¯s an old man.¡± Ste paused and fell silent for a long time. Finally, she nodded and said, ¡°Let him in.¡± As she waited in the meeting room, she suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The butler pushed Warren Ford inside. Ste nced at them and said nothing, she just turned to her secretary beside her and said, ¡°Go get the guests some tea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Warren interrupted her. ¡°I won¡¯t be here for long.¡± Having finally met again after a long time, they were both unexpectedly much calmer than expected. Gone was the hostility in the air whenever they met each other in the past. But even then, the hatred had onlye from Warren¡¯s side, of course. ¡°So you¡¯ve been alive for the past three years,¡± he said. ¡± Why didn¡¯t youe and find Weston?¡± It was their first meeting after a long time, and those were the words that Warren chose to say to her. ¡°Because of you,¡± he added, ¡°his life had been miserable.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed one bit,¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°Always blunt and direct.¡± Warren was at a loss of what to say when he saw her acting all calm and unruffled. Hence, he swallowed the words he¡¯d been meaning to say and just told her, ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste any more of your time here.¡± Ste smiled and poured him a cup of tea, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have some tea before you go? After all, whenever we met in the past, you always insisted on making me some tea without caring whether or not I wanted to drink it.¡± Thinking of the past, Warren¡¯s countenance changed immediately. After a long time, he finally uttered the words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Those simple words seemed to have consumed all of his strength. Ste¡¯s movements appeared to stiffen a little when she heard him. ¡°Some things can¡¯t be erased just by saying you¡¯re sorry,¡± she told him. She knew that the apology was already a sign of greatpromise from Warren. He was a proud man. He had never admitted that he was in the wrong all his life, not even to Weston, his own grandson. Although Warren knew he had done him wrong, he still refused to yield to the younger generation. It was a sign of pride in their generation, but it was also their biggest w. ¡°It just never urred to me that Guinevere would ever kill Zachary herself,¡± he said, his face turning ashen when touching the subject. ¡°That¡¯s why I never suspected her. I was convinced that you were the one who did it. I have truly wronged you. It¡¯s absolutely all my fault.¡± Chapter 1230 Chapter 1230 Chapter 1230 Indeed, he wanted to drive Ste away at the time, but he would never resort to such a method. After that, when he learned that Ste hadmitted suicide in prison, he had a hunch that perhaps Ste wasn¡¯t Zachary Ford¡¯s real murderer. Perhaps it was all just a misunderstanding or a terrible ident. But it never urred to him that Guinevere was the one behind it all. It was Guinevere who had killed Zachary because she wanted Ste to be ousted and be a social pariah. ¡°I made a huge mistake,¡± Warren closed his eyes and told Ste, ¡°I had never done anything wrong in my whole life, but I have, without a shred of a doubt¡­ wronged you.¡± ¡°From now on,¡± he continued, ¡°I will never give you trouble no matter what you decide to do, and I absolutely have no objection if you want to be with Weston again.¡± Steughed as if she¡¯d heard a funny joke. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking that I came back because I wanted to be with him again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± she added, ¡°I must say that your family really are full of yourselves.¡± She rested her hands on the table and tapped her fingers lightly, making a crisp noise. Warren obviously noticed that she was clearly not the same woman that he knew back then. ¡°If I had wanted to be with him,¡± Ste continued, ¡°then I wouldn¡¯t have beenpletely absent from his life in the past three years. I wouldn¡¯t havepletely ignored him all this time.¡± Ste had a polite smile, but the words that came out of her mouth were brusque and ruthless. ¡°Three years ago, I was forced to be with him against my will. He had to tie up my hands to make me marry him and get on with the wedding. Three years ago, you promised me you¡¯d help me escape him, but then what happened? Why on earth, then, would you ever think that I woulde back now just to be with him?¡± Warren¡¯s expressions turned more and more unpleasant, but he just could not find a word to refute her. After a long time, his hands shook slightly, and he told his butler to push him out of the room. ¡°In that case,¡± he told Ste, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± As he turned around, he seemed to be mired in a dilemma. In the end, he turned back towards Ste. He tossed his pride aside as he faced her and asked, ¡°Can I see the twins for a little while?¡± He had already found out that Ste was back, so naturally, he would have also found out that she had brought two children back with her. He knew that Ste had long been unable to get pregnant, so he did not have any hope that those children were Weston¡¯s. But¡­ What if? If something so miraculous as Steing back from the dead could happen, perhaps those children could be Weston¡¯s too. ¡°They have nothing to do with you,¡± Ste said, swiftly dashing Warren¡¯s hopes. The lights in Warren¡¯s eyes dimmed as he asked, ¡°So they¡¯re not Weston¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste answered without letting him finish his sentence. ¡°Those children have nothing to do with any of you. In fact, even if they are somehow connected to you, with my current status, I can take them away anytime I like.¡± Warren¡¯s head jerked up. He looked at her and suddenlyughed mockingly at himself. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°You are now Miss Cicily. With your international fame, we really can¡¯t treat you the same way we did.¡± Besides, she now had the full support of the Garcia family behind her, so they definitely could not intimidate her as easily as they used to. Ste stood up and told her secretary, ¡°See the guests off.¡± Warren¡¯s sudden appearance was like a brief intrusion into her schedule, barely causing a ripple in her life. Butter that evening, the receptionist came to her and said, ¡°Miss Cicily, there¡¯s a man downstairs called Weston Ford to see you.¡± Ste became impatient. Warren was here this morning, and now he. What were the Fords thinking? Why are theying here one after another? ¡°I won¡¯t see him,¡± she told the receptionist. She still had not read through the contracts in her hands yet. There was also the problem with Miguel, which had not been solved. She was already irritable as it was. But then it waspounded by Guinevere¡¯s parents, who hade to trouble her, not to mention Warren Ford¡¯s sudden appearance in her office. Right now, she was simply too upset to see anyone. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. After a while, the receptionist returned to tell her, ¡°That man said he¡¯d wait for you until he sees you.¡± ¡°Then let him wait,¡± replied Ste. Chapter 1231 Chapter 1231 Chapter 1231 Ste spoke nonchntly. She had, after all, waited for him longer than she ever did. Ste was dealing with the matter at hand all afternoon. She did not even notice when it was almost time to get off work. The receptionist came by again and whispered in her ear. ¡°Ms. Cicily, there¡¯s someone downstairs who wants to see you.¡± Ste thought it was Weston again. ¡°Tell him I am not seeing anyone now.¡± The receptionist was troubled, and said, ¡°But he also brought the young master and young miss over¡­¡± When she heard that, she asked, ¡°Who?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Miguel.¡± She then put down the things in her hand. ¡°You can go out first, I¡¯ll be right down.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Cicily.¡± She quickly gathered the papers on her desk and went downstairs, and saw Miguel with Elias and Emma from afar, sitting on the sofa in the parlor waiting for her. She was just about to stride over when she saw Weston sitting quietly on the other side of the couch. His eyes were on Elias and Emma, with a tenderness he had never realized himself. The only thing was that Miguel over there was a bit of an eyesore, but Weston did not care. When he heard the noise, he raised his head and looked over toward Ste. His eyes lit up the moment she appeared. He stood up and walked up to her. ¡°Done with your work?¡± She ignored him and walked right past him to Miguel. ¡± What brings you here, guys?¡± Elias and Emma plunged into her arms- ¡°Mommy!¡± She squatted down and stroked both of their heads. ¡°Did you behave yourselves?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Miguel gave Weston a provocative look. ¡°They are with me, of course, they will listen to me.¡± Weston stood alone, looking a bit forlorn. They looked like a family of four when standing there while he was an outsider excluded from the circle. In the end, it was Emma who felt that he looked pitiful standing alone there with no one talking to him. She said, ¡°Unkie!¡± He gathered hisposure and looked at her with a light smile. ¡°Hi.¡± Miguel was a little upset and pinched Emma¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you greeting random strangers? That¡¯s inappropriate, do you know that?¡± Emma ran to Weston and hugged his leg instead. ¡°Unkie is not a bad guy!¡± She said with certainty, ¡°Unkie is good-looking.¡± Miguel and Ste were speechless. Ste held her forehead. ¡°You are such a face-judger. What would be of you when you grow up?¡± Weston, on the other hand, lifted the corner of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to be a face-judger, at least he wouldn¡¯t be deceived by some ugly man.¡± After all, handsome men were a minority, so the probability of her getting cheated would be smaller. Ste could not help but re at him. ¡°Can you not say such a thing in front of the children? They don¡¯t understand anything yet.¡± Chapter 1232 Chapter 1232 Chapter 1232 Even if she was condemning him, Miguel still did not want her to talk too much to Weston. So, he simply stood between them and said to Emma, The nanny made you your favorite dish tonight. Let¡¯s go home early, okay?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. She let go of Weston and hopped toward Miguel. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Little foodie.¡± Steughed and nced at her when holding Elias. Emma was held by Miguel, and they got directly into the car. Once in the car, Miguel looked to the back and said, ¡°That man is really persistent.¡± She knew that Weston was probably trailing them. She pinched her be, her head aching. ¡°I thought he would give up¡­¡± ¡°How can he give up so easily? He had not been dissuaded after three years. Such a small setback shouldn¡¯t defeat him.¡± His words were sour, carrying his emotions. People who started a business in this businessplex during this period mostly heard of Weston. Only then did he truly realize how terrifying this man, Weston, was in Ahn City. Wherever he went, he could hear undisguised admiration for Weston. He never seemed to fail in every venture and was named a legendary investor. Miguel could still pretend to admire Weston in front of those investors. However, he could not help himself when he was with Ste. He did not want to listen to any good thing about that man anymore. Ste also heard the hidden meaning in his words and ignored him. Her mind was a mess, not knowing how to face Miguel. Seeing her not showing interest, he knew she must have sensed something, so he stopped talking. Miguel seemed to remember something when they got to the apartment downstairs and saw the property managere over. He pressed the elevator button while holding Emma and said, ¡°It seems a new neighbor has moved in upstairs. I heard from the property that that person is so wealthy that he seems to have spent several million on the apartment here¡­¡± Ste stopped dead in her track. ¡°Is he crazy? The apartment here is only worth a few hundred thousand. What kind of brain-dead is using millions to buy it?¡± He shook his head and did not quite understand it as well. ¡°It was upied, and he was unwilling to move, so that man spent some money to get it. Anyway, it has nothing to do with us. He can spend his money however he likes.¡± The Gracia family was equally wealthy. A few million were nothing to fuss about. She shook her head. Even though she earned a lot now, she still could notprehend this kind of reckless spending. After they entered the elevator, a big palm reached out to the door out of nowhere. The bony wrist blocked the elevator door, and Ste¡¯s face stiffened the moment she saw the man¡¯s face- he was Weston. It was still fine if he only followed them, but he actually followed them into the elevator¡­ She said impatiently, ¡°We won¡¯t let you in even if you follow us. Why bother?¡± Weston nced at her, stood beside her, and said in a faint voice, ¡°I didn¡¯te here to visit you. I live here as well.¡± She was startled, but then she recalled what Miguel had said and immediately figured out the situation. ¡°Are you the idiot who spent millions on the apartment upstairs?¡± Hearing what she said about him, Weston frowned slightly. ¡°Not just the one upstairs and several other properties.¡± ¡°Still, you are an idiot¡­¡± Not bothering to look at him, she squatted down and said to Elias and Emma, ¡°Children, you cannot splurge, you hear me? You have to practice good spending habits.¡± Weston was speechless. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Yes!¡± Elias and Emma yelled in unison. She then patted their heads with satisfaction and led them out. When the door of the elevator closed, Weston withdrew his eyes. It was far from enough. Even living upstairs, it did not seem to be enough. Chapter 1233 Chapter 1233 Chapter 1233 He wanted to live with them, to be in close contact with them. He wanted to get along with the two children. He wanted to hug her, to kiss her¡­ Weston closed his eyes, opened the door, and walked in. He had never lived where anyone else had lived before, but this was an exception he made for all of th em. Although he had had the entire house remodeled, it still felt a little awkward. He walked to the kitchen ind and poured himself a ss of whisky, and imagined what it would be lik e for them to live downstairs. Was Ste cuddling with Elias and Emma? Or maybe the two little ones were ying games, and Ste was washing up. Would she be in the master bathroom or the shared bathroom¡­ His eyes slowly darkened as he thought about it. Even though he added ice cubes to his ss, they could not extinguish the fire in his heart. The sound of water in the bathroom stopped only after a while. Ste casually took a bath towel, wiped her hair, and walked out. This was her bedroom. Normally, no one woulde in. Even Elias and Emma were taught not to ente r her room casually, so the children understood privacy and courtesy at a very young age. As soon as she came out of the bathroom, she heard her cell phone on the bedside table ringing. She walked over to see a string of unfamiliar numbers and frowned. Before she could react, she had already pressed the answer button. ¡°Hello?¡± After hearing a brief silence on the other end, she regretted it. The man¡¯s low and husky voice came through the receiver. He did not say anything, there was only his heavy breathin g peppered with undting longing. Even a fool was able to hear what was really going on over there. She instantly guessed that the man who now lived upstairs had held back for a long time, and interrupted him. ¡°Are you a per¨C pervert?¡± He paused and then said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Let me hear your voice¡­¡± She rubbed her temples. ¡°Are you sick? I don¡¯t have time to y with you here!¡± After that, she hung up the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± His voice be huskier and shorter, and he said, ¡°Call my name.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She could not help but curse at him. ¡°You are crazy!¡± Then she hung up the phone fiercely. When she came out of her bedroom, Miguel saw the redness on her face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s probably because I got too hot in the shower just now¡­¡± She could not tell him that there was a pervert calling her, wanting to hear her voice. ¡°You are hot?¡± He frowned. ¡°Do you want me to lower the temperature of the¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± She interrupted him directly, but for some reason, her tone carried a hint of frustration. He froze in ce, thinking she was still angry with him After a while, he could not help bute up behind her and whisper. ¡°Are you tired? You¡¯ve worked all d Looking at the way he looked when trying to please her, she let out augh. ¡°No, just stay there and keep an eye on Elias and Emma.¡± Chapter 1234 Chapter 1234 Chapter 1234 Miguel found her to be in a bit of a strange state. He rubbed her nose, and said, ¡°They both got tired as soon as they came back, they are sleeping now.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°No, they should not be sleeping now. If they sleep too long now, they will not be able to sleep at night. Wake them up, it¡¯s time to eat dinner anyway.¡± He was relieved that she was still able to talk to him casually. After dinner, they went downstairs for their usual stroll. Miguel kept monitoring Ste¡¯s emotions. It only made him less nervous when he saw that she seemed the same as before, without any major mood swings. However, there was still a boulder lying on his heart. She seemed to know something, but at the same time, she did not seem to know anything. This made him suffer immensely, and he didn¡¯t know how to cope with it. If she did know¡­ Miguel did not dare to imagine how angry she would be by then. Downstairs, the two had only just walked out when they Chapter 1234 ran into someone, as expected. Weston had changed into a casual outfit. The gray clothing set off his tall, elegant aura. It was different Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. 2/4 from his usual appearance exuding an aura of rejection when he was wearing a ck suit. Now, he looked gentler than usual, more like a refined. scoundrel. When Emma saw him, her eyes lit up. ¡°Unkie!¡± She spread her arms, asking for a hug. Perhaps Emma was so familiar with him because Weston kept appearing in front of them¡­ or it was be cause she naturally had little resistance to handsome men that she was very unsuspecting of Weston? Weston picked her up with a smile. ¡°Are youing out to y?¡± Emma nodded, hugging his neck. The soft creamy scent lingered at the tip of her nose, making the man¡¯s eyes soften a bit. Emma touched her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m too full, so I came for a walk.¡± She asked, ¡°Has Unkie eaten yet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked at her round stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever feel stuffed after eating so much?¡± She blinked her eyes and stared at his face. He found her funny and pinched her on her round cheeks. ¡°Am I that good¨Clooking?¡± ¡°Yes. You are especially good¨Clooking!¡± Miguel felt sour when he saw them getting along so well. ¡°Emma, don¡¯t talk to strangers!¡± She was still hugging his neck, blinking at him andughing happily. ¡°Unkie is not a bad guy!¡± Elias sighed like an adult beside them. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so unsettling¡­¡± Ste felt amused and pinched his cheek. ¡°Where did you learn this from, sighing so awkwardly?¡± Elias would only act like a child only when he was with Ste. He giggled and held her hand. ¡°I learned it from you, Momm She suddenly became wary and said, ¡°Do I sigh a lot in front of you guys?¡± That was something worthy of note. If she really did that, she should still refrain from giving such negative hints to small children in the future. ¡°Not that often, It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a good learner,¡± Elias reassured her. Chapter 1234 4/4 So what started out as an after¨Cdinner walk for a family of four turned into this strange sight. In the small garden, there were three adults and two children. They were all in pairs, only Miguel was lef Chapter 1235 Chapter 1235 Chapter 1235 When Ste was around, the two little ones would naturally want to cling to her. However, Miguel did not expect that Emma would cling to Weston. It made him look even lonelier. Ste obviously did not want to walk with Weston, but Emma liked him, so she had no choice but to let them be. She could not simply snatch Emma over. After walking for a while, she suggested. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go back, shall we?¡± Emma obviously had not had enough and frowned a little. After all, she was being carried by Weston the whole time. ¡°Let¡¯s go for another walk in the back. There are big dogs in the back ! And big swans!¡± There was an artificialke in the park behind the apartment, with a well¨Cdesigned greenndscape. The two little ones had wanted to see the big swans since they moved in here the first day. However, the weather was bad, and it was raining that day, so Ste did not take them there. Later on, she was busy with work and forgot about this. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She did not expect that Emma still remembered it. Weston changed his way of holding her once he heard that and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to see the swans then.¡± Emma said immediately, ¡°Yeah!¡± Ste simply had no room to argue, and again had to follow them to the pavilion on the artificialke. Weston also got a handful of feed from somewhere and fed the swans together with Emma. For a moment, Ste did not know what to say when seeing them getting along so harmoniously. Even Elias put aside his reserve and joined them. Was this the power of blood ties? There were no barriers that existed between the father and the daughter. Miguel could not bear to see it any longer. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember how long it took me to get them to get closer to me when I raised them and took care of them. This world is so unfair¡­ He did not do anything. He just yed with her for a while and could already get her so dependent on him.¡± Ste felt equally unbnced as well. Thinking back on the past, she suffered so much for the twins. In the end, Weston simply sat there and peeled the fruit without doing anything. Weston went round and round with the two kids and stopped only when they were tired and yawning. Ste looked at him. ¡°You are quite patient.¡± If he had not seen her children for so many years, he would have been able to pretend to be so patient, even if he was just pretending. Unlike her, she had been with these two children every day for three full years. Even if she was sometimes on the verge of freaking out, she still had to be patient. Undoubtedly, her face revealed a hint of anger when she took Emma from him. Weston was a bit confused, unable to fathom the cause of her unhappiness. Emma, keenly aware that Ste¡¯s face was not right, softly hugged her neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡± Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Who could be angry with such a chubby girl with a creamy scent? Ste lowered her head, pecked her cheek, and said, Mommy is not angry with you. >> So it meant she was angry with some man. ¡± Weston heard the hidden meaning of her words, so he did not mess with her. He walked to Emma and head. Emma also obediently kissed him on his cheek. Ste was now even angrier, and there was unspeakable jealousy and envy. She only got them calling her lovingly, kissing and hugging her in return after taking care of them for so But now, Weston could already get a kiss from her after only taking care of her for a short while. What kind of world was this? Chapter 1236 Chapter 1236 Chapter 1236 Weston withdrew his hand and looked at the boy beside him ¡°Can you say goodnight to me?¡± Elias, being a boy, didn¡¯t express his emotions as freely as Emma. He scratched his cheek shyly and said nothing while holding Ste¡¯s hand. Weston did not force him either. He rubbed his head and said, ¡°Rest well tonight.¡± Elias nodded. He seemed to be at least not averse to Weston. Elias would have hidden behind Ste and not even looked at him if it were an ordinary stranger. When they got home, Ste could not help butment. ¡°Is this the power of blood ties?¡± Miguel pulled a long face in silence and nced at the two children. ¡°How ungrateful.¡± He harrumphed. ¡°He just yed with you guys for a while, and you already like him so much. What do you think about me, who has been taking care of you for so long?¡± Ste could not help but roll her eyes as well. ¡°Well, I gave birth to and raised them, and that¡¯s how they treat me.¡± Elias and Emma sniffed, and both stood up, each hugging one of Ste¡¯s legs and leaning on her body. ¡°Sorry Mommy, we know we were wrong¡­¡± In fact, they did nothing wrong. They just liked a handsome man and liked to y with him. Ste rubbed their heads and sighed. After putting them to bed, she walked out of their bedroom and closed the door. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Miguel looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s your n now?¡± She pretended not toprehend his question. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± She walked to the living room and poured herself a ss of wine. The ice cube dropped into the ss with a sharp clink. But he took away the ss of wine from her hand. ¡°Now that they seem to be in a state to ept Weston, are you going to let them recognize him?¡± She was equally confused. ¡°I have not thought about it¡­¡± They were her children. No matter if they recognized Weston or not, they would always be her children. There was no doubt about it. However, was it really good for them to grow up in an environment without a father? She was hesitant. She knew that she would be able to give them a good upbringing and a high standard of living even wit hout Weston. However, after having children, one would want to give them better, give them the best. Even though they were doing well now, she would still reflect on whether there was anything she had no Miguel saw her hesitation instantly and said anxiously, You must not be too lenient! He has only been with them for several hours. Don¡¯t forget how much damage he has done to y She put down her ss and stared at him. (( She did not want to avoid it anymore this time. ¡°Why do you know so much about our previous affairs? Even if you have done the Her question was clear enough. Miguel knew she must have noticed something. However, he refused to face it and lowered his head. ¡± Haven¡¯t I exined it clearly enough in the begin ¡°Roger, do I have to make it sound hard?¡± Ste suddenly spoke. Miguel instantly stared at her in disbelief, his pupils constricted, unable to speak for a long time. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°Roger, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this to me either. You know very well that I hate deception the mo Chapter 1237 Chapter 1237 Chapter 1237 Ste jumped to her feet, feeling a little emotional. ¡°Do you have any idea how upset I was when I thought you were dead?¡± Miguel shouted immediately, ¡°I can ept that you treat me as Roger, but I cannot ept that you take me as him! I am not him. Look at my face! I have no blood rtionship with you. I am only taking care of you in his ce!¡± He raised his volume all of a sudden and was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ste closed her eyes with a headacheing on. ¡°You still refuse to swallow it, until now?¡± She suddenly thought of something and curved the corners of her lips upward. ¡°This should be the tradition of the Gracia family. After all, it is you who helped me, and this is how I escaped Weston in the first ce. Faking your own death should be a method you never get tired of using, right?¡± Miguel clenched his fists instantly and looked at her gloomily. In the end, he turned around and left without saying anything. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use that identity anymore.¡± As he walked to the door, he suddenly stopped and looked at Ste. ¡°So, don¡¯t bring it up again. I¡¯m Miguel now.¡± After that, he closed the door. Bang! She was the only one left in the room. Ste sighed and looked at the time. She wanted to sleep but could not, no matter how she tried. So she simply took a bottle of whiskey, sat on the balcony, and started sipping it. Suddenly there was a loud noise upstairs. Ste froze and looked up in a hurry to find that Weston had appeared from nowhere, leaping from the upstairs balcony directly onto hers in one leap- ¡°Ah!¡± She screamed in surprise and sprang out of her wicker chair. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± After seeing the man in front of her clearly, she breathed a sigh of relief, then red at him furiously. ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± Seeing her shocked face, Weston did not say anything and put her head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did not think I¡¯d scare you.¡± He turned his head sideways and kissed her hair, but Ste pushed him away. She took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you fell off by ident.¡± ¡°No.¡± He admitted it with crity. ¡°I heard you guys arguing, so I thought I¡¯de over and check it out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock on the door? Must you use this method?¡± ¡°Would you have opened if I knocked?¡± Ste was speechless. She wouldn¡¯t have opened it and would even pretend she did not hear it. Weston took out his phone and shook it in front of her. ¡°I called you so many times and sent you so many messages, but I did not get a word from you.¡± ¡°Must I reply to you?¡± She nced at him ndly and sat down again on the wicker chair. Weston looked at the bottle of wine lying on her table and frowned. ¡°Why are you drinking so much?¡± The lingering smell of alcohol all over her body was unmistakable. He moved over and sniffed at her face. ¡°It¡¯ste, and drinking this much will give you a hangover and a headache in the morning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business either!¡± She pushed him away. ¡°Will you please leave my house?¡± Weston did not say anything and sat down next to her. ¡± Then I will drink with you.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± She could not help but scold him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to do tomorrow? As the president of such a bigpany, don¡¯t you feel ashamed of running here all the time? ¡°Chasing my wife is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Chapter 1238 Chapter 1238 Chapter 1238 Ste couldn¡¯t believe how shameless this man could get. ¡°Who¡¯s your wife again?¡± Her tone was full of undisguised disgust. ¡°Do you need me to remind you that we divorced a long time ago?¡± ¡°Then I shall remind you this. You divorced me as E, but now, you are Ste.¡± She sneered and gave him a scornful look. ¡°I also divorced you when I was Ste. You are such a forgetful man, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s tie the knot once more.¡± Weston suddenly sped her wrist with a slight amount of force. ¡°I am fine with any kind of condition you want.¡± She jerked her hands out. ¡°Sure, I only have one condition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The man fixated his eyes on her, the knot of his throat rolling up and down. She could see a faint nervousness in the inky ck eyes. She smiled and wiggled her finger. ¡°That is, you stay away from me and never appear in front of me again.¡± She thought he would never appear again after telling him such harsh words. But unexpectedly, he seemed to get more fired up instead. She still remembered his forlorn and somewhat lonely back as he left when she said those wordsst night. But she did not care about it. It was nothingpared to what she had suffered in the past. The next day, before she went to the studio, the receptionist brought her a bouquet, saying it was from Weston. Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Throw it away.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from that man.¡± The receptionist looked troubled. ¡°But Mr. Ford named you to sign for the delivery. If you don¡¯t¡­¡± Looking at her in distress, Ste said, ¡°Alright. You just sign for me. If he sends any presents, you can take them back directly. ¡°This does not seem appropriate¡­¡± There is nothing wrong with it.¡® Ste said, ¡°Just think of it as I who gave it to you. Since it is a present from him, I have the right to dispose of it, right?¡± The receptionist had no choice but to nod. Soon, Weston found that everything he had sent over had gone into someone else¡¯s hand. Seeing him in a low mood all day, he could not help but suggest, ¡°Mr. Ford, this is not how we woo women. You send flowers over every day, but she doesn¡¯t want to receive them, so what¡¯s the use of it?¡± ¡°You are talking as if you have chased a woman before.¡± Weston swept a nce at him. Ben was overwhelmed by his nce. It was true that he had never chased a woman, but had Weston done it? Weston was surrounded by women since young. Even Guinevere, a woman seen as the perfect goddess by many men for years, was chasing after him. He never had to take the initiative. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was understandable that he did not know how to pursue a woman, but was he in the position to mock him? ¡°Why don¡¯t you go find an experienced one and ask?¡± Weston held his hand to his forehead. ¡°She is not just any woman. What¡¯s the use of asking even when you have all that worldly experience?¡± Ben stopped talking. Weston had a headache. Chapter 1239 Chapter 1239 Chapter 1239 There was a sudden knock on the door. Daisy came in. ¡°Mr. Ford, here is thetest contract. Please look through them.¡± Weston nced at her and let her put the contract on the table. Daisy¡¯s eyes fluttered. She stood in ce without leaving immediately but asked softly, ¡°Are you having a problem? I heard that she seems reluctant to ept your flowers¡­¡± Being a woman herself, she couldment on it from the perspective of a woman. Weston nced at her. ¡°What do you think?¡± Daisy sighed and said to him, ¡°It¡¯s true that women are fond of romance, but untimely romance can be counterproductive. Not to mention that she now has a grudge against you. If you don¡¯t settle all these things, it is useless to send flowers and jewelry or whatever¡­¡± Ben could not help but exim. Women indeed understood women best. Although they were unsure if what Daisy said was helpful, they knew it was reliable once they heard it. At least it was more reliable than how Weston threw his money around. After a few days, the flowers and jewelry delivery stopped, much to Ste¡¯s relief. She thought Weston had figured it out, but little did she expect to see him pull up in front of their studio after work in a brand new Maybach Pullman, drawing a crowd of employees- ¡°Oh my God, what am I seeing?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It is rare to see such an expensive luxury car!¡± ¡°This is a post¨Copulent car that only appears in magazines. You may not necessarily be able to buy it even if you have the money!¡± ¡°You rarely see it even in the magazine, okay? Who can afford this kind of car?¡± ¡°Apart from Weston, no one in Ahn City is this rich, right?¡± ¡°But the Gracia family behind our boss may have the financial strength. Anyway, our boss has always been keeping a low profile and would not drive this kind of car to work¡­¡± At this point, their discussion came to an abrupt halt. The car door was pushed open, and the first thing that caught their eyes was a pair of very attention¨C grabbing long legs in the suit pants. It made the staff drooling over the handsome men look straight at him at once. ¡°I knew it was him¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t mistake a face as handsome as Weston¡¯s!¡± ¡°It seems he has been pursuing our boss these days. He had been sending flowers and jewelry every day and stopped only a few days ago, so I thought it was because he had given up.¡® ¡°I heard that our boss is Weston¡¯s ex¨Cwife.¡± Those gossips had long been swirling around. But they would still be amazed every time they saw Weston¡¯s face. ¡°What a waste that such a face doesn¡¯t appear in the entertainment industry!¡± He rarely showed his face, even in the newspaper. Getting a side face of his was already considered good enough. Regardless, his side profile was enough for widespread discussion throughout the entertainment industry, and it was not too much to say he was an A¨Clister in his own right. Ste looked at the man standing there and the staff who were obviously attracted to him, and rubbed her be helplessly. She saw Weston striding toward her with a stern face. ¡° Do you not understand what a nuisance means?¡± Weston did not say anything. He lowered his eyes and took her bag from her hands. ¡°I came to pick you up from work.¡± ¡°You are the president of apany. Can you not be so idle?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest and showed no intention of going with him. ¡°I have my own car and don¡¯t need you to pick me up.¡± Weston did not say anything but just looked at her stubbornly and blocked her. The tall figure hidden in the crowd looked surprisingly aggrieved. Ste could not help but re at him. ¡°Stop acting pathetic and get out of my way!¡± Chapter 1240 Chapter 1240 Chapter 1240 Weston moved out of her way but did not return her bag. He followed behind Ste and waited for her to walk to his car. She turned around and looked at him. ¡°Return my bag. Before she could finish her sentence, he stepped right up and pushed her against the car door, hugging her tightly. ¡°Weston, are you crazy¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. As soon as she raised her head, her lips were stolen by the man in front of her. It was a kiss that came like a storm, though with a careful and tentative touch. He held her down so tightly it was almost airtight. The kiss was overwhelming, as if to drown her in his tenderness. He kissed her lips, turned his head, and then wrapped his lips around hers. From the corner of her lips to her face, cheek, and slowly down to her chin, it was cautious yet passionate, not allowing her to reject it. She struggled with all her might, but her strength was insignificant in the face of his overwhelming strength. She did not know how long it took, but the only sound in the parking lot was the exchange among the crowd. And then it gradually subsided. He stopped and gazed at the woman in front of him. p! Before he could react, he received a direct p. There was a bright red palm mark on his face. He did not react much and wiped the water stains at the corner of his mouth. His eyes contained a silent warmth when he looked at her. ¡°Does your hand hurt?¡± He held her hand and looked at her red palm. Then, he rubbed her palm and kissed her lightly on her lip again. ¡± You don¡¯t have to do it yourself next time. It will hurt.¡± She fixated her eyes on the man and uttered word by word. ¡°You look a lot like a damn pervert right now!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He gave a lowugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just couldn¡¯t resist. I originally wanted to pursue you properly.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what I said? Can¡¯t we just live our separate lives in peace?¡± ¡°No.¡± He interrupted him directly. His throat rolled up and down, but the wordsing out of his mouth were firm and unquestionable. ¡°I can ept anything but this.¡± She closed her eyes, and her eyshes fluttered. Her lipstick was smeared. She said, ¡°But that is the only thing I want.¡± The two were at a standstill, and Weston looked at her, only silent, not saying anything. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. They were at a stalemate. He stared at her in silence, not saying anything. Ste looked at him in annoyance. ¡°Can you get out of the way?¡± He avoided her eyes, picked her up directly, put her in the car, and sped home almost at a racing speed. If she did not want to say a word to him right now, she would have cursed at him in the middle of the drive. Once they arrived at the apartment, she marched right into the elevator. Seeing Weston follow him in, she red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°You must have forgotten that my house is here too.¡± Ste was so angry with him that she could not say a word. When the elevator arrived, she walked straight out. Weston followed her from behind. Chapter 1241 Chapter 1241 Chapter 1241 Ste stopped dead in her tracks. She turned back and nced at him. "Isn''t your ce upstairs?" This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. "Your bag is still with me." Weston handed it to her. Ste reached out and took her bag. Seeing that Weston had no intention of leaving, she stopped and gave him a strange look. "You''re not going to follow me shamelessly, are you?" "I want to see them both." Ste said, "You met them yesterday. Please go back." Weston stood in front of her and refused to budge. He suddenly hugged her and showed his vulnerable side, pleading as he rested his chin on her shoulder, ¡°Ste, have mercy on me..." Ste froze a little. Weston''s voice rang in her ear with a little warm breath. After a long silence, Ste asked him, "Who''d have mercy on me back then?" That one sentencepletely defeated Weston. Later that night, there was an unexpected knock on the door after Ste bathed Elias and Emma separately and put them in bed. Thinking it was Weston, Ste opened the door in annoyance. "Are you done yet?" However, it was not Weston. The guy in front of her was Miguel, who reeked of alcohol. Ste hesitated slightly and asked, "Why did you drink so much? You''re reeking.¡± Ste frowned and turned to her side to let him in. Miguel did not move. He just looked at her obsessively. "When did you know who I really was?" Ste was slightly startled. Seeing his state, she knew he was drunk. "Let''s not talk about that now. Come in. I''ll make you something to sober up," she said as she went to get him a pair of slippers. Miguel watched Ste''s natural movements and knew she still treated him as Roger. A sudden rush of impulse swayed him. Miguel closed the door and pinned Ste between his arms. Before Ste could react, she looked up and froze when she saw Miguel''s handsome face so close to her. Miguel leaned down and put his ear to hers. He muttered, ¡°I like you... I really like you... I''ve liked you for years. Do you know?" Miguel stroked her hair with dazed eyes, looking drunk. Feeling disgusted, Ste tried to push him away. "You''re drunk. Go have tea and sober up "I''m not drunk. I really like you.'' Miguel insisted that he was not drunk but behaved like a drunken man. "Why can''t you look at me? It''s been years! Do you only have Weston in your heart?¡± "I don''t, but I don''t think of you either!" Ste suppressed her temper and took a deep breath. "You''re drunk. Elias and Emma are sleeping already. We''ll wake them up...¡± "We won''t!" Miguel lowered his voice and said in her ear, "I''ve held back long enough. I just want you to ept my feelings. Why is it so hard?" His voice began to take on a tremor while his eyes were glowing red with a touch of madness. "What do I have to do for you to see me? Do you know how sad I am at how you''re treating me? Why..." "Did you get it wrongly? You''re the one who''s been avoiding me these days!" Ste deliberately said this to him. She wanted to distract him and change the topic. '' Did you go drinking? Why did you drink so much? Is there a new project?" "Don''t change the topic!" Miguel suddenly cut her off. Miguel held her face and made her look into his eyes. ¡°Are you in this painful cycle because you still treat me as Roger? What should I do? You can treat me like a man, you know!" Ste sensed a hint of danger from Miguel''s sudden rasp. " Chapter 1242 Chapter 1242 Chapter 1242 Ste widened her eyes in shock. "Please, stop it. Don''t make things between us worse." "Isn''t it pretty bad?" Miguel let out a bitterugh. "You won''t even look at me. You refuse to see me. You''re impatient, but you let that guy hang around... Why don''t you ever consider me? Is it because you''ve treated me like Roger from the beginning?" Miguel sounded crazier and crazier. Ste vaguely sensed what Miguel was doing. She tried to push him away, but he grabbed her wrist swiftly. "I really like you. Will you look at me? Please ..." ." Miguel''s tone was pleading, but his actions were aggressive and unquestionable . He grabbed her wrist hard and forced her to the corner of the entrance little by little. "Let me kiss you, please?" Miguel looked at Ste''s smudged lipstick and rubbed his fingertips hard against it. He rubbed Ste''s lips back and forth and muttered, "Did he kiss you?" Miguel could tell. Weston had been following her earlier to the entrance. He could not understand why Ste would not look at him despite the years he had stayed with her. Meanwhile, she allowed Weston to have her all he wanted. Miguel lowered his head and tried to kiss her. Ste jerked away from him and said incredulously, "What the hell do you want?" "I want you, Sis... Don''t think of me as family. Think of me as your man, please?" "I know you''re used to seeing me as family... Once you take the plunge, you''ll know who loves you the most..."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ste widened her eyes at the way Miguel called out to her as Sis like a habit. "You finally admitted it!¡± Miguel widened his eyes slightly too. He realized he might have revealed something when he identally blurted out, ''Sis.'' Miguel had suppressed his feelings long enough. He decided to admit it all with a red face and unclear mind. "Yes. It''s me. I didn''t die..." Ste''s heart trembled uncontrobly. She knew the truth, but her heart still trembled when she heard him admit it himself. "Do you know how much despair I was in when you died?" Arge part of the reason that led to Ste''s suicide in prison was due to Roger. She had no more love for the world. Roger''s death was the final nail in the coffin, leading to her suicide. Ste didn''t expect Miguel to admit it so easily. Miguel did not notice the change in her emotions. He just kept venting his sadness. "I didn''t want him to threaten you anymore, so I pretended to kill myself. I thought he would never threaten you with me again when everyone thought I was dead, but then I thought about it again. Why should I stay by your side as Roger? Was there another way?" "As long as I stayed as Roger, I''d stay as your brother forever. I want you! I want you as a man! That''s why I''m Miguel now. Even after changing my identity, I didn''t expect you to treat me as a brother. Do you know how much pain I feel inside?¡± While Miguel was crying in despair, Ste pushed him away angrily. "You lied to me! I hate it when people lie to me! How could you do this to me? I trusted you the most!" Miguel stumbled from the ground and looked at her with a twisted smile. Miguel''s face suddenly faced. He embraced her in his arms tightly and kissed her cheeks. "Whatever. I don''t care anymore. I don''t want to be your family. I want to be your man!" "I''ve done so much just to stay by your side!" He said in anguish and thought, ''But now, Weston wants to take it all away!'' Miguel had wanted to hold back. He wanted to continue to get along with Ste just like before. Miguel thought there was no rush. Everything was possible as long as he stayed by her side, but he panicked when he saw here back with Weston. He panicked when he saw Elias and Emma getting along so well with Weston. Chapter 1243 Chapter 1243 Chapter 1243 Miguel lost all his confidence and panicked. He did not want to be excluded from Ste''s world as he was before. "Please... Will you be with me?" "Sis, we''ll be together forever. We''ll raise Elias and Emma together. We''ll be their parents, okay?" "You''re crazy! You''ve gone mad!" Ste''s hands and feet went cold as she watched him lose his mindpletely. Ste tried to push him away and crawl out from under him, but Roger only sped her harder, like a madman. As though chanting a magic spell, he whispered into her ear, "Stay with me... We''re supposed to be a family ... We''re supposed to be together, forever and ever...¡± "You''re crazy! You''re really crazy!" "Yes! I''m mad!" Miguel''s eyes suddenly glowed. "You wouldn''t know until you try it with me once. Will you''ll still see me only as a brother after that?¡± Ste closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks. As she his kiss touched her skin, an overpowering sensation of rejection and disgust engulfed her, and she shuddered. "Please, don''t do this..." Ste never imagined Miguel, who was Roger to force himself on her. He trusted him the most! This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. When her tears fell, Miguel was stunned for a moment. He unbuttoned her shirt and put his hand on her neck but did not inch lower. "Sis, do you hate me that much? Must you reject me?" Ste saw him let go and quickly pushed him away, which provoked Miguel. Miguel immediately pinned her down hard. " Even if you hate me, I can''t stop now! To hell with it. I want you with me!" After saying that, he kissed her neck. Ste felt so nauseous from his disgusting behavior. Just as she was on the verge of losing her mind, the force on her body suddenly felt lighter... "Bish!" The sound of a violent bang could be heard. Ste saw Weston''s grim face sh past her. He went straight to Miguel, who had just been punched to the ground. "Bish!" Weston picked Miguel up and punched him hard in the face again. Miguel was beaten to the ground and spat out some blood. "Stand up," Weston ordered as he looked at Miguel on the floor. His voice was cold and fearful. "You b*stard! Get up!" Miguel heard Weston yelling and gave him a cold re. He braced himself on the ground and barely steadied himself gloomily. Just as he stood up and tried to fight back, Weston punched him in the face again. Miguel paled and spat out a mouthful of blood again. "Useless b*stard!" Weston grabbed Miguel by the cor with a murderous look in his eyes. Ste finally reacted and instantly grabbed Weston by the arm. "Weston ..." Chapter 1244 Chapter 1244 Chapter 1244 Ste was stunned. She did not expect Roger to hurt her. She froze in ce, unable to react even when she saw Weston suddenly appear out of the blue and hit Roger. Weston continuously socked Roger in full fury. He turned his head when he heard the familiar voice calling him and saw Ste''s frightened look. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Then, he stopped beating Roger. Weston gave the man on the ground a cold re. "If you don''t want to die, get lost now." Roger stumbled to his feet. He was clearly bruised on the corner of his mouth. There were some minor wounds on his face too. Weston was not messing around when he beat Roger. The onught left Roger with a few missing teeth, that nowid bloodied on his palm. "You got here quick...¡± Weston was in no mood to hear a word from Roger. As soon as he spoke, he felt an inexplicable anger and wanted to punch him again. Ste was that afraid that the scene would be out of control. She took a deep breath and told Roger, "You should head back first..." Roger hesitated a little and gazed at her with trembling eyes. He felt a little depressed, seeing Ste take Weston''s side. After a long time, he whispered an apology and turned to leave. When Roger was gone, Weston walked to Ste and grabbed her by the shoulder. He looked her up and down, making sure she was fine. ¡°Are you okay?" Feeling a little weak, Ste frowned in annoyance and pushed his hand away. "I''m fine." Ste leaned back against the entrance and sat down slowly. She sat on the floor and gazed into space nkly. Weston could not stand Ste behaving like this. He pulled her to her feet. "He''s gone." Ste shook him off suddenly. ¡°I know. Thanks." She looked him in the eye. "Will you leave me alone?" She was trying to make him leave. Weston remained silent. He continued looking at her and sat before her without saying anything. Ste frowned and shifted her gaze away. She did not want to talk to him. Weston seemed unbothered and apanied her in silence. He sat there the whole time until Ste got a little annoyed and looked at him. "It''ste. Aren''t you going to leave?" "What if he suddenlyes back?" Weston asked. "He won''t," Ste said. "Remember what he just did to you? Do you think he won''t do anything after all that?" Ste was dumbfounded for a moment, not knowing what to say. After a long silence, she said in exhaustion, ¡°I don''t want you to see me like this..." It was too embarrassing. Weston sighed. ¡°You don''t always have to be so tough in front of me." He promised, "I won''tugh at you." "I''m not afraid of that. It''s just..." Ste rubbed her brows hard and fell silent. The two looked at each other without saying anything. There was a dead silence between the two of them. No one spoke first. After that, Ste looked at the time. She was d that themotion did not wake Elias and Emma up. Otherwise, she would have to coax them again. Weston noticed her action and asked, "Can I see them?" "They''re asleep." Chapter 1245 Chapter 1245 Chapter 1245 "I''ll be very quiet. I won''t disturb them." Ste was silent for a long time. After that, she asked, "Do you still think they''re your children?" Weston continued looking at her without answering. Ste saw the scrutiny in his eyes and turned her head to the other side slightly. "Don''t look at me like that. I''m asking you a question." "I know. Aren''t you the one who decides whether they''re my children?" Ste sneered, "You seem very confident." If it were not for that confidence. Weston would''ve never left the decision in her hands entirely. He knew Elias and Emma were his. Both of them knew it. Fortunately, Weston would no longer force Ste to do things against her will. If she didn''t want Elias and Emma to take him as their father, he would not do anything about it. Ste was already annoyed before. The way Weston guarded her tirelessly only irritated her more. Weston was really thick-skinned and would not stop until he got what he wanted. Ste could onlypromise. ¡°Go in and see them, but don''t wake them. It''ll be hard to coax them back to sleep.¡± A faint glint shed in Weston''s eyes. Then, he stood up. He walked to the children''s room with light footsteps. Elias and Emma were each sleeping on a crip. He went over to see Emma first. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Emma was sleeping soundly while clenching her two little fists. Weston leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Emma did not wake up from the kiss. After that, Weston went to Elias''s side. Emma liked him more during the day and was quite clingy. As a result, he couldn''t spend much time with Elias. Weston observed Elias''s face. A strange feeling grew as he saw the resemnce of Elias''s features to his own. The realization moved Weston. He would never forget how he felt the first time he saw them both, The feeling he had during the reunion in the restaurants was inexplicable. The moment he saw Elias and Emma with Ste might be the most unforgettable in his life. Weston reached out and tried to touch Elias, but the child suddenly clenched his fist and grabbed Weston''s fingers. Weston saw Elias gripping his finger and tried to pull his hand out gently. However, Elias tightened his grip and mumbled something he did not understand. Ste came in softly, and when she saw what was happening, she exined, "He''s probably dreaming." Sheined in annoyance, "I''ve told you don''te in when they''re asleep. Great. What if you wake them up?¡± Weston listened.to her lecture without saying a word. After all these years, no one dared lecture or speak to him in this manner and tone. He had always been the one to reprimand others, not the other way around. Even so, he feltfortable this time. It was a feeling Weston rarely experienced. Ste gently broke Elias''s hand away. Then, the two walked out together with a sigh of relief. Weston''s emotions were in turmoil as a tender, and strange feeling tugged on his heart. He asked, "Can Ie and see them more often?" Ste rejected him indifferently, ¡°No.¡± Weston was not disappointed by her rejection. He knew that was the only answer she would give. Weston patted her head and asked, ¡° Where am I going to sleep tonight?¡± Ste red at him. ¡°Go back to your own ce!" Weston said, "What if hees for you once I go home? He''s dangerous. I don''t want to leave you here alone." Ste sneered again. She crossed her arms and gave him a mocking look. She said sarcastically, "Did you forget? You''re no better than him." Chapter 1246 Chapter 1246 Chapter 1246 Ste didn''t expect Roger''s sudden intention to force himself on her. Despite that, the man in front of her had forced her countless times in the past. Ste red at Weston. "Do I have to remind you? Mr. Ford, what did you do to me when you kept me at Stardust Mansion?" Weston had a bad track record and no chance of arguing with her. She wondered where he got his confidence from and thought he was no better than Roger. Weston''s face remained unchanged, though. Right, it would take some mental qualities for a man like him to be in his position. Weston said frankly, "I won''t do that to you again." "Don''t you forget what you did to me in the parking lot!" Ste undressed him mercilessly. Weston raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I''m sorry. I lost control then." "Stay away from me!" Ste hissed. Roger did not show up in the following days. Even Elias and Emma felt a little ufortable from their Uncle Miguel''s absence. They asked, ¡°Why didn''t Miguele to see us?" Ste rubbed their heads and said, "Miguel has been very busy with worktely." Elias and Emma seemed dispirited and missed Miguel a lot. Ste thought about their current age. It was unrealistic to continue their studies, not to mention being increasingly busy with work. She would have to go to the snow mountains in a few days, but she could not bring Elias and Emma with her. Elias and Emma were still too young. Even if she got a few nannies over, they might possibly go down with altitude sickness. Hence, after much consideration, she decided to leave them at home and find someone trustworthy to take care of them. However, who else but Roger could be trusted around here? Ste rubbed her brow, feeling troubled. Later, in a cafe. Yvonne sat across Ste and widened her eyes at Ste''s words. "I can''t take care of children!" She added, "I feel like I''m a kid myself." Ste sighed at Yvonne''s reply. "You and Lucas are so stable. Haven''t you ever thought about having a child? How about trying to take care of them first?" Yvonne shook her head frantically. ¡°We''re still young! I still want to spend a few more honeymoon years with Lucas! Besides, once we have a child, we''ll have to put most of our energy there. I haven''t had enough fun!¡± Yvonne was the first to get married, but she was the most childish. It seemed Lucas had protected her well. The three friends had not been out together for a long time. For the past three years, Ste could only send them some private messages. She was afraid that Weston would notice her whereabouts, so she had not contacted them much. She only let them know that she was still alive. Speaking of which, Yvonne could not help butin a little. "Because of you, Lucas thought I cheated him and exploited me for a while!" When she said exploiting, she meant in bed. Ste felt bad knowing the real meaning behind Yvonne''s statement. "Fine. I''ll figure it out. I don''t know who can take care of these two kids..." Yvonne frowned. "That''s the downside of having kids too early. Whenever you want to go out and y or travel, you can''t stop worrying about This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. them." "You''re different. You have Lucas. With his character and temperament, he''ll certainly arrange everything for you." Chapter 1247 Chapter 1247 Chapter 1247 ¡°Indeed.¡± Yvonne smiled smugly. Ste and Angelina unanimously disapproved of Yvonne¡¯s constant disy of love and affection for Lucas. ¡°By the way, Angelina, are you going to start dating someone soon?¡± Yvonne looked over at Angelina. Angelina hurriedly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m a popr celeb now. I¡¯m not going to date anytime soon.¡± After Guinevere¡¯s departure from the entertainment industry, the power in the circle had been reshuffled and was no longer the same as before. Angelina was increasingly popr in the current scene. Guinevere used to be dominant in the circle because of her strong backing, and thus, hard to take her down. Besides, Weston indulged her so much that she could leverage his influence and take down any enemy at will. Indeed, many in the entertainment circle had strong opinions about her. People were d to see the fall of Guinevere after her embroilment in the big scandal, and they didn¡¯t expect to find so much potential to grow her fall. ¡°Did you know? Yates broke up recently.¡± ¡®Yates?¡® Ste went into a trance as she heard that name again. It felt like a lifetime ago. Yates was actually interested in her when they worked on the movie set together. However, Ste rejected him. Yates was good at reading the situation. He stopped pursuing Ste after learning about her rtionship with Weston. Ste had not heard any news about Yates for years. She felt a little emotional. ¡°I remember him as a rising artist who can¡¯t afford to get into love scandals. Now, he can finally date someone.¡® >> Time flew by as the three women happily chatted. Yvonne suddenly thought of someone. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you have an aunt who¡¯s gotten pregnant before? She should be able to take care of the children, right?¡± Ste fell silent when Yvonne spoke of Diana. Ste had no contact with anyone in Ahn City after she faked her death, but she knew Diana had learned of Michael¡¯s affair on the day of her trial. After that, Diana and Michael got into a terrible fight. Diana was so angry that she almost aborted her baby. Ste was unable to do anything at that time. Besides, she had her fair share of trouble and needed to take care of her pregnancy abroad. Therefore, she could not contact Diana. Ste did not know what identity she should use to contact Diana either. Later, she learned that Diana had divorced Michael. Although she nned to give birth to the child, she never forgave him. Diana was doing well, so Ste didn¡¯t want to disturb her life. Seeing Ste¡¯s expression, Yvonne stopped talking about Diana. When they were about to leave separately, Angelina suddenly raised her hand weakly. ¡± Um, what about me? I can take care of the children.¡± Ste was startled. She turned to Angelina. ¡± Can you?¡± Angelina was still a child herself. Angelina stuck out her tongue yfully. ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you guys¡­ I have a daughter.¡± Ste and Yvonne were stunned and looked at her in shock. Angelina said embarrassedly, ¡°My child may be a little older than yours. I only learned about herter. I seem to have lost my memory before.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My parents now lost their biological daughter before. After that, they met me in an ident and saved me. They didn¡¯t expect me to lose my past memories, so they treated me as their own child.¡± ¡°I was already pregnant at that time. Soon, I gave birth to a child. They considered me in an unsuitable state to raise a child, so they didn¡¯t tell me. After that, they gradually told me the truth. ¡°They saw me remembering the past little by little, so they simply told me the whole truth Chapter 1248 Chapter 1248 Chapter 1248 Ste and Yvonne were still shocked. They found it unbelievable! Angelinaughed and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t found the opportunity to tell you, but I feel so much better after sharing it. I¡¯ve been keeping it to myself for very long.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never looked after infants before, but I have experience with toddlers around three to four years old. If you¡¯refortable with me, you can leave Elias and Emma to me.¡± Before going to the snowy mountains, Ste took Elias and Emma to get acquainted with Angelina. Elias and Emma liked Angelina a lot since she was a child at heart herself, so they got along very well. Ste could not imagine that Angelina was already a mother of a child. Angelina had gotten a bigger house for herself, and when Ste went over, she met Angelina¡¯s daughter, a very docile and obedient girl. A year older than Elias and Emma, she had that ¡®big sister¡® look about her. Ste saw the three children got along very well. Then, she quietly called Angelina to the side and asked her, ¡°Who¡¯s the father? Do you remember?¡± Angelina looked lost. ¡°I don¡¯t quite remember¡­ I don¡¯t know who the child¡¯s father is, but¡­¡± Angelina wore a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been missing for so long, but the child¡¯s father never came for me. I¡¯m probably not very important to him, am I? Oh well. I¡¯m doing fine now, so I don¡¯t really want to find my old memories anymore. >> Ste empathized with Angelina, and her eyes softened as she saw the three children ying not far away. The people from their studio were not the only ones on the trip to the snowy mountains . A film crew had also tagged along to shoot some scenes at the location. As expected, she saw a close friend there- Bradley. Bradley was not surprised to see Ste, and he approached her with a smile. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to leave home for a while.¡± ¡°I still have to go out for social reasons.¡± Ste saw Bradley carrying some camera equipment and said with a smile, ¡°I n to grow my career in Ahn City eventually, so I¡¯ll have to make some contacts.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°If you need some, I can hook you up.¡® Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡± She saw an unexpected acquaintance among the group¨CYates. Yates was quite surprised to see Ste too. E!¡± He had heard rumors that Ste was not dead and returned with two children. Although he heard the gossip, he had some doubts because he had not seen Ste in person yet. He could not believe the news until he finally saw Ste in person. He was a bit excited at their reunion. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were really alive¡­¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± When Yates met her again, he showed only joy and no other special feelings to her in his eyes. He was just emotional about meeting an old friend again. ¡°It¡¯s been three years. I never thought I¡¯d see you again.¡± ¡°It is an unpredictable world,¡± Ste replied, smiling Ste became more a man of the world than before. Yates talked to her a lot. They had worked together as actors before, so they got reacquainted in no time. Soon, the car arrived at the foot of the mountain, with the faraway snow¨Ccapped peaks in sight. Chapter 1249 Chapter 1249 Chapter 1249 Ste said, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful up here.¡± ¡°Of course. After all, it¡¯s a shooting location. The results have to be worth the investment.¡± Ste saw the crew setting up the tent and was about to go over and help when Yates pulled her arm and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous there. You don¡¯t have to help. Let the professionals set up the tent. Amateurs like us shouldn¡¯t get involved. We¡¯ll only be in their way.¡± Ste thought it was reasonable and agreed. Then, she walked back. Yates was still holding her arms. He was not thinking of anything, just afraid that she would fall. The two were very open with each other. Yates had been in two rtionships within the past few years, and whatever affection he used to have for Ste had long faded. Yates simply treated Ste like an old friend. However, this scene was very unpleasant in another man¡¯s eyes. Ste waspletely unaware of the gloomy ncesing from the other side. A Maybach Pullman was parked across the road from the tent. As the car came by, it quickly attracted a lot of attention. Then, everyone could not help but keep staring at the tall figure who stepped out of the car. Weston was used to being in the limelight and did not feel the stares. However, when he saw Ste talking andughing with a man from afar, his eyes turned grim. Ste didn¡¯t notice Weston at first, but a momentter, a tall figure appeared in front of her. He silently pulled Yates¡¯s hand away from Ste. Then, he familiarly sped her shoulder and said in her ear intimately, We¡¯ve set up the tent. Do you want to go over and take a look?¡± Weston sounded incredibly close to her and spoke to Ste like an old married couple. Ste frowned immediately and pushed him away. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Weston seemed unruffled by her coldness and stranger -like treatment. He seemed used to her resistance and rejection. ¡°You¡¯re at such a dangerous ce. I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Ste frowned and refused to look at him. ¡°Do you know how annoying you can get?.¡± Yates watched the two interact with mixed feelings. After a little thought, Yates found that it made sense. Everyone in Ahn City knew about Ste and Weston¡¯s rtionship and story three years ago. Yates simply didn¡¯t expect them to be still together after three years. Yates even felt that the bond of bad blood seemed an unbreakable one. As a man, he could sense Weston¡¯s hostility to him. He did not want to get into trouble, so he made a casual excuse and left. Weston forcibly took Ste in his arms and coaxed her into the tent, to her obvious displeasure. Ste was ashamed. So many people were watching them, and if she continued to refuse, Weston would have embraced her right there. Ste had no choice, so she went over to Weston in annoyance. She demanded impatiently, ¡°Weston, what the hell do you want?¡± ¡°The tents they set up aren¡¯t good enough. Why don¡¯t you stay here with me tonight?¡± Ste gave him a cold re. ¡°No.¡± Then, she lifted the tent door and walked away. Weston¡¯s face sank. Quickly, he took her wrist from behind and questioned, ¡°Where are you seemed an unbreakable one. As a man, he could sense Weston¡¯s hostility to him. He did not want to get into trouble, so he made a casual excuse and left. Weston forcibly took Ste in his arms and coaxed her into the tent, to her obvious displeasure. Ste was ashamed. So many people were watching them, and if she continued to refuse, Weston would have embraced her right there. Ste had no choice, so she went over to Weston in annoyance. She demanded impatiently, ¡°Weston, what the hell do you want?¡± ¡°The tents they set up aren¡¯t good enough. Why don¡¯t you stay here with me tonight?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ste gave him a cold re. ¡°No.¡± Then, she lifted the tent door and walked away. Weston¡¯s face sank. Quickly, he took her wrist from behind and questioned, ¡°Where are you going then? Are you going to that man?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Ste shook off his hand fiercely. ¡°Are you aware of your position? Who are you to be in charge of me now?¡± Seeing the undisguised dislike and disgust in her eyes, Weston took a deep breath and calmed down. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Weston muffled his voice as he took her in his arms. He seemed more petty and low than ever as he pleaded, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you with him.¡± Weston kissed Ste¡¯s face and her cheeks gently. The way he kissed her was so gentle. His effort to please and coax her was obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me, please?¡± Chapter 1250 Chapter 1250 Chapter 1250 Ste had rarely seen Weston acting so lowly. She was stunned for a moment but quickly regained herposure and pushed him away in annoyance. ¡°My rtionship with him has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t forget who you are. You have no right to be pointing fingers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pointing fingers at you. I¡¯m just¡­¡± Weston paused slightly. Ste was annoyed at his sudden low tone. She pushed him away in irritation, ¡°If that¡¯s all you have to say, you can stop. Don¡¯t bother me anymore. ¡± Ste was a little displeased at how he followed her here. She turned away and left without thinking twice. Weston watched Ste walk out but did not go after her. He knew it would only make her hate him more. The tents on the camp outside were set up and ready. When Yates saw Steing out, he was the first to go over to her. Yates nced behind Ste but saw no sign of Weston. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Ste responded with a light hum. When she noticed how he was looking behind her, she blocked his line of sight and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ste saw right through him, which made Yates feel a little embarrassed. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, rubbing his nose. Then, he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mr. Forde out with you?¡± Ste frowned. She clearly did not want to talk about that man. Yates read her face and understood. ¡°Sorry.¡± Yates said to her with a smile, ¡°You two haven¡¯t made up?¡± Ste was a little displeased. She said, Things between us had ended years ago. There¡¯s nothing like making up again or reconciliation.¡± There was a sudden silence between Ste and Yates. Just as Yated was about to find something to talk about, he noticed an unfriendly looking his way. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. When he looked up, he met a pair of cold and indifferent eyes. Weston came out of the tent. He no longer showed the aggrieved look with Ste alone and returned to his usual indifference. The crew was afraid to approach him, mainly from the cold aura he exuded. Even so, they couldn¡¯t ignore or be cold to Weston due to his status and power. Thus, they had to bite the bullet and please him anyway. Soon, a group of people surrounded him. Ste was no stranger to seeing that and turned around to leave. Weston looked over. He avoided the producers and staff around him and followed Ste. Ste remained silent the whole time. Weston followed in silence and kept a close distance behind her. Bradley wanted to invite Ste to check out the other side of the snowy mountain. When he came over and saw Weston following closely behind her, he rubbed his brow a little helplessly and did not want to go over anymore. Ste saw Bradley first and strode to him.¡± Bradley, take me around. I want to see the ce.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Bradley nodded and nced at the man behind her. Seeing how Stepletely ignored Weston, Bradley went along with her and pretended he did not see Weston. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I heard that there are herders over there. I want to go there and see.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have the support team get ready. They¡¯re very experienced and familiar with this area. They¡¯ve led a lot of tourists around the snow mountains safely.¡± Ste listened to Bradley¡¯s introduction while looking around at the scenery. Bradley told her, ¡°There are some hignd yak over there. We can go and have a look.¡± It was Ste¡¯s first time at a ce like this. Chapter 1251 Chapter 1251 Chapter 1251 Back when she was young, every time she was on holiday with her parents, they would always travel to tourist spots where the climate was mild and temperate. They had never gone to ces as bitingly cold and extreme as this. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. In the three years that she was abroad, she had basically spent all of her time with her children. She practiced ying the piano in the remaining time she had left. All in all, it had almost been forever since shest enjoyed herself, which was why this ce filled her with a sense of wonder and excitement. ¡°It¡¯s so cold here, and even grass doesn¡¯t grow. What do those cows and sheep eat?¡± ¡°There is ayer of vegetation under the snow and ice, enough for the livestock to keep themselves full even during winter, although the conditions are obviously very severe.¡± They continued until suddenly; they saw a sheet of melting ice. Bradley stopped in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste asked when she noticed his reaction. ¡°Nothing,¡± Bradley frowned. He turned to the shepherd beside him and asked, ¡°I remember being here last year, and the ice and snow were still frozen. Why is it thawing so early?¡± ¡°Climate change,¡± replied the shepherd who had been their guide during the tour in a thick local ent. ¡°The ice and snow melt a lot earlier now. Usually, it would be quite cold this time of year, but it¡¯s much colder than usual now.¡± With some effort, Ste somewhat understood what he was saying. The melting of ice and snow actually cooled the air, making it much colder than when everything was still frozen. No wonder the further they walked, the more the down jacket she was wearing seemed insufficient to protect her from the cold. Bradley noticed her looking a little off, so he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we head back for now?¡± Ste still wanted to go a little further. After all, she had never been to a ce like this before. But suddenly, she felt a big hand wrapped around her waist. Weston quickly pulled her into his arms, preventing her from taking a step further. ¡°It appears the conditions today are unsuitable to proceed,¡± he whispered in her ear. ¡°You should head back and rest in your condition.¡± If he had not suddenly appeared, Ste would have forgotten that he¡¯d been following her all this time. ¡°If you can¡¯t bear it, you can go ahead and leave,¡± she argued. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± She had nned to head back initially, but when she heard what Weston was saying, she simply couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to rebel. What right did he have to expect her to listen to him? She brushed his hands off and walked defiantly ahead. Weston frowned at the sight of her walking away, looking as if he had something to say. But when he saw Ste¡¯s stubborn and determined look, he swallowed all his words and just quietly followed her. Because they were surrounded by other professionals, Bradley decided not to say anything. Besides, they were still very far from the danger zone and still had time anyway, so there should be no problem, even if Ste wanted to go a little further. They hadn¡¯t walked on very far when Ste suddenly stopped and turned to Bradley, asking him, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Ste. ¡°But if you¡¯re tired, then we should probably head back.¡± Bradley chuckled when he realized that Ste was looking for an excuse to return to the tents. ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± he nodded, ¡°I do feel a little unwell. Perhaps it¡¯s altitude sickness. Why don¡¯t we go back for now?¡± Ste sighed in relief. She turned to Weston with a stern look on her face and said, ¡°Someone¡¯s feeling unwell, so we should head back now, but if you still want to continue on, then go on ahead.¡± She then turned away from him as soon as she finished speaking. Weston had no other choice but to hurry after her and say, ¡°Why would I go on if you¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re only here because of me,¡± she scoffed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll do whatever I do and go wherever I go?¡± Weston stood in front of her, looking into her eyes as he said, ¡°Yes.¡± Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1252 Chapter 1252 Chapter 1252 For a long time, Weston just stared at Ste as if he¡¯d never gotten tired of her face. ¡°I thought it was pretty obvious,¡± he said. Like Ste, he was also wearing a thick padded ski jacket plus a few moreyers of clothes underneath it, yet even when he was dressed like that, he still seemed to be towering over everyone else around him. He reached out his hand to adjust Ste¡¯s cor to cover her up more snugly so she was more protected from the cold, and with a helpless tone, he asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t my actions been obvious enough to you yet?¡± He would never have decided toe to such a ce had it not been for Ste. He wasn¡¯t a man who wasted his time with leisurely activities. In fact, traveling had never interested him at all. With his skills and talents, he could use the time he had to go through some more documents or sign a few more contracts, earning him millions more, instead of throwing precious time away by traveling. Why else would he set aside such a huge potential toe to such a harsh and inhospitable ce that not even birdsid their eggs? Ste perfectly understood what he was implying, but she had no desire to talk to him, so she just red at him and walked alongside Bradley back to the tents. The crew had already set up their tents. Among them was Caspian Yates, who noticed Ste from a distance, and he went over to say hello. He had initially wanted to have a little chat with her, but he decided against it when he noticed the glum¨C faced man following her from behind. And so, after a short greeting, Caspian quickly left her and just went about his own business. He loved nothing more than to catch up with Ste, of course, but he knew they still had a lot of time in the future, so there was no need to be too hasty about it. After all, Caspian had no desire to go up against such a man as Weston Ford. By the looks of it, it seemed Weston had a new terrifying level of possessiveness over Ste, and putting himself into hot soup for no reason by crossing him would be foolish. The others who were there seemed to agree with Caspian. Almost no one came up to talk to Ste at all. Most simply kept quiet, while some were even too afraid to look at them. Ste could clearly sense what was happening as she sat there. Ever since Weston showed up, almost no one came up to chat with her at all. She turned to the man beside her, whose presence was as intimidating as that of a god and could not help but blurted out, ¡°Can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡± Weston swept a nce around them and nonchntly responded, ¡°But this ce is huge. Why should you be the only one who can stay here?¡± ¡°But if you¡¯re here,¡± Ste argued angrily, ¡°everyone¡¯s going to be too afraid to talk to me!¡± ¡°How is it my fault that everyone here is a coward?¡± CX >> Speechless, Ste red at him coldly before getting up and finding someone else to talk to. Weston chuckled as he watched her angrily stomping away, and his eyes even lit up slightly. The first person Ste went to was Caspian. He stopped what he was doing as he listened to her talking to himself, but then he suddenly nced in a certain direction. Seeing that Weston was staring at them, he paused and asked Ste, ¡°Are you in a row with Weston Ford?¡± ¡°Can you not mention him?¡± Ste replied unhappily, not least because Caspian suddenly interrupted her while she was still talking. ¡°You¡¯re spoiling Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. my mood.¡± ¡°If you are quarreling, I suggest you clear everything up with him; otherwise, the whole crew would never be at ease.¡± Caspian spoke in a joking tone, but Ste could still tell that there was some truth in his words. She was fully aware of how much Weston was capable of making everyone there feel anxious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she smiled at Caspian. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve troubled you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± Caspian shook his head. If anything, it¡¯s all just because that man over there is too powerful. Even if he did nothing and just stood there, everyone would still be worried that they might have slighted him somehow.¡± Ste thought about it for a while, then she said nothing more to Caspian and turned to leave. She had no intention of dragging anybody else into the mess between her and Weston, so she went through today¡¯s schedule before deciding to chat with Bradley about tomorrow¡¯s ns. She would go straight back to her tent afterward to practice the piano by herself. When Bradley saw her approaching, he stopped what he was doing and whispered something to the person beside him. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1253 Chapter 1253 Chapter 1253 The minute Ste walked up to him, the person beside Bradley nodded at her. She gave a brief greeting before turning and leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll just say something and leave,¡± she hurriedly told Bradley. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Bradley. ¡°My work here is done anyway.¡± Seeing this, Ste nodded and told him about her intentions. Bradley took out a form and let her take a look at it. ¡± There should be a soft copy of this. We¡¯ll send it to your emailter. The signal up here isn¡¯t very good, but I¡¯ve brought some professionals along with me. They¡¯ll fix everything up, so you¡¯ll be able to see it soon, I¡¯m sure.¡± As the two talked, Ste noticed a tall and well¨Cbuilt figure walking towards them. She frowned and began to feel irritated. It was Weston again. Couldn¡¯t he see that they were busy here? Why was he always following her around? Did he never get tired of doing this? Just as she was about to suggest to Bradley that they talk somewhere else, she saw Weston stop in his tracks, and instead of heading towards her, he stopped and chatted with a producer. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The look on Ste¡¯s face changed. She suddenly felt as if she¡¯d been ttering herself all along. Bradley noticed the changes in her expressions. Aplicated look shed across his face, but he said nothing. Weston stood not far from them, looking as if he was in deep conversation with the producer. Seeing this, Ste retracted her gaze and just ignored him from then on. She then continued to discuss her schedule with Bradley. Soon, two more cars came halfway up the mountainside and parked near the tents. The doors opened, and out came two women. Ste felt that one of them sounded very familiar. She looked over, and her eyes gleamed with a look of surprise. It was Nicole Dous. She was wearing much feweryers than everyone else there. Her thin coat made her look tall and slender, but as soon as she got out of the car, she instantly went into a sneezing fit. Ste looked away, still wondering what that woman was doing here. Bradley noticed the neers and told Ste, ¡°Those are probably thest¨Cminute additions to the crew.¡± As soon as she got out of the car, all of Nicole¡¯s attention turned to Weston Ford. That man stood out so much, even though he stood in the middle of a group of old men d in thick layers of jackets. With a single nce, she easily spotted that handsome face of his, as if there was an invisible wall between him and other mere mortals. For that reason, Nicole did not notice that Ste was there too. (( ¡°Excuse me!¡± Nicole heard someone behind her say. Mind moving aside? We¡¯re trying to bring this equipment in!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, finally waking up from a daze. She stepped aside to give way to the crew. When she turned to look at Weston again, she noticed him staring fixedly in a certain direction, although she was unsure what he was looking at. She pursed her lips. The air didn¡¯t seem so cold anymore. She quickly pulled out a small mirror to fix her makeup and adjust her clothes, then made sure that her smile did not look fake and stiff. Having done all that, she slowly approached Weston and, with a sweet smile, chirped, ¡°Mr. Ford, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?¡± Her timely interruption made the producer pause and nce at her before asking, ¡°And you are¡­?¡± ¡°Hi, my name is Nicole Dous. I¡¯m an actress who came along with the crew.¡± All the producer thought was how unfamiliar he found her name to be. He thought it was umonly bold of this unknown actress toe up and strike up a conversation with Weston Ford. Could it be that they actually knew each other? Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1254 Chapter 1254 Chapter 1254 As he was thinking about it, he nced at the two people in front of him, trying to find some clues in their expressions. If this actress was really in a close rtionship with Weston Ford, he had to make sure he didn¡¯t offend her in the slightest way. However, he noticed that Weston did not even bother to look at her. All he did was give her brief and polite responses. This cold and distant expression by Weston Ford made the producer wonder to himself whether these two were even in a rtionship or if they were trying to conceal their affection to the public. Still, it would be best to be careful in cases like this, so the producer opted to start chatting with Nicole in a friendly manner. But this only caused Nicole to misunderstand that the producer¡¯s changed attitude was a sign of Weston¡¯s approval of her. She was ttered and so tried to turn the subject of their conversation to Weston from time to time. With a single nce, Bradley could see through Nicole¡¯s true intentions. ¡°A man like Weston Ford would only attract actresses who would throw themselves at him like flies to rotten flesh,¡± he warned Ste. ¡°Just like that one over there. If you don¡¯t keep an eye on things, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Ste cut him off. She looked at him with displeasure and asserted, ¡°I don¡¯t care if anyone wants to throw themselves at him. He¡¯s nothing to me.¡± Bradley instantly realized that he shouldn¡¯t have said what he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized and kept his mouth shut after that. Ste quickly dropped the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for the email then. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± She then turned around and returned to her own tent. Weston had been watching her every move the whole time, but then he suddenly noticed that she had turned and walked away. Excusing himself, he quickly left the producer and hurried after her. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Nicole had wanted to chat with him for a little longer, so when she saw that he was leaving, she tried to follow him, calling out, ¡°Mr. Ford! Mr. Ford!¡± She kept calling his name, but Weston did not respond at all. Her heart sank instantly, and she was a picture of disappointment. Her dejected looks alone were enough to help the producer understand what kind of rtionship she had with Weston Ford. He could not help butfort her, Men like him only pay attention to women that they are interested in. Don¡¯t be too upset. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not good enough, you might just not be his type.¡± Nicole understood what the producer was implying, and she quickly asked him, ¡°Is there anyone else in this crew apart from me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a pianist named Cicily,¡± the producer replied. ¡± I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard of her, but she¡¯s actually famous all over the world.¡± The producer had never been interested in ssical music, but even he had heard of this pianist before. He had also heard that she was Weston Ford¡¯s wife, who had died three years ago, but that sounded too ridiculous to be true, so he remained skeptical about this particr rumor¡¯s veracity. But Nicole reacted to his words instantly. She knew that the woman was Ste Sealey¡­ Her face was suddenly drained of blood. She had found it dubious and quizzical when she heard that Weston had gone to such an isted ce as Snow Mountain, especially since there was not much potential for this ce apart from developing it into a tourist spot, seeing that there were no precious natural resources to be found here. This was exactly why Ford Corporation had always steered clear of locations like this. At first, she assumed that Weston might be nning to invest in the film industry, but it became clear that he was only here because of Ste Sealey¡­ This came as a shock to her, yet it was also simultaneously unsurprising. No other woman apart from Ste Sealey could ever make Weston act so out of the ordinary. This realization brought excruciating pain to her heart, but at the same time, made her yearn for him even more. If she could somehow take Ste¡¯s ce someday, she would be the most special woman in his life¡­ 1 The possibility of this was just too tantalizing. She knew that it would be nigh impossible for her to get what she wanted, but she just could not give it up. To her, Weston was like the big bright moon in the night sky. She knew that an insurmountable obstacley between her and the man, but she just could not help but wish to bathe herself in his brilliance, dreaming that one day he would shine all his light onto her alone and no one else. What if she got a chance one day? What if¡­? Those were the thoughts that filled Nicole¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Ste was already inside her own tent. She took off her thick heavy coat. The air inside was warm and cozy, unlike the bitingly cold air outside. It was so different that it felt as if she had been on two differents. After only staying in there for a few minutes, her face was already starting to sweat slightly. Chapter 1255 Chapter 1255 Chapter 1255 Ste was just thinking about taking off her wool sweater when she noticed a ck shadow in her tent. It was Weston. She did not know when he got there, but he suddenly appeared behind her out of nowhere, holding her hand and telling her, ¡°Don¡¯t take too manyyers off. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°How did you get in?¡± asked Ste as she sprang up on her feet. With widened eyes, she turned to look at the entrance of her tent. It was still closed and hidden, but she could see now how fragile of a barrier it was. Still, there was so many crew, and everyone knew and respected the rules of not opening anyone¡¯s door or entering tents without permission. Everyone, that was, except for Weston, who seemed to think that he was above this rule. In fact, even if anybody saw himing into Ste¡¯s tent, she was sure no one would¡¯ve dared raise concern or say anything to him. Knowing this, Ste took a deep breath as she found herself seething with anger. ¡°If you keep on acting like this, I¡¯m going to pack my stuff and leave right away.¡± Weston paused. He was intending to touch her, but he quickly withdrew his hand away from her. ¡°You know more than anyone else,¡± he said, ¡°that I can do anything in this world, except for leaving you alone.¡± He stood there, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes showing a pained expression. ¡°Even if you pack up and leave now,¡± he added, ¡°I¡¯ll only leave with you anyway, so are you sure you¡¯re going to waste your time doing such a useless thing?¡± Ste never thought that he could be this shameless. For a while, she was rendered speechless. After a long silence, she finally massaged her temples and said, ¡°Fine.¡± She just could not believe that Weston would really endure all the troubles that she could bring him. Since she could not persuade him to leave, then she would use another tactic to chase him away. She nced at him and asked, ¡°You want to be by my side, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So no matter what I say to you, you¡¯ll never leave, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Ste sat down in front of herptop. ¡°In that case, go get me a basin of water. I want to wash my face.¡± Since it was right in the middle of the day, Weston instantly knew that the only reason she wanted to wash her face was to give him a hard time. Nevertheless, Weston rushed out of the tent without uttering a singleint. Soon, he returned with a big tub of hot water. The amenities avable on Snow Mountain were quite simple and rudimentary, but the tent where Weston was staying was much more luxurious and it even came with all sorts of convenience. Ste t out refused to stay there with him, though. She would only stay where the rest of the crew was staying. Even though the facilities here were slightly worse than the ones outside, it was still not so bad as to make it unendurable. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a bath?¡± Weston suggested. ¡°You took a long walk outside just now and it was very cold.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ste replied through gritted teeth. This was only her first test. She was convinced that he would notst that long if she gave him one trouble after another! ¡°This is no good at all!¡± sheined. ¡°The water¡¯s scalding hot!¡± ¡°It just looks too hot,¡± he stood up and assured her. ¡± Why don¡¯t you give it a try and dip your toes in? It¡¯s really not that hot at all.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s clearly steaming!¡± she argued. ¡°How can you say that it¡¯s not too hot?¡± ¡°Change the water,¡± she instructed him. She was not even willing to test the water at all. It was obvious that she was trying to give him a hard time. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. But Weston stayed silent and just brought her another tub of water. This time, though, he did not give her the time toin. He swiftly picked her up in his arms and without saying a word, took off her socks, sweater, and pants before cing her inside the tub. The warm water flooded Ste¡¯s body. She wanted to struggle and push him away, but it was just toofortable, so she justy still in the tub. Then she turned to him and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want something to eat.¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes rolled as she thought about it before she answered, ¡°I want something icy.¡± 1 Chapter 1256 Chapter 1256 Chapter 1256 The man¡¯s movements stopped abruptly. His disapproving, gloomy eyes fixed themselves on her. ¡°Why would you eat something icy now? Are you trying to catch a cold?¡± Ste said nothing. She looked annoyed as she impatiently tapped her fingers on the side of the tub, saying, ¡°Get out and leave me alone then. I want to enjoy my bath in peace.¡± Weston stared fixedly at her in silence before kneeling down beside her, saying, ¡°Let me help you.¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened, ring at him, ¡°you pervert!¡± Weston waspletely unruffled. He picked up a cloth nearby and ced it on her back, and began to gently rub Ste¡¯s body instantly stiffened, and she swatted his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t you even try!¡± she yelled. ¡°I just want to wait on you while you soak,¡± he said, gazing at her while looking innocent. ¡°You wish!¡± she snapped. Seeing that she was really getting angry, he withdrew his hand and told her, ¡°I¡¯ll be right outside. You can call for me whenever you need me.¡± Ste scowled at him and said nothing. Once she was sure that he had gone outside, she finally let her guard down and properly enjoyed the bath. A long time had passed, and Ste hadpletely forgotten that there was someone waiting for her outside. She picked up the script that Bradley gave her and began skimming through it. This time, the crew had set up a shooting location on Snow Mountain, where most of the plot involved the characters being around nature. Even though Ste was only reading the script, she could already feel rxed, and her mood lifted. As she kept on reading, she was so immersed in it that she forgot the time. It was now getting quitete. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The door to her tent was lifted open from the outside, and Weston walked in and said, ¡°You should eat something now.¡± It was only then that Ste realized she was getting quite peckish. ¡°Help me get rid of the tub,¡± she said. She was already done soaking in the bath and was only waiting for Weston toe in and clean everything up. Hearing this, Weston gave her a long, meaningful look. He did not say anything, he just set the things in his hands down on a table in front of her and got rid of the bathwater withoutint. Meanwhile, outside the tent, Nicole was getting ready to eat, so she looked for Weston all over the ce, yet no one knew where he was. She was not sure if any of the food served here was to Weston¡¯s taste, and she got quite worried about it. Just as she was lost in thoughts, she turned around and bumped into Weston, who was justing out from another tent. She smiled and walked up to him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for dinner, Mr. Ford. Can you eat the food served here? If you don¡¯t like it, I can prepare something else for you¡­¡± She then suddenly paused in the middle of her sentence when she noticed that Weston was carrying a big tub of bathwater. He just walked past her with a distant look on his face,pletely ignoring her. Nicole couldn¡¯t believe her eyes and was frozen in ce. She then hurried after him and cried, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do these things yourself, Mr. Ford! Let me help you! Or maybe I can ask someone else¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± said Weston without even looking at her. ¡°Just don¡¯t get in my way.¡± His cold and icy response made her step aside, although she just stood there, neither walking away nor approaching him. Weston acted as if he didn¡¯t even see her. After getting rid of the bathwater, he quickly hurried back into the same tent. In the brief moment that he raised the tent door, Nicole instinctively tried to take a peek. All she saw was a slender figure shing past her view before it waspletely blocked. Nicole clenched her fists. She knew that the woman inside couldn¡¯t be anyone else but Ste Sealey. She simply couldn¡¯t understand why Weston would be so willing to do anything for that woman. Everything that happened three years ago was all Ste¡¯s fault after all, and Weston had spared no effort going to extreme lengths just to save her. After all that he had done for her, how could she still treat him so poorly? How could she let him do such lowly chores for her? 1 She clearly didn¡¯t have an ounce of love for him! Chapter 1257 Chapter 1257 Chapter 1257 Meanwhile, because there was a heater in the tent, the air was warm and cozy, and Ste had settled in snugly. However, when she saw Westone in again, bringing with him a gust of frosty air, she frowned, annoyance written all over her face. ¡°Stop. Stay there. Don¡¯te any closer.¡± Weston stopped in his tracks. He remained unfazed by her bossy haughtiness, though he was bothered by how she was looking at him as if he disgusted her. And thus, he walked up to her and held her chin up with his hand. Before she had the time to react, he swiftly swooped down and kissed her lips. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The script slipped through her fingers, and she hit Weston hard on his shoulders to make him stop. But her resistance did not deter Weston in the slightest bit. Far from being hurt, it merely felt like a tickle. He sped her hands together and, without any hesitation, dove right in and gave her a deeper kiss. Ste kept on resisting, albeit helplessly, as she did not manage to make him budge at all. Weston only let go of her when he was done kissing her. He leaned down on her forehead, still panting a little, and whispered in her ear, ¡°You¡¯ve been bossing me for long enough now, it¡¯s only fair that you reward me a little, right¡­?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You can leave whenever you like, if you can¡¯t bear it,¡± she pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to be here.¡± ¡°Just think of it as me forcing you,¡± he replied. As he parted his lips, his warm breath turned into white clouds of fog, giving the air in the tent an indescribably sensuous atmosphere. But he only kissed her that one time and then released her. Ste took a deep breath. Her eyes were cold and crystalline. She picked up the script on the floor, but she was no longer in the mood to read it. Undeterred, Weston presented the dishes he brought with him to her, telling her, ¡°The food up here tastes a little different. I asked the kitchen to cook up a variety for you, so why don¡¯t you try and see if you like any?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating any of that,¡± she refused, not even looking at the dishes. Weston paused, then asked her, ¡°Which one do you dislike?¡± ¡°All of them,¡± she replied while looking straight into his eyes, obviously taunting him. ¡°What do you want to eat then?¡± he asked patiently. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± ¡°I told you¨CI want something icy.¡± ¡®Anything but that,¡± he said, reaching out his hand to pinch her nose. He chuckled and asked her, ¡°Do you really want something icy?¡± ¡°Yes! How many times do I have to tell you? Stop asking me the same question! You¡¯re clearly trying to annoy me.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Weston turned and left the tent without saying another word. When he returned, he really did bring her some ice cubes, but he also brought along a bottle of fine red wine. Calmly, he walked up to her and set a tall ss in front of her. Ste took a step back and stared at him, wondering what he was going to do. Weston opened the bottle and filled a ss with wine before dropping some ice cubes into it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted something icy?¡± he asked. ¡°I said I wanted to eat something icy,¡± she argued. ¡°I never said I wanted to drink wine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to drink if you don¡¯t want to,¡± he said, then he suddenly took a sip of the wine. An ice cube slid into his mouth, and he swiftly held Ste¡¯s chin in ce before kissing her lips again. An icy cold sensation passed between their lips. Ste was shocked by the coldness of the ice and wanted to push him away, only for him to hold her tightly in ce and kiss her even more deeply. This kiss felt different from the previous one. She kept trying to push him away and resist him, but the ice started to mix with her saliva, merging and mingling together in their stickiness until it started to melt little by little. The alcohol filled their mouths. Ste was feeling a little light¨Cheaded now. Slowly, he managed to dissolve the strength of her resistance. Chapter 1258 Chapter 1258 Chapter 1258 Ste couldn¡¯t tell how long Weston¡¯s kiss was before he finally released her. He was still breathing heavily when he nted another kiss on the top of her cupid¡¯s bow and asked her, ¡°Do you want another one?¡± Ste¡¯s mind waspletely nk at this point. The alcohol content of the wine was too high and she was feeling quite dizzy now. Gettin no answer, Weston put another ice cube into his mouth and kissed her again. Her lips were so numb now that she couldn¡¯t feel them. She simply couldn¡¯t believe how brazenly shameless this man could get¡­ Meanwhile, Nicole was pacing back and forth restlessly outside the tent. A member of the crew informed her that dinner was served, but she had no choice but to reluctantly refuse. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute,¡± she said. She wanted to stay there and wait for Weston toe out. She had heard some noises emerging from inside the tent that made her blush and her heart race. She clenched her fists, but she had no courage to barge in there. p! When the kiss ended, Ste struck him right away. But Weston was used to her ps by now. Without a change in his expressions, he asked her, ¡°Did you hurt your hand pping me?¡± As he spoke, he lifted up her hand and kissed the spot on her palm that had gotten red from striking him. Ste quickly yanked her hand away from him as if she had just gotten an electric shock. She stared at him incredulously and said, ¡°You¡¯ve be so¡­ So¡­¡± She thought that even the word ¡°perverted¡± was too kind for a man like him. In that instant, she couldn¡¯t think of a vicious enough word to hurl at him. Weston chuckled under his breath and stroked her hair lovingly. ¡°If you can¡¯t think of a word, then just forget it and eat something instead, okay? You took a long walk today. You must be tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have no appetite so long as you¡¯re still here,¡± she spat ruthlessly. ¡°You can turn away when you eat.¡± Ste had nothing more to say to him, though she still hadn¡¯t touched any of the food he brought her. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anything right now.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± he insisted. ¡°You should at least take a few bites.¡± He looked at her bony shoulders and reached out his hand to caress them. ¡°You¡¯re so skinny now,¡± he said. ¡°How can you stay healthy if you don¡¯t eat something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± she told him irritably. ¡± Stop being so nosy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being nosy,¡± he argued. ¡°I just want you to take good care of yourself. Only then can I stop worrying.¡± ¡°In the past three years, not only have I been taking good care of myself, but I¡¯ve raised my two children at the same time, so don¡¯t bother worrying about me. I don¡¯t need it. If there¡¯s nothing else, can you please get out of my sight? You¡¯re disturbing my work!¡± Weston said nothing. He sat down beside her and told her, ¡°If you¡¯re not eating, then I¡¯m not either:¡± ¡°Do whatever you want! Why would I care?¡± Ste scowled at him, slightly amused by what he said just now. He could not still be thinking that she cared about him, could he? They both fell silent. But the silence was soon broken by Nicole¡¯s voiceing from outside. ¡°Ms. Sealey! Are you in there?¡± She was clever this time. She did not call out Weston¡¯s name right away, but decided to call for Ste instead. Ste froze for a moment. She recognized the voice to be Nicole¡¯s. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered, her eyes filled with interest. ¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Dinner is ready now, and everyone¡¯s waiting for you¡­¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She did not say it explicitly, but it was clear that she wanted Ste to join the crew for dinner. Ste tapped her fingers on the table. She nced at the hefty dinner that Weston had brought to her, yet she turned around and quickly agreed to go out. ¡°Okay,¡± she told Nicole. ¡°I¡¯m going out in a moment.¡± Nicole was shocked. She did not expect Ste to agree so easily. Ste then got up and headed out of the tent right away, but Weston hurried after her, then grabbed her wrist, and stopped her with a look of disapproval in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the food they serve out there,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t look that tasty at all. Why don¡¯t you just eat here instead?¡± Chapter 1259 Chapter 1259 Chapter 1259 Ste brushed his hand off and said, ¡°But I want to have dinner with everyone. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Weston sighed, having no choice but to relent to her. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you then¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± she stood in front of him, blocking his way. ¡°If you¡¯re there, I¡¯ll lose all my appetite.¡± Weston pursed his lips till they became a thin straight line. His face turned gloomy. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Seeing this, Ste smiled and told him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is my usual temper. If you can¡¯t bear it, you¡¯re free to stay away from me now.¡± Weston pressed his eyebrows hard, trying to suppress the burning anger inside him. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, returning to his usual nonchnt demeanor, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but I¡¯ll make sure you see me.¡± don¡¯t Nicole was waiting outside the tent, and when she saw them bothing out, her gaze fell solely on Weston¡¯s body. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± she cried, her eyes lighting up. She pretended she had not met him yet and greeted him, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here¡­ with Ms. Sealey¡­¡± Weston nced furtively at her beforepletely ignoring her. He then hurried after Ste. Ste stopped abruptly when she saw him behind her. She looked at him and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay here?¡± Hearing this, Nicole turned around and asked, ¡°But why? Isn¡¯t Mr. Ford having dinner with us too¡­?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not hungry yet,¡± Ste said before turning to Weston with a smile and asl ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Weston pressed the point between his brows, knowing he had no choice but to agree. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet,¡± he echoed. Ste smiled devilishly and told him, ¡°I just took a bath, so I¡¯ve got a lot of dirtyundry¡­¡± She paused and did not finish her sentence. Weston looked at her with dark, inscrutable eyes before his lips parted to say, ¡°I¡¯ll help you clean them.¡± Nicole froze on the spot. She stared at Weston with disbelief and said, ¡°But we have our crew to specially do these chores, Mr. Ford! You¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust others to do this,¡± he bluntly interrupted her, then turned to Ste and casually added, ¡°These are clothes that will touch your skin after all, so it would be best if I wash them myself.¡± Ste nodded, signifying that she agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m joining the others for dinner now.¡± She was only saying that to tease him, of course. Little did she expect that Weston would actually do her laundry. Besides, she wondered if a man like him even knew what the words ¡°doingundry¡± meant. The whole crew was already seated when she got to the dining table. Bradley looked around, pulled up a chair for her, and then asked her, ¡°Wh in¡¯t Mr. Forde along with you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably busy with something,¡± she replied vaguely. Some people who had apanied Weston there also noticed Weston¡¯s absence and were about to get him, but Ste stopped them. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s busy with something right now.¡® Since she said he was busy, the others had nothing more to say, so they just sat back down, even though they were quietly wondering what was going on. It irked Nicole to no end that Ste could just sit there happily, enjoying her dinner, while Weston stayed in her tent, noting out for dinner because he was doing her It had been a long day, and he had not eaten anything yet ¨Cwould he be alright? Could his body endure it? What a wicked woman! She couldn¡¯t take it any longer. She rose to her feet and announced, ¡°Since it looks like Mr. Ford is busy with something, I¡¯d better bring him his foodter.¡± When she finished speaking, everyone there fell silent. Their heads turned towards the two women. None of them knew what to say. Anyone who was not blind could tell what kind of feelings Weston Ford harbored for Ste Sealey. But what was just as obvious was Nicole¡¯s feelings towards Weston. In a situation as such, everyone decided that it would be best not to interfere. Chapter 1260 Chapter 1260 Chapter 1260 Bradley put some food on Ste¡¯s te and told her, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if any of these are to your taste¡­¡± Ste looked around and seemed to be pleased with all the dishes she saw. She smiled and replied, ¡°Thanks, Bradley! These are all my favorites.¡± Nicole was annoyed when she heard this. She could not help herself frommenting in a meaningful tone, ¡°I must say that no other woman can beat your charm, Ms. Sealey. Everyone seems to b aiting on you hand and foot!¡± Ste smirked before turning to Nicole and answered, ¡± You¡¯re not bad yourself! You weren¡¯t part of the crew at all, but you somehow found a way to follow us here. I¡¯m sure you must¡¯ve made some important friends haven¡¯t you?¡± Ste had put it so bluntly that Nicole¡¯s face turned a sickly shade of green. Ste was right that Nicole had cozied up with two producers, and they were the reason why she managed to get here. But it was nothing like what Ste was implying because her rtionship with the producers had been purely tonic! ¡°Have you misunderstood something, Ms. Sealey? I earned everything through my own hard work, and I¡¯ve never done anything wrong or been involved in anything shady before, but what you said just now sounded like you were trying to mislead people into thinking ill of me!¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean to imply anything,¡± Ste shrugged. ¡± If you think that I¡¯ve insinuated you, then I owe you an apology. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Hearing Ste apologizing so frankly threw Nicole off, but her anger would not dissipate so easily. Her eyes rolled as she paused to think for a while, then she asked Ste right there in front veryone, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a flock of young men in Ahn ny is now trying to woo you, Ms. Sealey. I wonder if you¡¯ve got your heart set on any of them yet?¡± Nicole changed the subject all of a sudden, but Ste was still unfazed as she smiled at her and asked, ¡°Where did you hear this from? Who are these men that are wooing me? Why don¡¯t I know anything about this?¡± And just like that, she calmly threw the question back at Nicole. Nicole was speechless for a while, but she had no choice but to stumble ahead and say, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just rumors that have been spreading around. But there wouldn¡¯t be any smoke without fire, would there? I¡¯m just really curious if there¡¯s any man in this world who could beat our own Mr. Ford in stealing your heart¡­¡± The longer she spoke, the bolder she got. She continued, ¡± If I¡¯m not mistaken, I think there was a man who¡¯s been following you around when you were abroad, a man named Edward. He¡¯d go to every concert of yours, and you were even on the news together too. Is that true?¡± ¡°That is true,¡± Ste replied. ¡°But he was just my fan. With so many fans that I have, they can¡¯t all be wooing me, can they? We¡¯re all in this industry, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯d know that as long as you gained the slightest bit of poprity, all of this is just ridiculous, right?¡± use Nicole was not that She was clearly implying that famous, she could not possibly understand this. After all, the most Nicole had ever done was sing and y the piano at ces like Lowe Garden to entertain the guests. Although she had formally entered the entertainment industry now, she still struggled to gain much fame or sess. In the past three years, she had been just like Daisy, focusing all her thoughts and efforts on Weston Ford, trying to figure out how to take Ste¡¯s ce after she died. But Daisy was not exactly like Nicole in every way. At least for Daisy, no matter how much she wanted to be with Weston Ford, she would never neglect her own job because she knew that the only way she could distinguish herself from the other women in Weston¡¯s eyes was to be impably efficient in her job. That was the only way that she could stand out from the other frivolous women around him. In fact, it was precisely because Daisy was phenomenal at doing her job that she knew Weston would not get rid of her so easily as long as she never caused him any trouble. But Nicole was not like that at all. She still had the attitude of a naive and immature young woman. She had no idea what her strengths and her weaknesses were. All she wanted to do was show up everywhere that Weston went without consider sick of seeing her. whether or not he was With that naive mindset of hers, she assumed that by bringing up all those rumors about Ste, she would be able to embarrass her. Besides, she had even heard of a rumor about Ste having hooked up with Caspian Yates in the past. How could such a wanton woman ever be worthy of a man like Weston Ford? ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard scandalous gossip about Mr. Caspian Yates and Ms. Sealey hooking up with each other in the past. I wonder if that¡¯s true or if it¡¯s all just a lie?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Ste effortlessly retorted, ¡°you said it yourself that it¡¯s just gossip, didn¡¯t you? So, of course, it¡¯s all a lie. Caspian was very popr back then, and he¡¯s still This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. popr now too. It¡¯s not surprising that people would gossip about a celebrity like him, right?¡± Chapter 1261 Chapter 1261 Chapter 1261 Caspian naturally knew Nicole¡¯s intention. After all, he had spent so much time in this circle. When facing these two¨Cfaced women, he could see through their minds at a nce. So, he aimed directly at Nicole. ¡°I heard that the list of actors this time was decided long ago, and your name is not on the list. Why are you here?¡± His words were much blunter, and it was difficult to answer. Nicole¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°Because there was an actress not feeling well and withdrew at thest minute, so I came as her substitute.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Caspian nodded with an ambiguous smile. He paused for a long time without saying anything, but it felt like he had said everything. It was just that he did not make it apparent. She clenched her fists instantly, resenting the feeling she had when everyone was speaking for Ste. Halfway through her meal, a tall figure came toward them from a distance. Her eyes lit up, and she stood up immediately. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± Ste heard the familiar footsteps behind her, but she kept eating her food with her head lowered. After a short while, the actress beside her suddenly stood up and said to Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, please have a seat.¡± She was a quick¨Cwitted one. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Weston nodded and sat beside Ste. The group spoke a little less loudly. Ste could obviously sense. Weston would be the center of attraction as soon as he appeared. His every move would observe his every move, trying to please him, putting him as the first priority. She hated this feeling, so she put down her cutlery and asked coldly, ¡°Why did youe over?¡± ¡°I came to see you,¡± said Weston calmly. She asked with a straight face, ¡°Have you done theundry?¡± ¡°Of course. I came after doing it.¡± He looked at her eyes, reached out to help her tuck her hair beside her cheek behind her ear, and lowered his head to peck her cheek. Don¡¯t worry. I have washed all your clothes, including your¡­¡± He paused abruptly, moved closer to her, and whispered (( into her ear, ¡°¡­ un¨Cder¨Cgar¨Cments.¡± He purposely pronounced the word syble by syble, ensuring the words entered her ears clearly. She was startled, her face flushed instantly, and she red at him. But her gaze was so charming in his eyes. He chuckled, without feeling the slightest bit of anger and shame that Ste had made him do the laundry, but rather enjoyed it. ¡°Your taste hasn¡¯t changed at an. What you liked a few years ago is still the same a few yearster¡­¡± ¡°You shut up!¡± Ste bit her spoon, and her face was red. He purposely lowered his voice when he said that in her ear. But she was still worried that the people around them could hear his extremely shameless words! Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1261 Caspian naturally knew Nicole¡¯s intention. After all, he had spent so much time in this circle. When facing these two¨Cfaced women, he could see through their minds at a nce. So, he aimed directly at Nicole. ¡°I heard that the list of actors this time was decided long ago, and your name is not on the list. Why are you here?¡± His words were much blunter, and it was difficult to answer. Nicole¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°Because there was an actress not feeling well and withdrew at thest minute, so I came as her substitute.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Caspian nodded with an ambiguous smile. He paused for a long time without saying anything, but it felt like he had said everything. It was just that he did not make it apparent. She clenched her fists instantly, resenting the feeling she had when everyone was speaking for Ste. Halfway through her meal, a tall figure came toward them from a distance. Her eyes lit up, and she stood up immediately. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± Ste heard the familiar footsteps behind her, but she kept eating her food with her head lowered. After a short while, the actress beside her suddenly stood up and said to Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, please have a seat.¡± She was a quick¨Cwitted one. Weston nodded and sat beside Ste. The group spoke a little less loudly. Ste could obviously sense. Weston would be the center of attraction as soon as he appeared. His every move would observe his every move, trying to please him, putting him as the first priority. She hated this feeling, so she put down her cutlery and asked coldly, ¡°Why did youe over?¡± ¡°I came to see you,¡± said Weston calmly. She asked with a straight face, ¡°Have you done theundry?¡± ¡°Of course. I came after doing it.¡± He looked at her eyes, reached out to help her tuck her hair beside her cheek behind her ear, and lowered his head to peck her cheek. Don¡¯t worry. I have washed all your clothes, including your¡­¡± He paused abruptly, moved closer to her, and whispered (( into her ear, ¡°¡­ un¨Cder¨Cgar¨Cments.¡± He purposely pronounced the word syble by syble, ensuring the words entered her ears clearly. She was startled, her face flushed instantly, and she red at him. But her gaze was so charming in his eyes. He chuckled, without feeling the slightest bit of anger and shame that Ste had made him do the laundry, but rather enjoyed it. ¡°Your taste hasn¡¯t changed at an. What you liked a few years ago is still the same a few yearster¡­¡± ¡°You shut up!¡± Ste bit her spoon, and her face was red. He purposely lowered his voice when he said that in her ear. But she was still worried that the people around them could hear his extremely shameless words! Chapter 1262 Chapter 1262 Chapter 1262 Ste¡¯s intention was to get Weston to back off, but she did not expect the man to be enjoying it. She began to think that her approach might not be suitable for dealing with a resilient man like Weston. He might even take this kind of difficulty as something fun. After the meal, Ste nned to go to Bradley¡¯s scene. Her face was still as stern as she ignored Weston. At the table, Bradley saw that Weston only followed Ste from a distance and did not bother. It made him chuckle, and he whispered in her ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Ford to be so unupied and will help you wash clothes. There are not many virtuous men like him in this era.¡± Ste was speechless. She had a headache. ¡°Can you not talk about this?¡± She was very annoyed at the moment. Caspian also came over. As if shocked by the incident just now, his face didn¡¯t look good, though his eyes were full of mischievousness. ¡°I have never seen Weston like that. Did he really just do your laundry?¡± Ste was nomittal, not willing to talk about him. Caspian was getting excited. ¡°No way. Is it true that this man, Weston, washes your clothes? He probably doesn¡¯t even know how to operate a washing machine.¡± It was not like what he had exaggerated. Ste said, ¡°He simply does not need to do all these. He is not stupid.¡± ¡°In that case, then what just happened was all true. He really washed your undergarments?¡± She was speechless. Seeing her in embarrassment, Caspian did not stop but got more excited instead. Ste felt helpless, but Bradley, who was beside them, supported him and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the faces of the people at the table just now? They were all shocked. You are really something, Ste, for having someone like Weston to wash the clothes for you. I bet everyone would feel that it was like a dream, or it might be a nightmare¡­¡± Originally, Ste did not go back to face Weston, and this was why she came to chat with them. But unexpectedly, they kept on talking about Weston. This irritated her very much. ¡°If you still want to talk about him, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Caspian and Bradley exchanged nces. Bradley¡¯s eyes shed with obscurity, but he did not say anything. ¡± Then let¡¯s talk about the script.¡± Ste was a special guest star this time to y in the show. She was now famous abroad, but only her name was known in the country, and she had nothing that could make her stand out in a show. Getting this invitation to be a special guest star might be a good start for her. Weston had been guarding her not far from her. Since he was not leaving, Nicole naturally would not want to leave. She used an excuse to pretend to ask other people for advice on lines, but she kept! ing in Weston¡¯s direction, paying attention to his every move. So, Ste felt that two people were watching her at the same time. Without saying much, she had already nned to leave in a hurry. When seeing Ste returned to her ce, Weston stood up and followed her. Ste stopped in annoyance after taking a few steps. She looked at him. ¡°Can you stop following me?¡± Weston said, ¡°I am just going back to my tent.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She was speechless. ¡°Your tent is over there.¡± She pointed to where he was staying. He withdrew his gaze. ¡°Your ce is where I want to go to.¡± ¡°Can you not be this shameless?¡± Ste snapped. Chapter 1263 Chapter 1263 Chapter 1263 ¡°I will lose my wife if I want my face, my wife is more important.¡± Ste said, ¡°Who is your wife?¡± She red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯ve been divorced a long time ago, in fact, twice.¡± ¡°We were married in front of everyone in Ahn City, and don¡¯t you forget that either,¡± Weston reminded. He looked serious, though he showed no awareness that he was actually forcing her toplete the wedding. ¡°You took a vow in front of the priest, and me, too. Besides, we did not dissolve the marriage three years ago.. it is you who unterally dered your death. Even after your death, you are still my wife.¡± Ste could only remain silent for a moment. She could never win against this man when it came to shamelessness. He could say such things so righteously. She walked into her tent without looking at him. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He followed her into the tent. She looked at the clothes he had washed. They had all been hung up properly for drying. She walked over to inspect his work and suddenly frowned. ¡°This is theundry you did?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not clean here.¡± Ste pointed to the spot on her shirt where it was originally printed with a pattern. ¡°How is it still so dirty?¡± Weston knew she was deliberately picking a fight just by taking a look at it and said to her, ¡°You just might not be able to clean this thing even with disinfectant.¡± ¡°Are you talking back now? If you don¡¯t want to wash it, just don¡¯t. Is it necessary to be so stubborn after you did a bad job?¡± Weston was silent. Indeed, he should not have refuted her just now. He knew that Ste was deliberately picking a fight, so he should not have gone against her wishes. ¡°Okay, I will wash it again.¡± Ste just pointed to a top but did not expect him to reach out and remove all her undergarments as well. Her eyes widened at once. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the knit shirt!¡± ¡°I know. Since it¡¯s not clean enough, the others must be more or less the same. I¡¯ll re¨Cwash them for you.¡± Ste was so angry that her face turned a little red, or perhaps she was a little shy. ¡°No need for the undergarments. I¡¯ll wash them myselfter.¡± ¡°How can I let you do it? It¡¯s so cold now.¡± Weston frowned and said to her, ¡°Good girl, go and sit for a while, I will be back soon.¡± So that night, the whole crew witnessed Weston going to the house of a local herder to borrow a basin and ask for some soap in order to wash the clothes for Ste. He washed them thoroughly, making sure they were clean. He looked as serious as getting a business deal worth millions of dors. Nicole could not stand it anymore and walked over to him. ¡°Mr. Ford, stop it. Can¡¯t you see that Ste is doing it on purpose?¡± He ignored her remark and gave her an indifferent look instead. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Nicole paled a little, not expecting him to side with Ste even at this point. She stood in front of him and refused to leave. ¡°I can¡¯t watch you suffer like this anymore. You want to wash her clothes, don¡¯t you? Okay, I¡¯ll help you wash them together!¡± After she said that, she took a small bench over and sat in front of him, attempting to get the clothes in his hands. Chapter 1264 Chapter 1264 Chapter 1264 Weston blocked her hands with his bony wrist that emitted a faint elegance, showing off the precious chronometer he wore. However, he seemed topletely ignore that fact and put his hand into the water directly. Then, as if feeling it was getting in the way, he took the watch off and tossed it aside. Nicole could not understand at all. ¡°Why do you treat her so well when she does this to you?¡± She did not get a reply from Weston, who seemed to bepletely oblivious to her. Her eyes slowly fell on the wound on the back of his hand, and her pupils contracted. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re hurt, what happened?¡± His wound was soaked in the water until it turned a little white. Nicole¡¯s heart sank as she looked at his wound. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Mr. Ford. Let me help you, or the wound will be infected¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, don¡¯t meddle with my matters.¡± The man¡¯s patience finally ran out, and he looked at her with cold eyes. His eyes were full of impatience and rejection. Her eyes fluttered, and she suddenly stood up as if thinking of something. ¡°Is this from thest time you cooked for Ste?¡± Apart from that, she really could not think of any other ce where this man could have been injured except in the kitchen. She had also heard that he had borrowed the kitchen here before. He must have been for cooking for Ste. But Ste always had dinner with everyone else. This meant she had never touched the food Weston made for her. She was just torturing him on purpose! The more Nicole thought about it, the angrier she became, but Weston simply ignored her. She stood there for a long time and then ran furiously to Ste. Ste was preparing to rest and raised her eyebrow when she saw Nicoleing. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She held the ss of red wine that Weston had sent over during the day and took a gentle sip. As expected of Weston¡¯s taste, it was pretty good. If the way he fed it to her before had not been too offensive, she might have been able to enjoy the taste of this red wine properly. ¡°Do you know that Mr. Ford¡¯s washing your clothes? Haven¡¯t they been washed? Why ask him to wash them again? You are deliberately torturing him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. He did it of his own free will.¡± Ste slowly sat on the makeshift chair. She had already changed into her pajamas. It seemed like she was nning to rest. Nicole took a deep breath. ¡°Do you not think about Mr. Ford¡¯s situation at all? Do you know what those people in the crew are saying about him? They said that he is licking your boots and he is your fawner!¡± ¡°What people say and do have got nothing to do with me, besides-¡± Ste raised her ss and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could find a way to get Weston to stop doing that.¡± Nicole could not listen any longer. ¡°You are clearly emboldened because of his love for you! Why would you do that to someone who loves you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been trampled before.¡± Ste said, ¡°Love is not a big deal. I have devoted to it before, but I didn¡¯t get such a good ending and lost the most important thing.¡± She said it in a light¨Chearted way, briefly mentioning the pain of the past. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1265 Chapter 1265 Chapter 1265 Nicole obviously would not understand her and would only question her. ¡°Whatever. The past is in the past. You will regret treating Mr. Ford like that!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Steughed, not taking her words seriously. ¡°If that¡¯s all you came here to say, then please go back.¡± Nicole refused to leave. ¡°Do you know that he has wounds all over his hands in order to cook for you? And yet you call him over to do theundry. His wounds are soaked white. Don¡¯t you have any feelings? You are really a cold- blooded woman!¡± After saying that, she suddenly saw apletely This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. untouched meal on a table inside the tent. She recognized that they were Weston¡¯s cooking at first nce. ¡°He has done so much for you, and you refuse to even take a bite. How can you be so cruel?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t eat his food. Is that considered cruel?¡± Ste found her incredibly funny, so she stood up and sauntered to her. The red wine in the ss swirl with her movement, making her look enchanting. ¡°I once had a marriage. I have prepared meals waiting for a man to,return for countless days and nights, but he only returned asionally. He did not return most of the time, to which I would be looking at the table of cold food. I do not know how much disappointment I experienced¡­ You are heartbroken for him just because of this once. Is it not a little too exaggerated?¡± Nicole paled, knowing what she was implying. But she still felt pitiful for him. As for what sacrifices St had made, they were not within her consideration. ¡°If you don¡¯t like him this much, go and tell him properly. I really cannot stand watching anymore! He treats you so well, yet you are unmoved!¡± ¡°Sure. Since you asked for it, I¡¯ll talk to Weston and tell him not to bother me anymore. How does that sound?¡± Nicole was at aplete loss for words at Ste¡¯s quick decision. Just as she was about to speak, she heard an icy voice from behind her. ¡°I told you. Don¡¯t meddle with my business.¡± Nicole felt a chill going down her spine immediately. She dared not turn around. Weston walked up to Ste. His tone softened a lot. ¡°I apologize for the interference. I¡¯ll get rid of her right away.¡± Nicole¡¯s heart wentpletely cold, and she took a step back when she saw that his first reaction was actually telling Ste not to be angry. ¡°Mr. Ford, she is clearly ying with you. Why are you¡­¡± ¡°This is my business. It has nothing to do with you. ¡°f you don¡¯t know what it means to mind your own business, I will show you what those words mean.¡± He rarely said so much to her and was ignoring her most of the time. Nicole only felt a bone¨Cchilling coldness that spread from the soles of her feet to her limbs. Even her veins froze. With her eyes red, she turned her head and ran out. Ste looked at her back with boredom, thinking she was too weak to fight, and said to Weston, ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow along and chase after her?¡± Weston frowned immediately and looked at her. His tone was a little displeased. ¡°Don¡¯t make this kind of joke.¡® He could see that Ste did not care much. She did not show any hint of jealousy. His face turned gloomy, but still, he said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her bother you again.¡± He did not have the intention to me her even at this point. Sadly, however, she could no longer feel jealous because of him. Weston sadly found that he could no longer stir Ste¡¯s emotions, save for that of annoyance. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Chapter 1266 Chapter 1266 Chapter 1266 Ste looked at Weston, who was standing in front of her. When she recalled the scene she had just seen, she suddenly felt a little discouraged. She was thinking of tormenting him for a long time but suddenly found it to be pointless. She told him, ¡°Nicole is not the first person to trouble me, and she will not be thest. Whether it is the past or the future, I have no way to be optimistic about the consequences of you staying by my side. Weston, have you noticed that¡­¡± Her tone suddenly became calm, unlike her previous attitude of deliberately finding fault with him, but more like telling him very seriously and earnestly. ¡°Nothing good happens to me as long as you stay by my side. Your presence has brought me nothing but trouble, non¨Cstop trouble, and the malice of others. I¡¯ve had a good time without you for the past three years.¡± The way she had treated him so severely earlier, deliberately trying to torment him, didn¡¯t cause Weston even a moment of heartache. He thought that as long as she was still willing to make things difficult for him, that was his chance. But now that Ste was telling him calmly that his existence would only bring trouble to her and that he was the source of her unhappiness- This made him unsettled, and he started to question the meaning of his existence. Seeing the sudden change in his face, Ste continued without any qualms. ¡°Have you ever thought that all your self¨Crighteous attempts to redeem yourself are a new pain to me?¡± ¡°My feelings for you have worn out long ago. It is you who destroyed it with your own hands, and you want to restore it now. How could such a good thing exist? You have already got so many things in this world, but still want what you can¡¯t get. How can there be such a good thing in this world¡­¡± As she spoke each word, the man¡¯s face turned grey bit by bit until it finally wentpletely lifeless. Nicole did not know what they had talked about. She only knew that when Weston came out, he seemed to be drained of energy, like a walking dead. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She knew it. It must be Ste telling him something excessive to him again! She really could not understand why such a good man had to be let down. That woman was just doing whatever she wanted on the basis of his fondness! She simply couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± ¡°Go away.¡± She had just gathered the courage to take a step forward when she heard Weston¡¯s cold words. He was always like this with others, unthinking and cold and somewhat heartless. After that night, everyone in the crew sensed something was not right. Weston seemed to have stopped appearing around Ste. The people he got into the crew also quit. Ste also learned about Weston¡¯s departure from the other member. She did not react much when Bradley told her about it and simply responded, ¡°Mmm.¡± So he had left. It had nothing to do with her. Bradley spected from her expression. ¡°He left just like that. Do you really not feel anything in your heart?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Ste looked at him and smiled. ¡°I felt much of a relief.¡± Hearing her say so, Nicole, who had been quiet,mented nonchntly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Sealey to be so heartless. Mr. Ford still thought about you when he left. He ordered the kitchen to cook your favorite dishes and bolster your ten¡¯s security, but all his doings only get you to say such a thing! If he heard it, I do not know how disappointed¡­¡® ¡°You can just tell him.¡± Previous Chapter Chapter 1267 Chapter 1267 Chapter 1267 Ste curled her long hair and said to her with a smile. ¡± Since you are fighting for him so much, go and tell him what I just said. You should have his number, right? He will know just how vicious a woman I can be. He won¡¯te back to haunt me in the future, and you¡¯ll have a chance to be with him.¡± She mercilessly revealed Nicole¡¯s intention, making Nicole pale and stand up. In the end, Nicole could only re at her and then turn around and leave the ce. Looking at Ste¡¯s face, which rapidly turned gloomy, Bradley asked, ¡°Are you punishing Weston, or are you punishing yourself now?¡± She did not say anything. She stared into the space and said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to suffer like how I used to.¡® She was doing just fine now. In the days without Weston, she had her own family and a career that she could earn a living. Since everything was going well, thest thing she wanted was to revert to her old life. ¡°But he may not be the same as he used to be, and he¡¯ll give you everything you want¡­¡± ¡°I can give what he can myself.¡± She interrupted, knowing what he wanted to say, but she shook her head and said, ¡°When you learn how big the world actually is, you¡¯ll never want to return to the cage you were in. So what if he¡¯s changed? I¡¯m not going to gamble on a possibility with my current happiness, and I¡¯m not going to depend on a man for all I have.¡± After saying that, she stood up and left. In the next few days, perhaps they had sensed Ste¡¯s attitude that no one mentioned Weston in front of her. When they were nearing the end of the filming stage, they needed to go to Snow Mountain to shoot some scenes. It was a bit dangerous. At first, Bradley didn¡¯t n to let Ste go since the professional they brought along said so. ¡°Women are not suitable to go to the mountain. Their bodies are delicate and may get cold womb syndrome easily¡­¡± He said a lot more stuff, and the point was that he did not allow Ste to go. Ste felt something was off. The tone of this person¡¯s speech kept reminding her of a man. Sure enough, she saw traces of Weston¡¯s men halfway up the mountain. Weston had not left in the past few days but was waiting on the mountainside. When he saw Steing, he was surprisingly a bit flustered. ¡°¡­ Why are you here?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She gave him a cold look. ¡°I thought I had made myself clear enough.¡± ¡°I know.¡± His voice was hoarse, and he stood in front of her like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt, I just want to see you from afar.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to watch me, don¡¯t you understand?¡± She inhaled deeply and said to him, ¡°I do not need your self¨Crighteous protection, even less I need you to create a cage in the name of love, now you are a burden to me.¡± When she finished, she saw the fire in the man¡¯s eyes suddenly extinguished. His throat rolled up and down as if wanting to say something to her, but no word was said in the end. ¡°I understand. I will leave.¡± She nodded and turned around without saying anything. She knew he was not a stupid man. This time, it should be a proper goodbye. Chapter 1268 Chapter 1268 Chapter 1268 The next day, the weather cleared uppletely. Ste felt much more rxed, perhaps because the remaining problems had been resolved. However, Nicole¡¯s gaze became much more resentful, she kept hiding in a corner and ring at her fiercely. Ste didn¡¯t mind. As long as Nicole didn¡¯t do anything, she would not bother with such a woman much. It was sunny, and some snow melted. Ste came out with her boots on. Walking on the snow, feeling her feet crunching across the bottom of deep snow, felt great. Bradley came over and said to her. ¡°You said that you want to go up the mountain. Are you sure about it?¡± She nodded. Although they had talked it overst night, Weston should still be halfway up the mountain at this moment. There were so many of them, and it would take time to evacuate them all at once. She thought that Weston should have left when she returned from the trip to the mountain, so this would be the best arrangement. And so the crew get the equipment and were ready to depart. The signal here was not very good, but just as Ste had had her breakfast, she received a call from Ahn City. On the other end of the phone, Roger¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°It has been days. Are you still not coming back?¡± He still sounded a bit irritated, as if he made this call unwillingly. Ste walked to a quiet ce and said. ¡°I am m just going out for a break. I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± ¡°Is that so? I thought you weren¡¯t going to see me again, leaving Elias and Emma with your friends.¡± She held her breath for a long moment before she said to him, ¡°Will you grow up already?¡± When she thought she was Miguel, he had just turned twenty. She had always thought he was not mature enough, so she did not bother with him. But if he was Roger, he was no more than a few years younger than she was, and could no longer use the word ¡± childish¡± to excuse his action. ¡°Are you that mature then?¡± Roger interrupted her without hesitation and said with dissatisfaction. ¡°You run away as soon as you encounter a problem. You did not evene to me and leave Elias and Emma with someone else. Why can¡¯t you solve this problem with me?¡± ¡°Who was the one who ran away?¡± Ste¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°It is you who have been in the run in these three years. You never want to face the problems between us and only want to escape, change, hide and lie. I just feel tired, I want toe out to take a break.¡± ¡°So when are youing back?¡± He seemed dumbfounded, and only asked this after a long time, ¡°Can I pick you up?¡± She said, ¡°No, I will go to youter.¡± She hung up after saying that, and her mood became heavy again. On the other hand, Roger stared at the screen of the phone in silence for a long time before he called Ste¡¯s assistant. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The staff members at Ste¡¯s studio were very familiar with Roger. They knew they had a very good rtionship, just like a family. He asked them where she was and they all told him the truth. He then searched directly online for the location of Snow Mountain, only to see that there was a weather warning today about the possibility of snow storms and mudslides. He hurriedly called Ste again, but she was no longer avable. Ste did not want to waste time on these things either. She just wanted to have a good time. Chapter 1269 Chapter 1269 Chapter 1269 The people Bradley hired were true professionals, and they had no idents so far. They grabbed the equipment and headed to Snow Mountain while one of them gave Ste a crash course on first aid. They were the first group to go up the mountain. Now that the weather was very good, the visibility was good, and there was a high degree of safety. So Ste said to Bradley, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I will be fine going with them.¡± The staff members were old friends who have worked together for many years, so Bradley was also very unworried. They instructed Ste on a few things and went to point direct the actors. She took the protective gear and, with that group of people, set off into the mountain. Under the mountain, Weston¡¯s men had already left. When they heard about Ste going up Snow Mountain with the professional, Weston¡¯s face turned blue. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to let her go?¡± ¡°No ident happens all these years. Besides, Miss Sealey wanted to go and take a look as well, so¡­¡± One of the crew members exined, ¡°Nothing will happen, Mr. Ford. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The man¡¯s face was already very sick. ¡°She can¡¯t be allowed to go even if there is the slightest possibility of danger.¡± ¡°But Ms. Sealey said that already, we could not just stop ¡° They did not know what to say. Even Weston could not change Ste¡¯s mind, let alone theirs. Weston pressed his be and said nothing. ¡°Cancel all the schedule and go to the mountain now.¡± Ben was shocked when he heard that and said, ¡°Mr. Ford, there is a summit that cannot be declined, or we may lose the coboration project.¡± Weston said, ¡°It does not matter losing this project, they will still approach Ford Corporation next quarter. ¡°But¡­¡± Although it was, in fact, true, Ben still felt that it was inappropriate. With the current reputation of Ford Corporation, they indeed were not short of business projects. However, their reputation was gained slowly, if they found that it was the same working with other companies after the project this time, it would put thepany at a disadvantage. Weston picked up the phone directly with a solemn face.¡± I want to go now.¡± His tone was unquestionable. Ste and the rest had gone up the mountain for quite some time. Even if he rushed there now, he could only follow them in the distance. It was still sunny in the morning, but the sky was covered with dark clouds at noon. Ste took her sses off and nced back to find that they had unknowingly reached the deep mountains. The few staff members around her, who had not spoken, could not help but ask, ¡°How long before we reach the garrison?¡± The people next to her did not say anything, so she increased the volume. Only then did she hear a man say in a hoarse voice, ¡°Keep going, we should be there soon.¡± His voice was as if he could not breathe. Ste frowned and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Did you feel any difort?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The man shook his head. His face was covered by therge sses, so she could not see his face clearly. After a while, he took off the goggles. Ste was startled when she saw his face was blue and called for help. ¡°He seems to be feeling a little ufortable. Can anyone take a look?¡± But her voice was not answered, and the people next to her continued on as if they did not hear it and continued climbing. Chapter 1270 Chapter 1270 Chapter 1270 The terrifying howl of the blinding blizzard only got louder. Ste sensed something wrong and stepped in front of the men. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Only then did the man seem to realize something and took off their masks. One of them said intermittently, ¡°I don¡¯t feel right. It is as if the further you walk in, the more difficult it is to breathe.¡± Ste, too, noticed that it was a little hard to breathe, so she called them off. They unexpectedly had the same feeling as Ste, so it meant the situation wasn¡¯t good. ¡°We came here many times. These things don¡¯t normally happen.¡± The leader said to Ste, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We will be fine once we get to the resupply point.¡± Battered by heavy winds and snow, Ste hesitated a bit.¡± Or we should go back.¡± But some of them insisted on going forward. ¡°If we go back now, the path might already be blocked by the snow, and we may encounter danger. Let¡¯s just continue on. At least there is a supply point up ahead. We can go there to rest.¡± There were different opinions among the members. A few of them insisted to keep going, thinking that they would be fine as long as they took the path they had taken before. However, another group thought that they were aware of the danger. They thought that if they continued their journey, they might still need to return to the original path if they faced any unpredictable problems. However, if they went back using the same route, there was no guarantee that they¡¯d safely return to the shoulder. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste had a bad feeling when she saw them arguing. The changes in the weather caught them off¨Cguard. When Roger drove to Snow Mountain, he heard the weather forecast in the car. An unusual snowstorm was apparently about to hit them, and travelers were reminded to take note of their safety. He kept calling Ste, but the call did not get through. He reassured himself that it could not be such a coincidence. Maybe it was just a momentary bad signal, but since he couldn¡¯t get through, he couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. After visiting Elias and Emma at Angelina¡¯s ce, he drove straight to Snow Mountain, where Ste was. Just as he got on the road, he heard the weather broadcast. His eyes were covered in fog, and he stepped on the gas to elerate. Weston¡¯s men arrived at the resupply point in a short time. They sped up a bit when taking the original path. However, Ste and the rest who should already be there were nowhere to be seen. Not even the first batch of people we in sight. When Weston arrived, the group leader told him a little uneasily, ¡°There is heavy fog in the mountains, and the wind and snow have intensified a lot. They may have gotten lost.¡± The man¡¯s face turned gloomy immediately. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that there were many experienced on the team? How could this happen?¡± ¡°Perhaps it was because they haven¡¯t met with an ident in the past few years, so everyone¡¯s be overconfident. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Nobody imagined that the weather would change so quickly, and no one anticipated that such a situation would ur to them. ¡°But it¡¯s still early. It¡¯s likely they have not arrived just yet and are resting on the road for a while.¡± Someoneforted Weston as well. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a bit more, I guess they wille back in a short time.¡± After all, they were professional, so Weston did not say much. His face was horribly dark. Ben did not dare speak so much in front of him, fearing he might step on his land mines. Half an hourter, there was still no sight of Ste. Chapter 1271 Chapter 1271 Chapter 1271 Weston¡¯s face turned grim. He picked up the protective gear and headed out without saying anything. The captain hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Mr. Ford, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m finding her.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re not an expert. With all this snow, you could get lost.¡± ¡°Are we just going to sit here and do nothing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already sent a search team¡­¡± Earlier, they had only sent out two men to search for Ste¡¯s group. Should they encounter difficulties, two men would not be able to help much. ¡°Gather all the men immediately. Get all the experts and begin the search. They might be lost or just resting halfway. Anyway, I want to know that they are safe. ¡°) The captain knew that the woman Weston cared about was in the group. Saying nothing more, he rushed to arrange a few search teams as quickly as possible. Weston followed them, intending to join the search for Ste. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The captain, however, hesitated a little. ¡°Mr. Ford, it may get dangerous. We can¡¯t guarantee your safety if you insist on following us. You should stay at base camp and wait for us¡­¡± Weston did not say anything and put on the protective gear, then looked at the whistling snow ahead with a cold face. He told the captain, ¡°Stop wasting time here. Go straight in to find them.¡± The captain fell into a long silence while staring at Weston¡¯s back. For the first time, he saw that Weston was deadly serious about Ste. There were many rumors about Weston¡¯s rtionship with Ste, but nothing was as genuine as what he saw with his own eyes. In his opinion, a man¡¯s willingness to sacrifice his own life for a woman was the ultimate expression of love. Meanwhile, Ste and the group were still in the mountains. Ste observed the worsening blizzard and looked around. As the people on her team stopped one after another, she had a bad feeling. ¡°Are we lost?¡± There was dead silence when Ste mentioned the word. The rest of the group had little to say previously, but they were finally willing to face their mistakes. All fell into a dead silence. It was a long time before someone muttered, ¡°Maybe¡­ >> The road ahead was blocked. With the ice and snow covering everything, it all looked the same. Ste knew they were in a bad situation. The atmosphere was grim, and saying something ungainly at this moment would only increase pressure. Surely, that wouldn¡¯t be of much help. Ste stood up and asked the most experienced in the group. ¡°Do we have a better hope of finding our way out now, or should we just wait for the rescue team?¡± ¡°The blizzard is starting to get out of hand. I guess there¡¯s probably no one over there. Maybe they don¡¯t even know we¡¯re lost in the snow¡­¡± Their overconfidence drove them to leave with only one team. It meant they had no backup n. Ste felt the piercing cold seeping through her limbs, and she asked him, ¡°Are we going to wait here to die now?¡± The leader of the group shook his head. ¡°I can walk no further¡­¡± He looked at Ste with a pale face and said, ¡°If you still have strength, push a little further ahead. You may see the supply station, depending on your luck.¡± Chapter 1272 Chapter 1272 Chapter 1272 ¡°But if we stay here, we¡¯re doomed to die¡­¡± No one responded to Ste¡¯s words. The rest of the group had no energy to move forward anymore. Perhaps it was due to the big mental blow because of theirpse in judgment. None of them were confident to rescue themself. Ste could only save herself. ¡°We don¡¯t know where we are. No one else knows either. If you¡¯re going to stay here, give me thepass. I want to get out.¡± Rather than staying here and waiting for death, she could increase her chance of survival by searching outside. However, the rest of the group was down in the dumps and had no energy to refute her words. Ste pursed her lips. She left onepass for them and took the other one, and got ready to leave. At the same time, at the foot of the mountain¡­ Roger arrived at the camp by car. As soon as he came down, he went to Bradley and asked him, ¡°Where is Ste?¡± Bradley recognized Roger, who came to him in anger and demanded Ste¡¯s whereabouts. From the reaction, he knew Roger was extremely anxious due to the severe weather. He reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The survey team that when in with her is the most experienced in the area. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lost contact with her for four hours. Are you telling me that she¡¯s fine?!¡± Roger was a little agitated. ¡°It¡¯s snowing heavily in the mountains. The signal here is bad, let alone the mountains¡­ Don¡¯t worry too much. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Although saying that, even Bradley himself was a little anxious. ¡°We¡¯ve gathered several search teams to go in. Weston¡¯s men have gone with them too. It¡¯ll be fine ¡­..¡± Hearing that, Roger stopped dead in his track and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°Weston is here?¡± There was a sh of hostility in his eyes. Even so, he knew it was not the time to be jealous. The new team was about to go into the mountains to search. Roger did not think twice about following them. Seeing that, Bradley and Caspian stopped him. ¡°You¡¯re not an expert. If you follow them, you¡¯ll only add to the team¡¯s burden¡­¡± ¡°My sister is still in the mountain. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dead or alive. Are you expecting me to wait here and do nothing?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious. So am I.¡± Bradley said, ¡°But have you ever thought about it? What if something happens if you follow them recklessly? You¡¯ll be a distraction. The rescue team will have to rescue you instead! That¡¯ll make Ste¡¯s situation even more dangerous!¡± Roger¡¯s face turned cold at that. ¡°You know she may be in danger. Why don¡¯t you understand me? I can¡¯t just wait around!¡± Because Roger was too stubborn to listen, Bradley This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. gestured to Caspian to let the rescue team go first while he stalled Roger. Another two hours passed, and there was still no news. Even Bradley was getting a little restless. Bradley wanted to speak to Roger and reassure him, only to find the tent empty. He hurriedly called Caspian over. Where is he?¡± Caspian was startled too. When he saw the empty tent, he said, ¡°I had someone watch him earlier. He must have gone to the mountains¡­¡± ¡°Find him!¡± (( Ste had no idea how long she walked. She was already feeling a little exhausted when she saw the cave in front. Using the stick to navigate, she trundled forward through the thick snow. Chapter 1273 Chapter 1273 Chapter 1273 Though the cave was warmer than the frozen wastnd outside, she was still shivering with cold. Ste found some dry branches and tried to start a fire, but she was running low on resources. Ste took a look at the snowstorm outside and let off a re. She had set off a few along the way, but no one had found her. Ste observed the surroundings and calcted that she could stillst another night. After some time, however, she suddenly felt something moving outside and was immediately alerted. Ste heard about the possibility of encountering wild animals in the mountains at night. Could it be a wolf or something? Ste¡¯s heart pounded anxiously at that thought. She grabbed the wooden stick, wanting to explore outside. At the same time, the snow above the cave suddenly copses. The rocks and soil were falling inside. The blizzard outside was getting worse. Seeing that the cave entrance was about to be blocked, she had no choice but to force herself to crawl out. Stuck, she tried to crawl her way out when she suddenly met a pair of green eyes that shocked her to the core. She was about to scream, but she quickly covered her mouth. After a long silence, she finally put down her trembling hands. Then, she heard a familiar, hoarse voice. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ Ste¡­¡± Ste froze and held her breath. She looked back to see Weston, who appeared at some point. Weston, wearing the same professional ski clothes as Ste, was fully covered in snow. He looked straight at her with his deep eyes. He shoveled the snow away from the outside and walked straight to her, then grabbed her by her arms and lifted her out of the cave. Ste grabbed onto Weston¡¯s shoulder. With his help, she could finally get out to safety. Weston patted the snow on her body and was a little nervous about her condition. He embraced her in his arms after he made sure she was unharmed. Ste was still a little breathless. The hot breath that she exhaled turned into a white mist that lingered in the air. The two just hugged each other quietly for a while. After a short silence, Weston pushed her away and looked her in the eyes. ¡°How many times have I told you? Don¡¯t go to dangerous ces like this! You always take my words for granted!¡± Ste was still panting and a little dazed. She frowned a little at his reprimand and said nothing. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Weston knew it was pointless lecturing her in times like these. He could only suppress his anger and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you out first.¡± He held Ste¡¯s hand. Seeing that, Ste held his hand anyway. The two wanted to follow the original road back, only to find that the road was blocked. It was snowing too heavily. Soon, the sky was dark again. The visibility in the snow was so low. Ste shook her head, feeling a little dizzy from the reflective snow. Weston stopped walking and nced at her. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ste knew that if she said she was not feeling well, Weston would stop again, which would be nothing but a waste of time. Thus, she braced herself, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine. We should hurry¡­¡± The light that reflected off the snow was so strong that it burned her eyes, and she could barely see the road in front of her. Then, she suddenly let go of Weston¡¯s hand. ¡°Ste!¡± Weston¡¯s heart jumped in fear. When he looked back, he saw Ste falling into the endless pile of snow. His eyes turned red instantly. Weston turned back to her and urged, ¡°Ste, take my hand!¡± Chapter 1274 Chapter 1274 Chapter 1274 Ste saw nothing but blinding white. She also seemed not to hear a single word that Weston said. As her vision blurred, her senses of the surrounding deteriorated. Weston moved the snow away and found where she had fallen. When he pulled her up, he realized something was wrong with her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes were nk. She was looking ahead with an unfocused gaze. After a short silence, she shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± >> Weston frowned at her. When he was about to say something, he heard a sharp voice from the other side. ¡°Sis!¡± Ste turned in the direction of the voice incredulously, but she could not see anything but white. It was not until a tall shadow appeared in front of her that she felt a familiar feelinge over her. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Roger, is that you?¡± Roger could not be bothered with his former identity as Miguel. He grabbed Ste¡¯s hand at once. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ Are you alright?¡± His anxiousness was all over his face. It was as if the cold war between them that had broken out for a few days never existed. Weston stood aside and looked at the two with cold eyes. He asked inly, ¡°How did you get here?¡± Roger finally returned to his senses and looked at the man ahead. ¡°She¡¯s in trouble. Of course, I had to come over. Why are you here?¡± Seeing that the two were about to argue, Ste could only interrupt them. ¡°Stop arguing in this situation. Let¡¯s find a way to get out first.¡± Weston calmed down and held her hand. ¡°Do you remember the original way? It¡¯s safest if you return the same way you came in.¡± Roger, however, grabbed Ste¡¯s hand and would not let go. ¡°I think we should wait for help toe.¡± Weston frowned and interrupted him, ¡°With the situation now, staying here is the same as waiting for death. We¡¯ll lose heat rapidly. Besides, the snow hasn¡¯t stopped. If we stay in ce, we¡¯ll end up buried in snow.¡® Ste agreed with Weston. When she just fell earlier, the snow had covered her immediately. Waiting in ce would be a greater danger. Roger disagreed. ¡°Continue to walk will only consume our energy. When I came over, I saw the rescue team heading this way. They should be able to find us soon.¡± Weston paused and looked at him with impatience in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re looking down the hill from here in a straight line. It¡¯ll take them much longer to find us. We can¡¯t just sit here and wait for death.¡± He did not bother to give Roger another look. He told Ste directly, ¡°Come with me.¡± Roger insisted on his suggestion. Ste had no choice but to tell him, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going down. We may meet the rescue team on the way. It¡¯s snowing so heavily now. Even if we keep going, we may not be able to see clearly.¡± Roger said to her sternly, ¡°I¡¯ve checked beforeing over. The snow will stop in another half hour or so. By then, they¡¯ll be able to find us¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still snowing now. We¡¯ll end up buried under the snow within half an hour. Then, we¡¯ll suffocate.¡± While they were arguing, there was a sudden clicking sound from the top of the branch. Weston reacted quickly by hugging Ste and rolling over on the ground. A massive ball of snow had crushed the ce they had stood earlier. It turned out that they had stood beneath a pine tree. With the snow pile that grew heavier, it crushed the tree. Chapter 1275 Chapter 1275 Chapter 1275 They did not see clearly at first. ¡°Boom!¡± A noise sounded as the ce they were standing before copsed, revealing sharp protruding stones underneath. If they had reacted a little slower, they would¡¯ve been buried under the snow pile. Ste was still in shock. When she saw Roger disappear from where he was standing, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Roger?¡± Ste was in a daze. Her vision was very blurry, so she was unable to see sometimes. She lost sight of Roger after all that happened in a sh. Weston held her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t go there yet. There¡¯s a good chance that he fell inside¡­¡± ¡°If we go there now, we¡¯ll fall with him.¡± Ste refused to listen. ¡°But Roger is still there¡­¡± Weston held her firmly. When he saw her nk eyes, he observed her closely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± He had noticed something was wrong with her, but his priority was to get her out. There was clearly something wrong with her eyes. Weston lifted his hand and waved it in front of her eyes, but she did not respond. ¡°You can¡¯t see?¡± Ste took a deep breath and avoided his question. Where¡¯s Roger? I¡¯ll go with him¡­¡± (( ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Weston lowered his voice and said to her, ¡°Going now is the same as asking for death. We should go out and find the rescuers now. Go down the mountain with them, and then send a team in to find him. We aren¡¯t professionals. We¡¯ll only drag each other¡¯s feet here.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°In that case, then why don¡¯t you go?¡± Ste pushed his hand away. ¡°I won¡¯t leave him behind again¡­¡± She had separated from Roger three years ago. This time, she wasn¡¯t about to leave her family behind again. Ste¡¯s reaction was not surprising to Weston. He knew she would react this way after knowing Roger¡¯s identity, but he could not just stand by and watch her die. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll bring Roger back. I¡¯ll bring him safely to you¡­¡± ¡°You should go first.¡± Ste suddenly let go of him and said to Weston, ¡°I know you¡¯re here to find me. I know you want to save me too. Just let the past go. We don¡¯t owe each other anything anymore¡­¡® >> ¡°Ste!¡± Weston suddenly cut her up in irritation. ¡°Are you deliberately saying this to piss me off?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes remained nk. ¡°If Roger was really dead, I would never forgive you in my life. But I¡¯m tired now. I don¡¯t want to continue to hate¡­¡± ¡°Weston, you should go. I failed to protect him three years ago. This time, I must protect him.¡± The sound of the whistling wind passed between them in the snowy mountains. Weston heard the slight tremor in Ste¡¯s voice and took a deep breath. He said to her. ¡°You protect him, and I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Ste found her way to the ce where Roger had rolled down earlier. Both of them were calling out to him, but their voices were covered by the sound of the snow. After some time, a hoarse and weak voice finally came. Sis, leave me alone. Go¡­¡± Chapter 1276 Chapter 1276 Chapter 1276 Ste¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment. However, her vision was still blurry. ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here!¡± Hearing that, Weston came to her side. ¡°Roger, are you in there? What¡¯s the situation?¡± Roger calmed down at Weston¡¯s voice and said to him, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m inside a cave. It won¡¯t copse for a while, so I shouldn¡¯t freeze. Take my sister to safety first!¡± He had to admit that Weston was right. Staying in ce would only lead to death. Going outside was the only hope. Weston¡¯s face sank at Roger¡¯s reply. He told Ste directly, ¡°You heard him. I¡¯ll take you out first.¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t go. (( Ste said through her gritted teeth, ¡°I would never leave him behind.¡± Weston¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°He¡¯s stuck inside. We can¡¯t save him at all. He can stay safely inside, but it¡¯ll be hard for us to protect ourselves.¡± ¡°I can go down there with him!¡± Ste insisted. ¡°He said there¡¯s a cave inside. We can wait for help there¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Roger interrupted her suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s only enough room for one person in here, so go ahead, Sis ¡­ Let him take you out¡­¡± Roger finally came to his senses at that moment. The mountains were not safe at all. He did not want Ste to risk her life by apanying him there. Weston grabbed Ste by the cor and dragged her away without saying a word. Ste could not see. Without her vision, she could only feel the stones and sand rubbing her face. It hurt a little, but she gritted her teeth and did not make a sound. Weston stopped after noticing Ste¡¯s silence and how she looked like she had lost all her energy. ¡°Do you really want to die with him?¡± Weston said to her and suddenly got a little angry. ¡°Are you going to die with him here? Have you thought of your children? What about Emma and Elias?¡± Ste moved her fingers a little before looking at him somewhat nkly. Seeing her reaction, Weston continued, ¡°You¡¯re the only family. If all three of us die here, do you know what will happen to them? Even if the Garcias would take them in, would they be okay with their parents?¡± Ste seemed to regain some strength and stood up slowly. ¡°You said you would let someone save him¡­¡± ¡°I promise you,¡± Weston told her. ¡°I won¡¯t give up on him, okay? As long as youe with me.¡± Ste nodded. Weston looked into her eyes and asked her abruptly, ¡°You can¡¯t see, can you? Be honest with me.¡± ¡°Yes. When I came out of the cave, my vision went white. I could see clearly sometimes, but I couldn¡¯t sometimes >> ¡°It may be snow blindness.¡± Weston told her, ¡°This isn¡¯t umon in the snow. Come up. I¡¯ll carry you out.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I can still see a little light. I¡¯ll walk by myself. Besides, you don¡¯t have much strength left¡­¡± Weston hesitated a little and asked her again, ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± After that, Weston led the way while Ste followed behind. Ste had always known about Weston¡¯s physical strength but did not expect him to be this strong. He was more durable than the specialists who had brought them into the mountains earlier. Even so, Weston¡¯s strength was not unbreakable. Ste could feel Weston¡¯s strength slipping away. ¡°If I can¡¯t make it outter, you can continue alone¡­¡± Weston cut her off at once with a slightly hoarse and irritated voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say that again.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m serious¡­¡± Chapter 1277 Chapter 1277 Chapter 1277 Ste said, ¡°At least you¡¯ll get out and hopefullye back to save us. I¡¯ll just slow you down.¡® }) ¡°Never say that again.¡± Weston hugged her and kissed her face. His lips were devoid of any warmth. Ste only felt the friction from the kiss and heard the man¡¯s voice trembling slightly above her. ¡°If you want to die, we¡¯ll go together. I¡¯ll never let go of you.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling. The mixed emotions were like a snowstorm that rumbled inside. She took a deep breath and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s toote¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote¡­¡± What she said sounded incoherent, This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. but Weston understood her anyway. He froze a little before he hugged her hard. ¡°I know. Even so, I still want to try¡­ There was a sudden rumbling sound in the distance. Ste became nervous and looked up at him in his arms. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the snowstorm.¡± (( Weston told her, ¡°Don¡¯t stop and keep going. There will be a tform ahead. You can set off another re. They¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Weston paused a little and reassured her, ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you. Just don¡¯t look back. The snowstorm is too strong. Even if you look back, you won¡¯t be able t o see me. I¡¯ll always be right behind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste nodded without pondering the meaning behind his words and missed the sh of meaningf ul expression on his face. She was unable to see, and her other senses felt dull. All she could hear was t he howling of the merciless wind. As she moved forward slowly, Weston¡¯s voice rang behind her. He told her, ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Just keep going. >> Ste stumbled and reached the tform Weston mentioned. She set off a re, but when she looked back, there was no sound behind her except the whi stling wind. ¡°Weston! Weston!¡± She shouted his name, but no one answered her. Her cry was muted in the whistling wind of the snow mountains. The rescue team soon found Ste lying on the tform. The footprints behind her had been long covered wind. It seemed like she had walked a long way. When she woke up, her first reaction was to ask them to rescue the others. ¡°Both of them are still inside¡­ ¡°Both of them? Who else?¡± Bradley and Caspian came to the party. When they heard her, they came over and told the rescue team, ¡° ¡°Isn¡¯t he causing more trouble?¡± The man from the rescue team frowned. Ste said, ¡°Weston¡­ and Roger¡­ They are stuck inside ¡°¡± She pointed to a spot. ¡°Weston¡¯s that way. Roger¡¯s on the other side.¡± She pleaded, ¡°You must save them all.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The rescue team looked at each other in dismay and hesitation. Ste noticed something wrong and asked them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 1278 Chapter 1278 Chapter 1278 Ste barely had any strength left. She had to lean on one of the rescuers before she could even manage to sp eak. ¡°We can only rescue one person in the current situation. We may have to go to the other person a little ter¡­¡± ¡°But then¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the other person be left there to die?¡± The rescuer fed Ste some water, but she coughed so hard that he identally let go of the water, spilling it all over the ground. She looked at them anxiously. ¡°Please save both of them!¡± ¡°Sorry. With our current manpower¡­ We can only save one person.¡± Bradley walked to Ste, held her shoulders firmly, and made her look into his eyes. ¡°Calm down. Try to remember theirst location. We should be able to save one of them¡­ But if you continue to hesitate, we may not be able to save any of them!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ste saw the worsening conditions and heavy snow. The snow hadn¡¯t stopped after half an hour but had instead intensified. Bradley said to Ste, ¡°We have to hurry. If we waste more time, the rescuers may not be able to get back in.¡± ¡®Only one person can be rescued¡­ Only one¡­¡® The thought haunted Ste like a spell. They could only save one of the two. At this point, she finally realized how difficult it was to make such a choice. 1 Ste clenched her fists hard. She already had an answer in her mind, but it was hard to say it. After a lo ng while, she finally said slowly, ¡°Roger is inside a cave. He should be able to hold on for a while inside. You must find him.¡± Bradley froze for a moment. Although he knew her answer, he still fell into a long silence when he heard her. After that, he stood up and said to the rescue team, Rescue Roger first.¡± (( As the whistling mountain wind arrived, the snow got heavier. Ste could not see, so she closed her eyes. However, the image of Weston telling her to keep going an d not look back kept appearing in her head. She wrapped the nket tightly around her body. HerThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. eyes were red with tears but she couldn¡¯t cry. It was as if all her tears had frozen in the frigid, unforgiving snowy mountains. Later, the snow and wind outside had finally stopped for a while. Ste was resting inside the camp halfw ay up the mountain. Ste sat by the campfire and gradually recovered. Someone came in and told her, ¡°We found Roger, but he was a little hypothermic when we found him. Fortunately, his life isn¡¯t in danger. He¡¯s in the ambnce ¡°> Ste let out a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± She stood up and bowed to the messenger. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± The man was surprised to see Ste bowing in the wrong direction. She was not facing him. Then, he rea Ste might have difficulty seeing. He walked to Ste and waved his hand in front of her. Knowing that he had noticed her condition, she lowered her eyes and asked, ¡°What about Weston?¡± The man stopped dead in his tracks and remembered that there was still one person left to rescue. He sa However, the snow is getting heavier. There are mudslides too, so we may have to dy the rescue progr Ste stumbled a step back and held onto a table to keep herself from falling over. She heard herself asking him with a hoarse voice, ¡°What are his chances of being saved?¡± There was a long silence. The man knew she was asking about Weston and did not answer. However, his Ste suddenly cked out and fainted. The noisy blizzard, winds, and snow turned to silence. (( Chapter 1279 Chapter 1279 Chapter 1279 Ste heard nothing. When she woke up again, all she saw was a world of darkness. There was no hint of light for a long time. It took her a long time to realize that she was blind. When she opened her eyes, she heard some anxious voices around her. ¡°Ste, you¡¯re awake! You scared me¡­¡± It was Yvonne¡¯s voice. Ste paused a little before asking Yvonne with a hoarse voice, ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the hospital. You were saved from the snowing mountains. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re fine now. Oh, rig ht. Roger was in intensive care for two days, but he¡¯s fine now. I guess he¡¯ll be able to see you soon¡­¡± Ste listened and interrupted her, ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°You were unconscious for almost three days. I was so anxious about you that I jumped when I saw the n ews. Fortunately, Angelina is there to help with Emma and Elias, or I¡¯d be even more anxious¡­¡± Yvonne kept talking about the same thing back and forth. Ste roughly understood the events of the pas t two days, but she did not hear a certain someone¡¯s name from her story. Ste did not ask. She fumbled around and struggled to sit up.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yvonne helped her up and urged her, ¡°Be careful.¡± Someone suddenly pushed open the door to the ward. Then, Ste heard the sound of footsteps that foll owed. Ste was on edge, a little nervous. ¡°You may have snow blindness. We¡¯ve checked. It didn¡¯t hurt your eyes and your vision will probably heal in time.¡± When the man spoke, Ste immediately knew it was someone else. She was a little disappointed that it was not Weston¡¯s voice. Lucas saw her face fall instantly and asked her, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste shook her head. However, Yvonne saw what was on Ste¡¯s mind and asked her, ¡°Are you worried about Weston?¡± The ward fell into a dead silence after the question. No one spoke first. Atst, Ste heard Lucas let out augh. His sneer consisted of manyplex meanings. Ste could recognize the mockery, sarcasm, a nd other emotions she feared thinking about. She asked in a trembling voice, ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that when they found him, he was frozen to the ground.¡± Lucas said indifferently, ¡°I heard about the rescue. When the rescue team said you can only pick one, did you choose Roger without hesitation?¡± Ste pursed her lips tightly and remained silent. ¡°Well, I can understand. One is your ex¨Chusband who¡¯s stalking you, while the other is your cherished family member. It¡¯s normal to choose family.¡± Lucas was just a little upset with Weston¡¯s situation, but he understood Ste¡¯s decision. Yvonne could not help but re at Lucas. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Weston also chose Guinevere before!¡± ¡°So they¡¯re even.¡± Lucas closed the file in his hands and patted Yvonne¡¯s head. ¡°If you have any problems,e straight to me. Now that ¡°You should leave. Don¡¯t disturb us.¡± After Lucas left, Yvonne quickly told Ste, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He always talks like that. It¡¯s not nice¡­¡± Ste nodded. After a long time, she slowly looked up at Yvonne. She was not looking in Yvonne¡¯s directio How is he now?¡± Yvonne did not answer. After a long silence, she let out a weak sigh. Ste twisted the nket beneath her at once. ¡°Is¡­ he dead?¡± Chapter 1280 Chapter 1280 Chapter 1280 The days passed by as if it was no different from before. After Ste¡¯s condition stabilized on the third day, Emma and Elias came to see her in the ward, ap anied by Angelina. As soon as they opened the door, they rushed into the room. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Emma and Elias went to Ste¡¯s bed and kept calling out to her. ¡°Mommy, mommy.¡® Ste¡¯s eyes reddened as she looked at the children, overwhelmed by the turbulent mix of the joys and sorrows of human emotion. Ste picked up Emma and let her lie in front of her. She kissed her cheek and squeezed Elias¡¯s hand. ¡° Mommy missed you guys so much¡­¡® ¡°} ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried, Mommy!¡± Emmay on Ste¡¯s chest and was very talkative for once. Emma was usually a very timid and introverted girl. She was only outgoing with her family and very quiet. Although an intelli gent girl, Emma was sometimes T mistaken to be intellectually underdevelopedpared to Elias. Elias seemed to be a little calmer. He sat next to the bed and stared at Ste intently as if afraid that she would be gone again if he blinked. Yvonne was a little touched to see the family of three hugging each other. She could not help but think ab out what it would be like if she had a child. It took a long time before the sounds of sobbing settled down. Elias suddenly asked, ¡°How¡¯s Miguel?¡± Ste patted his head and told him, ¡°Miguel¡¯s injuries are a little more serious. Fortunately, he¡¯s not in a lif e- threatening situation. We¡¯ll see him when he¡¯s better, okay?¡± Elias nodded. Children were always quite forgetful at a young age. In normal times, the two little ones might have aske d about Weston. However, they hadpletely left Weston at the back of their mind when such a big deal happened. Although they had met Weston a few times and liked him, he was less important. Emma and Elias¡¯s world was still small. There was only room for Ste and Roger at the moment. A few dayster, Roger¡¯s condition had considerably improved. None of them mentioned Weston¡¯s name again. While watching Emma and Elias building blocks in the ward, Roger suddenly turned to Ste. ¡°I asked. His life isn¡¯t in danger,¡± Roger said and added, But he¡¯s still unconscious.¡± Ste nodded. She guessed that the rescue team might have found Weston veryte, which was why he knew it. Yvonne could not convince her. After Ste¡¯s persistent questioning, she finally told Ste about Weston¡¯s situation. ¡± ¡°Do you want to go over and visit him?¡± Roger asked her. Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not the doctor. What¡¯s the point of seeing him?¡± Ste thought of it as the chance to cut contact with Weston for good. In the past, he had chosen Guinevere between her and Guinevere. Meanwhile, Ste ch It now seemed like a tie. They owed each other nothing. Roger saw that Ste was behaving the same as usual these days. However, he was a little lost about he Ste was not seriously hurt, but she had snow blindness due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. While unable to see clearly for some time, she needed apaniment. Angelina happened to have finished her work and kindly took time off to apany Ste. Yvonne also c Chapter 1281 Chapter 1281 Chapter 1281 Bradley and Caspian had been here to visit her once. Bradley tried several times to ask her about Weston¡¯s conditions, but in the end he just decided to keep his mouth shut and never brought up that name in front of her ever again. It was as if someone had instructed them not to disturb Ste¡¯s life with any questions about Weston Ford. Every once in a while, Elias and Emma would ask Ste, Where is that man called Weston Ford? Why don¡¯t we see him anymore?¡± Ste did not quite know how to exin it to them, so in the end she just said, ¡°Fate is a curious thing. Sometimes you would get along very well with someone for a while, but the next thing you know, they just disappear from your life and you never see them again¡­¡± ¡°What does fate mean?¡± Emma asked her, blinking innocently. ¡°It means the chances you have for meeting someone. You don¡¯t have many chances, so it¡¯s important that you cherish your time with everyone you meet.¡± ** Emma tilted her head sideways with confusion written all over her tiny face. But Ste said nothing more, she just gently stroked her daughter¡¯s hair. She had been receiving many visitors in the past few days. They all came and went, where most offered kind words offort. Ste was used to hearing them by now, but she did notice that they all shared one curious simrity -they all hemmed and hawed as if they wanted to say something but wouldter decide against it. She could tell very easily that they were actually trying to ask her about Weston, perhaps out of curiosity about his current conditions, or perhaps they wanted to see if they could learn about the status of Ste and Weston¡¯s rtionship. But never once did she satisfy any of their curiosities. It did not matter whether their true intentions were to And so the days went by quietly, just as if her life had returned to the peaceful rhythms in those three years when Weston Ford waspletely absent in her life¨Cthe days might be monotonous and uneventful, but she was content. On the day that she was discharged from the hospital, Angelina came to give Ste a crutch specially made for her. In her current condition, Ste had no need for wheelchair since only her eyes were damaged. And besides, she should be able to see again in a few months. Henry Moore hade along with Angelina too. Ste had no idea when these two had gotten so close, but it was obvious at a nce that Henry¡¯s attitude toward Angelina had made a one¨Ceighty turn. He kept following her around everywhere, attending to her every need. At the moment, he had made aplete recovery and no longer needed the wheelchair. In fact, even when she first saw him again aftering back to Ahn City when he was celebrating Weston¡¯s birthday at the restaurant alongside Daisy and Nicole, she had noticed that he no longer needed a wheelchair even then¡­ Ste was suddenly reminded of Weston, which abruptly halted her train of thought. Thoughts of him kept popping up in her mind these past few days, but they did not linger for long. Ste had the ability to keep her own feelings in check, then discard those thoughts from her mind. This was just as it should be, she told herself. They should remain as strangers. Being together would only bring more pain and suffering, making life unbearable for them both. It did not matter to her how he was doing. None of that was any of her business now. Angelina appeared out of the end of the hallway with Henry following close on her heels. Noticing that she had been ignoring him and not even willing to look at him the whole time, he walked up to her and stopped in front of her, asking her, ¡°How long are you going to be angry with me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to be angry with you, Mr. Moore.¡± Angelina paused and added in a meaningful tone, ¡°After all, I¡¯m just someone who means nothing to you, so why would it matter to me that you¡¯ve gone to see Guinevere Cohen?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. After all of Guinevere¡¯s deeds had been exposed, she became the number one target of derision of Ahn City. Her crimes had truly been appalling¨Cshe actually killed her own son just so she could frame Ste Sealey. Once her crimes came to light, even Chris Ford was no longer willing to see her. Everyone else who had been trying to help her or at least keep her alive had all but abandoned her. Only Henry would go to see her¡­ for onest time. Chapter 1282 Chapter 1282 Chapter 1282 Regardless of what had happened, Guinevere Cohen was still someone that Henry had loved ever since he was a young boy, so he couldn¡¯t simply stand aside and ignore her. Because Guinevere had been kind to him when he was young, he then began to follow her around everywhere,pletely smitten and in love. But Guinevere had always had her heart set on Weston from the start, so even after all those years of growing up together, they never ended up in a rtionship. But in fact, three years ago, when Weston was hellbent on destroying the Cohen family, Guinevere realized that she would never ever be together with Weston. At that moment, she tried to turn to Henry Moore and attempted to get together with him. But by then, Angelina Thompson, the woman who looked just like Faye, was already by Henry¡¯s side. Still, Guinevere never thought of Angelina as a worthy rival. After all, she had a deep and long history with Henry, and in fact, back then, Henry Moore had even broken up with Faye because he cared too much about 2 Guinevere¡¯s feelings, and in the end, Faye totally disappeared from his life, never toe back again. That was why Guineverepletely ignored Angelina, thinking she could never pose any threat to her. Surprisingly, though, after helping her once, Angelina refused to ever see Henry ever again. In order to make it up to her, Henry discarded all his past feelings towards Guinevere, just like that. From then on, he was no longer willing to help Guinevere, save for seeing her for thest time before she was sentenced to death. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. But even with that onest meeting, Angelina became extremely enraged. She dered that from then on, she would sever all ties with Henry Moore, and they would forever be strangers to each other. Nevertheless, they limited their fighting and disagreements in private and showed no signs of it as they appeared in front of Ste. Still, Angelina did not seem so pleased to be around Henry Moore. She kept silent and refused to talk to Henry, so he had no choice but to keep silent himself. Instead, he nced at Ste and coldly commented, ¡°You seem pretty carefree.¡± Ste had changed into her own clothes by now, so when she heard what Henry said, she chuckled and replied, You¡¯re right, I am feeling quite carefree. I did little these past few days, but I¡¯ll be back to my office tomorrow, and I¡¯ll be busy with work.¡± Her response was so calm and casual that it was obvious she took none of his words to heart. This made Henry pause. He turned his head away, looking slightly displeased. Angelina had no idea why he was here in the first ce. since no one wanted him here anyway. She red at him, then walked up to Ste and told her, ¡°Just ignore him, Ste. By the way, do you need help with anything else?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Everything¡¯s been prepared. Roger helped me a lot. We¡¯ll be meeting up at the parking lotter. Do you need us to give you a ride?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Henry interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯m still here after all. At least I¡¯ll be of some use.¡± He spoke with a weird tone, and Ste could sense that he was implying something more, so she said nothing and just lowered her eyes, telling Angelina, ¡°I¡¯d better get going then.¡± ¡°But Yvonne and her husband are on the way,¡± said Angelina. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to wait for them?¡± ¡°No, I just talked to them on the phone. We¡¯ll all meet up tonight for dinner since it¡¯s been so long since west got together. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Angelina nodded, then watched as Ste walked away. Ste had just walked out of the door when she bumped into a woman she hadn¡¯t seen in a while¨CNicole Dous. She hade to the hospital to visit Weston, but when she noticed that the door to Ste¡¯s ward was open, she just could not help but storm to it, unable to control her anger from erupting. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re getting discharged! Looks like you made a quick recovery, huh?¡± Stepletely ignored her, her eyes looking somewhat cold. Elias and Emma were still ying with Legos in Roger¡¯s room, waiting for her to meet up with them. She really had no time to waste. Chapter 1283 Chapter 1283 Chapter 1283 ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Ste sternly told Nicole. But Nicole wouldn¡¯t budge. Blocking her way, her eyes glinted red with anger as she hissed, ¡°I really can¡¯t believe how vicious a woman you actually are! He went in to save you, yet you cruelly left him there all alone on that mountain to die! He¡¯s critical right now, and he¡¯ll likely never wake up again! How can you be so heartless?¡± Ste merely frowned slightly as Nicole hurled a barrage of usations. Apart from that, she seemed practically unflustered. ¡°If you feel so sorry for him, why don¡¯t you go to him and nurse him to health?¡± she asked Nicole. ¡°You-¡± Nicole was so enraged she was rendered speechless. She raised her hand, ready to p Ste, but Daisy suddenly rushed from behind and shoved her aside. ¡°Stop it!¡± she yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble!¡± Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked exhausted, as though she hadn¡¯t slept a wink in the past week. When she first noticed Ste, a look of hatred shed in her eyes, but she maintained a secretary¡¯s professionalism and told Ste, ¡°Please excuse us. We¡¯re only here to visit Mr. Ford. My cousin¡¯s emotions are a little out of control right now.¡± She spoke in an icy tone. While she maintained a polite and formal demeanor, the undercurrent of cold contempt in her voice was undeniable. With regard to the ident that befell Weston, Daisy and Nicole were united in their opinions that what Ste did waspletely beyond the pale. It had been Ste¡¯s exceedingly good fortune to have the honor of catching the eye of someone like Weston Ford. He even went so far as to risk his own life to save her, only for her to bepletely unmoved. Not only that, but she even unhesitatingly left him for dead when his life was in peril. And now she was not even willing to visit him! ¡°I regret having once regarded you as my rival,¡± said Daisy. ¡°A cold¨Cblooded woman like you could never be worthy of Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never regarded you as my rival,¡± Ste retorted,pletely unperturbed by Daisy¡¯s words. Then, without any expressions on her face, she added, ¡°I wish you sess in your endeavor.¡± Her calm and unbothered tone of voice further enraged the two women. Nicole wished for nothing more than to kill her right now, but Daisy still managed to keep herposure as she told Ste, ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯ll remember what you said today. When Mr Ford wakes up, please don¡¯t evere to him and bother him anymore¡­¡± She paused, then with a change in her voice that made her sound weak and helpless, she added, ¡°In his current state, he won¡¯t be able to withstand any more harm.¡± Later, when Daisy entered the private ward, she saw Wendy staying by Weston¡¯s side. She had bumped into Chris Ford outside, but he just kept pacing back and forth at the door, reluctant to come in. After nodding at her briefly, he just watched as Daisy came into the room. ¡°So you¡¯re here, Madam?¡± Wendy nodded her head. Knowing that Daisy was Weston¡¯s secretary, she asked her, ¡°How¡¯s everything going at thepany? Is everything in order?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s in order, Madam. With Mr Xavier Ford¡¯s help, all the important projects in progress can still run smoothly without any problems.¡± Wendy nodded. Like Daisy, she also looked a little haggard. Everything that had transpired in thest two years had taken a heavy toll on her. She managed to walk away from it all a few years ago and started her life anew, working in the entertainment industry just as she used to do all those years ago and finally managing to carve out her own independent life. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She just wanted to leave all the bad things that had happened behind her. Right now, what she wished to do was to make it up to Weston for neglecting him all these years, for failing to fulfill her responsibilities as his mother. But it seemed that it was all toote for that. In some matters, once you were toote, then there really was not much to do about it. No matter how much you tried to make it up to someone, trying your best to right your past wrongs, nothing woulde of it and you just could not improve the situation at all. In fact, you might even end up not being needed anymore. It was precisely because of this reason that she was still unable to forgive Chris Ford for what he had done. Ever since his scandalous secret was exposed, it seemed Chris had finally realized his past mistakes. He started to go to Wendy and beg for her forgiveness, asking her to get back together with him. Chapter 1284 Chapter 1284 Chapter 1284 Chris Ford¡¯s words sounded sincere, and his actions. toward Wendy seemed much more heartfelt and earnest than ever. For this reason, even Wendy¡¯s close friends, who had been supporting her decision to divorce Chris, started to change their tunes and even persuaded her to get back together with him. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. After all, it really did seem that Chris had truly learned his lessons and was genuinely repentant. But Wendy remained unmoved. Save for appearing in Weston¡¯s life only when he was in deep trouble, she usually minded her own business and lived her own life. ¡°I just bumped into Mr. Chris Ford outside¡­¡± Daisy tried to remind her. ¡°I know,¡± Wendy cut her off. ¡°Have you seen Ste?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Daisy replied. She realized that Wendy did not want to talk about Chris Ford, so she instantly dropped the subject before turning the topic to the task that Wendy had assigned to her. ¡°Ms. Sealey refused toe " ¡°Did she say so herself?¡± Wendy frowned. ¡°Yes. I told her that Mr. Ford is in a critical condition right now and that things don¡¯t look so good for him, so we might need her help. Otherwise, he might end up a vegetable for the rest of his life. I told her that perhaps if she talked to him every once in a while, his condition might improve¡­¡± Daisy then paused and seemed to find it difficult to continue, she even looked slightly indignant when she finally added, ¡°But Ms. Sealey told me that none of this is her concern. It was Mr. Ford¡¯s own decision to save her, so ¡­¡® ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Wendy interrupted her. She heaved a heavy sigh and added, ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough.¡± Her expressions were inscrutable, it was hard to discern what she was feeling at the moment. Daisy let out a long sigh, walked up to Wendy and stopped in front of her, and told her in a much gentler voice than before, ¡°Madam, no matter what happens, I promise that I will always stay by Mr. Ford¡¯s side¡­ I am his secretary, so I will deal with his problems, whether it¡¯s with his work at thepany or his personal life. I will never leave his side, not until he wakes up!¡± Hearing this, Wendy looked at her with aplicated expression and asked, ¡°What if he never wakes up again?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay by his side for the rest of his life!¡± Daisy replied resolutely. ¡°After what¡¯s happened in the past three years, you must¡¯ve been able to guess my true feelings for him¡­¡± ¡°But you were Xavier Ford¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That was all in the past now!¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened. She lowered her head and continued, ¡°You might think that I¡¯m a cunning woman when I tell you this, but the truth is that I only got together with Xavier Ford back then just so I could get closer to Mr. Weston Ford because he was the one that I fell in love with. I have always been in love with him and him alone.¡± Daisy knew that the true reason why Guinevere Cohen totally failed in obtaining Weston¡¯s heart was that she did not know how to be subtle, how to be secretive, and, worst of all, she did not know how to please other people. Guinevere should have known that Ste Sealey held a special ce in Weston Ford¡¯s heart, yet she still was adamant in trying to find ways to harm her. This could only do nothing but make the distance between her and Weston grow further and further. It was precisely because she was always at odds with Ste that she failed to capture Weston¡¯s heart or remain by his side. But Daisy was not like that at all. She knew very well that Weston loved Ste, and she readily admitted to the fact. She had always acknowledged this truth and recognized how important Ste was to Weston. But she knew that no matter how deep the love was, there was always a chance that it might one day fade away. She refused to believe that when Weston woke up, he¡¯d still love Ste while harboring no grudges, even after how cruel she had been to him. Meanwhile, Daisy had never left his side. Weston justy there on the hospital bed, silent and still. Daisy couldn¡¯t even bear to see his handsome profile. She could not imagine Weston left there all alone on Snow Mountain, waiting helplessly for someone to come rescue him. If they had been just a minute toote¡­ If they had found him just a minute toote, he might have juste back without his life. Even now that he managed to return alive, he might end up being a vegetable for the rest of his life. Chapter 1285 Chapter 1285 Chapter 1285 Daisy sat by Weston¡¯s side, holding his hand and gazing affectionately at him. These were the only times she could stay by his side quietly without him getting up and leaving her. It was also her only chance to be so close to him. When Nicole walked in and saw this, she immediately frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing, Daisy?!¡± Hearing her voice, Wendy quickly turned to her and coldly snarled, ¡°Be quiet! This is a hospital!¡± In the first few moments, Nicole didn¡¯t recognize Wendy. All she knew was that she was quite good¨C looking even though she had aged quite a bit. Knowing this, she assumed that Wendy must be somehow rted to Weston. ¡°I¡¯m Daisy¡¯s cousin,¡± she told Wendy, pursing her lips, ¡± and Mr. Ford¡¯s¡­¡± She froze, realizing that she had no idea how to exin her rtionship with Weston Ford. Wendy had a lengthy experience in the entertainment industry, and she could tell at a nce the kind of woman Nicole was, so she just waved her hand and said, ¡°I have no objections to you both caring for him, but please don¡¯t cause amotion.¡± Since Ste was not willing to see him, she naturally wouldn¡¯t leave him lying there without anyone apanying him. When she suddenly remembered that Chris Ford was still waiting for her outside, she turned to the two women and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave him to you. Please take care of him while I¡¯m away. I have some business to attend to.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Chris was standing in the hallway when he noticed Wendying out. His eyes lit up, and he asked her, How¡¯s Weston doing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else,¡± Wendy said, ncing at him with a in expression. ¡°We better not disturb them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± (( When they got inside the car, Chris very eagerly told her, ¡°I just talked to the doctor. He said Weston is out of danger¡­¡± ¡°Just get to the point and say what you want to say,¡± Wendy interrupted. ¡°Stop pretending you¡¯re actually worried about Weston.¡± Chris got all choked up by her response. He lowered his eyes and told her, ¡°I¡¯m still his father no matter what, you know. How could I not be worried?¡± ¡°Perhaps you are worried, but that concern of yours is limited in nature.¡± Wendy looked into his eyes and bluntly told him, ¡°You and I are both fully aware of how we treated him. We used him to maintain our family¡¯s reputation, but we never loved him genuinely or cared for him. We put up an act of being a loving family, but it was all fake, just like the feelings we have for each other. We¡¯ve been trapped in this charade of pretending to love each other for so long that even we ourselves hadpletely forgotten what true love actually feels like¡­¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. On the day that Ste was discharged from the hospital, Roger brought Elias and Emma along to pick her up. Once they had said goodbye to Angelina and Henry, they got into the car and left. Roger had made a good recovery, but he never once mentioned the incident on Snow Mountain ever since it happened. And so time passed, and it seemed that Weston had really faded out of Ste¡¯s lifepletely. Ste and Roger began to look around for a school to send Elias and Emma to where they would spend their whole day. At this point, they were still too young to go to a kindergarten, but being brilliant kids, Ste had hired tutors to teach them at home. This freed up a lot of time for Ste, giving her a chance to live a more leisurely life. asionally, she would hear rumors being spread in the outside world about the head of the Ford family being in a critical state where it was uncertain if he would live or die and how no one had ever seen him anywhere for a long time now. Such rumors would undoubtedly deal a great blow to the Ford family, not to mention the severe effect it would have on the Ford Corporation. Even the directors were starting to feel uneasy. If Weston¡¯s life really was still in danger, then the whole Just then, news broke that Weston Ford had issued a will. Chapter 1286 Chapter 1286 Chapter 1286 The news of the will took everyone by utter surprise. Directors that had ulterior motives had originally tried to confirm if Weston Ford¡¯s life was in critical danger so as to divide the Ford family. They initially thought that Weston¡¯s family would do anything to deny this rumor, but to their surprise, Weston had suddenly issued his will. In the will, Daisy Dous was stipted to be the acting president of Ford Corporation. This revtion astounded everyone, initially assuming that Xavier Ford was the most likely sessor, or, perhaps, Chris Ford, at the very least. No one would ever think that he would actually let his secretary take the helm. But when Ste heard of the news, she barely showed a reaction. Roger, who was beside her, frowned and asked, ¡°Do you want to visit him? I heard he¡¯s finally woken up.¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°If he wants to see me, he¡¯lle himself.¡± Since he had done no such thing, it was clear that their rtionship had beenpletely severed. ¡°Not everyone can forget the sting of abandonment,¡± she said. ¡°He had discarded me once, and I¡¯ve abandoned him once, so we¡¯re fair and square now. I¡¯m sure he would never bother me anymore.¡± She spoke very calmly and casually, as if she had taken nothing to heart at all. But Roger fell silent for a long time before he chuckled as if mocking himself. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, your rtionship with him wouldn¡¯t havee to this point¡­¡® Ste found those words rather amusing. She walked up to him and poured him a ss of water, then asked him, Why are you beating yourself up about it now? Didn¡¯t you always dread that I might end up together with Weston again?¡± )) Roger was not sure how to describe his own feelings at that point. Perhaps it was because he had seen with his own eyes that Weston was willing to risk his life to save Ste, and that filled him with a sense of regret. It had been his own willfulness that had ultimately (( harmed Weston on Snow Mountain. He had almost lost his own life there. It was then that he realized perhaps the feelings Weston had for Ste might be real and genuine love. Roger was not dumb. Of course, he knew that this might be the case, but he was still unwilling to admit to the fact. After all, Weston did, in fact, hurt Ste deeply in the past, even though he could not deny that he was sincere in his affection for Ste right now. Roger was terribly conflicted. He found himself unable to make up his mind about the matter. ¡°Why am I thinking about this now¡­?¡± he chuckled wryly at himself and, with a voiceced with impatience, This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. told Ste, ¡°Even if you want to take him back now, it might just be toote. I heard that his condition is still pretty critical. It¡¯s still unclear if he might live. Even if he does end up living, he might suffer a serious side¨Ceffect from the injury. It¡¯s likely that the rumors that he has woken up might all be false. After all, this news about his will sounds a bit fishy to me.¡± Roger thought it was more likely that this news of Weston Ford issuing a will might just be something they released just to make the people in hispany feel more at ease and might not have anything to do with Weston Ford at all. But then again, none of this concerned them anymore. And so Ste stopped paying any attention to any news about Weston from then on as if she wanted to And just like that, several months passed without any incident. But Roger noticed that Ste¡¯s eyes still had not recovered yet. He had a doctor examine her eyes before and she was confirmed to suffer from snow blindness, which was not a serious condition. However, in some rare cases, it might lead to permanent loss of sight. Nevertheless, based on Ste¡¯s condition, she should recover within a few months. But it had been four months, and Ste showed no signs of getting better. In fact, all she could see now was but a blur. Worst of all, she could not return to work in this state, severely affecting her lifestyle. Chapter 1287 Chapter 1287 Chapter 1287 They had assumed that she would have recovered after a short while, but the way things were now, there was no other choice but to look for another person to take care of her. But Roger would never agree to this. ¡°I can take care of you myself,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of you these past few months anyway. There¡¯s no need to look for someone else!¡± The truth was, Roger simply couldn¡¯t trust anyone else. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°No,¡± Ste argued, ¡°your grandfather suddenly wants you to go home. Something must¡¯ve happened there. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡± These days, Ste and Roger had returned to treating each other like brother and sister. There was a tacit agreement between them to never again bring up Roger¡¯s incestuous feelings. ¡°He knows that you¡¯re here to learn and improve yourself,¡± continued Ste, her tone bing stern and serious regarding tasks assigned to them by Marcus. Garcia. ¡°If something important hadn¡¯te up, he wouldn¡¯t have asked you to go back. Listen to him. Grandpa Marcus would never trouble you without a good reason. He¡¯s always done everything for your own good.¡± Roger fell silent for a long time. If it had not been for Marcus Garcia, there was no way te would ever get to where he was, much less help Ste get away from Weston Ford¡¯s iron grip back then. ¡°Even so, I must find someone I can trust to be with you. I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave you here alone otherwise.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve found the perfect person.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Joan could not keep herself from tearing up when she finally saw Ste again. ¡°Madam¡­¡± She simply could not believe they would ever meet again after all these years. Three years had passed, but Joan did not look like she had changed much. ¡°Thank you for helping me three years ago,¡± Ste said. with a smile. ¡°Without you, I¡¯d never be able to escape Weston Ford.¡± This matter still filled Joan with guilt and regret. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t stand aside without doing anything back then,¡± she told Ste. ¡°I was afraid that you might end up totally consumed by depression, and even more terrified that you mightmit suicide, so I decided to betray Mr. Ford in the end¡­¡± Although Ste was grateful to her, the truth was Joan had always felt guilty for what she did to Weston Ford. After all, he was the one who paid her sry. That was why she was too ashamed to remain working for him and had to rush back to her hometown. No matter how much money he offered to pay her, she just could not stay in Stardust Mansion anymore because she felt that she had wronged him. The n to whisk Ste away from Weston Ford had certainly been cooked up by the Garcia family, but without Joan¡¯s help as an insider, Weston would never let his guard down enough to make it possible for Ste to slip through his fingers right from under his nose. Joan had hesitated for a long time before she made that decision. She had always believed that they would never meet each other again, but to her surprise, Ste actually returned to Ahn City three yearster. ¡°Madam,¡± she asked her cautiously, ¡°did youe back to set things straight with Mr. Frod?¡± Considering Weston Ford¡¯s powerful status, it was impossible that he didn¡¯t hear about Ste¡¯s return. Ste nodded. ¡°He already knows¡­¡± She noticed that Joan looked like she was still unaware of what had happened recently, so she briefly told her the whole story. Joan¡¯s whole body was in shock after hearing what Ste told her. ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Ford¡¯s life might be in danger?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ste with an expressionless face, resting her arms on the table. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry that he¡¯ll cause you trouble now.¡± Joan needed a long time to digest all the new information §í§ß§Ñ§â§í she had just received. Then she finally let out a heavy sigh and asked, ¡°So you can¡¯t see now, Madam?¡± She had noticed the first moment she got here that there was something wrong with Ste¡¯s eyes. They looked as if they were zed over and unable to focus. Chapter 1288 Chapter 1288 Chapter 1288 Ever since Joan got there, she noticed that Ste¡¯s gaze was fixed on a certain point, and she hardly ever moved her eyes, regardless of what she said. It was a clear sign that she was blind. ¡°Yes,¡± Ste replied. ¡°My eyes were injured, and I got snow blindness a while ago. The doctor said I should get better in a few months, but my eyes show no signs of getting better yet. I might stay blind for a long time, so I¡¯d like to ask if you¡¯d be willing toe and take care of me for a while. I¡¯ll pay you, of course, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Joan considered her offer for a long time, but in the end, she refused. ¡°I know you mean well, Madam, and I know that we¡¯ve always gotten along very well in the past, but I can¡¯t work with you in good conscience anymore¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Ste sighed, then added regretfully, ¡°I was only asking, but since you¡¯re not willing to do it, just think of it asing out to meet an old friend.¡± Joan sighed in relief, ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you for not making it harder for me.¡± No matter how Joan looked at it, she still felt that what she did was a betrayal to Weston Ford, her own employer. It was a matter that had weighed heavily on her heart the whole time, so much that it was almost unbearable for her. After all, Weston had always treated her kindly, yet she still chose to help Ste in the end. During her time working in Stardust Mansion, she could tell that Weston was terrifyingly possessive of Ste. But even though he did not love her properly, he still loved her very much nheless. Since Joan had refused her offer, Ste had no choice but to find someone else to care for her. Roger was too worried to leave her now, so he postponed his return trip to Compassvale. To their surprise, a few dayster, Joan contacted Ste herself and told her that she would be d to work with her and take care of her again. Ste was initially slightly baffled by Joan¡¯s sudden change of heart, but Joan gave her a reasonable exnation. She told her that since Weston¡¯s condition. was uncertain now, even if he did wake up, he would probably never know that Joan was working with Ste again. After all, they had not seen each other in a long time, so perhaps Weston might even have forgiven her and let go of any grievances between them. Furthermore, Joan¡¯s son was going to college soon, so she desperately needed some money. She could not possibly refuse Ste since she was offering to pay her a hefty sry. And so Ste thought nothing more of it and just agreed to let Joan take care of her. Now that there was someone he trusted by Ste¡¯s side, Roger was finally relieved. He packed up his things the very next day to return to Compassvale. He also decided to take Elias and Emma along with him so Marcus Garcia could see them again since the old man had missed the two children very much. This would be the first time Elias and Emma would be separated from their mother for so long, ever since they were born. However, since Ste was blind now, she could not possibly take care of them, so she had to let Roger take them back with him to Compassvale. Ste now lived in arge apartment with Joan. As she was taking care of Ste, Joan suddenly said, ¡± Madam, my son is going to college soon, and he¡¯s got no ce to stay. Would you mind if hees over and stays here for a while?¡± Ste knew what Joan was trying to ask her, and she frowned. She was quite reluctant to let Joan¡¯s son live with them. He was an adult, after all, seeing that he was already a college student. Ste was notfortable with the thought of sharing her house with a man. Besides, she had no idea what Joan¡¯s son was like. Even though she might have heard from her that he was a good son, she still had some reservations because mothers were always biased in thinking that their children were better than they actually were. 1 And so she tactfully expressed her refusal. ¡°If it had been your daughter, I would¡¯ve had no objections. In fact, I would¡¯ve loved to have apanion )) Joan understood, but she still tried to persuade her, saying, ¡°I know it might not be such a good idea since he¡¯s a man, but¡­¡± Her voice suddenly turned a little weak and helpless when she added, ¡°He¡¯s not in the best health. I worry that he might affect his friends if he stays in the dorm, but if he rents his own ce outside of campus, he¡¯d be staying on his own, and that worries me too, so¡­¡± Ste, who was always soft¨Chearted when people were in need, could not help but concede to Joan when she heard her feeble and helpless voice. 1 This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°If you¡¯re sure we can get along, then you can bring him over.¡± Chapter 1289 Chapter 1289 Chapter 1289 ¡°I think I can trust the character of someone you raised,¡± Ste told Joan. Joan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Ste paused before she corrected her, ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to do with Weston anymore, so you don¡¯t need to call me Madam now. Just call me Ste.¡± ¡°Okay, Ste.¡± + Joan¡¯s son moved in that very evening. Because Ste could not see, she had no idea what he looked like. All she knew was that he was reticent and introverted. His room was right across Ste¡¯s and next to Joan¡¯s. From the time they first met, he had not said much to Ste. All he did was answer her questions in simple, monosybic responses. At first, Ste believed he might have difficulty speaking, and she politely asked Joan about it. Joan paused after hearing her question, then chuckled and replied, ¡°No, he just doesn¡¯t like to talk, that¡¯s all.¡± Ste nodded. Then she thought about how he was sick and therefore could not stay in the dorm on campus, so she asked her, ¡°Can you tell me what kind of illness he has? Perhaps I can help you somehow.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Joan quickly replied. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that! I¡¯ve saved up enough over the years, and he¡¯s been sick for a long time. We even had help from a charity group, so we didn¡¯t need any help. It¡¯s just that he still has some small difficulties in his daily life, and the fact that you could provide us with a ce to stay is more than enough. for us¡­¡± Her speech flowed smoothly out of her mouth, just as if she had rehearsed her lines. Ste could not help but sense that something about her demeanor was fishy. But then she reminded herself that this was Joan, after all. Joan would never do anything to harm her, so she quickly dismissed her suspicions. Joan¡¯s son turned out to be an extremely quiet and introverted man. He had been living with Ste for a while now, but overall, he made almost no noise. Even his footsteps were hushed and restrained. But Ste could always feel his presence. When she got up from her bed in the morning, she could distinctly feel him standing by the bathroom door, looking at her. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Are youing in?¡± she asked, turning slightly sideways to make way for him. In fact, each bedroom in her apartment came with its own bathroom, but the heater in her bathroom was broken, so she had to use themon one near the living room. She did not expect to bump into the man here. She was blind, but she could still perceive the difference between light and darkness, so she could tell that the man in front of her was quite tall and well¨Cbuilt. She had been abroad, so she was used to seeing tall people, but she still felt that someone this tall was quite rare in this country. Most people were not nearly as tall as Weston. Weston¡­ Ste frowned. Why was she thinking about that man again? The man in front of her shook his head, but then he remembered that she could not see him, so he took her hand and gently pulled her towards him. His extremely measured gestures were gentle and cautious. Chapter 1290 Chapter 1290 Chapter 1290 Ste followed him out of the bathroom but then suddenly stopped and looked at him, asking, ¡°Can you speak at all?¡± Joan did tell her that it was only because he was a quiet person, but Ste still found his behavior too suspicious. How could someone who could speak be this quiet? The man said nothing. He approached her, gently took her hand, and tried to scribble a word on her palm. Ste found it too ticklish, so she quickly withdrew her hand. The man seemed to realize that he had offended her somehow, so he did nothing after that. Ste rubbed her wrists as she continued to observe him, but all she could see was a blurry shadow. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to speak,¡± she told him, ¡°I¡¯ll try to minimize my interactions with you¡­ I hope I didn¡¯t offend you, but I just don¡¯t feelfortable about this.¡± After a long while, she could hear the man softly mumbling, ¡°Mm.¡± Ste froze for a moment. She turned her gaze toward the blurry figure of the man. Ste had always been perceptive to sounds. She was a musician, after all and she could easily distinguish the difference in everyone¡¯s voices. And the man¡¯s voice reminded her of a certain someone. But she shook her head and discarded these thoughts from her mind. Perhaps she was only reminded of him because thoughts about him had been popping up in her mind quite often in the past couple of days. This man was Joan¡¯s son. How could he have anything to do with Weston? Having lived together for a few days, the two eventually got along. The man would use a special device tomunicate with Ste. He would type the words that he wanted to say, and the software of the device would speak the words for him. This way, he managed to communicate pretty smoothly with Ste. [I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t speak to you for some reason, so I have to resort to this. I hope it¡¯s not too inconvenient.] The device had a deep, cold, and mechanical voice of an unemotional male. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°You¡¯re Joan¡¯s son, and she used to take very good care of me.¡± [But I still want to thank you for causing you trouble.] And so that was how theymunicated, and it went surprisingly smoothly too. Ste could not see, and he could not speak, yet their interaction was strangely effective. Gradually, Ste even started to have casual chats with N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. him. She could not go anywhere now, so she had to spend all her time ying the piano at home. But though she could not see now, she had long been familiar with the keys on the piano and had no problem ying beautiful music without using her sight. The man would stand beside her, appreciating the music without making a noise and not doing anything to disrupt such a beautiful scene. He would stay that way until she was done ying when he would approach her and use his device to ask her, [Do you need my help to get up?] Ste would nod and lean against him to stand up, and they would then take a walk in the garden. They had started to chat freely with each other now, but most of the time, it would be the man asking Ste a question and her replying to him. Perhaps it was because she had lost her sight, but her other senses had be sharper now. At times like these, she had a sudden urge to talk to someone about what had happened to her in the past. It was only natural for human beings to desire to speak with someone. Now that she had apanion who was quiet and eager to listen, Ste felt that getting along with this man was a breeze, and she began to talk freely about her past with him. After a while, the man used the cold, mechanical voice of his device to ask her, [So, have youpletely moved on from Weston Ford?] She guessed that he must have heard about what happened between her and Weston from Joan, so she did not shy away from the subject and bluntly answered, (( It¡¯s all in the past now anyway, so why shouldn¡¯t I move on from him?¡± The man made no response. After a long silence, he finally replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Night fell quickly after that Chapter 1291 Chapter 1291 Chapter 1291 Ste sat on the sofa and listened to the radio station. Since she could not see, she had gotten hooked on the radio and considered it quite interesting. Joan suddenly called. ¡°I am very sorry, Mrs. Ford. There is a situation here. I got into an ident and mighte back a littlete.¡± Ste frowned instantly and sat up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I am fine. It¡¯s just that the police are here, and I may be dyed. But I have to go back and cook. What should I do?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste could hear the uneasiness in her voice and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Take your time. Don¡¯t rush. Your safety is the most important.¡± She continued, ¡°There is still some food in the fridge. I can make a simple meal myself.¡± Joan was still a little troubled. ¡°You purposely hire me to care for you, but I keep making mistakes¡­¡± Steforted her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It was an ident, and it had nothing to do with you. Just cooperate with the police. It¡¯s okay.¡± After that, Ste hung up the phone and heard the sound of footstepsing from the direction of the guestroom. Then, a tall figure stood beside her. She could sense the man¡¯s finger tapping on the screen before the familiar mechanical voice entered her ears. [Is Joan noting home tonight?] She nodded butter found it odd. ¡°Isn¡¯t she your mother? Why do you call her by her name?¡± She felt the man seemed to pause and stiffen a bit. After a while, he said, [I got used to saying that because of you.] She nodded. Though she thought it sounded a little far- fetched, she didn¡¯t think much of it. Then, the man yed another electronic voice clip. ¡± What do you want to eat? There are still some ingredients in the fridge. I can make something for you.¡± She was a bit surprised. ¡°You know how to cook?¡± ording to Joan¡¯s description of her son, he should be a nerd who did no housework and only cared about getting good grades. He should be spoiled and not very good at housework. How could he cook? [I can make simple dishes,] said the man. [What do you want to eat?] She was a bit undecided. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± [Noodles?] Her eyes lit up. ¡°I like noodles. Can you make them?¡± [Yes, but my cooking is not very good. I can barely fill my stomach.] ¡°It¡¯ll be fine as long as it can fill mine.¡± The man sniffed, then turned around and went into the kitchen. Ste originally wanted to fumble over to take a look but was worried about causing him trouble, so she did not move and sat on the sofa. Not long after that, the man brought two bowls of noodles and served them on the table. Ste stood up and started to feel her way to the table. The man reached out. He thought of holding her but withdrew his hands. He only let Ste feel the edge of the sofa and walked to the table just because she said she could. The next moment, she identally hit the corner of the table and fell to the side. The man beside her immediately stepped forward and picked her up directly. The familiar fragrance filled her nose. Ste was stunned for a moment and subconsciously grabbed the hem of his shirt. It smelled very much like a man she knew very well. Almost subconsciously, she called out his name.¡± Weston?¡± The man¡¯s body stiffened abruptly. The muscles beneath his shirt were tense to the extreme. He didn¡¯t respond, desperately trying to hold himself back. Chapter 1292 Chapter 1292 Chapter 1292 The man¡¯s movement slowed down for a moment, but he did not stop as if he didn¡¯t hear her call. He picked her up and helped her sitfortably at the table. Then, with a cold mechanical voice, he said, [Why did you suddenly call his name?] Ste¡¯s heart was still thumping. She still did note back to her senses. Hearing his question, she only gave a one¨Csyble response. ¡°Mm.¡± [Why did you call his name?] he asked again. She paused and her heartbeat slowly normalized. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel that you are kinda like him.¡± [Am I?] ¡°You smell very much like him.¡± The man seemed to hesitate for a while and asked, [What kind of smell?] ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, but it¡¯s awfully familiar.¡± He did not speak for a long time before he said, [Let¡¯s eat the noodles.] ¡°Okay.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste¡¯s suspicion of him was only limited to that moment, and she quickly dismissed the idea. Weston was now lying in the hospital, and his condition was uncertain. If he were to wake up, he would¡¯ve definitely dealt with Ford Corporation¡¯s crisis instead ofing over to act with her. Even if he had this leisure, the people of Ford Corporation would not let him do so. Even with his will disclosed, she could bet things were a royal mess over there. Besides, with Daisy taking over thepany, Ste believed this feeling was just an illusion, which meant he couldn¡¯t possibly be Weston. After eating, the man stood up and washed the dishes skillfully. Ste wanted to call out to him but suddenly realized that she did not even know his name. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked. The man¡¯s hands suddenly twitched, and he looked at her. [Does it matter?] The t tone made Ste frown. ¡°You cannot even tell me your name?¡± [She should have told you before.] Ste was startled for a moment, then she realized that he was referring to Joan. Now, her suspicion of the man only grew. First, he was not willing to address Joan as his mother. Second, he would not talk and even tell her his name. ¡°Has anyone ever said you¡¯re weird?¡± [That¡¯s why I don¡¯t live in the school dormitory.] He answered quickly. Ste was speechless. She propped up her chin and looked nkly at the void. ¡° How old are you?¡± He hesitated. [Twenty.] ¡°Then you are about the same age as my brother.¡± He did not seem interested in Ste talking about her brother and said to her, [I¡¯m going to wash the dishes.] With that, he went into the kitchen. When he came out, he saw that Ste was still sitting at the table, so he stepped forward and picked her up in his arms. Ste felt a hover underneath her and subconsciously eximed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Since the man¡¯s hands were full, he couldn¡¯t speak and could only carry her to the couch silently. The familiar touch startled her, and she said, ¡°Tell me first the next time you want to hug me.¡± Wait¡­ Why should he tell her? She corrected herself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hug me next time. I can walk on my own.¡± Chapter 1293 Chapter 1293 Chapter 1293 The man did not say anything. Ste frowned and smiled ambiguously. ¡°You know what? Your action of holding me suddenly just now is really like a person.¡± [Is he your husband?] asked the man. She shook her head very calmly. ¡°He is just my ex- husband, at best.¡± ¡°At best?¡± She did not want to talk about Weston much, so she changed the topic. ¡°Your cooking skill is not bad.¡± The man suddenly grew interested in Weston. [Why did you divorce him?] ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you enough today?¡± She shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I have no feelings for him anymore.¡± [You can actually get over him so easily after so many years of affection?] Steughed. ¡°Even the deepest feelings wear out one day. Not to mention thest three years, I loved him for too long in the past, so I really could not hold on¡­¡± Clink! She heard the ss hitting the table¡¯s surface and asked him hurriedly in shock, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± [Nothing.] [My hands slipped. Do you want some fruit?] ¡°Sure. Wash an apple for me.¡± The man stood up and went off with big strides. By the time he returned, he had a fruit te in his hand. [ Do you want me to feed you?] Ste said, ¡°No, give me the te. I¡¯ll hold it myself.¡± He had been rather meticulous. He peeled the fruit and cut it into small pieces for her. Although she could not see, it was very convenient for her to eat them. She could feel the man¡¯s eyes on her face all the time and was a little ufortable being looked at. ¡°You should wash one for yourself.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t like fruit.¡± This was also very simr to Weston. She frowned for a moment, suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, and said nothing. After a while, the mechanical voice rang again. ¡°What were you thinking? Did you think of him again?¡± The corners of her eyes twitched. ¡°Can you please stop talking about him?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. [You just said you loved him for many years. Why did you suddenly stop loving him? Did you know each other since your school days?] She said unhurriedly, ¡°What else could be the reason for not loving him anymore? I feel tired and don¡¯t want to love anymore.¡± It was as if she was speaking about someone else when she spoke about the past. She then said casually, ¡°I¡¯ve been in love with him since my student days.¡± She had already said it earlier, so the man did not find it surprising. Moreover, he had already been surprised. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°When he did not know it, I kept chasing him. I used to think that there would never be a day when my passion for him would subside, yet I didn¡¯t expect that marrying him would be the beginning of my fading love. ¡°I knew about his rtionship with Guinevere,¡± she said. with a chuckle. ¡°They are a beautiful couple. Anyone would say that they are a lovely couple. I did not think at that time that he would want to marry me. Onlyter did I realize that he was using me as a stepping stone between him and Guinevere¡­¡± ¡°That is not what I saw.¡± The man interrupted her. He said, ¡°He has nothing to do with Guinevere and has always had to be with her because of his family.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Her smile faded. ¡°After learning the truth, I did think about forgiving him, but¡­¡± She suddenly raised her eyes. She looked pitiful, and her beautiful eyes weren¡¯t focused and were covered with ayer of fog. ¡°Even if the truth is out, I really felt the taste of being used. So what if he had his reason? The pain I felt was real. At that time, I must not be that important to him. Otherwise, he would not have chosen her between the two of us without hesitation. Even if it was not because of love, it was also because he had too many other things in his heart that were more important than me.¡± Chapter 1294 Chapter 1294 Chapter 1294 She did not know why, but though she clearly couldn¡¯t see this man and didn¡¯t know what he looked like, she felt unusually rxed when interacting with him. ¡°This is not a secret anyway. The entire city knows about it.¡± Weston held a press conference three years ago in order to clear her name and make these details known to the public. [I heard rumors that he had a very painful time in the past three years.] The man paused for a moment and looked at her. Steughed. ¡°You do know a lot about him.¡± After pausing for a moment, the man said, [Not really. It¡¯s just that basically all the people in Ahn City know about him.] ¡°Indeed. His every action is watched and exaggerated.¡± She no longer had any particr emotion when she talked about this matter. It was just that¡­ She suddenly stared at the man beside her. ¡°Why do you care about him so much?¡± [Do I?] ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you think you care too much about my ex¨Chusband? Those who don¡¯t know you will think you¡¯re interested in him.¡± [I¡¯m not interested in him. I just want to know the details of my rival and the key to winning this battle.] His carefree remark caught her. The apple in her hand dropped into the te, making a soft sound. She thought she heard it wrongly and asked in embarrassment, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The man seemed to enjoy looking at her surprised face. Even though the machine could not voice any emotion, she could still feel his eyes smiling. ¡°I said that I wanted to know more about my rival. Is there anything wrong with it?¡± Seeing her hands remain motionless and a bit stiff, he took the te in her hands, prodded a piece of apple, and sent it to her mouth. She did not open her mouth, so he gently pried open her mouth and shoved the apple in. ¡°Eat it.¡± She chewed it, and the sweetness of the apple filled her mouth. She was a bit overwhelmed. ¡°Is that what I think it means?¡± [It means what you think it means.] The man said, [My ability to express myself should be considered clear, right?] ¡°You¡­¡± Ste was a bit perplexed, never to have predicted such a scene. [I know you will not believe it. But there is one thing I must tell you clearly. I want to pursue you. I want to be with you.] She was as if hearing a funny joke. ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to talk to me in your real voice.¡± [I told you, it¡¯s because I¡¯m sick.] ¡°What kind of sickness is it? If you can talk, why don¡¯t you talk to me?¡± [I will tell you when the timees.] He said, ¡°I shall leave you in suspense for now.¡± She sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve only met me for just a few days, and you already fallen in love with me. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so frivolous. You don¡¯t look like Joan¡¯s son at all.¡± Chapter 1295 Chapter 1295 Chapter 1295 ¡°Do you consider love at first sight as something frivolous?¡± The man said, [You¡¯ve loved Weston for so many years. Didn¡¯t you fall in love with him at first sight?] Ste said, ¡°Of course not.¡± She recalled the past. ¡°I only liked him because he helped me.¡± [Did he? Tell me about it.] She pinched her be. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a deep connection with him at that time. I didn¡¯t even talk to him. He and Guinevere are people of the same world, one that does not intersect with the world of people like us. Our worlds were like two parallel lines. I was a little high- minded when studying, so maybe some people did not like me. At that time, a dropout liked me. He confessed to me, but I rejected him. So he and his friends blocked me on my way from school. I was alone and was almost dragged by them to the alley. Weston saw it and helped me¡­¡± The man did not seem to think there was such a thing and slightly raised his eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°Yes. I also did not expect that a man like him would actually help me. ¡± She thought he was talking about not expecting Weston to be so warm¨Chearted and said, ¡°He is always so cold and looked aloof. That is why not many girls dared to confess to him even though he was handsome and had good grades and a good family background. Only Guinevere was around him all the time.¡± She did not expect that she would talk about her past with this man. Perhaps it was because he was Joan¡¯s son that she was not wary of him. The man chuckled and said gently, [So, you loved him for so many years because of this?] ¡°Yes.¡± She propped up her chin and stared forward nkly. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re listening to it with great interest. If you really like me, shouldn¡¯t you be jealous when you hear me talking about another man¡¯s past? ¡°That¡¯s a trick only young boys use.¡± The man said calmly, [Men would be more tolerant. Moreover, you are single now and have no one in your heart. So I can, of course, treat your past with tolerance.] She could not help butugh. ¡°You must be a few years younger than me, but you are talking like my elder. Not even a thirty¨Cyear¨Cold would look more mature than you.¡± She only felt that his words were a joke. After the meal, the man stood up automatically and walked to her side to pick her up. Ste was surprised. She wanted to push him away, but he held her by the waist. Although he did not speak, she could feel his body¡¯s dominant and irresistible aura. ¡°If I remember correctly, I think I just said that you are not allowed to hug me casually, right?¡± She was a bit annoyed. But she was still blind and could not just push him away. The man walked to the bathroom with her still in his arms. He turned on the tap and put her hands into the running water to wash her fingers. He felt a distinct sense of detachment as he pinched her bony fingers. Ste intuited that it was a lovely pair of hands, just like Weston¡¯s. The rubbing of skin was somehow electrifying. After washing her hands, the man pulled another piece of paper towel and scrubbed her clean before typing a line and ying it with a mechanical voice- [You did say that, but I also just made my attitude clear that I want to pursue you.] She frowned, and her face turned gloomy. ¡°I thought you were joking just now, so I did not bother with you. You are Joan¡¯s son, so I hope I would need to say it too harshly. I am single now, but it does not mean I need a man. Can you understand what I said?¡± [Yes.] The man looked at her. [I just want to pursue you. I don¡¯t mean for you to say yes to me right away.] Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that reason about how you like me is your business alone. It has nothing to do with you, but your liking has affected me.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°What then? I can¡¯t control it. Are you able to control your feelings?¡± Chapter 1296 Chapter 1296 Chapter 1296 Ste was taken aback a little, not knowing what to say for a moment. After a while, the man picked her up again and headed outside. [What else do you want to do? Want to go out for a stroll in the park?] She shook her head. ¡°No. I want to listen to a podcast and go to bedter.¡± He knew she was unwilling to be with him. So he nodded. (Okay. I will stay here. Call me if you need me.] ¡°Aren¡¯t you studying at university now? Don¡¯t you have anything else to do?¡± She frowned. [Nothing is more important than you.] She was speechless. 1 Joan returned only after sunset. She was relieved to hear that Ste had had her meal. ¡° It¡¯s a relief that I did not starve you, Mrs. Ford.¡± Ste wanted to correct the way she addressed her, but the man stood up and said, [Did you get all the ingredients?] ¡°Yes.¡± Joan said, ¡°They are all Mrs. Ford¡¯s favorite. I traveled miles to the suburb to get this fresh sea bass.¡± The man nodded and took the live fish to the kitchen to clean them. Ste always had a strange feeling when listening to the conversation between the two. Were this mother and son always so polite when they talked to each other? Before she could think deeply about the matter, Joan went off to do her own work. For the next few days, the two got along quite well. The man did not cross the line much, but he was always going back and forth the line, tempting her. Ste asked, ¡°Have you had a lot of girlfriends? Why are you sofortable with flirting?¡± The man was startled and then said, [I had one before.] ¡°One?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She pondered. ¡°You are only twenty now. One is normal, not too many and not too few.¡± She asked again, ¡°Then why did you break up with her?¡± [I did not cherish her properly.] Sheughed at his answer. ¡°You are rather conscious of yourself.¡± She had seen too many men ming their exes once they broke up. The sweet love no longer existed, with only ugly faces left when they med each other. He was rather honest. [It was indeed my fault.] The man continued, [She was very nice and loved me very much. I did not realize my own feelings at that time, so I thought that she was not important. By the time she left, only then I realized that I simply could not live without her.] ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and get her back then?¡± [Because I don¡¯t want to trouble her again, so I just watch her from afar.] She nodded and asked him indifferently, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why did youe and mess with me?¡± He sounded to be obsessed with his ex¨Cgirlfriend, yet he still said he wanted to pursue her and fell in love with her at first sight. This would suggest that his deep love could also be an act, just a means to attract the next woman. As expected, the man did not speak anymore. Ste was toozy to point that out and lost interest. So she stood up and said, ¡°I want to go to the hospital.¡± [I wille with you.] ¡°Suit yourself.¡± After seeing through his mind, Ste¡¯s attitude towards him became a lot more indifferent. Chapter 1297 Chapter 1297 Chapter 1297 Weston saw the change but did not say anything about it. Ste felt her way to the bed to take the outfit Joan had prepared for her in advance. Just as she wanted to get dressed, she heard a knock at the door. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I am not so blind that I need help to get dressed.¡± She scolded him. ¡°You¡¯d better note in.¡± The man knew she meant it and closed the door quietly. When they arrived at the hospital, he told her to sit down first and went to the registration counter. Ste stayed in the long corridor, feeling bored, then she suddenly heard a voice in her ear that she had not heard in a long time- This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Ste? Why are you sitting here alone?¡± The old memory surfaced instantly in her mind, and her body froze. The bleached hair man in front teased her. ¡°I heard you split up with Weston for good some time ago. He is the richest man in Ahn City. What do you have in your mind in doing so?¡± They were high school ssmates and had not seen each other for many years. Ste put on a stern face and ignored him. The man sensed her rejection and whistled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m talking to you. Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± He suddenly noticed something and looked into her eyes. slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are blind.¡± She stood up. ¡°As you can see.¡± After saying that, she wanted to walk away. But the man blocked her. ¡°Not so fast. We are old ssmates. Let¡¯s catch up a bit.¡± ¡°There is nothing to catch up on.¡± He rolled his eyes and said to her in disbelief. ¡°No way. Are you still holding a grudge against me?¡± Ste did not forget this voice though many years had passed. He was the very punk who nearly dragged her into the alley. She did not expect they would bump into each other after so many years. If it were not Weston who came and rescued her, the consequence would be unthinkable. However, this man did not seem to have the slightest guilt for what he had done to her back then. On the contrary, he looked at her with interest. ¡°You still look hot. I saw your news on the Inte in the past few years and thought you were definitely going to be Mrs. Ford when you came back this time, but I did not expect you to be blind and here alone to see a doctor. Why is your life in a downward spiral?¡± He asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a famous pianist? You should be wealthy. Why are you here alone?¡± She looked away coldly. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± After saying that, she turned around. The man did not relent, and his face turned ugly. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t show that kind of face when you see an old acquaintance. You really think you are something?¡± Then, his tone suddenly turned derisive. ¡°Could Weston have abandoned you because you became blind? No, I heard he is also on the verge of death. He is indeed now useless. What can a man lying on the bed give you even though he has money and is handsome? Why don¡¯t you be with me instead?¡± She thought she had misheard him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± ¡°Who are you calling crazy?¡± His face changed immediately. ¡°I am giving you face that I am still willing to take you in. Why don¡¯t you recognize your old ssmates as soon as you be famous?¡± ¡°Who is your old ssmate? You were expelled long ago, and we were not even that close then!¡± ¡°Were we not close? I even pulled your bra strap!¡± ¡°You-¡± Suddenly, there was a loud bang. A fist came at full tilt andnded right on his face. The man was smashed hard on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood and whimpering. He could not move, and his limbs all felt like they were being taken apart, and it hurt like hell. He howled in pain. Just as he wanted to get up, he saw the man who suddenly appeared in front of him and froze. ¡± Mr. F-¡± [Shut up, or I will cut your tongue.] The man interrupted. The cold mechanical voice was full of gut¨Cwrenching hostility. Chapter 1298 Chapter 1298 Chapter 1298 The man lying on the floor was still immersed in shock. The moment he looked up, he saw the man surrounded with a killing intent- he was Weston. Weston was no stranger to him. He was beaten up by him back then when he was a student. Besides, Weston was very famous. And after the incident, he knew him even better, but he did not expect him to appear here. He looked at Weston, and then at Ste, and widened his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Before he could say it, Westonnded another punch on his face. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Lying on the floor of the hospital, the man spat out another mouthful of blood. He could not get up no matter how he tried. The doctors, nurses, and patients nearby all stopped in their tracks and looked over in some surprise. Then, someone reacted and said to call the police. Weston then withdrew his hand, nced at him coldly, then walked to Ste and picked her up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ste heard his low voice and shook her head. ¡°I am fine.¡± She inhaled deeply and looked nkly at the man on the floor. ¡°How are you going to take care of him?¡± ¡°This ce is surveilled, so we can prove that he is the one who started it. The first punch is considered self- defense, and you can consider the second a gift from me.¡± When the man heard him, his eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s you who hit me! Do you know that you have to pay for beating people up now?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Weston was damn rich, and he wasn¡¯t about to let the chance of ckmailing him go! Weston sneered. He walked to him and kicked him hard. ¡± Even if I smashed you to death with money, there won¡¯t be much change in my bank ount.¡± After he said that, he stepped right over him with Ste in his hands. The man curled like a worm on the ground, unable to get up as he stared at Weston from his back. After a while, a man in a suit approached him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Mr. Ford¡¯s assistant.¡± Ben sighed. Since Weston had left, he could only clean up this mess for him. He previously thought that Weston would get over her after he regained consciousness. What he did not expect was that Weston would be more obsessed with her,pletely disregarding his health. He did not what trick Weston used to make Joan agree to his request and let him stay by Ste¡¯s side as her son. Now that Ste could not see, he did not speak and simply stayed by her side. Regardless, her eyes would one day recover, but he could not be mute for the rest of his life. Moreover, there was so much work in thepany and even a blunder of the will. Ben was very worried that thepany might copse one day. What¡¯s more, Weston even learned how to change his voice to prevent Ste from recognizing him. This was really causing Ben a headache. The man was still twitching on the floor. The kicks Weston gave him had immobilized him. He did not expect that his action of teasing Ste years ago would lead to a mighty bludgeoning, and it happened again yearster- Ben smiled at him indifferently. ¡°Mr. Ford does not want to reveal his identity now. If you do not wish to lie in the sickbed next time and not be able to get up, then shut your damn mouth.¡± What else would the man dare to say? He could only nod nkly, his face covered in blood. Ste was carried by Weston as he was striding down the hallway. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling a little worried. ¡°Is that guy just now okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care about me, but care about him instead? How peculiar.¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about him. I¡¯m just afraid that if he really gets hurt, you¡¯ll be involved in a lawsuit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that powerless. He held her with one arm with strength that was more than enough. Chapter 1299 Chapter 1299 Chapter 1299 Ste whispered in his ear. ¡°Thank you.¡± At that moment, she felt like she was back in the old days, when some punks blocked her in an alley, and Weston descended from the sky and saved her like a god. It carved a profound mark on her heart. Weston seemed to read her mind at once and asked her, Are you thinking of that man?¡± Ste smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s you that¡¯s on my mind right now.¡® The man¡¯s movements suddenly lurched, and his pace slowed considerably. He knew it was stupid, but he suddenly minded his identity as Joan¡¯s son. He was jealous of himself. Ste had her eyes checked ording to the procedure. The doctor said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but it depends on her immunity when she can regain her sight and how well she recovers.¡± It¡¯s the same as not saying anything. It meant everything depended on her luck. Weston could not help but ask, ¡°Will her eyes be okay?¡± The doctor looked at the tall and handsome man in front of him and immediately recognized him. He was the famous Weston Ford. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The youngest and richest man in the nation and was also internationally famous. All men were interested in his status and his ability to manage apany. And all women were interested in his face, body, and his charming aura. Anyway, from the news some time ago, wasn¡¯t he supposed to be walking on the thin line between life and death after the snowstorm ident? Why was he standing here intact and not talking but using a trantor instead? Could he be injured after the snowstorm and could not speak? ¡°Mr. F-¡± The moment he said that, Weston red at him with a sharp gaze like a hammer, smashing his word. The doctor was stunned and suddenly realized something. It seemed like he did not want him to call him by his name. Did he not want Ste to know it was him? But wasn¡¯t Ste his ex¨Cwife? His mind was filled with questions, but he did not dare to ask them. So he only followed the procedure and examined Ste¡¯s eyes, and then informed her of the precautions. ! After that, the man picked her up and walked out directly. Ste could not help but say, ¡°Were you being too aggressive just now? My doctor did not seem to talk much to me.¡± Weston did not answer. He simply put her into the car and said, ¡°I treat everyone the same. You are the only exception.¡± The candid confession caught Ste by surprise. She had only been with Weston after all these years. However, Weston would never say such sweet words to her. She felt a little ufortable with this. She did not react until the car started. It was then that she caught a faint whiff of blooding from the man. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He snorted. ¡°He¡¯s not strong enough to hurt me.¡± But he ate his words soon after. After arriving home, Weston sat down on the couch with Ste in his arms. Seeing Ste get up to leave, he quickly took her hand. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Going back to my room to wash up and sleep.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He hesitated, thinking of what to say to make her stay. After a long thought, he said, ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡± Chapter 1300 Chapter 1300 Chapter 1300 Ste was shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me in the car that you are not hurt.¡± ¡°That was that. I didn¡¯t want to say it with the chauffeur around.¡± ¡°Why do you even care for your image? Just say it if you are hurt. There is nothing proud about hiding.¡± Ste knitted her brows and sat in front of him. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± He pulled her hand and put it on his chest. ¡°Here.¡± She withdrew her hand immediately. ¡°If I didn¡¯t mishear it, you are the one who beat him. How could you be so badly injured?¡± ¡°He is also a grown man. It¡¯s impossible that I remain unscathed.¡± Then, he put her finger on the corner of his mouth. The moment she touched it, he hissed and drew a breath of cold air. She was speechless and said helplessly, ¡°Wait for Joan toe back and treat you.¡± The man grabbed her hand immediately and rubbed it in his palm. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want another woman to touch me.¡± She was dumbfounded and said, ¡°But she is your mother.¡± ¡°So what? I am a grown man and don¡¯t want my mother to touch me.¡± He justified, ¡°I got wounded because of you. You can¡¯t be this heartless.¡± She was silent for a long time. Seeing that she did not say anything and did not object, the man said directly, ¡°Help me unbutton my shirt.¡± He pulled her hands and put them on his shirt. ¡°My chest hurts as well.¡± She knew he did it on purpose, or maybe he was exaggerating, but he had just helped her after all¡­ Thus, she sighed, then fumbled to unbutton his shirt. Just as she started to move, she suddenly feel a shadow in front of her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The man lifted her chin, and her lips were stolen by him. Her eyes went wide at once, and she pushed him away. What are you doing!¡± ¡°Sorry. I couldn¡¯t hold back when you were pawing at me earlier.¡± She red at him. ¡°I was just unbuttoning your shirt! I thought you said you were injured and couldn¡¯t lift your hand?¡± ¡°Yes. I just let you unbutton the shirt, but I did not ask you to seduce me.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you seducing me when you touch me?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± She was too angry to talk to him. ¡°Do it yourself.¡± He looked at her obscurely, his throat rolling up and down. After a long time, he said to her, ¡°I won¡¯t tease you anymore, go on.¡± She refused to touch him again. She thought about the touch on her hand just now and said, out of nowhere. ¡°You like wearing shirts as much as he does.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The man suddenlyughed and said ambiguously, ¡°Since you cannot get your ex¨Chusband out of your mind, I inquired about his dressing style, thinking that if you could like him, there should be something in him that I could learn from.¡± She paused for a moment and said to him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be in such a way, everyone is different, you should not imitate him.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m just trying to get you to like me.¡± She shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s because of liking him that I liked him wearing shirts. It¡¯s not because of him wearing shirts that I liked him. You got it the other way around.¡± The man was taken aback as if not expecting her to say that. He looked at her sitting on the sofa. She looked particrly demure in that amber nightgown she wore. Her hair had grown quite a bit, hanging softly down to her waist. Not permed or dyed, it looked fresh and naturally beautiful. Chapter 1301 Chapter 1301 Chapter 1301 Unable to resist, Weston reached out to touch her hair. However, Ste instantly smacked his hand away with a deep frown. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Why are you turning your back on me?¡± Weston asked, resisting the urge to embrace her. ¡°Do you still have him in your heart?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask such a frivolous question.¡± ¡°Have you ever thought about starting a new rtionship?¡± ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Ste replied indifferently. ¡°But as you know, I have two children. Although they are abroad now, they¡¯ve been with me all the while, never apart until now. I desire to stay with my children more than I desire to find a man.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all grown up and can be away from you. When they start school, you¡¯ll have your own time. There are still long days ahead. Don¡¯t you want to find a new man?¡± He asked a rather pragmatic question, to which Ste gave some serious thought. ¡°You¡¯re right, but I shouldn¡¯t be looking for someone as young as you.¡± Weston chuckled. ¡°How do you know I¡¯m young?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just begun college. Surely you must be in your early twenties.¡± ¡°Even so, my mind may be very mature.¡± ¡°Come on. Men generally matureter than women.¡± Weston¡¯s smile suddenly faded, and he looked at her gravely. ¡°Give me a chance. I¡¯ll do better than him.¡± Ste gave no answer, but she did ponder about his suggestion. Emma and Elias were grown up. It was time for her to have a life of her own. Blessed with a promising career and not short of money, she had two smart and understanding children. Life ahead was long, and there was no need to live out the rest in chastity . If anyone suitable happened toe along the way, starting a new rtionship did seem like a good idea. Nheless, despite that, the failed rtionship with Weston was so traumatic that it took her the better part of three years to move on. With the constantly looming fear of getting hurt beyond redemption, thest thing she wanted was to barge head¨Cfirst into another rtionship. Fearing another repeat of the same situation, she was simply unable to open up her heart that quickly anymore. After dinner, Ste rxed on the swing in the back garden with her earphones plugged in. The music in her ears suddenly disappeared as a figure appeared in front of her. Although unable to see, Ste knew the man was standing in front of her. Before she could say anything, he had taken off her earphones. Ste asked in displeasure, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What are you listening to? You¡¯re so engrossed.¡± ¡°Piano music.¡± Weston smiled. ¡°I almost forgot. You¡¯re a great pianist now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you know. Now return my earphones to me.¡± Ste seemed extraordinarily rxed in his presence. She did not know his name, but she was veryfortable with him throughout the time she spent with him. Weston put an earphone on himself and told her, ¡°Let¡¯s listen together.¡± He listened awhile and asked, ¡°Is this the Maiden¡¯s Prayer?¡± ¡°Do you listen to piano music?¡± ¡®Of course. I had some artistic training. ¡°¡± ¡°That¡¯s a surprise.¡± Ste shook her head and said with a smile. ¡°Joan seems to value your education enough to send you to piano lessons.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Yeah, but I let her down,¡± Weston said. ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in arts.¡± ¡°What are you interested in then?¡± ¡°Making money,¡± Weston said. ¡°Learning how to make money was the most important lesson I had growing up.¡± Chapter 1302 Chapter 1302 Chapter 1302 ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Ste pondered about it and thought something was wrong. ¡°I heard you¡¯re studying engineering?¡± Joan had taken care of her for several years now, and during that time, she did hear a little about him. Ste wondered if she remembered wrongly. She remembered that Joan¡¯s son was studying civil engineering, not finance. Weston stopped talking and looked down. He patted her head. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Ste nodded in reply. The two subsequently listened to the song in silence. After that, Weston tried to carry her to her room, but Ste pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯ll walk on my own.¡± With that, she propped herself up and went to find her shoes. Ste disliked wearing shoes while on the swing. She loved swinging her little bare feet around. She always liked doing this. In the past, Weston reprimanded her many times for going around barefoot, insisting that she wear shoes so she wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. Seeing that Ste had picked up the bad habit again, Weston rubbed his temples. He squatted in front of her, found the missing shoes, and put them on her feet. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ste stood up, using his shoulder as support. Weston nced at her and decisively scooped her up, which made Ste frown. ¡°Let me go!¡± she shouted. Althoughining, Ste subconsciously wrapped her arms around Weston¡¯s neck. When Weston lifted her This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. upward, Ste was caught off guard by a soft touch on her forehead. ¡°Are you taking advantage of me again?¡± she asked, slightly startled. The word ¡®again¡® was very well used at this moment. A low and muffledugh resonated from Weston¡¯s chest. Ste could feel the tremor of hisughter as she pressed her head on it. Ste instantly clutched the hem of his shirt. Somehow, the man reminded her so much of Weston. How could such an uncanny resemnce exist? The man spoke little and refused to tell her his name. Now, Ste could barely calm down as her suspicion grew. As soon as she had her doubts, she could no longer face him calmly. In the past two days, they had drawn much closer to each other than before. Weston carried Ste back to the bedroom. ¡°Do you want to take another shower?¡± he asked as he took off her shoes. Ste nodded. ¡°You may leave now.¡± Weston got up and turned away immediately. To stay by her side was all he wanted. He did not want to go any further, and he did not want to disturb her again. Ste could not see. She only heard his footsteps and had no idea where he had gone. When she thought he must¡¯ve left, she tried to take off her bra but was unable to pull off the sp that got stuck on her sleeve. As a result, she started to suffocate with her head in her knitted shirt. Ste tugged hard and muffled a few times until she was sweating. However, she just could not pull it off. A few momentster, she heard the man¡¯s voice at the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste found it embarrassing to say that her undergarment was stuck and she needed help, so she said. sullenly, ¡°I ran into an issue.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± Ste responded with a muffled voice, ¡°Yes.¡± When Weston came in and saw Ste¡¯s head stuck in the cor of her knitted shirt, he chuckled softly. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Ste was a little annoyed. Are youughing at me?¡± Weston said naturally, ¡°No. How could I.¡± After that, he reached out to help her remove the clothes, only to find the sp stuck on top. Chapter 1303 Chapter 1303 Chapter 1303 Weston looked down and observed the metal hooks stuck to the knitted shirt for a few moments. Then, he reached for her bra and unhooked it in a sh. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. There was a snap. Ste felt a relief off her chest and froze for a moment. ¡°Rascal!¡± she blurted. Weston paused, surprised by her overreaction. In fact, he was more familiar than her when it came to this, especially since they had been together before. Ste hurriedly turned her back. Weston turned around and stopped staring at her. He waited until Ste was done and apologized for his action earlier. ¡°Sorry. Your clothes and the sp were stuck. I had no choice.¡± Ste could not help but re at him. ¡°You obviously did that on purpose. Besides, how are you so good at this?¡± Ste had only been with Weston ¨C the only man in her life. On their first night together, Weston clearly couldn¡¯t unhook her bra. Instead, he ripped the entire piece and even tore several new ones she had. Weston only got better at itter. Judging by his dextrous moves, she believed that this man must be very experienced in sex! Ste didn¡¯t expect that he could be so experienced at such a young age. She couldn¡¯t believe that she almost fell for his flirting in the past few days! As the thoughts crossed Ste¡¯s mind, her mood immediately went sour. ¡°You should leave,¡± she snapped coldly. ¡°Did you misunderstand something?¡± Weston walked to her from behind and suddenly took her into his arms. I¡¯ve never had another woman. ¡°Then how were you so good?¡± ¡°Perhaps men are naturally talented when ites to these.¡± ¡°Enough of your nonsense!¡± Ste said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word you say.¡± ¡°Then who would you believe in?¡± Weston kissed her on the cheek and moved up little by little. He was so familiar with the move that Ste immediately thought he must be a lothario. Ste struggled twice, but Weston held her tighter. He whispered in her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t push me away¡­¡± Ste could feel his hot breath on the skin of her ear. Somehow, it gave her a sense of familiarity. As the feeling inside her grew stronger, she suddenly softened and said to him, ¡°Do you really like me that much?¡± Weston hesitated a little before he rasped, ¡°Yes. Very much. So much that I want to fill my heart with you.¡± Ste chucked. She did not take him seriously. ¡°If you really like me that much, prove it.¡± ¡°How?¡± Weston¡¯s voice rasped as he swallowed nervously. Ste suddenly turned around and pulled his cor. She pressed him against the wall and looked at him steadily. Didn¡¯t you say you like me? Isn¡¯t it normal for a man to lose control in front of his favorite woman?¡± Ste pulled the hem of his shirt from his pants as she spoke, letting it hang at the waist. Then, she touched him and felt his perfectly toned abs. Clearly, he had been working out for years. Somehow, this reminded her of Weston again. Ste paused for a moment and suddenly threw him down on the bed. )) Weston wrapped his arms around her carefully. He put one arm behind her head and protected her from the hard bounce of the mattress. Then, he rasped to her, ¡°You¡¯re giving me the wrong idea by throwing yourself at me like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the wrong idea.¡± Ste looked at him steadily. Then, she pressed her lips to his ear and rubbed against it gently. Although unable to see, she could get to all his sensitive spots by memory. Soon, Weston gradually lost control. He could never resist her. Ste suddenly ripped his belt off in the middle of it and slowly moved her hands upward. When he was Ste instantly grimaced. ¡°You¡¯re Weston!¡± Chapter 1304 Chapter 1304 Chapter 1304 A dead silence loomed in the air despite a lingering amorous aura. Time seemed to have stopped at Ste and Weston¡¯s confrontation. Ste was on her knees at his side. Although unable to see, her gaze was sharp. She clutched his cor and touched his Adam¡¯s apple with her fingertips. Then, she pressed down hard. When she heard Weston¡¯s breathless voice, she let go of her grip slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. I know it¡¯s you,¡± Ste said in a cold voice. Weston held her hand and looked at her steadily. Then, he let out a lowugh and asked, ¡°When did you notice?¡± ¡°I always felt like something was wrong. Besides, you didn¡¯t disguise yourself well. I trusted you. That¡¯s why I waited until now before exposing you.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Weston confessed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide from you.¡± ¡°Your apology sounds so insincere.¡± Ste cut him off and suddenly tightened her grip. Then, she heard Weston¡¯s choking voice. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Completely under the grasp of her control, he was not resisting and remained still, allowing her to do whatever she wanted. Ste knew the man could easily resist with just a little force. He could¡¯ve pinned her down with his body, but he made no move. Perhaps it was his guilt or some other unspoken reason, but in any case, he had still lied to her. Ste¡¯s mood got worse at the thoughts in her head. Just mere questioning was no longer enough to satisfy her. Ste lost control of her emotions. She got up from him and threw everything she could find at Weston. She threw the pillows, the humidifier on the side of the bed, and the cell phone at him. Whatever she could get her hands on was thrown at him. The noises of things crashing and banging continued. Westony in bed and let her vent all she wanted. After some time, Ste finally let go of her hand in some dismay. She was panting hard. Ste was unable to see. In her vision, only a blurred shadow was in front of her. She could not find anything else around her to throw at him. Atst, Ste fell to the floor weakly. She noticed the movements as Weston got up and squatted in front of her slowly. He grabbed her smooth ankles and rasped, ¡°Sit up. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to speak to me in your normal voice.¡± Ste looked at him and snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep pretending?¡± Weston did not say anything back to her harsh questioning. Instead, he gently picked her up and put her on the bed again. He moved away all the messy clutter on the bed. Weston was moving carefully and gently as if trying to touch a butterfly that was about to fly away, but Ste only found his actions ironic. ¡°You were so bold when you deceived me. Why are you acting like this? Are you putting on a show?¡± Ste pped him hard as her anger red up abruptly. Weston knew her anger would not fade easily and let her p him without saying a word. Ste suddenly heard Weston let out a soft moan in pain while pping him. Startled, she withdrew her hand and red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you put on an act again! I can¡¯t hurt you with that little strength!¡± Chapter 1305 Chapter 1305 Chapter 1305 Weston¡¯s innate silence only confirmed Ste¡¯s suspicions. Nheless, she forgot that Weston had also gotten hurt in the snowy mountains. Perhaps it was his behavior for the past few days and how he acted like a normal person, coupled with blindness, that she forgot how badly Weston was hurt. She even felt that God was unfair. Weston actually survived in such extreme circumstances. Not only did he survive, but he appeared in front of her alive and well. He was just like the chosen one! Ste¡¯s guilt about Weston disappeared at that thought. She immediately reverted to her disgusted self and looked at him with her eyes full of coldness. Weston could tell what she was feeling from the look in her eyes, but he held her hand and refused to let go anyway. After a long silence, he rasped, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand why? I¡¯m doing this just to see you one more time. ¡°Ste, I would do anything to see you again.¡± Ste froze for a moment and thought Weston was really crazy. However, she soon discarded the thought in her mind and said to him, ¡°So, are you admitting that you were deceiving me earlier? Just to get my sympathy?¡± ¡°You can think what you like. I would do anything to have you again. If only you knew how much I wanted you.¡± ¡°How can you be so shameless? Does everyone have to submit to your whims and demands?¡± ¡°Of course not. I have a lot of things I want but can¡¯t aplish.¡± Weston walked to her slowly. ¡°It isn¡¯t just about not having you.¡± As Weston got closer, Ste frowned at the faint scent of blood on him. When she was about to ask something, he tipped her chin and nibbled the corner of her lips. Ste hissed a little and turned her head away immediately. Weston turned her face to him and nibbled on her lips again before gently releasing her. ¡°You think I have everything I want, but no. I never had some of the simplest things¡­ but you¡¯re different. I¡¯m madly obsessed with you. I¡¯m trying not to lose control, but I fear there is little I can do.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Weston looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°Do you know? You¡¯re hurting me by appearing in front of me.¡± Ste paused and pped his hand away. ¡°If you think I¡¯m hurting you, leave me alone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to be hurt by you.¡± Weston told her, ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°I detest clingy men. I used to like you because I thought you were unattainable. You seemed perfect because of the distance between us. However, I find it difficult to feel good about you when you cling to me like a stalker.¡± ¡°How else can I make you look at me? Tell me. I¡¯ll try it.¡± ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m never starting over with you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why-¡± Weston told her, ¡°You¡¯ve said it yourself. Nothing will work. That means I can use any move I want.¡± Weston put his forehead against hers and whispered, You know I¡¯ll do whatever it takes. For you, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to have you.¡± Ste exhaled again. She was so angry that her head started to throb, unsure what else she could say to refute him. Weston seemed to be born with the ability to anger her at ease. (( Ste shook in anger for a long time. After calming down, she suddenly asked him an incoherent question. ¡°How did you escape the snowy mountain?¡± Weston seemed reluctant to recall the scene. ¡°The rescue team,¡± he replied indifferently. Chapter 1306 Chapter 1306 Chapter 1306 Ste unceremoniously destroyed the facade Weston tried so hard to maintain. ¡°I didn¡¯t hesitate when I chose Roger in the snowy mountains. I left you to die. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have a problem with that.¡± ¡°What if it just didn¡¯t give me any hard feelings?¡± Weston looked her straight in the eye. He kneeled a little in front of her as if in total submission. ¡°I wouldn¡¯tin even if you stabbed me in the heart with a knife.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Ste frowned and said to him, ¡°I tried to convince myself. You didn¡¯t save me, but you didn¡¯t harm me either. However, I found that whenever I truly love someone, I can never heal the pain or forget¡­¡± ¡°Because I love you more than it hurts.¡± Weston said, ¡°Just the thought of you leaving makes me think that the pain is nothing. Indeed, when you left with Roger and chose to save him, it hurt like death, but death is still better than losing you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say!¡± Ste sneered in disbelief.¡± You made it sound like you¡¯d die without me, but for the three years I was dead, you were alive and well!¡± Weston suddenly lost his strength and rubbed her chin lightly. ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t thought of dying?¡± The tone of his voice was light. He hugged her and gently rubbed her ear. Weston wasn¡¯t even willing to think about the nightmare he had endured in the past three years. He actually thought of joining her in death. When all was said and done, he was ready tomit suicide after avenging her death. Weston went as far as to consult priests about meeting the dead, in his case, Ste, in the other world and how not to forget her. He never thought someone like him would believe in such superstition, but he did. He would do whatever it took to meet her again. However, the priest told him that he couldn¡¯tmit suicide. Suicide would create karma and, as a result, would never allow him to see the person he wanted to meet again. After hearing such a thing, how could he even dare to think about suicide? After that, Weston began a life devoid of hope. He would drive around absent¨Cmindedly and drown himself in alcohol like a desperate man. He chain¨Csmoked, hoping he might die by ident and meet her again. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He must admit that the priest¡¯s words alone scared him to the core. There was a time when he lived so aimlessly that everyone around him could bear it no longer. Even Ben felt like beating him up to get him to snap out of it. Weston did not want to look back on the hopeless days he lived. He did not want to tell Ste about it either. He didn¡¯t want her to feel differently about him because of guilt. All Weston wanted to tell her was that he could never leave her. No matter her words or actions, he would never leave her again. Ste took a deep breath and clenched her fist. ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t get rid of you now no matter what I say or do?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you going to haunt me no matter what? Are you going to do it until you die in front of me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not going to give up, no matter what?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to be with me no matter what? Would you do anything to be with me? Are you willing to die just to be with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste had nothing more to say. Her eyes trembled a little, and she felt dizzy. Then, she swayed slightly and suddenly tumbled backward as all strength left her. r Chapter 1307 Chapter 1307 Chapter 1307 Weston instantly stepped forward to help her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked with concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± His frantic possessiveness had now morphed into cautiousness and worry. Ste flicked his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a slight headache.¡± ¡°Is it because of your eyes?¡± Weston saw Ste pressing at the spot on her temple near her eyes. She probably had a headache because of the optic nerve. His face turned dark at that thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital,¡± Weston said and picked her up immediately. ¡°No. It¡¯ste already. Besides, I¡¯m not in a lot of pain¡­¡± Ste tugged the hem of his shirt and tried to stop him by instinct, but Weston was so anxious that he simply ignored her and summoned Joan directly. ¡°Get the car right away.¡± Joan was startled to see Weston speaking suddenly, not knowing how to react. Weston exined with a frown, ¡°She knows.¡± Joan¡¯s face changed at once. She nced at Ste with some apprehension and contacted the driver without questioning further. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Soon, Weston and Ste arrived at the hospital. Weston strode into the doctor¡¯s office and followed Ste closely. The doctor examined Ste and exined, ¡°She¡¯ll likely regain her sight soon. I¡¯ve just checked the blood clots in her brain. They¡¯re dissipating. If we observe for a little while longer, we may be able to perform the operation and help her see again.¡± Ste trembled slightly. Weston sensed the change in her emotions and put his arm around her waist to reassure her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you scared?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not. I just never thought this day woulde so soon.¡± Being blind was not easy. The feeling of being unable to see was something only Ste understood. Ste was already disappointed with her condition and thought it would take a long time before she could regain her sight, but she did not expect this day toe so soon. Although a little unprepared, she looked forward to it very much. The operation was scheduled quickly. Ste was so caught up in the excitement of seeing Emma and Elias again that she failed to notice anything wrong with the man beside her. Soon, Ste was wheeled into the operating room. Weston waited outside the whole time. Ben rushed over as soon as he got the news. He was keen to sense Weston¡¯s paleness. When he came over and noticed a strong smell of blood, his face changed. ¡°Mr. Ford, are you okay?¡± Weston frowned and gestured to him to keep quiet. Ben was a little anxious. ¡°You¡¯re not entirely recovered. Did it get worse?¡± Weston raised his eyebrows and warned him, ¡°Keep quiet. Wait until her surgery is over.¡± Seeing that, Ben knew Weston¡¯s stubbornness and had no choice but to wait. Hence, after a good while, Ste was finally wheeled out of the operating room. Weston had w stayed outside throughout the entire three¨Chour operation. Ben found it hard to believe. He knew Weston loved Ste a lot, but it was a little unbelievable knowing his love for her had gone to such a crazy extent. Ben watched Weston stand up. His first reaction was to ask the doctor, ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°The patient is recovering well. She¡¯ll be awake once the anesthesia wears off.¡± Weston finally opened his hands and let out a relieved sigh. Chapter 1308 Chapter 1308 Chapter 1308 Ben stepped forward and told Weston, ¡°You should let the doctor examine you too. Your wound might be open.¡± Weston remained silent. The doctor finally noticed something was wrong with Weston. ¡°Mr. Ford, are you alright?¡± Weston shook his head. Before he could say anything, he suddenly stumbled forward a little. His lips were very pale and his white shirt was stained with arge bloodstain that was gradually spreading. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ben widened his eyes when he noticed Weston¡¯s condition. ¡°Mr. Ford!¡± ¡°Get him to the emergency ward! His wound must have opened up again!¡± Ben screamed to the doctor bedside. him. Weston was not as lucky as Ste thought during the hours he was stuck in the snowy mountains. She thought he stayed where he was and waited for the rescue team toe for him. Heavy logs and rocksy scattered in the snowy mountains, and those who found themselves buried under the snow would suffocate quickly. Weston struggled to push away the obstruction, leaving just a small gap to breathe. However, a tree branch buried under the snow pierced through his chest, narrowing missing his heart. He came that close to an instant death. Perhaps he was indeed lucky. Doctors predicted that he might stay in aa forever, but he woke up the moment Ben reported that Ste had lost her sight due to snow blindness. Weston had to take care of Ste and could not leave her alone while unable to see. However, his bodily functions were impaired. There was no way for him to see her immediately. Therefore, he could only spread the news to the outside world that he was in aa. In his current state, Weston couldn¡¯t deal with both thepany and taking good care of Ste. Thus, he decided to use this pretext as a time to rest, while at the same time, digging out moles and traitors in the company and eliminating them. In the meantime, Weston could also arrange a way out for Ste. What he did not expect was that Ste was doing well without him. She was living an even more peaceful life than before. She was blind, but she was much more at ease. Weston suddenly lost his energy. He wanted to see her but he was afraid of her disgust. What Ste said earlier was right. After all, he was the cause of her unhappiness. Weston had that thought for the first time. He thought, ¡® What if I just let her go?¡® Ste didn¡¯t want to see him, so he would never appear in front of her again. That was what he had nned and decided to do. Weston transferred his authority in thepany to Daisy. He wanted to let go, but when he saw Ste with Emma and Elias, whatever determination he had fell apart at once. All that faith he had built up crumbled in an instant. He was sure that he wanted her. He wanted to be with her, no matter the cost. When Ste got up, she felt a little strange. Her vision was unlike before. Usually, whenever she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but a little dim light and blurred shadows in front of her. This time, she actually saw the ceiling clearly. She saw themp hanging overhead, the blue and white sheets on the bed, the IV drip on her hand, and the man sleeping beside her while holding her hand. Ste was slightly startled before returning to her senses. As she moved, Weston woke up abruptly and looked at her with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°Awake?¡± His voice was very hoarse. Ste nodded. When she propped herself and sat up, she noticed that Weston was covered in bandages. The smell of blood was getting stronger. She frowned at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ben happened to open the door and came into the ward at the same time. He let out a meaningfulugh at Ste¡¯s question. ¡°Mr. Ford disregarded his injuries to see you¡­ ¡°Ben.¡± Weston shot him a cold re that suggested he should be shutting up. Chapter 1309 Chapter 1309 Chapter 1309 Ben stopped talking. Instead, he went to Weston and whispered something to him. Ste looked at Weston without saying a word the whole time. After Ben went out, Ste asked him, ¡°Ben said you¡¯re hurt. Is it true?¡± Weston looked at her expressionless. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He likes to exaggerate.¡® ¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you get hurt in the snow mountains?¡± Weston hesitated a little before nodding in reply. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°There was no need, ¡°Weston told her. ¡°I¡¯m here alive and well now¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m concerned about you?¡± Ste was suddenly agitated and interrupted him. Ste had just woken up and finally regained her vision, but he had to put her through such intense emotions. Weston tried to calm her. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to admit you¡¯re wrong. I just-¡± Ste was suddenly lost for words. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Weston noticed her strange behavior and rushed to ring the nurse¡¯s bell at the bedside. Soon, the doctor came in and examined Ste again. The doctor said to Weston, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s fine. She probably got a little emotional because she can finally see again.¡± Weston was relieved to hear that. After that, the two were alone in the ward again. Weston did not say anything for a long time, apanying her in silence. Ste gradually calmed down and kept staring elsewhere instead. After a long silence, she rubbed her temple, feeling a little troubled. ¡°Can I see your wound?¡± Weston did not move and remained silent, so Ste pursed her lips and reached out to grab his shirt without saying a word. Weston grabbed her wrist swiftly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to see your wound,¡± Ste said. ¡°After all, you were trying to save me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your guilt or sympathy.¡± ¡°What about you? Did you consider my feelings while pestering me? Why should I consider yours?!¡± With that, Ste tried to rip the buttons straight off his shirt butcked the strength. She tugged twice, but nothing happened. Weston let out a sigh. He had no choice but to take her hands away and unbutton his shirt himself. Soon, Weston¡¯s bandaged chest came into Ste¡¯s sight. He showed her the blood¨Cstained area and asked her, Satisfied?¡± ¡°Why are you hurt so bad?!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ste¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t noticed it at all. Weston had a massive gash that had almost pierced his heart. This would exin the rumor going on in the outside world. Everyone said Weston was in aa. Ste thought Weston was probably fine because he woke up. She did not expect this. ¡°How did you manage the pain?¡± Weston panicked a little at her slightly red eyes. He hurriedly hugged her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Really. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± He took her hand and made her hug his waist. ¡°If you kiss it, it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Chapter 1310 Chapter 1310 Chapter 1310 Ste furrowed her brows at Weston¡¯s ridiculous proposal. She to push him away, but as soon as her hand touched his chest, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer, and kissed her. It was a long kiss. Weston kissed her so hard that she could hear the sound of their movements ringing in her ears. Ste¡¯s eyes were open at first. She tried to push him away, but he wrapped his around her domineeringly and kissed her until she melted in his arms. Ste could not break away. Weston was too strong, so strong that she could not escape. He wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips traveled from the corner of her mouth to the nape of her neck, eventually moving downward as it left a moist trail on her corbone. He kept kissing her until he finally returned to her lips, where he kissed them again. Ste took a deep breath, but it was not long before Weston inched closer once more, leaving her breathless. She was about to suffocate from his intense kisses. He finally let go a little after she pounded his chest hard. ¡°p!¡± There was the sound of a loud p. Ste had pped him hard on his face. She had pped him so much that Weston was already numbed to it. Ste red at him coldly. ¡°Get out.¡± Weston just looked at her and did not move. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny? You keep saying sorry and how much you love me, but you still force yourself on me.¡± Weston looked at her steadily and rasped. ¡°I can do anything but this¡­ Sorry¡­¡± Weston had figured it out. There was no way he would ever let go of her again. Ste could do whatever she wanted to do to him. She could scold him all she wanted, but he didn¡¯t care. It was already impossible for him to let go. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ste could hear the unwavering determination in his words. She closed her eyes with her eyshes trembling. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sins I¡¯ve done in myst life¡­ Why did I have to meet you in this life¡­¡± ¡°Consider it your way of paying for the mistakes you made in yourst,¡± Weston went along with her words, saying, ¡°If it makes you feel any better.¡± Weston¡¯s shocking and shameless words rendered Ste speechless. After a long silence, she asked him calmly, Do you want to be with me that much?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m willing to pay any price.¡® ¡°What if I forbid you from having contact with other women again?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Including the female colleagues and subordinates around you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Weston said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to keep them to make things happen.¡± Ste paused for a moment, feeling speechless. It took a long time before she finally said, ¡°I randomly said that out in the heat of the moment. I don¡¯t need you to do something like that. I don¡¯t want the hardworkingdies to lose their job for such a ridiculous reason either.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re just trying to spite me.¡± Weston looked at her seriously. ¡°Even so, I want to show you my determination. I want to let you know that nothing else is important to me. Perhaps you don¡¯t drag others down when ites to these things, but I don¡¯t have such concerns. I do have low morality, but I¡¯ll change for you.¡± 1 Ste said, ¡°Do I have to praise you for that?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chapter 1311 Chapter 1311 Chapter 1311 Weston leaned closer to her ear and murmured, ¡°But it would be best if you could kiss me, of course.¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± Ste shoved him away. ¡°If you want anything else from me, just say the word, and it¡¯s yours.¡± Ste looked straight at him and asked, ¡°What if I tell you that I want Ford Corporation in its entirety?¡± She simply refused to trust a man¡¯s sweet promises in the heat of the moment, certain that most of them would never be willing to do anything that would hurt their interests. After all, men tended to sweet¨Ctalk their way into promising the moon, but their actions rarely ever matched their words. Weston smirked, then looked at her inly and asked, ¡± So it¡¯s that simple, huh?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ste asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling. ¡°I agree,¡± Weston said, springing up to his feet. ¡°So now it¡¯s your turn to deliver what you promised me¡ªI¡¯ll give you Ford Corporation, and you¡¯ll be with me.¡± Itpletely escaped Ste¡¯s imagination that he¡¯d agree so easily and casually. She was about to say something, but Weston had turned and left before she could utter a word. 1 He had just exited the door when he bumped into Lucas Quirk. Lucas¡¯s face darkened when he saw Weston¡¯s mighty rush. He grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back. ¡°What are you doing, running around like that? Have you forgotten how seriously injured you are?¡± When the rescuers dug Weston out of Snow Mountain, Lucas found him on the brink of death. How could he act so carelessly after such an incident? Why was he not taking better care of himself to let his body recover properly? Or did this man actually have a death wish? But Weston did not even bother to look at him as he pushed him out of his way. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do.¡± ¡°Is that thing more important than your own damn life?!¡± Weston raised his chin and gazed in the direction of the ward. Lucas instantly understood what was going on. ¡°Of course,¡± he sneered. ¡°I almost forgot that your life is lying on the hospital bed in that room. Your own life means nothing to you now. That woman haspletely possessed your heart, body, and soul.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to quarrel with you right now,¡± Weston sighed. ¡°I must go.¡± Lucas had to chuckle and grit his teeth as he spoke while Weston was hurrying away. ¡°Wherever you¡¯re going, just make sure you don¡¯t end up dead on your way! You can¡¯t me my medical skills when that happens! You can kill yourself for all I care, but don¡¯t you tarnish my reputation as a doctor!¡± Yvonne was now behind him. She could not help but nce at Weston who was rushing away, and asked her husband, ¡°What¡¯s gotten to him? Why is he in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Lucas answered, massaging his temples as he was feeling a headacheing on. ¡°In any case, he does look like he¡¯s gotten much better. He never used to care about his body, and his condition has only gotten worse and worse. But now that he¡¯s seen Ste Sealey for N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. a while, he seems to have found his vitality again. That woman really is his miracle drug.¡± ¡°Why do you sound like you¡¯re bitter about it?¡± asked Yvonne. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you actually harbor feelings for¡­¡± Before she could finish, she suddenly yelped. Lucas had picked her up in his arms and pinned her against the wall. ¡°Thought about the consequences before you started making wild usations about your husband?¡± he asked as he looked straight at her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t making any wild usations! You clearly do care a lot about Weston Ford!¡± Lucas raised her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Is it because I haven¡¯t been punishing you for a while now? Do you miss my punishments?¡± Yvonne giggled, but they were then interrupted by the sound of Ste coughing in the room, so she quickly lowered her voice and told Lucas, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside before we make a fool of ourselves in front of Ste¡­¡± Lucas chuckled before he let go of her, then he nibbled her earlobe and told her, ¡°Tonight then. I¡¯ll show you how wrong your usation was.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been ridiculously hornytely. Can you stop being so¡­¡± Yvonne red at him but hesitated to finish her sentence. The two then pushed the door to the ward and walked in. Yvonnepletely dropped the subject and mentioned nothing about what they had been quarreling about. ¡°We¡¯re here to see you,¡± she announced while smiling at Ste Chapter 1312 Chapter 1312 Chapter 1312 ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Yvonne smiled and asked Ste as she tried her best to keep herposure. ¡°Much better,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°My eyes are still a little sensitive to light, though, and it feels ufortable sometimes.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing that Yvonne¡¯s husband hade along, she invited the two to take a seat. It had been a long time since shest saw the world so clearly. She had been missing this feeling for ages now. Delighted at the return of her sight, she fixated her gaze on Yvonne. ¡°If you keep on staring at my wife like that,¡± Lucas interjected, blocking her sight all of a sudden, ¡°I¡¯ll suspect that you¡¯ve be a lesbian.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Ste raised her brows. ¡°Perhaps if I do decide to pursue your wife now, she might even prefer me over you.¡± Lucas knitted his brows. Though he knew that she was only teasing, he was still unamused by that kind of joke. To him, Yvonne was his and his only, and it had been that way since they were children. She had always followed him around,pletely in love with him and no one else. He was sure that nothing could ever change that. But Yvonne still yed along with Ste and replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe I¡¯m done putting up with your rotten temper and started to like women. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and see what happens?¡± Lucas warned, ring at her severely. Seeing that Lucas was really starting to get angry, Ste quickly changed the subject and asked, ¡°Was Weston hurt? I asked, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡± Only then did Lucas look away from his wife to sweep a cool nce at Ste. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so weird?¡± asked Yvonne, pinching his waist. ¡°Ste asked you a question. Why can¡¯t you just give her a straight answer?¡± ¡°Are you my wife or hers?¡± argued Lucas, still upset and moping about what just happened. ¡°How can you defend someone else instead of your own husband?¡± Ste was beginning to suspect that these two were visiting her because it gave an excuse for them to disy their mushy affection for each other. She also had no idea why the couple still acted as if they were a young lovesick teenage couple with their ridiculous lovers¡® quarrel when in fact, the two had been with each other for so many years. Ste coughed lightly. Hearing this, Yvonne suddenly pulled herself away from Lucas. ¡°I¡¯m d that you can see now,¡± Yvonne said. ¡°But do you still feel any difort?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste replied. ¡°All thanks to your husband for taking such good care of me all this time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank him. He¡¯s only doing his job. He¡¯s my husband, after all, so it¡¯s only right that he makes himself useful.¡± Ste had no idea what to say to that. (( Lucas nced at her furtively and stood up, saying, Since you¡¯ve seen her, I¡¯m sure we can leave now, right?¡± As he spoke, he pulled Yvonne up to her feet. She initially thought he would leave alone, but to her surprise, he was also trying to drag her away. ¡°But I¡¯m not done chatting with Ste!¡± she protested. ¡°What else do you have to talk about? You can always meet her anytime.¡± It was clear that Lucas was extremely possessive of Yvonne from the way he tried to stop her from spending too much time with a friend, even if it was alone with another woman. Ste sighed, oblivious if it was a good or bad sign. Yvonne had no choice but to leave with her husband since he was adamant about dragging her away with him, but before they left, she clung to the door frame and told Ste, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you again soon, but meanwhile, call Angelina to keep youpany, okay?¡± Ste nodded. Chapter 1313 Chapter 1313 Chapter 1313 Soon afterward, Angelina found out that Ste¡¯s surgery was sessful, and she rushed over to visit her. She then arrived with Henry Moore following closely behind her. Angelina seemed to pay little attention to him. She just sat down in front of Ste and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried about you! I was relieved to find out that you were safe, but it turned out that you¡¯d gone blind! I¡¯m so d everything turned out well in the end. Oh¡­ when will Elias and Emma be back?¡± She had been babysitting the kids for a while and had grown quite attached to them. ¡°They won¡¯t be back for a while still,¡± Ste replied, smiling. ¡°Once my eyes have healedpletely, I¡¯ll bring them home as soon as I can. In the meantime, though, I¡¯m sure the Garcia family is taking very good care of them, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± said Angelina. She was just about to say something else when she noticed that Henry was listlessly toying with her hair. ¡°Stay away from me!¡± she snapped, swatting his hand away from her. ¡°How long are you going to stay mad at me?¡± asked Henry as he looked at her helplessly. ¡°You know well enough that I¡¯ve cut all contact with Guinevere Cohen!¡± Ste froze a little when she heard the name, hit by a sudden realization of just how far she¡¯de since everything that had happened to her in the past. Angelina quickly covered Henry¡¯s mouth and red at him. How could he not know how inappropriate it is to mention that name? Has he forgotten what happened between Guinevere and Ste? Unbelievable! Henry took her hand and pulled it down, then gave her a meaningful look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ste is not as fragile as you might think.¡± He then nced at Ste and added, ¡°Am I right?¡± The corners of Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. Ignoring his obvious jibe, she merely said, ¡°It looks like you get along with Guinevere really well. You seem to know everything about her. It seems that even the slightest thing about her can¡¯t escape you.¡± ¡°Can you not ruin everything for me?¡± snapped Henry, his face darkening as soon as he heard her. ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me to coax this stubborn woman?¡± Angelinapletely lost her patience when she heard this and didn¡¯t want him there for a second longer. She looked downtrodden as if genuinely losing her temper now. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, then I¡¯ll leave myself! I just can¡¯t let you stay here and be an eyesore to Ste!¡± she yelled. Sensing that she was serious from her tone, Henry slowly stood up. ¡°Fine.¡± He then snatched her handbag and told her, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside.¡± ¡°Why are you taking my handbag?¡± she asked as she shot up to her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want you sneaking out without me behind my back, leaving me alone out there waiting for you like an idiot. So I¡¯m taking your stuff as coteral so you won¡¯t bail on me.¡± ¡°You-¡± Angelina was speechless, but she had no other choice but to just watch him as he walked out of the room. Ste sighed as she observed her friend being visibly upset before she asked her, ¡°What is going on between you and Henry Moore exactly?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Angelina replied. ¡°He seems to be pursuing me, though.¡± She then casually added, ¡°I¡¯m wondering if there¡¯s something seriously wrong with him. He used to despise me in the past, but as soon as he found out that I have a child, he changedpletely and started to follow me around everywhere, trying to woo me¡­¡± She found his behavior very strange indeed, and itpletely changed her impression of him. He couldn¡¯t possibly want her because he liked the fact that she had a child, could he? Or perhaps he had a secret medical condition that made it impossible for him to have his own children, so now that he found out Angelina was a single mother with a child, could he be nning to seduce her so her child would be his? But none of that made sense to Angelina. Ste felt conflicted. After a while, she reminded her N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. friend, ¡°Do you remember the woman named Faye that I told you about?¡± Angelina paused, then said, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°They say you look exactly like her¡­ I¡¯m just worried that Henry Moore might use you as a substitute¡­¡± Angelina¡¯s expression changed drastically, but she smiled and tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°Actually, I have considered this, but didn¡¯t they also say that the woman is already dead?¡± Chapter 1314 Chapter 1314 Chapter 1314 After hearing Angelina¡¯s reply, Ste realized that no matter how much Angelina said she hated Henry Moore, the truth was that she had most likely developed feelings for the man, especially considering how calm she was even when told Henry might be using her as a substitute. This clearly indicated that Angelina had made up her mind about Henry. And so, Ste dropped the subject and started talking about something else instead. Not long after that, Henry knocked on the door and told Ste, ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you. >> He nced at them and saw that they were still chatting happily. It was a sight that left him feeling bitter. ¡°It¡¯s been over an hour now,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Angelina scowled. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve chatted so nicely with someone. If you can¡¯t wait, you¡¯re free to leave without me.¡± Naturally, Henry wasn¡¯t willing to, so after stepping aside for a woman d in a neat power suit to go into the room, he waited patiently by the door. The woman nced at him as she passed him by, wondering why he would stand at attention at the door like some security guard¡­ ¡°Good afternoon, Madam.¡± Ste froze. She instantly recognized the woman as Tina Hampton. ¡°Ms. Hampton¡­¡± she watched in surprise as Tina took a seat in front of her, pulling out a stack of documents from her bag. ¡°Excuse me, Madam, but I need your cooperation with something. These are the details of Mr. Ford¡¯s assets¡­¡± As soon as she spoke, Ste stared incredulously at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± She had assumed that Tina was here to visit her, but then again, they were never even that close, to begin with. Tina was herwyer three years ago, but it was also because of her that Ste realized she was fighting a losing battle. Due to that reason, she was led to confess to a crime she did notmit. Now, three yearster, she never thought that she would ever meet her again, much less in this kind of situation. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Hasn¡¯t Mr. Ford talked to you about this?¡± Tina asked, somewhat surprised to see Ste looking all confused. It had been three years since thest time she took Weston Ford¡¯s case. She had actually decided never to take on the man¡¯s case ever again after what happened thest time, but he insisted that because Ste knew her, perhaps she would be morefortable around her, so Tina decided toe over. Besides, Weston had also paid her very generously. The case three years ago had damaged her reputation slightly, but she managed to salvage it over time, so now that she was meeting Ste again, she decided to muster up her spirits and do her job. ¡°Mr. Ford told me,¡± she exined patiently after noticing her look of confusion, ¡°that he is going to turn Ford Corporation over to you¡­¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, Henry, who was standing at the door, jerked his head towards Tina and eximed, ¡°Has he lost his mind?!¡± Even Angelina was shocked. She quietly turned to Ste and stared at her face without blinking. The tension in the silent room grew palpable. Ste did not even dare to breathe out. After a long while, she finally asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­what did you say?¡± ¡°Mr. Ford has given the order to transfer the whole of Ford Corporation¡¯s ownership to you. Most of the properties in his name are here, but there are many more in my office because the number of properties owned by Ford Corporation is quite¡­ substantial, so I¡¯ve chosen the key properties for you to browse through. Then we can sign the papers for the restter.¡± Tina then casually set down the huge stack of documents on the table in front of Ste. Ste¡¯s whole body stiffened up as she looked at the thick stack of paper in front of her. [1 ¡°Is he out of his mind? When did I ever¡­¡± She then froze, unable to finish her sentence. Chapter 1315 Chapter 1315 Chapter 1315 Ste had indeed told him that if he gave her the entirety of Ford Corporation, she would get back together with him¡­ Realizing this, her countenance drastically changed. She did not mean what she said. Besides, it should have been obvious that she was only joking and that she was only giving him a hard time to make him give up on her. Who would have thought that Weston would take her so seriously? Why did none of Ford Corporation¡¯s execs stop him when he called Tina Hampton over to discuss the transferral of property ownership to Ste? How could he be so impulsive?! Seeing Ste¡¯s shocked face, Tina knew that Weston must¡¯ve not had herplete agreement before he did this. She heaved a sigh before telling her, ¡°Mr. Ford had given the order to transfer everything to you, so why don¡¯t we just move on with the process¡­?¡± After all, this matter would greatly benefit Ste anyway, so regardless of the grievances between Weston and Ste, Tina was sure that Ste could have no reason to reject the deal. But Ste ended up shaking her head in refusal without even thinking about it. ¡°No, I never agreed to this. Just because he wants to give it to me doesn¡¯t mean that I have to ept it. No, I don¡¯t want any of this.¡± ¡°But Mr Ford has given me the orders, and he said that this is your own request¡­¡± ¡°It was my request, but I didn¡¯t think that he would to it. I was only trying to make him give up on me.¡± agree ¡°Even so,¡± Tina frowned, ¡°epting it won¡¯t do you any harm, will it? In fact, it would only bring you incredible benefits. You must realize how many people would do anything to get Weston Ford¡¯s shares¡­¡± ¡°I really have to hand it to you,¡± Henry suddenly interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, striding into the room suddenly and standing over Ste, peering down at her as he added, ¡°Do you know how hard Xavier Ford and all those other directors fought to get the shares Weston owns? Yet each and every one of them failed. Meanwhile, all you had to do was say a few words and he instantly gave it all up to you¡­¡± He spoke as if she had done something utterly unforgivable. ¡°Then go and tell him that I never wanted Ford Corporation, and that I never meant what I said,¡± Ste interrupted. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll stop just because you say you didn¡¯t mean it? Weston has always been a serious man, you know. Since you¡¯ve already made the request, he would stop at nothing to deliver you your desire.¡± ¡°Is there something seriously wrong with him?¡± Ste asked, clenching her fists tightly. ¡°You¡¯ve been his best friend all his life. Can¡¯t you persuade him?¡± ¡°If I could persuade him,¡± he replied, ¡°I would¡¯ve persuaded him to be with another woman in the past three years. I wouldn¡¯t have just sat idly, watching his life turn into hell because of you. Did you know that you almost killed him?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Henry rubbed his forehead in exasperation, then turned to Tina and told her, ¡°I think you¡¯d better go back for now. She probably wouldn¡¯t sign the documents today.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Tina with impatience written all over her face, but she still managed to suppress her emotions and maintain a professional attitude. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back and report Mr Ford about what happened and then we¡¯ll see what we should do next.¡± After that, she turned and left. Henry closed the door and asked Ste, ¡°Do you have any idea what Weston¡¯s life was like in those three years when you were dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ste gripped at her nket, looking visibly irritable and exasperated, ¡°and I don¡¯t want to know¡­¡± The more annoyed she looked, the more Henry wanted to tell her, so he continued, ¡°In those three years, at first he simply couldn¡¯t face the fact that you were dead, and he even wanted to die with you. I once found him locked inside the house with all the gas hobs turned on¡­ I rushed him to the hospital and they managed to save his life, but after that I noticed that he bought bottles of sleeping pills, so we had to have his stomach flushed, but thenter we found him cutting his wrist in the bathroom As he spoke, his eyes began to redden. He continued, ¡°Do you know what eventually stopped him in the end? It was when a priest told him thatmitting suicide is a terrible sin. If he killed himself, he would never be able to see you again even in the afterlife. That scared him straight.¡± ¡°He¡¯s never been religious,¡± Henry added. ¡°But he was terrified that he might never see you again after his death ¡­ From then on, he started chain smoking and drinking heavily while upying himself with work around the clock, all in the hope that he might destroy his health and see you sooner.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 1316 Chapter 1316 Chapter 1316 Weston had never once mentioned those things to her at all. Ste fell silent for a long time. Henry said nothing more after that. He noticed that Angelina had been staring gravely at him the whole time, but in the end, he managed to blurt out everything that was on his mind. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Angelina had simply turned away from him now, no longer in the mood to pay any attention to him. The atmosphere grew tense and heavy. In the end, it was Angelina who broke the silence and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop talking about these unhappy things. You¡¯re getting discharged today, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°The doctor said he wanted to observe my condition for a little longer, but I¡¯ll be able to leave this evening.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we go out for dinner togetherter? Yvonne just sent me a message telling me she¡¯d reserved a table at a restaurant.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste replied simply. Angelina was then satisfied enough to stand up and walk towards Henry, telling him, ¡°Okay, we can go now.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed his arm and tried to pull him out of the room. As they passed the bed, Ste sat up and asked Henry coldly, ¡°Was everything you¡¯ve told me just now true?¡± ¡°Do I have any reason to lie?¡± Henry argued, pausing to shoot a nce at her. Ste¡¯s empty eyes gazed vacantly at the nket. He added, ¡°I know many things have happened between you two, and I know he¡¯s done so much to hurt you. But think about it, what would you have done if you were in his shoes? ¡°I¡¯m not trying to help him here, but I just want to point out that perhaps he might not be the evil monster you think he is. At the very least, his feelings for you are genuine.¡± After that, he quickly strode out of the room and left. Though Angelina red at him the whole time, he acted as if he didn¡¯t see her. When they reached the hallway, Angeline shook his hand off unhappily and snapped, ¡± I¡¯ve been shooting you looks, telling you to stop! Why did you have to tell Ste all those things about Weston Ford?¡± ¡°Because apart from you, there are others who are also important to me.¡± He looked straight into her eyes and said, ¡°Weston is the closest friend I ever had. I didn¡¯t do anything that you wouldn¡¯t want me to do. Besides, I¡¯ve watched Weston waste away for years, and I can¡¯t go on without doing anything¡­ ¡°¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve always been such a loyal friend,¡± Angelina said. ¡°Just as you are with Guinevere Cohen. You failed to win her heart, so you loved her like a sister instead, didn¡¯t you?¡± Henry¡¯s face turned sullen. Angelina had once again brought up Guinevere. ¡°Haven¡¯t you moved on?¡± he asked her. ¡°I¡¯vepletely severed ties with her. I didn¡¯t see her even after her fall from grace. What else do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything!¡± Angelina shoved his hand away, her face twisted with rage. ¡°You did all that on your own ord! If you are unwilling to, however, you¡¯re always free to stop!¡± She then turned on her heels and left him. Henry watched as she stomped away, himself osted by a throbbing headache. He had been too agitated just now and said something that he regretted. ¡°Wait!¡± he said, running after Angelina. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ ¡° Meanwhile, Stey in the private ward with her eyes closed, though Henry¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t stop swirling around her head. She had never expected Weston¡¯s life to be so miserable during the past three years. She had always assumed that his passionate feelings for her were all talk, that his life had beenpletely unaffected, and that he had moved on after her death without difficulty. Never would she have thought that, in those three years, Weston had really fallen in love with her. The corners of her mouth twitched. She chuckled wryly, as if she was mocking herself. If only he had fallen in love with her sooner, they would never have ended up this way. Chapter 1317 Chapter 1317 Chapter 1317 What was the point of letting her know all those things after she had suffered so much pain and suffering at his hands? Right now, she had no desire to love anyone or to even approach this painful emotion. She had been through too much excruciating pain in the past, losing her first child and even almost losing her own life. Ste was not sure if she could trust anything Weston Ford said anymore. Perhaps it was best to just go with the flow and let nature take its course. She was just too exhausted to think of these things now. Yvonne had agreed to meet up with Ste at the shopping mallter that evening, but because Ste had just regained her sight, she decided to be there a little earlier to look around. The mall was located in a newmercial district. After giving up on her training center, Yvonne changed course and opened a new mall in Fern City with her family¡¯s financial backing. Surprisingly adept in managing the business, the mall became sessful in no time, enough for her to expand into a chain. One of the main reasons Ste wanted toe earlier was so she could see her friend¡¯s achievements with her own eyes. It seemed that there was an event going on here today. Wearing a mask and hat, she spotted the stage from a distance. Although she was not that well¨Cknown in Ahn City, she still took no chances in case someone might recognize her. There was a cleared space near the stage, so Ste decided to turn around and walk in another direction, but then the ce was gradually crowding up. Crowds of people had suddenly headed her way as if something interesting was happening. She turned around to see a grand piano on the stage. This piqued her interest. She stopped there, eager to see what kind of performance there would be. Behind the simple stage was a tiny dressing room. The door to the room was closed, but it was not enough to mask the noise of the crowding from the outside. Nicole Dous was sitting there while a makeup artist was frantically doing her makeup. ¡°Why on earth would they send me to such a cheap ce?¡± she grumbled with discontent. ¡°I¡¯m too good to be performing here!¡± Now a minor celebrity, her managementpany had often assigned her to performances at a variety of events, but she would alwaysin that they were beneath her. Thest time when she returned from Snow Mountain, her managementpany had warned her to watch her behavior, and since then, she did actually listen to them and calmed her antics. Hence, she obediently decided toe here after being ordered to. After the cutting of the ribbon, she was scheduled to perform on the piano. Still, Nicole did not even bother to find out about the event¡¯s organizer. She believed it might have something to do with a piano shop and treated the job as a sort of extra¨Ccurricr activity. The truth, however, was that she was never that good at ying the piano in the first ce. Her managementpany had promoted her as a musically talented entertainer, but it was all just marketing, and Nicole was often sent to sses to brush up on her skills at thest minute. She only needed to appear talented anyway. After all, the most important thing was to get her famous first, and even if she¡¯d be criticized for herck of talent, they could always remedy that by running a few PR exercises. The organizer was now rushing her to get on stage. Reluctantly, she dragged her feet out of the dressing room and out into the crowd. The sight of people moving freely in the mall solidified her opinion that this event was just not worth her time, considering her fame and talents. She took a few steps further before her eyestched on a very familiar figure in the crowd¨CSte Sealey. Nicole frowned. She followed her assistant as they walked toward the spot where Ste was standing. Ste was a little surprised to see Nicole there. She pulled her hat down to hide her face and tried to leave, but then suddenly Nicole bumped into her- ¡°Ah!¡± Nicole squealed. ¡°Excuse me, but I didn¡¯t see you just now. Are you okay?¡± ¡°What is wrong with you?!¡± Ste grimaced and red at her. The smug, gloating smile on Nicole¡¯s instantly vanished. Her expression changed as she petntly comined to her manager, ¡°That woman just yelled at me!¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Forget it,¡± her manager replied. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go on stage. Come on, let¡¯s hurry¡­¡± Chapter 1318 Chapter 1318 Chapter 1318 ¡°What do you mean?! She just yelled at me! How can you just leave it alone?!¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Nicole was losing her temper. She red at her assistant and continued her rampage. ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve put up with you backstage? I rushed over to this worthless event hours before it started, yet I had to wait till almost dinner before they let mee on! I¡¯ve wasted the entire day here, and now, this blind woman just bumps into me, and you do nothing? How useless of an assistant are you?¡± The assistant was speechless at Nicole¡¯s merciless undressing. She clearly saw how Nicole herself had identally bumped into the woman, so how shameless must she have to be to trouble the other woman for it? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she told Nicole with a pleading look in her eyes. ¡°But can¡¯t we talk about this after the event? It¡¯s almost time for you to go on stage¡­ Let¡¯s just get the job done first, then we¡¯ll talk about this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Nicole snapped, turning around. ¡° They¡¯ve been keeping me waiting for the whole day, so why should I just go on stage so easily?¡± Her assistant had started panicking and was at aplete loss. She had no idea why she had to work with such a megalomaniac that would throw tantrums at the worst of times. With much effort, she had finally managed to persuade her to perform today, yet now she just changed her mind again at the drop of a hat and refused to go on stage. If Nicole ended up not performing today, the whole event would not be able to continue, and if that happened, her bonus would be deducted again, not to mention she might even lose her pay for the day. Unlike Nicole, who could earn thousands of dors even from a small performance like this one, she could probably only earn a few hundred in expenses today at the very best, but even that would depend on how the entertainer performed. If the entertainer were dissatisfied with her, or made aint about her, then her pay would be cut in half. If the entertainer refused to go on stage, then it was highly likely that she would not receive a dime for her work at all. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go finish your job for now?¡± Ste asked Nicole while feeling very sorry for the assistant.¡± You¡¯ve got no reason to trouble her, you know.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Nicole paused and sniggered. ¡°If you¡¯re so kind, then why don¡¯t you just rece her and be my assistant yourself?!¡± Nicole despised Ste for her fake pretensions and hypocritical behavior. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to show that you¡¯re a kind person?¡± she added. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe how fake you are! I¡¯ve long known how cruel and heartless you actually are from the way you treated Weston. I simply refuse to believe that you have a single kind bone in your body! You¡¯re just trying to fool these people, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Just think of it as an act, then,¡± Ste replied while ring coldly. ¡°What difference would it make if I pretended to be a good person my whole life? It might be fake, but unlike you, I still end up harming no one. So what if it was all just an act?¡± Ste could not help but find Nicole¡¯s mentality extremelyughable. ¡°Is someone of your type really better?¡± she asked Nicole. ¡°Someone like you who¡¯s so openly hostile and vicious towards others? Do you actually believe that just because you freely admit that you¡¯re a horrible person, it¡¯ll absolve all the harm you caused and that everything will be all right?¡± If they had not been on a tight schedule, the assistant would have given Ste a hearty apuse for taking her words right out of her mouth! Everyone was an adult here, so why should Nicole be so mean when she could be considerate instead? Besides, she had always done her job well, so she simply could not understand why Nicole liked to treat her so badly and make things so difficult for her, yet at the same time, never uttering a word ofint when facing those of a higher position. Had she not done her job well, it would make sense that Nicole would lose her temper. She would have even conceded, even if Nicole wanted to make things difficult. She had clearly done everything in her power to make everything run smoothly for Nicole, but all she got in return was such horrible treatment! All these thoughts ran through the assistant¡¯s mind, but she dared not voice any of them. ¡°Fine!¡± Nicole stomped and gritted her teeth, realizing that everyone was against her now. ¡°You think that she¡¯s on your side, don¡¯t you? Okay, I¡¯m not going on stage then!¡± ¡°Please,¡± the assistant was on the verge of tears. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Everything¡¯s been set. If you don¡¯t perform, I¡¯d be the one to bear the consequences¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s all your fault anyway! You shouldn¡¯t have taken someone else¡¯s side!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t taking her side,¡± the assistant argued anxiously, so distressed that she could not stand still. ¡°I was just¡­¡± ¡°Hergh!¡± Chapter 1319 Chapter 1319 Chapter 1319 Nicole dumped everything in her hand and, without even looking at her assistant, stomped away from the stage. The young assistant instantly burst into tears. She was at aplete loss of what to do. Ste closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°What is the situation?¡± she asked. ¡°The organizer wanted her to give a short performance,¡± the assistant replied. ¡°She was supposed to y the piano ¡°¡± Her words were interrupted by brief pauses because she was sobbing so hard, but Ste still managed to grasp the gist of what she said. ¡°So you¡¯ll be alright as long as you get someone to go up there and y the piano, right?¡± ¡°Well, I guess¡­ >> Nicole was not that famous after all, so it didn¡¯t matter much if someone else performed in her ce. But where on earth could she find another gorgeousss who doubled as a piano yer to rece Nicole? ¡°Do you have a dress or some other kind of costume?¡± Ste asked. ¡°I¡¯ll quickly change into it and y in her ce.¡± ¡°You?¡± the young woman looked at Ste with surprise. She went on to observe Ste more closely and was a little stunned. There was no doubt that this woman was very beautiful indeed. She might not even need the makeup because she was such a natural beauty, and her facial features were definitely superior to those of Nicole Dous. ¡°But¡­¡± the young woman hesitated. ¡°Can you actually y the piano?¡± Evidently, she had been paying little attention to the ssical music scene. Ste felt a little helpless. She was indeed not so famous that everyone in this city could recognize her. ¡°Yes,¡± Ste assured her. ¡°Just tell me what she was going to y.¡± The young woman realized that she had no other choice but to give it a try since she desperately needed someone to rece Nicole Dous right now. At the very least, it would be better than being publicly mocked and criticized. And so she decided to agree to Ste¡¯s n. ¡°Okay,¡± she reluctantly replied through gritted teeth. The dressing room is backstage. Follow me.¡± When Nicole noticed that Ste really was going to perform in her ce, the anger that had umted inside her almost exploded. She scowled at Ste, anticipating for her to make a fool of herself. ¡°( Ste swiftly changed into the costume and followed the young woman up onto the stage. She nced at her watch and realized that she had just enough time to perform this song before dinner. Once she was up there, the organizer grimaced and went offstage to ask the assistant, ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on? That¡¯s not the woman who¡¯s supposed to be performing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but something came up, and thisdy stepped in just in time and agreed to help out¡­¡± ¡°But can she really y?¡± the organizer asked, full of skepticism. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After all, even Nicole Dous, who had been rehearsing here over and over again, could barely pass as ptable. It was clear at a nce that she was aplete amateur who only epted the job for the money. Because of that, he assumed that all these entertainers were the same¨Ca vapid, unprofessional lot who got to where they were by relying on their good looks, skilled at hustling for freebies while lying to the public and their fans. Naturally, he assumed that Ste was no different. The assistant shook her head. Her face grew pale. It was not that she didn¡¯t trust Ste, but in this situation, it was simply impossible that she didn¡¯t worry about what was going to happen. Ste nced at the noisy crowd in front of the stage. She waspletely calm as she ced her fingers on the piano keys and gently pressed them. Chapter 1320 Chapter 1320 Chapter 1320 Soon, beautiful music flowed out from her fingers. Moments after she yed the first melody, the noisy crowd in the mall suddenly fell silent. It was like magic. She was only ying a song that the organizer set, and the piano wasn¡¯t one she was familiar with, but as soon as she yed the first melody, it was as if shepletely forgot where she was. She gently closed her eyes andpletely immersed herself in the joy and pleasure of ying music. Many people had described her talent to be so sublime that it was as if the piano was a very extension of her own body¨Ceffortlessly making the piano sound however she wanted anytime, anywhere. The organizer initially watched her with a look full of doubt, but he quickly calmed down and quietly enjoyed Ste¡¯s performance from then on. Even the people on the second floor of the mall stopped what they were doing as they listened to her ying as if entranced by the music. Gradually, more and more people gathered around the stage. Someone recorded Ste¡¯s performance and posted it online. [Where is this? What a beautiful pianist!] [She looks so familiar! Can a music expertment on her ying?] [She¡¯s mediocre. Just another pretty face. Even my son can start learning now and y like her within two years.] [Is thementer above delusional? I¡¯m a professional musician, and I¡¯m pretty sure that her ying is at least as good as the international masters!] Those twoments quickly attracted more and more people to the discussion. In no time at all, the video gained traction and then became viral. Then someone finally recognized her¡­ [Isn¡¯t that Cicily?!] As soon as the name Cicily was mentioned, more people started to recognize her, and even more started to go crazy for her. [Oh my god! It really is her!] [She¡¯s a national treasure! The only pianist from our country to be internationally recognized as one of the best pianists in history!] [But why would she be ying at the mall? It can¡¯t really be her, right? With her talents, she should at least be ying at a famous music hall. She can¡¯t really be performing at a tiny shopping mall, right?] R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only [Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s her¡­] [But the ying is unmistakably Cicily! It just can¡¯t be anybody else!] The assistant was watching the video backstage, and when she read through the heated discussion in the Then she wrote ament and posted it anonymously . [I¡¯m a staff at the event. A minor celebrity was supposed to be performing today, but she threw a tantrum and refused to go on stage. She even made another staff member cry. Luckily, Cicily was there, and she stepped in just in time to save the day¡­] [Is this true? Is Cicily that kind?] [I don¡¯t know. It sounds a little fake to me¡­] [But this is live, so if it¡¯s fake, then why does it look so real?] [I¡¯m at the event right now, and I can tell you that it¡¯s all true! That minor celebrity was Nicole Dous. I saw everything with my own eyes!] Apart from the livestream, there were many more passers -by who recorded the performance with their own cameras. Even some famous inte vloggers who never had any interest in ssical music started to upload videos of the performance themselves, automatically announcing that they were at the event too. Because of all this, everyone began to find that the whole thing seemed much more credible now. [Oh my god! So it really is Cicily! I¡¯m so jealous of you people! You guys get to watch a master pianist perform for free!] [The tickets to her show abroad were incredibly expensive, you know! It¡¯s nice to see that she¡¯s so grounded and down¨Cto¨Cearth in real life!] In a short span of time, Ste had garnered countless new fans. At the same time, the same amount of people began storming Nicole¡¯s ount, demanding answers about why she¡¯d acted like such a pain in the arse at the event. Chapter 1321 Chapter 1321 Chapter 1321 The two topped the hot search list in an instant. Immersed in the piano¡¯s music, Ste waspletely unaware that she had drawn so much attention and sparked a discussion in such a short period of time. After ying, she bowed to the audience and walked off the stage. The audience in the mall exploded in apuse. She disregarded it as if not hearing it. Once she went to the temporary dressing room, she changed her clothes, put on a mask and a hat, and prepared to leave. The organizer blocked in front of her at once, looking all excited. ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much for saving the day, Miss Cicily!¡± He could not believe that the beautiful woman in front of her was actually Cicily, the famous international pianist! Ste smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still have some things to do. My friend is still waiting for me, so I shall take my leave now.¡± The assistant was behind her, and she said, ¡°I really appreciate your help today. I don¡¯t even know your identity. Can¡­ can you leave your phone number?¡± Ste frowned slightly but still gave her her contact number. ¡°C¨Ccan I get an autograph?¡± Steughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am famous enough for that, am I?¡± ¡°From now onward, I am your fan, your hardcore fan!¡± After Ste finished signing, she said, ¡°I am sorry, but I really need to go. My friend is waiting for me, and I am runningte.¡± Only then did the young assistant reluctantly see her off. On the other hand, Nicole, who had witnessed the whole thing, was so angry her eyes were literally fuming. In the past few years working in the entertainment industry, she had learned little but was tainted by the culture of bootlicking and trampling the weak. What she did not expect was that her action of spiting Ste actually helped her gain so much favor. It made her rather discontented. Thinking that her reputation had reached such a poor state, she snapped- ¡°Hey, woman! It¡¯s all because you stole my chance to perform!!!¡± She ran to Ste, pushing aside the crowd, and barked. ¡° Do you think you have the right to steal someone¡¯s job just because you are more famous?¡± Ste was stunned for a moment. She could not imagine how thick Nicole¡¯s face was and frowned at her. ¡°You are overacting, aren¡¯t you?¡± She wanted to leave after saying that. Nicole grabbed her wrist immediately and red at her with red eyes. ¡°You are such a vicious woman! Who¡¯ll know if you didn¡¯t deliberately do it? Are you trying to ckmail me and destroy my reputation?¡± Ste shook her hand off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with a lunatic.¡± But Nicole suddenly acted like she was crazy and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her appearance! She did it on purpose!¡± She held Ste tightly, not letting her go. Ste, who had just had surgery, was shoved hard. She stumbled and crashed into the crowd. Not knowing who tripped her, she fell directly onto the ground. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She protected her head with her arms. And the next second, a powerful force came and embraced her from behind. Ste looked up and saw Weston, who had arrived in the nick of time. He red coldly at an unhinged Nicole, asking, ¡°Are you asking for your death?¡± His appearance stirred up the crowd in the mall. Weston¡¯s fame had spread far and wide across the city, and everyone knew about the wealthiest young man in the country, who was also renowned internationally for his wealth and good looks. They quickly aimed their cameras at him and kept taking pictures. But Weston simply looked coldly at Nicole, whose face was paling. ¡°Who so gave you the courage to dare touch my woman?¡± Chapter 1322 Chapter 1322 Chapter 1322 N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ste fell into his arms before she realized it. He moved so naturally, as if it was true that she was indeed his woman. Nicole was startled, not expecting Weston would appear in this kind of ce. After her eyes fluttered for a moment, she took a step back, trying to walk away, but hit a machine and screamed in pain. She sobered up a bit and stammered as she looked at the man in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all because of her, stealing my chance to perform that I¡­ Mr. Ford, why are you still protecting this woman when she treats you like that?¡± The man swept his icy gaze over her, turning the air even colder. Weston¡¯s usatory looks frightened Nicole a little. He didn¡¯t have to say anything, but it was enough to make her shudder. After a while, the man moved his thin lips. His voice was extremely cold. ¡°Since you do not understand me, there is no need to give you another chance.¡± Nicole opened her eyes in fear immediately, but she suppressed her feelings, thinking Weston would not do anything to her. ¡°Believe me, Mr. Ford. It¡¯s really not me who is making trouble. It¡¯s this woman who¡­¡± ¡°Ben, take her away. impensation from her ording to the organizer¡¯s contract. And if she can¡¯t pay, file awsuit and fight until she returns every cent. Before she settles, I want to see whichpany dares to use her.¡± Those words started even the young assistant beside them. Saying that was equivalent to canceling Nicole. Who did not know Weston¡¯s current status in the circle? His words were definitive. Since he had given his word, no one would dare hire such a petty artist. Nicole¡¯s face paled. ¡°Mr. Ford, you can¡¯t do this to me. I Before she could finish her sentence, Weston left with Ste in his arms. She was in tears. Her eyes were red, not knowing what she had done wrong. She simply could not stand watching Ste and wanted to teach her a lesson for Weston. Why did he still hold her close to his heart when this woman did this to him? This was unfair! She went to Daisy crying and telling her on the phone what had happened. But the person on the other end scolded her. ¡°You¡¯re a fool!¡± And then she hung up. In the office, Daisy had a hard time sorting out all those rules and regtions. When she received the phone call from Nicole, she was so annoyed that her head was smoking. She thought that her rtionship with Weston had be closer. Although his will was fake, he had really granted her a substantial amount of legitimate power. Having reached this position as a secretary, she couldn¡¯t believe Weston had no feelings for her. But it was when she was in his position that she suddenly realized that his workload was so heavy. Reading the documents might seem easy, but a strong analytical ability and a good vision in nning were much needed to extract useful information from them and to make decisions. Reading all the documents was already very overwhelming to Daisy, let alone making a decision. Work that Weston was once able to do with ease was very difficult for her. And with the directors putting pressure on her, she was on the verge of breaking down. Chapter 1323 Chapter 1323 Chapter 1323 But right at that time, Nicole had toe to cause her trouble! Daisy scolded her and hung up. Physically and mentally exhausted, she could not help but think of a person. Xavier was now in the hospital, chasing after Zeta. Perhaps it was the nature of a man to be a cheapskate. He was once with Daisy, thinking that there was not much, possibility between him and Zeta. But when Zeta got a boyfriend, he felt more and more upset and kept wanting to see her. And every time he met her, he did not want her to leave. ¡®So, he thought of all sorts of ways to meet her. Zeta initially treated him politely, but when she realized his intention, she simply avoided him and even stopped talking to him. This made him panic. In the end, he tried to be friends with her as a childhood friend. ¡°Sorry, I already have a boyfriend, so I don¡¯t need a close male friend.¡± This was how Zeta replied. < Xavier thought she was just angry with him in the beginning. She had been chasing after him for so many years after all. How could she get over him so easily? It was until when he really saw a man who was obviously very young from his appearance waiting for her in her hospital every day that he gradually believed that she really wanted to be with someone else. He did not know what had happened to him. He clearly did not like this young woman, who had been running after him since childhood, and he only treated her as a little kid. However, when he saw her courting another man, he felt very ufortable. Putting the matters of the company aside, he came to look for her in the hospital every day, pretending that he was injured. Zeta disgusted him. She even quarreled with her boyfriend because of him these days. Every time she saw her, she rolled her eyes. But there was no way to refuse him. Because he came queuing as a patient and kepting to her using all sorts of diseases as excuses. Today was not an exception. Sitting in front of her, Xavier pointed at the wound on his finger that was about to heal without a bandage, and said to her, ¡°Do I need to take an X¨Cray?¡± She cursed in her heart and scribbled on the paper quickly to prescribe him a band¨Caid. ¡°You can leave now.¡± 1 He refused. Right then, a phone call came in. He looked at his phone. It was Daisy- He had not been in touch with her since they broke up. He wanted to kick her away at first, but he didn¡¯t expect her to make the first move. She broke up with him, and immediately started to approach Weston. There was no progress after so many years, and he was ridiculed by the people in the circle who jeered at him. They said the only fianc¨¦e he recognized was using him as a stepping stone to get Weston. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. It was unbearable. He wasn¡¯t about to ept such humiliation, of course, so he avoided Daisy whenever he saw her, though his actions proved that he could not forget her. He felt nauseous when he saw her number. Zeta swept a nce at him and said tly, ¡°If you want to get her back, please don¡¯te and pester me. I am busy, and I have a boyfriend to coax. Let¡¯s give each other some peace, okay?¡± He was stunned and looked at her helplessly. ¡°We were over ages ago. It¡¯s impossible for us to get back together again. If I wanted to get her back, I would¡¯ve done something in these three years, and it would¡¯ve been impossible that I fail!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She looked at him leisurely with ridicule in her (( eyes. When you were together, she kicked you aside in a wink and went to Weston, though your rtionship was still good. This clearly showed she wasn¡¯t really into you. Liars are always exposed eventually.¡± Chapter 1324 Chapter 1324 Chapter 1324 Xavier was so angry that his face turned blue. He felt a little stuffed. The man was especially embarrassed in front of her when she said so. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I really feel nothing for her. It¡¯s only a novelty at most. I wanted to break up with her long ago¡­ it¡¯s just that she voiced it out first.¡± ¡°Your rtionship has nothing to do with me. >> Zeta was starting to get impatient. ¡°Can you stop bothering me?¡± ¡°You said that you would leave immediately if I wanted to get her back. If I cklist her number and stop seeing her, will I be allowed to see you?¡± Zeta red at his absurdity. ¡°I told you very clearly that it has nothing to do with me, whether you have a rtionship with her or not. Do you understand me?¡± After saying that, she summoned the security guards. Seeing this, he knew he could not make a fuss anymore. So he stood up, cursed slowly, and walked out. When he got to the corridor, his cell phone rang again. It was still the same number. He answered it, and his voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Daisy, on the other end of the phone, did not say anything. Her face looked a littleplicated. She knew that Xavier would not forgive her after what she had done. But when she heard her cold voice, she felt a little uneasy. ¡°Can¡¯t I call you if there is nothing wrong? We were friends for so many years, after all¡­¡± ¡°Who is your friend? Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡± She held her breath, feeling a sting of humiliation for a moment. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. But for the sake of Nicole, she could only bite the bullet and beg him. ¡°I do have something to see you.¡± ¡°Of course, you certainly wouldn¡¯t contact me if you had nothing to do.¡± Xavier sneered. She took a deep breath and said to him, ¡°I know you have a grudge against me, but I have dealt with the mess Mr. Ford left behind, and I have given a lot for thepany. For the sake of my hard work, can you help me plead with Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Are you joking? How much influence do you think I have on him?¡± Xavier thought that she was out of her mind. ¡°If my words are of any use, will I only be a president of a branch office?¡± ¡°But you are his uncle¡­¡± She hesitated and said, ¡°Nicole did something wrong, but she did not mean to hurt Miss Sealey. Mr. Ford is very angry now and wants to ban her¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Did you say that she messed with Ste?¡± He interrupted and sneered. ¡°You should know Weston very well being with him for so many years. Why did she have to mess with Ste of all people? Do you even think ? it is possible for her to get out of it after what she had done?¡± ¡°I know Mr. Ford cherishes her, but Nicole was my only cousin¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t help you with these. Even the great god can¡¯t help her, you¡¯d better seek help from a more capable person.¡± He hung up the call after saying that. Listening to the beeping sound of the phone, Daisy pinched her palm hard. Her head hurt. She naturally did not do this to save Nicole¡¯s career. It was just that she did not want this matter to cause Weston to hold prejudice against her. Nicole was her cousin after all. Besides, it would do her more harm than good if Nicole was really banned. At least she knew that Nicole was no threat to her at all, and if she was taken care of in that way, she would be the only one fighting against Ste. That sounded very bad. Chapter 1325 Chapter 1325 Chapter 1325 Weston strode out of the shopping mall with Ste. When Ste came to her senses, she pushed his shoulder. ¡°Put me down.¡± ¡°No. What if you get hurt again?¡± Ste felt absurd. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have targeted me if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡± He frowned. ¡°Is this even my fault?¡± ¡°I am not ming you. I¡¯m simply stating a fact. Nicole wouldn¡¯t have been so hostile to me if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll take care of her for you now, so don¡¯t be mad at me anymore, okay?¡± He put her down and kissed her forehead. She pushed him away immediately. ¡°Stop touching me!¡± Yvonne clicked her tongue a few times from not far away and walked toward them. ¡°It was just a good show just now.¡± She teased them. ¡°A hero saving a beauty is so romantic.¡± A helpless look shed across Ste¡¯s face, and she said to Yvonne, ¡°Don¡¯t make this kind of joke.¡± Yvonne let go of Lucas immediately and draped her hand around Ste¡¯s neck. Then she said to Ste with a smile, ¡°You looked very charming when you yed the piano. I was almost charmed by you.¡± Lucas¡® face turned gloomy as soon as he heard that, he pulled her back by her arm. ¡°Why are you so narrow¨Cminded?¡± Yvonne read his displeasure from his eyes and shrugged off his arm, pouting. Lucas let her be as long as she did not get too close to Ste. and Weston held Ste¡¯s shoulders quietly and said to the couple, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have reserved a table? Let¡¯s go inside.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. When he walked past Lucas, Lucas cast a nce at him. Seeing him look calm as usual, Lucas shook his head. Perhaps he saw it wrongly. Yvonne kept swiping her phone once they were in the private room and said to Ste, ¡°You¡¯re really hot now. I didn¡¯t expect that your video would be viewed so many times before your concert is even held!¡± Recently, she had gotten addicted to online auctions and was already a popr influencer. It wasn¡¯t a matter the men were that keen of. When they were listening to them chattering and discussing it, Lucas noticed more and more that Weston did not look right. He looked at Weston¡¯s pale face and asked with a frown, Wait, could it be that your stitches broke open after the show?¡± (( Weston poured himself a ss of water. He looked in the direction of Ste, poured her a ss of water as well, and said to Lucas, ¡°Nothing of the sort.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act tough. Your wound is just above your heart. If the stitches break open, it will not be that easy to stitch it back up. Don¡¯t take this matter lightly, or it will bring a lot ofplications. The human body is not made of steel.¡± Weston interrupted him. ¡°Why are you so nosy?¡± Lucas was speechless. He had never cared about anyone this much except for Yvonne. Seeing that Weston did not appreciate it, he snorted and did not say another word. After a while, Weston closed his eyes to rest in his seat. Ste¡¯s nose twitched when she suddenly smelled a pungent stench of blood. She looked at him sharply. ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± Could he have gotten hurt somewhere when he hugged her? Was he so weak now? Chapter 1326 Chapter 1326 Chapter 1326 Weston opened his eyes and looked at her. His inky deep eyes were full of tranquility. He pressed her head and rubbed her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, am fine.¡± I This time, Lucas put down the napkin in his hands right away and walked to Weston. The moment his hand pressed on Weston¡¯s shoulder, they saw Weston let out a low grunt- He subconsciously wanted to push Lucas¡® hand away, but he could no longer lift his right hand. Ste saw something was not right and pushed her chair ?away, and walked to Weston hurriedly. ¡°What is wrong with you? Don¡¯t hold back if you have any injuries.¡± Yvonne also realized the seriousness of the matter, so she put down her phone and went to him. ¡°¡­Oh my God, you are bleeding!¡± She suddenly pointed at a spot, and Lucas knitted his brows immediately. He ripped Weston¡¯s shirt straight away to see his wound cracked open and constantly seeping blood. C Horrified by the sight, Ste frowned instantly and said, ¡± Are you out of your mind?¡± If he was already injured, why must he insist on carrying her and walking such a long distance? ¡°Are you trying to make me feel guilty?¡± ¡°No.¡± Weston grabbed her hand like a child who made a mistake. ¡°I just wanted to carry you. I didn¡¯t want you to walk and didn¡¯t want to aggravate your situation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so aggravating about just walking a small distance? You are simply out of your mind!¡± Ste could not help but keep scolding him. ¡°Do you think I will really feel guilty and soften up a bit on you if you treat me like this? Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it because you are nuts! No matter how many times you hurt yourself like this, I won¡¯t feel half as much sympathy for you!¡± She was so emotional that her chest was heaving, and her eyes were red. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Seeing this, Lucas looked at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the time for you to lecture him now. His wound is very bad and must be treated immediately. I will go and get the car.¡± After saying that, he said to Yvonne, ¡°Go and get the bill first, thene down with them.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Yvonne was very sensible when it came to this kind of thing. She calmed Ste down and swept a few more nces at Weston. Her lips were moving, murmuring something, but it was definitely not something nice to hear. So Weston did not bother to listen. Once they got to the parking lot, they rushed to the hospital, and Lucas brought Weston straight to the emergency room and performed the procedure for him personally. Ste stood beside them, watching as Lucas stitched up his wound. He moved beautifully, stitch by stitch, brisk and clean. Yvonne fell for him as she watched from aside, thinking *that Lucas was great. She cupped her face and looked at the man¡¯s movement with fascination. His bony hands looked very beautiful, so pleasing to the eyes when he was holding the scissors. Ste could not help but look at her and say, ¡°Can you not flirt when there is still a procedure going on?¡± Although it was not a major procedure, the wound was still sutured. Lucas¡® movement was indeed clean and nice to look at, but she really need not be so¡­ Ste could not look any longer and reminded her. ¡°Calm down, you are almost drooling.¡± Yvonne said unconcerned, ¡°He is tempting anyway.¡± Ste was dumbfounded and did not say anything. As if wanting to make her agree to her remark, Yvonne pointed at Lucas and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the way Dr. Quirk looks when wearing the white coat and holding the tools is cool mighty, and invulnerable?¡± Chapter 1327 Chapter 1327 Chapter 1327 Ste followed the direction of her gaze and nodded. ¡°It does seem that way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this man is so captivating, so sensible, yet so unapproachable, so condescending, and so rejecting?¡± For a moment there, Ste went speechless. Then she echoed. ¡°You are right.¡± Isn¡¯t he? And look at his face. He¡¯s just so charming. Ste nodded. Lucas was indeed an attractive man. Otherwise, Yvonne would not be so enamored of him. She was able to see his merits since she admired him with appreciative eyes. Weston naturally noticed the conversation and knitted his brows when he heard Ste. Lucas thought it was him who did not treat him well and hurt him, so he said, ¡°If it hurts, just bear with it.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°What pain could I feel with the anesthetic?¡± Weston swept a nce at him and said with a cold tone. Lucas was not sure if it was his illusion, but he had a feeling that Weston wasn¡¯t looking at him in a too- friendly way. He took care of Weston¡¯s wound quickly, stitching it with a long needle without causing him any pain. When Weston heard Ste praising another man, however, he felt as if his heart was being stabbed with a knife repeatedly. It was the worst torment he had ever had to bear. Only when the effect of the anesthetic started wearing off did he feel the piercing pain. ¡°Come here,¡± he said to Ste. She did not move and only looked at Yvonne. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yvonne had stars in her eyes as she watched Lucas walk toward her. Ste sighed helplessly and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving since he is fine now. We will meet again next time. We didn¡¯t get to eat today, so I will give you guys a treat next time.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Yvonne had totally forgotten her friend and was immersed in Lucas¡® beauty. Lucas cleaned up the equipment and nced at her. He took off the gloves and rubbed her head. ¡°Alright, stop looking at me. I will bring you somewhere to eat. You should be hungry?¡± She nodded, and the lovely couple walked away. Weston¡¯s heart felt very ufortable. Seeing Ste was about to leave, he jumped to his feet and hugged her from the back. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± He rubbed against her neck and said in a husky voice in her ear, ¡°Stay with me.¡± She frowned immediately in annoyance and pulled his hands away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have something else to do. I don¡¯t think you were invited to the dinner today, right? You came here on your own.¡± She asked, ¡°Was it Yvonne who told you about it, or Lucas?¡± He did not answer. She guessed. ¡°It must be Lucas, right? If you keep doing this, I will note out again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, please¡­¡± He suddenly lowered his voice and hugged her more tightly with one hand whiletching on to her firmly with the other to prevent her from leaving. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would give you mypany? Would you stay by my side?¡± She said, ¡°I am sorry. I changed my mind. Didn¡¯t Ms. Hampton tell you? I did not sign the document, and I will never do so. Ford Corporation is still yours, so there is no rtionship between you and me.¡± Chapter 1328 Chapter 1328 Chapter 1328 Just as she finished speaking, she felt the man holding her behind her had suddenly tighten his force. His arms were straddling her waist, and his tone was surprisingly tinged with a hint of resignation and determination. ¡°No " Ste wondered how he managed to blend these two emotions so well. Weston pressed against her ear and gritted his teeth. ¡± How could you change your mind so easily when ites to these things? I¡¯ve had the documents prepared, you just have to sign it¡­¡± ¡°I said, I just want to renege. What can you do about it?¡± She stared at him. Besides, it was a joke from the beginning. ¡°You are an adult. Why can¡¯t you understand this?¡± ¡°I simply cannot.¡± He suddenly turned her around, pinched her chin, and said, ¡°All I know is that I did what you asked, so you have to keep your promise.¡± He was hugging her with the arm which had just been treated. Ste was worried that the wound would break open again and struggled a bit. But he hugged her even more tightly. So Ste could only say to him angrily, ¡°Let go of me, or your wound will bleed again!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He said, ¡°If you don¡¯t promise me, I won¡¯t care even if it breaks open a thousand times.¡± Ste was speechless. She stopped moving, but her voice was unmistakably cold. ¡°Are you sure you want to threaten me like that?¡°, Her tone took the man by surprise, and he slowly let go of his hand. He stood behind her and stopped hugging her again. And he simply stared at Ste with a kind of look. She let out a breath and said to him, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go first.¡± He did not go after her. He just stood still and waited for her to walk out the door before he went after her again, and gently took her hand from behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back.¡± His face was a little pale, and it was obvious that he was a little unsteady because of the procedure. She nced at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to let Bene and pick you up.¡± He shook his head and said, ¡°I can send you back¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die on the road yet.¡± She interrupted him, a little impatient. ¡°Look at you. Do you think you¡¯re able to give me a ride back?¡± ¡°I am.¡± He said to her, ¡°I will not let anything happen to you with you in the car.¡± She was speechless. She inhaled deeply and called Ben directly. ¡°Come and fetch the madman of yours.¡± It did not take long for Ben toe with his car. He opened the door respectfully and said to Weston, ¡°Mr. Ford, please get in.¡± Weston did not even look at him and simply looked at Ste, ¡°Come with me.¡± She remained quiet for a moment. ¡°You get in first.¡± He stood still. She looked at him coldly, turned around, and left. Ben looked at Weston¡¯s gloomy side face and said softly, ¡± Mr. Ford, why don¡¯t you get in first?¡± Seeing his pale face, he realized that he had just finished the operation. He could chase after Ste any time he wanted, it did not have to be now. After saying that, Weston turned around and nced at him. His eyes were extremely cold. His speed in changing his face was unsurpassable. After getting into the car, Weston put his hand on his be. He looked at Ben, who was driving, and asked out of nowhere, ¡°Are my hands beautiful?¡± Screech- Ben mmed on the brake, and the tires let out a piercing cry. He looked at Weston through the rearview mirror in shock. ¡°What did you just say¡­ can you repeat what you just said?¡± Chapter 1329 Chapter 1329 Chapter 1329 Weston frowned slightly and asked once more, ¡°I am asking you if my hands look good.¡± He heard Ste and Yvonne talking all the time about efficient and intriguing Lucas¡® hands were when performing the procedure. So she liked that¡­ He looked down at his hands, unsure if they were considered beautiful. He had never paid much attention to his appearance all this while. He was tired of hearing the praises of those whopared him with the male stars in the circle and thought he was better. Of course, there were a lot of aspects in which he was better, so this was never an important one. ording to universally epted values, ability and skill were the more important things to a man. He never took to heart all those praises about his appearance, and he never cared either. But when dealing with Ste, he had to start paying attention to it. What kind of man did she like? He never seemed to consider it. Ben looked as if he¡¯d seen a ghost, his face wearing aplicated and interesting look. After a long time, he shuddered and said, ¡°They should be" He said, ¡°I remembered that when you learned the piano, the piano teacher said that your hands were very suitable for ying the piano. It¡¯s just that you did not like it, so you stopped taking lessons.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of that. He had indeed learned the piano before, and it was considered to be a sort ofmonnguage he shared with Ste. Although he gave up in the end and could only y simple pieces, it should be sufficient for him to start a conversation with her. Ben was still a little confused while he drove in the direction of thepany. After a while, he asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly ask that?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to know what women really like.¡± Ben was speechless. He now had a genuine admiration for Ste. She was the only woman who could turn Weston into this. When they arrived at thepany, Weston walked past the receptionist and into the elevator. Xavier was already waiting for him in the office. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that those employees in thepany looked at you as if they were seeing a ghost when you came over?¡± They all thought that Weston was now in a vegetative state and his life was in danger, but he appeared in the office intact. Then what were all that fights and arguments happening among the directors about? Weston ignored his question and asked, ¡°Where is the document of the project that you were asked to handle before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right here waiting for you.¡± Xavier took out a pile of documents from the drawer and handed it to him ¡°Take it. I knew someone like you wouldn¡¯t die so easily. A scourge is meant to live a long life.¡± He had been fighting with Weston for several years, and now, he had gotten over it. He could notpete with him, he could not steal from him, and he lost the old man¡¯s trust in the end. Now, he no longer fought with Weston but cooperated with him and followed his lead, so he would not lose out. Weston flipped through a few pages and wanted to leave. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Xavier suddenly said, ¡°By the way, Daisy called me just now and told me to tell you something.¡± Weston stopped in his track and cast him a disdainful look. ¡°You are still lingering on that woman?¡± Xavier said, ¡°Of course not. I just want to know what you think of her.¡± ¡°She is not in my eye. Whatt can I think of her?¡± Weston¡¯s tone was nd. He talked about her as if she was an insignificant woman. Chapter 1330 Chapter 1330 Chapter 1330 Xavier was stunned and thenughed. ¡°I knew it. This is what I told her. Isn¡¯t it true that all women who fall in love with you end up miserable, save for Ste?¡± Weston had no time to listen to all of these. He pondered and suddenly stopped and looked at him. ¡°Do you think my hands look nice?¡± Xavier was still smiling. The smile did not fade when he heard Weston. Thinking that he had heard wrong, he asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± This question didn¡¯t sound like Weston at all. It convinced him even more that he must¡¯ve heard it wrong. Although he was not very young, he was not so old that his hearing had gone bad. Weston paused for a while, and embarrassment shed across his eyes. However, he still asked, ¡°Do you think my hands look nice?¡± Xavier did not say anything. After a long pause, he looked at Weston. ¡°Are you going crazy?¡± As he was saying that, he walked to Weston and reached his hand out wanting to touch his forehead, but Weston pushed him away coldly. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have asked you.¡± After that, he turned around and walked away. Xavier quickly blocked him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rash. Why are you asking this scary question all of a sudden?¡± Weston pinched his be. Before he said anything, Xavier¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I know, it¡¯s because of Ste, isn¡¯t it?¡± Other than Ste, he did not know who had the magic power to make such a frightening change in Weston. Weston said nothing and remained silent. But his silence meant acquiescence. Xavier could not help butugh out loud, and it was getting louder and louder. The man red at Xavier coldly. ¡°Have youughed enough?¡± After saying that, he wanted to leave, but Xavier stopped him quickly. Heughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t go. If you want to know what a woman is thinking, I am the best person to ask.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Weston paused in his tracks and looked at him. Indeed, Xavier knew more about matters like these. Although he was never short of women, he never had to guess what was in their minds. It was always they who held him in their palms, and he basically did not know how to please a woman. Xavier pulled a chair and sat in front of him. ¡°I guess you are asking this because Ste said she likes a man with nice¨Clooking hands, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Weston remained silent, it was still an acquiescence. Xavier said, ¡°Apart from the most basic strength a man should have, what a woman likes will be wealth, background, appearance, and height. Of course, there will be some other unusual preferences. Take me as an example. As a man, I am very fond of boobs and long legs, so a woman would surely have her favorite parts.¡± Weston pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Other than hands, what other ces would a woman like?¡± ¡°For example, the voice, some women arepletely resistant to the low sound of a man, and some women like Adam¡¯s apple¡­¡± The more Weston listened to him, the more confused he was. He looked at Xavier, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°In short, any part of your body has the potential to be an aphrodisiac for women, depending on how you use it.¡± ¡°Talking to you is a waste of time.¡± Weston then swept him a faint nce, got up, and left. Looking at his back, Xavier let out a long sigh. He did not expect that Weston would one day ask him about the preferences of a woman. He really felt as if the sun rose from the west. Daisy came in after Weston left and was surprised to see Xavier sitting in the office. She had just heard from the receptionist that Mr. Ford seemed to have returned from the dead and came to the office. Chapter 1331 Chapter 1331 Chapter 1331 The employees in thepany were still discussing the matter. Some of Daisy¡¯s close friends even came and asked her about Weston. They wondered if Weston was actually awake and was only trying to catch those disloyal to him in thepany. Daisy did not answer. She had only one thing in mind, which was to meet Weston. Unfortunately, she only met Xavier. Xavier smiled as he saw the sh of disappointment in Daisy¡¯s eyes. He sat on the chair and turned in a circle, crossed his long legs, and smiled at her. ¡°Why? Are you disappointed to see me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Daisy quickly regained herposure, shook her head, and walked to Xavier. ¡°I just heard from my colleagues that Mr. Ford is back.¡± ¡°Yes. He came over earlier.¡± ¡°Did he need something?¡± Daisy looked at Xavier with some anticipation. ¡°No. He took a file and then asked me some odd questions.¡± ¡°What question?¡± ¡°He asked me what a woman would like. Guess who the woman is?¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes trembled for a moment. Her heart was aching with pins and needles. Naturally, the said woman could not be anyone else but Ste. Daisy took a deep breath and adjusted herself. After a while, she forced a smile and said to Xavier, ¡°It seems that Mr. Ford and Ms. Sealey¡¯s rtionship are getting better. I¡¯m very happy for him.¡± ¡°Is that so? Why do I feel as if you¡¯re sadder than ever?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Xavierughed, happy to see her in pain. He had no feelings for her anymore, but she had made him a laughingstock. Xavier no longer wanted to deal with her but was secretly happy to see her in this state. He thought she deserved it. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Thinking of that, Xavier stood up and patted Daisy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You have high ambition, but your fate isn¡¯t great. You were so close to what you wanted. Even if you didn¡¯t believe it, I was probably the most powerful person you could almost get.¡± Daisy¡¯s face turned grim immediately. Xavier spoke softly, but he was sarcastic. After a long time, she clenched her fist and turned to him. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end. The future is unpredictable. The winner and loser in this situation aren¡¯t certain yet.¡± Daisy had been waiting for all these years, from Ste and Weston¡¯s secret rtionship to marriage and finally divorce. Why could she not wait for an ending after waiting for this long? After saying that, Daisy turned around and was about to leave. However, someone knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Ms. Daisy, the board of directors has demanded your immediate attendance at the meeting.¡± The secretary was in a hurry and looked a bit anxious. It did not look like good news. Daisy paused for a moment and had a bad feeling in her heart. Xavier smiled like he knew what wasing. He walked over to the chair and sat down, looking at her calmly. ¡°I told you. You don¡¯t have much of a chance. Starting today, you may have to say goodbye to Ford Corporation.¡± Daisy widened her eyes at once and turned to him in disbelief. ¡°Impossible! Weston would never do that!¡± Besides, the board had seen how well she had been performingtely. She was not as good as Weston, not even a tenth of what he did, but she had done her best as a secretary. She believed that no one else could do it better than her. Chapter 1332 Chapter 1332 Chapter 1332 Meanwhile, at Ste¡¯s studio. Ste went back to work right after regaining her sight. Ste¡¯s music career wasn¡¯t her only source of ie one she had diversified investments in various areas. Hence, she had a lot of ie from other businesses and no longer had to worry about money to raise her two children. After greeting her staff in the studio, she returned to her seat to start working. Not long after, the receptionist came into her office and informed her, ¡°Miss Cicily, there¡¯s someone downstairs wanting to meet you¡­¡® " Before the receptionist could finish her sentence, Weston walked in with a bouquet in his arms. Weston was in his usual ck suit, which was a familiar look for Ste. Weston always looked good in ck color. The calm and sophisticated color gave him a noble and distant aura. Ste frowned as soon as seeing Weston and said to the receptionist a little impatiently, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to let people like him in?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The receptionist was a little troubled. After all, they knew who Weston was and was worried he would hold a grudge against them for stopping him. Ste knew her dilemma, so she waved her hand and dismissed her. ¡°You can go out first.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Cicily.¡± Weston came in and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard an employee.¡± Ste red at him. ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things now?¡± on ¡°Of course not. I just think the employees have no choice but to inform you. They are paid to work and can¡¯t make their own decisions at times.¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯te to me, she wouldn¡¯t have been in trouble.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I can¡¯t help you. Sorry.¡± Weston was very frank. Ste exhaled and nced at the bouquet in his arms. Do you know? What you¡¯re doing now is so old- fashioned. I¡¯ve lost count of the countless bouquets I¡¯ve received in the past three years. Your outdated way of courting doesn¡¯t work for me at all.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯ll try a different method next time.¡± Weston then put the flowers on Ste¡¯s table. Ste got annoyed looking at the bouquet and threw it in the trash. ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t understand what I just said.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Weston walked to the trash can and took the flowers out. ¡°Do I need to remind you that you¡¯re my girlfriend now? It¡¯s only normal for me to send you flowers. You can throw them away, but I¡¯ll keep sending them over anyway.¡± Ste widened her eyes at once. ¡°Who¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± Weston reminded her, ¡°I agreed to all the terms you stated before, so we¡¯re now a couple.¡± Ste refuted, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I didn¡¯t promise you anything or sign the papers!¡± ¡°I brought the papers.¡± Weston took out a thick stack of papers and put the contract in front of her. ¡°Now sign them, good girl.¡± Ste threw the copy in the trash without even looking at him. Weston, however, was surprisingly patient with her these days. He went over to the trash can again and took the papers out. When she just sat down, the receptionist came in reluctantly and stammered again, ¡°Miss Cicily, there¡¯s a lady outside looking for you¡­¡± ¡°Lady?¡± Ste looked up and asked, ¡°Is Yvonne or Angelina here?¡± It turned out that it was Daisy who came instead of them. Ste shed Weston a meaningful smile as Daisy walked in. Chapter 1333 Chapter 1333 Chapter 1333 Daisy must havee here to either talk to Ste about Weston or to meet Weston. Sure enough, Daisy went to Weston as soon as she came in. ¡°Mr. Ford, I don¡¯t understand. Why?¡± She held a dismissal letter in her hand and looked very emotional . Ste put down the pen in her hand, crossed her fingers, and looked at the two indifferently. Weston¡¯s eyes were cold. He did not spare her any warmth. ¡°I thought it had been stated clearly in the letter. Can¡¯t you read?¡± Daisy took a deep breath. ¡°But I haven¡¯t made any mistakes this time. I¡¯ve done my best for the company. Why should I be fired?¡± ¡°Nicole should¡¯ve told you why.¡® ¡°But wasn¡¯t that her fault? Why should I be med?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to.¡± Weston said, ¡°Is that a good reason?¡± Daisy was trembling. She knew Weston would never go back on the decision he had made. This time, she came to ask for an exnation anyway, but she did not expect that he would not even exin. ¡°It¡¯s Ste, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daisy mmed the letter of dismissal to the ground and walked to Ste. She pointed at Ste¡¯s nose and snapped, ¡°Is it because of her? She doesn¡¯t like me. That¡¯s why you¡¯re firing me!¡± Daisy was able to put on an act before. She previously pretended liking Ste a lot because of Weston, but she could no longer do so. ¡°What¡¯s so great about her? She¡¯s always so cold to you and even abandoned you in the snowy mountains. She doesn¡¯t love you at all. She¡¯s tormenting you. Why aren¡¯t you letting go of her?¡± ¡°This is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Weston was getting a little impatient. ¡°Are you going to get out yourself, or should I have security escort you out?¡± Ste tapped her pen on the table. ¡°The securities are working for my studio. Don¡¯t tell them what to do in here.¡± Weston gave her a look. ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend. I have the right.¡± Ste warned, ¡°Shut up! I have nothing to do with you!¡± Hearing this, Daisy could not take it anymore. She took a deep breath and looked at Weston. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Mr. Ford, why do you have to be so obsessed? If you turn around, you¡¯ll see plenty of women waiting for you! They¡¯re better than Ste and love you more than she does. Why do you only see her?¡± ¡°Do you really want him to see other women, or do you just want him to see you?¡± Ste suddenly got curious and propped her chin in her palm, looking at Daisy with interest. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to get his attention by using him with passion. I¡¯m curious¡­¡± Ste sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been three years, and you still haven¡¯t found the right way?¡± Daisy¡¯s face changed at the mockery in Ste¡¯s words. ¡± Are you unting your power at me now? Do you think you¡¯re a winner?¡± Daisy said through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re just lucky. You left a scar in his heart. If I met him earlier than you, I¡¯d be the one in your ce now!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ste let out a soft sigh. ¡°That¡¯s such a waste. I kinda hope you can take this man away. After all, he¡¯s being a disturbance and affecting my mood at work here. Why don¡¯t you do a good deed for me? Let him fall in love with you. I don¡¯t want him to haunt me again.¡± Ste¡¯s tone was serious, and she didn¡¯t sound like she was joking. Instead, it sounded quite sincere. However, the other two people in the office were furious because of the sincerity in her tone. Chapter 1334 Chapter 1334 Chapter 1334 Daisy could not stand staying any longer. Atst, she pushed open the door with tears and fled with great strides. She had never experienced such humiliation. Her eyes were red, and her body was shaking. Daisy always lost to Ste. That was not what she wanted. She came to make a breakthrough, not to be taunted and ridiculed by them. Maybe Daisy should not have entered this world in the first ce. If she had been nothing more than a secretary, she might have gotten what she wanted. If she had not dumped Xavier and stayed with him, she could be a Mrs. Ford by now. Daisy might be able to stay by Weston¡¯s side as an aunt instead of this. She threw away everything to pursue Weston, leaving herself with nothing to fall back in. He shunned her away easily, leaving her with no room to retreat. Ste watched Daisy fleeing and tsked twice. She shook her head and turned to Weston. ¡°Such a poor thing. Shouldn¡¯t you go after her and check on her?¡± Weston rubbed his temple. ¡°Who else can I go after but you?¡± Ste propped her chin in her palm. She could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯re actually quitepatible with her. Well, she has been pursuing you for years. Why don¡¯t you consider her?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re my girlfriend now. I have a girlfriend, so I shouldn¡¯t be looking at other women.¡± Speechless, Ste frowned. ¡°How many times do I need to exin this? We¡¯re not in a rtionship!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think.¡± Weston said, ¡°I¡¯ve agreed to all your conditions. In any signed contract, there¡¯s a price to pay for breach of contract. It¡¯s the same for a verbal promise too.¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, fine. Tell me. How much is the breach of contract?¡± ¡°The breach of contract is¡­¡± Weston stood up and walked to her. He braced his arms on the table and cornered her in his reach. ¡°Give me another child.¡± Ste looked up at him, speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. She felt a little thirsty and stood up to get some water, but Weston put out a hand and stopped her from getting up. Instead, he poured a ss of water over her and put it in front of her. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ste epted it and took a sip to hydrate herself. Then, she said to him, ¡°You should know. I don¡¯t even have the patience to see you now, let alone have children with you. Please stop making these absurd conditions anymore.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± Weston said leisurely, ¡°I won¡¯t give you a hard time, but you¡¯ll have to give me custody rights either to Emma or Elias.¡± Ste widened her eyes in disbelief and stood up sharply. ¡°Dream on!¡± In a blur of rage, she suddenly sshed the ss of water all over Weston. Weston did not dodge and was drenched as a result. Water dripped from his ck hair, but he continued looking at Ste steadily with no hint of anger. He simply looked at her calmly. Then, he picked up a tissue and wiped himself gently. ¡°Does this make you feel better?¡± Ste gritted her teeth and ced the ss heavily on the table. She shut her eyes in anger. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, don¡¯t even think aboutying a hand on Emma and Elias!¡± Emma and Elias were Weston¡¯s own flesh and blood. Ste would no longer deny that fact. She knew this day woulde when she decided toe back. Part of the reason behind Ste¡¯s return was that she wanted Emma and Elias to know their origins. She did not want to stay in hiding overseas anymore. Ste wanted to live in the world openly without hiding around. However, if Weston tried to snatch either of her children away, she would fight him to the death! Emma and Elias were her absolute bottom line. Chapter 1335 Chapter 1335 Chapter 1335 ¡°You don¡¯t want to give me a child, but you don¡¯t want to give me Emma and Elias either. What do you want from me?¡± Weston threw the used tissue in the trash and looked at Ste with a gentle expression. ¡°Tell me. What should I do? Hm?¡± Ste took a deep breath and calmed down. She pointed to the door, ¡°You may leave. Goodbye.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Weston did not leave and just stood there. After that, he walked to her and kissed her hand. ¡°Since you don¡¯t agree to either of the two conditions I put forward, you¡¯re still my girlfriend. I hope you¡¯re clear about that.¡± Weston said the most annoying words to Ste in the most gentle tone. ¡°Get out now!¡± Ste widened her eyes at him in disbelief, her emotions spiraling out of control. Weston ced the flowers he had retrieved from the trash in front of her. After a short pause, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll come again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ste turned her back to him, not wanting to see his face. The years had left few traces on Ste¡¯s face. Instead, they added a mature charm to her. Ste was still very young but no longer as naive as she was. In fact, she had only be more charming. Weston took a few nces at her and finally turned to leave. For the next few days, Ste would see Weston in the studio. He was happy to be in her presence every day. Despite how much she rejected Weston and drove him away, Weston remained determined. He kept clinging to Ste and refused to stop. Ste knew she would have to talk to him about this one day. Just a few days ago, she was furious and wanted to get rid of him. After that, Weston came every day and continued annoying her. As time passed by, Ste got tired of it and let him be. On this day, she came to work as usual. Every morning, Weston would depart her house and take her to work. She would not take his car, so he followed her. He came to pick her up early at the end of the day. She did not want to talk to him, so he continued following her without bothering her. He kept following her just like a shadow. Ste could not stand it anymore. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just want to pursue you again.¡± Weston said brazenly, ¡°Even though you¡¯re already my girlfriend.¡± Weston seemed to take this matter very seriously and stressed it again and again. Ste took a deep breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t take any advantage of you! And I¡¯m not your girlfriend!¡± ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll give you the benefits immediately.¡® ¡°People who really want to give won¡¯t ask others if they want it or not.¡± Weston frowned slightly. ¡°I want to give it to you, but I still need your signature. I have everything ready. I just need you to sign your name. I¡¯ll give you everything, but what can I do without your signature?¡± Ste paused a little and shut up. That was true, but she was trying to push him away with these words. She did not expect to choke at his refutation and got a little angry. Ste red at him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then get out!¡± Chapter 1336 Chapter 1336 Chapter 1336 Weston stopped talking and followed her around in silence. A few more days went by, and Ste could bear it no longer. ¡°I know what¡¯s on your mind. It¡¯s Emma and Elias, isn¡¯t it? I can talk to you about their custody,¡± she told Weston. Weston¡¯s face remained normal at first, but a frown surfaced as soon as he heard thetter half of the sentence. ¡°What are you saying?¡± I¡¯ll always have custody. There¡¯s no doubt about it. Ste said, ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m negotiating with you. If you disagree, there¡¯s no point in going any further. Weston pressed his temple. ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll always have custody. They¡¯ll always be your children. I won¡¯t take them from you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you even think of it!¡± Ste red at him. ¡°I still have the Garcia family on my side. Even if you try, you won¡¯t seed!¡± ¡°You can try me.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight for custody?¡± Ste suddenly got a little angry and pped his hand away. ¡°We have nothing left to talk about.¡± Weston let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t go along with your words or speak against your words. Tell me. What should I do?¡± ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t even meet me!¡± Weston said, ¡°Anything but this.¡± Ste nced at the file Roger sent and told Weston, Something has happened at Compassvale. I might have to go back¡­¡± Weston¡¯s face changed at once. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ste frowned at Weston. She was somewhat unhappy with the possessiveness he exuded at all times. ¡± I go wherever I want to go. Why do I need your permission?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Weston suddenly hugged her from behind and softened his voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t like those flowers I sent you, I won¡¯t do it again. Don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too narcissistic?¡± Ste frowned and pushed his hand away with some amusement. She sat down again and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Compassvale to see Emma and Elias. What does that have to do with you?¡± Weston paused a little and said to her gently, ¡°When are you going? I want toe along.¡± ¡°Why are youing along?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯m their father. It¡¯s my legal right to see them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ste did not refute him on this point. She also hoped that Emma and Elias could get their father¡¯s love. ¡°I have custody, but I won¡¯t stop you from meeting them as their father. Besides¡­¡± Ste paused briefly and gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°Your family is already aware of Emma and Elias¡¯s existence. Warren has secretly sent their hair samples for DNA testing¡­¡± Chapter 1337 Chapter 1337 Chapter 1337 Weston¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°When did that happen?¡± Ste looked at him with interest. ¡°Right. You got into trouble in the snowy mountains and almost died. You probably didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Warren is probably afraid of your death or permanenta. In that case, his family won¡¯t be able to continue the legacy. That¡¯s why they shifted their focus on Emma and Elias.¡± ¡°Warren is quite patient. He didn¡¯t act after meeting me thest time. I thought he¡¯d given up on that, but when you were hospitalized, he immediately had a paternity test done on you and the children. Maybe he was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t wake up again. At least, you might have two children.¡± Weston let out a breath. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of that¡­¡® ¡°Of course not. You were in a critical condition at that time. Everyone thought you were going to die.¡± Weston suddenly looked at Ste steadily. ¡°What about you? When you thought I was going to die, were you d? You could finally get rid of me. I wouldn¡¯t keep bugging you anymore and annoy you again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re aware.¡± Ste stood up and walked to him, looking at him with indifferent eyes. ¡°I thought you werepletely oblivious to how annoying and bothersome you are.¡± Weston¡¯s gaze flickered a little. For the first time, he felt indescribable pain in his heart. So this was how it felt to be seen in this way by the one he loved. Weston tugged at the corner of his mouth and suddenly remembered the past with a bitter smile. Weston treated Ste the same way when they were still married. Whenever he was impatient with her, he would never hide it. He was never considerate and did not care about her emotions. It must have been hard for her. Whatever treatment she gave him at the moment was his own fault. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Grandpa would do this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Weston had never thought of doing a paternity test with Emma and Elias. The first time he saw them, he knew they had to be his children. There was no other possibility. Ste crossed her arms and looked at him with a meaningful smile. ¡°You¡¯d better go to Warren¡¯s and find out if the children are really yours.¡± ¡°Ste. Please, don¡¯t casually joke about this.¡± Weston looked at her helplessly. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Of course. Warren has already confirmed it, so there¡¯s no need to do more.¡± Ste would always fight back against everything Weston said at the moment. Weston had gotten used to her treatment. ¡°Is that partially why Emma and Elias are going to Compassvale?¡± Ste nodded and looked at him, feeling a little funny. ¡± You¡¯re not that dense. You were in aa at that time. I was unable to see, and I was worried about letting Roger take care of them both in the country.¡± ¡°I was in a dilemma at first. I couldn¡¯t bear to part with Emma and Elias and didn¡¯t want them to go abroad either, but I didn¡¯t think Warren would do something like this right under my nose.¡± ¡°He could have told me, and I wouldn¡¯t have refused him. It was just a paternity test. I¡¯m not a fool, but I didn¡¯t expect him to do this without my consent. I felt a crisis and didn¡¯t want Emma and Elias to live under such circumstances, so I had Roger take them back to Compassvale¡­¡± If Weston had really passed away at that time, Ste would never let Emma and Eliase back here again. Maybe she still believed in her heart that Weston would never do anything to hurt them, whether out of guilt or something else. She trusted Weston not to let Warren steal her two children as long as she asked. However, things would not have been so rosy if he had died. With Warren¡¯s personality, his guilt would notst any longer than Weston¡¯s. His guilt would not be any stronger than Weston¡¯s either. Chapter 1338 Chapter 1338 Chapter 1338 Warren might be superficially polite to her, but with his only grandson dead, Emma and Elias would be his only heirs. Thus, the Ford family would do everything in their power to fight her for custody. Fortunately, Weston¡¯s death didn¡¯te true. Ste originally felt a little guilty for not saving him in the snowy mountains and choosing Roger instead. However, she was relieved to see him well and alive again. At least Weston had less to lose than she did. Ste had lost a child before. After learning she could no longer have children, she went through countless days. and nights of pain and despair. ¡°You made the right choice,¡± Weston said to her. Knowing Warren¡¯s personality, Weston stood up and looked at her steadily. ¡°You protected them both very well. You¡¯ve worked hard in the past three years.¡± Weston dragged Ste to go shopping before her departure to Compassvale. She wanted to refuse at first, but he insisted on it. Ste wondered how Weston¡¯s character had changed so much in the past three years. He became very shameless. Although still a quiet man as before, he was so annoying whenever he spoke that Ste thought he was better off mute. ¡°Didn¡¯t you talk about getting some presents for Emma and Elias? Why are you taking me to shop for clothes?¡± Ste frowned at him. Weston took her to arge mall where she was able to enjoy the entire space for herself. She could shop at any clothing store she wanted. Many designers in the custom clothing stores were staring at them from inside the store. Weston told her, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen them in a while. Don¡¯t you want to look good?¡± Ste rolled her eyes at him. Shopping seemed to be a woman¡¯s nature. Although impatient with Weston, she was happy with the beautiful clothes. During her three years abroad, she was very conscious of her fashion. Shopping was indeed a great way to reduce stress. Whenever Ste showed any interest in the clothes, Weston told the store assistant to pack all the clothes Ste saw. Ste could not help but say to him, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so extravagant.¡± ¡°I earned all this money for you to spend.¡± Weston told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you buy everything here, it won¡¯t affect the number of digits on my card.¡± Ste was lost for words. ¡®Fine, okay. He¡¯s rich,¡± Ste said. She wasn¡¯t bothered to reason with his wasteful behavior anymore.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Ste wanted to leave after shopping for clothes, but Weston stopped her. He put his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, ¡°Did you forget? We have to buy gifts for Emma and Elias. I don¡¯t know what they like, so go with me and pick them out. Hm?¡± Ste was going to say no, but when she thought it was for Emma and Elias, she nodded in agreement. ¡°You want to be their Daddy, but you didn¡¯t even prepare for something like this. Are you sincere?¡± Although Ste agreed, she still had toin about Weston. Westonughed. ¡°Collecting information is just another skill at hand. I can easily find out anything I want to, but Emma and Elias are our children. Do you think anyone else would know them better than you? Even if I asked, you wouldn¡¯t necessarily tell me, would you?¡± Ste grunted and ignored his reasoning. Weston looked her in the eyes and said, ¡°But you can teach me. No one knows them better than you. Tell me what they like to eat and do. You can teach me slowly, okay?¡± Although Weston was talking about Emma and Elias, Ste somehow felt he held another meaning behind his words. Chapter 1339 Chapter 1339 Chapter 1339 Ste gritted her teeth and pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying! If you want to buy them gifts, do it. Stop insinuating.¡± Weston chuckled softly. His chest slowly vibrated with gentleughter. Ste snorted and went to pick out the gifts. Emma was just like her and liked beautiful things too. Therefore, Ste went to the jewelry shop and bought some jewelry for Emma. Weston was very generous. He bought everything that Ste looked at the counter. The store assistants¡® eyes lit up at their arrival. They were very attentive when servicing them. Ste sighed. After that, she went to see what Elias liked. Ste bought a few sets of clothes for both Emma and Elias. She thought about the children¡¯s quick growth spurt and did not buy too much. Otherwise, it would be a waste. Weston, however, told her, ¡°My son and daughter should wear the best and use the best. I¡¯m capable. Don¡¯t let the children suffer.¡± Ste looked at him helplessly. ¡°Is being thrifty a suffering? Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯ve been treating your children badly for the past three years.¡± Weston suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her intently. His gaze was deep with some unspoken emotions. Ste was slightly frightened by his inexplicable gaze and took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Weston exhaled and rasped to her, ¡°That was the first time you admitted Emma and Elias as my children.¡± Ste took a deep breath and looked at him like a fool. Then, she turned and walked away. Weston followed behind her, carrying the shopping bags. When Ben came along, Weston let Ben carry them and walked Ste around a few times. Although a little impatient at first, Ste soonpletely indulged herself in shopping. Women would never get tired of shopping. Ben was a little freaked out at how much Ste could shop. Whenever he thought she was about to be done, she would immediately head to the next store in excitement. It waste when she walked out of the mall. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ben said to Weston with a slightly frightened face, ¡°Mr. Ford, why didn¡¯t I know about Mrs. Ford¡¯s strong stamina before?¡± Weston gave him a cold re and said in a ruthless tone,¡± What does her stamina has to do with you?¡± Ben was rendered speechless. He withdrew his gaze in disbelief and thought, ¡®Do you have to be so possessive? How can I have any thoughts about Mrs. Ford? Do you have to be so rmed?¡® Even so, Ben could understand Weston¡¯s feelings. After all, Weston and Ste had been separated for three years. Weston even thought Ste had died. Thus, he would surely cherish his beloved upon her sudden return, afraid she would be taken away again. Ben could understand it. Ste was so tired from shopping all day and took off her high heels in the car. Weston naturally took her feet and put them on his knee, massaging them for her. She wanted to withdraw her feet, but he was so good at massaging. His pressure was gentle and comfortable. She was too tired to think and let him continue to massage her feet. She was the one enjoying it anyway. Fortunately, Ste was wearing jeans. Although simple and neat, they entuated the shape of her legs nicely. Her feet remained in Weston¡¯s palms. When pressing her slightly sore muscles, Weston¡¯s gaze turned obscure. Chapter 1340 Chapter 1340 Chapter 1340 Ste was a little tired from working, so she closed her eyes and leaned back against the window. Soon, she was drifting off to sleep because of thefortable massage. Even so, Weston did not stop and kept massaging her. It was just rare to see her so defenseless to him. Weston did not take advantage of the situation. Ste opened her eyes in a daze and looked at him for a few moments. ¡°Wake me up when we get home, okay? I¡¯m going home.¡± Weston chuckled softly and did not stop moving his hands. He held her calves and moved upwards slowly.¡± What? Are you worried about what I might do to you?¡± Hearing that, Ste woke up from her sleep. She propped herself and red at him. ¡°Do you dare to?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Weston said kindly. ¡°With the way you¡¯re treating me now, I won¡¯t have a chance if I dare to lock you up again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ste snorted sarcastically and said, ¡°You never had a chance with me. However, if you dare to do anything to me, I¡¯ll never forgive you ever again! Not in this life or the next life!¡± ¡°What a heavy punishment.¡± Weston looked straight in the eyes and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll never force you to do anything against your will ever again.¡± Hearing that, Ste closed her eyes and leaned against the car window as if she was going to fall asleep. As the car drove by, the shadow and scenery outside the window flew backward. Unlike the noisy and lively traffic outside, it was serene and peaceful inside. The privacy screen was raised by the smart driver, who refrained from peeking at the two¡¯s quiet time together. Weston watched Ste soundly asleep. It was a beautiful and romantic scene as the lights that shed by reflected off her face. Weston lowered his head and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Ste frowned a little and muttered discontentedly. Then, she rolled over again with her eyes closed. Weston made her morefortable and simply let her lie in his arms. Maybe Ste felt a little ufortable sleeping against the car window. When Ste felt something softer, she naturallyy down in his arms. Weston held her like a cherished treasure and kissed the tip of her nose. When his kiss trailed to her lips, he could barely resist the urge to pry her lips open and go deeper to taste her sweetness. However, when he thought of what she had just said, he had no choice but to stop abruptly. He pressed his forehead against hers and panted. ¡°You really know how to torment me¡­¡± Atst, they arrived at the apartment. Weston carried Ste into the elevator and watched the numbers slowly rise to the floor where Ste was staying. He moved a little with a slightly dark gaze. He should send her back because of Ste¡¯s temper, but he hesitated. Weston saw how Ste was deeply asleep. Joan was back visiting her family. Could Ste take care of herself with her alone in the house? Thus, he told himself that this was not against their agreement. After all, he could not just stand by and leave Ste in the house alone. It was not safe. Many cases of home invasion and robbery were reported on the news. Those criminals might be hiding somewhere, secretly watching her. He certainly could not leave her in such a dangerous situation. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Without thinking further, Weston pressed the button to another floor and took Ste straight back to his apartment. Weston had just moved in not long ago. There was no women¡¯s stuff in the ce. Ste wore his big slippers, which were loosely dangling on her feet. As soon as Weston picked her up, the slippers fell off the floor. Ste frowned and muttered in her sleep. She even tapped on Weston¡¯s shoulder as if he was making too much noise and disturbing her sleep. Chapter 1341 Chapter 1341 Chapter 1341 Weston instantly held his breath and slowed down his movements as he let her lean against his chest in a morefortable way. It was only when Ste fell back to sleep again that he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the master bedroom before gently cing her down on the king- sized bed. Weston was an incurable germaphobe, so he would never lie in his own bed before taking a shower, but Ste was always an exception to his every rule. In his eyes, she was always pure and clean. There was a sound of rushing watering from the bathroom. Weston stared at the woman in front of him, who was deep in sleep. For the very first time in his life, he was stumped by a great challenge¨Chow could he quickly give Ste a bath without waking her up? He frowned, looked down at the urgent situation between his legs, and sighed. With enormous self¨Crestraint, he gave her a quick bath, swiftly wrapped her up in a towel, and tossed her back onto the bed. 1 Ste was in such a deep sleep that she only responded by frowning, snorting briefly, and turning over before falling back to sleep, hugging a pillow. Weston gazed at her sweet sleeping face and sighed helplessly. The sound of flowing water from the bathroom continued for a long time. Weston¡¯s tall and muscr build cast a long shadow on the ss surface. After a very long time, he gulped in the air and let out a long, relieved sigh. His tense body finally rxed. His hand was tightly balled up into a fist and was leaning against the wall. His arm was lined with bulging veins. He lowered his head. A droplet of water dripped from his inky ck hair andnded near his feet. He snatched a towel and wrapped it around his waist, and strode out from the bathroom. Ste was already fast asleep. Weston wiped himself dry and pulled up the nket before sliding into the bed. He then wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her into his arms. Ste was perhaps attracted to the lingering coolness of his body as he just came out of the shower. She sighedfortably and nuzzled against his body. ¡°You¡¯re always so good at tormenting me,¡± he murmured huskily, his dark eyes fixed on her. It was unclear what Ste was doing at the time, but for some reason, there was a hint of a smile on her face. Weston¡¯s body tensed up from the sight. He leaned down on her head and sighed, ¡°So you¡¯re happy right now, huh?¡± He stroked her silky hair and gently pressed her back against his body. ¡°Do you have any idea how desperate of a situation I¡¯m in right now?¡± he asked. But the only reply he got was the gentle rustling sound of her breathing. He had endured the long midsummer day, and by that time, it was almost midnight, so even Weston eventually fell asleep too. It was by far the calmest and deepest sleep that he had ever had in the past three years. He held Ste tightly in his arms, breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair. It was the scent that he had been pining for in the past three years¨Cover a thousand sleepless nights. Yet, now that she really was right there in his arms, he found the whole thing surreal and wondered if it was actually happening. He lived through long, endless years, searching in every tormented dream, but there was no Ste. The dream felt too real, so real that he thought he was not in a dream at all but was instead in a realistic projection of his deepest fears. He was ecstatic when he suddenly found Steing back from the dead, but before he had enough time to enjoy the pleasure of getting something that he once thought was forever lost, he was hurled into another scene¨CSnow Mountain. Weston and Roger were both buried underground, but only one of them had the chance to survive. He saw the pretty face that he¡¯d been thinking about for days and nights appearing in front of him. She was still so heartbreakingly beautiful, yet the words that came out of her mouth chilled him to the bones. She told him that she would choose Roger, that she R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only wanted to save Roger, and that she wanted to abandon him here. Chapter 1342 Chapter 1342 Chapter 1342 She did not even turn back to look at him once when sh? walked away. She just took Roger¡¯s hand, and they both disappeared together, leaving him alone underneath the frigid and frozen Snow Mountain. The snow eroded his skin as he was buried underground, exposing him to the piercing cold that prated his bones. But none of that wasparable to the pain he felt from being abandoned by Ste. He wanted to scream her name, but his voice would not escape his throat. Even his tears were frozen solid in his eyes. He watched helplessly as Ste receded into the distance, leaving him there without hesitation. It felt like someone had pierced a dagger through his heart and twisted it. Ste had gotten further and further away from him¡­ As he was trapped in his icy prison, Ste had reached a ce where spring had arrived, and the flowers were blooming. The thickyers of clothes on her body gradually disappeared, transforming instead into a delicate white wedding dress. The man beside her was wearing a ck suit. They seemed to be each other¡¯s perfect match. They were now a newly married couple, embarking on a new chapter in their lives. Yet Weston remained in the same spot. The only ce he wanted to be had already been upied by another man¡­ Don¡¯t be with him¡­ Don¡¯t be with anyone else¡­ Weston was screaming those words in his mind, but no one could hear him. He was buried deep beneath the cold Snow Mountain. All that was left of him was the faint sound of his pitiful sobs. In the end, he watched helplessly as Ste ran into another man¡¯s arms. They then went on to live a long and blissful life together without him, filling their happy home with many children and grandchildren. Decadester, when her hair had all turned white, Ste ended uppletely forgetting Weston. As she sat on her rocking chair, reminiscing about her past, he became a small insignificant part of her memory or perhaps she might disdain him too much to even remember him. She had lived a perfect life with another man. His children were calling someone else their father. The next morning, when Ste woke up, she suddenly found herself lying in an unfamiliar bed. She turned around and saw that familiar face in front of her. She was startled. She had to cover her mouth just in time to stop herself from making a noise. What was he doing here? She held her breath. Then she rushed to look down at her body and found that she was stark naked! She hurriedly checked her whole body and found no marks. She also did not feel weird anywhere. She was not sore, nor were there any signs of hickeys. She breathed a sigh of relief. But she was still a little angry. Even though this man did nothing to herst night, he still took her to his ce despite her repeated pleading to wake her up when they reached the apartment. Ste clenched her fists. She was just about to wake him up when she suddenly noticed something was wrong with Weston. He was frowning deeply. His strong, handsome brows seemed worn by a feeling of indescribable sorrow and vulnerability. He looked as if he was having a nightmare. Ste found this incredibly surprising. Could ruthless and unfeeling men like Weston Ford have nightmares too? Or perhaps he was dreaming that his business rivals were chasing after him or trying to assassinate him? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She turned over and stared at him. Seeing that he was showing no signs of waking up, she shook her head and pulled the nket off her body before climbing out of bed. She then found her clothes carelessly strewn on the floor and dripping wet. Chapter 1343 Chapter 1343 Chapter 1343 She picked up the clothes and discovered that they were impossible to wear in such a state. She could not help but re at the man sleeping in bed before stuffing her clothes into the dryer. Ste took a quick tour around the apartment and found that it contained no items that might belong to a woman. For some reason, this discovery relieved her, considering she had nothing to do with Weston anymore. After she was done with all that, Weston still remained sleeping. She looked at how deeply he was sleeping and decided not to wake him up, and just walked out of the room. She looked around for his study because she wanted to use hisputer. It ended up being very easy to find because the apartment had Weston¡¯s usual favoriteyout, and since Ste had spent years living with him in the past, she was naturally familiar with his preferences. She opened the door and was instantly faced with a wall densely covered with photos. She was rooted to the spot and just stood there at the door, not taking a single step inside. Even from a distance, she could clearly see that the wall was covered with photos of her. Stunned, she stood there in a daze. It took her a long time before she regained her senses. Finally, she closed the door behind her and took furtive steps into the room. In the center of the wall was a picture of their wedding. In fact, they did not have any official wedding pictures taken at all when they got married the first time. Their wedding had been extremely simple and ad¨Choc because Weston was merely using it as a tool to free himself from his father¡¯s control. Weston did exinter that he did not marry Ste because of Guinevere Cohen, and it was surely not to make Guinevere jealous and crawl back to him. Nevertheless, he could not deny that the marriage was an act of defiance on his part, as it was his way of telling his family he refused to walk down the pathid out for him by his father. He also had no intention of taking the me for his father, nor did he want to spend the rest of his life with a woman he did not love. Ultimately, their marriage was only Weston¡¯s way of controlling his own destiny. But he still had to give in and go along with his father¡¯s n in the end because Guinevere had gotten pregnant- with Chris Ford¡¯s child. He was then forced to marry the woman who was the mother of his half¨Cbrother. As Ste thought of this, she began to understand what Weston had to go through. Had she been in his ce, she was not sure what choices she would have made. She was not even convinced that she could do any better than he did. It was only because Weston had terribly hurt her that she just could not find a way to let go of all the pain he had caused her. After all, the breakdown of their marriage hade at an excruciatingly painful cost¨Cthe death of her unborn child. Every time she saw Weston¡¯s face, she was reminded of the tragic loss of her own flesh and blood and the unbearable sorrow that came with it. As she slowly walked into the room, she noticed that the wedding photo was one that they had taken after Weston had forced her to stay in Stardust Mansion. Ste had lost all her feelings for Weston by then, but as she was still forced to do as he wished, the result was the very awkward smile on her face in the photo. It was very obvious that there was no sincerity. She remembered how even the photographer had asked her to act more naturally and try to look more sincere back then. But that only made Weston angry at the photographer. His face quickly darkened, and he demanded to get a different photographer right away. All the events in that period felt so distant from her current life, almost as if they had happened in a different lifetime, even though it had only been three years ago. Apart from the wedding photo, there were many more pictures of her that Weston had taken without her knowledge. She was smiling brightly like a blooming flower in some of them. In others, her smiles were fake as she was obviously only trying to appease him. In some pictures, she waspletely expressionless, while in others, she looked sad and gloomy¡­ There were so many photos there, and they all shared one thing inmon¨Cher. She wasn¡¯t even familiar with some of those photos. She was not sure when or why she ever showed the N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. expressions disyed there. There were even some photos of her blushing deeply, which were obviously taken when she was losing control of herself¡­ But among that wall of pictures, none of them had been taken during their first year of marriage. Weston seemed to have sneakily taken all these photos when Ste was locked up in Stardust Mansion after their divorce. It looked like Weston fell hopelessly in love with her during that time. But when did his feelings start to develop? Ste went on to stare at the pictures and noticed one that caught her eye. It was the only photo that was taken in their first year of marriage. She was in the kitchen, but she was not wearing an apron. Instead, it looked like she had just got back from somewhere else. She seemed to be in a rush and did not have the time to tie up her hair yet, and it casually draped down on her back. She was holding a tomato in her hands, which she was washing in the sink. She had no idea why Weston would take that picture of her. Chapter 1344 Chapter 1344 Chapter 1344 No matter how she looked at it, she simply couldn¡¯t find anything special about this photo. Her eyes gradually moved down and stopped right in the center of the wall, where there were some pictures taken during their first meeting after their divorce. There were also pictures of her in the hospital and, even more surprisingly, those of her on the film set. Those still photos of her during the shooting were especially rming because even the production crew might not have them, let alone an outsider like Weston. Yet somehow, they were right there on the wall. She had no idea how he managed to procure them, considering that those were clear pictures of her alone and had no one else in them. Ste stood there staring at the pictures on the wall. She could not tell exactly what she was feeling right now. Ultimately, she no longer wanted to stay in that room anymore. She felt the urge to get out of there out of embarrassment. She returned to the master bedroom and discovered that Weston had not yet woken up. Shey down beside him and stared at his face. After a while, Weston slowly opened his eyes. Ste quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Her breathing was stable now, and she could feel Weston¡¯s gaze ring down on her. Weston was not as startled as she was when he woke up. She could not sense any movements from him at all. Ste was a little nervous now. She had no idea why she was pretending to be asleep, much less why she was so afraid to open her eyes and look at him. She could feel Weston¡¯s breath getting closer and closer to her. She was conflicted, unsure whether she should pretend to wake up now, but in the next moment, before she could do anything, she felt him lifting her chin. Ste was well aware of what this meant. She quickly opened her eyes, pretending that she had just woken up, and was startled to see him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She pushed him away with some repulsion. She looked around frantically and acted surprised that she was not in her own room. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± Ste asked, pretending to be anguished. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wake me up? Why would you do this?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Before she could finish her sentence, he held her chin in ce and kissed her. His kiss felt desperate, so desperate that it was verging on heartrending. Sensing this, Ste gazed into his eyes, only to see them filled with resentment and sorrow. Ste had no idea why he would act so wildly as soon as he woke up. He was so mad that he ended up biting her lips till he could taste her blood. At that point, Ste could no longer take it anymore, and she began to fight back violently¡­ p! After being struck across his face, Weston finally stopped. He was still panting heavily, but the burning severity in his eyes had faded a little. He stared fixedly at Ste, then pulled her into his arms and pressed her back against his body. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave me from now on¡­¡± he murmured hoarsely. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Ste responded in puzzlement. She tried to push him away, only for him to hold her even more tightly now. ¡°I just had a dream that you¡¯d gotten together with Roger,¡± he told her. ¡°You got married to him and raised Elias and Emma together. Then you never return, and I never see you again¡­¡± Ste was speechless. After falling silent for a long time, she finally took a deep breath and told him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never be with Roger no matter what.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes lit up, but he did not have much time to rejoice before Ste emphatically added, ¡°But I might find the kids a stepfather one day. Not in the next few years, of course. But I will find a man I like who is also epted by the kids.¡± Hush fell in the room after she spoke. It was silent for so long that Ste even thought Weston might not want to talk to her anymore. She could see so many conflicting emotions in his eyes, but she no longer had the desire to try to understand him now. Now, she only found the situation a little awkward. She pulled the nket off her body and softly said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll put on my clothes now. Thank you for taking care of me yesterday, and I won¡¯t trouble you again.¡± Chapter 1345 Chapter 1345 Chapter 1345 ¡°Do I need to dig out my heart for you so you would finally believe me?¡± Weston coldly asked behind her. Ste paused, sighed, then replied, ¡°You know that I never wanted your heart anyway.¡± Weston drew a sharp breath, and the air surrounding his body turned frosty. Ste looked out the window. The sun was already shining outside, and since it was summer, the weather must be pretty warm, yet for some reason, the room felt extremely cold. She could feel goosebumps rise on her skin and all over her legs. Even without looking back at him, she could feel his icy gaze on her body very palpably, and his gaze was so cold that she dared not open her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯ll be with another man and let the kids call him Daddy?¡± She nodded. ¡°That day wille. Someday,¡± she said. ¡°Do I really not have another chance at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times before,¡± she replied. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you saying that you won¡¯t give me another chance even though you¡¯ll never find another man who loves you as much as I do, even though I¡¯m apletely different man and know how to love you properly now, even though I¡¯m willing to do anything at all just so you¡¯d give me another chance?¡± Ste paused for a very long time. She gritted her teeth and finally slowly replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s over between us.¡± After that, she picked up her clothes that were strewn on the floor and left. Thus, from that day onward, Weston stoppeding to find her. They had agreed to visit Elias and Emma in Compassvale together earlier, but Ste was no longer sure if he still wanted to go now. Perhaps he was so hurt by what she said that morning that he was no longer willing to chase after her anymore. She knew that Weston was a very proud man. It would bepletely out of character for him to keep on running after her even after being so bluntly rejected. She knew all along that he would eventually give up on her one day. Nevertheless, an indescribable feeling rose in her heart now that he waspletely gone. She felt a little empty somehow, though she never mulled over it. After focusing her mind on her work, she quickly forgot about him. Afterward, she saw so many people and did so many things that thoughts about Weston were soon pushed to the very back of her mind. She then bought her own flight ticket and told Roger that she would be in Compassvale soon to see Elias and Emma. But when she got to the airport, she saw the familiar figure approaching her again. Surprised, she stood very still. Before she could react, Weston had already walked up and picked up the suitcase in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked when he noticed Ste standing stiffly. Ste shook her head and exined, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to go anymore.¡± He had not contacted her, so she took it to mean that he had given up on her and did not want to see her anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Weston looked away, afraid to look into her eyes, ¡°but I still want to see the kids. Is that okay with you?¡± He spoke very cautiously and with evident humility. ¡°Well,¡± Ste¡¯s brows knitted, ¡°I did promise you that you could see them. You¡¯re their father no matter what, and I won¡¯t deny that.¡± She had thought it through now and decided that whatever was going on between them, their children must not be dragged into the mess. If he wanted to see them, he had a right to do so as their father. She would not stop him since it was his duty to fulfill as a parent N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. anyway. ¡°Okay,¡± Weston nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll also make sure to transfer child support payments to your ount every month.¡± Since Ste refused to ept ownership of Ford Corporation, it meant finding another way topensate her. Chapter 1346 Chapter 1346 Chapter 1346 Ste made no more objections after what he said. As Elias and Emma¡¯s father, he had a duty to raise them in the first ce. Still, she would never give up her full custody of her kids to him. Once they got on the ne, Ste put on an eye mask and was prepared to rest well since she did not sleep wellst night. Meanwhile, Weston just sat next to her and gazed at her face. The flight was a smooth and quiet one. The stewardess hade over to ask Weston if he needed anything several times, only to be politely refused every time. As a man who had graced the cover of financial magazines many times before, no one who worked in the various domestic airlines did not know who Weston Ford was. Some flight attendants liked going after rich men like him, and they were naturally very familiar with him since he was a wealthy and eligible bachelor, after all. Very few of them would not be able to recognize him on sight. Soon, a group of stewardesses got together, gossiping with each other about him in hushed voices. Some of them took their work seriously and did not join the group, but they still could not help but nce at him a few times, even though they had no hidden intentions. Minutes before the nended, Ste woke up and took off her mask. She turned around and saw Weston gazing fixedly at her. Stunned, she asked him, ¡°Did you not get any sleep at all?¡± Weston nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s been such a long flight,¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You should¡¯ve gotten some sleep, at least. You¡¯ll be seeing Elias and Emma right after the nends, and you¡¯ll be exhausted then.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he replied. ¡°I got enough restst night. ¡°In fact,¡± he added, looking into her eyes, ¡°I had the best sleep in my lifest night.¡± Ste looked away and ignored him after that. She got up to her feet and got ready to leave. Once she got off the ne, Ste could see Weston¡¯s eyes following her on every reflective surface. His eyes were so glued on her that she was beginning to feel ufortable. He kept looking at her as if he would never peel his eyes off of her body, and she was beginning to get goosebumps because of it. He didn¡¯t actually lose his mind, did he? She was suddenly reminded of how he used to lock her in Stardust Mansion, forbidding her to go out or see anyone else. up Ste started to worry that Weston might return to being like that again. So far, he had been extremely gentle andpliant with her, heeding her every request and never opposing her in any way, but she still could not trust himpletely. After all, he used to be so demented and possessive back then that no one could control him. As she got off the ne, she quickly saw Roger with Elias and Emma from afar, who were all waiting for her. Ste¡¯s eyes lit up. She ran towards them happily. ¡°Mommy misses you guys so much!¡± she cried, holding them both in her arms before kissing them on their cheeks. ¡°Did you guys miss Mommy?¡± ¡°We miss you very much too!¡± Emma wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s neck and kissed her cheek repeatedly. Elias was a lot more reserved. He just nuzzled up against her neck without saying anything, hugging her tightly and never letting her go. Roger watched as the little family reunited, beaming with happiness. Chapter 1347 Chapter 1347 Chapter 1347 ¡°When these two kids just got here, they¡¯d ask me when they could see Mommy again every day. They¡¯d even bawl their eyes out all the time¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste raised her head to look at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Because if I told you about it,¡± Roger sighed, ¡°then you¡¯d drop everything and rush back to Compassvale. I just didn¡¯t want to trouble you, that¡¯s all¡­¡± As he spoke, he suddenly noticed Weston Ford behind Ste. His face grew severe, and he stepped forward to stand between Weston, Ste, and the kids. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Roger demanded, ring at Weston with a look of apparent hostility, his eyes burning with resentment and displeasure. Weston paused, but he did not even bother to look at Roger. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Ste, who was busy hugging the two kids. This softened his expressions considerably, and with a soft voice, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to see the kids.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve got nothing to do with you!¡± snapped Roger, oblivious to the fact that Ste had admitted that Weston was the kids¡® father. He sneered and added, ¡°You must¡¯ve forgotten that I told you these two kids only belonged to Ste and the Garcia family, haven¡¯t you? If you think that they¡¯ve got any connection to you, then I can tell you that you¡¯re being delusional!¡± After speaking, he nced at Ste and gave her a conflicted look. She stood up and whispered to him, ¡°I told him the truth, Roger¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Roger¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He stared at her and asked, ¡°When did you do that? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something that we can hide forever anyway,¡± Ste replied in a hushed voice, looking down. ¡°Besides, he really is their father, and we can¡¯t deny that. I just want the kids to decide for themselves when they grow up.¡± Roger took a deep breath. ¡°But they¡¯re still so young!¡± he argued. ¡°What do they know? Besides, I see no point in letting them ept a man like him as their father even when they grow up!¡± Ste sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d made the right decision either¡­¡± she told him, massaging the point between her brows. Seeing her looking conflicted softened Roger¡¯s expressions. He then turned to give Weston a stern look before warning him, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re their biological father! Let me remind you that it was you who had abandoned them yourself back then, just like how you abandoned your first child! So don¡¯t even dream of trying to get closer to them!¡± Their first child would forever be the wall of pain between Ste and Weston. Once Roger was done speaking, Weston¡¯s face grew cold, and he looked at Roger intently before dering, ¡°I will never let such a tragedy happen again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡± Roger tugged at Weston¡¯s necktie, cutting him off. ¡°Did you forget who has been raising them these three years? Who endured all the pain and suffering to give birth to them? And who do you think it was that had been deprived of rest or sleep because she had to take care of them? Do you have any idea how much she¡¯d suffered all these years? A man like you couldn¡¯t possibly comprehend it! You know nothing about the pain of childbirth, much less anything about the hardships of parenting! What right do you have to make such a grand deration so easily?!¡± Weston¡¯s eyes trembled. He was speechless. Roger was not wrong¨Che had absolutely no right to say he would protect them. But by the same logic, even Ste had no right to say it either. He pushed Roger¡¯s hand aside, looked him dead in the N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. eye, and told him, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t have any rights, I still want to make it up to them.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me much,¡± Weston continued, ¡± but have you ever thought about how the kids might need aplete family? That they need a father?¡± ¡°They just need a good man to take care of them!¡± Roger retorted. ¡°They don¡¯t need you!¡± Roger wanted to say that he could be their father too, but he knew that his rtionship with Ste was on shaky grounds right now. If he ever said anything like that, all it would do was make her grow more tired of him. And so, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and red viciously at Weston, telling him, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to take them back with you, I¡¯ll tell you right now that it won¡¯t be easy!¡± ¡°I know,¡± replied Weston. ¡°But I¡¯ll do anything in my power to get their eptance and forgiveness.¡± Chapter 1348 Chapter 1348 Chapter 1348 Emma moved away from her mother and noticed Weston was behind her. Her brows furrowed deeply as she tried her hardest to recall where she had met this man before¡­ Then, her eyes lit up as if she¡¯d realized something. She stretched her arms out towards him, shouting, ¡°Unkie!¡± Weston knelt down on the floor, his face full of tenderness. ¡°Come over here,¡± he said with open arms. Emma ran into his arms, giggling happily. Weston picked her up and asked, ¡°Do you still remember me?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯re Unkie! It¡¯s been so long since west met!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, smiling at her. ¡°It¡¯s been so long.¡± He then noticed Elias standing nearby and asked, ¡°Can I give you a hug too?¡± Elias seemed a little hesitant and shy. He quickly hid behind Ste and had a look of cold arrogance on his face. Weston smiled helplessly and just rubbed his little head, saying nothing. ¡°Come on,¡± said Ste, feeling a headacheing on as she watched their interaction, ¡°let¡¯s go home.¡± Meanwhile, Marcus Garcia eagerly awaited Ste¡¯s arrival at the Garcias¡® mansion. Hearing that Ste would return, Roger immediately made the necessary preparations to pick her up at the airport. He thought bringing Elias and Emma along would be a great idea. But Marcus was surprised to find that, apart from Ste, they had returned with someone else¡ª ¡°If it isn¡¯t the great Weston Ford himself!¡± he cried. With some surprise, he rose to his feet as he saw Weston walking into the courtyard with Emma in his arms. ¡± What an honor to see you at my humble abode!¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you too,¡± Weston nodded at the old man. He knew that this man was Roger¡¯s grandfather, who had been caring for Ste and their kids for the past three years. The fact that Ste was able to be where she was now was all thanks to the Garcias. But this also means that they were responsible for faking Ste¡¯s death and taking her away from him three years ago. Still, it was all in the past now. Weston no longer had any desire to retaliate against them. In a calm voice, he told the man that he was there to see the children. Marcus nodded. He knew that Weston was Elias and Emma¡¯s father, and he loved the two children like they N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. were his grandchildren. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve finally made up with Ste,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t get into another terrible fight again. It¡¯s not easy to find a soulmate, you know.¡± He spoke to Weston in fluent French, even though he still knew how to speak English. But Weston still understood him and simply replied with an ¡°I know¡± in English. Marcus nodded. Then Elias suddenly ran towards him while still holding his mother¡¯s hand, so she was trailing behind him. When Emma saw this, she hurriedly climbed down from Weston¡¯s arms and headed towards Marcus to join her brother. Surrounded by the children, Marcus chuckled and pinched their chubby cheeks, asking them, ¡°Are you guys happy that your daddy is here to see you?¡± As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere grew cold and tense. The children blinked silently, looking somewhat confused. They looked at each other and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s our daddy?¡± Marcus froze. He stared at the adults in the room and wondered if they had not told the children the truth yet. Elias was the first to react. ¡°Grandpa !¡± he cried, taking a step away from Marcus. ¡± Who¡¯s our daddy?¡± The children spoke fluent French too, but at this moment, it was Marcus Garcia who waspletely tongue¨Ctied. He realized then that he should not have said what he did just now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he replied simply. But this did nothing to appease the children. Theytched onto his legs and shook him, demanding, ¡°Tell us who our daddy is, Grandpa!¡± 2 Chapter 1349 Chapter 1349 Chapter 1349 Surprised to see her children¡¯s reactions, Ste grew distressed. She had always assumed that she was enough for Elias and Emma, that she could love them so much that they would never feel the absence of their father. But now, it seemed they were really curious about who their father was. Only now did she realize that they had never asked her anything about their father, not because they did not care about him, but because they didn¡¯t want to hurt her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After all, they must have noticed that everyone had a mommy and a daddy. The light in her eyes dimmed. She had no idea what to say to them now. Marcus sighed and began to exin to the children. ¡°This man in front of you is your daddy, he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Roger suddenly cut him off, evidently disapproving of what Marcus was about to do. He wondered how his grandfather could just blurt out something like that in front of the children. They did not even know if Elias and Emma were ready to ept the truth! ¡°They¡¯re almost four now,¡± Marcus reminded Roger in a grave voice. ¡°They¡¯re at an age when they¡¯re beginning to understand things. Now¡¯s the perfect time to let them know since it might be easier for them to ept the truth. Who knows, they might even forget in a few days and start to enjoy their mommy and daddy¡¯spany. If we keep hiding the truth from them, it might be harder for them to ept once they get older¡­¡± All this sounded very sensible, but the truth was that Marcus also had his selfish reason for revealing the truth. He was well aware of Weston Ford¡¯s strengths and talents during these three years¨CWeston¡¯s wealth and influence expanded steadily, and his empire had only been growing. He even became a very powerful figure in the delta. In his hands, Ford Corporation spread its influence across many different countries, making Weston Ford one of the most powerful men in the world. Naturally, Marcus would love to get this man to work with the Garcias, as this would undoubtedly bring enormous benefits to the family. Besides, it looked like the man had genuine feelings for Ste, so as long as she was there, she could strengthen ties between the Garcias and the Fords. Elias and Emma were shocked. Their eyes widened to the size of saucers, and they stared silently at Marcus, unable to react for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ste told them in a serious voice, kneeling in front of them. ¡°Mommy has not been honest with you. The truth is that this man here is your daddy¡­¡± Elias was the first to react. He lightly shoved Ste¡¯s hand away and cried, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Mommy would never lie to me, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all joking, right?¡± Ste¡¯s heart was broken when she saw how her son reacted, but now that she had already told them the truth, she could not possibly go back to lying anymore. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you,¡± she told Elias in a grave voice. ¡± He really is your daddy, but if you can¡¯t ept this truth, then we¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Elias interrupted her before she could finish. ¡°You¡¯re all lying to me! Liars!¡± His response was surprisingly more dramatic than they expected. He pushed them all away and ran into his room. They were all on the second floor then, and they watched as he flew up the stairs. Ste¡¯s heart dropped like a bag of rocks. It hurt just as much as being cut with a knife. Only Emma was standing there silently, not reacting yet. She stared stiffly at her mother and then at her father. It was much easier for her to ept the truth since she liked Weston in the first ce, thanks to how handsome he was. ¡°Daddy?¡± she cried, stretching out her arm. Weston paused, immediately pulling her into his arms, his eyes reddening. But his joy was quickly tempered by the memory of his son¡¯s reaction, which had nearly smashed his heart into a thousand broken pieces. ¡°Thank you for epting me,¡± he whispered into Emma¡¯s ear, patting her back gently. But Emma gently pushed him away and turned towards the direction that Elias had run in. She put her thumb in her mouth and asked, ¡°What about Elias?¡± ¡°Elias is angry right now,¡± replied Ste. ¡°Mommy¡¯s going to try to cheer him up, so will you help me?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Emma quickly put up her little hand and agreed. Chapter 1350 Chapter 1350 Chapter 1350 Weston stood at the door and knocked gently. ¡°Can I talk to you for a second?¡± he asked hoarsely. A good while passed, but no sound emerged from the room. Ste sighed. ¡°It¡¯s normal that he can¡¯t ept you right now,¡± she said. ¡°You should probably wait and talk to himter.¡± Weston said nothing. His expressions were ambiguous as he stared at the closed door, but a thousand emotions roiled in his eyes. Ste had never seen her children being so gloomy before. She shook her head and told him, ¡°I¡¯m bringing Emma downstairs now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied, then stood there, not moving. Seeing this, Ste ignored him and just went on downstairs. If he wanted to wait, then so be it. Judging from Elias¡¯s stubborn nature, she was convinced that he would only be wasting his time there. After a very long time, Weston could hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching from inside the room. The door opened with a click, and a tiny hand appeared between the gaps, followed by Elias¡¯s little head. Weston¡¯s eyes lit up. He was just about to say something, but then Elias saw him and grunted disapprovingly before mming the door in Weston¡¯s face. Once again, he was snubbed. He did not even get the chance to say what was on his mind before he had to swallow it all up again. He stared at the cold door, feeling more frustrated than he had ever had. Later, Ste was sitting in the swing in the garden when she suddenly felt a warm hand on her back, giving her a gentle nudge. She turned around and saw that cold but handsome face of Weston¡¯s. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you cheered him up?¡± ¡°No. He still wouldn¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°Emma¡¯s asleep, so I came out here to get some fresh air.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he responded, then nudged her again. ¡°It looks like you always liked swinging no matter where you live.¡± The creaking of the swing stopped abruptly. Ste turned around and looked straight at him, telling him, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, thinking it¡¯s a habit I picked up from Stardust Mansion.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Weston replied with a slight smirk. As he looked at Ste, an overpowering feeling of helplessness rose up inside him, and he could not help but wrap his arms around her from behind. Ste frowned and was about to push him away, but she was interrupted by Weston¡¯s husky voice whispering in her ear, ¡°Can I hug you for a while? Just a little while.¡± She could hear weakness and vulnerability in his voice, which made her pause. In the end, she decided not to push him away this time. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed, ¡°but briefly. You¡¯re not allowed to hug me for too long.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied, kissing her ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could kiss me!¡± she snapped, her eyes rounded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You can return the kiss if you like.¡± (( }) Ste was not in the mood to argue with him, so she just let him hug her, but only because he looked so pitiful that she could not help feeling sorry for him. Meanwhile, upstairs in the room, Elias stood in front of the floor¨Cto-ceiling window and lifted the corner of the curtain to take a peek outside. He saw two people in an embrace downstairs in the garden, and a conflicted expression crept across his face. After a while, he let the curtain down and ran out of the room. During dinner, Elias was sensible enough toe downstairs and join everyone at the table. Nevertheless, he refused to speak, apart from the exception of saying a few words to Ste every now and then. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ste stared at her son with some surprise but decided to say nothing while merely nodding at him. Roger and Marcus both found an excuse to leave once they had finished their food, leaving the room to the small family of four. Roger was initially reluctant to leave, but after Garcia¡¯s insistence, he was reminded of what happened in the past and realized that his presence would only make things more awkward for Ste, so he finally decided to leave too. Now, only the four of them were left in the room. Chapter 1351 Chapter 1351 Chapter 1351 Elias wiped his mouth and returned to his room without saying anything. Weston called out to him from behind, but he did not answer, leaving the man sitting there awkwardly. Ste sighed and said to Weston, ¡°He¡¯s just being stubborn. It takes time.¡± Weston nodded. Seeing this, although Emma did not know why Elias was angry, she still hurriedly gathered herself and ran back into the room. Seeing him lost in thought, Ste said to Weston, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and rest? You haven¡¯t slept much at all. Maybe they will be fine when you get up tomorrow morning.¡± He shook his head and refused gently. She said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to stand here all night and watch over them, are you?¡± ¡°I have not performed my duty as a father in the past three years. One night is nothing.¡± Seeing that his intentions seemed pure, Ste shook her head, a little helpless. How were they going to get away right under his nose? She blinked her eyes and suddenly said to Weston, ¡°I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± Weston turned around and looked at her, ¡°Hmm?¡± She said, ¡°I am giving you a chance to let you bring me to my room. Are you taking it?¡± He sized her up with deep eyes in silence. As expected, he stepped forward and picked her up directly. She naturally put her arms around his. It had been a long time since she had taken the initiative to hug him. It thrilled and excited him for a moment. Anyway, he was clearly aware of where he was at the moment, so he suppressed the surging and throbbing in his heart and carried her to her room. When he was about to leave, she suddenly called out to him. ¡°Are we not sleeping together?¡± Those words made Weston lose control. He removed his tie and threw it in front of her. ¡°Do you know what you are talking about?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± She looked at him indifferently. ¡°It will just be a pure chat under the nket and a good night¡¯s sleep. There is no guest room for you here, but I won¡¯t mind if you are willing to sleep on the floor.¡± He gritted his teeth and said to her, ¡°Even if I have to endure this night until my veins burst and I die, I will sleep next to you.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Whatever.¡± Theyy on the bed after washing up.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She soon felt the rhythmic breathing of the man beside her be steady and closed her eyes to sleep. Weston slept deeply. She could tell that he should be tired, having stayed awake on the ne and staring at her the whole time. The next morning, Weston was still lying on the bed when she woke up. Ste suddenly recalled the past. She was always the one who woke upter than him. But now, it would seem that things had changed, and she was getting up earlier than he was. After a few nces at him, she gingerly lifted the covers and got up. Then she saw Elias and Emma, who was already waiting downstairs. They had already packed their bags. Elias said to her immediately when he saw her, ¡°Mommy! Let¡¯s go!¡± The tiny boy looked at the man. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere he doesn¡¯t know and hide before he gets up!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste took his hand and helped him, and Emma sort out their clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first, and then we¡¯ll go to the airport.¡± Emma was still in confusion and looked at Ste and then at Elias. ¡°Aren¡¯t we taking Daddy?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chapter 1352 Chapter 1352 Chapter 1352 Although Ste did not know why Elias was so hostile to Weston; he was her son, so she respected his thoughts. ording to her understanding of Elias, he actually had a pretty good impression of Weston. Even if he knew all of a sudden that he was his Daddy, he would not have such a big reaction. He might be a little repulsive at first, but his repulsion should notst so long that he¡¯d want to run away. This made her curious about Elias¡® thoughts, and she asked, ¡°You want to avoid uncle because you think he¡¯s bad?¡± Elias shook his head and then nodded. He did not know how to express himself, so he said, ¡°I want to stay with Mommy.¡± He suddenly hugged Ste. ¡°And Emma. I don¡¯t want anyone else.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She was stunned, then picked him up. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± It was alreadyte when Weston woke up in the mansion. Almost immediately, he felt the emptiness beside him on the big bed and jerked awake- He sat up straight. The bed waspletely devoid of warmth, telling him that Ste had been gone for a long time. His heart felt empty all of a sudden, hurting from the wind that blew in through the window. Grandpa Gracia was reading on his tablet downstairs. When he heard some stumbling from the stairway, he looked up. ¡°Good morning. How did you sleepst night?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ste?¡± Weston interrupted him emotionally without a second thought. ¡°Where are the children?¡± He hade down in a haste. His clothes were casually put on, making him look rather shabby. ¡°Aren¡¯t they with you?¡± Grandpa Gracia frowned as soon as he heard him and asked in surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys¡­st night?¡± ¡°No, I got up this morning, and they were gone. )) Weston¡¯s breathing suddenly became short, and his head ached. ¡°Where did they go?¡± ¡°That I don¡¯t know.¡± Grandpa Gracia hastily called Roger, who rushed back immediately. After taking a nce at Weston¡¯s cold and sullen face, Roger knew he must have found out and said, ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Weston stood up at once, striding up to Roger and grabbing him by the cor. ¡°Tell me, where did they go?¡± ¡°They¡¯re gone, and they don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Roger said to him, ¡°Why are you so obsessed? Since you have tried everything and Elias and Emma won¡¯t ept you, you should let them go!¡± ¡°But Emma called me Daddy yesterday¡­¡± Weston sat defeated on the couch and propped his forehead. His dejected look made Grandpa Gracia feel sorry for him. ¡°Take your time. Since they¡¯ve left, let them take a breather. Maybe when theye back¡­¡± ¡°What if they nevere back?¡± Weston stared at him. He knew they would return to Compassvale, but what if they never wanted to come back to him again? It wasn¡¯t the time to give in. ¡°Tell me where they¡¯ve gone.¡± Weston¡¯s tone was almost pleading. Roger, however, refused to say and went straight to his room. Garcia looked at his back and sighed. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me either.¡± Chapter 1353 Chapter 1353 Chapter 1353 Weston did not linger any longer and called Ben. ¡°Investigate the gates of each country and see exactly where Ste and the children have gone.¡± This was arge¨Cscale mission, but Ben was already numbed. Anything rted to Ste would make Weston be unlike himself. He would be no different from a madman. Sitting on the ne back to the city, Weston propped his be. He never thought that the brief tenderness ofst night was just to numb his nerves. He thought that Ste was still a little bit attached to him. It did not ur to him that her deliberate gentleness was only to enable her to leave him with the two children silently the next day. They were willing to go to this extent just to get away with him¡­ Should he really let go? He had only brought them endless troubles and boredom after all¡­ At such a time, even if he was hurt, he was in no position and was unqualified to me Ste for cheating him. There was only disgust for himself. Ste wasn¡¯t actually avoiding Westonpletely and was simply taking Elias and Emma out for a trip to calm down. But it did not ur to her that Weston nearly turned Compassvale upside down in search of them. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She remained silent on the other end of the phone when she learned about this. Roger sounded a bit anxious. ¡°What are you going to do? If you don¡¯t show up, he might really¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ste sighed and interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. I am with Elias and Emma at the ce where Yvonne and her husband are on their honeymoon, so Weston can¡¯t find us.¡± ¡°So you are not going to tell him?¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Her mind was a mess. On the one hand, she did not want Elias to be unhappy, and on the other, she also felt that her actions were like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. It did not solve the core of the problem at all. After hanging up the phone, she turned around and saw Elias and Emma standing behind her. Emma was ying with her doll happily, but Elias looked sad, as though deep in thought. She squatted in front of him and took the robot in his hand, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you thinking about, you look so upset.¡± Elias looked at her and said, ¡°Mommy, I want to be with you forever.¡± ¡°I know. You have said that many times.¡± ¡°But will that uncle disturb us? Will he take Emma and me away?¡± ¡°What makes you think so?¡± Ste was a bit taken aback. She pinched his face and told him solemnly, ¡°You and Emma are my children no matter what happens. I will not let anyone take you away from me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Elias hesitated. ¡°I know. If he is my daddy, he would definitely fight for our custody, then would it mean that we have to stay with him and only be able toe back to see you asionally¡­¡± Ste froze for a long time and suddenly understood what Elias was worried about. She let out a long sigh and said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He is not that bad to steal you away from me.¡± She rubbed Elias¡® head and said proudly, ¡°You are so young, yet you think so far ahead. Mommy is very d. But I want to say that although I dislike that uncle too, he wouldn¡¯t dare to go against our will now, and you can stay with me for as long as you want.¡± Chapter 1354 Chapter 1354 Chapter 1354 ¡°Really?¡± Elias did not seem to be convinced. ¡°But I heard that he doesn¡¯t have a very good reputation. Even Grandpa Gracia said that he was Ahn City¡¯s King of Hell. Many business opponents of his would rather undergo the most severe trials than go against him¡­¡± Ste could not help butugh. ¡°Where did you hear all that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they say on the inte¡­¡± This was really not her fault. Weston was to me for having such an intimidating reputation. She finally figured out why Elias¡® reaction was so unusual. He must have looked up Weston on the Inte or read about his great achievements over the years and thought he was a man who killed and would treat them with the same ruthlessness. Elias did not reject Weston as their father, but he was more worried that he would separate them. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Thinking of this, Ste looked into Elias¡® eyes fixedly and said, ¡°Your Daddy might not be a good husband, but he does not have to be a bad father. If we don¡¯t give him a chance, you¡¯ll never know if he¡¯ll be good to you.¡± ¡°But if he could not be a good husband to you, I don¡¯t want him to be a good Daddy to us either¡­¡± Elias said to her, ¡°I really just want to be with Mommy forever. The rest of the people don¡¯t matter.¡± Emma suddenly stood up with her toy in her arms and jumped into Ste¡¯s arms. ¡°Me too, I want to be with Mommy forever¡­¡± Downstairs, Lucas was obviously not happy with the family of threeing over to disturb them. He was swimming back and forth in the pool. Yvonne was sitting right next to the pool, waiting for him to swim over. After seeing hime ashore, she immediately offered him a towel ingratiatingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. They are justing over for a couple of days. Maybe they will leave tomorrow.¡± Lucas cast a faint nce at him. Ignoring her, hey on the bench. Yvonne followed him to the bench and squatted down beside him. She said, ¡°I am the godmother of these two children. Now that they are in trouble, I can¡¯t turn the other cheek, can I?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that this is the first time we areing out for our honeymoon?¡± Lucas looked at her indifferently. ¡°You told me that you look forward to the trip very much, but now look at all the third¨Cwheelers.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we on a long honeymoon? Besides, Ste and the children have no ce to go.¡± ¡°She is now an internationally renowned pianist, Cicily. Do you think she has no ce to go?¡± ¡°Geez, I don¡¯t care.¡± Yvonne started, to exert her ready righteousness again. ¡°Now that Weston is looking around for a few of them again, they must be in some kind of trouble. If he didn¡¯t go beyond his limits, why would Cicily hide from him?¡± He swept a nce at her. ¡°Are you sure? The current Weston can be said aspletely subservient to Ste. He will not hesitate to pick the stars in the sky for her. How could he do anything bad to Ste?¡± ¡°You men only know how to speak for men! If he was really that good, would they have run away?¡± She suddenly stood up furiously, threw the towel at him, and turned around to leave. He grabbed her hand agitatedly and held her back, pressing her waist. She was keenly aware of his change and blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­.¡± He ignored her resistance and kissed her neck, moving downward little by little. The two of them were by the pool and wearing swimsuits. Yvonne purposely brought the pale yellow swimsuit she was wearing, not expecting that they wouldn¡¯t go to the beach and only swim in this pool. They originally agreed to go to the hot spring together, but the n could only be canceled now. Chapter 1355 Chapter 1355 Chapter 1355 Yvonne almost melted into a pool. She didn¡¯t know why his man remained so passionate about her body after all these years. Her hands which were resting on his chest, dropped down somewhat feebly. Lucas suddenly nibbled her ear and ced his hand behind thecing of her swimsuit, gently ying with it, winding it around and around. Sensing his intention, Yvonne instantly stared at him. She pressed his hand and told him, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± If they did it here, Ste and the twins mighte in and see them here at any time, and it would be so embarrassing! It felt rather annoying being stopped when he was about to cum. He gritted his teeth, and a stern look shed across his eyes. Anyway, tried to calm down beside her ear and said nothing. She then felt his repression and said in his ear apologetically. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the night, okay¡­¡± She continued, ¡°Elias and Emma go to bed very early, and Ste will certainly not bother us again. I will let you do whatever you want then, eh?¡± She knew she was in the wrong. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Hearing her pleading, he kissed her ear. ¡°I can forgive you, but you must promise me one condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± The man whispered something in her ear, Yvonne blushed the more she listened and could not help but clench her fist and pound on his shoulder. ¡°Why are you so, so¡­¡± Lucas chuckled and wrapped her in his arms. In the living room, Elias and Emma looked curiously at the scene over the pool. Ste rushed over, covered their eyes, and carried them each with one arm. When she called Yvonne, Yvonne invited them over with crity and told them that Weston would not find out where they were. She did not think much of it at the time, so she came right away along with Elias and Emma. Had she known they were on their honeymoon, she would not havee over to be the third¨Cwheeler. Ste checked the flight tickets for tomorrow and nned to visit another country with Elias and Emma. Now that she did not know the situation on Weston¡¯s side and Elias was still unable to ept him, she could only hide them as far as possible away from him At night, she saw Yvonne and Lucasing from the pool. Her eyes remained steady Yvonne came over with a faint redness on her face. Seeing that Elias and Emma were not there, she asked, ¡°Where are the two little ones?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in bed.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be having dinner, so you¡¯d better wake them up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°We have a flight tomorrow morning,¡± Ste said, not looking at the two. Yvonne looked at her in surprise. ¡°Why? I thought we decided you¡¯d stay for a few days.¡± Ste cleared her throat. ¡°That¡­ still feels a little inconvenient.¡± She nced at Yvonne and then at Lucas. Chapter 1356 Chapter 1356 Chapter 1356 Lucas could have looked better. When he heard that, he looked at Yvonne, nonchntly saying, ¡°I will go and ask the kitchen to get the food ready.¡± Then, he left. Yvonne walked up to Ste at once. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did we make you guys ufortable?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste said, ¡°We were the ones who disturbed you. ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t feel disturbed in the slightest¡­¡± Ste said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can go anywhere anyway.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you afraid that Weston will find you guys?¡± ¡°So be it.¡± Ste was actually a little confused. ¡°I just talked to Elias, and I know what¡¯s on his mind now. He is worried that Weston will fight for the custody and they will be taken away.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­¡± Yvonne nodded and said, ¡°Perhaps Weston has given them a bad impression.¡± Ste said helplessly, ¡°Not really. Elias might have heard about Weston¡¯s reputation from somewhere, which is why he was so emotional.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take the two little ones around first, and then we¡¯ll talk about it when it¡¯s time to face it.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You are really¡­¡± Yvonne did not know what to say, but she had already made her decision. As a friend, she could only support her. ¡°Remember to call me if you run into problems.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, Ste yed with the children for a while before bed. She was fully aware that Lucas and Yvonne were always on a honeymoon period, let alone that they were actually on a honeymoon trip now. She certainly did not want to disturb them, so she returned to the room and did note out much. At night, there were signs of heavy rainfall. Looking out the window, Yvonne was just about to pull the curtains when she suddenly saw a strange tall figure inside the courtyard and was startled- ¡°Ah!¡± She screamed and hurriedly took a few steps back. Lucas rushed straight out of the bathroom when he heard that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked at her in concern and looked out while following her gaze, only to discover a man in a ck suit standing there. He tossed themp in his hand aside, a little scared and speechless. ¡°I knew it. Nothing goodes out of running into those two.¡± 11 He saw Weston standing in the courtyard like a rock, looking at the bedroom on the other side of the vi where Ste was staying. He knew Weston must have used every means at his disposal to inquire about Ste¡¯s whereabouts. He must have rushed here almost immediately. But now that he was he, he couldn¡¯t find the courage to go up and see her. Yvonne was also stunned but soon calmed, though she still clutched her chest in panic. ¡°How did he find this ce so quickly?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s now the person in charge of the entire Ford Corporation, which is several times larger than it was three years ago. It¡¯s as easy as pie to find Ste.¡± Ste had just put Elias and Emma to bed when she suddenly received a call from Yvonne asking her to look outside. Puzzled, she went to the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window and saw a familiar figure downstairs and froze. Although she was mentally prepared for Weston toe looking for her, she did not expect that he would be this fast. She pinched her throat helplessly. After ending the call from Yvonne, she called Weston. He picked it up almost immediately, his breathing extremely raspy. Chapter 1357 Chapter 1357 Chapter 1357 Weston did not say anything, so Ste said to him directly, "Go back first. We don''t want to see you yet." ''That''s okay. I just want to see you guys." He stood downstairs, looking at the emanating light, and did not move a muscle. She looked at the sky. "It looks like it''s going to rain soon. You''d better go back first, or you can find a ce to stay for the night for now?" He refused once again. "It''s okay. I¡¯m the one who''s willing to wait here." She paused for a while. Then her tone turned cold. "Are you trying to y a trick here to get my sympathy? Are you thinking that standing here in bad weather overnight will soften us?" "You can keep them from seeing me." He said, "Then it won¡¯t happen, and you could pretend you didn''t see meing here." He said slowly, "I''m not asking for anything right now, just that you let me have a chance to see you guys, and you can pretend I don''t exist." She inhaled deeply. "When did you learn this trick?" He was forceful in the past,pletely disregarding her wishes. Now he was indulging them. They could do whatever they wanted to him, and he would not have any comints. But neither of these was what she wanted. She did not want to be tied to anyone else, nor did she want to owe him anything. So she hung up the phone in annoyance. "Whatever." She nced at Weston downstairs and drew the curtains. The moment she turned her head, she saw Eliasing over to her with a pillow in his arms. "Is he here?¡± She did not lie to him and nodded. Then, she knelt down in front of him." Anyway, his action has got nothing to do with us. We don''t need to feel burdened. If you don''t want to see him, we will go back to the room and sleep, okay?" He nodded, then looked back at the closed curtains. But he did not stop and went back to his room. It did not take long for it to start raining outside, and the wind was blowing hard. This was an ind resort, and the weather was unpredictable. Ste was lying on her bed reading a book, but when she heard the sound of the cold wind howling outside, she was a little disturbed. She turned off the light quietly. It was silent. After a while, she lifted the curtain a little. The man outside could not see the situation inside. She saw Weston still standing there in the rain. His ck suit was soaked, and he looked miserable. However, he still did not leave and stood there fixedly. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. What a drama... Ste clenched her fists and cursed him for being despicable. Lightning struck, and she nearly screamed out of fear of him being struck to death by it. Although he deserved to stand downstairs, and it was his own will, she did not enjoy seeing him lose his life. If he was really struck by lightning, it would really be... She did not want to see this happen. She nearly owed him her life once, but luckily he got out safely from the mountain. But it was different this time. It was he himself who was foolish enough to stand there, and she really was not responsible for anything, but why couldn''t she still be cruel? Ste closed her eyes and drew the curtain in annoyance. She buried herself in the quilt, covering her head, not wanting to bother with any outside movement. In the middle of the night, she was woken up by the sound of an ambnce. Lucas, wearing a ck robe and holding a cell phone, stood at the entrance to the hall with an ugly face. "I was only halfway through with my wife when this loser copsed in the yard. You two already have children, but don¡¯t dy other couples from making a baby, can you?" Chapter 1358 Chapter 1358 Chapter 1358 Ste heard Lucas¡¯ icy voice from a long distance away and was instantly awakened. She had never seen him so angry before. Yvonne walked out while tying her robe and saw that Weston had been carried to the ambnce. She turned her head to see Ste walking down the stairs and asked her, "Elias and Emma weren''t woken up, were they?" Ste shook her head and looked in Weston''s direction, frowning. "What''s wrong with him?" "After standing there half the night and getting wet, he must not have held up." Lucas turned around and cast her a distant look. "It''s raining so heavily, and there''s thunder and lightning. Besides, his body has not recovered fully. How can you let him stand outside like this?" Ste said indifferently, "I didn''t make him do so, besides..." 2 it She looked at the storm outside. "I don''t know what exactly is in his mind. We have gone to bed. No one can see him. Who is he putting on a show for?" ''All in all, you''re partly to me for him being like this now." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Lucas looked at her indifferently, "But now that he''s been drenched until he''s admitted into the hospital, you can also clear your head for a while and not worry about his death." Ste heard the sarcasm in his words and stop talking. Yvonne immediately pinched him on his arm. "What are you talking about? Weston is clearly to me. What does it have to do with Ste?" Lucas nced at her indifferently. His eyes were filled with emotions that were not suitable to be shown to outsiders. They were filled with the displeasure of being interrupted. Yvonne felt uneasy by his gaze and said to Ste, "Don''t bother about him. He will be fine since he has been sent to the hospital. Just go back and rest." Ste did not say anything. She let out a breath and returned to her room. Not long after, there was a sudden knock on the outside door. "Thud, thud." She sat up from the bed at once. She had always told herself that she had nothing to do with what happened to Weston, but when she heard the knock on the door, her first thought was that it was rted to Weston. Noticing that she could not sleep at all, Ste went to the door, opened it, and saw Elias standing outside the door. The small boy asked her," Mommy, did the man die?" Ste was speechless. "Not really." She knelt before him. "He just fell sick because of the rain. He should have been sent to the hospital, and he is not that easy to be killed by just the rain." Elias breathed a sigh of relief. Ste looked at him, and her eyes fluttered. She asked, "Are you worried about him?" "No, I''m not!" Elias retorted at once, clenching his fist as if he was still angry. "He has nothing to do with us, so why should I care about him?" She stroked his head, "It''s okay, tell me the truth." "Well, just a little..." He admitted in the end and showed her a small hand gesture. "It¡¯s just this little, not more than this." She was amused. She nced at the clock. "It''s veryte now. Why don''t you go to bed first?" He sighed, hugging his pillow. "I can''t sleep..." She empathized with him and said with a smile, "But Emma is alone in the room. If she is scared by the sound of thunder and lightning in the Speaking of which, Elias became very vocal. ''We''re all big kids now. We should go to bed early and separately!" He said righteously, "We used to sleep separately, and we should follow through with that!" Ste said, ''You two are only three years old. Besides, you don''t sleep together all the time. What''s wrong with being in the same room on asional trips?" Chapter 1359 Chapter 1359 Chapter 1359 If "Anyway, I don''t care. I read that kids should sleep separately when they get older, especially since I''m a boy and Emma¡¯s a girl. No way!" Ste was dumbfounded. ''You''ve done a good job of self-education. She looked at Elias, who acted like an adult, and sighed. She could not deny that these two children brought her far more happiness than the responsibility of raising them. They were very well-behaved that she sometimes felt ashamed of herself. Before she sent Elias back to his room, she suddenly said to him softly," You can see him tomorrow if you want to." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Elias paused in his track and said without looking back at her, "I''m not going see him." Ste sighed softly, looking at his stubborn back, and returned to her bedroom silently. The storm was raging. The rain had stopped by the time Ste woke up. She habitually went to Elias and Emma''s room to wake them up. However, there was only Emma, lying on the bed and sitting up in a daze. "Mommy!" 1 Emma stretched out her arms, asking for a hug. Ste hugged her and asked, "Where''s Elias?" "I don''t know." Emma was sucking her thumb in confusion. Ste roughly knew where he was. When they went downstairs, they only saw Yvonne sitting there, and Lucas was nowhere to be seen. So, Ste asked, "Why is Lucas missing this morning?" Yvonne smiled and said, "He is bringing my godson out for a stroll." Ste nodded and stopped asking. In the hospital, when Weston regained consciousness, he saw Lucas and Elias sitting beside his bed, looking at him. He pinched his be, face as white as a sheet, and struggled to sit up but was mocked by Lucas. "How nice that you still have the strength to seek death." Weston was speechless. He said with a hoarse voice. "Don''t say that in front of a child." "Oh, I forgot that you only care about being a loving father now and disregard those trying to get pregnant..." At the mention of this, he held his tongue and nced at Elias. Since there was a child here, he stopped talking about that and said to Weston, "Since I have already brought your son here, you''d better tell him quickly if there is anything." Weston looked at the door but did not see the familiar figure. Lucas snickered. ''You are still thinking about Ste at a time like this? I saw her packing her baggage this morning. Perhaps she wants to run from you again and hide where you can''t find her." Weston remained quiet and only stared at Elias. Elias lowered his head awkwardly. Weston said to Lucas coolly, ''You go out first." Elias wanted to follow Lucas out when he heard that. Just as he turned around, he heard Weston''s faint voice behind him. ''You stay." Elias''s back stiffened, and he stopped walking. But without turning his head to look at him, he questioned in a baby voice," Why should I listen to you?" Chapter 1360 Chapter 1360 Chapter 1360 "Didn¡¯t youe with him to see me?¡± Weston hooked the corner of his mouth, trying to keep his voice soft despite his pale face. "Thank you foring to see me." Elias still refused to look at him and grunted softly. Lucan only turned to look at him reluctantly when he saw Lucas walk out and close the door behind him. "I just came to see if you were dead. And since I''m done, I''m going back now!" "Wait..." Weston suddenly pulled his hand and coughed softly. Elias could see that he was trying to suppress it. Elias knitted his brow at once. "Are you hurt badly?" Weston said, "No, it''s not serious, just amon cold." "If you have a cold, why did they call an ambnce? I was woken upst night..." Elias hesitated and said, "I am not worried about you. I just thought Mommy would be upset if you got sick in the rain." Westonughed softly. "Sorry for the noisest night. Say sorry to your mom for me, okay?" Elias said, ''Why don''t you say that to her yourself?" "She should not want to see me." He suddenly felt dejected. ?? "It''s me who doesn''t want to see you..." Elias frowned. "Mommy is still worried about you, I can tell.'' "Really?" A faint smile grew in Weston''s eyes. Elias nodded. "But that¡¯s just out of humanity." 1 He spoke confidently and seriously. "She would definitely be worried about anyone like you. Mommy is very kind." "Yes." The smile in Weston''s eyes intensified, and he touched his head. "Indeed she is." They looked at each other in silence. After a while, Weston asked, "Why didn''t shee over today?" "Because she does not want to see you!" Elias said, "She knew you were ying a trick to get her to pity you." Weston coughed, closed his eyes, and said with a hoarse voice, "But you just said that she was a little worried about me." "Only a little." Elias made a hand gesture. "Just this little. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be taking me away with Emma again." "Where are you going?" "I''m not telling you!" Elias said, "You will surelye if I tell you. Maybe, you might even fight against her for our custody!" "You already know about what custody is at your age?" "Of course I do!" Elias said, "If you win, Emma and I will have to live with you. It¡¯ll be a luxurious reward to visit Mommy on New Year''s Day or other holidays. She even has to pay you to support us. How miserable..." Weston listened to his words, knitting his brows more and more tightly." Where did you hear these words? Did your mother tell you about this?" "No, I thought of it myself."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Elias lowered his head and stared at his toes. Suddenly, he straightened his back and said to him with a straight face, "I know you are powerful and very rich. But no matter what, I''m not going to let you take me away from my mom and Emma! I must stay with Mommy!" Weston rubbed his be helplessly. Seeing him looking so defensive, he softened his tone and said to him, "Don''t worry, I won''t make you do anything you don¡¯t want to, and I won''t fight for your custody. Tell me why you think that, can you?" Elias looked at him in surprise, still a little suspicious. "Really, you won''t?" Chapter 1361 Chapter 1361 Chapter 1361 ¡°No. You know I¡¯m rich and powerful. If I had that thought, I would¡¯ve done it, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Weston had valid points, but Elias remained cautious against him. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Why did you follow us here if not for Emma and me? You must be nning something against us!¡± Weston was lost for words. He coughed lightly, poured himself a ss of water, then gulped it down. He looked at Elias, who was like a mini version of himself. Weston told Elias, ¡°Have you ever thought of something else? What if I¡¯m after your Mommy?¡± Elias widened his eyes at once. ¡°No way! Don¡¯t you know? There are many men after Mommy! You¡¯ll have to get in line!¡± Weston asked, ¡°What? After her many years abroad, she now has many men?¡± ¡°Of course, there are many! Uncle Edward has been courting Mommy for years. He came to all of Mommy¡¯s performances without fail, but Mommy did not ept him.¡± Weston¡¯s face turned grim at the first half of the sentence, but his face got a little better when he heard thetter. Weston patted Elias on the head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m willing to wait.¡± Weston looked him straight in the eye and said as gently as possible, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to see me because you¡¯re worried I¡¯ll take you guys away?¡± Elias nodded in reply, which gave Weston an inexplicable feeling at heart. He muttered, ¡°I thought you guys hated me.¡± It was the first time he felt this way. Elias paused at Weston¡¯s muffled reply and suddenly felt a little bad for him. Although he still did not like him that much, he did not hate him as much as before. Elias said, ¡°You must have done something wrong to Mommy. That¡¯s why you and Mommy are separated. Looking at you, it seems like you know you were wrong¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I know. I was wrong.¡± Elias said, ¡°Since you¡¯re not trying to take Emma and me away, we won¡¯t have to hide from you anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Weston replied with a sincere tone. ¡°But whether Mommy will ept you or not has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°I know.¡± The father and son had a pleasant conversation. Weston did not realize that Elias¡¯s fear was the reason why the siblings were avoiding him before. Weston eased his expression after thinking it over. He felt a little dizzy, so he closed his eyes to rest for a while. Elias frowned, seeing Weston¡¯s exhaustion. He reached out to touch Weston¡¯s forehead and froze when he felt the burning heat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re burning up!¡± Weston said nothing and kept his eyes shut tight. ¡°Are you okay? Are you going to die?¡± Elias shook Weston¡¯s arms, but Weston did not respond. Elias was shocked and rushed to call the doctor and the nurse. Then, he called Ste too. Lucas soon came over. As soon as he came in, the little boy rushed into his arms and asked anxiously, ¡°What should we do? He¡¯s so hot! He¡¯s not going to die, is he?¡± Lucas was rendered speechless and thought, ¡®What a good son of Weston¡¯s.¡® Lucas rubbed Elias¡¯s head and reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a fever. It won¡¯t kill him.¡± He told him, ¡°If you¡¯re worried, call Mommy and ask her toe and stay with you.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Elias said, ¡°I¡¯ve called Mommy on the phone.¡± Ste and Yvonne saw Elias waiting anxiously at a distance when they came over in a hurry, so Ste rushed forward and picked Elias up in her arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 1362 Chapter 1362 Chapter 1362 Elias clung to Ste reluctantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s burning up, but the doctor said he¡¯s not dying¡­¡± Ste let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t scare you¡­¡± Lucas took off his mask and came out at the end of Ste¡¯s sentence. He said, ¡°He¡¯s not going to die, but he¡¯s halfway there. His fever is almost forty degrees.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that ming tone? I¡¯m not the one who gave him the fever,¡± Ste said. ¡°I won¡¯t me you. Even Weston wouldn¡¯tin a word about you. What can I say?¡± Lucas put his mask away and looked at Ste for a moment. ¡°You can visit him once he wakes up.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze flickered for a moment. She said to Elias, ¡°Would you see himter?¡± ¡°Mommy! Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Ste shook her head and said, ¡°I better not see him yet¡­¡± Lucas stopped in his tracks and turned to Ste at that. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve already made up your mind?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°We have to say goodbye sooner orter, so why not desensitize him as soon as possible? He¡¯ll let go one day.¡± ¡°What if he can¡¯t?¡± Ste remained silent. Lucas looked at her in silence. After that, he shook his head and turned away to leave. It was none of his business in the first ce. Sometimeter, Weston finally woke up. Elias was the first that came into his sight. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Weston smiled at Elias and rubbed his head. ¡°Sorry. I scared you earlier, didn¡¯t I?¡± Elias shook his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t. Everyone gets sick. I¡¯m not a kid. You didn¡¯t scare me at all.¡± Westonughed. ¡°You¡¯re not a kid? What are you then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult.¡± ¡°A three¨Cyear¨Cold adult?¡± Elias red at him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Weston¡¯s tone softened at once. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re an adult.¡± Elias stopped walking after seeing the way Weston softened at him. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re sick, so I¡¯ll stay with you a little longer, but only for a little while!¡± Elias stressed, to which Weston naturally nodded in reply. After a while, Weston began to keep ncing at the door. Elias could tell who he was waiting for but remained silent. Two young nurses happened to pass by the door to the ward and suddenly started chatting. ¡°I heard that Cicily, the famous pianist, just came by¡­¡± ¡°When was that? I didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s gone. I heard she was visiting someone and had a little boy with her¡­.¡± Alerted, Elias stood up and wanted to close the door. However, he was toote. Weston had already pulled the needle on the back of his hand and got up from the hospital bed. ¡°No! You have to keep the IV drip on! Get back in bed!¡± Weston refused. He looked at him solemnly and asked, ¡°Your Mommy came, didn¡¯t she?¡± Elias did not answer and avoided Weston¡¯s gaze. Weston knew the answer as soon as he saw Elias¡¯s response. He pulled the door open and went out immediately. Weston rushed to the elevator and kept pressing the button. He stared at the closed elevator door for a moment. Then, he suddenly turned around and ran straight down the stairs. The needle hole on the back of his hand was still bleeding, but he did not seem to feel it. The staircase was quite empty. Weston rushed downstairs at lightning speed and finally saw Ste, who was already at the hospital entrance. Weston mustered all his strength when he ran down earlier, but when he got behind her, he was afraid to proceed. Chapter 1363 Chapter 1363 Chapter 1363 Perhaps it was a premonition or something, but Ste suddenly turned her head around, only to see Weston standing behind her. He was still painting because he had run too quickly and his face was pale. But even so, he still looked handsome. Ste remained motionless and stood still. After a few moments, Ste watched Weston slowly walk up to her. Beads of sweat dripped down his flushed face, but his tone remained calm. ¡°You came? Why didn¡¯t you go in and visit me?¡± Ste tucked her hair behind her ear and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not going in.¡± She nced at the back of his hand and frowned when she saw him bleeding. ¡°You should go back to your ward. Don¡¯t aggravate your condition.¡± Weston would not move and looked at her intently. Ste exhaled and took a step back. ¡°Let Elias spend more time with you. Emma will be here this afternoon. Get well soon.¡± After that, she turned to leave. Weston stepped forward and grabbed her wrist at once. ¡°Are youing this afternoon?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Someone else will send them.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing?¡± Weston asked her insistently. Ste curled her lips into a smile. ¡°I thought you should know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it!¡± Weston suddenly hugged Ste from behind. He used so much force that he was about to crush her. Ste felt some pain from his hug. With all the peopleing and going, she felt embarrassed and kept pping his hand. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°No!¡± Weston gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, and refused. Ste took a deep breath and pped him hard, perhaps identally pressing the needle wound on the back of his hand. Weston sucked in a deep breath but still did not let go. Instead, he held her tighter. Ste¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Must you worsen things?¡± Ste refused to visit him because she wanted to stop their entanglement. She knew the two of them would never be good together. Hence, why continue the entanglement? Even so, Weston clearly disagreed. ¡°Must you be so mean to me?¡± Ste sighed helplessly. ¡°When have I been mean to you? I didn¡¯t get back at your or hurt you. I just didn¡¯t want to see you.¡± ¡°Your refusal to see me is hurting me the most¡­¡± ¡°How could you be so unreasonable?¡± Seeing that the people around were looking their way, Ste could not help but p him harder. ¡°Let go of me first!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Weston said, ¡°You¡¯ll be gone as soon as I let go¡­¡± Ste furrowed her brows impatiently. ¡°But you can¡¯t hug me like this forever.¡± ¡°I can.¡± Weston insisted stubbornly. Ste looked down and suddenly noticed Weston barefoot and shoeless feet. She pulled his hand away spitefully and told him, ¡°You¡¯d better go back to the ward. Elias is still waiting for you there.¡± Weston just looked at her with sad eyes. ¡°You¡¯re still going to leave me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t see each other again.¡± Westonughed bitterly and looked at her with sad, dark eyes. ¡°You know I can never do that¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you can. Anyway, I won¡¯t see you again. I don¡¯t want you to see me again.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 1364 Chapter 1364 Chapter 1364 ¡°Is that so?¡± Weston¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. He grabbed Ste¡¯s hand and guided her to his eyes. ¡°Then remove my eyes.¡± He said fiercely, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to see you, dig them out. My eyes are useless anyway, right?¡± Then, he took her hands again and put them on his hand. ¡°These hands can¡¯t touch you anymore. You can just destroy them too.¡± Weston took her hand and guided her to his heart and everywhere else. ¡°All these are useless.¡± Ste withdrew her hand sharply. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Yes. I am crazy.¡± Weston simply ignored the stares of the pedestrians around them. Then, he hugged her tightly again. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. Will you stay by my side out of pity?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯d only stay because of fear.¡± Weston stiffened at Ste¡¯s reply. It was an inexplicable feeling he could not exin. ¡°Do I really have no chance at all?¡± ¡°None in the slightest,¡± Ste moaned through gritted teeth. ¡°Let go of me, please?¡± Weston responded and said yes without any intention of letting her go in any way. Ste waited for a long time, but he still refused to budge. Atst, she sighed helplessly. ¡°Alright. Until I agree to your pursuit of me, you¡¯re not allowed to see me again.¡± Weston¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That means I can give you a chance. I certainly can¡¯t ept you now, but no one knows how time might change things. If I¡¯m ready to ept you, I¡¯ll allow you to meet me again.¡± Weston pressed his cheeks together and looked at her solemnly. ¡°What if you never want to see me?¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°Maybe. There¡¯s some risk to this. If you¡¯re not even willing to take that risk, I can tell you this right now. You won¡¯t even have that only chance anymore.¡± Through gritted teeth, Weston immediately agreed to her conditions. ¡°Okay.¡± Ste crossed her arms and carefully sized him up. ¡°Let¡¯s start now. You shall not appear in front of me again, from now on.¡± ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± Weston questioned suddenly. Ste let out augh. ¡°Even if I was, you can¡¯t argue with me. You can only ept it obediently, right?¡± It was indeed true. Weston could only agree with whatever Ste said nowadays. He had no room for negotiation. Not long after that, Weston got better and recovered. Even Lucas came to tease him about it. ¡°I told you. No magic pill can do as much for you as Ste. If you add Elias and Emma, you¡¯ll have a family of four and get better faster than anyone else.¡± Many people came to visit Weston during his hospitalization. Warren came over and left after a brief visit, while Xavier visited him now and then. However, Xavier¡¯s purpose at the hospital was not entirely for Weston. It was somewhat for Zeta, who hadpletely ignored him. Zeta was busy flirting with other men and simply ignored Xavier. Xavier¡¯s feelings for Zeta came out of nowhere. For the first few years, he treated her like a kid who always ran after him. After dating a mature woman like Daisy for two years, he found it boring and wanted to pursue Zeta, but Zeta was no longer interested in him. Weston would asionally mock Xavier about this. Xavier would use Ste as a way to stop Weston¡¯s words. Xavier wasn¡¯t the only one who visited from time to time. Henry did too. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Weston thought Henry would bring Angelina along, but Henry was always alone. ¡°What? Is she still mad?¡± Chapter 1365 Chapter 1365 Chapter 1365 Henry shook his head. ¡°She won¡¯t forgive me.¡± Weston fell into a short silence. After that, he said, ¡°If she knew what happened back then, she would probably be even less likely to forgive you.¡± Angelina hadn¡¯t recovered her old memories yet, and she didn¡¯t know that she was the same Faye back then. If she knew about all that, she would¡¯ve never made up with Henry again. Henry was worried and unsure whether he should tell Angelina the truth. Many people visited Weston, including Nicole, who was crying and shouting outside, begging to see him. Weston did not see any of them and never let them in the ward. Emma and Elias also visited him asionally. Ste kept her promise and never stopped the two children from seeing him. However, she would never show up again. Weston could not meet Ste, but he did not slow down in his pursuit of her. Weston frequently sent gifts like bags, shoes, and jewelry to Ste¡¯s studio. He also sent her flowers every day and pursued her with great fanfare. If Ste had been willing, he would have showered her with gifts like luxury cars and vis. A month passed quickly. Weston was almost out of the hospital. Ste¡¯s colleagues threw a party for her and invited some of her familiar friends. Ste was going on a tour soon, so they wanted to celebrate her in advance. Weston was among the guests lounging around. Many at the party were Ste¡¯s friends, who were all laughing while chatting with her. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ste saw the eye¨Ccatching Weston in the crowd from a distance but simply pretended not to see him. Emma and Elias were also dressed up for the asion and looked like a little princess and little prince. The two little ones did not overthink Weston¡¯s presence and were happy to see himing over. They went to him and greeted him chirpily. Emma, in particr, was very weing. Emma greeted him enthusiastically. ¡°Daddy!¡± Weston picked her up in his arms and responded to her with a hum. He rubbed her head and turned to Elias afterward. Elias was much more reserved than Emma. He had not yet fully approved of Weston, so he greeted him coolly. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Weston smiled and rubbed his head too. Many eyes were on him. After all, Weston¡¯s presence at the party alone was a big enough deal. Besides, he had his two children with him. Most people in the circle knew Weston and Ste¡¯splicated rtionship, but it was their first time seeing them together like this. Ste watched Weston walk to her with the two little ones. She wore a polite smile, but her t tone devoid of any warmth. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to appear in front of me until I figured it out?¡± Weston said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going toe, but I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± Ste frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯repletely untrustworthy. How many times have you gone back on your word?¡± ¡°I wanted to be a man of my word.¡± Weston suddenly took Ste¡¯s hand and tapped her palm. ¡°But I wanted to try my luck. It was my chance to see you. What if it worked? You¡¯re so happy today. Maybe you¡¯d be merciful and let me see you more. If I¡¯m lucky, maybe I¡¯ll even get to kiss you again¡­¡± Ste red at Weston for saying such things with the two children around. ¡°Shut up!¡± Seeing that he had no intention of shutting up, she reached out and covered his mouth. She warned coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be shameless!¡± Weston gently looked at her and kissed her on the hand. ¡°Hm.¡± Chapter 1366 Chapter 1366 Chapter 1366 Ste was utterly shocked to see Weston¡¯s shamelessness. She red at him again, took the two children, and walked away without saying anything. The light in Weston¡¯s eyes gradually dimmed as he watched Ste¡¯s back. The people around came up to him and talked to him. He handled them all without stealing the limelight from Ste. After all, Ste was the star of the show tonight. Emma and Elias stopped talking to Weston after seeing Ste fighting with him, and they simply stayed with her quietly. Seeing their caution, Ste said to them, ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you want, you can go y with Daddy.¡± When Ste patted their heads, Emma and Elias exchanged a nce and continued hugging Ste. ¡°We want to stay with Mommy!¡± Ste smiled but felt a little regretful inside. ¡®Should I have treated Weston a little better?¡® she thought. Both children would act ording to her treatment of Weston. If she were too indifferent to him, they would think she did not want them to have contact with him. Ste¡¯s head hurt slightly from thinking about it. When some guests came to toast her, she weed them and had a few drinks with them. Ste could feel that Weston¡¯s eyes were always on her. She felt his intent gaze wherever she went, but even so, she pretended not to see him. The people around her were very smart. The guests noticed Weston¡¯s frequent nces and did not dare to make Ste drink more. They were just doing it out of polite courtesy. Ste was a bad drinker. Although no one forced her, she became tipsy after only a few sips and sat there in a daze. Perhaps she feltfortable surrounded by familiar people around. Hence, she was quite happy about the asion and began to drink a lot. It was not long before she felt a tall figure towering in front of her. Weston squatted down in front of Ste and touched her forehead. ¡°Your face is a little flushed.¡± Ste frowned slightly. She tried to avoid him, but Weston held her head and made her look at him. ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste¡¯s voice was a little muffled. ¡°You¡¯re the most annoying person in the world. Weston smiled helplessly and took her hand. He put her hand on his shoulder and urged, ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ste pushed Weston away immediately and stumbled backward. Although clearly drunk, Ste continued to deny it and looked at Weston with gleaming eyes. ¡°Do you think you can treat me like a fool because I drank a lot?!¡± Ste stumbled to her feet. ¡°Look! I can stand up properly!¡± Weston was lost for words. ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯re not drunk.¡± It seemed that every drunken person would im that they were sober. Yvonne came over with a ss of wine and saw Ste¡¯s face flushing red. She asked, feeling concerned. ¡°Do you want to go to your room and rest for a while?¡± Ste shook her head and suddenly rested her head on Yvonne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why are you shaking in front of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not shaking.¡± Yvonne wasughing in tears. ¡°You¡¯re kinda drunk. Let Weston take you to rest.¡± Ste shook her head and refused to leave. Lucas stood beside Yvonne with an annoyed look. Seeing Ste¡¯s unabashed behavior, he took her by the arm, attempting to pull her up and away from Yvonne. Yvonne, however, red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 1367 Chapter 1367 Chapter 1367 Yvonne recently realized Lucas¡¯s possessiveness over her. It had been getting worsetely, and she felt suffocated. She used to enjoy Lucas¡® treatment and thought it was a sign of his love for her, but there was a limit to everything. She felt that Lucas had exceeded that limit and was a bit sick. Lucas¡¯s eyes changed at Yvonne¡¯s serious response. He withdrew his hand in slight irritation and remained silent. Then, he finished the ss of wine in his hand and ced it on the tray beside him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. You bettere over soon.¡± Yvonne let out a helpless sigh and had no choice but to turn to Weston. ¡°Then please take care of her.¡± Ste hugged her arms and would not let her go. ¡°Why push me to Weston? Can you trust a man like him?¡± Weston was speechless at how Ste did not seem to mind badmouthing him directly at his face. Yvonne felt a little helpless. ¡°What should I do? My husband seems angry. I have to coax him.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t put him before our friendship.¡± Yvonne raised her eyebrows at what Ste had just said. ¡°She seems really drunk.¡± Then, she patted Ste¡¯s shoulder and urged, ¡°Okay,e on. If I don¡¯t go over, Lucas will eat me up.¡® Yvonne saw Angelinaing from afar as if a savior. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Ste in your care!¡± Before Angelina could even react, Yvonne had already pushed Ste to her. Seeing that Yvonne had left in a hurry, Angelina hurriedly helped Ste and looked at Yvonne with a helpless look. The next moment, a force pulled Ste over. Weston gave her an indifferent look. ¡°Let me.¡± Angelina was too thin and could barely support the weight of a drunk, so she let Weston hold Ste. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll get someone over here.¡± Angelina stared at Weston as if afraid of what he might do to Ste. However, Weston behaved like a gentleman and held Ste without further action. Henry came up behind Angelina and asked her if she needed any help. Angelina did not lose her temper with him this round and told him, ¡°Shall we send Ste back?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here. What are we doing with Ste?¡± Henry nced at Weston and seemed to be puzzled at Angelina¡¯s action. Why was she obstructing them? Angelina red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Ste doesn¡¯t want to stay with him!¡± ¡°Is that so? I saw her rxing with Weston earlier. Emma and Elias seemed quitefortable with him.¡± Angelina¡¯s gaze flickered. What Henry said was true, but Angelina could not just hand Ste over to Weston just yet. She said to Henry, ¡°No. She¡¯s drunk. I¡¯m taking her.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her? Who does she want to go with?¡± Henry suggested. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Angelina turned to Ste and asked, ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Shall I take you to your room?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk.¡± Ste stood up straight. She stared at Angelina for a moment and suddenly hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m a good drinker!¡± Angelina was rendered speechless. She thought, ¡®Do drunk people like to tell such lies?¡± She patted the back of Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not drunk, but it¡¯ste now. Let¡¯s go back and rest, okay?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No. We have to continue eating. Don¡¯t we have to cut the cake? There¡¯s still a performance tonight. I¡¯ll y a piano piece for everyone!¡± Angelina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°How can you y the piano with the condition you¡¯re in? You might just end up throwing up on Mr. Ford.¡± Chapter 1368 Chapter 1368 Chapter 1368 Angelina could barely support Ste¡¯s weight alone. As soon as Weston held Ste from behind, she snuggled into his arms. Seeing that, Angelina could only sigh. She told Weston, ¡°Forget it. You can take her to her room.¡± After that, Angelina shot him another warning re. ¡°I see that Ste trusts you. I¡¯ll trust you for once. Don¡¯t try to do anything to her!¡± Weston picked Ste up straight away. ¡°If I really want to do something, your warning won¡¯t work. I can take her away at will.¡± Angelina was lost for words. Weston had a point. If he wanted to do something to Ste, no one could ever stop him, not to mention her. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Emma and Elias came over and followed them. ¡°Daddy, is Mommy drunk?¡± Weston stopped walking and looked at the two little ones with gentle eyes. ¡°Yes. Daddy will take Mommy to her room first. You can have fun, okay? Find Uncleter. He¡¯ll take care of you.¡± 1 Elias nodded. ¡°No, I can take care of us both.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Weston soon carried Ste away. When he got to her room, he gentlyid her on the bedside. Ste was a little tired but held on. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Ste felt the sky spinning around her. In the next second, a familiar and handsome face appeared in her eyes. She patted his face in annoyance and tried to push him away. ¡°Don¡¯t block me. I can¡¯t see¡­¡± Weston let out a lowugh and lowered his head. He took her shoes off and tucked her in bed. However, Ste deliberately kicked the nket away and looked at him in a daze. Weston fell silent. He stood up and looked at her seriously. ¡°Tuck yourself in.¡± Ste kicked it away again. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Are you trying to go against me?¡± Steughed and rolled to the other end, refusing to look at him. Weston had no choice but to walk to the other side of the bed and look down at her gently. ¡°Thirsty?¡± Ste blinked and gulped slightly. ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get you a ss of water. Lie down and don¡¯t,roll around.¡± Ste remained silent. Weston nced at her a few more times and made sure she stayed still. Then, he went to get her water. As soon as he finished pouring a ss of water, he heard a loud thud from the bed. It sounded like something heavy had hit the ground. Weston frowned and immediately strode over, only to find Ste on the floor. She must¡¯ve somehow fallen down. She even looked up at him with a silly smile. Weston was lost for words. He had no choice but to walk to her and help her up. Ste went down on him like she had no strength, so Weston cupped her chin and fed her water. Ste seemed to have sobered up slightly, but her face was still red. She looked at Weston motionlessly and asked a question abruptly, ¡°Who are you?¡± Weston fell silent again. This time, his face sank. ¡°You don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Who are you?¡± She patted his cheek and mumbled, ¡°You look like the man I used to love¡­¡± Weston¡¯s expression eased with interest. ¡°Who was it?¡± Chapter 1369 Chapter 1369 Chapter 1369 ¡°He¡¯s just a douchebag!¡± Ste ced a lot of emphasis on the word ¡®douchebag.¡® If Weston didn¡¯t know that she was really drunk, he would have thought she was faking it. Weston pinched Ste¡¯s face. ¡°Why is he a douchebag?¡± Ste smiled in silence and closed her eyes. It was as if she was having a shback to some unpleasant experience. Weston could see the light cast a faint shadow on her face and her longshes with her eyes shut. He looked at her delicate side profile for a moment. Unable to resist himself, he kissed her on the cheek. Ste turned to him and red at him immediately. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just a kiss, okay? I¡¯m not doing anything to you!¡± Ste covered her face. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too easy for you?!¡± ¡°Yes. Would you be willing to let me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste shook her head. After staring at Weston¡¯s face for a few moments, she suddenly kissed him on the cheek too. ¡°You¡¯re quite handsome too. I want to kiss you.¡± Weston chuckled at that. While staring at her, he suddenly lowered his head and pressed the tip of his nose against hers. He kissed her upper lip for a moment and then quickly withdrew from the kiss. ¡°That¡¯s what you call a kiss,¡± he said. Ste wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer in response to Weston¡¯s kiss. Weston suddenly got a little nervous. When he thought she would kiss him again, Ste suddenly let go andughed gleefully. ¡°You¡¯re stupid! I actually fooled you like that!¡± Weston was lost for words. Then, he set the ss of water aside and picked Ste up in his arms with a sullen face. Ste wrapped her arms around his neck as she was suspended in midair. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the bath.¡± Weston looked down and smelled the alcohol on her. ¡® ¡± What a drunk. You¡¯re reeking of alcohol. You mustn¡¯t go to bed without a shower.¡± Weston was not on his turf but was still quite particr in terms of cleanliness. Ste was still a little confused when Weston put her in the bathtub. She mumbled,¡± So much water¡­¡± While sinking and floating in the water, she questioned, ¡°Are you trying to drown me?¡± Weston gave her a look. ¡°This amount of water won¡¯t drown you.¡± Ste grabbed the edge of the tub and tried to climb out. Weston saw that, and his eyebrows kept twitching at her action. He stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Ste¡¯s clothes were wet. The wet fabric revealed her beautiful figure and her waistline. He could see everything. Weston¡¯s face turned darker as he tried to suppress himself. Then, he simply turned around and refused to look at her.N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Get in now. I¡¯ll bathe you,¡± Weston urged, but what he did not expect to see was the view in the mirror in front of him. From the reflection, he saw Ste looking at him with dewy eyes and blushing cheeks. As soon as their gaze met, Weston could feel something in him getting out of control. He could not restrain himself anymore. Weston gritted his teeth hard. Then, he turned around and followed Ste into the tub. Weston pinned Ste to the edge of the tub and ripped her shirt off right away. He asked, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± He looked at the innocent and dazed look on her face. Then, he suddenly lowered his head to kiss her and slowly inched downward. Ste had no idea what was going on and pped the water helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m drowning¡­ I¡¯m drowning¡­¡± Ste kept crying, but Weston acted as if he could not hear her. He held her neck and lifted her head out of the water, allowing her to breathe. The rest was not up to her anymore. Weston kissed her skin and slowly went down. It was as if he wanted to eat her up. Soon, he used heavier and heavier force. Ste¡¯s mind was a little unclear. Even so, she suddenly jolted from Weston¡¯s hot touch. ¡°I¡­ I need to use the toilet¡­¡° Chapter 1370 Chapter 1370 Chapter 1370 These days, Weston could do very little about Ste. He finally got up, held back his surging urge, and carried her to the toilet. Fortunately, the bathroom and washroom in the hotel were separated and the water in the bathroom couldn¡¯t ssh over. Thus, after considering for a moment, Weston decided to remove all the wet clothes from Ste¡¯s body. Ste seemed to have sobered up a little. She hurriedly covered her chest and retreated. ¡°What are you doing to me? How dare you remove my clothes?¡± Weston released his hand and looked at her helplessly. ¡°You said you wanted to go to the toilet. If you don¡¯t remove your clothes, they¡¯ll get dirty.¡± Ste pouted and did not believe his words. ¡°Why would my clothes get dirty from the toilet? You¡¯re clearly the one who wants to undress me.¡± Weston fell silent. Feeling a little lost for words, he could only say, ¡°I wanted to take off your clothes.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Ste hugged herself and turned her back to him with a stubborn look. Weston was amused and a little annoyed at her actions. ¡°Be a good girl. Turn around.¡± Ste said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Ste continued to ignore him. Weston had no choice but topromise. He got up and looked at her for a few moments. ¡°Okay. Go to the toilet first while I fill the tub for you. The water will get cold soon. Come out quickly.¡± Ste finally nodded. It was a mess in the bathroom. By the time Weston got Ste clean and tucked her into the bed, he was drenched from head to toe. Weston went to the bathroom and cleaned himself. He wrapped himself in a towel and came out of the bathroom to see Ste sleeping soundly and breathing steadily. Weston tucked himself in andy down next to her. He hugged her from behind and kissed her gently on the neck. Ste grunted in slight difort and tried to avoid the hot breath behind her. Weston¡¯s eyes gradually darkened. ¡°Even if I¡¯m not with you in the future, take good care of yourself,¡± Weston muttered. Ste woke up the next day to a handsome face right in front of her. She was startled Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. and woke Weston up. Weston only gave her a faint look and naturally reached out, wrapping his arms around his waist. ¡°Sleep a little longer,¡± Weston said. Ste gritted her teeth. ¡°What did you do to mest night?¡± Weston woke up to her question and felt a little helpless. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to you. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± Ste immediately lifted the nkets and was relieved to find no marks on her body. Her body did not feel sore either. ¡°Alright.¡± She questioned, ¡°Then why are you sleeping next to me?¡± ¡°You were drunkst night. You kept vomiting and fussing. I had to clean you up, and I barely slept the whole night.¡± ¡°Let me sleep a little longer,¡± Weston muttered. His voice was very hoarse. After saying that, he hugged Ste in his arms again. Ste was still a little angry. ¡°Who would believe you! Why can¡¯t you let someone else care for me if I was drunk?¡± There were so many of her close acquaintances at the party yesterday. Weston closed his eyes and told her, ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable with someone else taking care of you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the biggest threat to me?¡± Ste found it unbelievable. ¡°Did Angelina and Yvonne really watch you take me away just like that?¡± Weston opened his eyes suddenly. ¡°Does that mean your good friends are about to ept me?¡± Ste was lost for words. She said through gritted teeth, ¡°What does their eptance have to do with me? All I know is that I¡¯ll never forgive you.¡± Ste blurted out the words without thinking and felt a little ufortable seeing the pained expression on Weston¡¯s face. She turned her back to him, not wanting to see him again. ¡°I¡¯ve already made it clear. I can never ept you again.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 1371 Chapter 1371 Chapter 1371 Weston wrapped his arms around Ste from behind and nuzzled against the nape of her neck, his gestures full of longing. ¡°Let me hug you just a little longer, okay? I promise I won¡¯t ever bother you again. after this.¡± Ste, unsurprisingly, did not take him at his word. He had promised her the exact same thing so many times before, yet none of it came to pass. He always ended up pestering her again within days of saying that. Still hungover from all that drinkingst night, which made her feel horrible, she quickly went back to sleep. When she woke up again, she found that Weston was no longer to be seen. Ste did not exactly mind his absence, but she still could not help but be irritated. Why did he not say goodbye or even tell her that he was about to leave? How could he just disappear like that? What an annoying man! She then went downstairs back to her own ce, and just as she arrived, she heard Roger¡¯s voice. He quickly rose to his feet when he saw Ste and agitatedly walked up to her, asking, ¡°I heard Weston Ford was taking care of youst night. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m okay,¡± she replied, confused by his question. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt you, did he?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried.¡± ¡°How could I not?¡± argued Roger, who thought that Ste was clearly teasing him.¡± Everyone knows what kind of man he is. If he decided to do anything to you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ste coughed lightly, interrupting him. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to mest night.¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Weston¡¯s reputation by that point was just so poor that no one would believe that he did nothing at all to Ste after spending the entire night with her. In fact, even Ste could hardly believe it. She never thought of him as a particrly noble or virtuous gentleman, but the truth still remained that he did nothing to her at allst night, so she had no reason to find any fault with him. Roger scrutinized Ste with his eagle eyes as if trying to draw out some clues from her face. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Ste after Roger had been staring at her face for a while. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Your attitudes towards him have changed, Sis.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ste asked, stunned for a while. ¡°I meant to say that it looks like you¡¯re going to get back together with him.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ste cried, her face turning stony and cold. Whenever Roger thought of the possibility that Ste and Weston might be together again, he would get so anxious that he found it hard to breathe. ¡°Did you notice that your heart is gradually softening towards him now?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk about this with you¡­¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Are you not in the mood, or are you just too afraid to talk about it?¡± Roger ignored the fact that Elias and Emma were both there with them and suddenly grabbed Ste¡¯s wrist, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± he demanded. ¡°Are you going to make up with him?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m going to do¡­¡± Ste shoved his hand away. ¡°Is none of your business. I¡¯m not obliged to tell you anything.¡± Roger¡¯s mouth hung agape in disbelief that Ste would say that to him. He just stood there stunned and speechless for a while. Ste did not want to argue with him about this in front of Elias and Emma, so she just told him, ¡°Calm down, Roger.¡± Then she walked up to her children and asked them, ¡°Have you guys finished your food?¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy!¡± ¡°In that case, Mommy will take you out to y, okay?¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Roger watched silently with a raw sting in his heart as Ste walked away. She was right, he thought. He was nothing more than her brother now, and that was the only way he could stay by her side¨Cas her family. Even if she really did want to be with Weston again, there was nothing he could do about it. Chapter 1372 Chapter 1372 Chapter 1372 Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. What Roger said that day left a deep impression on Ste¡¯s mind. Sometimes, when she was working in her office, she would find herself asking the same question. Had her heart really softened towards Weston? She simply refused to admit to such a thing. At the very least, she knew for sure that right now, she still could not stand him all that much. But then, a few dayster, she started to feel as if something was amiss. She hadn¡¯t seen Weston for a good while now. But perhaps she only felt that way because he had been pursuing her so aggressively recently, and him turning up at her office with all kinds of gifts every day, that his total absence right now felt like a drastic change. Every time she walked past the front desk, she would automatically slow down in case the receptionist might stop her. But it seemed there was nothing left for her there these days. At first, the sudden change made her feel a little ufortable, but after a while, that difort changed to relief. Perhaps he really had given up on her? She let out a sigh. It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest. She might not be used to it initially, especially since she had been seeing Weston everywhere all the time in the past, but then it was nothing more than a feeling of not being used to a change, which faded as time passed. After a while, even that feeling was gone. After the concert tour, Ste asked Angelina and Yvonne if they wanted to get together and have a night out. Angelina told her that she had no time right now because she had to take care of her daughter. Yvonne agreed at first, but she called her back shortly afterward and hesitatingly told her that she had no time to go out with her at the moment. Ste thought she was acting a little strange but gave it no further thought. One day, after picking Elias and Emma up from their school, she bumped into an old acquaintance in the shopping mall¨CDiana Belford. ¡°Ste?¡± cried Diana, visibly surprised to see Ste. They had not seen each other for a very long time. Ste stood there staring at Diana for a while and suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Kids,¡± she turned to Elias and Emma, ¡°this is Mommy¡¯s auntie.¡± Diana was initially surprised to see the twins, but then the surprise turned into joy. ¡°I nned to meet up with you a while ago,¡± she told Ste, ¡°but something kepting up. Besides, I heard that you¡¯ve been doing really well these days, so I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°You will never be a bother to me, Aunt Diana.¡± Diana smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a ce to sit down and have a chat for a while?¡± she suggested. ¡°Sure!¡± They both had their children with them, so they had to settle for a coffee shop. ¡°I divorced Michael a long time ago, Ste.¡± Ste was well aware of this. ¡°I found out about everything he did in the past,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Ste. ¡°I should¡¯ve told you much earlier.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Diana shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s Michael¡¯s fault, not yours.¡± ¡°So, how are you doing these days?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Not too bad.¡± Diana smiled. She had always been pampered and sheltered by her family her whole life, so when she first found out about what Michael did in the past, she was overwhelmed by doubt and pain that made her feel as if her life was bleak and hopeless. But time had indeed healed everything. The initial shock and disbelief turned to unbearable misery and pain, though all of that had simmered down through time and had gradually dissipated. Diana could think about Michael now without feeling that piercing sting in her heart. In fact, she could even face him without losing herposure now. Chapter 1373 Chapter 1373 Chapter 1373 Ste felt much better after hearing what Diana said. They went on to chat for a while before Ste decided it was time to take Elias and Emma home. Diana was the first to excuse herself, after which Ste drank another cup of coffee and got ready to leave. Outside, the rain suddenly began to pour. It seemed like a storm was brewing. Elias and Emma looked tired and sleepy because they had missed their afternoon nap. Ste had to wake them up after calling for the driver to get them. The person who ended uping was Roger. Things were strained between themtely because they had been arguing about Weston. Ste knew that it would not be easy for Roger to let go of his feelings for her, so she decided to give him some time and space. Once they got in the car, Roger spoke to Elias and Emma briefly, then when he noticed that they were both looking very sleepy, he no longer disturbed them anymore and just let them rest.. Once they got out of the car, he bluntly asked Ste, ¡°Have you been seeing Weston Fordtely?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time.¡± Roger studied her face but noticed no emotions. It really looked like she hadpletely forgotten about the man. And so he decided to keep the words he was about to say to himself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ste, noticing that Roger was acting a little weirdly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Once they got home, Ste bathed Elias and Emma and went straight to bed. And so the days passed without her seeing Weston again. Ste¡¯s life now became simple and carefree. It really seemed like she had forgotten him now and moved on with her life. Meanwhile, in a hospital, Yvonne sighed after hearing what Roger had just told her and turned to the man beside her. ¡°Ste seems to be doing really well right now,¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t trouble her about this.¡± Lucas turned dour and gloomy when he heard this. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how bad Weston is doing. I guess it wouldn¡¯t be troubling her if we asked her to look at him?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s his own fault that he¡¯s ended up like this!¡± argued Yvonne, annoyed by how Lucas was always taking Weston¡¯s side. ¡°None of it has anything to do with Ste! It¡¯s not her fault at all, so why should she have to do anything about it?¡± ¡°Are women always this cruel?¡± Lucas grumbled as he massaged the point between his brows. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say that!¡± Yvonne red at him. ¡°This clearly had nothing to do with Stelia!¡± She then paused and sighed, adding, ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s go take a look at Weston¡­¡± She could hardly believe Lucas when he first told her what had happened to Weston. After all, this was Weston Ford they were talking about¨Ca man renowned for being a shrewd, decisive businessman with a steely mind. How could she believe that he would end up that way all because of Ste? But then she recalled all the things that he had done to Ste in the past and started to question if this man really was out of his mind. They arrived at a tightly guarded sanatorium that was tucked away in an isted location far from the public eye. Yvonne followed Lucas inside. Because the ce had especially tight security, they had to go through multiple security check¨Cups before they got in. The whole ce was dark and dimly lit. Yvonne became more anxious the further she walked into the ce, so much so that she had to cling to Lucas¡¯s arm for support. Lucas patted the back of her hand gently, trying to reassure her. They walked up to a closed door, where a noise emerged from inside the room, which sounded like the cries of a wild animal trapped inside a cage. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yvonne stopped abruptly. A chill ran down her spine. That noise¡­ It was a noise that could only be made when two raging beasts were being put inside the same cage, thus setting them upon each other. Yvonne turned to her husband with eyes full of disbelief. ¡°That can¡¯t really be Weston Ford in there, can it?¡± Lucas reassured her that it was indeed Weston before cing his hand on the doorknob and turning it gently. As soon as the door opened, a thick stench of blood wafted through the narrow gap. Yvonne had to cover her mouth to stop herself from throwing up¡­ Her eyes widened as she faced the horrifying scene inside. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Chapter 1374 Chapter 1374 Chapter 1374 The dimly lit room was almost pitch¨Cck. None of the lights were turned on, but it was still faintly illuminated by the silvery moonlight that seeped in through the windows, enabling its upants to make out the furnishings in the room. The furnishings here were very simple, even a bit crude, hardly befitting the richest man in Ahn City. But this was nowhere near the most shocking thing here for Yvonne. She had no idea what those heavy chains were doing there on the ground¡­ There were dry crusty blood stains on the chains that looked thick and heavy and incredibly frightening. Under the dim moonlight, they looked like huge snakes slithering in the dark room, making the ce look cold and savage. But even the chains were still not the most frightening thing here for Yvonne because nothing shocked her more than the sight of the enormous cage in the center of the room¨Ca cagerge enough to enclose an adult man inside. And Weston sat right there. The door of the cage was open, and his long legs spilled out of it. His pants were riddled with holes, and there were visible blood stains on them that had already dried up and stuck to his pants. The man himself hung his head low as he sat in the cage. His short unkempt ck hair made him look positively viinous. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up, exposing his arms which were lined with bulging blue veins. He rested his arms casually on his bent knees. The shadow below his hanging fingertips showed signs of fresh drops of blood.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yvonne¡¯s face turned pale the longer she watched him. She stepped backward, then bumped into her husband¡¯s chest. She turned around, only for Lucas to cover her eyes with his hand. ¡°Look away if you¡¯re scared,¡± he whispered. She leaned against his chest, trembling a little as she asked him, ¡°¡­How did he end up like that?¡± ¡°He promised Ste that she won¡¯t see him again,¡± Lucas exined, ¡°but he had no way to restrain himself from going to her. He knew that if he didn¡¯t chain himself up like this, he would not be able to stop himself from finding her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always known that he¡¯s a bit crazy,¡± said Yvonne, finding it hard to believe what she just heard and saw, ¡°but I had no idea that he would be this mad¡­¡± She pressed her hands on her chest to steady her breathing, then added, ¡°How could he even think of locking himself up in a cage?¡± Lucas shook his head. He pressed her head hard against his chest to prevent her from seeing the bloody scene again. Weston just sat there silently while the blood dripped down his fingers. The bodyguards stood around him, alert and ready to take action should he suddenly try to rush out again. In the past, Weston had forced Ste to go through with their wedding, which everyone called the Caged Wedding. But now, the person who was caged was not her but him. This change signified that the tables had turned and that their positions had reversed. Lucas slowly walked up to him and peered down at him. ¡°Is this all worth it?¡± he asked. ¡°I made a promise to her,¡± Weston replied in a low voice without even looking up at Lucas. ¡°I told her that she¡¯d never see me again, so I have to keep my word.¡± ¡°But right now, you¡¯ve been living like a zombie. You might as well be dead! Are you sure this is what Ste wants to see?¡± Weston shook his head. He stared vacantly at the empty floor as blood continued to drip down his fingertips. ¡°But you said it yourself,¡± he replied in a hollow voice, ¡°she¡¯s happier without me by her side.¡± These days, the only thing that kept Weston alive was all the news he received about Ste from time to time. He had hired someone to take pictures of her secretly and tell him how she was doing. It seemed that without him, her life had gotten much better now. She lived her life happily every day, and although she did seem as if she was not used to his absence at first, she quickly adapted and moved on after only about a week. There were various photos hanging on the cage. Weston picked one up at random and gazed at it. It was a photo of Ste getting off from work. She was wearing a white dress which made her look pure and beautiful. The years that went by had done nothing to her appearance except to endow her with a more mature charm. Weston caressed the photo gently with his fingers. His expressions softened and warmed up considerably. Even after only briefly looking at her photo, he could hardly contain the urge to look for her and hug her tightly. Chapter 1375 Chapter 1375 Chapter 1375 ¡°If I meet her now, do you know what I would do to her?¡± He would lose all self¨Ccontrol. He would ignore everything and just chain her to himself so she would stay by his side forever. But he was resolved not tomit the same mistakes again, so all he could do was lock himself in this cage. No one would have thought that Weston Ford would end up this way. Yet he had done so much for Ste in the past, and Lucas should have noticed much earlier that this man was truly beyond repair, and he should have foreseen that he would do something like this. Yvonne, deeply shaken and appalled by what she had just seen, was suddenly thrown into a dilemma- On the one hand, she was determined not to let Ste see Weston as it would do Ste a lot of good the further she stayed away from this man. Besides, she had been living her best life without him so far, always carefree and at ease. She would spend her days with Elias and Emma, being much happier than she had ever been. Her life had only improved without Weston. Although his absence made her feel as if something was amiss at first, she quickly grew ustomed, and her life went on without a hitch. But on the other hand, seeing Weston¡¯s condition right now convinced Yvonne that if he were never to see Ste again, he would surely torment himself to death. She now understood why Lucas had been so adamantly insisting on asking Ste to visit him. In fact, after all that she had seen here, even Yvonne was not sure what she should do. But at the same time, Weston seemed really dangerous right now, which made her grow concerned. Would he not hurt Ste if she really dide to see him right now? What would they do then? And so she told her husband all about the conflicting thoughts on her mind. But Lucas merely looked at her and calmly replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the state that Weston is in right now? He¡¯s willing to chain himself up just to stop himself from going to see Ste. If he¡¯s willing to go that far just for her sake, do you really think that he would harm her in any way?¡± ¡°The way he is now,¡± he continued, ¡°it¡¯s almost impossible for him to hurt her.¡± Yvonne fell silent, slowly contemting what Lucas had just said. Eventually, she sighed and relented. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask Ste toe over.¡± Lucas nodded and sighed. He took her hands and told her, ¡°Judging by the state that Weston¡¯s in right now, Ste is probably the only one in the world who could save him.¡± It waste in the middle of the night when Ste received a call from Yvonne. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You¡¯d better have a good reason to call me at this hour,¡± Ste said, sounding sleepy and a little confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± said Yvonne, ¡°but I think you¡¯d bettere over here and take a look at this yourself¡­¡± Ste was mildly annoyed, but seeing that the person she was talking to was her best friend, she instantly called her driver to take her to the ce where Yvonne was waiting for her. She was astonished when she stepped out of the car. Why on earth would Yvonne ask her toe to such a ce in the middle of the night? If she had not been absolutely sure that the person on the phone was indeed Yvonne, she would have thought that she was still asleep and in a nightmare. She slowly entered the sanatorium. The ce was very dark, and none of the lights were on. Feeling a little frightened, she picked up her phone and called Yvonne. She had only just walked a little further when she heard the sound of a ringtoneing from a room right in front, so she hung up, opened the door, and went inside. Chapter 1376 Chapter 1376 Chapter 1376 The next thing she knew, she was faced with a scene so frightening that she almost cked out- Ste stood there in a daze, staring at the enormous cage in front of her. She could hardly believe her own eyes. Had she identally stepped into the wrong room?* The room that she was in right now was both dark and spacious, and in the center of the room was a cage, inside of which sat the man she had not seen in many days- Weston. Her eyes narrowed in on the man wearing a white shirt who was just sitting there, hunched up like a cornered wild beast. His whole body was riddled with cuts and wounds. The sight disturbed her so much that she could not even react. She had to step away for a while and rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was actually just dreaming. She just dared not believe that what she was seeing was true. In fact, the wounds on Weston¡¯s body were so fresh that he was still bleeding. His blood seeped through his white shirt and slowly dripped down the floor. But the man merely hung his head low, not looking at anyone in the room. He was surrounded by a group of bodyguards d in identical ck suits. Their expressions were cold and stony, looking as severe as if they were the demons guarding the gates of hell. Ste took a deep breath. Only after she heard Yvonne¡¯s voice did her senses return to her abruptly- ¡°What happened to him?¡± she asked. Yvonne turned to her and whispered, ¡°He locked himself up in this ce so he wouldn¡¯t go to you. Those are the bodyguards that he hired himself, and their duty is to stop him if he fails to restrain himself from trying to meeting you¡­¡± ¡± Ste was rendered speechless for a while, in utter disbelief at what she had just heard. ¡°Has he lost his mind?¡± she finally asked. ¡°I guess so,¡± Yvonne sighed. Lucas then walked up to his wife and put his arms around her shoulders before saying, ¡°We¡¯ve got no reason to stay here since Ste is here now. Let¡¯s go home.¡± But Yvonne was still reluctant to leave because she was worried about Ste¡¯s safety. She looked at her friend and told her, ¡°I called you toe over only so you could see him for yourself. You can decide what you want to do next. Personally, I don¡¯t think that you need to do anything at all. It¡¯s totally fine if you¡¯d like to just ignore him, you know.¡± Ste said nothing. She just kept on silently staring at Weston. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Weston looked too afraid to look at her, but she noticed that every muscle in his body tensed up as soon as she walked into the room, especially when he heard her voice and the sound of her panting. He dared not even raise his head to look at her and had to look away as if determined to avoid any signs of her presence there. Ste took a deep breath to steady herself before telling Yvonne, ¡°You guys can leave now. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Yvonne, concerned. ¡°Will you be fine handling this on your own? I think he looks a bit dangerous right now. Shouldn¡¯t you have a few people here with you, just in case?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ste shook her head. Even she had no idea where she got the confidence from. ¡°I know he won¡¯t hurt me.¡± Hearing this, Yvonne and Lucas soon left. Afterward, Ste even told the bodyguards to leave as well. And so there were only the two of them left in the room. There was a littlemp in the corner emitting a dim light. Ste¡¯s body cast a long shadow in the room. As she slowly walked up towards Weston, her shadow gradually engulfed him. Weston kept backing away from. Ste as she approached him until his back was finally up against the cage. Ste stopped and stood inches away from him. ¡°You clearly knew I was the one who turned up just now,¡± she said. ¡°You even heard my voice. Why didn¡¯t you even look at me?¡± Weston did not respond and kept his head drooping low. He looked just like a dog that had realized it had done something wrong and was too afraid to show its face to its master. Ste knelt down in front of him and ced her hand on his head. Weston suddenly let out a muffled grunt. It sounded like a noise that rose up from deep within his chest despite his best efforts to suppress it. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± he finally said hoarsely. He did not want her hands to get dirty. Chapter 1377 Chapter 1377 Chapter 1377 Ste took a deep breath. Her hands trembled a little as she ran her fingers down his hair and onto the cuts and wounds on his body. After a while, she withdrew her hand and asked him, ¡°Why did you have to do this?¡± Weston did not reply. So Ste mercilessly rubbed her hand against the wound on his body, making it hurt so much for Weston that he drew in a sharp breath and jolted his head up to look at her- Now Ste finally had a good look at his face. With the faint light from themp, she noticed that he had gotten much thinner than thest time she saw him. Unshaven, he looked so haggard that it seemed he must¡¯ve put himself through a lot without getting much rest. But despite all this, that striking face of his still looked as handsome as ever. In fact, at a moment when he was at his most vulnerable, he looked unusually fragile and delicate, which brought out the softer side of his attractive face. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ste gently caressed his face. At that moment, she had absolutely no idea what she should do next. ¡°I thought you stopped badgering me because you finally moved on,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d torment yourself like this.¡± It pained him to hear her use the word ¡°badgering¡± to describe his presence around her. ¡°I never intended for you to find out about this,¡± he told her drily. ¡°Nor did I ever want you to see me here.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Ste nodded. ¡°If Yvonne hadn¡¯t told me toe, were you nning to never see me again for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted, right? You know I¡¯d do anything for you.¡± Hearing this, Ste suddenly found it incredibly hard to breathe, as if someone had stuffed balls of cotton in her chest. ¡°But I never wanted you to end up this way,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the father of my two children, after all. I know lots of terrible things happened between us in the past, but it¡¯s time for us to move on and start anew.¡± ¡°Only because I¡¯m the children¡¯s father?¡± Ste said nothing in response. ¡°Stop torturing yourself like this,¡± she said instead, getting up to her feet. ¡°I can¡¯t possiblye to see you every time this happens.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°Do you hate me even more now?¡± He suddenly looked down at the horrible state that he was in. His whole body was stained with blood. At that moment, all he thought was that he might get Ste¡¯s. hands dirty if she touched him. ¡°I promised you that you won¡¯t see me again, yet I ended up doing something that forced you toe to me yourself¡­¡± Ste sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s why you should live well from now on,¡± she replied. ¡°Stop hurting yourself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± A hoarse and primal grunt escaped Weston¡¯s throat. It sounded as if a thousand des had stabbed him at the same time. He even started to tremble a little. ¡°This is the only way I can stop myself from going to see you.¡± Ste suddenly clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re making it harder for me to let you go if you do this?¡± she snapped. Weston fell silent for a long time. Finally, all he could say in response was a brief, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He then fell back into deep and unbroken silence. Seeing this, Ste could only let out a soft sigh and knelt back in front of him. She then reached out her hands to undo his buttons. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Weston asked, swiftly grabbing her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re covered in blood,¡± she exined feebly, looking straight into his eyes. ¡°So I have to take off your clothes. How can you stand this horrible stench?¡± She knew that he had always been a neat freak, so the stench of blood must be unbearable to him, which made it that much more puzzling how he managed to endure it for so long! He said nothing. After a long while, he finally let go of her hand and let her undo his button one by one. She then took off his shirt and tossed it aside. Then her fingers went down to his belt. She paused and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t need my help with this, too, do you?¡± Weston stared at her with eyes full of longing. His gaze was so intense that it was starting to make her feel ufortable. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you went through all this just to trick me into taking off your clothes.¡± Weston chuckled wryly, then said, ¡°If I really wanted to do that, I would¡¯ve tried it long ago.¡± ¡°Ste¡­¡± he continued. ¡°You haven¡¯t the slightest idea how much I want to be with you.¡± Chapter 1378 Chapter 1378 Chapter 1378 Ste let him hug her for a long time. She could very clearly feel his chest rising and falling violently as he held her in his arms. Finally, she patted his back and told him, ¡°You¡¯re covered in blood. Let¡¯s get you cleaned up for now, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± Only then did Weston let her go. Ste got up, turned away from him, and walked out of the cage. ¡°Take off the rest yourself,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± But to her surprise, the next moment, she heard him shut the cage door. She turned around and saw Weston already locking himself up inside again. He then slumped down onto the floor powerlessly before covering his eyes with his hands, refusing to even look at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, frowning as she walked up to him. ¡°You should leave now,¡± he told her. ¡°Forget about me.¡± His voice was gruff and croaky as if he was exerting great self¨Ccontrol in every word he spoke. His Adam¡¯s apple moved as he swallowed his saliva. ¡°Leave while I still have some self¨Ccontrol left,¡± he added raspily. He dared not imagine what he would do if Ste remained here any longer. Ste took a deep breath and told him, ¡°I trust you, and I know that you won¡¯t hurt me. Open the door and just let me clean your wounds, okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± he shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand how enticing you are to me right now.¡± When he held her in his arms earlier, he had an urge to just lock her up inside the cage with him so they could be together here for the rest of their lives. Even for him, that waspletely beyond the pale. He knew that he could never hurt her, so he had no other choice but to let her leave now. Ste walked up to the cage and gripped the bars before softly telling him, ¡°Open the door.¡± Her voice had a magical allure to it, but he still would not move. ¡°Listen to me,¡± she repeated softly. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I might follow you around and badger you again? You might never be able to get rid of me again!¡± Ste said nothing. She just kept ring at him. This proved to be effective in the end, as Weston eventually relented and handed her the keys. He seemed powerless yet hesitant. Ste quickly grabbed the keys from the palm of his hand and opened the cage. The cage opened with a clicking noise, and to Weston, it felt like Ste had just opened a door into his heart. She stepped into the cage, walked towards him, and knelt down in front of him. ¡°Tell me,¡± she lifted up his chin to make him look into her eyes, ¡°are you going to hurt me?¡± He said nothing, but she could see his Adam¡¯s apple move up and down. He stared at her so intently that it seemed he was trying to peer into the depths of her soul. After a long while, he touched her face with trembling hands, and then, with the same caution and tenderness that one would treat their most prized and precious possession, he started to kiss her cheek, then her eyes, and then the tip of her nose. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± he murmured. ¡°I will never hurt you.¡± Ste sighed and patted his back.¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± The room was sparsely furnished, and itcked most of the creatureforts a home usually had. Ste nced around her and asked, ¡°Is there only one room here?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Weston nodded. He stared at her without even daring to blink, scared that she might leave at any moment. Ste knew that he was anxious about this, so she tried her best not to leave his sight. She nipped into the bathroom and quickly rushed back out, returning to him with a damp towel in her hands and kneeling down in front of him. Weston had obediently kept his shirt off. Even his suit and pants were already taken off and tossed aside. She noticed him sitting there ogling at her and which gave her a headache. ¡°Can¡¯t you keep yourself under control just for a little while?¡± she asked, massaging the point between her brows. Weston remained silent. He went on staring straight at her, looking as if he was going to swallow her whole. Chapter 1379 Chapter 1379 Chapter 1379 Ste had to force herself to ignore the way Weston was looking at her as she gently cleaned the bloody stains on his body. When she reached his arm, she paused, and her brows furrowed before asking him,¡± How did you hurt yourself this badly?¡± The cut was so deep that she could almost see his bone. His skin and flesh were torn apart, leaving a bleeding gash that was now covered by a clump of ck clotted blood. Even the sight of it made chills run down her spine. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool¡­¡± she muttered, tears welling up in her eyes. She was now so choked up that she did not know what else to say. Weston suddenly became flustered when he noticed her eyes reddening, thinking that he must have done something to upset her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m actually fine.¡± He then raised his hand awkwardly, trying to wipe away her tears. Ste turned away, not wanting to look at him. ¡°How can you say that you¡¯re fine when you got yourself into such a sorry state?¡± Her words made him purse his lips tightly. His head drooped down as he said, ¡°I never asked you to come to pity me.¡± Even now, he was still adamant about the matter. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she replied, ¡°I was the one who had nothing better to do and came here to see you like an idiot!¡± She was sounding angry now. She tossed the towel in her hand at him, and it just so happened tond on a raw wound. Weston frowned slightly but showed no other reactions. He picked up the towel and hung his head low, remainingpletely silent. Seeing that he looked just like a sad injured dog, Ste sighed again and massaged her temples helplessly. She must have owed him a great deal in herst lifetime! Ste sat back down in front of him and took the towel from him. When she saw the fresh blood stain on it, her eyes darkened, and she quickly pressed the towel with some force on the wound. ¡°Ouch-¡± She could hear him draw in a sharp breath. ¡°Serves you right,¡± she sobbed. ¡°For looking so pathetic just now!¡± Weston¡¯s expressions went through several drastic changes. He looked into her eyes and seemed as if he had something to say but was hesitant to blurt it out. In the end, he just lowered his head and said nothing. Ste did not notice the changes in his looks because she was too busy carefully cleaning the blood stains on his body. It took her a very long time before she finally cleaned his whole body up. She then helped him change his clothes and tossed the dirty ones into a basin before carrying them into the bathroom. As she walked away from him, she suddenly heard the noise of the chains rattling behind her. She paused and turned around to nce at Weston. But Weston instantly stayed still and looked very calm, making Ste think that she must have been mistaken just now. Ste shrugged, convinced that she was only imagining it just now, and thought nothing more of it as she continued walking into the bathroom. But just as she got inside the bathroom, Weston could not stop himself from getting up on his feet and following her every move with his gaze. He just could not bear it. He could not bear not seeing her. Not even if she was nearby. Not even if she was right there in the same room with him. He had the urge to rush towards her. He wanted to stop right behind her and pull her into his arms. Even Weston himself began feeling a little disturbed by these wild thoughts in his mind. He had no idea how much longer he could suppress these dark primal urges of his. He was really worried that he might hurt Ste again. When Ste came out, all she saw was Weston looking just as calm and quiet as before. She scrutinized his face but found nothing out of sorts, to which she sighed in relief. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°You have to take better care of yourself from now on,¡± she told him. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re still Elias and Emma¡¯s father. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± Weston nodded and continued staring at her. Ste said a few words more after that, and then they fell into silence again. Chapter 1380 Chapter 1380 Chapter 1380 After a while, Ste got up and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯m leaving now.¡± She had just taken a few steps when Weston stood up so violently that he staggered on his feet. The noise shocked her, making her turn around, only to see him in an agitated state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. Weston bit his tongue and remained silent, all the while staring fixedly at her. He stood there silently for a long time before finally shaking his head and telling her,¡± Nothing. Be careful on your way home.¡± He then backed into the cage again. The sight triggered conflicted feelings in Ste¡¯s heart. She pursed her lips and, without saying anything, turned around and left. But just as she stepped out of the door, she was shocked by another loud noiseing from behind her. She held her breath, telling herself not to look back and never to pity him again. She had helped him enough, and she did not have to do anything else for him. Anything that happened to him from then on was not her responsibility to bear. With these thoughts on her mind, she closed her eyes and strode out of the door. She had just reached downstairs when someone ferociously embraced her from behind. The familiar cold scent filled her nostrils. She could feel his dry lips brushing against her ear. She could feel the traces of dried blood on his lips as he nuzzled up against her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± he whispered to her, his voice raspy. ¡°Please don¡¯t go¡­ Please don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± He held her tighter and tighter. His current behavior was a stark contrast to the cold diffident demeanor he disyed earlier when he was trying to give her the impression that he never wanted her to be there, that she had chosen toe on her own ord, that he did not force her to see him by being pitiful and pathetic. Ste knew that this would happen. She did not move. She just stood there, letting him hug her. Weston gradually realized that she was acting weird as if she had lost all her ability to resist him. Only then did he let go of her and let his hands hang down on his sides. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I lost myposure for a moment there.¡± He then backed away from her, turned around, and rushed back into his room, mming the door shut behind him. Ste turned around and slowly followed him. She saw him lock himself up in the cage like it was his second nature. He slipped on the shackles on his hands and feet effortlessly, then closed the cage door with ease. He made it all seem as if he was simply locking up arge and fierce dog in a cage. Ste drew a sharp breath upon realizing that those wounds on his body must have been created by some violent struggle. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Weston asked without even looking up at her when he heard the faint sound of her footsteps. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Ste said nothing as she stood at the door. She gently closed the door behind her and softly sighed. ¡°Why do you have to do this to yourself?¡± she asked. Weston made no reply. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After a long time, he finally told her in a gruff voice, ¡°You should leave now. I don¡¯t need you to stay here just to pity me. Despite saying that, his eyes were glued on her, watching her every move. It really looked like his heart would shatter into a thousand pieces if she really did leave. Ste stared at him and fell silent for a long time. Ultimately, she tossed her handbag aside and walked up to Weston, taking her coat off and letting it slide down to the floor in front of him. She then headed towards the bed in the simply furnished room and sat on it. Weston trailed her every move like a hawk. He kept gulping as his bloodshot eyes followed her around. ¡°Come over here,¡± Ste said, looking at him. But Weston still would not move. Then Ste realized something and rose up to her feet. ¡°I forgot you¡¯re still locked in there.¡± Chapter 1381 Chapter 1381 Chapter 1381 Ste walked to the cage and took the key to unlock them for him. ¡°You really are a troublesome man. Are all these chains necessary? One should be more than sufficient. I don¡¯t think you can break free from such a big one.¡± Weston did not say anything, while Ste only mumbled to herself. ¡°Do you know what will happen next?¡± he reminded her out of the blue. She paused for a moment, but then she still unlocked the shackles from him and said to him, ¡°I told you, I believe you won¡¯t hurt me. Since I chose to stay, that means I chose to trust you.¡± His eyes suddenly became red, and he looked sideways. She sighed. After unchaining him, she helped him stand up. The two sat down on the edge of the bed. Weston had cleaned up his wounds earlier and did not smell so strong of blood anymore. She said, ¡°Do you sleep inside or outside?¡± He did not expect that she would ask him such a question one day as if they were a normal couple. After a while, he answered with a hoarse voice. ¡°Whichever is fine.¡± ¡°Then you sleep inside.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She continued, ¡°I¡¯m worried you might roll off at night.¡± But he simply sat there motionlessly and looked at her without the slightest intention of moving. She frowned. ¡°Do you want me to put you to bed?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You sleep on the inside.¡± His message was very obvious. He was afraid that she might escape in the middle of the night when he was asleep. If she slept inside, he would be able to detect it. Ste pinched her be helplessly. ¡°You win.¡± She had no choice but to lie down on the side near the wall. Weston theny down beside her. The moment shey down, he pulled her into his arms. She had no time to react before she was snug in the man¡¯s grasp. Smelling his scent, she patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t hold me too tight. I¡¯m a little suffocated.¡± Weston loosened his grip slightly, allowing her to find afortable position. She rested on his arm and looked at him. ¡°Is this okay? Will your hands go numb?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No.¡± His thin lips pressed against her forehead, brushing her skin as he spoke, and his warm breath fanning her ear. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to ignore the dominating scent of the man. It did not take long before she felt someone kissing her. She tried to pretend that she did not know, but the kisses became more and more noticeable and excessive. He went down her forehead and started again to the tip of her nose before stopping at her lips, going deeper and deeper, little by little, and with a little tentativeness. Ste was kissed by him enough. Her breathing was a little short, and she could only warn him. ¡°Sleep properly!¡± Weston, however, did not listen to her. He suddenly sped her wrist and ced her beneath his body, and started kissing her neck. She opened her eyes. Staring into his deep eyes, she said expressionlessly, ¡°What do you want?¡± His silence ensued, and he simply continued kissing her neck, leaving faint marks on her skin. Her chest continued to rise and fall. Sensing his intentions, she said to him coldly and stiffly, ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. Chapter 1382 Chapter 1382 Chapter 1382 Hearing her words, Weston¡¯s body froze. He kissed the tip of her nose carefully. It was so lightly and lovingly, as if fearing his touch would shatter her. She looked fixedly into his eyes and said, ¡°Can you tell me what you mean by this?¡± Weston did not speak. She knew exactly what he was thinking, but she had to ask. She had to force him to say it. When did she be so bad? Although he was on top of her, hugging her intimately, he did not dare to exert force on his hands. Thus, he could only brace himself so she¡¯d closely stick to his body. She could feel his repression but still recklessly told him, ¡°If I don¡¯t offer consent, you can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± His throat rolled up and down, and cold sweat dripped down her cheek. It took a long time before he let out a ¡°hmm.¡± He did not do anything to her. He simply ran his hand back and forth her waist provocatively, and then kissed her neck little by little, and then moving downward¡­ And finally, all the way down. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ste grabbed his hair incredulously. ¡°What do you want¡­¡± He did not speak and simply responded vaguely. His tongue had arrived at her navel. She instantly curled her toes, and her beautiful toenails, painted with a nice shade of pinkcquer, scratched the bedsheet. He grabbed the back of her foot in a sh and rubbed it inside his palm, rubbing his fingers somewhat hotly over hers. Almost instantly, she was jolted by a small electric current that ran through her body. She justy there, looking at the ceiling, a little ufortable. But she no longer had the strength to push him away. Perhaps this reaction gave him some confidence, and he suddenly raised his head and wiped the fluid off the corner of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s sweet,¡± he croaked. Ste blushed immediately and wanted to kick him away. But the moment her feet were on his shoulders, he leaned forward. He delicately traced her face, the face he had worshipped countless times in his dreams. Holding her, his body had reached a certain point that he was about to strike, but he was bitterly repressing it. ¡°Can I? Can I¡­¡± He asked over and over again in her ear. His sound was hoarse and painful. As his lips were rubbing the back of her ear, he asked again with a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s really painful, Ste. Can you give it to me?¡± She really thought he was simply unbelievable, but she did not expect such an expression to appear on this man¡¯s face once she looked up. He actually looked pitiful. She closed her eyes and did not answer. She turned her head to the other side, not refusing or objecting. But it was such a moment that the patient man who had been holding back suddenly poured out. He hugged her tightly and kissed her lip almost aggressively, as if he wanted to devour her. She frowned, grunted twice, and pped his shoulders hard. Nheless, he was so much stronger than her that her lips hurt from the kiss. But once she expressed her dissatisfaction, he became gentle at once and pecked her face softly. Soon, she quietened down. Chapter 1383 Chapter 1383 Chapter 1383 He became unusually gentle as though attempting to overwhelm her within the whirlpool he had created. Then things got a little out of control. Ste only knew that she was crying and screaming in thetter part of the night, yet Weston showed no mercy. The gentleness earlier seemed to be a pretense to the true nature that he was disying. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The rumbling inside the room continued almost until the early morning before it slowed down. But not long after, in the morning, the torture of tossing and turning happened again. She was unable to make a sound by the end, her throat was dry and itchy, and she was wet, not knowing whether it was sweat or something else. She slept until the next afternoon before showing signs of waking up. But when she opened her eyes, a wave of fatigue immediately swept over her, and went back to sleep. Weston woke up before her andy beside her, tracing her face softly. His love¨Cfilled fingers touched her skin, inching southward little by little. But he was a little worried, afraid of what she would think of him when she woke up. He really did not hold backst night. So many years of loneliness¡­ he did not know how many days and nights he had endured, but everything was let out in one night. Naturally, her body was in no shape to receive such an onught. When he got up, he made some noise. Ste only frowned a little, turned over, and went back to sleep. Weston got up gently without disturbing her. After getting dressed, he looked back at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead before getting up and working on a side table. He had been restraining his desire for her for almost all of this time, and when he calmed down, he would attend to the affairs of thepany. His umted experience and ability had long been able to allow him to handle Ford Corporation with ease, but he had still fallen behind on a lot of work. He lowered his head, looked at the documents in his hands, and nced at her sleeping face, and only then did he feel the empty ce in his heart filled. It took a few hours before Ste woke up. It was almost dinner, and her body felt like it had been dismantled and reassembled. She was so tired that she feltpletely listless, and when she opened her eyes, she was even a little confused about where she was. The space here was unfamiliar, it took a while toe back to what happenedst night¡­ The next second, she saw the maning to her. ¡°Did you rest well?¡± She flinched at his voice, thinking back to the scenest night, and it instinctively repulsed her. When he saw her reaction, his eyes turned gloomy, and he did not dare to go near her. He sat at the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got a little carried awayst night.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that way over the limits?¡± She lost her temper and shouted at him, ¡°You are worse than a beast!¡± Her voice was hoarse, a clear result of the unceasing moans throughout the entire night. She touched her neck, inexplicably feeling a little embarrassed, not daring to look him in the eyes. But her evasive look caught the man¡¯s eyes, and he thought that she did not want to see him anymore. So he looked down and said in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He suddenly pulled her hands and put them on his face. ¡°If you are angry, you can hit me or curse at me.¡± The natural aura of superiority made him seem not at all humble when he said such things but oppressive. She jerked her hand back and looked at him, somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why am I even hitting you?¡± Chapter 1384 Chapter 1384 Chapter 1384 Last night, Weston had indeed gone a little out of control and was way too forceful. But Ste knew in her heart that she was the one who allowed it somehow. If she showed a strong sense of resistance, with his strong self¨Ccontrol, he would not have forced her. She had to admit that little bit of thought herself. Maybe her heart really softened seeing him like that. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Seeing her look calm as usual, not scolding him, nor turning away in anger, Weston was a bit confused about her mood and remained cautious. Ste felt puzzled seeing him sitting motionless and gave him a look. ¡°What are you looking at me like that for? Do I have something on my face?¡± She wanted to raise her hand to touch her face, only to find her arms too sore to lift themselves. She inhaled sharply and could not help but re at him. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± When seeing her start to me him, he then let out a sigh of relief and said to her in a suppressed voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked at his sudden relief and felt more and more strange about him. Could it be that he had that kind of tendency now, that he would only feel at ease when she scolded him? Ste shuddered at the thought of this. She wanted to get dressed, but the incessant soreness in her body strongly suggested otherwise. Helpless, she could only look at Weston. ¡°What are you doing? Help me get dressed!¡± His throat rolled up and down, and he walked to her. She sensed something wrong in his eyes and immediately warned him, ¡°Last night was already too much. You better not do anything more to me!¡± His eyes changed, and he smiled. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve had medicine sent over. I shouldn¡¯t be so impulsive for a week.¡± He just said that he would not be so impulsive but did not promise not to do it again. This man was now so shamelessly superficial that he did not even pretend. Ste said, ¡°Like you¡¯re going to do anything else to me a week from now¡­¡± He pursed the corners of his lips without saying anything and put his hands directly through her arms, and lifted her up. Ste then leaned on his arms and let Weston dress her. His movements were careful, like he was treating some fragile treasure. She looked at the side of his face and shook her head. She knew that things were weird between the two of them these days, but there did not seem to be much else she could do about it at the moment. After dressing her, he picked her up in his arms. Only when they were out of the room did Ste feel the harsh light outside. ¡°This house is too dark.¡± She said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t you evere here again.¡± He paused in his steps for a moment, then nodded. He would do whatever she asked. He carried her to the car, and Ste looked at his arm, ¡°Aren¡¯t you still injured? Will the wound reopen?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No.¡± He continued, ¡°You are very light.¡± After that, he got into the car. Ste noticed that he seemed to be obsessed with physical contact with her now. Wherever he was, he had to be close to her. He was so clingy that it was beginning to get a little disconcerting. She rubbed her be in exasperation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not a kid. I won¡¯t run away from you.¡± Weston did not say anything. Although he looked nd, he, in fact, stayed as close as he could to her and didn¡¯t let her off in the slightest bit. Chapter 1385 Chapter 1385 Chapter 1385 Ste sighed and let him go. A few momentster, she saw a mall up ahead and said to Weston. ¡°By the way, Elias and Emma seem to have grown a little bit. I want to buy some clothes for them.¡± He nodded and asked the chauffeur to stop the car. She walked out of the car, and Weston walked to the front and subconsciously reached out to hug her. She red at him. ¡°There are so many people on the street. What would they think of us?¡± He frowned. ¡°What does it matter to me what people think?¡± Ste was speechless. She ignored his words and only put her hand on his arm to stand up with his support, but her legs gave way, and she nearly fell. Weston reacted quickly and helped her up. Ste stood firmly and an ambiguous fire burned in her heart. ¡°You look like a man who has never had sex in his life¡­ She was clearly scolding him, but he did not feel any dissatisfaction when he heard her. There was in fact a trace of a smile in his eyes instead. She looked at his smiling face and red at him. ¡°Look at your yful face. You are not ashamed but proud!¡± He took her hand and held her up. ¡°Lean on me and walk, so you won¡¯t get tired.¡± She did not say anything in the end and followed him into the shopping mall. He followed her around, swiping his card for whatever she bought. She gave him a look without saying anything. She nced at him quietly. He suddenly realized something and his expression slowly faded. He remembered that she had previously made it clear to him that she would not take his money no matter what. He wanted to give her hispany, to which she outright refused. He was worried that she would not want him toe and swipe the card for her. So when she showed him a set of jewelry, he did not hand over the card first. She felt strange and gave him a look. He then looked at her tenderly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She did not say anything and pursed the corners of her lips a little, feeling odd. He was quite willing when paying for Elias and Emma¡¯s things, but when it was her turn, he just looked like he did not know what was going on. Was it possible that he did it on purpose? Or was he trying to draw a line with her and just be Elias and Emma¡¯s father? She came to her senses in a sh. She should not have any expectations of him. She slept with himst night just because she found him pitiful. Moreover, she was also a young woman with her own needs. Weston was handsome and well¨C built, except for his needs which were too much for her, his stamina and other aspects were excellent, and she was not losing out. Thinking of this, her face became slightly indifferent. ¡°Nothing.¡± Then, she took out her card and handed it to the cashier. He reacted at once, held her hand, and took her card back. ¡°Are you ming me for not paying for you?¡± His voice was tentative, and he watched Ste¡¯s reaction nervously. She frowned. ¡°Why should I ask you to pay for me? Am I unable to earn on my own?¡± After saying that, she took her card back and handed it to the cashier, telling her directly that she wanted to swipe it. The curve of his lips stiffened a bit, and he did not say anything. His eyes darkened a tint. She did not know what he was up to. Everything seemed wrong with this man from just now. It seemed that he wanted to do something to her, but he was afraid that she would be disgusted, and it made him skittish. Chapter 1386 Chapter 1386 Chapter 1386 Weston hesitated. He seemed to want to say something but did not. Ste looked at him somewhat helplessly. ¡°If you want to say something, just say it. Don¡¯t hold it like this and make me guess what you¡¯re thinking.¡± He remained quiet. After a pause, he said to the cashier, ¡°Swipe my card.¡± Ste was speechless. She did not stop him this time. After buying all sorts of things, she looked at him once they got into the car. ¡°At first, you didn¡¯t want me to spend your money, and then you acted awkwardly and let me swipe your card. What the hell were you thinking?¡± He paused and looked at her. When his dark inky eyes slowly dropped, he surprisingly looked a little unconfident. ¡°I¡¯m worried you don¡¯t want to use my money.¡± She was speechless. Indeed, it was she who seemed to have expressed such an intention earlier. He wanted her to spend his money, and she refused with great disgust. She cleared her throat. ¡°How can I put this? Every stage is different. You are, after all, the father of your children, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s normal to buy them something, and as for me¡­¡± She cleared her throat again. ¡°Anyway, you have wronged me so much in the past. It should be alright to make up a little for it now.¡± Weston immediately nodded to echo her words. ¡°Absolutely. are you willing to swipe my card now?¡± Ste replied ambiguously, ¡°I don¡¯t repulse it.¡® He suddenly smiled. A genuine smile grew in his eyes, and he looked delighted. She looked at him, puzzled. Was this man stupid? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Why was he so happy when she was willing to spend his money? Soon, he took out a ck car and handed it to her. ¡°Feel free to use it.¡± She was surprised. ¡°Howe you¡¯re so well prepared?¡± She took his wallet, rummaged through it, and then found her photo. And it was a photo of her that she had never seen before. She took it out andid it in front of his eyes as if she had found some evidence.¡± When was this taken?¡± He did not expect that she would discover it and looked away and said vaguely, ¡°It was an old photo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± She said, ¡°This is obviously what I look like recently. How on earth did you get a picture at this angle?¡± He did not answer, and she suddenly got angry and threw the card into his hands.¡± Go swipe it yourself!¡± Seeing her angry, Weston pulled her into his arms and exined, ¡°I am sorry. I couldn¡¯t see you all those days, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°So you hired someone to take pictures of me?¡± She looked at him in disbelief. ¡°I thought you had changed, but apparently, you are still so¡­¡± He hugged her waist suddenly and used his hands to cup her head. His voice seemed to be shaking when he said in her ear, ¡°I am sorry. I won¡¯t do this again.¡± He was obviously the one who did wrong, but he looked like he was wronged now. She held back her anger at once, not knowing what to do with him. She recalled the time he locked himself in a dog cage just so he wouldn¡¯t see her. In order to control himself, he even used chains andpletely lost his mind. After a long time, she sighed. ¡°Remember what you¡¯re saying now. You¡¯re not allowed to do this again, okay? If you want to see me, you can talk to me directly. No more of your bizarre ways.¡± Chapter 1387 Chapter 1387 Chapter 1387 ¡°I understand.¡± Weston¡¯s suppressed voice beside her ear contained a hint of joy. ¡°Are you saying I cane and see you in the future?¡± Ste gave no answer. Did he still need to ask when she had already said it so explicitly? What was wrong with him? He asked once more, seeing that she did not say anything. She red at him in annoyance. ¡°Stop asking. I won¡¯t let you if you ask again.¡± He understood what she meant and chuckled. He kissed her ear and asked in her ear, ¡°So can I spend more on you in the future?¡± Ste was speechless. What kind of question was this? What kind of person would be willing to give away money to somebody else? Besides, their rtionship now was¡­ She paused for a moment, refusing to think about it for now. So she could only say to him, ¡°Depends on my mood.¡± He let out a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± It did not ur to her after this day that he seemed to have misunderstood her words. He seemed to go a little overboard trying to get all the goodies in front of her, and unlike earlier when he was courting her, this time, he was on aplete shopping spree. Whatever he saw that suited Ste would be bought instantly and sent to her. Soon, her studio was filled with his gifts. There were all kinds of branded handbags,rge and small, each cost a few hundred thousand, and he bought them like he was buying cabbages. There were also top¨Cof- the¨Cline luxury cars of all make and manufacturers. He even purchased a garage to store the fleet. And then there were the luxury homes in different locations¡­ Ste wouldn¡¯t stop receiving contracts from the real estate firm, confirming the properties¡® ownership with her¡­ It wasn¡¯t just Ste; many others also began to notice Weston¡¯s unusual behavior. He has been spending a lot of moneytely. It wasmon for a man of his status to be extravagant since it would not affect his wealth. People like him had money they could not finish even if they spent non¨Cstop for a few lifetimes. But he had been so strange recently to the point that Xavier could feel that something was not right. Xavier went directly to Weston¡¯s office when he got to work. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with youtely, buying so many properties? People will think you are trying to run away.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Weston swept a nce at him, and his face was cold. ¡°Gifts for ady.¡± Xavier was speechless. The fire in his heart extinguished instantly, and he looked at Weston in disbelief. ¡°All for Ste?¡± No way. His instinct told him not to believe it. Being the awful¨Ctempered woman she was, plus now that she wasn¡¯t short of money, would Ste ept so many things from Weston? Weston read his doubt and smiled lightly. His eyes showed excessive pride. ¡°It is only right that I let her spend my money when I can earn so much. And I am the only one who can allow her to spend money this way.¡± Xavier said, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± It was mostly the women who would approach men of their levels. The wealth they umted had long exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. As long as these women could get a little bit, it would mean a lot to them. It was also a sad thing for people like them. They would never know whether the people next to them were genuine or fake. Hence, many wealthy men became shrewd and cautious. They never let women take advantage of them and are more calcting than anyone else. Chapter 1388 Chapter 1388 Chapter 1388 There were numerous wealthy moguls inside the circle who kept women with minimal spending and never engaged in non¨Ccost¨Ceffective ventures. Xavier had no idea what Weston was proud of. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re quite honored that she spends your money?¡± Weston gave him a nd look and snapped. ¡°Is Zeta willing to spend your money when you let her?¡± With just that one sentence, he left Xavier speechless and even a little stifled. Xavier¡¯s face changed, and he was at a loss for words. If he let Zeta spend his money, and if she was willing to do so, he¡¯d be willing to spend all his fortune just to make her smile. But Zeta was now ignoring him and deeply in love with her boyfriend. He had gone to her too many times, and every time it had ended badly, sometimes to the point of being humiliated by her. ¡°How can a woman be so insensitive? She has loved me for so many years and chased me for so many years. It was only three short years, and now she says she has forgotten me¡­¡± Weston nced at him indifferently, not bothering to care about their crap. But hearing Xavier¡¯s words, he still sarcastically said, ¡°Have you never put her to your heart? You broke off your engagement with her for Daisy. It¡¯s only natural that she doesn¡¯t want to see you now, and besides, isn¡¯t that what you want? What¡¯s all this nagging about?¡± Xavier did not know what to say. He could notprehend himself as well. He was a very casual person. Even in his rtionship with Daisy, he should have been aggrieved for a long time, but he did not have the intention to take revenge on her. As a man, he should be magnanimous. He should be able to let go and dare to get hurt if he dared to give. He could never be as persistent as Weston was. But despite all that, he still couldn¡¯t let go of Zeta. He wondered if it was in the nature of men to be cheap. When she chased him, he cared little about her. Now that she¡¯d turned away, he became aware of her positives and was increasingly interested in her. Weston did not say anything. He sent Xavier out after reading a document. Before Xavier left, he reminded him. ¡°The old man has noticed that you are not righttely. If you continue to spend like this, he may interfere in the matter between you two.¡± Weston¡¯s expression remained calm without much change. ¡°He can¡¯t.¡± Ford Corporation was basically under his control now. Grandfather could at most advise him as an elder, and nothing else could be done. Xavier sighed. ¡°I know what you are thinking and wanting to do now. But I must remind you, don¡¯t lose yourself because of a woman.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Weston curled the corner of his lip. ¡°Like she is willing to let me lose myself because of her now, but the problem is that she¡¯s not.¡± Xavier said, ¡°You are really hopeless.¡± Finally, when Weston bid for the priceless ne, The Heart of the Ocean, for Ste at a charity auction dinner, she could no longer sit still. As Weston drove to deliver the ne to her, he saw Ste waiting in front of the studio on the side of the road. He got out of the car, opened the door, and walked up to her. ¡°I am a littlete today. Have you been waiting long? Because there¡¯s a charity dinner¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± She interrupted him and said, ¡°I also learned about all your feat today on the inte.¡± He took out the ne, attempting to put it on her, to which she quickly took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been acting a little crazytely?¡± He sniffed and looked up at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over the inte!¡± She nced at ridiculously posh and extravagant Heart of the Ocean studded with twenty¨Cone diamonds. It should have been a collection in a museum, but Weston bid on it, saying it was to be given to the woman he loved. Chapter 1389 Chapter 1389 Chapter 1389 Ste¡¯s phone was ringing off the hook at that moment, with many curious to know what was going on between her and Weston. Helpless, she held her forehead in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯ve given me enough. There¡¯s no need to buy such extravagant things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Weston frowned, and his face seemed to turn gloomy. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will send someone to buy a new set for you from the jewelry boutique in Las Vegas.¡± She shook her head immediately. ¡°That is not what I meant.¡± She let out a breath. ¡°I heard that¡­ you spent close to a hundred million for this ne?¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive.¡± She was speechless. Was that not expensive? Indeed, she wasn¡¯t short of money, not to mention the substantial ie she received as a world¨C renowned pianist. But it was in no wayparable to the enormity of his splurging. ¡°If you like to collect jewelry, just buy them. It¡¯s totally fine. But we both clearly have little interest in this. You should stop wasting money like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if it¡¯s for you.¡± Seeing that there was simply no way to talk sense into him, she cried in exasperation, ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Take it back.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± His face turned dark, and he felt an inexplicable feeling. Seeing him like that, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just feel that you do not seem to need me¡­¡± It appeared that buying her stuff would give him a moment¡¯s reassurance that she still needed him. But now, she did not want him to do such things. So he felt that he could not seem to do anything with her and was of little use. Ste finally found the key to his problem. ¡°Are you down with a mental illness or something?¡± She sighed and slowly looked him in the eyes, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can go see a psychiatrist if you feel something is wrong.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m sick?¡± Weston looked at her displeased. ¡°I just wanted to buy something for the woman I love, and you think I¡¯m sick?¡± She was speechless. She fell silent. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s just buying something?¡± She suddenly took his hand and dragged him to her office. Those employees who had not finished work saw them and immediately moved their eyes away, not daring to look at them. Ste couldn¡¯t care less for whatever rumors they would spread. She directly pulled him to the office, then closed the door and printed out a list of every item he had given her recently. The list was as thick as a book. She threw it in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that this is just something?¡± He tugged his bow tie and walked to her. After flipping the first few pages of the list of properties, he tossed it aside without looking at it. ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡± ¡°What I mean is-¡± She said, ¡°I feel pressured by you throwing money at me like this.¡± Chapter 1390 Chapter 1390 Chapter 1390 Weston frowned, unhappy to hear her define his gifts as throwing money at her. He sat down in front of her and tapped his finger lightly on the desk. ¡°You can say it if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Ste shook her head and sighed. ¡°I think you seem to be mistaken. Weston, about that day¡­¡± She finally talked about that day. It seemed like they were a step closer, so much closer to each other. Yet, he still felt a million miles away. Even though they had been in intimate contact countless times that day, he still did not feel like he could hold on to her. His throat rolled up and down, and it took him a long time before he said, ¡°What do you have to say about that day?¡± She knew it might irritate him, but she had to make herself clear. ¡°You might have misunderstood something. Let¡¯s just say it was all in the heat of the moment. We¡¯re grown adults anyway.¡± He clenched his fist at once and looked at her with obscure and inexplicable eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± She let out a breath. ¡°These things are very normal in this era. You don¡¯t need to feel burdened about it, and don¡¯t think that it could mean anything¡­¡± He snorted and suddenly propped himself up on the table, slowly forcing himself to look at her. She felt pressured by his gaze and looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this¡­¡± Weston grabbed her wrist at once and forced her to look straight into his eyes.¡± Why? You¡¯re not going to tell me that you¡¯ve been abroad for so many years that you¡¯ve been assimted into the foreign mindset and think gettingid doesn¡¯t count for anything?¡± She frowned and began to feel that Weston had revealed his true colors. Perhaps the earlier tenderness was all his forced patience, and he was suppressing his true nature in front of her. This look now felt more familiar to her. She looked into his eyes calmly and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s not even mention 2/2 foreigners¡­ people in this country are also very open now. As long as the two are single and have no infectious disease, that kind of thing is nothing if they both consent.¡® He snorted, squeezing her wrist and gradually tightening his force. ¡°It meant something to me. I have never been so intimate with any woman, and the only one I have is you. The ce has been empty for so many years, and you are telling me now that that does not mean anything?¡± She looked away, unwilling to look him in the eyes. The next second, she let out a sharp shriek. He crossed directly over to her desk and picked her up, turning around to hold her against the edge of the desk. Then, he lifted the hem of her skirt to reach his hand inside. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you feel what that really means to me.¡± He kissed her neck, then her corbone, and moved downward gradually, leaving a trail of drool. In the end, he reached her bosoms again. Ste instinctively wanted to push him away, but her hands went limp and rested on his shoulders, powerless to push him away. He directly sped her wrists together and pressed her waist to keep making advances. She was unable to break free and tried to duck back, but he pressed her waist harder and harder. He kissed her with an uncontroble frenzy. He kissed her all over her body, but not on her lips. She knew he was angry, and it seemed like he was punishing her. She was pinned to the table, her hands on his shoulders, and suddenly she wrapped her arms around his neck. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He was startled for a moment and stopped, his eyes looking at her in confusion as if he was trying to read her demeanor. His eyes roamed over her face, desperate to fathom her true emotions these days. Chapter 1391 Chapter 1391 Chapter 1391 Ste simply shut her eyes and said, ¡°Make it quick,¡± indifferently. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes for you to calm down,¡± she added. Weston got colder and stopped abruptly. He cupped her chin and made her look, straight at him. ¡°Even if I have you as I did that day, was it just another ordinary lovemaking session for you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste answered him affirmatively. ¡°After all, I think you¡¯re good in every way. If you¡¯re willing to take care of my needs too, why not?¡± Weston clenched his teeth immediately, not expecting Ste to define their rtionship as nothing more than casual lovers. Weston¡¯s actions were so aggressive and violent this time that Ste could barely handle him. She didn¡¯t know how long it took before he finally stopped. By the time it ended, she was all sweaty, and her clothes were all over her feet. No one dared toe in and disturb them, with the door to the office shut tight. Ste red at Weston weakly. She barely had any strength left, so her re was not threatening. Weston ruffled her sweaty hair and asked her in her ear, ¡°Are our needs taken care of now?¡± Ste took a deep breath and tried to push him away. ¡°Yes, you can go.¡± However, Weston stayed put. He looked at her in his arms and kissed her for a while. Then, he said in her ear in a husky voice, ¡°Now that your needs are solved, let¡¯s talk about other things.¡± ¡°What else is there to talk about?¡± Ste was feeling very ufortable, and she couldn¡¯t talk. She felt very sore. ¡°The need is solved. You can go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a different thing.¡± Weston held her with no clothes on. Ste thought they were getting slightly too close and disliked the skin contact. She tried pushing him away, but Weston pressed her down harder. He whispered in her ears, ¡°Now that your needs are fulfilled, shall we talk about feelings?¡± He caressed her body, asking, ¡°How many times have you enjoyed yourself earlier?¡± Ste did not want to listen to his nonsense and closed her eyes without answering. Weston continued muttering to himself in his ears. ¡°Three, but I haven¡¯t even had one. How was that addressing a need?¡± ¡°So what do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I don¡¯t want to solve any problems. I just want you to look at me.¡± Weston kissed her chin and slowly moved down. ¡°You¡¯ve had your needs satisfied. Can you satisfy mine?¡± ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Ste got annoyed. ¡°Why are you so nosy? Can¡¯t you just put your pants on and leave like any other man?¡± Ste could not understand why he must talk to her about all this nonsense. It was unlike the quick and decisive Mr. Ford she knew. He was just like a silly kid in love. He only wanted whatever he desired from her and was unwilling to cooperate whenever displeased. 1 N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°If you keep this up, I won¡¯t call you even if I have to,¡± Ste warned. Chapter 1392 Chapter 1392 Chapter 1392 Ste saw the man¡¯s face suddenly turn cold, a look that frightened heral ittle. Weston looked really angry. She would¡¯ve never cared about his emotions in normal circumstances, but she was still naked in his arms and didn¡¯t dare be arrogant. Thus, she could only say, ¡°You¡­ Let go!¡± Weston looked at her steadily and suddenly let out a lowugh in a husky and mellow voice. He began to worship every part of her body with kisses. After kissing her toes, he trailed up again. ¡°I just want to tell me honestly. Do you have a desire for me right now?¡± Ste took a deep breath. ¡°Only physically.¡± ¡°What about emotionally?¡± ¡°None whatsoever.¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be the same no matter how many times you ask.¡± Weston suddenly increased his strength and forced her to talk. Ste gritted her teeth and refused to do as he wished. However, her voice changed not long after. ¡°Please, no¡­¡± She softened her tone and tried to stop Weston. However, he didn¡¯t give her the chance. He mmed her wrists together and held them above her as he swept over all her senses with another storm, forcing her to beg for mercy. Ste had no choice but to lower the tone of her voice. ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°So, do you think there¡¯s anything more between us than solving our needs?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you want to have?¡±- ¡°I want to have everything.¡± ¡°Then take it all¡­¡± Weston knew her words in such times would never count, but he still liked to hear her say it. Atst, they had both lost control of themselves. Later, at night. Ste wrapped herself in his coat and sat in the back seat. Weston seemed very content with what had happened. She looked at the satisfaction on his face with annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed toe to my studio again!¡± Weston put his hand on his temple when he saw her neck covered in marks and said nothing. After a few moments, he picked Ste up and put her on hisp. Ste was startled and pushed him. ¡°Why are you still¡­ Did you take some medication?¡± Weston gave her a faint look. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m just checking to see if-you¡¯re hurt.¡± With that, he lifted the coat she was wearing. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Weston¡¯s coat was muchrger and big enough to wrap her entire body. He could easily see the marks on her exposed skin when she moved slightly. Weston kissed her neck again and released her hand before she could even resist. He then checked if her intimate area was hurt from the excessive lovemaking. Ste closed her eyes in resignation. She simply could not deal with Weston¡¯s boldness. Soon, they arrived at the apartment building. Weston got out of the car, picked Ste up, and walked inside. There was a bright spark downstairs as someone lit a cigarette. A man was standing in the lobby as if waiting for somebody. Hearing the movement, Roger stood up, and he was met with Weston¡¯s eyes. Chapter 1393 Chapter 1393 Chapter 1393 Weston¡¯s face went cold. Then, he slowed his pace. Ste noticed Weston¡¯s strange reaction. When she looked up, she realized that Roger was standing nearby. The unmistakable coldness on Roger¡¯s face caused her to freeze for a while. Ste tapped Weston on the shoulder and got down. As soon as she stood on her feet, Weston wrapped his arms around her waist and took a few dissatisfied steps forward. Ste red at him and pulled his hand away. When Weston tried to hug her again, her repulsive eyes met him and he could only give up. Then, he followed her to Roger. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Roger had a strong sense of hostility while he observed the unusual atmosphere between the two of them. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Ste nodded and asked him, ¡°When did youe?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here a while. I thought you were workingte, so I waited for you,¡± Roger exined. He threw the cigarette in his hand in the trash and added, ¡°Emma and Elias are already asleep.¡± Ste had some joy in her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t they go to boarding school? They¡¯re back early today?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to surprise you,¡± Roger said but did not finish the rest of his sentence and simply looked at Weston briefly with indifference. Weston ignored Roger¡¯s rejection and said to Ste, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and see them.¡± Ste rejected him. ¡°They¡¯re already asleep. Wait till the next time.¡± Roger also said, ¡°Indeed. It was hard to put them both to sleep. Mr. Ford, please don¡¯t disturb them.¡± Weston did not say anything. Instead, he kissed Ste on the cheek and helped fix her cor. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can stay for a while.¡± Roger instantly frowned. ¡°Mr. Ford, who are you to stay in our house?¡± he said, while stressing the word ¡°our.¡± Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two men, Ste sighed. ¡°Enough. Stop being childish.¡± She turned to Roger. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Ste soon arrived home, but when she opened the door and wanted to go in, Weston held the door open and refused to leave. ¡°I just want to have a look.¡± Roger had changed his shoes and was standing in front of Weston. He looked at him in discontent, ¡°Is it really necessary?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Weston gave him a faint look and said, ¡°After all, Ste is still wearing my clothes. I have to get my coat back.¡± Roger¡¯s face sank at Weston¡¯s reply. He clenched his fist as if wanting to swing it at him. Roger had seen Ste getting out of the car in Weston¡¯s coat earlier, and although she was tightly wrapped, he still saw some hickeys on her skin. Without even needing to think, Roger knew what the two did beforeing. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Stay away from her!¡± ¡°You have no right to say that to me.¡± Weston looked at him indifferently and did not take his warning seriously. Ste went in and poured a ss of water for herself. When she came out, she saw the two men standing in the doorway in such a tense atmosphere and frowned in irritation. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte at night. Can you guys hurry up and go to bed?¡± She came over, put the ss of water on the cab in the entryway, and gave Weston a look. ¡°You can come back tomorrow.¡± Weston paused for a moment and looked at her soberly. ¡°Are you kicking me out?¡± Ste rubbed her nose. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Besides, we aren¡¯t in a rtionship. There¡¯s no reason for you to stay¡­ I¡¯ve agreed to let you see the kids tomorrow, haven¡¯t I?¡± Weston was rendered speechless and suddenly let out augh in annoyance. He pulled his tie and looked at Ste with his coat on. Atst, he nodded. ¡°Fine. Then, he turned around and left. Chapter 1394 Chapter 1394 Chapter 1394 Seeing that Weston was gone, Ste closed the door and met Roger¡¯s judgemental eyes as soon as she turned her head around. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with you and him now?¡± Ste shrugged and said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s like what you saw¡­ We¡¯re just taking care of our needs.¡± Roger gritted his teeth. ¡°Needs?¡± He didn¡¯t know when she had be so candid. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Both Ste and Roger were unaware that Weston had overheard their conversation through the closed door behind them. Westonughed at himself self-deprecatingly. It turned out that he was just a tool in Ste¡¯s eyes. He was just there to satisfy her physical needs. Should he be happy or sad about it? Fortunately, he could at least have a reason to stay by her side. Sadly, it seemed like it would be hard for her to have the same feelings for him. The next morning, Roger woke up early because of the annoying ringing of the doorbell. He went to answer the door in his pajamas and messy bed hair, and when he opened it, he saw the face he hated in the doorway. Roger put down his hand and looked at Weston helplessly. Most of his anger faded, leaving him speechless. ¡°Bro, do you know what time it is?¡± Weston gave him an indifferent look. He did not answer him and came in directly.¡± They¡¯re not up yet, are they?¡± ¡°Elias and Emma are still sleeping. Sis isn¡¯t up yet. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make them breakfast.¡± Roger froze for a moment. He watched as Weston headed in and thought he had heard wrong. ¡°Make breakfast?¡± Could a man like Weston even make breakfast? Before Roger could react, he watched Weston heading straight to the kitchen with several bags of groceries in his hands and a fish bouncing around in the bag. Roger felt a little curious and followed Weston to the kitchen. He watched him skillfully prepare the fish and boil it. He was so skillful andparable to a five-star chef. Soon, Roger felt hungry. He leaned against the door and teased Weston saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t think the almighty Mr. Ford would be a family man someday.¡± Weston did not even look at him. He carefully put the ingredients into the pot. When the water boiled, he covered the pot with a lid. ¡°If you have that time, help arrange the table. Don¡¯t just sit here and do nothing.¡± Roger stood in the doorway, stunned by Weston¡¯s sudden lecture. Why did Weston sound like he was speaking to his own brother-inw? Roger froze for a long moment. After that, he grunted and returned to his room without saying anything. He would never listen to Weston or arrange the table for him. It was the weekend and still early in the morning. Ste and the two kids would probably wake upte. Roger was not going to listen to him. A pleasant scent woke Ste up. She usually slept in during the weekend, but the insatiable aroma and a grumbling stomach woke her up. Ste got up and went to Emma and Elias¡¯ room. After giving both a kiss, the two little ones finally got up. Chapter 1395 Chapter 1395 Chapter 1395 Emma and Elias were very capable of taking care of themselves. They could already brush their teeth and wash their faces independently. Ste went straight to the living room and saw a tall man in an apron walk toward her. Weston said in her ear softly, ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± Ste immediately froze in ce. She rubbed her eyes and thought she was mistaken. Weston chuckled at her confusion, then walked to her and rubbed her head. ¡°What? Silly.¡± Ste stared at him for a moment, thinking that she was dreaming. Why did Weston appear in her living wearing an apron and cooking for her? It all seemed so magical. While Ste was still in a daze, Weston leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ¡° The children are here. Don¡¯t just stand there.¡± Ste took a step back and rubbed her nose ufortably as she saw Emma and Elias making all sorts of funny faces behind her. She still found it amazing to see Weston in her house so early in the morning. Not only that, he was posing as the man of the house and cooking breakfast for her in an apron. Roger went back to sleep for a while, so Ste went to his room to call him. Roger came out with messy bed hair. Seeing that Weston was still around, he frowned. ¡°You can leave after preparing breakfast. Why are you still here?¡± Ste gave him a look in silence. Then, she walked over to Emma and Elias and wiped the corner of their mouths. Weston did not bother to look at him. He took off his apron, hung it aside, and sat across from Ste. Then, he enjoyed his breakfast slowly. Roger came over. When he was about to sit next to him, he realized Weston had served him no food. ¡°What is this?¡± Roger questioned Weston. Weston gave him a faint look. He had barely any expression on his face. It was as he was simply ignoring Roger¡¯s presence. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You-¡± Roger was rendered speechless at Weston¡¯s question in reply. How dare he ask him that? ¡°Everyone has breakfast but me. Are you deliberately doing this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not obliged to serve you breakfast.¡± Weston slowly sipped his coffee. ¡°If I¡¯m obligated but not doing it for you, then I¡¯m probably against you. However, I¡¯m not obligated to cook for you, so it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± ¡°You-¡± Roger could not win against the sharp-tongued Weston in verbal arguments. Weston was usually quiet because he waszy to speak. As a sessful businessman, it was only natural that he was good with his words. Roger took a deep breath and turned to Ste. ¡°Look at him¡­¡± He sounded like he wasining. Ste rubbed her temple, feeling a slight headache. Meanwhile, Emma and Elias were watching with great interest. She rubbed them on the head and urged, ¡°Hurry up and finish eating, then we¡¯ll go out and y.¡± Ste had no intention of getting involved in their fight. Seeing that, Roger could only swallow his anger. Atst, he got up and went to the kitchen to make himself a bowl of pasta. There was no instant food at home. Roger could only boil some pasta, but it did not turn out well. Roger used to be able to cook, but he got rusty. After years of living with the Garcia family, he was used to being served. Atst, Roger barely managed to cook a pot of overcooked pasta. He sat down across from Ste and ate it with some resentment. Ste felt sorry seeing him like this. She handed him a piece of toast. ¡°Hey, hey. Just eat something for now, then eat when you go out.¡¯ Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Sis is still the best to me.¡± Roger immediately beamed and gave Weston a provocative look. Chapter 1396 Chapter 1396 Chapter 1396 Roger smugly took the slice of toast from Ste¡¯s hand. As if showing off proudly, he snapped, ¡°So what if you made her breakfast? I still get to eat it!¡± Weston simply ignored Roger¡¯s childish provocation. Seeing that Ste had finished her breakfast, he stood up and walked to her. ¡°Full?¡± Weston asked and casually wiped the stains from the corner of her mouth. Ste, however, felt ufortable by his overly intimate action and avoided him slightly. Weston did not say anything and withdrew his hand. He wiped his fingers clean and sat down while looking at her. ¡°Taking them out? Where are you going?¡± Ste gave it a thought and nced at Emma and Elias. She asked them, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I want to go to the park and see the swans!¡± Emma said first. Elias naturally followed Emma. ¡°To see the swans!¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Anything else other than seeing the swans? What else do you want to do?¡± Ste happened to be free and could finally take the two little ones for a walk. When Ste was swamped with work, the two children both started full daycare kindergarten. That was why they did not spend much time together. Weston gave them a faint look and told her, ¡°There¡¯s a new development nearby. It has beenpleted. We can visit the ce.¡± ¡°Where is the ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a park.¡± Weston exined to her, ¡°There¡¯s a zoo inside too. It¡¯s just the right time of the year to go.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°The zoo? Won¡¯t it be too hot?¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t,¡± Weston said. ¡°Tour bus.¡± Emma and Elias got excited hearing about the zoo. ¡°To the zoo! To the zoo!¡± They had only been to the Underwater World before. They really enjoyed seeing the sea creature¡¯s performance and had not been to any ce like that aftering back to the country. Ste pinched Emma¡¯s nose and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s not an underwater park. It¡¯s going to be very hot under the sun!¡± Weston reassured her, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Trust me.¡± Ste let out a breath. ¡°Fine.¡± Roger listened to their conversation from aside. As he listened to them, he felt something weird. ¡°Are you taking Weston with you?¡± Roger asked Ste. Weston nced at him lightly and found his question somewhat unnecessary. ¡°I¡¯m the kids¡¯ father. It¡¯s a family trip. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to go with them?¡± Roger was rendered speechless. He had no choice but to say to the two little ones, ¡°I want to go too. Can Ie too?¡± Roger was actually acting pathetic in front of the children! Emma and Elias were naturally soft. After all, they had spent more time with Roger. Weston wanted to go on a family trip of four, which became a family of five. As a result, both men looked annoyed throughout the day. Ste looked at the two of them and felt a little troubled getting caught in the middle of them. However, she focused on Emma and Elias and did not care about them. As a result, they ended up on an interesting family trip of five. The woman happily went around with her two children while two gloomy-faced men followed behind her. What was more amazing was that the five of them were very good-looking. The two handsome men were particrly eye-catching in this world of many beautiful women and rarely many handsome men. Ste¡¯s children were exceptionally adorable too. Although just young children, their features were already well-defined. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Soon, she realized that they had attracted too much attention. Many people were looking over here and seemed attracted by the two good-looking men with gloomy faces. Ste frowned slightly and warned them. ¡°Either get along or get out of the way.¡± Chapter 1397 Chapter 1397 Chapter 1397 Ste covered Emma¡¯s ears and refused to let her listen to her harsh words. ¡°I barely have time to spend with them. We finally had the chance to enjoy a trip outside. Don¡¯t ruin my mood and make me unhappy.¡± Ste bluntly expressed her thoughts. Weston looked at Roger for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. He quietly stepped forward and picked Emma up from her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go on the boat ride together, okay?¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± As she sucked on her fingers, she could see that Ste was in a bad mood. Weston patiently took her hand out of her mouth and carried her forward. Ste followed them as she took Elias. Roger had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and follow behind them in silence. He walked in boredom. When they got to the boat attraction, they quickly realized that the boat was already full after only four had gotten in. Hence, the staff told them, ¡°How about taking the next one?¡± He was a little curious about the rtionship between these five people. Ste told Roger, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Elias with you?¡± Hearing that, both Weston and Roger looked over with displeased faces. Roger wanted to get on the boat and rece Weston. However, Ste saw that Emma was getting so well with Weston and did not want to spoil her fun. Roger sighed after feeling torn for a long time. ¡°Forget it. You can go. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Roger had never liked the water, not to mention how he was constantly surrounded by seawater during his previous escape. Thus, he did not mind skipping the boat ride and decided the wait for them. ¡°Sis, you better watch out. That man is inexperienced in taking care of children. Don¡¯t let him drop Emma in the water.¡± Weston gave Roger a cold gaze at that. ¡°I¡¯m not as stupid as you are.¡± The staff listened to their conversation and was relieved, knowing that they were a family. They watched as the boat gradually left the shore and arrived in the center of theke. Emma shouted in excitement. Weston held her in front of him and showed her the fish swimming around in theke. Elias was also very excited and leaned on the railing. Ste immediately grabbed the rope behind Elias, feeling a little worried. She stood by his side and asionally nced at Emma to check on her. ¡°Be careful and watch her. Don¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Weston¡¯s tone was exceptionally gentle whenever he spoke to her. The family of four enjoyed a rare moment of solitude. It was not long before the boat docked. Weston first picked up Emma and put her on the ground. He made her stand next to Roger steadily. Then, he got up and carried Elias over. Ste was thest who got down. Seeing Ste holding the railing to get up, Weston took her by the waist and carried her down. Some of the people around who saw this shook their heads at them, distracted by their good looks, and stopped in their tracks. Weston¡¯s action earlier was indeed very attractive, causing many young girls on the side to blush as they watched them with envious looks. Ste blushed and stood in front of him with her head down. ¡°You can let me go now Weston did not move and just looked at her in silence. The way she blushed moved him a little. Roger saw him staying still and had to interrupt them. ¡°Have you had enough? Let go.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Atst, Weston slowly let go of Ste. Chapter 1398 Chapter 1398 Chapter 1398 Ste thought she would have a fun trip with Emma and Elias, but the two men stifled the atmosphere and made it weird. Emma and Elias were unconcerned about the adults and still had a good time, but Ste went through some inexplicable tormenting feeling at heart throughout the trip. When Ste finally got home and saw that Weston wanted to follow them, she quickly stopped him. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s it.¡± Ste looked at Roger, who was already in the house. She was worried that the two men would fight if they stayed in the same space again. Weston understood what she meant and stopped without giving her a hard time.¡± Well, I¡¯ll be upstairs. Call me if you need anything.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ste nodded. After sending Weston away, she turned to find Roger staring intently at her. She was not sure how long he had been standing there and tried to use Emma and Elias as a front to avoid the ufortable topic. Ste asked Roger if Emma and Elias were asleep, but Roger cut her off. ¡°They¡¯re already asleep. I gave them both a bath. I have something to ask you. Come here.¡± Ste rubbed her nose, followed him, and sat in the dining area. For some reason, she felt Roger was about to lecture her like a parent. ¡°Why have you been getting closer to that guytely? What¡¯s going on?¡± he interrogated. ¡°It¡¯s just like what you saw the other day.¡± ¡°Are you just treating him as a¡­ friend with benefits?¡± Roger hesitated to mention the term. He did not think Ste would be so open to this idea. Ste paused a little and suddenly let out augh. ¡°He can¡¯t leave me alone now. He¡¯s always pestering me. It¡¯s getting kind of annoying.¡± ¡°He¡¯s bugging you, and you¡¯re going to let him get what he wants?¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be with him again, but when I saw him lock himself up that day, I thought all these were unnecessary.¡± The fact that she avoided him meant she still could not let go of him. Ste said, ¡°My feelings for him have faded. I don¡¯t mind being with him or not. All I need now is freedom and nothing more.¡± Roger frowned at her words. ¡°He locked himself up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste nodded and sighed as she recalled the sight of Weston at that time. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen anything like that. He even locked himself in a cage like a beast in chains. He wasn¡¯t acting like a human at all.¡± There were so many bodyguards around and blood all over him. While speaking, Ste propped up her forehead helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him go crazy like that again. After all, he¡¯s Emma and Elias¡¯s biological father. I may not love him anymore, but I don¡¯t want to see him like that.¡± ¡°Is it really just because he¡¯s the children¡¯s father? Is there no other reason?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s out of pity,¡± Ste added, weighing her words. She was unsure about her feelings for Weston, but she was sure she did not like him anymore. She felt morefortable and free without him. Even if he constantly bugged her, she would not mind keeping him around as long as he did not do anything to upset her. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind him around. Besides, I¡¯ve gotten used to his presence.¡± Ste was no longer resistant to Weston¡¯s closeness because of somepassion she felt for him during his excessive behavior before. Roger fell into a long silence. Atst, he nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Roger snapped his phone to the table and kept the call screen open. When the man on the other end of the line heard Ste¡¯s exnation, his gaze turned obscure. Weston knew he was right. Ste epted him only out of pity. She saw him in a terrible state that day and felt guilty. Feeling sorry for him, she finally stopped rejecting him. Chapter 1399 Chapter 1399 Chapter 1399 Even so, he could only ept how she treated him and stayed by her side. He was just like a friend with benefits to her. Was this not like the marriage they had? Weston suddenly let out a mockingugh at himself. Indeed, it was simr. He deserved it. He should probably be d to have evoked her littlepassion for him. After all, she was still soft¨Chearted and kind. Weston exhaled at that thought and hung up the call. Roger was satisfied and finally stood up contentedly. He told Ste, ¡°I won¡¯t get involved in your business anymore.¡± Roger made sure Weston heard the whole conversation between him and Ste earlier. If Weston still wanted to stay with Ste after hearing all that and wanted to be her secret lover, so be it. After that day, Weston disappeared from Ste¡¯s sight for a few days. It didn¡¯t bother Stemuch. After all, Weston no longer mattered to her. Ste epted a job after Emma and Elias started school. She went to another city with the crew without informing anyone but Angelina and Yvonne. Yvonne and Lucas were preparing for pregnancy. When Ste called Yvonne, she heard some embarrassing sounds and hung up quickly. She did not expect the couple to be busy doing that in broad daylight. Angelina and Henry were in aplicated rtionship. So when she heard Ste was leaving, her first reaction was to ask, ¡°Can Ie with you?¡± Ste was startled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Henry is crazy! I can¡¯t stand him anymore! He even canceled my crew¡¯s shoot!¡± Angelina always felt that Henry was hiding something from her. He always seemed hesitant to speak whenever he looked at her. Henry used to dislike Angelina before, but his attitude changed after knowing she had a child. There must be something behind this! However, Henry would never tell her when she asked. She just could not stand the way he looked at her every time. Ste gave it a thought and talked to the crew about the situation. One of the actors was unable to continue filming because of personal matters, so they told Angelina toe along. Although famous, Angelina was humble and willing to do anything, like filling in for others and helping the crew. The crew arranged hotel amodations for the actors, where Ste and Angelina would share the same room. They were given a suite, which made it convenient for them to take care of each other. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Henry came along the next day. When Ste was warming up on the piano, she saw Angelina arguing with a man from a distance. She went over and asked her, ¡°Why are you arguing?¡± Angelina immediately hid behind Ste. ¡°Henry, don¡¯te to me anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already broken up with her. What else do you want?¡± Henry had spent a long time trying to coax Angelina, but it did not work. ¡°Stop messing with me. Haven¡¯t I done enough for you? What do you want?¡± Henry asked in an annoyed tone. Angelina red at him at once. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you. Can you leave now?¡± Chapter 1400 Chapter 1400 Chapter 1400 Ste thought the two were arguing like a couple and did not want to get involved. After saying a few words, she turned around and left. Henry had a thought as he watched Ste leave. Then, he took out his phone and sent someone a message. Angelina noticed and grabbed his phone away at once. ¡°You¡¯re not going to contact Weston, are you?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Henry snatched his phone back. ¡°Haven¡¯t I said that my business is none of your business? Give me back my phone.¡± Angelina red at him, turned around, and walked away without saying anything. Henry felt troubled because of Angelina¡¯s reaction. After sending the location to Weston, he went after her helplessly. ¡°Okay. Calm down. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Henry embraced her from behind with a slightly hesitant tone. He was always worried that she would remember everything from the past someday, which might lead to the end of their rtionship. However, he also secretly hoped she would remember and not forget him entirely. Ste yed a sample for the crew and then exchanged some pleasantries with the director. The next moment, she noticed a tall and familiar man walking towards them. She had not seen him for a few days and almost forgot about him. Seeing his arrival, she instinctively withdrew her gaze and acted like she did not see him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Weston stopped beside her. Ste moved away and ignored him. She told the director, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go and rest.¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± The director knew the rtionship the two were in and deliberately gave them space without saying anything. He did not expect Ste to act like she was a stranger to Weston. Weston looked at her steadily and let out a mockingugh to himself. He said to the director, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her. I¡¯m just here to take a look.¡± Everyone knew about their rtionship, but Weston was afraid to do anything for fear of Ste¡¯s anger. He spent the rest of the afternoon watching Ste y the piano in the set. The outdoor set was a little hot, and although the air conditioning was on full st, it did little to alleviate the heat. The director had to walk to Weston and ask if he needed a room, to which he refused. Ste was holding a small fan in her hand and chatting happily with the rest of the crew. When someone reminded her about Weston¡¯s presence, she nced in his direction and immediately withdrew her gaze. ¡°Mr. Ford seems to have been waiting for you there for a long time.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here to see me,¡± Ste denied and said, ¡°Just ignore him.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still standing there. It¡¯s so hot. Don¡¯t you have to go over and greet him?¡± Ste shook her head and said, ¡°Nope. He¡¯s not a child anymore. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll tell you if he can¡¯t take it.¡® ¡°Okay then¡­¡± The crew finished their work at night. When Ste returned to the hotel, Angelina sent her a message saying she had changed rooms with Henry. Ste smiled at the message and said nothing. Just as she was about to close the door, arge hand suddenly reached out and pushed the door open. Ste was startled. Then, she watched as Weston strode in. He took her wrist, pushed her against the door, and started kissing her aggressively. His smooches were too strong to resist. Ste¡¯s feet went a little limp from the onught. Eventually, she leaned on his arm weakly. It took a long time before she recovered and muttered in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you on set all afternoon. What do you think I¡¯m doing here? Well, I¡¯m here to¡­¡± Chapter 1401 Chapter 1401 Chapter 1401 Weston whispered the next two words in her ear. Ste took a deep breath. Her eyshes trembled a little. After a long silence, she finally pushed him away. ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­¡± she said. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± But Weston would not let her go. Instead, he held her even more tightly now, then lifted her up, so she raised her toes and stood on his leather shoes. Both of his hands were on her waist, and he stroked her so lustfully that it was not hard to guess exactly what was on his mind. ¡°Is that all you ever think about?¡± Ste asked, trying to push him away angrily. Weston said nothing. He just leaned down to nt a kiss on her cheek; then his lips lingered around her jawline for a while before he descended down to her corbone. Ste took a deep breath and patted his shoulder before telling him, ¡°I haven¡¯t taken a shower yet. My whole body¡¯s covered in sweat¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it at all.¡± He then walked towards the bedroom while still holding her tightly in his arms, as if nudging her to walk in there with him, and when they got there, he pushed her onto the bed. As soon as she felt her body bounce on the mattress, Ste immediately patted his shoulder and told him, ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Her voice wasced with a sense of exigency, but Weston paid no attention to it. How could he possibly stop now? He had been waiting the whole day just for this moment. He started to bite her cheeks, then her lips. Before Ste could react, she found that both of them were already rolling between the sheets. She tried to kick and trample him, but Weston merely grabbed her feet, held them in his palms, and kissed them softly. The more Ste yelled at him, calling him a pervert, the more she turned him on. Ste, feeling a little helpless after seeing that he was only getting more excited, then grumbled, ¡°¡­how can you be so shameless?!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯re only turning me on the more you yell at me,¡± he said before climbing on top of her body and whispering in her ear, ¡°So why don¡¯t you yell some more, hmm?¡± Ste took a deep breath and was resolved to ignore him. The ruckus between the sheets went on for a long time until, atst, the noise died down, and Ste was left dripping wet, just as if she had gotten out of a swimming pool. Her body was drenched in sweat, and who knew what other kind of bodily fluid. She was still panting heavily when she saw Weston reaching out his hand toward her again. ¡°Stop!¡± she cried, her eyes reddening as she gave him a pleading look. ¡°I¡¯m too tired¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s only eight o¡¯clock,¡± argued Weston, ncing at the time. ¡°It¡¯s too early to be tired!¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Steined while rubbing her tummy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°If what you¡¯ll be doing is quick, then no one in the world can be called quick!¡± Something in the tone of her voice delighted Weston. He leaned in and kissed her again and again. ¡°Just hold out for a little longer,¡± he murmured between kisses. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to be quick.¡± They then resumed their lovemaking session. Ste had no idea how much time had passed when they were finally done. By then, all her strength was drained from her body. She justy there very still on the bed, having no energy left to even move her fingers. Weston, now content and satiated, went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When he came back out and saw Ste lying there all tired and sleepy, he walked up to her and gathered her up into his arms, telling her, ¡°Let¡¯s go get dinner.¡± Ste turned away from him. She was in no mood to go anywhere. And so Weston patiently helped her put on some clothes. Once she was all cleaned up and dressed up, he let her lean on his body. And just like that, he led her out of the room to get dinner, with her body all limp and floppy, leaning against him for support. Ste followed him quietly without resisting because she did not mind it as long as he did not carry her out of the room himself. Unexpectedly, although it was already veryte at the time, they bumped into members of the crew in the hallway. This took her by surprise because their room had been far away from where the rest of the crew were staying. She didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d bump into anyone here. Ste stood up straight instantly and shied away from Weston to hide from the crew member. Weston¡¯s expression froze. He had never expected Ste to avoid him like the gue when other people were around. Chapter 1402 Chapter 1402 Chapter 1402 Ste had run away from Weston so quickly that it seemed like an automatic response from her. She stood far from him, clearly embarrassed to be seen anywhere with him and evidently unwilling to let anyone think that they were in any kind of rtionship. But he quickly regained hisposure and calmly walked on as nothing had happened. The members of the crew were also very surprised to see the two of them together there. They froze, and those that recognized Weston began greeting him. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± Weston greeted them back tersely without even looking at them. It was obvious that he was not in his best mood. He even exuded a cold and standoffish air around him. The members of the crew stood together and watched as Weston strode away, then their gaze shifted towards Ste, and they began to greet her too. Ste smiled at them and quickly walked away as if nothing had happened. From a distance, she could hear their hushed voices talking about her and Weston. ¡°What are those two doing here?¡± ¡°Who knows? Do you think they were with each other just now?¡± ¡°Possibly. They used to be married to each other, after all.¡± Hearing this, Ste quickened her pace, not wanting to hear any more gossip about her. She had been really worried that people would start spreading rumors about her and Weston at a time when their rtionship was still in an uncertain stage. She just was not ready to make any kind of decision right now. She had learned a harsh lesson from her past, and she was determined not to jump into any kind of commitment so hastily the way she used to do. Weston heard her approaching footsteps from behind, so he slowed down his pace. Then he turned around to look at her. ¡°Can you stand next to me now?¡± he asked. Ste scanned her surroundings. When she was sure that there was no one around her, she finally let out a relieved sigh and walked up to his side. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°The coast seems clear now.¡± For Weston, seeing her acting like this was like getting stabbed right in the heart. He looked down at her. His gaze slipped down from her eyes to her lips as he averted her eye contact. ¡°Is it so embarrassing to be seen with me?¡± he asked. Ste froze. She instantly realized that he must have misunderstood her. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± she shook her head profusely. ¡°I was just¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± he interrupted her. ¡°You just don¡¯t want people to think that we¡¯re in a rtionship since I¡¯m nothing to you but a tool to satisfy certain needs of yours.¡± Ste had the urge to argue and deny it, but then she thought about it and found that he was absolutely correct. He was indeed nothing more to her now than a way for her to satisfy her primal urges. Weston sniggered at himself wryly when he noticed Ste falling silent. So what? He did not mind it anyway. If the only way for him to remain by her side was to be her sex tool, then so be it. It was more than worth it for him. When they returned after dinner, the two got ready to go to bed right away. On their way back, Ste noticed that Weston had been silent all along. She could sense that something was wrong, but she said nothing about it and just went straight to sleep. At present, she was no longer all that concerned about what was on Weston¡¯s mind the way she used to be in the past, back when she would do everything in her power just to please him. Later, in the still darkness of the night, Weston slowly opened his eyes and stared at Ste, who was lying with her back towards him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms, pressing her hard against his own chest. Ste relented without any resistance and rolled quietly into his arms. She even nuzzled up against his chest. The sight of her being so meek and trusting of him made his eyes glint in the dark before they turned gloomy again. Why couldn¡¯t she stay this way forever? Why couldn¡¯t she always be this gentle and docile and just let him hug her like this forever? He leaned down, kissed her tenderly on her forehead, and let out a soft sigh. Later, Weston stood outside alone on the balcony. The curtain was billowing in the wind. He was holding a ss of wine that he had just gotten from the fridge. There were still some ice cubes in the wine. There were a number of white pills in the palm of his right hand. He popped them all into his mouth and washed them down with the wine. Dr. Hayden Quirk had warned him to always take his medicine on time and not to just take it whenever he liked. But he paid no mind to that. He had started taking that medicine again after stopping for a while, and he only did it because he wanted to suppress the raging tide of desire that had been brewing inside him. He nced at Ste, who was still sound asleep. Her sleep was always peaceful and uninterrupted these days, and the look on her face was calm and serene as if the outside worldpletely unruffled her. Weston looked up at the vast starry sky before he guzzled down the entire ss of wine. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The next morning, Ste woke up to the smell of alcohol. She frowned, tugged at Weston¡¯s night robe, and asked him, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Weston nodded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the smell disturb you?¡± Chapter 1403 Chapter 1403 Chapter 1403 Ste shook her head. ¡°I just didn¡¯t like it, that¡¯s all. Were you drinkingst night, or did you just drink this morning?¡± Weston did not answer her. Ste then climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash up. When she reemerged, she nced at him and casually told him, ¡°I noticed that you¡¯ve been drinking a lottely.¡± ¡°Have I?¡± She nodded. She then yawned and suddenly noticed a white medicine bottle on the nightstand. She squinted and frowned, then asked him, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She picked it up and examined it but was still clueless about what it was. ¡°Is this yours?¡± she asked. ¡°What is it for? Are you feeling unwell?¡± There was a hint of concern in the tone of her voice, which softened Weston¡¯s countenance considerably. He leaned against her waist and told her, ¡°I do feel a little unwell.¡± ¡°Where?¡± She reached out her hand to touch his forehead and found that his body temperature was normal. Weston stroked her waist and let his breath tickle her ear. ¡°Can¡¯t you guess where?¡± he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be so immature!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. He had been absolutely wild and voracious in bed, utterly unlike someone who was sick at all. ¡°Is it some kind of a supplement?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted while continuing to caress her waist. Then he looked up into her eyes and added, ¡°Tell me, don¡¯t you think my body has been a little too robusttely?¡± ¡± ¡± Ste was stumped. She had no idea what he was trying to imply. Was he just trying to show off? ¡°I guess so,¡± she lifted up his chin to study that strikingly handsome face of his.¡± Your body has indeed been terrifyingly robusttely. You¡¯ve been in so many precarious situations, yet you always managed to escape unscathed. I sometimes wonder if you¡¯re actually invincible.¡± ¡°Of course I am!¡± Weston chuckled lightly. ¡°How else could I get you pregnant with twins?¡± Ste paused and struck his shoulder, ¡°Can you stop saying stupid things like that?¡± ¡°Stupid?¡± Weston bit her earlobe. ¡°How so? Was I wrong?¡± His hands then reached down to stroke her belly. ¡°I was able to get you pregnant even when we were in a strained rtionship back then,¡± he said. ¡°Surely, it must¡¯ve proven to you how impressive my body was.¡± ¡± ¡°Weston!¡± Ste cried before pinching his neck. ¡°How can you be so shameless as to say that?¡± The two of them rarely ever had any opportunity to be so at ease with each other before. Even when they were still married, Ste had always had to walk on eggshells around him, trying her best to please him. She had never been so bold and carefree in his arms the way she was now back then. Weston stared at her, then suddenly swooped down and kissed her while holding her neck. He bit her lips and slowly explored her mouth with his tongue. Their tongues intertwined, and they transferred their warmth to each other. ¡°No,¡± Steined after sniffing his nose and finding that his body was still reeking of alcohol. ¡°You really need to go take a shower.¡± Weston chuckled and obediently went into the bathroom. He left his phone on the nightstand, and at the same time, when he turned the water tap on in the bathroom, his phone rang. Ste ignored it. After a while, the phone rang again. She got up and nced at it. That was when she found that the call was from Dr. Hayden Quirk. She froze. She thought of the bottle of medicine on the nightstand, so she hesitantly picked up the phone and pressed to answer the call but said nothing. ¡°Mr. Ford,¡± she heard the familiar voice of Dr. Hayden Quirk say, ¡°are you free to