《A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. In the gynecology ward of First Crest Hospital in Genecity, the doctor shouted anxiously as he looked at the weak, pregnant woman on the delivery bed, ¡°Push, push!¡± However, Hesper Rivera had already exhausted her strength at this point and her small face was ghastly pale. Her lips that were chewed through did not have a tinge of color in them, and she was barely breathing. ¡°This is bad! The patient is experiencing a difficult birth, and she is hemorrhaging!¡± The doctor¡¯s expression changed drastically when he realized the urgency of the patient¡¯s condition. He immediately ran out of the delivery room and said, ¡°Family members of Ms. Hesper Rivera, where are the family members? The patient¡¯s condition is critical!¡± However, the Duvals family members sitting at the waiting area were as calm as a cucumber. They did not appear to be anxious in the slightest, looking so unbothered that one would even wonder if they were rted to Hesper in the delivery room. The people sitting here were precisely Hesper¡¯s father-inw, mother-inw, and sister-inw, Sophia Duval. Madam Duval said in a bitterly sarcastic tone, ¡°Is she the first woman ever to give birth? To think she¡¯s so hypocritical that she¡¯s even able to fake a critical condition when she¡¯s giving birth! She probably can¡¯t deliver the baby because she¡¯s toozy to ever do anything!¡± Sophia was disgruntled because she would rather spend her time elsewhere, so she gloated over Hesper¡¯s misfortune by saying, ¡°Yikes. I hope she doesn¡¯t end up dead with the baby!¡± Upon saying that, Madam Duval red at Sophia in displeasure. Damn you, girl. It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re cursing Hesper, but why are you cursing my precious little grandson as well! She had alreadymissioned someone to look into this matter and found out that Hesper was pregnant with a boy! The boy is going to be the sessor of our family! Hesper can die, but my grandson will live! The doctor could not help finding them loathsome and felt sympathy for Hesper in his heart. However, he could not locate other family members, so he could only brace himself to speak to them once again. ¡°The patient is in critical condition now. If we can only choose one, whose life should I prioritize?¡± ¡°Save the baby.¡± A cold, male voice was heard. He spoke without the slightest hesitation, and his voice was so cold without any emotion like a winter¡¯s wind. The doctor looked up to find a handsome man with a tall and muscr stature walking toward him with a graceful stance. He wore a suit and looked as if he just came out of a business meeting. He assumed an elegant yet arrogant air, and his powerful presence was so overbearing that it was suffocating. The doctor inhaled a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted to strive for thest gleam of hope for Hesper by saying, ¡°Are you sure? In truth, both of you are still young and you can still have another child¡­¡± Before the doctor could finish his sentence, the man signed his name swiftly on the document. His exquisite penmanship was just as arrogant and unruly as him. The Duvals were not astonished at all as if the situation was well within their expectation. In fact, they even assumed a pleased expression. How can Hesper¡¯s lowly life beparable to the life of the Duvals¡¯ heir? The doctor heaved a sigh in his heart and returned to the delivery room. He looked at the barely conscious Hesper with pity and encouraged her by saying, ¡°You must not give up!¡± Tears streamed down Hesper¡¯s shut eyes in her semi conscious state. She heard it. Rickard chose the baby. Thest gleam of hope in Hesper¡¯s heart toward Rickard vanished. She exerted thest ounce of energy she had to clutch the doctor¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Please save me. I want to live!¡± I can¡¯t die! I¡¯m going to live! I want to get a divorce! Relying on her strong willpower to get through the extremely dangerous birth, she gave birth to a boy a few hourster. The baby¡¯s loud cry echoed through the entire gynecology department. Both the mother and baby were safe. ¡­ In the gynecology ward, a basin full of cold water was sshed on Hesper¡¯s body. She was instantly awakened by the bitter cold and opened her tired yet shocked eyes to find thevishly-dressed Madam Duval towering before her bed. She pointed at Hesper and scolded, ¡°Why are you still sleeping? You¡¯re such azy *ss!¡± Her entire body drenched, Hesper trembled from the cold. She almost lost her life delivering the baby and lost her consciousness from exhaustion, yet she was criticized by Madam Duval for beingzy. She could not withstand the cold in her weakened state, yet Madam Duval instructed someone to ssh cold water on her. That was just how great her mother-inw was! It was her husband, Rickard Duval¡¯s, great mother! She was so harsh, vile, and malicious. Madam Duval was very pleased by the sight of the disheveled Hesper. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, have some soup, quickly! I had someone prepare actation-boosting soup especially for you so you can breastfeed my grandson when you¡¯re done! Come and feed Mrs. Duval the soup!¡± Upon Madam Duval¡¯s order, someone immediately served a bowl of oily-looking soup to Hesper. The surface of the soup was still boiling and steaming, a sign of it being freshly-prepared. Hesper would definitely be burned if she were to consume it right away. Hesper understood that Madam Duval was trying to punish her. She declined by saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have it myself!¡± However, Madam Duval, havinge prepared, refused to ept Hesper¡¯s rejection. ¡°How can you do that yourself? Outsiders are going to criticize me for not being an understanding mother-inw. It would be better for someone to feed you! Do it now!¡± As soon as her voice died away, a few bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Hesper. She struggled with all her might, but she was exhausted from the birth earlier, so she was incapable of fighting back. She could only watch helplessly as another person approached her with the bowl of soup. ¡°No, don¡¯t¡­¡± Hesper shook her head, but the person clutched her lower jaw and forcefully opened her mouth before pouring in the boiling hot soup. ¡°Gah!¡± Hesper let out an agonizing, heartbreaking scream. The lower half of her face and mouth were burned red, with bloody blisters popping up everywhere. When she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, steam came out of her mouth. It hurt! It really hurt! Madam Duval pped in delight. ¡°How is the soup? It tastes pretty good, right?¡± Hesper, inhaling sharply from the pain, could not utter a word. Madam Duval let out a cold grunt, not finding what she had done to have gone too far. She wished that she could pour another hot bowl of soup on Hesper once again. Had this b*tch not slept with my son, she wouldn¡¯t even deserve to be married into the Duvals, let alone bear a child for the family! She will have to suffer the hardships that are thrown at her! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Madam Duval led the group of people to leave, feeling very pleased with herself. She did not even nce at Hesper, who was left to her own demise. Hesper endured the pain and got up from the bed shakily. She made her way to the washroom and washed her burned face with cold water over and over again. Her body trembled from the cold, and her belly ached. I hate her, I really hate her. I¡¯m a human being too, so why am I being treated this way? Everyone was calling her shameless for resorting to anything to get herself married into the Duvals. They assumed that it was her who drugged Rickard back then, but she had no idea what happened that night and lost her chastity in confusion. Afterward, she became pregnant, and Rickard had no choice but to marry her because he was Hesper had a crush on Rickard for ten years, but she had never expected that she would marry him in this manner. Before she got married, she knew that it would not be a happy marriage, but she did not expect to live in such torment either. She felt as if every moment spent with the Duvals was a torture. It should end by now. Hesper held her phone tightly and called Rickard. However, the call was not picked up after a long time. Just as she was preparing to abort the call, she heard a familiar, cold male voice. ¡°Hesper.¡± Just by listening to his voice, Hesper could imagine his cold, impatient expression. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Rickard, I want a divorce.¡± The silencested for a moment before she heard Rickard¡¯s blood-curdling sneer. ¡°Who do you think you are, asking for a divorce, Hesper? If there is going to be a divorce, I¡¯ll be the one who proposes it!¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 2 Hesper could not help trembling from the cold just from listening to Rickard¡¯s voice. She bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Sure, you can propose it then.¡± Rickard¡¯s deep, attractive voice was filled with a mocking tone, ¡°Hesper, what trick do you have up your sleeve this time? Your ying hard to get trick is old.¡± Hesper knew that he would not believe her so she said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m serious, Rickard. I don¡¯t want anything¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a strange man¡¯s voicee from the call. It was as if the person was reminding Rickard. ¡°Mr. Duval, Ms. Wight is here.¡± Hesper¡¯s hand unconsciously held the phone tighter. She felt her chest tighten for a moment. Before she could recover from her surprise, Rickard had already impatiently hung up the call, leaving only the busy signal beeping. Ms. Wight? Juniper is back. If Hesper was a pile of mud on the floor to Rickard, then Juniper was the pure moonlight in his heart. Had it not been for that ident, Hesper believed that Juniper would be Mrs. Duval by now. It was no wonder Rickard hated her so much. While Hesper was an orphan adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Juniper was the heiress of the Wights with respectable status, a perfect match for Rickard. Hesper should have yielded the position of Mrs. Duval to her from the start. Hesper thought she had epted it, but for some unknown reason, she felt her heart wrench in more pain. Rickard hung up Hesper¡¯s call and took a cold nce at the secretary who spoke earlier. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to disturb me when I¡¯m on a call?¡± Terrified, the secretary hastily lowered his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Duval. It was my fault for deciding without consulting you prior.¡± He was under the assumption that Rickard prioritized Juniper, so he lost his sense of propriety and informed Rickard in advance. He had not expected that his action would anger Rickard. ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Rickard retracted his sharp gaze and let the matter go since the secretary conducted himself well at work. ¡°Where¡¯s Juniper?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Feeling relieved, the secretary answered in a very respectful tone with a tinge of admiration. ¡°Ms. Wight is waiting for you at the lounge.¡± Rickard nced at his phone to find that Hesper had not called him again. He furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hesper wants a divorce? That¡¯s the biggest joke I¡¯ve ever heard in my life! How can a woman like Hesper possibly be willing to get a divorce and shed the status of the young Mrs. Duval? Didn¡¯t she spare no effort in getting me to sleep with her so she could marry me and bear the family¡¯s heir? She¡¯s only ying a lowly trick to get my attention. Rickard sniggered. He would never fall for Hesper no matter what trick she yed. All her efforts to torment him would only go to waste. ¡­ ¡°What happened?¡± Dressed in ab coat, Julian Zink frowned in pity as he looked at the scald on Hesper¡¯s face and oral cavity. Hesper feigned a carefree manner, ¡°Nothing. I identally burned myself while drinking hot soup.¡± Julian was her friend in the orphanage. While Hesper was adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Julian was adopted by another family, but they kept in touch throughout the years. She did not wish to worry Julian, so she did not tell him the truth. Julian saw through her from the start, so he went straight to the point by asking, ¡°Hesper, are the Duvals mistreating you?¡± Hesper denied it. ¡°No, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Julian clenched his teeth and said angrily, ¡°Stop lying to me, Hesper. Rickard chose to save the baby on the day you were inbor!¡± He hated himself for not being in the hospital at the time. Otherwise, he would never allow something like that to happen! Hesper fell quiet upon hearing that. Julian did his best to be persuasive. ¡°Don¡¯t persist in the wrong cause anymore, Hesper. Rickard will never develop feelings for you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hesper smiled, but it was a bitter smile. Her eyes lost their glint as well. ¡°Ian, please help me get a dependablewyer.¡± Upon hearing that, Julian immediately assured her, ¡°Sure, leave this to me. I will help you no matter what sort of difficult situation you find yourself in.¡± Hesper felt warm and fuzzy in her heart and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Ian.¡± Julian prescribed Hesper the best medicine to not only stop her pain but also enhance her recovery without leaving behind a trace of a hideous scar. In the next few days, Hesper was discharged from the hospital and returned home. When the Duvals were not at home, she seized the opportunity to check on her child, seeing the baby atst. The soft, cuddly bundle of joy with a fairplexion was adorable. She could already see the superiority of the baby¡¯s facial features on his tiny face. He looked just like Rickard. Hesper cautiously picked up the baby as if she was holding a fragile treasure. She did not have the courage to exert too much strength. ¡°Baby¡­¡± Perhaps due to their maternal bond, the baby was not repulsed by her but looked like he enjoyed being in her arms. He looked at her with his huge, curious eyes, and his little nose moved as if he was sniffing her scent. Hesper could not bear to put down the baby in her arms. She felt her heart wrench in pain at the thought of how she might not be able to see him again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby,¡± Hesper said sadly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I can do. Your father would never let me take you with me¡­¡± As if sensing his mother¡¯s sorrow, the child pouted and cried loudly. Hesper was thrown into confusion. She hastily coaxed the child to sleep with great effort before she reluctantly ced him in the cot. She looked at his tiny face for a long time in a daze before walking out of the nursery. As soon as she walked outside, she bumped into Sophia. She nned on ignoring Sophia, but Sophia blocked her path at the stairway. Sophia looked at her arrogantly like a proud peacock. ¡°Hesper, don¡¯t think that your position in our family is stable just because you gave birth to a son. You were only ever a birthing tool for our family, and now that you¡¯ve had the child, you¡¯re useless to us. Grandfather is definitely going to kick you out of the family!¡± Hesper, having listened to remarks of this sort countless times during her pregnancy, was tired of it. She nced nonchntly at Sophia and said, ¡°Are you done?¡± Sophia loathed Hesper for behaving as if she was better than anybody else without showing any respect. She was about to lose her temper when she suddenly remembered something and said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not done. Do you know what my elder brother has been up to for the past few days? The Wights¡¯ heiress, Juniper, is back and they¡¯re exchanging their love for each other now! You¡¯re not even floor!¡± In the past, Hesper would have been deeply saddened by the remark, but she was utterly heartbroken from the day she heard Rickard say ¡®save the baby¡¯. Her heart had already shattered and be scarred, so she was unaffected by a hurtful remark such as this. Hesper,pletely indifferent, found Sophia to be bothersome. She answered back sarcastically, ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a cloud in the sky, but I can confirm that you¡¯re a morous toad!¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Because of Rickard, Hesper tried all sorts of ways to please the Duvals in the past. She would always put up with them no matter how badly Madam Duval and Sophia insulted her. Sophia was used to seeing Hesper¡¯s submissive mannerism, so she was caught off guard when Hesper called her a toad. She was incredulous. ¡°How dare you scold me, Hesper!¡± ¡°I can scold you if I want. Do I need to choose a day?¡± The utterly disappointed Hesper felt as if she was free from the heavy burden weighing down on her. She stopped holding back. Feeling as if her authority was challenged, Sophia was so furious that her face flushed scarlet. She pointed at Hesper and burst out in a torrent of abuses. ¡°You b*tch, who the f*ck do you think you are¡­¡± Hesper pped away Sophia¡¯s pointing finger. Sophia, refusing to be treated that way, stretched out her hand and shoved Hesper ferociously. Hesper, caught off guard, lost her bnce due to her weak physical condition. She missed a step on the stairs and rolled down the staircase before hitting her head on a step. Sophia was stunned for a moment, but then she recovered from her surprise and discovered that Hesper was injured and bleeding. She immediately pped and cheered. ¡°B*tch, this is what you get for going against me¡­¡± However, her voice halted to a stop when she saw a pair of dim eyes. Without her notice, Rickard stood over there and looked at her coldly. His dark eyes brimmed with thick darkness as if a storm was brewing. Sophia had always been afraid of her elder brother Rickard. Scared out of her wits by his terrifying appearance, she could not breath. ¡°D¡­Dick¡­¡± In fact, for a brief moment, she even feared that he would choke her to death. Fortunately, Rickard did not do that but took a few steps forward and scooped the unconscious Hesper into his arms before blurting something extremely cold and harsh. ¡°If anything bad happens to Hesper, you¡¯ll have to exin yourself to grandfather.¡± Sophia trembled upon hearing the remark. Everyone knew how much Mr. Duval Sr. doted on Hesper. So much so that he loved her more than his own granddaughter, Sophia! Mr. Duval was receiving treatment overseas in the meantime, so he was unaware of the situation at home. If he were to find out that Sophia pushed Hesper down the stairs¡­the consequences would be too ghastly toprehend. Sophia only felt lingering fear and called up the doctor in a haste. She could not refrain herself from thinking in her heart, ¡°How great it would have been for Hesper to die during childbirth with her child so she wouldn¡¯t be causing so much trouble! That woman is quite lucky!¡± The doctor quickly arrived and examined Hesper. Fortunately, she was not injured severely. Her body was only weakened from the childbirth and needed more nourishment. Sophia was relieved hearing the doctor¡¯s exnation. She was nning on making a secret escape when her attention was suddenly drawn by a document ced on the bedside table. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this?¡± She sneakily picked up the document and rifled through it. Then, she widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Divorce papers!¡± Rickard¡¯s ferocious-looking pupils constricted ever so slightly. Sophia wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes. How else would she find these divorce papers in Hesper¡¯s room? Moreover, Hesper¡¯s name was already signed on the papers. Oh god, I must be hallucinating! Hesper actually wants to get a divorce? That¡¯s impossible! Hesper loves Rickard so much, and she¡¯s only managed to get herself hitched with a great deal of effort, so how could she bear to get a divorce? While Sophia was shocked, the divorce papers in her hand were pulled away by Rickard. ¡°Rickard¡­¡± Sophia was about to say something when she realized that Rickard¡¯s expression was even more unpleasant and terrifying than earlier. His entire body emitted a terrifying, foreboding presence. He looked just like a beast that was about to be enraged. ¡°Get out of here,¡± said Rickard coldly. Sophia did not have the courage to speak anymore. She quickly scrambled out of the room as if her life depended on it. Rickard¡¯s ghastly gazended on Hesper¡¯s face, and he stared at her so intensely it was as if he could see through her. A momentter, he flipped through the divorce papers so he could see how much alimony the woman demanded, but he was surprised to find just a simple, straightforward statement. ¡®The woman is willing to abandon the property and move out of the house. The child will be raised by the man, and the woman shall reserve visitation rights for the child.¡¯ Rickard furrowed his eyebrows so tightly that he could even crush a fly to death. His eyes were brewing a dangerous storm. What sort of ce does she think the Duvals¡¯ residence is? Youe as you want and leave as you like. You don¡¯t even want to keep the child. Is it because you have something else? At the thought of the possibility, Rickard felt a gush of agitated anger surge into his chest. Waning to destroy everything before him, he tore up the divorce papers into shreds. The paper shreds scattered on the floor like snow. Even he had not noticed that the calmness and self-restraint that he had always been proud of crumbled in a barely discernible way. ¡­ Rickard left Hesper¡¯s room and assumed his usual nonchnt expression. He exuded a coldness that would drive a person as far away from him as possible, so no one could get near him easily. He would agree to the divorce, but he could not ept that Hesper was cheating on him. It was a provocation toward his dignity as a man. Rickard called up his trusted subordinate cum secretary and ordered in a cold voice, ¡°Run a check on the people that have interacted with Hesper recently at once, especially the men.¡± The secretary shivered upon hearing that. It can¡¯t be. Does Hesper actually have the courage to cheat on Mr. Duval? Is she trying to get herself killed? But Hesper loves Mr. Duval so much and she doesn¡¯t look like someone who would cheat on her partner¡­ Rickard grew impatient after failing to receive a response for a long time. He vented his anger by Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. saying, ¡°Kai Stone, are you dead?¡± Kai¡¯s entire body shook in fear when Rickard addressed him by his full name. Afraid that he would die for real if he still did not answer, he hastily said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Duval. I¡¯ll look into it immediately!¡± Rickard¡¯s voice turned deep and cold when he said, ¡°The faster, the better!¡± Kai said, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± No one could go against the enraged Mr. Duval. Hesper regained consciousness the next day. Her head hurt so bad that she felt like her head would split. She rested for a while before she could open her eyes and thought about yesterday¡¯s incident. She seemed to indistinctly remember a pair of warm yet familiar arms wrapped around her and the person¡¯s scent was very simr to Rickard¡¯s¡­ But why would Rickard take the initiative to hug her? Other than the ident on that night, they had not been on intimate terms during their marriage. He would not even nce at her without feeling contempt as if his eyes would be dirtied by the sight of her, let alone hold her hand or hug her. They were married, yet they were less than strangers. That was why she figured that it was just an illusion. Hesper touched her forehead and found the thick bandage wrapped around her head. Not expecting Sophia to suddenly attack her, she had taken a beating. It was fortunate that she did not feel any difort anywhere else other than her head. Her body was weak now, so it would be best for her not to confront the Duvals. She decided that she would bear with it so she could leave the sad ce soon. Hesper was nning on resting for a while more, but someone just would not let her have it her way. ¡°Hesper, why are you feigning your fragility when Sophia only gently pushed you once!¡± Madam Duval¡¯s bitterly sarcastic voice was heard even before she arrived. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to see if you¡¯re capable of feigning your injury to gain pity before you do it too! Chapter 4 Chapter 4 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 4 Hesper sat on the bed weakly with a thick bandage wrapped around her head. She looked at the overbearing mother and daughter before she said halfheartedly, ¡°Grandfather can tell if I¡¯m faking it with a nce.¡± Madam Duval grunted coldly and said, ¡°Stop using Mr. Duval Sr. to threaten me. He¡¯s not in the country now, so no one¡¯s going to back you up! Someone,e and pin her down!¡± When her voice died away, a few middle-aged women with tall, huge physiques showed up in the room. It made Hesper remember the horrible incident that took ce in the hospital room the other day. She remembered the feeling of the boiling hot soup being poured down her throat, how it felt like hot She did not wish to experience that again, so she struggled with all her might and shouted frantically, ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! I¡¯m going to tell my grandfather about this!¡± Madam Duval cracked a bitterly sarcastic smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to give a post-delivery detox massage to you, of course. This is for your own good, so be appreciative. Not even Mr. Duval Sr. can pick a fault in this!¡± Hesper, knowing that Madam Duval could not possibly be so kind, felt an ominous presentiment in her heart. ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She knew that Madam Duval loathed her; Madam Duval would never be so kind. However, as a new mother who was recently injured and weak against so many of them, she was utterly incapable of resisting them. The few middle-aged women pinned her against the bed and immobilized her limbs before they reached out their strong hands and pushed her down on her soft abdomen ferociously. ¡°Gah!¡± Hesper let out an agonizing scream and her face turned ghastly pale. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, and even her voice was shaking. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Madam Duval felt as if her anger was vented at the sight of Hesper in pain. She said with a pleased expression, ¡°You should feel the pain. They are professional post-delivery detox masseuses, and they will most certainly be able to help you detox your body. You¡¯ll thank meter.¡± Sophia gloated at Hesper¡¯s misfortune and chuckled. ¡°Hesper, this is a treatment that others don¡¯t get even if they beg for it. Enjoy it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­gah!¡± Hesper¡¯s entire body trembled from the pain, but there was nothing she could do to break free from the women¡¯s ws. She felt as if they would crush her internal organs soon. It was true that women would receive detox massages post delivery, but these women were instructed by Madam Duval to massage using a crude technique. The massage was not only useless for Hesper, it would even destroy her weak uterus. Madam Duval was extremely vicious with her motive. ¡°Gah! Let go of me!¡± Rickard had just entered the house when he heard Hesper¡¯s agonizing scream. He furrowed his eyebrows instantly and asked a servant, ¡°What¡¯s happening upstairs?¡± The servant answered submissively ording to Madam Duval¡¯s instruction earlier, ¡°Mrs. Duval is receiving a post-delivery massage. Women go through this all the time. It¡¯s supposed to help her recover quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Rickard did not inquire further but removed his jacket and took a seat. ¡°Gah!¡± The agonizing screaming from upstairs grew more and more intense as if the person was being cruelly tortured. It was gut wrenching to listen to. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy.¡± Rickard stood up abruptly, his handsome face filled with impatience. He raised his leg to go upstairs. The servant hastily stopped him. ¡°Mr. Duval! You¡¯re not allowed upstairs because this is a women¡¯s matter¡­¡± She did not expect Rickard to shove her away, taking it upon himself to walk to Hesper¡¯s room. He forced open the door and entered the room. Everyone was stunned, including Madam Duval and Hesper. They looked at Rickard in shock. Rickard found Hesper on the bed with a single nce. She was pinned to the bed by a few middle- aged women, her messy hair drenched in sweat and her small face ghastly pale. Her lips were drained of blood, and her body trembled uncontrobly from the intense pain. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She looked like a littlemb awaiting ughter. She was weak, pitiful, and helpless. For some reason, Rickard felt his heart wrench in pain. He nced coldly at everyone in the room and said, ¡°Are you done making noise?¡± Madam Duval immediately said, ¡°Are we bothering you, Dick? Stuff the woman¡¯s mouth, quick¡­¡± Rickard said with a cold voice, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let go of her.¡± Noticing the situation, Madam Duval exined, ¡°Dick, we¡¯re not torturing her. This is for her own good. It¡¯s a standard procedure for women who have just given birth. She¡¯s just faking it¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Rickard. He said in an overbearing tone, ¡°It would be best for all of you to know where to draw the line. She brought the eldest grandchild of the Duvals to the world.¡± Sophia did not have the courage to speak, but Madam Duval was unbothered. So what if she has given birth to a grandchild? Rickard is still young, and there are plenty of women willing to bear children for the Duvals. Had Mr. Duval Sr. not wanted the child in Hesper¡¯s belly, she might not even have had the chance to bring it into this world. However, Madam Duval could not bring herself to speak her thoughts aloud because of Rickard¡¯s stern expression. Not wishing to affect her rtionship with her son because of Hesper, she left with Sophia and the few middle-aged women. Rickard made his way to the bed and looked at Hesper¡¯s disheveled, tormented state before he said, ¡°Does it hurt very much?¡± Hesper turned her face to the side weakly and refused to look at him. Her face was so pale that it was almost translucent like some sort of fragile yet precious porcin. Rickard felt agitated in his heart for no apparent reason. He said with a cold, merciless expression, ¡°You brought the pain on yourself.¡± Had she not yed tricks to sleep with him, she would not have be pregnant. Hence, she brought all the pain of bringing a child to the world on herself. Hesper was under the assumption that her broken heart was already numb by now, yet Rickard showed her that there was no end to the hurt she felt in her heart. She risked her life to give birth to his child, only for him to say ¡®you brought the pain on yourself¡¯. Rickard was the only person in this world capable of hurting her severely with just a simple remark. Hesper held back her tears and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°When are we getting a divorce?¡± Rickard¡¯s expression abruptly turned gloomy. The woman is actually still thinking about the divorce despite the pain? Is she so eager to get a divorce? ¡°I don¡¯t like to be spoken to by someone who is lying down.¡± He looked down at Hesper from above coldly. ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you can sit upright.¡± Upon saying that, Rickard turned around and left the room without bothering to take another nce at Hesper. Hesperid on the bed and felt every part of her body throbbing in pain, especially her abdomen. It felt as if she was hit by a hammer countless times, which showed how cruel those middle-aged women were earlier. She had no idea if there would be long term aftereffects. As Hesper shut her eyes, tears filled with hatred streamed down her face. She could hear Rickard speaking to someone outside indistinctly, and it did not sound very real. ¡°Call the doctor over to treat her,¡± he said. ¡°It will be very ominous for someone to die in the family when grandfather¡¯s 70th birthday is almost here.¡± Ah. Hesper opened her eyes slowly. There was no anticipation and hope toward Rickard in her eyes anymore, only deathly stillness. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 5 It was found out through the doctor¡¯s examination that Hesper¡¯s fragile uterus was indeed injured during the process. She would need to rest and recuperate, or it would possibly result in infertility in the future. She did not feel anything when she heard that. She waited until she could walk before she went looking for Rickard with the divorce papers. Rickard was sitting in the study room with a nonchnt expression as if he was expecting her. ¡°Rickard.¡± Hesper made his way to the man slowly and ced the divorce papers in her hand gently. She said calmly, ¡°These are the divorce papers. I don¡¯t want anything from it. If you have no objection, please sign these.¡± Rickard looked down to Hesper¡¯s fine penmanship and strangely found her handwriting to be an eyesore. ¡°Who says that I have no objection?¡± Hesper pursed her lips. ¡°You may voice your request.¡± Rickard did not even rifle through the divorce papers before he said in a cold, merciless tone, ¡°Hesper, not only will you leave everything from the marriage, you won¡¯t be allowed to see the child again from now on. You don¡¯t deserve to.¡± Hesper¡¯s expression changed and she said recalcitrantly, ¡°Why? I¡¯m the mother of the child.¡± Rickard¡¯s tone was filled with mockery. ¡°You abandoned the child as soon as he was born. You don¡¯t deserve to be his mother.¡± Hesper¡¯s body swayed unsteadily. She reached out to hold the table instinctively as if she was hit by a crushing blow. She really wasn¡¯t a good mother. But she had no other choice. If she could, she would take the child with her and travel far away, never to return. However, an influential family like the Duvals would never allow their lineage to lead a wandering life in poverty. Moreover, the child would live a good life with the Duvals instead of a hard life of drifting from ce to ce. He would receive better education and be loved by Mr. Duval Sr. She was just an orphan who had nothing. The child would suffer and endure hardships if she were to take him with her. She lost count of time before she made a decision that hurt her more than ever. ¡°I agree.¡± Rickard¡¯s pupils constricted abruptly. The woman would actually give up on her child just to get a divorce! He had no idea that Hesper didn¡¯t have any other choice. Rather than waiting until she was kicked out by the Duvals, she was taking it upon herself to leave and make way for Rickard¡¯s lover. At the very least, she could still leave in an honorable manner. Rickard could not suppress his anger anymore. He smacked the table. ¡°Very well, Hesper!¡± Hesper had no idea why he was so infuriated with her; there was a tinge of confusion in her eyes. Just as she was preparing to speak, the sound of her phone ringing interrupted their slightly tense ambience. She nced at her phone. ¡°It¡¯s grandfather.¡± Rickard calmed down slightly. ¡°Take it.¡± Hesper tapped the ept button and said in a caring tone. ¡°This is Hesper, grandfather. How are you feeling?¡± Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s kind voice was heard saying, ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better. I was just missing you and my chubby great-grandchild. I wish that I could fly back now to see all of you.¡± Hesperforted him by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather. Just continue your treatment and you¡¯ll see the child when you¡¯re back.¡± Mr. Duval Sr. asked concerningly, ¡°Is Dick treating you well? If not, you must tell me and I¡¯ll punish him for you!¡± ¡°He¡­treats me well.¡± Hesper was going against her conscience when she said that. She remembered the man¡¯s ice cold remark of ¡®save the baby¡¯ outside the delivery room the other day. Rickard did treat her well, so well that he would send her to heaven. However, she could not bring herself to speak the truth to Mr. Duval Sr. because his body would not be able to take it. Mr. Duval Sr. was the only Duval who cared about her, so she could not hurt him. Mr. Duval Sr. refused to believe her and requested her to switch to video call so he could check on her and her child. Hesper looked at Rickard subconsciously and asked for his consent with her gaze. Rickard heard Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s conversation, so he furrowed his eyebrows and nodded to express his approval. Both of them temporarily stopped the conversation about divorce and went to the nursery together in order to please Mr. Duval Sr. Hesper turned on the camera and aimed it at the sound asleep baby in the cot so Mr. Duval Sr. could take a good look at him through the video call. ¡°He looks exactly like Dick when he was a baby!¡± Mr. Duval Sr. was delighted and chatted incessantly. He wished that he could travel through the screen to hold the little chubster. Hesper felt slightly gratified in her heart to see how Mr. Duval Sr. doted on the child. The child would be loved by someone when she was not around. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. After he was done looking at the baby, Mr. Duval Sr. requested again, ¡°I can hear that Dick is with you. Let me see both of you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hesper would never decline Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s request. She switched to the front camera and felt a hold on her waist. Rickard had actually stretched out his arm to wrap around her waist. Moreover, he whispered a warning in her ear. ¡°It would be best for you to work with me so as to not affect grandfather¡¯s condition.¡± Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s body could not take it if his mood was affected. Hesper understood that she could only maintain the intimate posture with Rickard. Her body felt slightly rigid, but her expression was still quite natural. It was fortunate that Mr. Duval Sr. did not notice that anything was off during the call. He said happily, ¡°It seems that both of you have grown closer since the child was born. I can set my mind at peace seeing both of you act so loving.¡± Hesper felt extremely uneasy. It was very rare for her to share such an intimate moment with Rickard. He had always loathed her, held her in contempt and avoided her like the gue, as if she was some disgusting piece of trash. It must be tough for him to put on an act and pretend to be close with her now. ¡°Hesper.¡± Rickard suddenly addressed in an unprecedented gentle tone. Hesper raised her head in a daze and watched as the man¡¯s extremely handsome face erged before her eyes. Then, he nted a gentle, feather-like kiss on her fairplexioned forehead. Hesper waspletely dumbfounded. She did not expect Rickard to actually go to this extent. Mr. Duval Sr. was delighted. He looked at both of them with an affectionate gaze and said ¡®very well¡¯ a few times. Hesper had yet to recover from her surprise for a long time after the video call ended until she heard Rickard¡¯s cold voice in her ears. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hesper looked at Rickard and opened her mouth. Rickard took it upon himself to speak first as if he could tell what wasing from her, ¡°I won¡¯t agree on getting a divorce until grandfather is cured. Before then, you¡¯ll remain in the Duvals¡¯ residence.¡± He continued to speak sternly as if he had found a reasonable excuse. ¡°If grandfather¡¯s condition deteriorates because his body couldn¡¯t take it after finding out about our divorce, you¡¯ll be the offender.¡± Hesper felt suffocated by the guilt and burden put on her. The more delighted Mr. Duval Sr. was now, the sadder and more disappointed he would be when he found out the truth. His drastic emotional changes would most certainly be detrimental to his health. She owed a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Duval Sr., who was the person she did not want to see hurt the most in this world. She could only relent. ¡°I agree.¡± The moment her voice faded, Rickard¡¯s tensed heart rxed without his notice. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 6 However, Rickard did not understand why he felt that way. He shifted his gaze and said nonchntly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed, do what you¡¯re supposed to do and don¡¯t be an eyesore here.¡± Hesper nced at the child, reluctant to part with him. She wanted to stay there for a while more, but the child was tired. His soft face was swaying from left and right drowsily. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Hesper could not bear to disturb the baby¡¯s sleep, so she returned to her room indifferently. She did not manage to rest well during the first month post delivery and she was tormented by Madam Duval over and over again. Apart from the mental and emotional trauma, she was experiencing malnutrition as well. She managed to wait until it was dinner time yet Madam Duval sent someone to tell her, ¡°Madam said that you need more rest due to your recent delivery, so you don¡¯t need to join dinner downstairs!¡± Hesper did not speak and instead covered her empty belly with a nket in silence. She hardly had a normal meal since the delivery, so she starved so much that she looked emaciated. However, she would be looking for trouble if she were to head to dinner when Madam Duval wanted to stir up trouble on purpose. In the dining room, Rickard looked at the empty spot at the table and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Where¡¯s Hesper? Why isn¡¯t sheing to dinner?¡± The servant avoided his gaze while Madam Duval said unconcernedly next to him, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want toe, that¡¯s fine too. She¡¯s a grown woman. Could it be that she would rather starve herself?¡± As she spoke, she passed him the ribs and said, ¡°Set your mind and eat. You¡¯ve been traveling everywhere during this period of time, so you¡¯ve lost weight.¡± As Rickard looked at the ribs before him, the image of Hesper¡¯s emaciated figure came into his mind. She was so weak and skinny that one squeeze could shatter her. He pursed his lips and said in an indifferent tone, ¡°She has just given birth, so she needs to replenish her nutrition. Otherwise, outsiders are going to im that the Duvals are torturing their daughter-inw.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t considered the Duvals¡¯ daughter-inw.¡± Noticing that Rickard was looking at her, she corrected herself unwillingly by saying, ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ll order someone to prepare some food for her. The food served on this table is all heavily-processed, high in oil and vor, so it¡¯s not so suitable for her in her current condition, right?¡± Rickard did not know about that, but he knew that he would not allow Hesper to starve to death. He still had some matters to attend to, so he left the Duvals¡¯ residence after dinner. Madam Duval threw her cutlery soon afterward and pulled a long face. ¡°She¡¯s a pain in the *ss. Why do we have to worry about her meal? Doesn¡¯t she know how to deal with it herself when she¡¯s able- bodied?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Sophia did not have the courage to speak out of turn when Rickard was around, but she was furious. Now that Rickard was gone, she immediately revealed her sarcastic expression fearlessly. ¡°She wasn¡¯t that spoiled in the past, and it was very normal for her not to eat for days. Why can¡¯t she do it now? Does she really think that she¡¯s superior and can abuse her power just because she gave birth to the eldest grandchild of the Duvals?¡± ¡°Dream on, I won¡¯t give her the chance to do so.¡± Madam Duval let out a grunt and nced at the leftover food on the table that was so messy that not even a dog would eat it. ¡°Come, put all the leftovers in a bowl and serve it to Hesper¡¯s room so she can enjoy the feast!¡± Meanwhile, Hesper was already exhausted from starvation. She looked at the leftover stew in the bowl served before her in silence. If one were to describe it bluntly, even the Duvals¡¯ dog ate better than her. Noticing Hesper¡¯sck of action, Sophia swung a kick at the bed rampantly. ¡°Eat it, quick! Aren¡¯t you starving? We made this especially for you.¡± She ced her hands on her waist, and her expression filled with pride and contempt. ¡°Hesper, this is the only meal that¡¯s served to you. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to eat? If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re going to be malnourished. How are you going to feed your precious son then?¡± Hesper shifted her gaze. She could bear the hunger but how could she do this to her son. The child came from her, so she would protect him with her life. ¡°I¡¯ll eat!¡± She picked up a fork, but as soon as she got close, she furrowed her brows because she was choked by the pungent smell produced from the mixed food. The sight of the food, with a thickyer of oil from the spices covering it, was nauseating. Hesper tried her best to choose the less oily food, but she gagged as soon as she took a bite. Sophia scolded in a stern voice, ¡°Shut your mouth. Just try to throw up if you dare! You won¡¯t have anything else to eat if you throw up!¡± Hesper raised her head and nced at her in rage. She knew that Sophia was right. She didn¡¯t understand why they would treat her like this. She had notmitted any serious crime apart from marrying Rickard. Why would they hurt her and humiliate her? Just bear with it and you can extricate yourself when grandfather is cured. Hesper told herself in her heart and swallowed the food with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Tsk tsk. You¡¯re really eating, huh.¡± Sophia began to ridicule her again. ¡°You don¡¯t even care about your most basic self-respect and integrity anymore just so you can continue to stay in the Duvals¡¯ residence? I¡¯ve never encountered someone as shameless as you.¡± Hesper said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s your brother who wouldn¡¯t agree on getting a divorce.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Sophia refused to believe Hesper¡¯s remark. She was infuriated by the sight of Hesper¡¯s calmness. ¡°My brother wouldn¡¯t agree on getting a divorce? Don¡¯t forget that his lover is back. Frankly, my brother headed out in a rush after dinner for an appointment. Who do you think he is meeting?¡± Hesper felt her heart wrench in pain. She told herself that she would not mind, yet she could not refrain herself from feeling envy upon hearing Sophia¡¯s remark. Sophia could see the agony in Hesper¡¯s eyes. She said with a sneer, ¡°How dare you im that my brother wouldn¡¯t agree on getting a divorce in your current state?¡± She took two steps forward and clutched Hesper¡¯s fair, clean lower jaw with her hand, her eyes bursting with malicious hatred. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, and I will make sure to facilitate their rtionship so you can be demoted from your position of Mrs. Duval!¡± Upon saying that, she swung her hand with great force, which pushed Hesper to the side, before she left, feeling pleased with herself. Hesper maintained her body position for a long time without moving. She looked at the ceiling absentmindedly and thought about the past. She thought about how deeply in love Rickard and Juniper were in the past. She remembered how Rickard was constantly distracted and his temperament changed after Juniper left the country. She felt as if she could see Juniper smiling bleakly with her hands outstretched. ¡°Did you really go and see her, Rickard?¡± Rickard and Juniper sat across from each other in a luxury condo located in Leneriv. After a long time, he said, ¡°You called me here in a rush. What happened?¡± Tears welled up in Juniper¡¯s eyes when she heard the estrangement in his voice. ¡°Rickard, are you still angry at me? I knew that you resent me when I met you in thepany the other day. However, I have my difficulties too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s passed, and I¡¯m not angry at you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that!¡± Juniper bit her lower lip tightly. She was so beautiful, the sight of her crying made one feel pity for her. ¡°If you¡¯re not angry at me, why won¡¯t youe and see me when you know that I¡¯m back? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve been waiting for you all this time?¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 7 Her remark would cause a misunderstanding easily. Rickard frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± ¡°You were supposed to be mine! Mine!¡± Juniper¡¯s tears streamed down more profusely as if she was triggered by him. He used to care for her sincerely in the past after all. The vignce in Rickard¡¯s eyes diminished a little, and he pulled out a tissue that he passed to her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t you like to look pretty? Your eyes will swell from crying.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already lost you, so I don¡¯t care about beauty anymore.¡± Juniper suddenly hugged him and leaned her face into his chest. Rickard¡¯s entire body shook. He was about to push her away when she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t leave willingly all those years ago. I was diagnosed with a tumor, and the doctor told me that I could possibly be infertile. I don¡¯t know how Hesper found out about my condition, but she told Mr. Duval Sr., who came to see me with her and forced me to leave you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rickard¡¯s expression was filled with shock. He had always taken her act of leaving him to heart because he thought that she had fallen for someone else. Doesn¡¯t that mean that I¡¯ve misunderstood her all this time, and the problem came from my side? Juniper was extremely sad, her eyes reddening with tears like an innocent child. ¡°I was afraid that my infertility would slow you down. Also, Hesper pressured me and imed that she could bear children for you, so I decided to leave because I refused to be humiliated further.¡± ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± A storm began brewing in Rickard¡¯s eyes as if it would destroy everything. Juniper was rather terrified by him in his current state. But she could not allow herself to cower, so she immediately raised her hand and pledged, ¡°I swear that every word I said is true. If I¡¯m lying, I won¡¯t be able to have a child for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Rickard immediately pulled down her hand. He felt extremely guilty in his heart; his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°You¡¯ve been wronged because of me while I¡¯ve only just found out about it today. Don¡¯t worry, I promise that if what you said is true, I won¡¯t let her off for doing this.¡± How dare you use grandfather to break up Juniper and me, how dare you, Hesper! ¡­ ¡°Wake up, Mrs. Duval.¡± Hesper was awakened by a servant in the Duvals¡¯ residence. She opened her eyes to find the kitchen helper, Wanda. Wanda served a bowl of chicken soup and said cautiously, ¡°You can¡¯t allow yourself to eat poorly when you¡¯re recovering from a childbirth, Mrs. Duval. I made this for you in secret. No one saw me. Drink this while it¡¯s still hot, quick.¡± Wanda was afraid that Hesper would be worried, so she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Madam and Ms. Duval are out, and there¡¯s no one else at home now. Eat something so you can gain some strength, quick!¡± ¡°Thank you, Wanda.¡± Tears welled up in Hesper¡¯s eyes; it had been a long time since she was treated with kindness. She took the chicken soup and began eating it inrge gulps. Wanda felt sorry for her. ¡°Madam and miss have gone too far. You could still eat and dress well when Mr. Duval Sr. was still at home previously. They¡¯re so inhumane to you these days. It¡¯s a shame that I¡¯m just a nobody here, and I can¡¯t do much to help you, Mrs. Duval.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m already very grateful that you¡¯re willing to serve me a bowl of soup.¡± While the people of this family were very cold to her, Wanda was the only person who would treat her kindly. However, no one could know about Wanda¡¯s kindness. Otherwise, Wanda would be in trouble along with her. ¡°Thank you very much, Wanda. You should quickly go before anyone sees you.¡± ¡°Noted, Mrs. Duval.¡± Wanda took back the empty bowl and said piteously, ¡°Do take care of yourself. Everything is going to be better when Mr. Duval Sr. is back.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hesper forced a smile but her heart was filled with sorrow. Everything is not going to be better when grandfather is back, but it wille to an end. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. After she had the soup, she finally had the strength to move. She missed her child, so she washed up and went to the nursery. Hesper picked up the baby cautiously. It was tiny, soft, sweet-smelling and chubby. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you, my precious.¡± She could not refrain herself from rubbing her face against the baby. There was no telling if the baby could sense that she was his mother, but he moved his arms and legs in joy. He also babbled as if he was talking to her. ¡°My sweet baby.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes were moist with tears as she looked at her sweet baby, but there was nothing she could do to stay with him. All of a sudden¡­ ¡°Hesper!¡± A raging roar was hearding from behind her. Before she could respond, her arm was pulled strenuously by someone. ¡°My baby!¡± She hastily protected the child in her arms, but she was pulled backward by such immense force that her ck mmed into the changing table. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Hesper let out a muffled grunt and looked at the person before her. Rickard¡¯s expression was filled with anger. He looked like he was dissecting her with his cold, sharp eyes. ¡°Rickard, you should mind where you are if you want to throw a fit. Didn¡¯t you see me holding the baby in my arms? What if¡­¡± ¡°Who do you think you are to talk about the child with me?¡± Rickard interrupted her in rage. He bore with it for a night, but he could bear it no more at that very moment. ¡°Tell me, what did you and grandfather do to Juniper?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Hesper was baffled, but then she saw Juniper walking into the room soon afterward. She was incredulous that Rickard had actually brought Juniper to the house so openly. Rickard clutched her arm tightly and forced her to look at him. ¡°Why are you still pretending? Did you meet Juniper before she left the country?¡± He spoke so loudly that the baby began bawling loudly. ¡°Oh, my sweet baby, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.¡± Hesper coaxed the baby in a flurry. She was infuriated by the sight of Rickard standing there like a guardian. ¡°Get some medicine if you¡¯re sick, Rickard. Don¡¯t act like a mad man in the morning!¡± How dare this woman scold me? Rickard¡¯s expression turned unpleasant. Meanwhile, Juniper nced at Hesper and the baby ferociously and said in a pitiful tone, ¡°Hesper, tell the truth. You came to see me on a few asions before I left the country, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I dide to see you, but that was because¡­¡± Hesper furrowed her eyebrows. She was interrupted by the crying Juniper just as she was about to exin herself. ¡°It was because you came to see me that I decided to leave so that you could be with Rickard. Now that I¡¯m back, please return Rickard to me. I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± As she spoke, she pretended to initiate a bow. ¡°You¡¯re not the one who should be bowing!¡± Rickard shouted in anger and shifted his gaze to Hesper¡¯s face. He looked at her as if he was looking at an enemy. ¡°Bow down and exin yourself clearly, or else, don¡¯t even think about seeing the child ever again!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re asking me to bow down?¡± Hesper was incredulous and felt trapped by grief. She never thought that after loving him for so many years, she would be humiliated in the end. Rickard did not have the slightest ounce of respect for her. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 8 ¡°If you want me to bow down, dream on.¡± Hesper stood straight but her body trembled ever so slightly, not only out of anger but also fear. Rickard sneered and said, ¡°You¡¯re still stubborn and refuse to admit your mistake?¡± He snatched the child and passed him to Juniper before he pushed down Hesper¡¯s back to force her to bow down. The emaciated Hesper bowed down instantly. The sight of her bowing over was painful to the eyes. In fact, Rickard could even see the wisp of agony on her expression. Knowing that he did not exert much strength, he wondered why she could not even withstand that. She¡¯s only faking it again! Hesper did not care about herself; when her baby was taken from her, she shouted hysterically and stretched out her arms. ¡°My baby! Give me back my baby!¡± Juniper wanted to see Hesper suffer so how could she possibly hand back the child to Hesper. She pretended to be startled by Hesper and hid behind Rickard in a haste. The child bawled even louder, and his little face flushed scarlet. Hesper could not stop herself from throwing herself onto Juniper in an attempt to take back her child. Rickard shielded Juniper at once. ¡°Are you done? How can you be a mother when you¡¯re acting like this? Tell the truth quickly, or I won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°Yes, I met her. Will this do?¡± Hesper shouted in despair. She could not see any gleam of hope anymore after witnessing Rickard¡¯s actions today. She red at them ferociously while bowing down. ¡°I was reckless and unscrupulous in my efforts so I could marry you and destroy your wonderful rtionship. Are you pleased?¡± ¡°Hesper!¡± The veins on Rickard¡¯s forehead pulsed constantly, and he was on the brink of losing his temper. Hesper was fearless and she sniggered. ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t this the response you sought when you brought her home so openly? I¡¯ll fulfill your wish then so that the both of you don¡¯t have to sneak around in the future!¡± ¡°What do you mean by sneaking around? You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± Juniper looked as if she was about to cry. Hesper sneered. ¡°Would you dare tell me that both of you were not together yesterday night?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± ¡°Juniper, you don¡¯t have to tell her,¡± Rickard said coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯re so impertinent, you¡¯ll continue bowing here until you admit your mistake! Let¡¯s go.¡± Rickard left with Juniper and the child without the slightest hesitation. He was so distant as if the the person bowing waspletely unrted to him. Juniper smiled at Hesper in a provocative yet proud manner before she left. Hesper did not care about Juniper¡¯s provocation, but she cared about the child in Juniper¡¯s arms. Her arms that hung at her sides turned into fists that became tighter and tighter. She heard the sound of Madam Duval and Sophia arrive at home and heard theirughter from gloating in her misfortune after learning that she was punished to bow down. ¡°You should punish her like this so she won¡¯t think that she can disrespect all of us or think that her status has risen just because of her child.¡± Rickard was so agitated that he grunted at them impatiently. Sophia said to Juniper, ¡°Juni, it¡¯s been such a long time since west met. Now that you¡¯re back, would you like to stay for lunch today?¡± ¡°Right, right, right. I remember you used to enjoy the fish prepared by our chef here. I¡¯ll get her to cook for you today.¡± Madam Duval immediately gave orders to the servants. Her enthusiasm toward Juniper was the Juniper smiled shyly. ¡°Thank you very much for your invitation, Madam Duval. It¡¯s a good opportunity for me to chat with Soph.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Everyone was having a good time chatting. They paid attention to Hesper or wondered if her back was aching from bowing down due to her recent delivery. Hesper kept her head lowered and did not utter a word in the nursery, but she became even more determined to leave this ce. The only thing that she was d for was that Madam Duval and Sophia, who did not seem to be bothered by the crying baby, ordered a servant to send the child back after a while, so she got to see the child for a while longer. Even if it was while she was bowing. Lunch was ready. The Duvals had always enjoyedvish feasts and more food was prepared on purpose to wee Juniper that day. Madam Duval, Sophia, and Juniper asionally talked about something interesting before bursting out intoughter. Yet, Rickard¡¯s mind gradually drifted to the nursery for some unknown reason. It¡¯s been so long. This should be about enough time for the woman to bow, right? At that thought, he ordered the servant to prepare a meal portion and got up. ¡°Where are you going, Rickard?¡± Juniper spoke at once, having been monitoring him secretly all this time. Coming from her, who had a bright smile on her face, it sounded more like a casual inquiry. Rickard stopped for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the baby.¡± Juniper was having a hard time forcing a smile. If he¡¯s going to check on the baby, why is he bringing a meal tray with him? It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s bringing food to Hesper. However, she could not express her unwillingness because she had just gained back Rickard¡¯s trust. She would need time to repair their rtionship slowly. Hence, she gently reminded him, ¡°Go, quick. Check up on Hesper while you¡¯re at it. Don¡¯t keep her bowing.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Rickard left, thinking that only Juniper would be kind enough to think about others. Madam Duval and Sophiaplimented Juniper for being a beauty with a good heart because of how caring she was toward even someone like Hesper. Juniper smiled but did not speak. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh. How is that caring? I¡¯m going to take back what¡¯s mine bit by bit! Upstairs, Hesper was still bowing when the baby suddenly cried. A servant told her that the baby was probably hungry, so Hesper picked up the child and breastfed him. Meanwhile, Rickard came into the room just as she put down the baby after feeding him. Hence, in his perception, it appeared as if Hesper had not followed his order at all. However¡­ ncing at her swollen ankles from prolonged bowing, he decided that he would not lower himself to her level. With an indifferent expression, he ordered the servant to serve the meal to her. ¡°Do you know your mistake? If you know, you may eat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± How would Hesper still have the appetite to eat after being humiliated like that. She swung her hand and pushed away the meal, scattering it on the floor. In fact, some of the food had even sshed onto Rickard¡¯s pants. The anger in his chest was ignited once again. ¡°Hesper! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Hesper was fearless when she met his aggressive gaze. ¡°You just want to stand up for your beloved woman, right? Why are you still acting like a hypocrite? Who are you trying to show off to?¡± ¡°You¡¯re impossible!¡± Rickard felt as if his kindness was in vain. He had already ignored the fact that she got up without his permission, yet she still had the audacity to fool around? ¡°I must be punishing you too lightly. Continue to bow down until the next morning!¡± The people in the dining room heard the quarrel and assumed expressions that showed that they were intrigued. ¡°What a fool. He gave her a way out, yet she didn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Sophia expressed her contempt. Juniper was delighted in her heart. She wanted them to quarrel; it would be wonderful if they could quarrel more. That way, she would have a chance at regaining Rickard¡¯s love. ¡°Madam Duval, Soph,¡± Juniper suddenly said, ¡°I have something that I¡¯d like your help with¡­¡± Upon hearing her remark, both of them smiled to express their approval. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure to help rekindle your rtionship.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 9 The door of the nursery shut with a loud bang, and the deafening noise startled the baby. Hesper pursed her lips tightly and held the baby in her arms tighter. It did not take long before Madam Duval¡¯s caring voice was hearding from downstairs. ¡°Rickard, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m concerned about Juniper going home by herself; it¡¯s not safe. You should send her home.¡± Rickard nced outside and figured that it really was unsafe now that it was dark. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± After both of them got into the car, Juniper asked casually, ¡°Rickard, is Hesper¡­still bowing down?¡± Rickard remembered that Hesper was not bowing down when he went upstairs earlier, so he figured that she would not follow his order to bow down for the rest of the night. He said with a tinge of anger in his voice, ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to know. If she wants to bring trouble upon herself, no one can save her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry anymore¡­¡± Juniper heaved a sigh of pity, but in her heart, she was overjoyed. Meanwhile, Hesper was nning to return to her room when Madam Duval and Sophia suddenly barged into the room. ¡°What do we have here? I knew that you¡¯d act one way to Rickard¡¯s face and another behind his back! My brother ordered you to bow down until tomorrow morning, so said you can stand up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a criminal, so who are you to treat me this way?¡± Hesper was about to stand upright when someone kicked at her back ferociously. A thud was heard, and she bent over from the pain once again. Sophia sneered with her arms crossed. ¡°You¡¯re asking us when you¡¯re the one living in our house and spending our money? If you have the courage to get up, I¡¯m going to make my brother hand the child to Juni so that she can raise him. They¡¯re going to be mother and son sooner orter anyway, so just think of it as letting them bond with each other.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Hesper was furious, her face flushing scarlet. I¡¯m not dead, yet the Duvals are already so keen to look for a stepmother for my child! How can such nonsense exist in this world! ¡°Try and see if I dare!¡± Sophia waspletely unbothered by her remark. She said with a mocking smile, ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think that I¡¯m scared of you?¡± Madam Duval ridiculed Hesper from the side as well. ¡°Hesper, it was your husband who ordered you to bow down. We¡¯re only asking you to do as he said. If you insist on defying his order, I can only tell this incident to Mr. Duval Sr. so he can decide which side is right.¡± Hesper¡¯s entire body shivered. Madam Duval would not do it so kindly. She was only using this tactic to trigger Mr. Duval Sr. so he would be so infuriated that his health would deteriorate. If anything bad were to happen to Mr. Duval Sr., Hesper would not be able to make peace with herself. ¡°Don¡¯t startle grandfather, I¡¯ll bow!¡± Hesper shut her eyes in pain and did nothing as Madam Duval and her daughter taunted her as they liked from next to her. Every word they said was akin to a knife that stabbed into her severely hurt heart andshed onto her unhealed wounds over and over again. She felt so sad and furious that she wanted to die. This was all brought on to her by none other than her husband, whom she loved for so many years. It was Rickard! If she could do it again, if only she could do it again¡­ But there was no redo in this world! Rickard returned by midnight. He nced in the direction of the nursery and found that it was pitch ck. He figured that the woman had already returned to her room to rest. He headed to the study room as he thought to himself, but he halted to a stop when he walked past Hesper¡¯s bedroom. The door was not shut tightly. Hesper had never been so careless to leave her door that way. He furrowed his eyebrows and felt an ominous presentiment in his heart. ¡°Hesper?¡± he called out coldly, but no one answered him. He opened the door to find that the bedroom was pitch ck and empty. Is it possible that she¡¯s still bowing down? Rickard nced at the time and realized that it had already been six hours since their quarrel earlier. Could it be that she¡¯s still so stubborn that she won¡¯t yield? As he was thinking, his attention was drawn to a glowing from the side of the bed. Rickard picked up Hesper¡¯s phone and took a nce to discover that there were more than 10 missed calls on it, all from Julian. ¡°Hesper, are you all right? Did something bad happen to you?¡± Rickard red at the unread text message ferociously, and his presence turned frantic instantly. A loud bang was heard, and the phone was thrown so hard that it cracked. The highly-agitated Rickard left mming the door in rage. Hesper was jolted awake by loud noise in the midst of a quiet night. She tried to open her eyes with great effort but could not. It felt as if her eyelids weighed a few thousand tonnes, and her body was freezing. ¡°It¡¯s freezing, it hurts¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She muttered subconsciously like a distressed avnche victim that no one could save and left to perish in the snow. Atst, she lost count of the time before the door of the nursery opened up slowly. It was a concerned Wanda, who seized the opportunity while it was early in the morning to check on Hesper, only to find her copsed on the floor, her body curled into a ball. ¡°Mrs. Duval, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Wanda ran to Hesper in a haste. ¡°It¡­ It hurts.¡± Hesper¡¯s face was ghastly pale and her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Wanda stretched out her hand to feel Hesper¡¯s forehead and pulled back her arm immediately from the burning heat. ¡°Someone,e! Mrs. Duval has a fever. Send her to the hospital, quick!¡± The servants in the vi were rmed. They came to stand around her in session. Rickard heard Wanda¡¯s calling as soon as he returned from his morning run downstairs. He furrowed his eyebrows, pushed away the crowd, and walked into the nursery. Madam Duval and Sophia were awakened by the noise as well. They scolded with stern expressions. ¡°What¡¯s with the mor? Why were we awakened so early?¡± Wanda held Hesper and spoke with a shaky voice, ¡°Madam and Ms. Duval, Mrs. Duval is burning with fever.¡± ¡°Is that really serious?¡± Madam Duval rolled her eyes. ¡°There are so many women in the world, yet Hesper is the only spoiled one. She¡¯s always sick and in pain every other day. Who knows if she¡¯s faking it!¡± Hesper was barely conscious from the fever; she could not utter a word. The more Wanda looked at Hesper, the more anxious she became. Meanwhile, Rickard arrived and took a nce at the crowd around him before he queried with a cold voice, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Mr. Duval, it¡¯s Mrs. Duval. She¡¯se down with a high fever after bowing here all night while in her weakened state.¡± Wanda hastily narrated the situation, which triggered Mrs. Duval and Sophie¡¯s anger at once. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Rickard. I think she¡¯s faking her illness to go against you because she was displeased with your punishment yesterday!¡± Rickard kept quiet and did not speak. He had yet to forgo yesterday¡¯s incident. However, he could tell that Hesper did not look so good. ¡°How do you feel? Can you speak?¡± Rickard approached her and attempted to feel her forehead, but Hesper shoved him away. ¡°I¡¯m not dying. You don¡¯t need to bother yourself with me.¡± The man pulled a long face. This woman is nothing but cruel to me, and there¡¯s no telling whether she¡¯s actually flirting with another man behind my back to earn his sympathy. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, get up. Why are you lying on the floor?¡± Hesper propped herself up without uttering a word, but before she could stand steadily, her knees buckled and she began to fall again. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 10 ¡°Mrs. Duval!¡± Wanda screamed out in surprise. In the next moment, Hesper was caught by a pair of huge, male hands. Everyone was stunned; not even Rickard realized what had happened. How could he possibly initiate such an intimate interaction with her? He was convinced that he did it instinctively. He caught her out of instinct, and that was all. Sophia could not bear to watch anymore. ¡°Dick, don¡¯t mind her. The more you mind, the more she¡¯ll feign her agony. She did it so she could get your attention.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Shut up!¡± Rickard shouted coldly. Having gotten close to Hesper, he had only just discovered the abnormality of her body temperature. ¡°She¡¯s having a fever. Call the family doctor.¡± Sophia did not have the courage to continue to speak out of turn. However, this time, Hesper was the one to reject Rickard. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want the family doctor. Send me to the hospital.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tighter, and he said impatiently, ¡°You need treatment to lower your fever immediately. It¡¯s faster with the family doctor.¡± ¡°No, I want to go to the hospital,¡± Hesper insisted. She did not have the courage to stay with the Duvals when she was sick because Madam Duval and Sophia might be seized with crazy ideas to put her in harm¡¯s way. In the hospital, at least she could ensure her own safety. Rickard misunderstood her. Remembering Julian¡¯s numerous missed calls, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He nodded coldly and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡± Hesper could sense the strangeness in his tone, but she could not ponder further on it due to the difort in her body. She was sent to the hospital by the bodyguards. Before they departed, Rickard gave the assistant an order coldly. ¡°Monitor her closely. If Hesper meets up with some brute, inform me at once.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The assistant was incredulous. Does Mr. Duval suspect Mrs. Duval of having an affair? How could that be? The assistant trembled deep inside after meeting the man¡¯s stern gaze. He behaved himself and shut his mouth at once. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to thepany first.¡± The assistant hesitated for a moment before he asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Duval, Mrs. Duval is sick. Are we not going to visit her in the hospital?¡± Rickard nced at the assistant nonchntly. ¡°She¡¯s just a woman. Compared to our coboration with Haven Group, which one do you think is more important?¡± The assistant came to understand the situation but still heaved a sigh in his heart. It was precisely this kind of reasoning that had led the rtionship between Mr. Duval and Mrs. Duval to grow so distant. In the Duvals¡¯ residence, the rest of the people returned to their posts after Hesper was sent to the hospital. Wanda was about to leave when Madam Duval called out to her. ¡°Stand there. Have I given you permission to leave?¡± Wanda¡¯s body trembled, and she turned around to look at Mrs. Duval in fear. Mrs. Duval grabbed a vase next to her and hit Wanda¡¯s body with it ferociously. ¡°Wanda, you¡¯re very capable. Do you know who you¡¯re working for? Do you know who pays your wages? How dare you live off us but secretly help an outsider!¡± ¡°Madam, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Wanda was almost in tears from fear. She bowed down at once. ¡°You didn¡¯t? What were you doing at the nursery then? Had you not made a fuss, perhaps she would have died and no one would know! How dare you say you didn¡¯t do it!¡± Wanda was aware of Madam Duval¡¯s cruelness, but she did not expect it to be to this extent. She was scared out of her wits. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯d understand the situation, madam. I prepared some supplemental food and came to check on the young sir to see if he was awake. I didn¡¯t expect to find Mrs. Duval unconscious, so I called out in panick.¡± ¡°Hmph. Knock it off,¡± Madam Duval said with a bitterly sarcastic tone. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you really are a fool, or if you¡¯re just feigning your foolishness. I¡¯m going to put it out there today that the Duvals¡¯ residence is no ce for the kind hearted! If you dare to protect her again, don¡¯t me me for being hard on you!¡± Wanda¡¯s body froze, but then she nodded obsequiously and said, ¡°Yes, mam¡­ I understand.¡± In the hospital, Julian was extremely worried about Hesper¡¯s condition after failing to get in touch with her. He was slightly distracted on his shift until he heard a conversation between two nurses. ¡°Yikes, this Rivera woman is quite pitiful for having such a high fever after her recent delivery. There¡¯s no telling if her mother-inw is helping to care for her.¡± ¡°I heard that she¡¯s the young Mrs. Duval of the Duval family and her mother-inw is not fond of her, so Madam Duval makes life difficult for her. My colleague told me about her burn injury. Her mouth and lips were badly burned the day she had her baby. Isn¡¯t this an obvious sign of abuse within an influential family?¡± ¡°Oh god, that¡¯s really terrifying. I don¡¯t want to think about marrying a man from an influential family anymore¡­¡± The two young nurses¡¯ discussion faded as they walked away. Julian¡¯s expression changed drastically. He knew that something bad must have happened to her when he failed to get in touch with her yesterday. Damn you, Duvals! There is no telling what they did to her! ¡°Hesper!¡± Atst, Julian found Hesper and saw the infusion tube on her hand, her ghastly pale facepletely drained of blood. She did not look like a woman who had just given birth recently but a terminal illness patient who would die soon. Julian¡¯s eyes reddened with tears. He stood by the bed at a loss of what to do. ¡°What brings you here, Ian?¡± Hesper hastily tried to sit upright when seeing Julian, but she did not have the strength to do so because of malnourishment. Julian hastily stretched out his hands to help her get up and propped a pillow behind her caringly. Witnessing the scene, the bodyguard posted at the door immediately called up Rickard¡¯s assistant. In the room, Julian said softly, ¡°I came to check on you after I found out that you¡¯re sick. How do you feel? How did you get yourself sick again?¡± Hesper cracked a faint, bitter smile. However, she could not bring herself to speak ill of the family, so she said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It will pass soon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always trying to be brave.¡± Julian looked at her with pity. ¡°I called you many times yesterday night because I wanted to check with you on thewyer¡¯s matter. You didn¡¯t pick up even once, so I should have known that something bad had happened to you. It¡¯s all my fault for being useless. I¡¯m not capable of getting you away from the Duvals.¡± ¡°You called me, Ian?¡± Hesper had not heard her phone ring at all the night before since she left it in her room. She did not wish to get Julian in trouble either, so she could only force a smile and say, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re already being so kind to me, Ian. Perhaps this is just a difficult period for me in my life.¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t be treated like this.¡± Julian could not refrain himself from advising her, ¡°Leave him, Hesper. The Duvals are akin to hell for you. Only by leaving them can you restart your life.¡± Hesper wanted to restart her life too, but¡­ Meanwhile, a loud bang was heard when the door was kicked open by someone. Rickard walked into the room, his face green with rage. His entire person exuded an evil, foreboding presence. He looked coldly at the two people chatting harmoniously by the bed. ¡°Where did you say you were taking my wife earlier?¡± Julian and Hesper¡¯s expressions changed drastically when they heard the word ¡®wife¡¯. Julian expressed his anger. ¡°Mr. Duval, if you really regarded Hesper as your wife, why would you let her get injured and hospitalized again and again!¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Rickard chuckled in a dangerous manner and pushed his tongue against his cheek. It was a sign that he was about to lose his temper. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 11 Rickard stepped forward abruptly and grabbed Julian by his cor. ¡°Hesper is a member of the Duvals, and she will be with the Duvals even if she dies. Trying to get her to start her life again? Dream on!¡± As he was speaking, he swung a punch at Julian¡¯s face ferociously. Hesper watched the scene incredulously. ¡°Rickard! Have you lost your mind? Why are you beating him?¡± Rickard grew even more furious after noticing how she defended Julian. ¡°Why? Does it hurt you to watch?¡± As he was speaking, he threw a few more punches. Julian was a practicing doctor, so he was no match for Rickard. His face bruised and swelled up from the beating quickly. ¡°Stop it! Stop it, quick!¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. Julian was the family that she did not have much of in the world, but he was beaten up ferociously by Rickard now. ¡°Rickard, if you hit him one more time, you can forget about working on grandfather¡¯s matter together!¡± Hesper stretched her arms and defended Julian in anger. Upon hearing her remark, the furious man gradually stopped. Rickard narrowed his eyes in a dangerous manner. ¡°What did you say?¡± Hesper did not wish to threaten Rickard with Mr. Duval Sr., but there was nothing else she could do to stop him from hitting Julian. She could only brace herself to say, ¡°Rickard, you cane at me if you hate me, don¡¯t implicate others! I¡¯m only staying with the Duvals for the sake of grandfather¡¯s health. I¡¯m not staying so your family can treat me inhumanely!¡± ¡°Good, very well. You¡¯ve learned to talk back.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from anger, and the veins on the back of his hands throbbed. He kicked over a rack next to him. ¡°Hesper, how dare you threaten me for this man!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are, and how dare you!¡± Rickard stretched out his arms in an attempt to grab her out of rage. However, as soon as Rickard moved, Julian used his body to shield Hesper and wrapped his arms around her. Rickard¡¯s anger soared to its max when witnessing the scene. In fact, he felt like he wanted to tear up the people before him so he could let them experience the consequences of going against him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Juniper¡¯s voice was hearding from the door. Rickard turned around and nced at her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Juniper was startled by the sight of the anger in his bloodshot eyes, but she feigned her calmness with great effort and said, ¡°I went to meet Sophia at the Duvals¡¯ residence and heard that Hesper was hospitalized, so I came to visit her with some healthy snacks.¡± As she was speaking, she raised the box in her hands to show him. The snacks in the box were all of superior quality food; she brought it to showcase her gentleness and thoughtfulness. Rickard sneered. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but it¡¯s a shame that she doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°Huh, what do you mean?¡± Juniper appeared to be dumbfounded, but in reality, she heard the loud quarrel from outside. Rickard did not wish to continue fussing over the matter anymore, so he turned around nonchntly and said, ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± Juniper followed after him obediently and willingly. Julian loosened his grip over Hesper and noticed that there was a blood backflow in the infusion tube on her arm. Her blood filled the whole tube, turning it bright red. ¡°Lie down, Hesper!¡± Hesper was in pain as well, but she held back from talking about it earlier. When everything was settled down, she said to Julian with fatigue, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I got you beaten up for no reason earlier, Ian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. This trivial injury is nothing for a man. You, on the other hand¡­ Is this how Rickard treats you at home too?¡± Hesper turned her face to the side and did not answer. How would he treat me like this at home? At home, Rickard ignores me as if I don¡¯t exist. He disregards my concern and favor, and doesn¡¯t even look me in the eyes. ¡°B*st*rd!¡± Julian was furious. ¡°Who was the woman earlier? Was she his mistress?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s Juniper Wight¡­¡± Hesper told him about the situation briefly before she said in all apparent seriousness in the end, ¡°I know that you care about me, Ian, but I¡¯m scared of Rickard bearing grudges against you, so it would be best if you could stay away from me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You¡¯re my sister! How could I possibly not care about you?¡± Julian patted her shoulder and said sincerely, ¡°Listen to my advice, Hesper. Your ce is not with the Duval family or with Rickard. Will you leave him?¡± ¡°I know. Just hold on. We¡¯ll get a divorce once grandfather has recovered.¡± Julian, rendered speechless, heaved a sigh. It did not take long before Rickard¡¯s assistant came rushing over suddenly. ¡°Mrs. Duval, is my boss here?¡± Hesper nodded after noticing how anxious he looked. ¡°He was, but he left.¡± ¡°Left?¡± The assistant looked as if he feared for his life. They were supposed to have a discussion with This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. the Haven Group that day, but when Rickard received information from the hospital, he came over without the slightest hesitation. The discussion was about to begin, but the assistant was unable to locate Rickard. The assistant was troubled, but before he left, he seemed to remember something and pulled out a new phone from his bag. ¡°Mrs. Duval, this the phone my boss ordered me to get for you. Your sim card is inside. Frankly, Mr. Duval¡­cares about you.¡± Hesper did not appreciate Rickard¡¯s concern. If he really cared about me, why would he humiliate me? If this is how he shows his care, I would rather not have it! Meanwhile, Juniper was also provoking Rickard casually by saying, ¡°Who was that man protecting Hesper in the hospital earlier, Rickard? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention them to me anymore. They disgust me.¡± Rickard waved his hand impatiently and picked up the ss before him to down the alcoholic. Juniper¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°It¡¯s boring to drink alone, so I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± Soon, an exchange of sses quickly happened, and Rickard drank more and more out of anger. He began to gradually grow tipsy. Juniper seized the opportunity to take an intimate selfie with Rickard and sent it to Hesper right away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Rickard is with me tonight. I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± The interpretation of what her care meant was up to Hesper. Hesper stared at the photo for three full seconds before finally sneering. So, he was kind enough got me a new phone just so he could show off their loving rtionship. Thank you for the trouble you¡¯ve taken and your consideration! ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble. Although, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing impressive about Rickard¡¯s performance when he¡¯s drunk. You might not be able to fully enjoy yourself.¡± Hesper turned off the phone right after sending the provocative message. All I have to do is disgust her, right? Anyone can do that. Not having expected Hesper to actually reply to her text message, Juniper turned green with rage. She could not suppress her jealousy at the thought of how they had once been so intimate that they had a child together. Let¡¯s wait and see, Hesper! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Hesper¡¯s fever broke the next day. She was not severely ill to begin with; she just caught a cold after bowing down for a night in her malnourished state. It was fortunate that she was sent to the hospital in time and received an intravenous infusion, which allowed her body to gradually recover its functions. It was quite amusing, really. She risked her life to give birth to the Duvals¡¯ eldest grandchild, yet she could only replenish her nutrition in the hospital. No one would believe her if she were to tell them what happened. Hesper consumed her chicken soup in small sips when someone kicked open the door of her room all of a sudden. The elegantly-dressed Madam Duval walked into the room with two other women. ¡°Yikes, look at you having the appetite to eat chicken soup. It seems that you¡¯re not all that seriously ill.¡± Hesper coldly nced at her. She did not have a favorable impression toward the Duvals after experiencing the recent ordeals. She replied in a mocking tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you by not dying from the illness.¡± ¡°Stop your smart-mouthing!¡± Madam Duval looked like she was about to lose her temper when she suddenly caught herself and cracked a ghastly smile. ¡°Judging from how stubborn you are, it seems you still haven¡¯t learned your lesson. Then I¡¯ll fulfill your wish to endure more hardships!¡± ¡°Come!¡± She waved her hand with a sneer. ¡°Since Mrs. Duval is hospitalized, she can¡¯t feed breastmilk to the baby, who is at home. Go ahead and help her!¡± ¡°What are you doing!¡± Before Hesper could respond to the situation, the two women were already surrounding her with a ghastly grin on their faces. They grabbed her hospital gown and tugged at it to remove it. ¡°What are we doing? You should know how to pump breast milk by now. There¡¯s no need for us to exin anymore, right?¡± The button of Hesper¡¯s hospital gown was forcefully removed, revealing arge area of her fair skin. One of the women stretched out her hands and squeezed Hesper¡¯s breasts ferociously. Hesper¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She thought that Madam Duval¡¯s previous tricks were obscene enough, but Madam Duval was able to stoop even lower! ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± Hesper struggled with all her might, but she could not move because of the two women¡¯s strength. They squeezed her breasts strenuously with theirrge, coarse hands¡­ ¡°Gah! It hurts!¡± Hesper¡¯s forehead instantly drenched in cold sweat. Her breasts were weak and sensitive since the delivery, so she felt as if her blood vessels were about to burst when abused by them in this manner. Her eyes reddened with tears, and hateful, humiliating thoughts filled her head. In the end, Hesper could not bear it anymore and pulled out a fork that she hid under the pillow before stabbing the person next to her visciously. ¡°Gah!¡± A bitter, agonizing roar rang in the room. The woman grabbed her arm and said with an agonizing expression, ¡°Madam, blood¡­ I¡¯m bleeding¡­¡± The other woman was so startled that she loosened her grip upon noticing the situation, leaving Hesper slumped down on the bed weakly. Her hair was messy and she was in a disheveled state. Only her eyes were filled with sarcasm and hatred. Madam Duval was startled by Hesper¡¯s gaze, but she feigned calmness by saying, ¡°You were prepared, Hesper. Very well. Did you prepare the fork so you could stab me? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Rickard will leave you when he finds out about this?¡± ¡°Make him leave then!¡± Hesper¡¯s patience had run out despite her good temperament. She red at Madam Duval as if she was looking at a dead man. ¡°You are more than wee to convince him!¡± ¡°You you you¡­¡± Madam Duval was at a loss for words to refute, not having expected that Hesper would make a remark like this in view of how much she loved Rickard. Meanwhile, the sound of a man¡¯s leather shoes walking on the ground was hearding from outside. Rickard¡¯s eyebrows tightly furrowed when he saw the scene before his eyes. ¡°What the heck is going on this time?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, my son!¡± Madam Duval looked at Rickard as if he was her savior. She immediately told him about the incident earlier with exaggerated embellishments. ¡°I was only worried that she would suffer from clogged milk ducts, so I kindly hired two experienced masseuses to help her. Not only was she unappreciative, but she injured the masseuse. Look at that poor, bleeding woman. I have no idea how I¡¯m supposed to deal with Hesper anymore!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Rickard looked toward Hesper suspiciously. She smirked in a mocking manner. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that¡¯s not what happened?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes were gloomy. There were only the three of them in the room now. Who else would do something like this if not Hesper? Noticing that Rickard was on her side, Madam Duval grew fearless. ¡°Son, don¡¯t let Hesper off so easily in view of how sinister she is. Otherwise, there¡¯s no telling who she¡¯ll attack next time.¡± ¡°I understand. Take the woman and get her wound dressed first.¡± Rickard spoke in a cold tone. Green veins could be seen bulging on his forehead. ¡°Son¡­¡± Madam Duval wanted to instigate further but was startled by his icy cold gaze. She hastily shut her mouth and left with the two women. As soon as the door was shut, Rickard revealed his true self. ¡°So, you think you¡¯re capable now and have bewless?¡± He took a step forward with each word he said. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscr, fair- Hesper could feel the iing danger, but she forced herself to calm down and braced his cold gaze. At the very moment he got close to her, she said coldly, ¡°Rickard, if you darey a hand on me, I¡¯ll N?velDrama.Org (C) content. make you regret it.¡± The usually arrogant, aloof Rickard would never be bothered by a lowly threat like this. However, seeing the determination in her eyes, he stopped for no apparent reason. His gaze was as deep as the sea. ¡°What are you doing? Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hesper inhaled a deep breath and enunciated her words clearly with a determined tone when she said, ¡°I¡¯m negotiating a deal with you.¡± Under the man¡¯s slightly puzzled gaze, she narrated a statement that sheposed, ¡°Although I proposed a divorce, I agreed to stay and put on an act with you out of consideration for grandfather¡¯s health. However, I can¡¯t put up with you and your family¡¯s doings anymore. Let¡¯s have a one-off conversation today, and if you can¡¯t ept my condition, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to forfeit what I agreed to do.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Rickard chuckled in anger. Who does she think she is to say something like that? Was it not her who plotted so that she could marry me in the past? Now that she got her wish fulfilled to be Mrs. Duval, why is she still acting like she¡¯s been treated wrongly? I¡¯d like to see what trick this woman still has up her sleeve! ¡°Firstly, we¡¯ll live out our lives separately from now on. I won¡¯t regard you as my husband, and you don¡¯t need to regard me as your wife to others. I won¡¯t get in the way of you dating Juniper, and you¡¯re not allowed to meddle with my personal affairs either. We¡¯ll only need to y the roles of husband and wife in grandfather¡¯s presence.¡± ¡°Secondly, I¡¯m only living in the Duvals¡¯ residence temporarily. When grandfather is back, I¡¯ll leave. So, I¡¯m officially informing you now that if anyone in your family continues to make things difficult for me, I¡¯ll return what¡¯s done to me ten fold. It would be best for us to mind our own business.¡± Rickard¡¯s expression grew more unpleasant with every remark she made. In the end, he was almost clenching his teeth in rage when he said, ¡°When did you have this thought out? What could you do if I don¡¯t agree to your conditions?¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Hesper was mentally prepared for this. If Rickard were such an amiable person, she would not have to endure contempt, humiliation, and disgrace for so many years. However, she should not be the only one to endure pain. Hesper said in nonchnt tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to my conditions, it¡¯s meaningless for me to live anyway. I wonder if grandfather will ever forgive you and the others if I die.¡± Rickard¡¯s body shook. It was not because she used grandfather¡¯s name but because he saw the surging despair in her eyes. She was so desperate that she did not mind negotiating a deal with her death. Is she really suffering that much living with the Duvals? But she has already gotten everything that she wanted. She got the position of Mrs. Duval and she has already gotten a child as well. How is she not satisfied yet? Rickard could not figure it out. Enshrouded in overbearingness, a few secondster, he sniggered. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do as you said. I hope you won¡¯t continue to stay when the timees and refuse to leave!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I would rather die than stay.¡± Rickard took a deep nce at her and turned around to leave without uttering a word. Noticing that he was leaving, his assistant waiting for him outside immediately opened the door. Rickard¡¯s face was green with rage, and he said coldly after a long time, ¡°Is it that difficult to get along with me, Benji?¡± Benji had no idea why Rickard would suddenly ask such a question. He subconsciously answered, ¡°You have to deal with a host of affairs every day, and you¡¯re used to executing orders. However, you treat your subordinates well.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why¡­would she rather die than be with me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Benji did not hear Rickard clearly, but Rickard had already shut his eyes and stopped speaking. In the hospital, Hesper looked out the window absentmindedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using you as my bargaining chip, grandfather¡­ However, if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to continue on anymore.¡± She teared up in agony, feeling sad and guilty. Meanwhile, Julian came to visit her with a basket of fresh fruits. ¡°Hesper, why are you crying again?¡± Julian took two steps forward and wiped her tears with a tissue. ¡°How many times have I told you not to cry when you¡¯re sick? Otherwise, you¡¯re going to have long- term effects in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper forced a smile and thought about how Julian was the only person who still cared about details like this when it came to her. Noticing that she was calming down, Julian told her about the purpose of visit. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the you, it¡¯s highly possible that you will get custody of the child in view of your current situation. What do you think about that, Hesper?¡± ¡°I could get custody of the baby?¡± Hesper had never raised her hope about getting custody. In fact, she was already mentally prepared to lose custody of the child, but Julian¡¯s remark ignited her hope once again. ¡°Let me think about it¡­¡± ¡°Sure, take your time to think. I¡¯ll help you regardless.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ian.¡± The unexpected information disrupted Hesper¡¯s n. She was distracted through her hospital discharge and return to the Duvals¡¯ residence. Madam Duval and Sophia, who were eating imported fruits in the living room, frowned when Hesper walked into the house without greeting them. ¡°Hesper, are you blind or something? Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re here?¡± Hesper was jolted back to reality and she said in an extremely indifferent tone, ¡°Oh, I can see that. So?¡± ¡°Yikes, watch your tone, woman. Are you looking to be taught a lesson?¡± Sophia was about to stand up while she was speaking, but remembering how Hesper injured the woman in the hospital, Madam Duval was afraid that Sophia would be at a disadvantage. She hastily said, ¡°You¡¯re really disrespectful for not greeting us upon your return. Since you¡¯re already discharged from the hospital, you¡¯ll be cooking all the meals at home from today onward. I¡¯m hungry now and would like to have a steak. Go and prepare it, quick!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you capable of cooking yourself?¡± Hesper did not attempt to appease Sophia but rolled her eyes at her. Sophia was so furious that she struggled free from her mother¡¯s restraint and made her way to Hesper quickly. ¡°Are you feeling a sense of superiority over us after the fever? You used to cook all the meals at home in the past, so what are you putting on airs for now?¡± ¡°The past is the past. I did it willingly back then, but I don¡¯t want to do it anymore now. Is there a problem with that?¡± Sophia could not bear to watch Hesper¡¯s unyielding mannerism. Her chest heaved constantly with her you don¡¯t want to!¡± She pulled Hesper toward the kitchen. At first, Hesper attempted to struggle, but then she refused to move. She stood sneering in the same spot. ¡°Sure, since you insist on me cooking, don¡¯t me me if you die from eating my cooking.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sophia was still confused, but Madam Duval came to understand Hesper¡¯s remark. Her expression changed drastically and she pulled Sophia to her side. ¡°Have you lost your mind, Hesper? Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about? Rickard will never forgive you if he finds out about how you treated his mother and sister!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Hesper waspletely unbothered. In the past, she did her best and sacrificed herself for the family out of respect for Rickard. She would cook all sorts of cuisines that they enjoyed to appease them. However, not only did they not remember her deeds, but they even felt entitled to her cooking. If that was the case, why should she make an effort? She turned her head to the side and cracked a sweet smile at Madam Duval and Sophia. ¡°Since you¡¯re so displeased, go andin to Rickard. The more you can exaggerate the situation, the better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A thought urred to Madam Duval and Sophia as they looked at Hesper¡¯s graceful, departing silhouette. ¡°Has Hesper lost her mind?¡± In Duval Group¡¯s CEO¡¯s office, Rickard ced down his phone, his deep eyes filled with ineffable emotions. The woman is getting more and more unfathomable to actually speak to my mother in that manner. She used to be so obedient and sensible in the past, but everything about her has changed. He loosened his tie in agitation and looked into the distance absentmindedly. Meanwhile, Hesper was in a great mood after her public retaliation toward Madam Duval and her Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. daughter. She refused to go downstairs no matter how much they mored and instead took her liberty to get some sun on the balcony with her precious son. All of a sudden, she saw a familiar figure quickly walking by in her peripheral vision. Hesper paused for a moment and called out, ¡°Wanda?¡± Wanda¡¯s entire body shook once when she heard Hesper¡¯s calling, but she did not have the courage to turn to look at Hesper. Hesper remembered clearly that Wanda gave her a bowl of hot soup when she was starving to death, and Wanda was also the first to find her when she was ill with fever. Had Wanda not helped her, perhaps she would have been tossed out of the house by Madam Duval and her daughter like a piece of trash. ¡°Wanda, I¡¯ve been meaning to express my gratitude to you since the incident¡­ What happened to your face?¡± Halfway through her speech, Hesper noticed a few red marks on Wanda¡¯s face, which was an apparent sign of being pped. Hesper flew into a great rage. ¡°Who did this? Was it Madam Duval and her daughter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t question, Mrs. Duval. I¡¯m fine.¡± Wanda covered her face so Hesper could not see. However, Hesper could see the red marks with bruises on Wanda¡¯s face; she could tell that the person who did it was merciless. Hesper felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. ¡°Is it because you saved me? Is that why they hit you?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Don¡¯t question anymore, Mrs. Duval. I just happened to fall.¡± How hard must one fall in order to be injured to this extent? She should have expected this to happen. Madam Duval and Sophia loathed her, so it was only natural that they would discriminate against Wanda for saving her. Perhaps Wanda was tormented so frequently by these people in the past two years when she was hospitalized that Wanda did not have the courage to talk about them. Hesper was furious. ¡°You¡¯re in your current state because of me, so I¡¯m going to uphold justice for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, Mrs. Duval!¡± Wanda pulled at Hesper strenuously with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Madam Duval and Ms. Duval have always been domineering. If you uphold justice for me, it will only give them a reason to punish you even more. The baby is still young; think about him, and take care of yourself.¡± Hesper, however, could not make peace with the fact that she involved the aging Wanda in her matter after she had endured so many hardships. There was a determined expression on Hesper¡¯s face. ¡°You should leave this matter be. It¡¯s my idea. Keep a distance from me so they won¡¯t have a reason to seek revenge on you from now on.¡± As she was speaking, she took the liberty to walk to Sophia¡¯s room. In the pink room, Sophia was humming to herself as she put on makeup. She was going to dress herself up for a date that night with a good-looking man at the bar. Without any hesitation, Hesper gave her a p. A p was heard, loud and clear. Sophia was dumbfounded by the p. She only came to realize the situation after a few seconds. She covered her face and shrieked loudly, ¡°Are you sick in the head or something? How dare you hit me!¡± Hesper did not waste time making small talk either. Sophia had never seen Hesper¡¯s expression look so cold. ¡°Was it you who caused the injury on Wanda¡¯s face?¡± How would the ever-obstinate Sophia put up with Hesper standing up for a lowly servant? ¡°So what if I hit her? You actually pped me for a lowly servant. Trust me when I say I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Her expression distorted from anger, and she tried to beat up Hesper. Hesper stood further away and grabbed Sophia with her arms so that Sophia could not budge anymore. Hesper said with a cold expression, ¡°You set my mind at ease for admitting it.¡± Upon saying that, she delivered two more ps. She struck Sophia so hard that it felt as if she was venting all her past resentment on Sohphia. Sophia¡¯s face immediately swelled up, and she squalled in anger. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Hesper. I¡¯m going to make my brother kill you!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Hesper chuckled in a mocking tone. ¡°Wanda saved my life, yet you punished her. Was that not because you bear grudges against her? Or was it because I was supposed to die after giving birth to your family¡¯s eldest grandchild?¡± As she spoke, she clutched Sophia¡¯s lower jaw gently and said in ridiculement, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell Rickard about this? Go ahead, quickly. I would like to know if he is willing to let the child¡¯s biological mother die and if your family can withstand the bad reputation that results from this!¡± ¡°Mad, you¡¯re mad.¡± Sophia was furious and her expression continued to distort from anger. After Hesper left, she immediately called up Juniper and spoke in a crying, nasal voice. ¡°Juni,e quickly. I can¡¯t stand it for a minute longer¡­¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Hesper was aware of Juniper¡¯s visit to the Duvals¡¯ residence. She was carrying her child when she saw Juniper¡¯s car through the window. It was a red limited edition Porsche, a car worthy of her heiress status. When she was walking to the door, their eyes met across the air momentarily. Hesper quickly looked away, her lips seeming to curl into a smirk. Juniper furrowed her eyebrows and felt an ineffable feeling. However, she did not put much thought into it and met Sophia soon. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Soph? What happened to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all that b*tch Hesper¡¯s fault!¡± Madam Duval said. She found out about the sequence of events that took ce after Sophia lost her temper in the house. They wanted to punish Hesper, but they were afraid that Hesper would risk her life and fight with them. They called up Rickard but all he replied was ¡®noted¡¯ so they could only wait for Juniper¡¯s arrival with their pent up anger. Sophia acted as if she found her mainstay when Juniper showed up. She cried and said, ¡°Juni, you¡¯re my brother¡¯s childhood best friend, so you know him best. What do you think is on his mind? He loathes the b*tch so much, yet he chooses to put up with her over and over again. Is he going to let Hesper lord over us and abuse her power?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Juniper would never allow something like that to happen. An idea came to her. ¡°I believe that Rickard is being more lenient with Hesper since she¡¯s just given birth to the family¡¯s eldest grandchild. After all, Hesper risked her life during the delivery process. If the family members were to make things difficult for her right after her delivery and rumor of this incident were to spread, outsiders would think that the Duvals are mean.¡± ¡°B*llsh*t!¡± Madam Duval was the first to reject the remark. ¡°There are plenty of women willing to bear children for the Duvals. It¡¯s so misfortunate that she had to be the one who did it! Does she think that she¡¯s some hot sh*t because of her child?¡± Sophia sobbed to the side. ¡°Juni, please reconcile your rtionship with my brother soon. Get rid of this b*tch as soon as possible. You¡¯re the only sister-inw I recognize!¡± Juniper was delighted but pretended to be troubled. ¡°I would like that too. However, Hesper is a benefactor of your family now, as I¡¯ve mentioned earlier. Rickard will always give her special treatment as long as the child is here¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s always the child! I¡¯d like to see if she can still be so rampant without her child!¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes glistened with a sinister glow as a n quickly took form in her head. Hesper was still unaware of the impending crisis. She stayed by her son¡¯s side all day long, touching his soft little hands and ying with him asionally. The mother and son spent a peaceful, loving night together. However, news of the baby bing sick traveled from the nursery the next morning. ¡°How could this happen? He waspletely fine yesterday!¡± Hesper ran to the room in such a rush without even putting on her shoes, but she was stopped from entering the nursery when Madam Duval arrived. ¡°What are you doing here? Your child is sick today because you stayed with him all day yesterday. Hesper, you¡¯re a jinx!¡± ¡°Let me in, I want to see my baby!¡± Hesper tried to squeeze her way into the room with all her might but was pushed out of the room again and again. Rickard had watched on coldly the whole time, but he could no longer bear it. He said in a cold voice, ¡°I agreed to your requests, Hesper, but you don¡¯t seem to know how to be a good mother. It¡¯ll be fine if the baby is okay, but if anything bad happens to him, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences yourself.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He was fine when we were together yesterday. Let me in, Rickard!¡± Next to her, Sophia heard the conversation and said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°What do you mean, Hesper? Could it be that you think we caused the child¡¯s illness? You held the child all day long yesterday. All the servants in the family could attest to that. What reason could it be other than you being a jinx?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m implying.¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze turned cold. She refused to believe in the superstitious belief of jinx, but she had no evidence to refute. She just wanted to see her baby quickly. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Madam Duval and Sophie refused to drop the matter. ¡°So now you know how to behave yourself? Weren¡¯t you so formidable yesterday that you beat up someone? Maybe karma struck and the baby is sick because of his trouble-making mother!¡± ¡°Criticize me all you want but not my baby.¡± Hesper bit her lower lip tightly, anxious and panic-stricken from thinking about her child¡¯s condition. Madam Duval squalled from the side. ¡°Yikes, yikes, yikes. Look at you scowling at me after being criticized. Yesterday, you hit Sophia. Are you going to hit me today?¡± Hesper knew that now was not the time for quarreling. She clenched her fists tightly and told herself to put up with it. Then she turned around to say to Rickard, ¡°I¡¯m the child¡¯s mother, so no matter what, I have the right to check on him.¡± ¡°No. What if the baby¡¯s illness deteriorates further when she enters the room?¡± Sophia¡¯s remark reminded Rickard. Even though he did not buy into superstition, it was better to be safe than sorry since the baby could easily get an infection due to his low immunity while he was sick. ¡°The baby is receiving treatment from a doctor right now. I¡¯ll send someone to update you if there¡¯s any information.¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze turned dim bit by bit. She took a nce at the faces of the Duvals in silence. She saw Madam Duval and Sophia¡¯s provocative expressions and Rickard¡¯s ignorance. How could they do this? Is this family really able to take care of my child¡­ She waited until noon and seized the opportunity when Rickard was out to handle some affairs toe to the nursery once again. However, just as she was about to open the door, a mocking voice was hearding from her side. ¡°Trying to get inside? Beg me then. Beg me until I¡¯m satisfied, and I¡¯ll let you in to check if your son is still alive.¡± She turned around to find Sophia and Juniper. Both of them had their chins lifted arrogantly as if they were trying to get even after yesterday¡¯s incident. However, did Hesper have any other choice? Her precious child was sick in the nursery, separated from her by a door. As the child¡¯s mother, how could she set her mind at ease? ¡°Take it as me begging you. Just let me take one look at him, just a look will do.¡± Hesper suppressed the feeling of humiliation in her heart and behaved submissively. Sophia and Juniper immediately burst outughing in a reckless manner. As they wereughing, Sophia suddenly pped Hesper. ¡°Is this how you beg someone?¡± Hesper stood there without budging. She knew that if she were to move, it was highly possible that she would not get to see her baby. ¡°If the act of hitting me will allow me to see the child, you can hit me.¡± ¡°Bah, knock it off. I¡¯m hitting you because you deserve it for being disrespectful yesterday.¡± Sophia fiddled with her freshly-manicured nails leisurely and smiled maliciously. ¡°As for your child, you can bow down and beg me. Maybe then I¡¯ll think about letting you see your child.¡± Hesper could not stand it anymore. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gone too far?¡± Sophia acted as if she just heard the funniest joke and pretended as if she was walking away with Juniper. ¡°Since you think I¡¯ve gone too far, forget about it then. The child is not mine anyhow. Who knows if the doctor is putting in any effort to treat the child? If the child is almost dead, someone¡¯s going to have to bury him soon.¡± The remark hit Hesper¡¯s soft spot. This was precisely what she was worried about, which was why she insisted on checking on the baby herself. Just as Sophia was about to leave, Hesper bit her lower lip tightly and bowed down. ¡°Can I enter the nursery now?¡± ¡°Look at you bowing down as you¡¯re told. What an obedient dog you are. Look, Juni. How is a person like her worthy of being Mrs. Duval? I¡¯m going to celebrate to my heart¡¯s content on the day of your N?velDrama.Org is the owner. wedding to my brother.¡± Hesper tried to turn a deaf ear to the remark, but her hands tightly clenched by her sides. Sophia and Juniper exchanged a nce before they behaved as if they were showing mercy to Hesper. ¡°Go in then. Are you waiting for me to go back on my own word?¡± Hesper immediately ran to the cot and found the little baby furrowing his eyebrows tightly as if he was enduring great pain. His fairplexion was flushed from the fever, and he cried in a loud, heartbreaking manner. After taking one look, Hesper felt as if her heart was torn up. Tears blurred her vision, and she said shakily, ¡°Baby, baby. Open your eyes, and look at mommy. I¡¯m here to see you.¡± She stretched out her arms in an attempt to hold him, but she was afraid that she would hurt him. She was so anxious that tears streamed down her face profusely, and she turned her head to query the people behind her. ¡°I thought you said that there¡¯s a doctor attending to him specifically! Where is the doctor? Why is the baby still feeling so unwell?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Sophia nced unconcernedly while the servant next to her said, ¡°Ms. Duval, the doctor already left earlier. However, he gave instructions to bring down the baby¡¯s fever with medicine if his fever persists.¡± ¡°Where is the medicine? Bring it quickly!¡± The servant had never seen Hesper speaking so hysterically, so she was so startled that she was rendered speechless. ¡°Why are you roaring like that?¡± Sophia said. ¡°The medicine avable at home is for adults, so it¡¯s unsuitable for children. You have to get it at the drugstore, of course!¡± Hesper, whose mind was already clouded by worries, did not notice that something was off at all. She wiped her tears and got up with great effort before walking outside. ¡°Fever medicine, I¡¯ll get it. I¡¯ll get it immediately. Call up the doctor toe quickly!¡± She was certain that her baby was very ufortable. It was a pity that a child that young would need to endure the torment of illness. Hesper wished that she could suffer in her baby¡¯s ce. She ran outside like a madwoman, forgetting that she lived in a luxury residential area, so she had to run across three streets before she was finally able to buy fever medicine. Her baby would be saved! When she returned home, she heard Sophia and Juniper¡¯s voiceing from upstairs. ¡°Hesper,e to the top floor if you want to save your son.¡± She raised her head and took a nce to find Juniper cradling a bundle of a sky blue nket in her arms. It was the baby¡¯s nket! She ran upstairs right away, gasping for air in a disheveled state. ¡°I got the medicine. Hand the child to me quickly.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ It¡¯s a waste that you don¡¯t need the medicine anymore.¡± Juniper suddenly chuckled in a ghastly manner and stuck the tiny nket bundle out of the balcony before Hesper¡¯s eyes. At the same time, she could hear the baby¡¯s sad cry. Hesper¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°What are you doing, Juniper? Don¡¯t touch my son!¡± However, it was already toote. Juniper loosened her grip finger by finger before she tossed the nket with the baby in it into the air. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Hesper, but yourself for not knowing your limitations when you give birth to Rickard¡¯s son!¡± ¡°No!¡± Hesper let out a bitter, agonizing scream and leapt over the ledge in an attempt to grab the child without any concern for her own safety. The nket bundle dropped at such a high speed that Hesper did not manage to catch it no matter how hard she tried. Rickard heard a loud bang as soon as he got home¡­ Hesper fell from above and crashed onto the ground next to him before his very eyes. Fresh blood pooled under her body and stained his vision red. At that very moment, it felt as if the world was drowned in blood. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Hesper!¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes widened in shock at that very moment. He shakily stretched out his hand, but Hesper¡¯s gaze remained locked on the bundle before her. She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and said, ¡°My baby¡­ She wanted to check on the baby, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not reach the edge of the bundle with her fingertips. It was only a few millimeters away, but the distance separated life and death. The vision before Hesper¡¯s eyes went ck, and she shut her eyespletely. ¡°Hesper!¡± The usually calm man was already thrown into a panic by now. He roared frantically, ¡°Call the ambnce! Call the ambnce, quick!¡± The bodyguard standing behind him immediately took action while Benji picked up the bundle cautiously. His expression changed drastically after taking one nce. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Rickard looked over shakily, as he recognized the bundle as the baby¡¯s nket. Hesper jumped off the tall building because of the baby. However, when he opened up the nket bundle, he found that it did not contain their child but a human- shaped doll! All the agony he felt halted to a stop at that very moment, and his eyes widened in surprise. Anger and doubt filled his chest before, atst, turning into cruelness. Rickard spoke through tightly- clenched teeth, ¡°Look into this! What the heck happened here?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Benji did not have the courage to digress but immediately led some staff members to interrogate. everyone in the Duvals¡¯ residence after such a serious incident took ce. Rickard stayed with Hesper. He lowered all his pride for the first time in his life and said in a pleading tone, ¡°Just hang on for a while. The doctor ising. Don¡¯t die. Didn¡¯t you ask for a divorce? If you die. you¡¯ll only end up bing a ghost haunting the Duvals¡¯ residence.¡± ¡°Mr. Duval, the ambnce is here.¡± Rickard immediately made way for the paramedics to lift Hesper onto a stretcher. He wanted to follow them, but he was shoved away by the doctor. ¡°Sir, Mrs. Duval¡¯s condition is very serious and we¡¯ll need to carry out emergency treatment, so please make way for us.¡± Rickard immediately ordered a staff member to drive behind the ambnce, and the car sped up to 180 miles per hour along the way. Everyone who witnessed the scene was dumbfounded. How can anyone drive so fast? Is that person trying to get himself killed? Hesper¡¯s breathing was weakening bit by bit. She felt as if she was floating in midair but there was a thousand tonnes weighing down on her until she could not breath. Intense pain was radiating from every part of her body, but it felt as if she was already numbed from the pain. In fact, she did not even know when she was sent to emergency surgery because her memory was stuck on the scene of the baby falling off the building. The baby, my little baby¡­is dead. He was so young, so the probability of him surviving a fall from such a great height is zero. What would be the point in her living if her baby was dead? This is it then. This is how I free myself. Everything shalle to and end. It¡¯s my fault for not protecting my child. I¡¯ll sacrifice myself to keep himpany and hope he won¡¯t be lonely or scared anymore. Two streaks of tears streamed down Hesper¡¯s face. Severely injured, life was draining from her bit by bit. ¡°This is bad. The patient¡¯s willpower to survive is weakening, so we must figure out a way to save her quickly.¡± The door of the operation theater opened up. A nurse walked outside and told the information to Rickard, who was waiting outside. His cold face was already filled with concern, and upon hearing that, he immediately rushed to Hesper¡¯s side. His eyes were bloodshot when he said threateningly, ¡°Hesper, listen to me. The child is fine. If you dare die, I¡¯ll immediately get him a stepmother who will scold him and torment him every day!¡± Hesper, who was already on the brink of death, heard the remark indistinctly She wanted to open her eyes with great effort but could not. The staff members in the operation theater were relieved in unison when her vital signs gradually returned to her. The nurse politely urged him to leave. ¡°Mr. Duval, you haven¡¯t changed into sterile scrubs, so you¡¯re going to increase the patient¡¯s probability of getting an infection if you stay here. Please go outside and we¡¯ll do our best to treat Mrs. Duval.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Rickard took a deep nce in the direction of the operating table and saw therge amount of blood, disced joints, and bones. They all indicated her tragic state after she leapt out of the balcony. In fact, the doctor had even mentioned that it would be utterly unnecessary to save her if she were to The door of the operation theater opened and Rickard walked out, battered out of his senses. Benji felt very uneasy seeing Rickard like this, but he had to report the important matter at hand to Rickard anyhow. ¡°Mr. Duval, I¡¯ve already interrogated all the staff members in the Duvals¡¯ residence. Some witnessed Mrs. Duval, Ms. Duval and Ms. Wight engaged in a quarrel in front of the nursery where Mrs. Duval was forced to bow down. Afterward, Mrs. Duval ran out in an agitated state, and it did not take long before¡­ the fall ident happened.¡± ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°Outside. Would you like me to call them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Rickard stood upright, his gaze icy cold and sharp. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them in person.¡± In the hospital¡¯swn, Sophia and Juniper were talking softly as they sat on the bench. ¡°Why is it taking so long? Could it be that she¡¯s still able to be saved?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible. She fell from such a great height. Any ordinary person would die from a fall of that height.¡± ¡°It would be best for her to die, so I don¡¯t need to look at her again!¡± Sophia rolled her eyes and from her peripheral vision. ¡°My brother is here, Juni.¡± Juni cracked a friendly smile and asked with feigned concern, ¡°How is Hesper, Rickard? Is she in a stable condition?¡± Rickard did not speak but looked at them with his cruel gaze that felt as if it could burn through their skin. ¡°How did Hesper fall off the building? Is it rted to the both of you? Also, what¡¯s with the bundle?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Sophia and Juniper were so terrified of his icy cold tone that their bodies shivered. However, they had always been skilled at putting on an act. Hence, Sophie pouted her lips in grief right away. ¡°Why are you being so fierce to us? I feel very bad that she fell off the building too. I¡¯m your sister and the baby¡¯s aunt. Do you think I would put the mother and baby in harm¡¯s way?¡± ¡°Yet, someone witnessed both of you making things difficult for her! Do you dare say you didn¡¯t do it?¡± Rickard flew into a great rage. If the ident was really caused by them, he could finally understand why Hesper would risk her life just to leave the Duvals. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. If he was in her ce, he would not be able to stay with a family as vile, cruel, and malicious as that! Sophia continued to cry andined, ¡°Dick, will you please stop believing in a one-sided story I did have a brief dispute with her, but that was because she disregarded your order and insisted on leaving with the baby, and I stopped her ¡°But who would have predicted that Hesper would behave like a madwoman and snatch the baby¡¯s nket before crying and running away. Juni and I tried to stop her after noticing the situation, but by the time we arrived in a rush, she had already jumped off the building ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Rickard could not believe Sophia¡¯s statement, so he turned his head to look at Juniper He spoke in an unprecedentedly stern tone, ¡°Juniper, you¡¯ve never lied to me. Come and tell me if both of you were involved in this matter!¡± Feeling recalcitrant and unjustly treated, she immediately assumed an expression that looked as if she was about to cry at any moment. She said in an extremely sad tone. ¡°Are you suspicious of me, Rickard? Could it be that you still don¡¯t know what sort of person I am? Or is it that, to you, I¡¯ve already turned into someone so terrifying?¡± At the end of her speech, crystal clear teardrops rolled out of her eyes, and she covered her face, sobbing soundlessly from being aggrieved. Rickard was puzzled all at once. Could it be that it was his fault for overthinking? ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I didn¡¯t use you of anything. I was only asking.¡± ¡°If you believed me, you wouldn¡¯t even ask!¡± Juniper said sadly, ¡°I was under the assumption that we have. a friendship thatsts so many years, and my departure back then was to help you achieve your aim. But I didn¡¯t expect that you would actually doubt me! You¡¯re making me look like a joke!¡± She cried louder and louder with her shoulders bouncing. Rickard pursed his lips, but in the end, he could not bear to do it anymore. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask again from now on. Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯ve always had sensitive eyes that hurt when you cry.¡± Meanwhile, Benji came to update in a rush, ¡°Mr. Duval, the surgery has ended. Mrs. Duval is yet to be in a stable condition.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check on her.¡± Rickard left swiftly. Juniper and Sophia exchanged one nce and followed him in unison. Hesper was still in aa in the intensive care unit. No one was allowed to visit her in person, so they could only look at her through the window. ¡°How long before she wakes up?¡± The doctor monitoring her from the side said, ¡°Mrs. Duval suffers from multiple fractures over her body after falling from a great height. Her most serious injuries are on her legs and spine. She¡¯ll awaken by tomorrow if her condition improves, but I¡¯m afraid that even if she does wake up, she¡¯ll experience long- term side effects. There¡¯s a high probability of her experiencing mobility issues in the future.¡± Rickard clenched his fists tightly. He had never felt like he had disappointed her before this incident. Finding out from the doctor that she would be experiencing long-term side effects, he suddenly felt like he owed her something. ¡°Hesper, you must wake up.¡± When Juniper and Sophia arrived a littleter, they were secretly relieved by the sight of theatosed Hesper. It would be fine if Hesper remained alive as long as she did not wake up and expose their lie. As long as she was stitosed, they could figure out countless ways to deal with her. ¡°Dick, Juni¡¯s eyes are hurting. I¡¯ll take her to get some eye drops.¡± Sophia made up an excuse to leave and made it out of Rickard¡¯s visual field before she immediately said with a solemn expression, ¡°She¡¯s really lucky to be alive after that ordeal.¡± Juniper was deeply worried. ¡°Sophia, what will we do if Hesper wakes up and tells the truth?¡± Sophia made up her mind and said, ¡°We¡¯ll just go all out to ensure that she doesn¡¯t wake up for eternity!¡± 100 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 However, they did not expect Rickard to actually assign a bodyguard to watch her on a 24-hour basis. Let alone a man, not even a fly could fly near her. Sophia and Juniper did not manage to figure out a way through the entire night. Just as they were at a N?velDrama.Org is the owner. loss of what to do, news came from the hospital that Hesper was already awake. ¡°What should we do, what should we do? Rickard will hate us if she tells him everything¡± Juniper assumed a panic-stricken expression atst. Had she known that Hesper would be so foolish, shel would not have done that to Hesper. But she did do it, and not only did she not finish off Hesper, it was possible that she could be exposed at any moment. Juniper considered herself lucky that she and Sophia were on the same boat while it was very apparent that Sophia would not make peace with the current situation willingly. ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you just bring a few women and barge into the room when Dick is not around? We¡¯ll just say that her body was too weak to live, so it¡¯s not our fault!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Madam Duval red at her in disappointment. ¡°What have I taught you on usual days? Why haven¡¯t you learned anything at all? Your brother has been looking into the cause of Hesper¡¯s fall from the start, so if she were to die a bizarre death now, he¡¯d me it on all of your regardless of whether you did it!¡± ¡°What should we do then? We¡¯re still doomed if Hesper tells him the truth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for certain¡­¡± Madam Duval smirked coldly and gave an order, ¡°Get me the phone number of Hesper¡¯s attending doctor.¡± Meanwhile, Rickard arrived at the hospital in a rush. ¡°My child, where¡¯s my child?¡± Hesper wanted to get out of bed hastily as soon as she saw Rickard, but she fell on her knees due to her severe injuries that impeded her ability to walk. The wounds on her legs were strained and Hesper inhaled sharply from the pain. Rickard ordered someone to help her up and said in aforting tone, ¡°The baby is fine. He¡¯s doing well. Stay calm.¡± Hesper refused to believe it. How can the baby be fine? She witnessed the baby falling from such a great height, so how could he possibly be fine? ¡°Are you lying to me? The baby is still so young. He couldn¡¯t have survived the fall. Let me see him, I want to see him!¡± Tears blurred her vision, and she was in agony. The man looked like he could not bear to see her in that state. ¡°He really is fine, and I¡¯m not lying to you. What you saw wasn¡¯t the baby. The baby is sleeping at home. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll call them to show you.¡± ¡°Sure, make the call, make the call quickly.¡± Hesper had no idea what she was talking about, but she wanted to see the child as soon as possible, so she yielded herself to Rickard. Soon, the video call was picked up. The servant in-charge immediately carried the baby and showed him to the camera. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Duval. The baby is really fine.¡± Hesper¡¯s tears streamed down her face profusely. Sad and joyous, she widened her mouth in excitement, but she lost the ability to express herself because she was too emotional. Her ghastly pale face was already drenched in tears as she sobbed on the bed. When she calmed down slightly, Rickard asked, ¡°Now tell me what happened on the day you fell from the balcony. Why did you jump off the top floor?¡± ¡°That day¡­¡± Hesper recalled, and all the memories of the day surged into her mind clearly. The expression on her face turned furious. ¡°It was Sophia and Juniper. They tricked me into going to the top floor, making me think that the baby was in the nket bundle. They threw it over the ledge in front of me, and I jumped after it!¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Had she not seen them do that, why would she jump off a building so foolishly? But after seeing how unbothered he was, Hesper suddenly came to realize something and felt her heart turn cold. She asked shakily, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Rickard did not answer the question. Sophia and Juniper used him of not believing them, but everyone told a different version of the story. Who should he believe then? ¡°Rickard! It was you who asked me, but you now won¡¯t believe me?¡± Hesper bit her lower lip tightly. She realized that since the baby was not wrapped in the bundle, Sophia and Hesper¡¯s goal was for her to die! She was injured so severely that she was on the brink of death, yet her husband was still hesitant about who he should believe¡­ She was extremely disappointed and utterly furious. Had it not been for Rickard, would she need to go through this? Rickard furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed her stare. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I didn¡¯t say that I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should hold them responsible for this matter! Why aren¡¯t you doing that yet?¡± ¡°Each of you sticks to your own side of the story. How am I supposed to hold anyone responsible before the matter has been investigated thoroughly?¡± ¡°Rickard¡­¡± Hesper shook her head in disappointment. She felt grief washing over her and uttered every word as if she was hurt. ¡°I¡¯m the one injured and I was the one plotted against! What else do you want to investigate? Do you think that my life is worthless, that my role here is to be trampled upon and humiliated by all of you?¡± ¡°You make it sound so unpleasant.¡± Rickard furrowed his eyebrows tightly. He came rushing over at once precisely because he knew that she was injured. Otherwise, why would he show up? But not only was she unappreciative, she was looking at him like he was the enemy. It made him furious. ¡°I told you that I will uphold justice for you when the matter has been investigated thoroughly!¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Hesper removed the nket nonchntly and disregarded her multiple body part casts. She said with a determined gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll do it if you won¡¯t. They want me dead, so I¡¯ll take their lives as well. I¡¯m just going to fight it out with them at most!¡± She limped her way out and her wounds began to bleed again, but she did not appear to be affected by the pain. She decided that she would uphold justice even if she had to crawl her way to Sophia and Juniper. ¡°You must have lost your mind!¡± Rickard¡¯s pupils constricted in shock. He threw her back to the bed without any concern for her resistance. ¡°Do you know how severely injured you are? Do you think you¡¯re capable of getting out of here?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± Hesper could not hold back her tears anymore as she was flooded with grief. Tears streamed down her face and she said. ¡°They put me in harm¡¯s way until I almost died! Died! I can¡¯t allow myself not to be affected, and I won¡¯t wait for you to investigate slowly. I¡¯m going to take back everything they owe me!¡± She roared in rage. She did not have much strength in her, but she was emboldened by the rage she felt. and would notin about her pain. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Rickard watched her in silence. He had never seen Hesper acting so desperate and angered from sorrow. Could it be that what she said was true? Rickard inhaled a deep breath and said, ¡°If what you said is true, what evidence do you have to prove it? If you can verify that what you said is true, I promise that I won¡¯t be impartial.¡± Hesper¡¯s head worked quickly. Evidence? How would I have any evidence? All of a sudden, she remembered the sound of the baby¡¯s cry that she heard on the top floor. It was precisely due to that sound that she was convinced that the baby was in the nket. ¡°There¡¯s a voice clip! They recorded the baby¡¯s cry to trick me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it if you look in their phones!¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Rickard took a deep nce at her and casted a look at Benji so he would handle it. However, it was at this exact moment that a mocking, female voice was heard. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡± Sophia and Juniper entered the room. Hesper appeared to be agitated once again as soon as she saw them, her eyes filled with deep hatred How dare youe here, you murderers!¡± ¡°You must be sick in the head, Hesper. Why would we have the courage toe here?¡± Sophia mocked in a cold voice, ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking my brother to check our phones? I¡¯ll fulfill your wish. However, I¡¯m just going to put this out bluntly. If you can¡¯t find anything, I won¡¯t pretend that nothing happened after you defamed me and Juni like this!¡± She handed two phones to Benji. Rickard nodded and Benji immediately left the room to deal with the phones. Sophia seized the opportunity to seek pity. ¡°Dick, no one feels good after an incident like this happened. It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re suspicious of me, but aren¡¯t you afraid of disappointing Juni when she¡¯s nothing but sincere to you?¡± Rickard¡¯s entire body shook. Juniper took a nce at him, her eyes reddened with tears. She behaved as if she was very aggrieved but forced herself not to show it. His hands that were by his sides clenched tightly. He knew Juniper¡¯s character more than anyone else. She had always been extremely loving to small animals, so how could she possibly do something like this? However, he had no choice but to look into this matter because Hesper made her narration sound so real Soon, Benji came back with the two phones. ¡°How is it? Did you find anything?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Benji shook his head. ¡°Nothing¡­ I didn¡¯t find the voice clip mentioned by Mrs. Duval from either of Ms. Duval and Ms. Wight¡¯s phones.¡± Rickard felt as if the blood in his entire body had frozen. He should not have doubted his closest family members just because of Hesper¡¯s frantic remarks! Hesper refused to believe it. ¡°That is impossible. The voice clip exists. Either Benji couldn¡¯t find it, or they deleted it in advance!¡± ¡°Hesper, are you done? You¡¯re the one who acted crazy, but you¡¯re also implicating so many people.¡± Sophia rolled her eyes impatiently and behaved as if she was toozy to pay attention to Hesper. Hesper knew that they were all pretending so Rickard would not suspect them. ¡°Rickard, trust me that I¡¯m not lying. There is a voice clip! Look into this properly, and you¡¯ll find it for sure!¡± She grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder recalcitrantly, only to be shoved away mercilessly. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Rickard¡¯s expression was cold, and his eyes looked like they were frosted over. ¡°You wanted to check the phones and we did. The result is already before you. How long are you going to keep this up?¡± Hesper was about to speak when Mdm. Duval came rushing to the room with the doctor. She let out a grunt and said, ¡°I heard someone speaking nonsensical remarks upon regaining consciousness. Make way, Rickard. Let the doctor examine her properly to see if she might have hurt her head and lost her sanity!¡± Her remark was all mockery; Hesper could hear that. She declined loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not insane. I¡¯m very clear- headed, and I hold myself responsible for every word I say.¡± As the doctor and nurses approached her, she backed away with all her might. She even grabbed a pillow to throw at the staff members. Rickard was still hesitant initially, but he found her behavior drastic now. He gave the order with a cold expression, ¡°Go and examine her properly.¡± Hesper was pinned down against the bed by the nurses as the doctor pulled out a syringe of tranquilizer. Before she was injected, she shouted at Rickard, ¡°Believe me, what I said is true! I¡¯m not lying and I¡¯m not insane either!¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The reply she received was the man waving his hand in a cold, dismissive manner. Hesper¡¯s world turned gray and dark once again. The doctor determined the diagnosis soon. ¡°Sir, Mrs. Duval has some bleeding in her body that caused nervepression, perhaps due to the severe injuries she suffers from. This has resulted in her hallucination and disorientation.¡± In other words, perhaps the voice clip mentioned by her never existed from the start and everything was a result of Hesper¡¯s hallucination. Meanwhile, Juniper stepped forward and said in a grieving tone, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why is she only targ eting Sophia and me? We didn¡¯t provoke her or anything.¡± The doctor was already bribed by Madam Duval from the start. He said as he was ordered by her, ¡°It is very normal for the patient to subconsciously regard her most hated person as her enemy during the hallucination episodes. In fact, the patient will even take herself for the innocent party and attempt to de al with the issues in real life through this method.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Sophia said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°So she regards us as enemies on usual days and that¡¯s why s he staged her own y in this incident?¡± ¡°You can put it that way.¡± The doctor nodded. Sophia immediately tutted twice. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Hesper loathed Juni and me so much that she¡¯dbeled us as murderers even when she¡¯s so severely injured! She must have gone through so much trouble to do that!¡± Next to her, Juniper said with reddened eyes, ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. When she told me she lo ved Rickard in the past, I went away so she could achieve her aim. Why is she still vilifying me like this?¡± Rickard kept quiet and observed everything until this point. He said to Juniper, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I doubted you without figuring out the situation. I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ve been wronged.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it anymore. You know that I¡¯ll never decline your request. Let alone checking my phone, I wouldn¡¯t even say a word if you wan ted to examine my identity¡­¡± Her eyes and nose reddened; the sight of her was pitiful. ¡°I¡¯m a person too and I can¡¯t ept that a man who used to love me very much would suspect that I¡¯m a murderer!¡± Juniper cried and ran out of the room. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Sophia urged from the side, ¡°Dick, what are you still doing here? Go after Juni, quick! She didn¡¯t sleep all night yesterday, and now she¡¯s extremely aggrieved! I don¡¯t want her to do something foolish to hers elf.¡± Upon hearing that, Rickard¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he went after her immediately. Madam Duval and Sophia were left in the room. They exchanged a nce with each other andnded t heir icy cold gaze on the bed. The effect of the tranquilizer was wearing off by now and Hesper was regaining consciousness gradually. ¡°Don¡¯t look for him anymore. Dick is going after Juni to apologize to her. What? Are you disappointed?¡± Sophia walked toward her step by step, her eyes glistening with a malicious glow. Almost. The b*tch almost convinced my brother. It¡¯s fortunate that we were well prepared. Otherwise, w e would have already been exposed by now. Hesper looked at her coldly, having no idea what transpired during the time she was unconscious. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± Sophia took sick pleasure in stirring up Hesper¡¯s disgust. ¡°Nothing much. The doctor determined your d iagnosis of amnesia and disorientation, so every word spoken by you can possibly be due to hallucinati on.¡± Hesper felt her heart sink instantly. If that was the case, Rickard would not believe her anymore. ¡°You¡¯re despicable.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°So what if I am? Go andin if you can. See if my brother is willing to humor you!¡± Sophia cracke d a provocative smile while Madam Duval reminded her from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t speak too much to the littl e b*tch. Who knows if she has been plotting on her own? It would be bad if she were to record the conversation.¡± Hesper pursed her lips. She was indeed nning on doing that, but she did not have the chance yet. Madam Duval grunted and said, ¡°Hesper, consider this incident a lesson to you. It would be best for you to keep your wicked ideas to yourself. Otherwise, no o ne will save you next time!¡± As spoke, she left gracefully with Sophia. Hesper did not have the courage to let her guard down. Sophia and Juniper had already been bold eno ugh to try to kill her, so there was no telling what they would do. She had to do something to make Rickard believe her, or she would be living in fear from that day onw ard. She pulled out her phone to call Rickard. Her call was rejected once, twice, then the phone was turned off. Hesper felt her heart sink lower and lower. She had forgotten that Rickard was offforting Juniper. How could he possibly have time to pick up her call? Hesper dialed Benji¡¯s phone in pain and said to him with unprecedented seriousness, ¡°Benji, we¡¯ve bee N?velDrama.Org is the owner. n acquainted with each other for a few years, right? I¡¯ve never begged you for anything, but I¡¯m begging you to do me a favor today. Please have Rickarde to the hospital no matter what.¡± ¡°Mrs. Duval, uh¡­¡± Benji was very troubled as well, but he understood Hesper¡¯s living condition in the Duvals¡® residence. She even almost lost her life this time¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Benji put away his phone and nced at Rickard and Juniper standing not far away before him. They w ere talking about something, and during the conversation, Juniper actually threw herself into Rickard¡¯s arms, but Rickard was not repulsed by her action. Benji hesitated before he walked over and said softly, ¡°Sir, Mrs. Duval called. She insisted on you payin g a visit to the hospital today.¡± ¡°Rickard, you promised me that you¡¯d keep mepany earlier.¡± Juniper started crying again. Rickard could not bear to reject her due to his guilt, so he gave an order to Benji by saying, ¡°Tell her to behave herself and not to y tricks again. I¡¯ll visit her when I¡¯m free.¡± Benji opened his mouth to say something but saw Juniper lean closer and closer to Rickard. In the end, he only heaved a soft sigh and left. In the hospital, Hesper was still waiting for Rickard. She thought about how the sudden departure of the baby¡¯s doctor had created opportunities. If she cou ld figure out the crux behind it, she might still be able to convince him to believe her. She waited day and night, but even after the sky hadpletely darkened, Rickard did not show up. In the end, Benji notified her, ¡°Don¡¯t wait, Mrs. Duval. Sir¡­isn¡¯ting.¡± Hesper did not speak butid in the soundless room with tears streaming profusely down her face. She should have known, but she had refused to give up the idea. Rickard had no regard for her. He didn¡¯t in the past and he wouldn¡¯t now that Juniper was back. In fact, thinking about the phone¨C checking task, Benji may not have managed to find anything, but if she could send the phone to a speci alized store, the professional would know if there was a voice clip. However, Rickard had chosen not to do that and instead condemned her right away! Meanwhile, she could only endure all the unjust treatments in silence. No one would stand up for her or believe Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Rickard came the next day. Hesper had not slept the entire night. She only managed to fall asleep in the morning for a short while b efore someone kicked open the door strenuously. The man removed her nket crudely, his anger still not vented. ¡°Wake up! How do you still have the n erve. to sleep?¡± Hesper opened her eyes in a daze, and there was still drowsy confusion in her eyes. She could only se e the people before her clearly after a few seconds. It was Rickard and Juniper. He held her hand in an intimate manner that made him seem like he was defending her. Hence, the moment Hesper had been anticipating felt like a joke. She felt bitterness in her throat but for cefully kept up her appearance and refused to show her emotion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rickard said through clenched teeth, ¡°How do you still have the nerve to ask me what¡¯s going on? You vilified J uniper, and now that the truth has been revealed, you¡¯re supposed to apologize to her and beg for her f orgiveness.¡± Hesper wondered if she misheard him. ¡°What?¡± He was actually asking her to apologize to Juniper. Rickard enunciated his words clearly and said in an especially cold manner, ¡°Think about Juniper¡¯s stat us and think about yourself. Do you think that you can vilify the heiress of the Wights so casually? More over, you¡¯re the one at fault in this incident, so it isn¡¯t considered unfair for you to apologize to her.¡± Hesper raised her head and burst outughing incredulously. ¡°Heh¨Cheh¡­¡± Look, this is my wonderful husband who only ever doubts me and hurts me. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to make me apologize!¡± ¡°Hesper, follow my order or face the consequences!¡± Rickard was infuriated as well. Juniper was tremendously aggrieved because of this incident, and all he wanted was for Hesper to apologize so they could let bygones be bygones. Why couldn¡¯t she do it? Juniper lowered her gaze and pretended as if she was aggrieved. ¡°Rickard, if she doesn¡¯t want to do it, forget it. Maybe my presence just bothers her. Enduring a little grievance is okay with me.¡± ¡°No, she must apologize to you.¡® Rickard was very determined, and he took a step forward to clutch Hesper¡¯s wrist. It felt as if the pain came from deep within her bones. Hesper¡¯s face turned pale from the pain, but she still looked at him without blinking her eyes. ¡°Rickard, you and I are married. I risked my life to bear your child. Instead of forcing me to apologize as soon as you came, why haven¡¯t you asked me what I wanted to tell you yesterday?¡± Rickard remembered Benji¡¯s remark about Hesper insisting on him visiting the hospital. Her remark had sounded serious, which was very rare for her. However, he had been too busyforting Juniper that he had no time to attend to the matter. Now that he was here, he had plenty of time. He pulled a long face and said, ¡°We can discuss what you wanted to tell me yesterday after you¡¯re don e apologizing.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Hesperughed in a self¨C mocking manner, her eyes glistening with tears. ¡°It¡¯s fine. So, you just want me to apologize, right? I¡¯ll d o it then.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She struggled free from Rickard¡¯s grip, wiped away her tears, and stared straight at Juniper. ¡°Come her e so I can apologize to you.¡± Juniper did not wish to get close to her, but Hesper¡¯s apology was the result of her feigning her grievance and flirting with Rickard for a long time the previous night. It would be suspicious for her to reject the apology now. Juniper forced a smile. ¡°Hesper, you can apologize from there. I can hear you.¡± ¡°How would that be all right?¡± Hesper cracked a faint smile, but her gaze was as cold as ice. ¡°Since Rickard has instructed me to apol ogize to you, I have to do it with 100% sincerity. Why? Don¡¯t you want my apology?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, go ahead.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Rickard beckoned Juniper to go ahead. Juniper had no other choice but to make her way to Hesper¡¯s side, though she was 12 times more vignt than usual. ¡°Speak your mind, Hesper.¡® 37 Hesper stared at Juniper for a few seconds before she leaned forward ever so slightly and whispered into Juniper¡¯s ear. ¡°You know what you and Sophia did. If you insist on forcing me to apologi ze to you, aren¡¯t you worried that karma will strike? Or that I won¡¯t let you off but haunt you in death?¡± In addition to her own guilty conscience, Juniper was startled by Hesper¡¯s cruel, vile remark. She backe d away two steps instantly. Rickard stretched out his arms to catch her and scolded Hesper in a stern voice, ¡°What did you do, Hes per?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Don¡¯t you want me to apologize?¡± Hesper raised her head and smiled at him innocently, but her beautiful face appeared broken. Sheughed alo ud and said, ¡°What? Is Ms. Wight still not satisfied with my apology? If you¡¯re not, I can continue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Juniper interrupted Hesper in a haste, feeling uneasy. ¡°Rickard, I suddenly remembered that I have something to attend to at home. Will you please send me home?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Rickard turned his head to look toward Hesper. A tinge of hesitation appeared on his face bef ore he finally asked impatiently for the sake of her injury, ¡°What did you want to say to me yesterday when you insisted Ie?¡± Hesper had already shut her eyes in disgust and said in an estranged voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not important anymore.¡± ¡°Suit yourself!¡± Rickard was infuriated by her ¡®it¡¯s not important anymore¡® remark. If he knew that this would happen, he would not have bothered to ask her. He turned around and left, holding Juniper¡¯s hand. When the door closed, Hesper slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the ceiling helplessly, her eyes moist with tears. What would be the point in telling him? Rickard¡¯s stance was already obvious. It was always Juniper whom he protected and cared for. He imed that he would uphold justice for her, but it was just a casual remark. She was the only person who took him seriously like a fool. In the next few days, Rickard did not show up, just as she predicted. It was as if the severely¨C injured person was not his titr wife but someone who had no ce in his life. Lying alone in the hospital room, she became more convinced that she should leave. ¡°Hesper, you should stay in the hospital for a while more since your injuries have yet to heal fully.¡± As Julian passed her a slice of cut fruit, he advised her by saying, ¡°The Duvals will spare no effort in de aling with you once you¡¯re discharged. You might even find yourself in trouble. Why don¡¯t you let your body recuperate before you n your next step.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I miss my child.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes were filled with longing and affection. She lost count of the days she had left the baby. She wondered if he was eating and sleeping well, if M adam Duval and Sophia were venting their anger toward her on him. She had to go home so she could check on the baby and set her mind at ease. Noticing how concerned she was, Julian heaved a deep sigh. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave sooner orter, Hesper. If you can¡¯t bring the kid with you, it¡¯ll do you no good to have such a hard time parting with him. My advice to you is to figure it out as soon as possible.¡± Hesper lowered her head and expressed her dejection. ¡°I know¡­¡± She knew that she would have to make the choice sooner orter. She wanted to see her baby for a while N?velDrama.Org (C) content. more before the day came, even if it was just for a little longer¡­ Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Hesper returned to the Duvals¡® vi. Sophia and Madam Duval did not show themselves recently. She had no idea if these two people would continue to be crue l to her, so she was especially cautious. When she arrived at the door, she heard faint voices talking andughing in the house. Madam Duval, Sophia, Rickard, and Juniper were all ying with her baby joyously in the living room. Juniper held the child and even the usually cold Rickard had a faint smile on his face. It was a joyful, happy scene that made them look like they were aplete family! ¡°Who gave you permission to hold my child!¡± Hesper could not hold back anymore and ran into the house. In view of how cruel Juniper was, Hesper would never believe that she would treat the baby kindly. Juniper hid herself behind Rickard with a fearful expression before Hesper¡¯s hand could touch the hem of the baby¡¯s outfit. ¡°Rickard¡­¡± }} ¡°Why are you acting like a madwoman, Hesper?¡± Rickard stepped forward to scold her, his eyebrows fu rrowed tightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you seriously injured? Who signed off your discharge?¡± Hesper was under the assumption that he found her presence troubling them. She bit her lower lip tightly and said, ¡°I make decisions for myself. Could it be that your permission is needed fo r my discharge? Give me back my child!¡± ¡°Hesper!¡± Rickard called out in a solemn tone. ¡°The child is just fine with us. Don¡¯te looking for trou ble as soon as youe home.¡± Sophia made sarcastic remarks from the side. ¡°He¡¯s right. Juni is having a great time ying with the b aby, and the baby enjoys ying with her too. What the heck are you doing?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hesper red at her coldly; she refused to believe that Sophia was telling the truth. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my child. There¡¯s no need for others to meddle with my matters!¡± Rickard had no idea what triggered Hesper¡¯s anger. It was her fault for misunderstanding Juniper first a nd being warded in the hospital during this period of time. Meanwhile, Juniper would asionallye to keep the child and his motherpany, and they had a good time interacting with each other. Yet, she began causing trouble as soon as she came home ¡°Hesper, return to your room to rest.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Hesper stood there without budging and nced at the different expressions and gazes of the people a t the scene. She said in a mocking tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in distributing your harmonious scene here. I just want to see my child. Hand him to me and I¡¯ll go.¡± Rickard was about to lose his temper when Juniper suddenly stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s inevitable for Hes per to miss the child after not seeing him during this period of time. You can have him while I take the ti me to stroll around the garden with Madam Duval.¡± Hesper could not help but feel suspicious. Juniper hid from her just before, but now she suddenly changed her mind? Hesper would have bothered herself to figure out Juniper¡¯s trick, but she only wanted to hold the child. As soon as she stretched out her arms, the initially smiley baby suddenly bawled loudly. Hesper¡¯s arms froze, and she lost the courage to make a single move. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rickard immediately walked over to check on the child, who cried even louder. His face was flushed sc arlet as well. Juniper was at a loss of what to do. ¡°I¡¯m unsure as well. As soon as Hesper came close, the baby cried louder.¡± Upon hearing that, Rickard took the child into his arms. The child instantly stopped crying. Sophia immediately seized the opportunity to mock Hesper. ¡°Heh, you call yourself this kid¡¯s mother, bu t he doesn¡¯t even want to be held by you!¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Hesper looked hurt. Why does my baby suddenly dislike me? Did Juniper do something, or is it because I haven¡¯t been home for the past few days? She was doubtful all of a sudden. Madam Duval took a nce at her in disgust and scolded, ¡°You alwa ys spoil the fun! We were having a wonderful time too until you had to meddle! If I knew that this would happen, it would be better for you to stay in th e hospital and note home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡± Hesper looked at them in confusion. She saw Madam Duval and Sophia¡¯s contempt, Juniper gloating in her misfortune, Rickard¡¯s frown, and als o the baby¡¯s inexplicable rejection. Everything that was happening felt like a silent mockery. Hesper felt as if she was the excessive one there. She shouldn¡¯t be there, she shouldn¡¯t havee back at all ¡­ Rickard could not bear to see her looking so upset and dejected, so he said with a frown, ¡°Since the ba Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. by, doesn¡¯t want you right now, you can return to the room to rest. Take a good shower and change into new clothes to remove the smell on your body.¡± He figured that the reason the baby rejected her so much was that Hesper smelled of disinfectant liquid after staying in the hospital over a long period of time. It would be better when she removed the smell from her body with a shower. Hesper¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. Is Rickard implying that I¡¯m dirty? She could not stand the sadness from being rejected by her own child, so she ran away with tears in her eyes. Hesper ran into the bathroom, filled the bathtub with water, and dove into the water. She scrubbed her body again and again and wondered what she did wrong and how the situation had turned out like this. Why would the child that she risked her life to bring into the world reject her within a few short days? Hesper had never felt her heart ache in such a manner before. It felt as if she would die from the pain in the next moment. ¡°Why¡­ Why is this happening?¡± Tears streamed down her face, and she cried loudly. She did not cry when she jumped off the building, she did not shed a tear when she was forced to apol ogize to the murderer who hurt her, and she did not even cry when the doctor told her that she would s uffer from chronic pain in the future due to her leg injuries. However, she could not hold back any longer. Hesper¡¯s boiling hot tears dropped on her arms before flowing into the bathtub. Her heart wrenched in pain, and she felt as if it was stabbed by a thousand needles. She lost track of the time while soaking in the tub. When her skin turned white, she stood up indifferentl y. The water in the bathtub had already turned cold and Hesper could feel herself shuddering with every step she took. Sheid on the bed and wrapped herself in a nket tightly. Meanwhile, her phone ced on the bed suddenly rang. Hesper felt for the phone and epted the cal l. ¡± Hello¡­¡± ¡°Hesper, it¡¯s grandfather.¡± Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s caring voice was hearding from the other end of the call. ¡°It¡¯s been some time since Ist got in touch with you. How you are now? I believe that your body has recovered from the childbirth, right? You can order the servants in the family to prepare any food that you wish to have. Don¡¯t inconvenience yourself.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes reddened with tears instantly. Mr. Duval Sr. was the only person who gave her hope and warmth in the family. Flooded by a wave of emotions, Hesper was unable to stop sobbing. Mr. Duval Sr. was flustered. ¡°Hesper, what¡¯s going on? Did Rickard bully you again? Or did Sophia anger you again?¡± Hesper did not wish to worry Mr. Duval Sr. so she refrained herself from telling the truth. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m feeling great, grandfather.¡± Mr. Duval Sr. was wise enough to know that she was aggrieved. He was so anxious that he spoke at a quicker speed. ¡°Hesper, don¡¯t hide anything from me. No one else in the family is going to watch over you aside from me! I¡¯ll be back in two more weeks and then I¡¯ll get even with them on your behalf!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Two more weeks. Hesper decided that she would brace herself until then. She would spare no effort in getting a divorce when Mr. Duval Sr. was back! She did not wish to stay in the family for a moment longer. Mr. Duval Sr. talked to her for so long until, atst, she fell asleep from exhaustion. Hearing Hesper¡¯s even breathing through the call, Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s expression turned gloomy. He immed iately called Rickard. ¡°Hello, grandfather.¡± The scene in the living room remained as joyful as ever. However, it was different when Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s call came. As soon as Rickard spoke, the few people looked to him in uni son. Mr. Duval Sr. spoke loudly in a strong voice, ¡°Did you bully your wife again, Rickard? What did I teach y ou in the past? Why haven¡¯t you learned anything! Hesper is a good girl, and she¡¯s the mother of your child. If you don¡¯t appreciate her contribution, appreciate her hard work at the very least. Don¡¯t h urt her!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Rickard was about to deny it when Hesper¡¯s hurtful expression came into his mind. It would appear that she was¡­truly crushed emotionally. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two more weeks. I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re nning to do, but you must take good care of her before I return. Go and apologize to her if you displeased her! While you¡¯re at it, tell that mother an d sister of yours to behave themselves!¡± Madam Duval and Sophia¡¯s expressions changed when they heard the final remark. Mr. Duval Sr had actually reprimanded them in the call because of Hesper. On the other hand, after Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s reminder, Rickard realized that he had gone too far. He paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Understood, grandfather. I¡¯ll check on her now.¡± After hanging up the call, Rickard stood up and walked upstairs. Juniper followed him by standing up at once. ¡°Where are you going, Rickard?¡± Rickard said, ¡°Hesper fell from a great height and the doctor mentioned before that she would experien ce long¨C term side effects. She discharged herself from the hospital rashly, so it would be better for me to talk to her and figure out the situation. ¡°I¡¯lle with you then.¡± Juniper¡¯s smile looked slightly forced. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about her too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Rickard did notment further, his figure soon vanishing from her sight. Juniper clenched her fists tightly. Why? Why is Rickard still thinking about Hesper every so often even after 2/2 everything I¡¯ve aplished? In fact, he even cares about her health. He¡¯s supposed to love only me. At the thought of that, Juniper looked toward Sophia. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Hesper¡¯s trick too. No matter how b adly we mistreat her, she¡¯s still capable of manipting Mr. Duval Sr. and Rickard into caring about her. Do you think that Rickard won¡¯t be suspicious of us as time passes? Or do you think Mr. Duval Sr. won ¡¯t bring up this matter to get even with us when he¡¯s back?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression changed drastically. She knew how defensive Mr. Duval Sr. was of Hesper since she was a member of the Duval family. After learning about Hesper¡¯s severe injuries, Mr. Duval Sr. would not leave the matter at that. Sophie grew more and more restless as she thought about how Mr. Duval Sr. warned them in the call e arlier. ¡°Juni, what are you implying?¡± Juniper took a nce at Madam Duval but did not speak immediately. She hade up with an idea, but she would never say it out loud. Otherwise, she would be held responsible if the matter were exposed in the future and she would be the culprit who put Hesper in harm¡¯s way. Madam Duval should be the one to say it so Juniper would be considered a forc ed aplice at most. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 At that thought, Juniper sought help from Madam Duval by saying, ¡°Madam Duval, please think of a wa y.¡± Madam Duval was an old, cunning woman who was not so easily deceived like Sophia. She loathed He sper more than Juniper, who was more focused on herself. Hence, she could not be bothered to make a fuss of the situation and said with a sneer, ¡°Why should we panic now? Didn¡¯t Mr. Duval Sr. mention that he¡¯ll be back in two weeks? Could it be that we still can¡¯t handle Hesper in the next two weeks?¡± ¡°Mother, are you Sophia was interrupted by Madam Duval as soon as she began her sentence. Madam Duval smiled at Juniper and said, ¡°Your brother is feeling guilty for misunderstanding Juniper currently, so they¡¯ve rec onciled their rtionship to a certain extent. If rumors about Hesper hurting the woman that he loved in the past from jealousy were to spread, do you think your brother would put up with it in view of his temperament ?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a no for sure!¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up, already beginning to look forward to the arrival of that day. Meanwhile, Rickard opened the door to Hesper¡¯s room and found that it was only lit by a dim light at th e head of the bed. Sheid there without moving, her feather¨Clike, longshes batting and the corners of her eyes moist with tears. ¡°There¡¯s no telling why you like crying so much.¡± He criticized her and made the decision to send someone to inquire about Hesper¡¯s recovery the next d ay. If there really were long¨C term side effects, he would treat her in time so others would not criticize the influential Duvals for torturi ng her. As for the child¡­ He figured that he should allow Hesper to spend more time with the child because Juniper could never measure up to her. After all, Hesper was still the child¡¯s biological mother. On the same night, Madam Duval used the same old trick to get Rickard to send Juniper home. On the way home, Juniper asked in an exploratory manner, ¡°In truth, I¡¯ve been back for some time now and my family really wants me to settle down. What do you think about that, Rickard?¡± Rickard paused for a moment. ¡°You really are at the age of settling down, so it¡¯s time for you to look int o marriage.¡± He said it in such a nonchnt way, Juniper was utterly incapable of determining if he still had feelings for her. Even though Rickard treated her well recently whenever they spent together, he had yet to transgress t he bounds of friendship. Juniper had already lost confidence in¡­ She bit her lower lip and seized the opportunity to ce her hand on his during a red light stop. ¡°Rickar d, you know that my feelings for you haven¡¯t changed. I¡¯ve been waiting for you all these years.¡± She leaned closer and closer until half of her body was leaning against his shoulder. She said in an airy tone, ¡°I know that you don¡¯t really love Hesper and that your marriage to her was forced. I don¡¯t want to see you live in pain for the rest of your life. If you want, I¡¯ll stay by your side and keep youpany. Would that be alright?¡± Rickard¡¯s entire body tensed. It would be impossible for him to be impervious to feelings when meeting the lover whom he loved pass ionately when he was young. It would be lying if he were to im that he had no feelings for her, but he was already married and with child ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Under Juniper¡¯s disappointed gaze, Rickard pulled his hand out. She bit her lower lip and her eyes reddened with tears. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± Rickard did not answer. After a brief silence, he said, ¡°We¡¯re not young anymore. We should be held responsible for the choices we make.¡± ¡°So are you just going to give up on me? But you still love me!¡± Juniper could not make sense of the situation. Are we supposed to let go of our rtionship because of damned responsibility? What right does Hesper have to think that he should bear responsibility for it? Had Mr. Duval Sr. notpelled Rickard in the past, how could Rickard marry her? Fueled by her Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. agitated emotions, Juniper¡¯s intention of making Hesper disappear grew stronger and stronger. Hesper is the source of everything bad! Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 The next day, Hesper came to the nursery early in the morning, but after standing at the door for a long time, she still could not muster the courage to go in. She was afraid that yesterday¡¯s incident would be reenacted, with the baby rejecting her once again. She was hesitating when a servant suddenly opened the door and walked outside. The servant was stunned by the sight of her for a moment before she said respectfully, ¡°You¡¯re here, Mrs. Duval. Sir has ordered that you may enter the nursery at any time you wish to see the baby.¡± Hesper was rather surprised. Why would Rickard be so kind? He probably did it so I could humiliate myself! Fortunately, when Hesper cautiously scooped the tiny babe into her arms, he did not show any unusual behavior. In fact, he even leaned his face closer to her chest. Hesper almost cried with joy as she looked at his adorable mannerism. Her little baby finally wanted he r again. Meanwhile, Dorothy walked into the nursery with a bowl of chicken soup. ¡°Mrs. Duval, have some soup. I made it specially for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dorothy.¡± Hesper was very grateful. By that point, she was highly appreciative of anyone who showed kindness t o her. Noticing when she finished eating the soup, Dorothy said, ¡°Frankly, Mrs. Duval, I saw what happened in the living room yesterday. I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this.¡± ¡°Dorothy, there¡¯s no harm in telling me.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°Although what Mr. Duval said to you yesterday was blunt, he was right about your body being tainted with all sorts of smells from the hospital. It¡¯s normal that the baby was not used to it and made a huge fuss. Perhaps Mr. Duval was only making a suggestion when he asked you to take a bath .¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± 11 Hesper was perplexed for a short while. She took a nce at the child in her arms who was especially obedient today and wondered if his unusual behavior yesterday was really due to the smell on her. Next to her, Dorothy soothed her by saying, ¡°I¡¯m married with children too, Mrs. Duval. A feud between husband and wife neversts more than a day. Mr. Duval still cares about you. Don¡¯t be angry at him. anymore.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Hesper kept her head lowered, reluctant to get to the bottom of the matter. She said with a bitter smile, There are no longsting feuds for other marrie d couples, but Rickard and I are different. He¡¯s never loved me, and I¡­I no longer love him.¡± ** Rickard was just walking by the door when he halted to a stop and looked at the tightly shut nursery do or with an angered expression. What is Hesper talking about? She no longer loves me? Who does she love then? Could it be Julian? Benji took the liberty to remind the furious Rickard, ¡°Mr. Duval, thepany meeting is about to start¡­ ¡± Rickard red at him in anger, and just as Benji was about to suffocate, he said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s head to thepany!¡± Hesper seemed to hear themotion outside the room, but when she opened the door to check, it wa s all empty. She returned to the room and said with a helpless, bitter smile, ¡°Dorothy, Rickard has always loved Juni per. I¡¯ve seen their intimate selfie, so I know that sooner orter, I¡¯ll have to leave the Duvals.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dorothy, a conversative woman, was having a hard time believing that Rickard would cheat on Hesper. However, Hesper did not appear to be lying. Dorothy was at a loss of how to console her. Hesper then said, ¡°Oh right, Dorothy. How did they treat my child when I was away during this period of time? Was he starved?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Mr. Duval woulde home to y with the child as soon as he was free. His mother and sister behaved themselves when he was around. As for Ms. Wight, I didn¡¯t notice her doing anything overboard.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Hesper was relieved. However, she knew that this was not the end of everything. Madam Duval, Sophia, and Juniper would never let her off easily. Hence, in the next few days that followed, Hesper intentionally avoided them. She would rather eat out than eat at home just so she could wait for her grandfather¡¯s return in silence. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Meanwhile, Rickard did note home at all in those few days. Hesper had no idea what kept him bus y every day, but she could not be bothered to care about it. The day of Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s return was approaching, so Hesper wanted to get some things for the child s o she could perform her motherly role before her ultimate departure. ¡°Dorothy, I¡¯m heading out. Please take the trouble to take care of my child for a while more.¡± There were other servants in the house, but Hesper did not trust anyone other than Dorothy. Noticing that she was leaving home, Sophia and Juniper exchanged a nce from their hiding spot,ing to realize that it was an absolutely great opp ortunity. Sophia made a call to an unknown person with a malicious expression. ¡°Hello, do something for me¡­ You¡¯ll be rewarded handsomely when it¡¯s done!¡± In the shopping mall, Hesper waspletely oblivious to the impending danger. She arrived at a mothe r and baby care store and shopped meticulously for a long time. She did not have much money with her. Even though the Duvals were an influential, powerful, wealthy f amily, they were very hard on her. However, she was lucky that grandfather had given her a sum of mo ney before the wedding which she could spend on buying things for the baby. Hesper browsed through an abundance of items needed from age one to ten. The sales assistant next to her was slightly puzzled and could not refrain herself from asking, ¡°Miss, may I inquire as to ho w old your child is? What sort of product are you looking to purchase? Perhaps I can help with some re Hesper smiled with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m trying to get all things the child needs in the next few years altogether. That¡¯s why I¡¯m browsing through quite a lot of things.¡± As soon as she found out that it would be a huge purchase, the sales assistant¡¯s eyes lit up. However, she advised in a polite manner out of concern for the customer, ¡° Frankly, you don¡¯t need to get everything in a rush, miss. A child will develop different preferences at ev ery stage of their growth. You can get the things he needster in a few years. Perhaps there might eve n be better, more advanced products developed by then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡­ I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Hesper lowered her voice, her smile bitter. The sales assistant could not hear her clearly. ¡°Huh? What did you say again, miss?¡± ¡°Nothing. Please take the trouble to rmend some products to me then.¡± Upon noticing how determined she was, the sales assistant did notment further. After all, the sales assistant would never turn down a business deal that was insisted. Hesper left the address of the Duvals¡® residence after she paid the bill. ¡°Please deliver the goods to this address ten dayster.¡± ¡°All right, all right. You bought quite a number of items, so we¡¯ll need time to mobilize the goods from ou r warehouse. We¡¯ll deliver the goods to your home by then.¡± The sales assistantplimented Hesper while she passed the receipt to Hesper, ¡°Your child is lucky to have a mother like you who loves him so much. I envy him!¡± The smile on Hesper¡¯s lips turned bitter. Is he lucky? He should be considered unlucky. She would soon leave and perhaps not be a part of the baby¡¯s life in the future. The child would grow up wit hout his biological mother. It was an absence that she could never make up for. So no matter how much I bought him, what difference will it make? Hesper walked out of the store, distracted, and identally stepped on someone¡¯s foot. Hesper hastily apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you alright?¡± Matthew came to the shopping mall to look for someone but failed to locate the person and was trampl ed on instead. His wlessly clean, ck leather shoe was stained with a faint shoe print, so he could not help but furr ow his eyebrows. Hesper felt even more guilty. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I was distracted earlier and identally stepped on you. How about I buy you a new pair of shoes to make up for it?¡± Matthew took a nce at her N?velDrama.Org (C) content. and noticed how inly dressed she was. He figured that it would be troubling for her topensate hi m. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a big deal. Be careful next time.¡± ¡°Thank you very much¡­¡± Hesper did not even manage to finish her sentence before the man was already walking past her. Hesper paused for a moment and left. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Soon after that, the assistant standing behind Matthew said in a slightly anxious tone, ¡°Mr. Lane, the cal ler said they have information about your sister but we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s true. We¡¯ve been waiting for so lo ng but he¡¯s still nowhere to be seen.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t speak but squinted. His youngest sister went missing ten years ago and the Lanes had tried everything they could to find h er. Now that he had finally got some information, he rushed over from Emperion. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. He had to find his sister even if it was false information! Hesper was tired from walking around but she didn¡¯t want to go back and face those people, so she picked a cafe and ordered a coffee so she could rest. What she didn¡¯t notice was that there were two s ketchy men sitting behind her seat. One of them tapped her shoulder. ¡°Miss, I think you dropped some money.¡± ¡± Hesper looked down and saw a hundred dors, but she only had a few dors in cash, and the rest w ere on her phone. ¡°That¡¯s not mine.¡± However, it was toote. The moment she looked away, the other man had dropped a pill into her coffee. The white pill immediately dissolved in the hot drink and Hesper took a sip without suspecting anything. The men looked at each other and smirked. A few minutester, Hesper started sweating. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is it suddenly so hot?¡± The air conditioning was on, but she felt as though she was on fire. It was getting hotter and she was feeling more and more flustered. When she got up to leave, the two men immediately followed her. ¡°Are you alright, ma¡¯am?¡± Hesper realized what was going on when she noticed the men. It was probably them! ¡°I don¡¯t know you. Please don¡¯t follow me!¡± Hesper shouted at them while walking toward a crowd and trying to call her emergency contact. She set it up before; Rickard was her only emergency contact. ¡°Pick up!¡± Hesper begged, but the call went unanswered. The men were getting closer and closer to her and she had no time to make another call. She immediately screamed. ¡°Help! Someone is following me!¡± Passersby looked around and the men immediately started acting. They stood next to her and said, ¡°Pl ease. don¡¯t throw a tantrum here. I won¡¯t force you to have another baby, alright? Pleasee home w ith me!¡± ¡°Stay away from me, I don¡¯t know you!¡± Hesper tried to free herself but the pill stripped her of energy and she was held tight by the two men. They started pulling her away while looking distraught. ¡°Pleasee back with us! Dad and mom told me that it¡¯ll be my responsibility to produce a male heir to the family, so you can live freely with my brother and your daughter now!¡± Everyone started muttering. ¡°It¡¯s because of children¡­¡® Hesper tried to exin herself, but they stealthily covered her mouth and dragged her into an elevator. Once the door closed, Hesper lost hope. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 32 Meanwhile, In the CEO¡¯s office of Duval Group. Benji watched the man who was focused on his work and quietly reminded him. ¡°Mr. Duval, Mrs. Duval called you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± Rickard sounded impatient. He heard when Hesper called, but when he remembered her saying that she no longer loved him, his h eart grew cold. However, she never bothered calling back when he didn¡¯t pick up the first time. Whenever he didn¡¯t pick up before this, she would send a few anxious messages to him. It was evident that once a woman gives up, she would be very cold. However, Benji was worried. ¡°Mr. Duval, Mrs. Duval hasn¡¯t tried to contact you recently. Now that she s uddenly called, do you think it¡¯s something important? Why not call her back?¡± Rickard scoffed. ¡°Unless aet hits our home, there¡¯s nothing that could be that urgent since we hav e so many bodyguards and helpers at home. Get out of here if you don¡¯t want to just stand around. Sto p bugging me.¡± Benji immediately shut his mouth and didn¡¯t dare make a sound. In the elevator, the two men showed their true colors and started threatening her. ¡°Ms. Rivera, it¡¯s best t hat you behave. We¡¯ll have our fun and get this over with. It¡¯ll getplicated if you continue to resist!¡± They held her by the back of her neck. She felt feverish and weak, and her eyes were red; this gave he r a helpless look, and that made the men lust for her even more. ¡°Sh*t, you¡¯re actually quite pretty. I¡¯m going to go firstter.¡± Once the door opened, the men dragged her toward the car. Hesper knew that it would be the end if she got into that car! She suddenly saw another car that was leaving a few feet away from them, so without hesitation, she broke free from the men¡¯s grasp and ran toward it. ¡°Help me, someone is trying to kidnap me!¡± The driver immediately stepped on the brakes when someone rushed in front of the car. Matthew looke d up with a frown and saw Hesper¡¯s panicked and unusually red face. ¡°You?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Hesper saw him too and started begging. ¡°Sir, please help me. Someone drugged me and is trying to ki dnap me!¡± Matthew looked to the side and saw the two men rushing over. He immediately opened the door. ¡°Get i n.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Hesper was more than thankful. The moment she got into the car, the men got to her and would have caught her if she was even a seco nd slower. Seeing her escape, the men lost their temper and shouted at him. ¡°Hey! Mind your own business! That¡¯ s my wife and we¡¯re just having a little quarrel. Let her out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. I don¡¯t know him!¡± Hesper exined. She was out of breath because she was on e dge. Matthew gave her a look to calm her down. ¡°I know, you don¡¯t need to speak. Conserve your energy.¡± The next second, he looked coldly toward the two men outside the window. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, b ut I suggest that you think this through. She¡¯s in my car now. Are you going to grab her?¡± He sounded c alm and there wasn¡¯t a deliberate threat but his demeanor alone caused chills to run down the two men ¡¯s spines. When they saw that it was an exceptionally expensive car, they changed their mind about causing trou ble and took two steps back. The assistant scoffed then hit the elerator and drove away. Matthew then looked over to Hesper. ¡°Are you alright?¡° Chapter 33 Chapter 33 A Spoonful of Sugar: Don¡¯t Beg for Love By Oopsie Daisy Chapter 33 ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡± Hesper barely replied as she felt her body heating up. Matthew immediately understood what happened. ¡°Where do you live? I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t go home.¡± If she went back like this, the few women would chastise her. Furthermore, when the two men g rabbed her, they called her by herst name, so she suspected that they were behind this whole situati on. She wasn¡¯t going to fall into the trap. ¡°Could you¡­ send me to the hospital?¡± Matthew was confused. After such an incident, she didn¡¯t want to go home but instead chose to go to th e hospital. Something must be up. However, he didn¡¯t question her and instead nodded, then took out a bottle of cold water from the mini- fridge and handed it to her. ¡°Hold this, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± 11 At the hospital, Julian hurried over when he found out what happened. After getting emergency treatme nt to lower her body temperature and taking some medication, the stress in her body was almost at a n ormal level. Julian¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,n.¡± Hesper was still weak, but she managed to force a smile. She looked around the ward but didn¡¯t see the man who saved her. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Ian, where¡¯s the man who brought me here?¡± ¡°He left after handing you over to the doctors. Seems to be in a hurry.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hesper looked down. He helped her out so much, yet she didn¡¯t manage to thank him properly, so she was sad. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I would be in big trouble now.¡± Julian knew that she was kind, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. From how I see it, he doesn¡¯t seem to be the ki nd of person who wants repayment. We¡¯ll thank him if we cross paths again in the future.¡± She looked up and smiled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± This was seen by Rickard, who went to the hospital after being informed. ¡°That¡¯s such a happy smile. Hesper Rivera, how could you be so shameless?¡± The way he said that ma de it sound extra hurtful. Hesper¡¯s face fell when she remembered how he didn¡¯t pick up her call. She looked at him expressionl essly. ¡± You¡¯re such a busy man. There¡¯s no reason for you toe.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t appreciate her mocking him, so his temper rose. ¡°What? Am I interrupting?¡± ¡°Mr. Duval!¡± Julian frowned because he couldn¡¯t stand there and watch him insult her. ¡°Hesper was almost attacked today. Not only did you not ask her how she is, but you immediately insult ed her. You don¡¯t deserve to be her husband.¡± ¡°And you do?¡± Rickard looked coldly at him. This was Julian Zink, who always showed up around Hesper. Who w ould believe that nothing was going on between them? ¡°Hesper is my wife. I will be responsible for her, so outsiders should stay out of this. Benji, kick him out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Hesper stood in front of Julian. Rickard raised his brow as the air grew cold around them. ¡°Hesper Rivera, do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I do.¡± She raised her chin and met his dark gaze. ¡°Ian helped me out. a great deal. No one can kick Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. him out.¡± ¡°What if I insist?¡± Rickard¡¯s gaze was so sharp it could cut someone. Julian didn¡¯t want to put Hesper in a tough spot, so he walked forward. ¡°There¡¯s no need for scare tactics here. I¡¯ll leave if you take good care of her. I don¡¯t want to see her in the hospital again. However, I will give you a piece of advise. It¡¯s best for you to find out. what happened before youe in with your holier-than-thou attitude.¡± Rickard squinted because he could tell if there was a hidden meaning. After Julian left, he asked, ¡°What did he mean? What happened?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Hesper was surprised because she thought that he was there after finding out what had happened. Benji immediately exined. ¡°Mr. Duval cares about your health, so he has been in contact with your doctor. When he received a call from the hospital saying that you were in a weird situation, he immediately came over.¡± ¡°Benji, shut up!¡± Rickard red at him as if ming him for saying too much. Hesper was confused. If he actually cared about her, why didn¡¯t he pick up when she called? What was the point ofing to the hospital when things had already happened?¡¯ ¡°Rickard, I have a question for you.¡± Noticing something off with her tone, he became more patient. ¡°Go 1. Hesper asked, ¡°When I called you, did you not hear the call, or did you intentionally ignore it?¡± Rickard paused, but Hesper knew the answer from his hesitation. She chuckled. ¡°I guess you just didn¡¯t want to pick up my calls.¡± ¡°No, Mr. Duval¡­¡± ¡°Enough, I¡¯m tired.¡± Hesper cut Benji off. She had given up so there was no need to hear them pretend. ¡°I¡¯m alright, so you can leave if there¡¯s nothing else you want to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re chasing me away?¡± The man balled up his fists because he didn¡¯t know what she was doing. He had lowered his ego ande to see her. Was she expecting more? Rickard took a deep breath, then said, ¡°I have no time to beat around the bush with you. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation, so she turned her back to him. Rickard stood there for a few seconds then scoffed and said, ¡± Unbelievable!¡± And walked out. The door closed. Hesper¡¯s longshes fluttered. She wasn¡¯t unbelievable, she just didn¡¯t have proof. The two men escaped, so no matter what she said, Rickard wouldn¡¯t believe her, and he might even think that she was trying to frame his old me, the one that got away. Rether than setting herself up, she chose to stay quiet. In the corridor, Rickard was furious. He felt regret. If he knew that this woman was so clueless, he wouldn¡¯t havee over, even if it was for the sake of his child. She was still very sharp-tongued, so she was probably fine. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Mr. Duval, are we really going to leave? Why don¡¯t I go ask the doctor and see how Mrs. Duval is?¡± Benji asked. Rickard didn¡¯t appreciate that and walked even quicker. ¡°Go ahead, but it doesn¡¯t concern me anymore. I don¡¯t want to know!¡± Benji was left behind and was hesitant but still decided to find out more. He knew that Rickard went there because he wanted to find out what happened. After ten minutes, Benji walked to the car with a troubled look. ¡°I found out what happened, sir.¡± Rickard was resting his eyes and didn¡¯t see Benji¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t care. ¡°Tell me then, what¡¯s her issue?¡± ¡°The doctor said that¡­ Mrs. Duval was drugged with an aphrodisiac. She was sent to the hospital and was given injections and forced to throw up. She went through a lot before she finally felt better.¡± ¡°Aphrodisiac?¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes opened and looked sharp. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Benji nodded solemnly. He wouldn¡¯t dare joke about this. Rickard¡¯s change in expression was obvious. His eyes turned sharp as he said only one word. ¡°Investigate!¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Benji immediately delegated. As the car drove steadily on the road, the flowerbed along the road zoomed past. Benji wanted to say something but was hesitant. Rickard impatiently said. ¡°Just say what¡¯s on your mind or just keen your mouth shut!¡± Sir, I was thinking, would this be linked to¡­ Ms. Duval and Ms. Wight?¡± Benji braved himself and continued, ¡°When Mrs. Duval fell down the stairs, she was very sure that it was Ms. Duval and Ms. Wight who did that to her. Even though the doctors determined that her memories were messed up, what if that was the truth and her memory was correct? What happened recently seems to be linked.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± He pushed his tongue to his cheek. He didn¡¯t believe that Sophia and Juniper would push someone down the stairs or ruin someone¡¯s reputation. ¡°Don¡¯t specte until we know the truth. As for Hesper¡­¡± He paused.¡± She did go through quite a lot recently. Send a check to herter aspensation.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± At the hospital. Hesper rested for a few hours and was getting ready to leave after she was sure that she was fine. Benji suddenly returned and handed a check to her. ¡°Mrs. Duval, Mr. Duval found out what happened and asked me to bring this to you.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t take it. Her face felt hot. ¡°Why is he giving me money? Aspensation? Or an insult?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think of it that way. Mr. Duval felt that you have gone through a lottely, so he just wanted to cheer you up. It¡¯s nothing sinister.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Hesper smirked. If he really felt sorry for her predicament, why did he not say anything after finding out what happened? Instead, he sent someone to bring a piece of check over. ¡°Who cares about this money?¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes turned red with anger and grabbed her bag¡¯s strap. ¡°Did he say anything else? Does he not care that this happened to his N?velDrama.Org is the owner. son¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Mr. Duval asked people to investigate this.. We¡¯ll inform you when we find anything.¡± Hesper¡¯s heart grew cold. Rickard wasn¡¯t dumb. It was easy to guess. who would want to harm her without putting in too much effort. It was obvious who the culprits were, yet he had to put on a show. Evidently, he didn¡¯t want to hurt his old me and was just trying to spend money in exchange for peace of mind! Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°I don¡¯t want the money. Give it back to him.¡± Hesper refused it expressionlessly. Her pride wasn¡¯t something that could be bought with a measly check. Benji was going to say something, but she cut him off. ¡°As for what happened today, I¡¯ll make a police report and let them handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home then.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t reject that. On the way back, Benji told her, ¡°By the way, Mrs. Duval, the people at the hospital said someone drove you there. I believe that person would have seen what happened. If you could get him to be a witness and provide some information, it would help with the investigation.¡± Hesper¡¯s mind was filled with Matthew¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t know who he was, so there was no chance that she could get him to be a witness. The man was very well-dressed and was in an extravagant luxury car. He would probably not want to get involved in this. She calmly said, ¡°He was just there at the right time. I don¡¯t think it will be easy to track him down.¡± Benji didn¡¯t say anything more until they got to the Duvals¡¯. Hesper got out of the car, and everyone in the living room was shocked. Rickard, who was on the couch, saw Hesper walk past him without even looking in his direction, immediately going upstairs. The man¡¯s face fell after getting the cold shoulder, but he calmly looked toward Benji, who was walking over. ¡°Did you give her the money?¡± He shook his head and handed the check to him. ¡°Mrs. Duval says that she doesn¡¯t want it.¡± Rickar¡¯s veins popped. What was the meaning of that? Why was she rejecting the money? Seeing how he looked, Benji awkwardly said, ¡°Mr. Duval, from what I heard, Mrs. Duval would prefer justice. She wants the truth more than money.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask someone to find out the truth? Does she expect me to make things up before that happens?¡± Rickard tore the check up into confetti, his patience having worn thin. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want it, forget it. I, for one, want to see how much dignity she has.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Why are you suddenly angry?¡± The Duvaldies and Juniper walked over from the garden. Juniper could tell that the confetti on the floor was a check by the Duval Group. She raised her thin brows, curious, so she prodded. ¡°Rickard, what¡¯s with the check?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t want to talk about it. When he looked at her pretty face, the image of Hesper using her of pushing her down the stairs shed across his mind. A question that was deep in his mind popped up, and he casually asked, ¡°Do you know where Hesper went today?¡± Juniper¡¯s heart dropped, but she kept her pretty smile on. ¡°No idea. After what happened previously, Hesper seems to hold a grudge. She doesn¡¯t really speak to us here and definitely wouldn¡¯t tell us where she¡¯s going.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rickar¡¯s eyes were calm, but he didn¡¯t look away. He didn¡¯t want to miss any slight change. ¡°She was drugged with an aphrodisiac when she was out. ¡°What?¡± Juniper was shocked. ¡°How is she then? Is she alright?¡± Rickard took a good look at her and said, ¡°Do you want her to be alright or not?¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Juniper frowned, looking surprised. ¡°Do you suspect that I did it? Or do you think I would be happy about it?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t reply. Juniper¡¯s reactions seemed normal and her behavior didn¡¯t seem odd. He couldn¡¯t find a reason to convince himself that she had anything to do with this. After a few seconds, he spoke. ¡°I was just asking.¡± Juniper was relieved but she still looked wronged and unhappy about it. Sophia jumped at the opportunity and stood by her side. ¡°What are you doing? You used to care about Juni the most but now you seem to question her a lot. Do you think she wouldn¡¯t feel hurt? Or is someone trying to twist the truth?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Rickard knew what she meant and frowned. ¡°What are you trying to say? Hesper made a police report, so the police is getting involved. I¡¯ll investigate this too, so no one will be able to twist the truth.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t talk back after she was called out. Rickard, agitated, loosened his tie then walked to his study. Benji excused himself. ¡°Madam Duval, Ms. Duval, I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± ¡°Go.¡± Sophia¡¯s face immediately fell after the outsider left. ¡°This b*tch actually went to the police? Is she not worried that this would ruin her reputation if it gets out?¡± They had immediately received the news when the two men failed. Even though Sophia and Juniper were anxious, they expected Hesper to keep things under wraps for her reputation¡¯s sake. However, they never expected her to get the police involved. ¡°What should we do next? Have we gotten rid of the men?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Sophia smirked confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve paid them off, so if the police find them, they¡¯ll just say that they were seduced and won¡¯t rat us out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Juniper was still worried. Sophia smirked. ¡°Of course. I spent a lot of money on that. If I can¡¯t even handle this, I wouldn¡¯t be Ms. Duval!¡± Juniper said a fewforting words, and no one thought about it anymore. She was just a low-ss woman. They just had to get someone to do the dirty work and she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to them. The police acted quickly and managed to get surveince footage at the same time as Rickard. He sat in his study in the dark; only the screen glowed. He watched as the men dropped the pill in Hesper¡¯s coffee and followed her to the garage. If she hadn¡¯t gotten lucky and gotten away, she probably¡­ An inexplicable anger rose. Rickard told himself that he was just annoyed that he might have been cheated on. He immediately sent his men to go around the city to hunt for the men. Once they were caught, he personally brought Hesper to the police station to identify them. ¡°That¡¯s them!¡± Hesper only had to take a look and immediately recognized them. Her trauma was still evident, as her finger shook. Suddenly, her hand felt warm because Rickard held her hand. He said in a strong voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make anyone who hurt you pay.¡± Hesper stood there and looked at him. She didn¡¯t know why, but she wanted to trust him. However, after the interrogation, the two men admitted that they were just horny and wouldn¡¯t say who instructed them. Hesper knew that the officers were going to close the case, so she yelled, ¡°No, they knew that myst name was Rivera. They followed me, so it was obvious that this was nned. Someone is behind this!¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 The investigating officer looked at her. ¡°But we¡¯ve investigated this thoroughly, and the suspects were adamant that no one was ordering them around. We looked into their bank cards, phone records, and everything else. There were no suspicious transfers or calls.¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t put a finger on it, but she knew that the two men were targeting her. ¡°Please look into this again. I don¡¯t want the actual culprits to get away!¡± The officer hesitantly looked at Rickard, and when he nodded, the officer agreed to avoid wrongly closing the case. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll investigate further. Can you provide any evidence or witnesses? The person who saved you, for example?¡± Hesper hesitated, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to contact him.¡± Rickard noticed the slight change in her demeanor and his eyes darkened. However, no matter how many times they interrogated the men, they refused to change their statements, so the oue remained. The police were out of options. Hesper insisted and put herst hope on Rickard. ¡°You said that you wouldn¡¯t let people who harm me get away. Do you still mean it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, I have another suspect. Would you be willing to investigate ?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Juniper Wight,¡± Hesper said, pausing after each word as she looked straight into his eyes. Rickard immediately frowned and sounded certain. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°How would you know without investigating?¡± Hesper was a little upset. Rickard took a good look at her and sounded stoic. ¡°Hesper, I could do as you say if it was anything else, but Juniper would not do something like that. It would hurt her if I investigated.¡± ¡°What if she was behind this? If you don¡¯t look into it, aren¡¯t you covering up for her?¡± Hesper had had enough. How could he trust Juniper no matter what? All her usations and suspicions had turned into a made-up fantasy! She opened her eyes wide as her heart ached so her tears wouldn¡¯t fall. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t promise me anything. Rickard Duval, you better not apologize to me if one day you find out that Juniper was behind this because I¡¯ll never ept the apology, and I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡± She ran out crying because every second she stood there made her feel more like a joke. It was obvious why Juniper wasn¡¯t worried. Someone was protecting her without question. She, on the other hand, had to go through endless trauma but still couldn¡¯t get to the truth¡­ Why? Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Hesper didn¡¯t understand and gave up on trying to. She picked a random bar and drank till her body was numb, then picked a random inn and rented a.room to rest in. When Rickard noticed that she was out the entire night, he sent people to go searching for her, but when he received some news, Madam Duval showed up. ¡°Rickard, I need to speak to you.¡± Rickard frowned out of exhaustion. ¡°We can do that after I bring Hesper home.¡± ¡°No, we need to talk now. I don¡¯t want to see you being tricked anymore.¡± Madam Duval insisted and Rickard relented. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 In the study, the mother and son sat down. Rickard checked the time on his watch. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Julie spoke. ¡°I know that you¡¯re trying to get Hesper, but have you considered why she didn¡¯te home? Has she ever done this since you married? Don¡¯t you think that this is out of character?¡± How could it not be? He never imagined that she would do this, so he didn¡¯t notice that she wasn¡¯t home until the helper went to wake her up. Julie scoffed and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to say something that you wouldn¡¯t want to hear. I watched the video too yesterday. She was disoriented and couldn¡¯t even walk properly. Who knows if anything happened after she got into some man¡¯s car?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Rickard cut her off. ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡± Julie continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use her of anything, but the truth is right there. If they were both innocent, why did she not cooperate when the police asked to look for the witness? Also, why didn¡¯t shee home?¡± Rickard¡¯s mind went to the moment when Hesper hesitated when they were at the precinct. 411 It was true. If she wanted to find the culprit so much, why wouldn¡¯t she tell the police who the man was? Furthermore, even though the video wasn¡¯t very clear, when they zoomed in, it was obvious that they were sitting very close to each other¡­ Mothers know their children best. When Julie saw his face fall, she knew that he was considering what she said, so her lips subconsciously curled. ¡°You know that reputation is very important to the family. Hesper¡¯s situation was vague, but she blew it up. She has no respect for our family name and doesn¡¯t care what people say about you, a CEO, about how his wife was almost¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Rickard looked bitter and his breathing was quick. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re overthinking this. I¡¯ll ask her about thister.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Of course. You can figure it out. Don¡¯t let that woman trick you with her words.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t say anything, but his steps were a lot quicker. He could ept if Hesper didn¡¯t love him, but he wouldn¡¯t be alright if she betrayed him. After hearing the car engine distancing, Sophia and Juniper walked over to Julie and smiled. ¡°Do you think Dick would suspect her?¡± ¡°Once we nt the seed of doubt, it will always bloom.¡± Julie coldly raised her brows. ¡°Besides, all we need to do is make Dick feel disappointed in her. Once trust is lost, disappointment grows.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re brilliant.¡± Juniper smiled, excited to see the couple fall out. Ssh! Hesper was woken up by a pail of water. ¡°Ah!¡± She yelled and shuddered as she opened her eyes to see the person standing in front of her. ¡°Rickard? What are you doing?¡±. 1 Rickard was enraged. ¡°Do you know who you are? How could you note homest night? Hesper Rivera, am I too nice to you that you think you can walk all over me?¡± Cold water dripped down her hair. Hesper was surrounded by cold air, but her anger rose, so she shouted back. ¡°So what if I didn¡¯t go home? Are you crazy? We¡¯re going to be divorced soon, so why do you care if I don¡¯te home!¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 When Rickard realized that she hadn¡¯te home, he immediately sent people to search for her and personally went to get her, but what he got in return was her yelling at him. His eyes zed over. ¡°I haven¡¯t signed the papers yet, Hesper. You¡¯re being too arrogant.¡± He pushed her away, but because he used too much force, she fell backward into the wet bed. Rickard gave orders with no expression on his face. ¡°Mrs. Duval is disoriented. Bring her to the car!¡± Two bodyguards walked next to Hesper, one on each side, and dragged her out while ignoring her struggles. ¡°Rickard Duval, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Hesper was distraught. She was wet from head to toe and was manhandled as if she was a criminal. She anxiously said, ¡°It was just one night. Who actually cares about my safety? What¡¯s the point of doing all this now?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a point.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes were sharp and cold as he red at her. ¡°It¡¯s one thing if we care about you or not, another thing to ruin our family¡¯s reputation. Do you think I¡¯ll just let you do whatever you want?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean? When did I ruin your family¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out if you did once I investigate this.¡± He scoffed, then turned and left. The bodyguards shoved her into the car, leaving her stunned. She didn¡¯t go home because she was angry at their behavior. She was disgusted at how Rickard was blind to the truth, but she had to go through everything alone. She didn¡¯t even do anything out of line. In the car, she sat straight and exined. ¡°Rickard, I don¡¯t know what got to you so early in the morning, but I can firmly tell you that I did nothing. I got drunk, fell asleep, and only woke up when you sshed me.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Notst night, but what about when you were drugged?¡± Hesper opened her eyes wide in shock. He suspected her? He wouldn¡¯t look into Juniper when she asked but instead turned around and suspected if she was tainted. Hesper felt as though someone stomped on her heart and felt a stabbing pain. ¡°If that¡¯s who you think I am, I have nothing to say.¡± No one spoke after that and Rickard¡¯s face was dark. The suspense in the small space stressed everyone out. Hesper could no longer tell if she was feeling cold on the outside or in her heart. She shuddered but wouldn¡¯t show it. She bit her lip and told herself that she mustn¡¯t cry. Suddenly, she realized that they weren¡¯t on the way back home, so she started panicking. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going home? Where are you bringing me?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were dark, and it hit her like a sledgehammer. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She immediately snapped out of her hangover but the immense shock agitated her. ¡°Are you driving.me to the hospital? Are you going to have them give me a check-up?¡± ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡± Rickard stared at her expression, trying to see her panic. Hesper¡¯s face turned red. Anger and the feeling of being wrongly used made her want to escape! ¡°You¡¯re really crazy! How could you even think of doing that? I¡¯m not going. Let me out!¡± But the driver would only listen to Rickard, so without instructions from him, he wouldn¡¯t do anything no matter how hard Hesper struggled. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¡°If you haven¡¯t done anything to betray me, then what are you afraid of?¡± Rickard grabbed her by the wrist and subdued her firmly within his arms as cold and stern words escaped between his thin lips. ¡°I¡¯ll never let anyone deceive me or hide something from me, so you have to go through the test whether you like it or not!¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Hesper cursed at him exasperatedly, and the walls of the mental prison that had been used to contain and suppress the grievances within herself finally crumbled at that moment. Her clear eyes welled up gradually and tears blurred her vision. Hesper could only hate herself for not finding out that he was such a person before this. ¡°Rickard Duval, this rtionship between me and you cracked a long time ago, and we didn¡¯t file for a divorce only because of your family. If you dare treat me like this, I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡± Hearing this, the level of Rickard¡¯s anger skyrocketed. ¡®She just seems to love to bring up the fact that our rtionship is non -existential, doesn¡¯t she? Then I¡¯ll have her see how I make the things. that I want to happen a reality!¡¯ Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital. Rickard, who was surrounded by a subzero aura, got out of the car first. ¡°Get out here!¡± ¡°No! I haven¡¯t done anything, so what makes you think you have the right to insult me like this?!¡± Hesper curled in on herself in the car, and her aggrieved eyes were bloodshot. ¡®I¡¯m obviously the victim here, and he¡¯s obviously the one who¡¯s been @ covering the matter up deliberately. None of this would have happened if it weren¡¯t for him. ¡®It¡¯s him, Rickard Duval. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s been turning a blind eye toward the matter over and over again. It¡¯s his intentional connivance that made things be what they are today. ¡®If I were to be dragged into this hospital and get my integrity verified through a bunch of tests, wouldn¡¯t Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. it be a tant announcement to the world that I, Hesper Rivera, almost got raped? ¡®Why, why should a victim testify for herself through such an insulting way? ¡®No, no one can make me do this, not even Rickard!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll make myself clear right here and now. I haven¡¯t done crap, so I don¡¯t need to prove myself to anyone! If you really can¡¯t trust me, then show me some evidence. As long as you can prove that I¡¯ve indeed done something to betray you, I¡¯ll kill myself just to apologize to you!¡± However, Rickard was not in the mood to listen to a word she said. All he could think of at that moment was the scene where she staggered after being drugged. ¡®She looked so defenseless, so delirious, and she was found with a stranger. Who can bepletely sure that nothing really happened?¡¯ Rickard said indifferently, ¡°Since you keep saying that you¡¯re innocent, then go in there and prove it to me! Your resistance will only make others think that you¡¯re guilty.¡± He ordered someone to forcibly drag Hesper out of the car. There were quite a few passers-by at the entrance of the hospital, and he proceeded without any regard for her reputation. Hesper was hauled out and fell to the ground, but the bodyguards were still tightly grasping onto her wrists. She lifted her head, her vision fogged by her tears. ¡°Rickard Duval, do you really want to do this your way?¡±, ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied without any hesitation. Hesper¡¯s heart hurt so much that it was already numb at that moment. She thought she would never feel sad ever again, but she did not realize until then that there was no such thing as the worst feeling, a something worse would always be there, waiting for its turn! ¡°If you really insist, once my innocence gets proven, I won¡¯t forgive you until the day I die. Even so, you still won¡¯t change your mind?¡± Getting stared at by her teary eyes, Rickard hesitated for a split second. However, Madam Duval¡¯s words kept echoing in his mind. ¡®I have to run the test in order to be at ease. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s just a test, and it¡¯d also restore her innocence and stop the public from gossiping, so why not?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. Just. Do. It.¡± ¨CHesper stopped struggling all of a sudden. She stared at him soullessly as tear beads gushed down her cheeks. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll do whatever you want, Mr. Duval!¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 The group of people entered the hospital, and the doctor who attended to them was the one fromst night. She was about to leave the department to look for some files, but when she saw Rickard dragging Hesper into the hospital as soon as she opened the door, she was taken aback for a short moment. ¡°Mr. Duval, what¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°She got druggedst night. Examine her for any possible injuries.¡± The doctor was a smart person, so she understood the subtext of the conversation as soon as she heard it. She was there when Hesper was brought inst night, so she knew that Hesper was sober back then. But this was not the time to turn away from this situation, as she had been bribed by Madam Duval. ¡°Mr. Duval, I¡¯ll have to get some tools prepared for the physical examination. If you really want to do this, I¡¯ll go ahead and get it ready.¡± Rickard looked indifferent. ¡°Okay, just do whatever is necessary.¡± ¡°Okay, please give me a second.¡± The doctor grabbed her cell phone, hurried to a corner of the hospital where no one was around, called Madam Duval, and informed her about what was happening. ¡°They actually went to the hospital?¡± Madam Duval paced back and forth in the vi. She never thought that Rickard would actually want Hesper to prove her innocence. ¡®But this is great too. This should be more than enough to make Dick give up on that b*tch for good this time around!¡¯ ¡°Since I paid you to do something about the situation, you just need to act when an opportunity presents itself. As for what to tell my son, I don¡¯t have to spoon-feed that to you, do I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Duval, I know what to do.¡± The doctor nodded and then pretended to go and grab the tools required. In the ward, Hesper sat on the side with a defeated expression. Whenever she red at Rickard, it looked as if she was eager to see through him. Her gaze finally managed to irritate the man, and he raised his voice.¡± Why are you looking at me like that? Are you thinking about going back on your words now?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°No.¡± The corners of Hesper¡¯s lips curled upward, giving off a mocking smirk. ¡°Since I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, what¡¯s there to go back on? I just want to brand this expression of yours onto my brain to see how much it hurts when you get smacked in the face when the result of this test is out.¡± Rickard¡¯s expression dimmed, but he did not utter a single word. The doctor returned at this moment, and as soon as Hesper saw the equipment in her hands, her pupils constricted subconsciously. Before getting onto the bed for the examination, Hesper made her final request, ¡°Rickard Duval, it¡¯s fine by me if you want me to undergo this test, but I want you to promise me that you¡¯ll sign the divorce agreement after this procedure is over!¡± Rickard¡¯s brows creased, however, the more frequently she brought this issue up, the more suspicious he became. He nodded coldly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Swoosh¨C¡°The curtain was drawn in one smooth go. The doctor told Hesper unconcernedly. ¡°Take your clothes off and lie down.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°Otherwise, how do you expect me to run the test on you when you¡¯re this densely dressed?¡± Hesper¡¯s face turned pale. She had never undergone such a procedure, and she did not know what would be examined specifically, but because of the doctor¡¯s words and attitude, she felt somewhat resistant and nervous. After struggling for a long time, she bit the bullet and did as instructed, but just as sheid down, she felt an instant pain in her lower abdomen. ¡°Ahh, it hurts!¡± Hesper could not help but let out a soft cry. The doctor sneered coldly. ¡°What¡¯s with the shriek? You¡¯ve already given birth to a child, so how are you still afraid of an examination ?¡± Hesper did not say anything to refute. The doctor¡¯s attitude felt a little strange to her, and she only wished to go through the embarrassing examination as soon as possible. But as the examination went on, Hesper burst into tears of pain. She kept on telling herself that she was experiencing all this because of Rickard, so everything would be fine as long as she managed to endure the procedure. After a long time, the excruciating sensation finally disappeared. And as soon as Hesper got off the bed and stood up, Rickard strode in from the other side of the curtain. ¡°How is it?¡± He took a nce at all the equipment present and heard Hesper¡¯s painful cries, so he dashed in immediately, fearing that something. might have happened. The doctor turned into apletely different person in an instant. She put on a smile, seeming to be extremely keen. ¡°Mr. Duval, please give us a few minutes. The result will be out soon.¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 A minuteter, Hesper¡¯s examination results emerged from the slit in front of the printer. With just one glimpse, the doctor exined to Rickard with a strange expression, ¡°Mr. Duval, we¡¯ve found fluid residual in Mrs. Duval¡¯s vaginal cavity¡­ And the test result shows that it¡¯s not blood nor ordinary vaginal discharge.¡± Rickard¡¯s expression turned gloomy instantly. ¡®If it¡¯s not blood nor her vaginal discharge, what else could it be?¡¯ ¡°How dare you¡­¡± Rickard¡¯s bloodshot eyes were fixed on Hesper, infuriated. After hearing so much argument from her before this, he had started to really think that she was innocent. However, it turned out to only be an excuse for fearing that her filthy doing would be revealed! ¡°Hesper Rivera, you whore!¡± ¡°This is impossible, there must be a misunderstanding!¡± Hesper trembled from head to toe. She knew her own body inside out. She clearly remembered that the person who drugged herst night did not seed, and she had never done anything to betray her marriage. ¡°Doctor, did you make a mistake during the examination?¡± ¡°Mrs. Duval, you¡¯d better stop, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation. I¡¯ve been a doctor for more than two decades, and I always take my patient¡¯s conditions very seriously. I¡¯m only giving you the truth based solely on the test results, so don¡¯t nder me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, but I really didn¡¯t¡­¡± Hesper could not argue anymore. At that moment, she had already forgotten about the humiliation that she was facing and only wanted to find out the truth. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Rickard abruptly let out a hoarse roar and continued with extreme disgust beaming from the bottom of his eyes. ¡°Hesper Rivera, this is it. Just how much longer are you nning to put on an act and resort to sophistry? If I had¡¯t insisted on bringing you here for an examination, would you hide it from me for the rest of your lifetime?¡± ¡°What have I and the Duvals done to deserve such a filthy wife like you?!¡± He scoffed to himself and exited the room. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be the case, there must be a misunderstanding!¡± Hesper wanted to exin herself; she was not prepared to let others tarnish her innocence. But as soon as she got close to Rickard, she was pushed to the ground by his bodyguards. Rickard red at her as if he was looking at an arch-enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me. You¡¯re as filthy as any human can possibly be!¡± Hesper¡¯s pride was hit so hard that she stumbled backward and bumped into a warm embrace. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Having failed to meet up with his contact, Matthew was so annoyed that he got a headache, which was why he hade to the hospital to get his hands on some medicine for his condition. But what he did not expect to see was Hesper getting shoved by someone else. ¡°Who is he? Is he an aplice of those people fromst night?¡± Upon hearing the question, Rickard¡¯s eyes narrowed instantly. ¡°How do you know what happened to her yesterday? Are you the one who saved her?¡± Matthew still did not know what was happening yet. His expression looked calm and unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I only lifted a finger.¡± However, Rickard waved his hand, motioning his guards to surround the stranger. ¡°So it¡¯s indeed you. Since you¡¯ve presented yourself to us, you can forget about leaving now!¡± Matthew¡¯s expression twitched, but before he could say anything, his assistant who was standing next to him responded to the bodyguards ¡® actions. ¡°I must say, you people have some guts. But do you know who this man is? How dare you fence him in?¡± Rickard took a cold nce at the man standing in the center of his men for a while; he did not know who he was, but he somehow looked rather familiar. And within a few seconds, Matthew¡¯s assistant had already notified and summoned their bodyguards who were standing by in the shadows. Soon, the two groups of men were getting ready to confront each other. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At this time, someone whispered something to Rickard right into his ear, and the way he looked at Matthew changed almost instantly. ¡°I see, you¡¯re Matthew Lane, the infamous young master of the Lanes from Emperion.¡± Matthew looked at him indifferently, and there seemed to be a hint of wrath shing across his eyes. ¡°So, do you still n to get your men to make a move?¡± Rickard pressed his tongue against his upper mrs. ¡®I¡¯m not afraid of this bastard, but I don¡¯t want to make a huge fuss out of this matter. Otherwise, if word of Hesper having an extramarital affair with this man were to get out into the public, that¡¯s the end of the Duvals¡¯ reputation!¡¯ Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rickard turned around indifferently and left with his bodyguards. Matthew¡¯s assistant signaled their men to back down too. The oppressive feeling in the air was instantly relieved. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Matthew gazed at Hesper, he had never been a nosy person, but he had met her on three asions in just two days, and it had managed to get more embarrassing with each encounter. Such fate had piqued his curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between you and that man from just now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± Hesper gave off a wry smile and thanked him again earnestly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to have caused you more trouble.¡± Seeing that she did not want to share anything, Matthew did not go further with his questions, and his indifferent expression remained unchanged. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± At this time, Hesper suddenly recalled the matter that took ce at the precinctst night and hesitated before she said, ¡°Sir, I know this request of mine may sound a little abrupt, but can I trouble you to make a journey to the precinct and testify for me if you¡¯re free?¡± She told him the ins-and-out of the whole story, but before Matthew could respond to her request, his assistant who was standing beside him frowned. ¡°Just who do you think you are? Our young master is a busy man. What makes you think he¡¯d have the time to help you with such trivial matters?¡± Hesper¡¯s face turned pale. She understood that her request was quite an imposition, but if she did not have any witnesses attesting to her story, the police would never investigate further. ¡®If this is the case, the real culprit behind all these shenanigans will continue to be atrge.¡¯ ¡°Shut up.¡± Matthew reprimanded his assistant in a deep voice, then turned and looked at Hesper. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make time to pay the precinct a visitter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hesper burst into tears of gratitude. ¡°Thank you so much. I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡± She did not expect that this man, who seemed to have an extraordinary background, would be willing to trouble himself for her. Hesper quickly took out her cell phone. ¡°This is my number. I really don¡¯t know what can I do to repay you for all your help, so if you ever need anything in the future, I¡¯ll surely do whatever is in my power to help you out!¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± The assistant wanted to stop Matthew from doing so. ¡®How can the young master give his phone number to someone else so casually?¡¯ But Matthew exchanged contact information with Hesper as if he did not hear him at all. After she left, the assistant could not bear it anymore. ¡°Sir, why would you help her? You even exchanged phone numbers with her?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Everyone knows that the young master is an indifferent and ruthless man. He¡¯s never been a soft- hearted person, let alone showcased so much love all of a sudden.¡¯ ¡®But when ites to that woman, exceptions just keep on appearing over and over again.¡± Matthew looked at the figure that was leaving the hospital with a dimmed andplicated gaze. ¡°What would you know? If Rachael is still alive, she should be around that age. I¡¯m helping that woman only because I want to do good on Rach¡¯s behalf. Hopefully, everyone she meets in her life will treat her kindly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, I might be too petty to be able to understand your intentions.¡± As soon as the Lanes¡¯ missing daughter was mentioned, everything instantly made sense to Matthew¡¯s assistant, and he bowed his head guiltily. Matthew continued indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go already. Since our contact doesn¡¯t want to show up, go grab me some pills for my headache and we¡¯ll go back to Emperion.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Back in the Duvals¡¯ residence. When Hesper returned home, Rickard was not there, but Madam Duval, Sophia, and Juniper were sitting in the huge living room. When the three of them saw her, they immediately started mocking her. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡°Stop right there! You just flushed the Duvals¡¯ reputation down the toilet, yet you¡¯re actually shameless enough toe back here?!¡± A porcin mug was thrown at Hesper¡¯s feet, and the expression on Madam Duval¡¯s face looked vicious and spiteful. Sophia immediately seconded her mother¡¯s disapproval. ¡°That¡¯s right. If I were to havemitted such a shameful act, I would¡¯ve jumped straight off a building and ended my disgraceful self long ago. Please enlighten me, just how did you muster the courage to bring yourself to the precinct andunch a police report? You even had the confidence toe back and roam freely around your inw¡¯s house as if nothing¡¯s happened?¡± Hesper stared at the mother and daughter without making a single noise. She knew very well deep down that those two men would not have made her a target out of the blue for no reason. ¡®Those bastards were most probably instigated by these two. And judging from the morally righteous tone that they¡¯re adopting while using me, they make it seem like they¡¯re 100 percent sure that they own the moral high ground here. But anyone who¡¯s not blind and knows them should know that they¡¯re just two whores who are putting on a show to stay out of this whole farce.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± She red coldly at the two of them, and her piercing gaze actually looked rather deterrent. She then scoffed and continued, ¡°You two and I, we know very well what the truth looks like behind all these righteous usations of yours. Is your conscience really as crystal clear as you¡¯re making it out to be when you¡¯re putting up such an act? Aren¡¯t you two afraid that you¡¯ll be sent straight down to hell when your times are up?¡± Madam Duval had always been a religious person, so she had always taken karma and the afterlife very seriously. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Hearing this, her expression dimmed in an instant. Wanting to defend her mother, Sophia stepped forward immediately to give her a p her in order to teach her a lesson. ¡°You, shut your trap! You can¡¯t even remember who you slept with and you actually have the guts to talk back to mother and me?!¡± Hesper reacted instantaneously, grabbing her tightly by the wrist and stopping her from getting any closer. ¡°You keep on iming that I slept with some random man, but I know for sure that I didn¡¯t! As for you, what makes you think that you¡¯re in a position to rebuke me on this matter? You¡¯re just a woman who¡¯s been in and out of countless rtionships and has been upholding a private life that¡¯s no less than chaotic. I bet you¡¯ve gone through several abortions in quite a few of the local hospitals, haven¡¯t you? So you might think you have the moral high ground here, but do you really have the ground to criticize me?¡± ¡°Nonsense! What are you talking about?!¡± Sophia was shocked. ¡®Those are all my private affairs and I¡¯ve made sure that all information rted to these matters is very well hidden, so how did this b*tch know about them?¡¯ However, there was no way that she would admit her doings. She gnashed her teeth and raised her voice. ¡°Do you still n to pretend that nothing¡¯s happened? We already know about the results of your physical examination. The doctor already mentioned that they¡¯ve found a foreign fluid sample of unknown origin in your body! Yeah, you hear me right, a fluid sample of unknown origin!¡± Sophia deliberately ced a lot of emphasis on her tone while uttering thest sentence, as if she was trying to imply something. Hesper still could not figure out what had gone wrong with the test results, but looking at Sophia¡¯s arrogant expression, she could not help but feel that something seemed fishy. ¡°How do you know my test result?¡± ¡®It¡¯s obvious that Rickard hasn¡¯te back home, and even if he had, he would never disclose the news to his family members. No one knows better than I do just how big that man¡¯s ego is.¡¯ ¡°I¡­ Isn¡¯t it obvious that Dick is the one who told us about it?¡± A hint of trepidation shed across Sophia¡¯s eyes. However, Hesper was not someone who would be easily fooled. ¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give him a call and ask him about this now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call him!¡± Sophia panicked and forcibly snatched her cell phone from her palm. Seeing that the mother and daughter still could not get the upper hand after all the attempts, Juniper taunted Hesper. ¡°Why are you doing this? Everyone knows what you¡¯ve done now, so even if you try. to talk back to Madam Duval and Sophia, you¡¯re not fooling anyone. I think you should stop putting up a fight and admit your mistake. Maybe Madam Duval and Sophia will let this matter slide for the sake of your baby.¡± ¡°Can you stop being such a b*tch?¡± Hesper had tried to ignore her for as long as possible, but she could no longer bear it anymore. ¡°This is the Duvals¡¯ ce, not the Wights¡¯. So you, the youngdy of the Wights, just came back from abroad after such a long time, but instead of staying in your own home with your family, you¡¯ve been staying here at the Duvals¡¯ shamelessly all day, every day. Please don¡¯t tell me that you and Sophia are such close friends. Or are you staying here because you wish to run into someone else more frequently?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong? I¡¯m not done with you! Even if Rickard and I are going through a harsh period now, I¡¯m still the rightful hostess of this vi. So, let me make this clear once and for all, you are not wee here! So get out of here!¡± Hesper did not even give her a chance to speak at all. Juniper did not expect that she would do this all of a sudden, so her cheeks flushed. ¡°So this is it, this is it. You¡¯ve finally shown your true color!¡± Madam Duval, furious, pointed at Hesper¡¯s face and yelled, ¡°Just who do you think you are? How dare you address yourself as the hostess of this household? You¡¯ll never be such a thing as long as I¡¯m here, so get out!¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Madam Duval was ruthless and did not show her any respect. Ignoring her words, Hesper took a nce at everyone present and went upstairs without uttering a single word. When she came to the baby¡¯s room, she immediately locked the door, took out the voice recording pen she had prepared before entering the vi, and held it tightly in the palm of her hand. After being treated unfairly so many times, Hesper had learned to prepare herself for such situations at all times. She deliberately provoked them only because she was waiting for them to blurt out the truth. Although the mother and daughter did not mention any actual evidence during the whole conversation, their tone and attitude were already enough to prove just how miserable her life was in this household. ¡°Baby, mommy will definitely obtain concrete evidence to prove them wrong.¡± Hesper hugged the child tightly in her embrace, left the room, and made another copy of the recording on another recording pen, leaving one of the pens in Rickard¡¯s study. However, the news that Juniper had fallen ill reached Rickard¡¯s ear before he found out about the recording pen. ¡°Dick, this is bad. Hesper humiliated Juni earlier in the evening, causing Juni to run back home in the heavy rain without leaving a message behind. Because of that, she fell ill on her way back and fainted on the side of the road. Thank God one of our servants found her and brought her back here.¡± 2 Sophia¡¯s voice echoed in the living room. Hesper did not hear what the person on the other end of the phone call said, but judging from the speed at which Sophia hung up the call, Rickard must have promised her toe home immediately. She nced at Sophia coldly, and the two exchanged gazes; a war between the two seemed Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. imminent. ¡°Hesper Rivera, just you wait. Dick won¡¯t let you off so easily this time.¡± When they crossed paths at the stairwell, Sophia threatened her and continued to go upstairs to take care of Juniper. Soon, Rickard¡¯s car appeared and stopped in the yard. ¡°Where¡¯s Juniper? How is she doing?¡± Before the man entered the vi, everyone in the building could already hear his voice. Rickard hurried into the living room with a gloomy and cold aura. Sophia had been waiting for his arrival for a long time. As soon as she saw him, her eyes turned bloodshot, and she called out, ¡°Dick, Juni is¡­¡± Judging solely from the expression that she was giving off, anyone¡¯ who did not know the details of Juniper¡¯s condition might think that she was so sick that she was about to die. Rickard was taken aback, and his brows were creased. ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better for you to go to her room and see for yourself¡­¡± Sophia cried and shook her head vigorously. Rickard could not figure out what she was trying to say, so he rushed toward the guest room with her. Hesper nced coldly at the brother and sister and followed them to the guest room without saying a word. She wanted to know just what kind of y those women would put forward this time around. In the guest room. Juniper¡¯s cheeks looked flushed, her cheeks and forehead were covered with beads of sweat, and although her eyes were tightly closed, her whole body could not help but tremble as if she was being mentally haunted by a nightmare. She kept on murmuring, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Rickard leaned closer to listen, but did not hear anything. He then turned to ask Sophia, ¡°What is she talking about? What didn¡¯t she do?¡± Sophia immediately dramatized the details, pinched her sleeves, and continued to exin aggrievedly, ¡°This is all Hesper¡¯s fault. She was afraid that you¡¯d do something to her to vent your anger after she came back from the hospital, so she deliberately ndered all of us. She even imed that Juni is the one who nned the whole incident. to frame her. She also said that Juni has chosen to stay here because she wants to seduce you and added that she¡¯s even more shameless than a whore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone who gets ndered like this could bear such grievances, let alone Juni. So she ran out of the house despite the heavy rain and fell and fainted. ording to the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, Juni might be severely depressed. That¡¯s why she¡¯s still in aa.¡± ¡°Hesper Rivera¡­¡± Rickard gnashed his teeth and uttered Hesper¡¯s name repetitively. He then swept his keen gaze across the room and saw Hesper standing behind the crowd. He strode over and dragged her out of the crowd, confronting her. Tell me, is it true?¡± Hesper responded calmly and answered quickly, ¡°No.¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 But her calmness infuriated Rickard. He clenched his hands tightly, so much so that his knuckles gave off cracking noises. ¡°Juniper has fallen ill because of you, and you still have the guts to deny everything?¡± Hesperughed out loud abruptly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s asking me if I did it. I¡¯m telling you that I didn¡¯t, but still, you choose not to believe me. Must I be the person who¡¯s caused her to fall sick? Do you really think that I have such great capabilities that I cany a finger on the regal Ms. Wight?¡± A hint of hesitation shed across Rickard¡¯s face, but at that moment, two women entered the room, supporting Madam Duval. ¡°You slut, how dare you lie in front of so many witnesses! So many servants in the vi saw with their own eyes how you talked back to me and humiliated Sophia and Juniper!¡± With snot and tears dribbling down all orifices on her face, she cried- as sheined to Rickard, ¡°Dick, she also said that even though she slept with another man, she¡¯s still your legitimate wife and the hostess of this household, so she can do whatever she wants here! She even chased Juniper out and prohibited her froming here again.¡± ¡°¡­Hesper Rivera, how dare you?¡± Rickard was furious. ¡®How dare she say so?! After betraying our marriage, she¡¯s still shameless enough to go around the house humiliating my family members?¡¯ The man stood up in a split second, and the merciless aura emanating from his body made everyone present tremble as if they had just seen a devil. Even Hesper was a little frightened at that moment. She took two steps backward subconsciously. ¡°What do you n to do to me?¡± ¡°Smack¨C¡°The only response that she got was a p that the man standing in front of her wielded at her with all his might. Rickard was exasperated. ¡°Hesper Rivera, have I been showing you too much leniency over all your time here? So much so that it¡¯s caused you to act so recklessly around my family! From now on, you¡¯re to kneel in the yard until the moment Juniper wakes up!¡± The force of the p pushed Hesper to the side. She fell onto the cold floor, and the only thing that she could see at that moment was Madam Duval and her daughter¡¯s insolent expressions as they witnessed the whole incident go down and the servants¡¯ mocking gazes. All those expressions just showed her that she, Hesper Rivera, was just a piece of garbage that anyone in this vi could kick around as they liked! She was infuriated. She had never been this enraged. Hesper bit her lips tightly, and her sharp nails dug into in her palms, to the extent that she was about to pierce her flesh with her own nails. She roared with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Why would I do such a thing? I¡¯m a human being, not some piece of garbage. What makes you think that you can do whatever you want to me? I¡¯ve brought divorce up more than once, and you¡¯re the one who refuses to divorce me! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trapping me in this cage and making me suffer all kinds of bullying from your family members, and now you actually want to punish me?!¡± Seeing that she was still talking about the divorce at such a moment, all of Rickard¡¯s sanity was engulfed by pure, wrath. He sneered. ¡°Okay, you want a divorce so badly, don¡¯t you? Today, I¡¯ll help you make this dream of yourse true!¡± He pushed everyone out of his way, strode to his study and, from below stacks of documents that were However, because of his rage and overwhelming strength, he identally dropped the recording pen that wasying on all the documents. The recording pen fell to the ground and rolled along the side of the wall. At that moment, Rickard was not in the mood to care about a tiny item that fell off his desk, so he walked out of the study without looking back. ¡°Open your eyes and look at this carefully. This is the divorce agreement that you think about all the time! Who do you think you are? Do you really think I won¡¯t divorce you?¡± ¡°Swoosh¨C¡± The man lifted his hand and the divorce agreement scattered from his hands, smacking directly onto Hesper¡¯s face. A sharp edge of one of the sheets of paper cut her pale and delicate skin, and a single, tiny droplet of blood seeped out of the slit immediately. Hesper remained motionless as she stared at the papers slicing through the air and falling to the ground. ¡®He¡­ He actually handed me the divorce agreement that I¡¯ve been asking him for all this time.¡¯ Hesper felt that she should beughing with joy at that moment, but she could not for some reason. Because no matter what she had said in the past, the man just would not let her go, but now he was doing so willingly only because of another woman. ¡®Just¡­ How much more ironic can this be?¡¯ Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 In the crowded guest room, Hesper knelt on the floor and picked up the divorce agreements sheet by sheet andpiled them. ¡®This is my ticket out of the Duvals. It¡¯s also a turning point in my life where I get the fresh start that I deserve, so no matter how humiliating this is, I can¡¯t let it slip through my fingers.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for the agreement. I¡¯ll sign it and hand it back to youter.¡± Hesper then stood up and turned around, ready to leave without saying a word. Rickard was fuming. ¡°Who gave you permission to leave!¡± There was not even a trace of warmth in the Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. reprimanding tone. ¡°I¡¯ve made it very clear that you¡¯re to kneel in the yard to apologize!¡± ¡°Rickard Duval, you¡¯d better not push your luck.¡± ¡°Is that a no?¡± He gave off a malevolent smirk. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to kneel, that¡¯s fine by me. However, if that¡¯s your choice, you¡¯ll be deprived of your rights to visit your son from today onward!¡± Hesper gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Aside from threatening me, what else could you do?! Rickard Duval, are you even a man?¡± Rickard¡¯s expression looked cold and stern. He did not care what she had to say; all he wanted was to force her into submission. ¡®If she¡¯s willing to admit her mistake and apologize now, and stop bringing divorce up all the time, I can consider taking my words back at any moment.¡¯ However- ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll kneel! But Rickard Duval, you¡¯d better keep your promise!¡± Hesper exited the room and knelt in the middle of the yard under all the watchful eyes of the Duvals and everyone who was working in the vi. Nobody knew when it started, but the rain started to get heavier and heavier as soon as she started kneeling out in the open. It managed topletely drench her clothes in under a minute. When Madam Duval and Sophia saw this scene, they could not help but reveal mocking smirks through the corners of their lips. ¡®At this point, it¡¯s impossible for Hesper and Dick to reconcile their rtionship. Plus, the divorce agreement has already been signed, so she¡¯ll soon be driven out of the Duvals and no longer be part of the family.¡¯ Seeing that her long-standing wish was finally going to be actualized, Sophia was so exhrated that she could hardly conceal her emotions. Rickard nced coldly at her at that moment, causing her to panic instantly. She could not retract her smirk in time, so her expression. became very awkward-looking. Fortunately, Rickard was not in the mood to care about her at all and left the room angrily. In the courtyard. ¡®This is not the first time I¡¯ve been asked to kneel as a form of punishment. That bastard has used my baby to threaten me multiple times in the past. ¡®I¡¯ve had enough of being ndered and bullied by the family members without any evidence. The quality of my life here at the Duvals¡¯ is, without a doubt, worse than being in hell. ¡®Perhaps our marriage was a mistake from the very beginning. I shouldn¡¯t have kept my hopes up high that Rickard would fall for me someday.¡± Her heart was cold, but the tears streaming down her cheeks were warm. Under the heavy downpour, Hesper could only weep silently. She wept for herself and also for those countless days and nights when she got no concern from anyone living in the Duvals¡¯ residence. ¡°Mr. Duval, do you really want Mrs. Duval to continue to kneel like that out there?¡± In the study, Benji stood behind Rickard with a worried look. Located directly in front of them was a huge French window, through which one could clearly see Hesper kneeling in the rain. Benji continued to persuade him. ¡°The youngdy is very weak. If she were to continue to kneel in the rain, she might not be able to bear it. Maybe you can consider allowing her to get up ande back in?¡± ¡°Benji, since when did you be so soft-hearted?¡± Rickard¡¯s gaze looked unforgiving. He walked up to the wine cab and poured himself arge ss full of red wine. Raising his head, he drank it in a gulp while letting off a hint of ruthlessness through the corners of his eyes. ¡°I want to let her in too, but do you think she looks like someone who knows she¡¯s at fault in this matter? She¡¯s the one who got drugged and slept with some random man, but she still has the courage to humiliate Sophia and Juniper. Who does she think she is, and who gave her permission to betray me and our marriage?¡± Benji did not follow him to the hospital earlier, so he did not know the details regarding the matter, but he heard the result from the others during the showdown in the guest room. Hence, he hesitated for a bit, and his tone sounded rather cautious. ¡°Mr. Duval, is there any misunderstanding here? The young mistress really doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would cheat on you. You should know her feelings for you over the years better than anyone else.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 For a short moment, Rickard pinched the wine ss tightly. ¡®Hesper¡¯s feelings for me? That was a long time ago, and judging from what she¡¯s been doing recently, I can no longer believe in her.¡¯ ¡°If you feel so sorry for her, you can go down there and kneel with her!¡± Rickard said coldly, shutting Benji¡¯s mouth immediately. The two continued to stare at Hesper silently. She remained in a straight posture from the beginning to the end as if it was the only thing she could do to protect her dignity. A long time went by, and the sky slowly darkened. Hesper was tottering in the rain when a pair of spotless leather shoes. appeared in front of her all of a sudden. Hesper slowly lifted her gaze, and the first thing that entered her vision was Rickard. He was standing in the rain with a ck umbre, staring at her indifferently. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done wrongly?¡± Hesper opened her mouth, felt a burning sensation on her lips as if they were being torn apart from each other, and said with difficulty, ¡°I I¡¯ve done nothing wrong.¡± The man¡¯s expression dimmed instantly. Benji persuaded her anxiously. ¡°Mrs. Duval, please just give in to Mr. Duval! It¡¯s raining cats and dogs now. Your body won¡¯t be able to take this any longer. If you were to fall sickter on, you¡¯re the one who would suffer!¡± Hesper turned a deaf ear. After kneeling in the rain for so long, her mind was already a haze, causing her to not be able to think quickly. However, the only thing that she still knew at the moment was that the Duvals were the ones who did her wrong! Seeing that she was so unrepentant, Rickard finally lost his patience.¡± Okay, since you wish to continue kneeling here, then I¡¯ll grant you your wish! No one is allowed to help her up or let her in without my order!¡± Hesper gave off an extremely sarcastic smirk. Soon, the yard was quiet again. The only sound that Hesper could hear was the sound of raindrops crashing against the roof and ground. Everyone else hid from the rain in the vi as they watched Hesper, the former youngdy of the Duvals, kneeling in the courtyard in such a state of embarrassment. Finally, Hesper could not hold on any longer. Just when she was on the verge of cking out, a phone call brought her back. ¡°Ms. Rivera.¡± Matthew greeted her while he was on his way to the airport. Having recalled Hesper¡¯s request before leaving the country, he had been to the precinct and was giving her a call. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked me to do, so all the best with the rest.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Thank¡­¡± Hesper opened her mouth with extreme difficulty but in the next second, her body tilted to the front and she fell straight onto the ground. Hearing a loud thud, Matthew paused for a split second, pondered, and asked, ¡°Ms. Rivera? Are you okay?¡± Hesper¡¯s cheekscerated against the ground, and her hands and knees were all flushed and swollen. Half of her face wasying against the wet ground; this was her first time getting so close to the ground. Hesper gave off a wry scoff. ¡°Mr. Lane, I might have to trouble you again¡­¡± Hesper could no longer get up after losing bnce and falling to the ground. Benji could not help but tell Rickard about the situation that Hesper was in. Just as he finally decided to go out and take a look at her, a limited edition Rolls-Royce suddenly rushed into the courtyard and stopped in front of everyone. Matthew came down from the car with an umbre. He took a few steady steps toward Hesper and finally stopped in front of the person who wasying on the ground in the rain. ¡°Ms. Rivera?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± She let off a feeble smile. Her face looked as pale as death as if she was about to die at any time now. Matthew frowned. ¡°How did you get yourself into such a situation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to have troubled you again.¡± Every part of her body was in excruciating pain. Her head hurt so much that she felt like it was already on the brink of exploding. Hesper did not want to die here, so during the call from earlier, she asked him to take her away from this hell on Earth. At first, Matthew only came over to take a look out of curiosity, but he did not expect the situation to be this grave. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He picked her up bridal style. ¡°Stop talking already. I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Seeing Hesper being picked up and carried by another man with his own eyes, Rickard¡¯s gaze turned gloomy. ¡°Stop right there.¡± He dashed forward so quickly that Benji, who was holding the umbre for him, could not even react in time and keep up with his pace. Before anyone else present could react, Rickard had already rushed into the rain and stood in front of N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Matthew, blocking their way. ¡®He¡¯s the man who made things difficult for Hesper in the hospital earlier today.¡¯ Matthew remembered Rickard; he had never had a good impression of men who liked to bully women. ¡°Step aside,¡± he said as his ck windbreaker rattled in the cold wind. ¡°Over my dead body!¡± The atmosphere between the two men was tense. Rickard grinned ferociously. ¡°Do you know who I am? The woman that you¡¯re holding in your arms is my rightful wife! And you¡¯re asking me to step aside?¡± A hint of astonishment shed across Matthew¡¯s eyes. He then lowered his head and stared at Hesper. ¡®Judging solely from how they¡¯ve been interacting with each other, it¡¯s almost impossible to tell that the two of them are husband and wife.¡¯ Hesper leaned weakly in Matthew¡¯s arm and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to youter. Please take me away from this ce now.¡± ¡°Hesper Rivera!¡± Exasperated, Rickard instantly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. ¡°Is there any sense of shame left in you? You¡¯re still one of the Duvals and I¡¯m still your husband! And you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re nning to leave this ce with another man?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough- Hesper had never felt this fatigued before. The freezing rain had drenched her inside out, and the bone-piercing cold and lethargy seemed to emanate from the core of every single cell within her. She stared at Rickard and uttered one word after another. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve signed the divorce agreement; it¡¯s in the nursery room. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can get someone to go and check it out. So no matter where I want to go or who I want to go with, you no longer have the right to interfere.¡± Rickard¡¯s body swayed and almost lost bnce. ¡®I remember it now. I saw her entering the nursery room before she came out here and started kneeling. I originally thought she was worried about the baby, but I never expected her to secretly sign the agreement in the room! ¡®Pfft, she really doesn¡¯t want to waste any more time here, not even a second more.¡¯ ¡°Alright, with that being said, can you step aside already?¡± Matthew¡¯s tone sounded extremely cold, not because he wanted to go against Rickard, but because he could feel Hesper¡¯s body getting colder and colder. ¡®If her condition continues to deteriorate, this woman might freeze to death.¡¯ Rickard was still as stubborn as he usually was and refused to give in. He continued to block their way indifferently and ordered Benji to go inside and grab the agreement. After a long time, he proceeded to say, ¡°Even though the agreement has been signed, we haven¡¯t undergone the official divorce procedures yet. So legally speaking, we¡¯re still husband and wife. Thus, you¡¯re not allowed to leave this vi without my permission!¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze dimmed. ¡°Rickard, why do you insist on keeping me here? What¡¯s the point?¡± She took a nce at the vi coldly; she really wanted to vent all the anger that had been umting within her for a long time. ¡°The feelings that we once had for each other are long gone, and since day one, I¡¯ve never cared about the privileges that I can get as Mrs. Duval. I¡¯ve also epted and carried out all the punishments that you imposed on me. Now all I ask of you is to please not show up in my life ever again! Can you do that?!¡± Madam Duval and Sophia, who arrived at the scene at that moment, pointed at Hesper angrily and shouted, ¡°Dick, since she wants to leave, just let her go! She¡¯s left her signature on the divorce agreement and handed it back to you, so she¡¯s no longer one of us!¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, she¡¯s now cuddling with another man right in front of you, so who knows just how many men she¡¯s been with behind your back!¡± Juniper held onto his sleeve tightly,forting him and coughing at the same time. ¡°Rickard, just let her go. It¡¯s time for you to let yourself go too. This marriage between you two was a mistake from the very beginning. Plus, you¡¯ve never loved her, have you? So now that she wants to leave you, we can take this opportunity to start over. Back then, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll always love me?¡± A trace of struggle shed across Rickard¡¯s expression. Hesper took onest nce at him, turned her head around, andid back in Matthew¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hearing that, Matthew strode away immediately. When they were passing by, Rickard stretched his hand out but, in the end, put it down. In the heavy rain, Hesper lifted her head and took a nce at the man who was still frozen in ce, not knowing what was going through. his mind. However, Juniper suddenly lost consciousness and fell onto Rickard. He supported her and disappeared from the yard immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore,¡± a man¡¯s voice came from above. ¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Matthew¡¯s eyes were dark. Even though her words were harsh, his chest felt warm when she leaned into his chest. He felt her tears. ¡°I¡¯m not crying, I¡¯m just happy.¡± Hesper sniffled and tried to force a smile, then got out of his embrace. Matthew didn¡¯t call her out but instead calmly said, ¡°My ne will be flying out today, so this is all I can do to help. What do you n to do after this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve already helped me a lot.¡± Hesper sincerely thanked him. If it weren¡¯t for him, Rickard wouldn¡¯t have let her walk away so easily. So even thought she didn¡¯t have a n, she wouldn¡¯t want to trouble him any longer. ¡°I¡¯ll spend some time at my friend¡¯s ce and find a stable job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good n.¡± Matthew nodded and nced at his watch. His ne would be taking off soon. ¡°Goodbye.¡± He turned around and got into the car. Hesper was still smiling and waving goodbye when the door closed. Matthew didn¡¯t say anything. He could tell that Hesper was just pretending to be strong, but since they didn¡¯t know each other, he had already gone above and beyond just by helping her. However, as he saw her getting smaller due to the distance, his heart sank. ¡°Stop the car,¡± he finally said to the driver with a sigh. ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± The driver didn¡¯t understand, but Matthew didn¡¯t exin. Hesper was just leaving when she saw the Rolls Royce driving back. Matthew¡¯s eyes were dark. Even though her words were harsh, his chest felt warm when she leaned into his chest. He felt her tears. ¡°I¡¯m not crying, I¡¯m just happy.¡± Hesper sniffled and tried to force a smile, then got out of his embrace. Matthew didn¡¯t call her out but instead calmly said, ¡°My ne will be flying out today, so this is all I can do to help. What do you n to do after this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve already helped me a lot.¡± H¨¦sper sincerely thanked him. If it weren¡¯t for him, Rickard wouldn¡¯t have let her walk away so easily. So even thought she didn¡¯t have a n, she wouldn¡¯t want to trouble him any longer. ¡°I¡¯ll spend some time at my friend¡¯s ce and find a stable job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good n.¡± Matthew nodded and nced at his watch. His ne would be taking off soon. ¡°Goodbye.¡± He turned around and got into the car. Hesper was still smiling and waving goodbye when the door closed. Matthew didn¡¯t say anything. He could tell that Hesper was just pretending to be strong, but since they didn¡¯t know each other, he had already gone above and beyond just by helping her. However, as he saw her getting smaller due to the distance, his heart sank. ¡°Stop the car,¡± he finally said to the driver with a sigh. ¡°Turn around.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sir?¡± The driver didn¡¯t understand, but Matthew didn¡¯t exin. Hesper was just leaving when she saw the Rolls Royce driving back. ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± The window rolled down halfway and showed Matthew¡¯s cold but regal profile. ¡°I need your help with something.¡± Hesper was surprised. After a few seconds, when she found out what his request was, she frowned. ¡°Mr. Lane, you¡¯re saying that you want me to pretend to be your missing sister and go visit your grandpa?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The old man was very sick but was very regretful about the disappearance of Matthew¡¯s sister. His biggest wish before passing was to see her onest time. However, based on the information Matthew received, he was not at all close to finding her. If he went back without his sister, the old man would be very disappointed and might die from grief. That was why Matthew tabled the proposal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you just have to spend a little time with him. If my guess is right, you have nowhere to go. Your ex-husband might not just let you get away so easily. You should think about whether you want to leave with me or not.¡± Hesper had an internal struggle. Putting aside the fact that she had somewhere to go, Matthew did help her a lot, so when he asked for her help, she couldn¡¯t reject him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept that, but I have a request.¡± Matthew raised his brows after hearing what she had to say. 4 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 First Crest Hospital. Julian walked out of the hospital after getting a call from Hesper, and when he stopped walking, he was immediately pulled into a car. In the Rolls-Royce, Hesper, who had a clear, soft, fur coat wrapped around her, was looking at him along with Matthew. ¡°Hesper, what¡¯s this?¡± Julian frowned. When he noticed that she was wet, his tone changed. ¡°You were in the rain? Did Rickard bully you again? Also, what are you doing here?¡± n, I¡¯ll exinter. You need to leave with me now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julian was getting more and more confused. Hesper replied, ¡°I¡¯ve signed my divorce papers and I¡¯m no longer married to Rickard, but I¡¯m still worried. What if he holds a grudge and confronts you instead? Mr. Lane here is my friend. He arranged a ce for us to stay, so it¡¯s up to you whether you want toe along.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind leaving.¡± He was an orphan, with no family and nothing to miss in the city. Hesper was the only friend he had in the world, so he would go. wherever she went. ¡°But Hesper.¡± He looked worriedly at Matthew. This man had a strong presence and an expensive car. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that he was someone important. Why would a man like this help them? ¡°I understand your concern,n, but I trust him.¡± Hesper sounded confident, then joked about herself. ¡°And besides, no one would waste their time tricking me.¡± Julian wanted to say more, but then thought about it and realized that no matter how dangerous it was, leaving the Duvals would be good for her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you decide.¡± Hesper looked at Matthew. He still looked as calm as ever; even though he had been suspected of being a con, his expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Mr. Lane,n is in medicine. I hope that you could let him continue his career as a doctor in Emperion.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Matthew looked up. This was her request, just to bring one more person along. He thought that she would take the chance to ask for more, but it was a lot simpler than he had imagined. ¡°If we¡¯re seeing eye to eye on this, let¡¯s go. We won¡¯t be able to get on the initial flight, but I¡¯ve gotten in touch with a private jet, which is already here.¡± Right after he said that, their car drove to a wide, open area. The heavy rain had stopped without anyone noticing, and it was sunny. The air had the after-scent of the rain and there was even half a rainbow in the sky. It all seemed to be a good sign of their new beginning. ¡°You still have time to turn around.¡± Matthew gave Hesper one more chance before boarding the flight. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°After agreeing to something, I never turn back.¡± Hesper boarded. After she got onto the ne, she realized that it was very spacious inside, unlike the normal nes with rows and rows of seats. There were just two couches with genuine leather, a wine cooler, and a Matthew had clean clothes ready for Hesper, and there was also ginger tea. ¡°Take a rest after you change. I¡¯ll tell you when we get there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Matthew went into the work area with his assistant, Tanner. Once the door closed, Tanner immediately said, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you think this is too rash? How would Ms. Rivera be able to impersonate Ms. Lane?¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Matthew took a seat with a cold expression. ¡°What makes you think she can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Sir, Master Lane isn¡¯t someone you can easily google. He would definitely look into Ms. Rivera¡¯s past. What if he found out-¡± Before Tanner could finish, Matthew cut him off. ¡°So you need to wipe her records clean before he starts his investigation.¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± He was going to say something but halted when Matthew red at him. He had been around Matthew since he was in his teen years, so he knew Matthew very well. Knowing that the man had already made up his mind, he reluctantly said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s unlike you to be so impulsive. Could you tell me why you act so differently around Ms. Rivera?¡± Matthew¡¯s hand froze. He didn¡¯t know why. Whether it was looks or her status, it was nowhere close to the standard that would make him act impulsively. He didn¡¯t even want to get involved most of the time, but every time that happened, he would think of his sister. ¡°Maybe because she looks like my sister.¡± Tanner thought that it was a terrible reason. When Rachel went missing, she was just five or six. Ms. Rivera was an adult, so how could they look alike? However, he knew Matthew¡¯s personality, so he was smart enough to not pry. He turned around and started nning what would happenter. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. At the same time, Hesper changed into clean clothes. Julian looked at her and handed a cup of ginger tea to her. ¡°Hesper, I have a question. Is it really over between you and Rickard?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She took a sip. The tea was warm as, if it could warm her heart, and even the holes from being stabbed by needles didn¡¯t hurt as much anymore. ¡°We said that we would wait for grandpa to return, but they tried to get me in trouble one too many times. They tried to make me jump, then tried to kill me, and even drugged me. If I stay any longer, I might not live until the day hees back. I just feel sorry because he cares so much me but I left without even saying goodbye.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. They were too malicious.¡± Julian consoled her. You wouldn¡¯t have left if you had any other choice. But Hesper, the baby¡­¡± Hesper stopped breathing as her heart ached. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my future holds, so if I bring him along, he might suffer. I¡¯ll let him stay there for now and ask grandpa to take good care of him.¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s the only way, I guess¡­¡± After a few hours, theynded. Hesper dened with a nket wrapped around her. The ce looked foreign to her. She turned around and asked Matthew, ¡°Are we going straight to your home, Mr. Lane?¡± ¡°No.¡± He stretched out his hand and handed the document that Tanner prepared to her, then said, ¡°We¡¯re a big family, so it can get.plicated. To avoid exposing our secret, you need to learn more about them. Don¡¯t worry too much about it though; people would be suspicious if things were too perfect.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Matthew pointed at the vi in front of them and said in a low voice. You and your friend will stay there for now. I¡¯ll bring you to see my grandpa after I¡¯ve made arrangements.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hesper nodded, then Matthew left with Tanner. A helper walked over to invite them in. ¡°Pleasee with me, miss.¡± Hesper and Julian followed the helper and stepped into a new world. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 It was just as Hesper imagined. When Rickard/realized that he couldn¡¯t find her, he immediately went to the hospital. ¡°Mr. Duval, the hospital director said that Julian left a few hours ago.¡± Rickard¡¯s legs grew weak as he balled up his fists. She remembered to bring Julian along. She had everything figured out, except him and their child!! ¡°Keep investigating! Find her even if you need to dig into the ground!¡± Seeing him losing his temper, Benji wanted to ask why Hesper leaving would make him so angry but didn¡¯t in the end. Only Rickard would know the reason. Night fell and Rickard returned home tired after searching everywhere without finding her. Sophia and Junpier, who were waiting in the living room, immediately scolded him. ¡°Where have you been? Did you go search for Hesper? Let the woman leave. Why would you waste time searching for her?¡± Rickard looked at Sophia. The insult and disdain on her face made him feel disgusted. ¡°Shut your mouth. She¡¯s your sister-inw.¡± ¡°I-¡± Sophia wanted to refute but was stopped by Rickard¡¯s chilling gaze. When Juniper heard ¡®sister-inw¡¯, her heart shuddered and her eyes turned red. ¡°Rickard, did you catch feelings for her? Is her departure so important to you?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t speak because he didn¡¯t know the answer to that. He knew that when he realized that Hesper wasn¡¯ting back, his heart felt empty and it felt extremely ufortable. That emptiness seemed to only be able to be filled if he saw her again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she forced me to leave! If it wasn¡¯t because of her, we would have been married with Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. our own children! She broke us up and forced you to marry her. How could you fall for her!¡± Juniper shouted from the bottom of her heart. She had nned and done so much yet he didn¡¯t have her in his heart. Yes, Hesper was the problem behind everything. She was guilty and should be punished. Juniper was the innocent one, and now that Hesper was gone, he should make it up to her. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Rickard waved his hand and turned to walk to the study. A few minutes before he came in, the person who was in charge of cleaning up picked up the recording pen. After wiping it clean, she ced it in the pen holder, where it blended in with the other pens. It was impossible to distinguish it from the rest. As time went by, the pen and the secret it held were buried under dust. Three yearster. ¡°Young master, stop running or you¡¯ll fall.¡± The child that was just a baby had grown much taller. He loved running around after Benji in the garden, which gave Benji a lot of grief. ¡°Uncle Benji,e catch me.¡± The child kicked his little legs and was just getting started when a strict voice came from the balcony. ¡°Renfrew Duval!¡± ¡°Oh no, daddy ising.¡± The child turned pale and stood on the spot. After a few seconds, Rickard showed up at the balcony with a stoic expression, ying the part of a strict father. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times not to run around the garden. Didn¡¯t you hurt yourself enough the previous time when you fell? Did you forgot N?velDrama.Org is the owner. about that already?¡± Ren, feeling sad, waved his hand. ¡°No no, daddy. What are you doing outside? I¡¯m just ying with Uncle Benji. Right, Uncle Benji?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re just ying.¡± Benji forced a smile that looked worse than crying, but he didn¡¯t dare defy the child. Once, he didn¡¯t y along, and soon after that, the child nned his revenge and got him good. If it weren¡¯t for Rickard walking by and saving him, he might still be stuck in a tree. Rickard saw through their pretense and red at Ren. ¡°Go y by yourself. I need to speak to Uncle Benji.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the child quickly replied. He would say yes as long as he didn¡¯t get punished. In the study. Benji wiped the sweat off his forehead and politely said, ¡°Mr. Duval, our partnership with Lane Holdings is ending, but I heard that the person who took over this project is very enthusiastic. Who knows if something will change.¡± Sitting on the chair, Rickard was even more intimidating than he was three years ago. Time left experience and nothing more on him. ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes then. As long as the project is still avable, we¡¯ll be able to negotiate no matter who it changes to.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Benji was ready to leave when he was called back. An unnoticeable expression shed across Rickard¡¯s eyes. ¡°What about what I asked you to investigate? Is there still no information about¡­ her?¡± Benji quietly sighed. Ever since Mrs. Duval signed the divorce papers three years ago, Mr. Duval had not given up on finding her. However, the world was a huge ce, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find someone. Furthermore, Hesper was probably doing her best to avoid them, so there was no news about her whatsoever. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Duval.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Rickard slowly closed his eyes. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t want to see us. You can leave now.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Benji didn¡¯t know what more to say, so he turned and left. The study immediately fell quiet. The evening sun shone on his face, but it didn¡¯t make his loneliness look less. ¡°Hesper, even if you don¡¯t want to see me, don¡¯t you want to see your own son¡­¡± Rickard subconsciously rubbed the ring on his finger. That was what she left along with the divorce papers. It was funny thinking about it. He didn¡¯t want to get married, so he didn¡¯t get her a ring. Hesper bought this for herself. However, after she left and a few years had passed, he subconsciously started wearing it. Meanwhile, after Renfrew got off clean, he casually ate some fruits in the living room. There was some movement at the stairs, so he looked up. It was the annoying aunt, Sophia. ¡°What¡¯s that look, you little rascal?¡± Sophia didn¡¯t like him and never gave him a friendly look. She would put up a front when she was in front of Rickard, but in private, she always looked annoyed. The child was young but was very smart. He smiled without joy and said to his aunt, ¡°What do you mean? What did I do?¡± ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Sophia¡¯s temper suddenly rose, and she rushed over to pinch his cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t, Ms. Duval.¡± When she saw what was happening, Wanda immediately pulled Renfrew into her arms. ¡°Mr. Duval cares a lot about the young master. If you hurt him, Mr. Duval isn¡¯t going to let this go!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°You¡¯re threatening me?¡± Enraged, Sophia shouted, ¡°You old hag! Who do you think you are? How dare you threaten me? When Hesper was here, you kept kissing her feet, and now that she¡¯s left, you¡¯re doing the same with her son? Listen, this is the Duvals¡¯ residence, not the Riveras¡¯! You should know who your masters are!¡± ¡°I know, I know, I just don¡¯t want¡­¡± Wanda lowered her head humbly. However, Sophia didn¡¯t give her a chance to finish her sentence and pinched her. ¡°Alright, if you care so much about this little bastard, you¡¯ll suffer in his ce!¡± Again and again, Sophia¡¯s long nails dug into her. Wanda¡¯s arms started bruising and her tears welled up. ¡°Granny, please let go of me.¡± Ren couldn¡¯t stand seeing her suffer, so he escaped her grasp and kicked Sophia. ¡°Old witch! How could you bully us!¡± ¡°How dare you kick me!¡± Sophia found her chance. She reached out to grab his cor to teach him a lesson! The little boy easily evaded it. Seeing someone from the corner of his eyes, he immediately stood still. Sophia grabbed him and scoffed. ¡°Go ahead, kick me again. Weren¡¯t you fearless just now? Do it again!¡± Ren pretended to be annoyed, so Sophia yelled, ¡°How dare you re at me!¡± Immediately after that, she smacked him on his bottom. The p was loud. ¡°Sophia, what are you doing!¡± Rickard had walked over and seen everything. His pupils shrank. ¡°Dad, Aunt Sophia hit me.¡± The kid started crying and wiggled away from Sophia, running into his father¡¯s arms. ¡°Not only did she hit me, but she also attacked Granny Wanda too. Look at Granny Wanda¡¯s arm. Aunt Sophia did that! She tried to do that to me too! Granny protected me!¡± Rickard nced over and saw the dreadful bruises on her arm. If that happened to Renfrew, his child wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡°Sophia!¡± The man was infuriated. Sophia immediately begged for forgiveness. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the little shit. I didn¡¯t do anything to him!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Little shit?¡± Rickard repeated, his cold eyes stern. ¡°He¡¯s my son. What do you mean by calling him a little shit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Sophia wanted to exin, but it was toote. Rickard waved his arm and scolded. ¡°I guess you have nothing better to do at home since you¡¯re creating conflict. You¡¯re an adult now, so it¡¯s time for you to get married. We don¡¯t need trouble at home!¡± ¡°Rickard!¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t believe it. She didn¡¯t go overboard, but he was already forcing her to get married. ¡°No. I¡¯m not seeing anyone. I¡¯m not going to get married!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you.¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Rickard scoffed and left with Ren. Sophia started panicking and immediately went to talk to Juniper. Emperion, Reverie Vi. Hesper quietly pruned the branches of her rose nt. Three of her assistants followed behind her and held up all kinds of tools. They were all very respectful. In the past three years, Hesper had be Rachael Lane. Master Lane loved her, and with Matthew¡¯s support, she became an important person. When she first came to Emperion, she lived in Reverie Vi. He gifted it to her in the second year she was there and even let her name it. ¡°Hesper.¡± Matthew got out of the car behind her and walked over with his assistant, Tanner. When Hesper saw how the car¡¯s tires almost ran over the rose branches, she frowned. ¡°Matthew, I¡¯ve told you so many times. You can¡¯t drive your car to the garden. You¡¯ll hurt the nts.¡± @ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Matthew was nice about it. In the past three years, his rtionship with Hesper became like that of actual siblings, and he was very patient with her. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you previously asked, but are you sure that you want to go back?¡± ¡®Snip¡¯. Hesper pruned another branch with a cold expression. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s time the people who hurt me pay for what they did.¡± She then paused. ¡°Do you think I shouldn¡¯t take revenge?¡± ¡°No.¡± Matthew thought that it was important to remember. Hesper had gone through a lot of grievances, so he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable if she wanted to take revenge. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve made up your mind, go ahead. The Lane family and I will back you up.¡± Hesper looked thankful. She wouldn¡¯t have had a good life if it wasn¡¯t for Matthew¡¯s support. He treated her exceptionally well even though they weren¡¯t rted. ¡°Matthew ¡­ I¡¯ll remember everything that you¡¯ve done for me. If you ever need my help, I¡¯ll always be here for you even if it means I have to sacrifice myself.¡± Seeing how touched she was, Matthew waved his hand so that everyone would leave them. ¡°Hesper, there¡¯s no need for all that. I¡¯ve treated you like my sister for the past three years. Even though I didn¡¯t find my actual sister, I gained another one. I¡¯ll always protect you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Matthew.¡± There was nothing that Hesper could do to repay him. Matthew never controlled her in any way. Even her name was still kept as Hesper, and she only took on their family name. He told her everything, including his love for his sister. Sometimes, Hesper wondered what she did to deserve such a great brother. ¡°I¡¯ve announced your position. Once you make an appearance, Rickard will probably get the news. You¡¯ll get to decide what happens with the project. Juste see me whenever you need help.¡± Matthew paused, then continued. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tomorrow. Will you N?velDrama.Org is the owner. have dinner with grandpa tonight?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go change.¡± Hesper was nning to do that. Grandpa had treated her so well and taken good care of her. She wanted to go see him before leaving. After half an hour, they both arrived at their family home. When Master Lane heard the news, he happily walked out with his cane to wee them. ¡°You¡¯re here. Come in. Is it hot outside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, grandpa. I don¡¯t feel hot.¡± Hesper held onto the old man¡¯s arm, and right when she stepped into the living room, the second son of grandpa Lane scoffed. ¡°How could you, the grandchild, let the old mane to you? Who do you think you are!¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The one speaking was Matthew¡¯s second uncle, Wilfred Lane. Matthew was the eldest child of the eldest son, but since both his parents passed away early, the siblings were left outside. The second uncle became greedy and wanted to take their ce. Luckily, Arthur Lane was an understanding man and protected Matthew. Wilfred, having tried and failed to get to him, had slowly turned his attention to Hesper. Hesper wasn¡¯t angry, so she smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Wilfred, grandpa didn¡¯te to wee me. He was just anxious to see whether I was here already or not. I¡¯m not like you, having your own ce yet still hanging around here. People might think that this is actually your home.¡± She was mocking him, and he knew it. Wilfred¡¯s expression changed as he red at her. ¡°It was obvious that you weren¡¯t brought up here. You don¡¯t even understand etiquette. How could you speak to your elders like that?¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Arthur cut him off. ¡°Everyone could see what you¡¯re trying to say. Don¡¯t bring it up!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Wildred wasn¡¯t happy about that and was about to say something. However, Matthew spoke up. ¡°Uncle Wildred, I heard that the financial report for the previous quarter of thepany that you¡¯re handling is out. You lost $15 million. Have you figured out what you¡¯re going to tell the shareholders?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Wilfred was at a loss for words. He wasn¡¯t very good at running apany and loved to take money from thepany for his personal use. Thepany that used to thrive was close to bankrupt because of him. He didn¡¯t think what he did was wrong. After his brother died, he was supposed to be the eldest son of the Lane family, so everything that belonged to the family should be rightfully his. However, Arthur never considered letting him take more power and even gave part of his business to Hesper to manage. That was why he was upset. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You, on the other hand, let Hesper, a girl, take over thepany. If it gets out, people might think that our family doesn¡¯t have better options!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a terrible thing to say. Hesper is a Lane too.¡± Matthew emphasized hisst sentence, which made it sound like a threat. Wilfred didn¡¯t dare offend him, so he bit his tongue. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. After dinner, Arthur held Hesper¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you for this. After thepany is split up, I¡¯ll help you n your wedding so you can marry a good man and live happily for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Hesper was helpless. It wasn¡¯t the first time Arthur tried to set her up, but she had always rejected it. ¡°We¡¯ll see, grandpa. I¡¯d like to make this my career and take the burden off you and Matthew.¡± She then made up an excuse about having to pack her bags and escaped. ¡°Matthew.¡± The old man looked at Matthew. ¡°Why does Hesper run away every time we talk about this? You have a good rtionship. Tell me, is there something that she can¡¯t tell me?¡± Matthew remembered her past but didn¡¯t make it clear. He just said, ¡± Grandpa, Hesper is still young. There¡¯s no need to force her to do anything she doesn¡¯t want to. So what if she never gets married? Wouldn¡¯t she still be happy being our little princess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± The old man was convinced. The next day, Matthew personally rode with Hesper to the airport. ¡°Remember that you¡¯re a Lane now. Even if Rickard recognizes you, there¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hesper looked into the distance. She was back. The ones who should be afraid were the people who hurt her. After a few hours, Netherton airport. Matthew and Benji went to the airport to pick up the new person in charge in order to show their sincerity. ¡°What time is it?¡± Matthew took a look at the time and saw that it was more than ten minutes past the arrival time. That person should be out by now. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Could the flight be dyed?¡± Benji asked. They both walked forward, not noticing a woman with curly red hair in a ck dress and sunshades who walk past them. At that moment, Rickard felt something. He turned around and saw the woman walking over to a Porsche parked by the road. ¡°Benji, does she¡­ look like Hesper?¡± ¡°What? Mrs. Duval?¡± Benji looked over too. However, her emanation and outfits were very different from hers. How could that be her? ¡°Mr. Duval, are you mistaken? Why would she show up here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Rickard took a deep breath, thinking that he imagined it because he was fatigued recently. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± The two walked over. No one noticed that the woman who got into the Porsche had lowered the window and showed half of her pretty profile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Rickard Duval.¡± The face behind the sunshades really did belong to Hesper. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I need to rest at the hotel.¡± At her words, the driver drove away. Rickard and Benji waited in vain. Benji didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What happened? Did the person not show up?¡± ¡°No, they might have left.¡± Rickard looked upset. On the verge of the transfer from Lane Holdings, it was impossible that the person in charge didn¡¯t show up. However, they had waited very long but didn¡¯t see them. There was only one possibility left. That person left without them noticing. ¡°Um¡­ Did they not know that we came here to pick them up?¡± Benji couldn¡¯t believe that. Having gotten in touch with the manager, they only went over when they confirmed the schedule. Now that this happened, it caught them off guard. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Since we have a partnership, that person will eventually have to make an appearance. I¡¯m interested in seeing what games they¡¯ll y!¡± Rickard scoffed. After being in an executive position for a long time, he had trained himself to not make mistakes. It was obvious that that person had triggered him. He didn¡¯t say anything and left with Benji. However, on the way back, Juniper called. ¡°Hello? What is it?¡± Rickard was upset, so he didn¡¯t sound very friendly. Juniper paused then smiled and said, ¡°Why are you so upset? My appreciation party is tomorrow. I want to ask you toe with me.¡± In the past two years, Juniper had entered the entertainment industry and be one of the top hosts of Netherton. She previously hosted a charity event and got great feedback. However, Rickard said, ¡°I can¡¯t attend, but I¡¯ll send a gift over.¡± ¡°But-¡± Juniper wanted to say more, but the phone was cut off. She bit her lip as she looked at her dark screen. She wanted him more than any gift. Unfortunately, after Hesper left, even though Rickard never drew a N?velDrama.Org is the owner. clear line, he never acknowledged their rtionship either. She was nning to get closer to him during the party, but now that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Nightfall. Hesper didn¡¯t sleep well. She had a dream. In the dream, there was a small child crying and tugging on her hand, questioning her. ¡°Mommy, mommy, why don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡± ¡°Baby¡­¡± Hesper frowned sadly in the dream. She knew that that was her baby, so she dolefully said, ¡°I do want you. I just¡­¡± She wanted to hug the child, but he kept stepping backward, so she couldn¡¯t get grasp him. The little boy stood in the rain, crying his eyes out. ¡°You don¡¯t want me anymore. Everyoneughed at me saying that I don¡¯t have a mom, You don¡¯t love me. Then why did you have me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± Hesper shook her head frantically. How could she not love her baby? She couldn¡¯t bring him along in that situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. It¡¯s my fault for not taking care of you¡­¡± Her tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as her heart ached. Suddenly, arge hand grabbed the child. He was so started, he started shouting. ¡°Ah! Help, help!¡± ¡°Baby!¡± Hesper jolted and woke up from her nightmare. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was just a dream, but it had felt so realistic that it made her ufortable. She felt around for the light switch, then went over to the wine chiller and poured herself a ss of wine. Gulping it down, she finally felt calmer. Hesper looked out the window. When she remembered what happened in the dream, her heart ached again as if it was being torn apart. She knew it was because she missed her child so much, and since she was back, the nightmare crept up on her. But her baby, she really wanted to see him¡­ Hesper went to look for Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s phone number but stopped. Before she took care of her business, she couldn¡¯t lose her focus. The next day was the day of the meeting between the Duval Group and Lane Holdings. The new office Since there was ast-minute change in the person in charge, the design hadn¡¯t been approved for so long. Rickard was concerned about that. Before he left home, he picked up his coat from the side, his brows carrying an air of confidence. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re confirmed that the person in charge of Lane Holdings will show up on time?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Duval.¡± Benji wiped the sweat off his brows; they had been working on this for a long time. If it weren¡¯t such a big project and if Rickard didn¡¯t 3 think that it was so important, he would have lost his patience a long time ago. Now, all he could do was pray that nothing unexpected happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With Rickard¡¯s order, they both departed and reached the meeting venue five minutes ahead of time. To show how sincere he was, Rickard sat down and waited. The big conference room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop: But as the seconds ticked past, the time for the meeting got closer and closer, and still no one showed up at the door. Rickard started to frown. Bendji could feel his breath starting to quicken and he gulped. ¡°Um¡­ Sir, would you like some water?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes were unwavering, but it was obvious he was annoyed. ¡°How much longer?¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Benji took a quick glimpse of his watch and felt his heart skip a beat.¡± Two minutes.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Rickard snorted coldly without showing much emotion. ¡®Even after such a long time, the person in charge of Lane Holdings still hasn¡¯t shown up. I¡¯d like to see whether they¡¯ll arrive in the final two minutes or not.¡¯ The man tapped the table lightly with his fingers, which showed that his patience was about to run out. Finally, just before hepletely lost his mind, the door of the conference room pushed open. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°President Lane, you¡¯re¡­¡± Benji¡¯s face was filled with joy, but he stopped instantly before he could finish the whole sentence. Staring at the person who came in through the door with his mouth slightly open, Benji asked, ¡°Ms. Xanthos? Why are you the only one here? Where¡¯s President Lane?¡± Renee Xanthos was the person in charge ofmunicating with him and arranging this meeting, so the two had contacted each other several times. Renee gave off a sweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but something urgent just came up, and Ms. Lane has to attend to that matter first, so she can¡¯t be here for the time being. That¡¯s why she¡¯s especially asked me toe over to inform Mr. Duval about this.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Benji frowned. ¡®We made an appointment, yet this person just changed the n so casually? Is she trying to make a fool out of us?¡¯ He subconsciously nced at Rickard. Sure enough, Rickard¡¯s expression had dimmed, and Benji could sense a hint of hostility emanating between his brows. ¡°Ms. Lane has avoided meeting me a few times. Did something reallye up? Or is she doing this intentionally?¡± Rickard stood up abruptly and straightened his delicate cuffs, his tone turning colder and sterner. ¡°Or does Ms. Lane think that Lane Holdings¡¯ business scale isrger than ours and thus, is in the position to make a fool out of ourpany? Does she regard ourpany as something that she can use to kill time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not Ms. Lane¡¯s intention¡­¡± Renee let off an awkward smile. Even though she had obtained Hesper¡¯s instruction in advance, Rickard¡¯s aura was still very domineering to her. It was such a brief conversation but already she was starting to feel rather overwhelmed. Rickard issued an ultimatum directly, ¡°Go back and tell your president that we¡¯ll be here again at the same time tomorrow. If she still doesn¡¯t show up at that time, tell her to expect a contract termination letter at any time.¡± After saying so, he turned around and left, regardless of Renee¡¯s reaction. Benji followed him but then stopped for a split second and said to Renee, ¡°Ms. Xanthos, Mr. Duval has always been a man of his word. If this meeting were to end with the termination of our contract, while the manpower and other resources that we¡¯ve invested in this project are still trivial matters, I wouldn¡¯t wish to see the reputational damage Lane Holdings would suffer, as this would leave an unreliable impression on the public. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±. ¡°I understand.¡± Renee forced a smile. After sending them off, she immediately called Hesper and ryed theint¡­ P On the other end of the phone call, Hesper remained silent for a few seconds before calmly saying, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Renee thought for a bit and asked, ¡°Ms. Lane, are you done with what you wanted to do?¡± Something had indeede up and she was not deliberately avoiding Rickard. Not that she minded leaving Rickard hanging. She stared at the man who was tied up in front of her and put on a faint smirk. ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Maybe.¡± Hanging up the phone, she stepped forward, stopped right in front of the man, and lifted his frightened face with the heel of her shoes. This is it. This is the man who almost caused me to lose my chastity three years ago.¡¯ ¡°Now shoot, who was the person who gave you the order three years ago?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Have you gotten the wrong person?¡± The man was sweating profusely from fear. He was surrounded by four or five bodyguards, so it was impossible for him to escape the scene even if he wanted to. He thought about it carefully; he had done a lot of immoral or even wicked things over the years, but he did not remember offending such an intimidating person. Hesper gave him a cold re. ¡°Are you still nning to put on an act?¡± The man was startled. He immediately knelt on the ground and started begging for mercy. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Perhaps you could give me a hint?¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Hesper realized something instantly. ¡®The way I looked back then was very different from how I look now. This sh*tsack hasmitted so many wicked crimes in the past, of course he wouldn¡¯t remember my appearance as clearly as I expect him to.¡¯ Thinking of this, her tone became colder and even a little murderous. ¡± It seems that you¡¯ve been leading quite a great life all these years, and you haven¡¯t stopped harming others throughout these past three years. I¡¯ll give you a couple of hints. It was three years ago, and it happened in the Hawson Shopping Mall. Do you still need more clues for things to be clear?¡± ¡°Three years ago¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes rolled around as he tried to recall the incident. His eyes then widened abruptly in shock as he was overwhelmed by disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± ¡°It seems that you still have an impression of what happened. This will make things a lot easier.¡± Hesper hooked her fair, tender fingertip slightly, and the bodyguards who were standing by on both sides immediately started beating the man up. ¡°Thud! Thud! Thud!¡± The sounds of fists hitting the man¡¯s body prated the air one after another, apanied by the man¡¯s loud and shrill screams. ¡°Help, please stop hitting me! Please stop!¡± The man climbed forward in extreme diposure. His face was already severely bruised.¡± Ma¡¯am, just tell me what you want from me. I¡¯ll do anything as long as it calms your wrath.¡± ¡°Very good. d to hear that.¡± Hesper pursed her scarlet lips slightly, and the aura that was enveloping her was extremely intense. ¡°As long as you disclose the person who was behind the incident, this matter will no longer have anything else to do with you.¡± The man thought about the pros and cons of the whole situation, all in a split second. He carefully probed under the threatening gazes of the bodyguards. ¡°Ma¡¯am, is that true? Will you really stop troubling me as long as I tell you the mastermind behind the incident?¡± ¡°This offer may change in a matter of seconds if you continue to give me such nonsense.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t! I¡¯ll talk!¡± The man huffed a long and trembling breath, no longer caring whether he offended somebody else. ¡®From the look of things, if I insist on keeping my mouth shut, I might leave this ce on a stretch or in a coffin.¡¯ ¡°It was Sophia Duval, the daughter of the Duvals!¡± Hesper squinted her eyes. She had guessed the answer a long time. ago, but she continued to ask, ¡°How are you so sure that it was her? Would Sophia be so stupid as to contact you directly?¡± ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know her¡­¡± It turned out that Sophia led quite a chaotic lifestyle when she was in college that she even got acquainted with a group of gangsters on campus. In order to better make them obey her orders, Sophia chose to dere her identity from the very beginning to put some pressure on them. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She was in such a hurry to hire someone to drug Hesper back then that although she did so through a handful of middlemen, he still managed to find out that Sophia was the person behind the whole scheme after inquiring around for a bit. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. I was blinded by the attractive payment. I also had a very ignorant mind and failed to recognize your identity, which was why I dared to make a move on you. Please show me some mercy, ma¡¯am. Please let me go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hesper¡¯s thin lips curled upward as she put on a malicious smirk. ¡°But since you admit that you made a mistake, you¡¯ll have to pay the price. I¡¯ll naturally let you go after I think you¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡± ¡°You¡­ How can you go back on your promise?!¡± The man, not having expected her to do this, cursed at her furiously. Seeing this, one of the bodyguards on the side grabbed the rag on the table and shoved it into his mouth. ¡°Ms. Lane. What should we do next?¡± 10 A hint of coldness shed across Hesper¡¯s long and narrow eyes. Since the truth has been revealed, it¡¯s only natural for me to expose it to everyone else. Tie him up and sack him. It¡¯s time to give thatdy a huge gift.¡± ¡± The bodyguards moved immediately; her wish had always been theirmand. These men were all carefully selected by Matthew to stay by her side and serve her, so Hesper always felt very relieved with them around. At the Duvals¡¯ residence. Sophia dressed up meticulously, ready to go out on a date with her best friends. Just as she was about to leave the vi, a van suddenly stopped in front of the Duvals¡¯ residence, and a few tough-looking bodyguards pushed a sack out of the van. ¡°What the f*ck! What are you guys doing?!¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Frightened, Sophia retreated back toward the living room immediately. The man, breaking free from the knots and sticking his head out of the sack, saw Sophia at a nce. The moment their gazes met, Sophia became shocked and stuttered nervously, ¡°You, you¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Duval, please save me!¡± The man grabbed her thigh, hugging it tightly, and started yelling, disregarding Sophia¡¯s dimming expression. ¡°You¡¯re the one who bribed me into drugging Ms. Rivera back then, and now she¡¯s returned. She located me and retaliated against me. You can¡¯t just leave me out there to her. I offended her only because I followed your orders, so you must keep me safe!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spewing?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression looked as gloomy as the night sky. In just a short while, many servants in the vi had been attracted by themotion, and many of them even heard what he said just now. Sophia gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t know you at all, so don¡¯t you dare give me this nonsense here! Someone, get this lunatic out of my sight!¡± At the same time, she lowered her voice and whispered in the man¡¯s ear, ¡°You¡¯d better get lost and stop spitting all this bullsh*t here. Aren¡¯t you afraid of offending me?¡± However, that man was not someone who would give up so easily. He was indeed afraid of offending Sophia, which was why he did not confess or sell her out even when he was caught by the police three years ago. But Hesper had nowe back and even sought revenge on him. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Judging from the demeanor that she was exuding, it was obvious that she was now someone that he couldn¡¯t trifle with. If he were to choose to not do anything, he would die an even worse death. When a few servants came over to pull him away from Sophia, the man immediately started struggling, ¡°Ms. Duval, you can¡¯t just leave me out there to die! Your personal enmity toward Ms. Rivera was the reason you wanted me to tarnish her reputation. Now that she¡¯s putting all the me on me, how do you expect me to survive out there?!¡± ¡°Shut your trap. Just shut the f*ck up!¡± Sophia was so furious that she dashed up to him and pped him. The man scurried around the vi to escape from her, causing a lot of ruckuses all of a sudden. ¡°Thump!¡± The man hit a hard chest out of the blue. Rickard¡¯s keen re looked so gloomy that he was on the brink of being able to kill someone with it. The hostility emanating from his body caused everyone to subconsciously remain silent. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he uttered with extreme aggressiveness. Sophia¡¯s heart skipped a beat and hurried forward to exin herself. Dick, don¡¯t listen to this lunatic¡¯s nonsense. I suspect that he¡¯s not in his right mind and he¡¯se here to stage this y in order to obtain benefits out of this matter.¡± ¡°You, shut up!¡± Rickard red at her with his vicious gaze then pointed at the man in front of him. ¡°You, speak up now.¡± The man was taken aback by his appearance, but he also knew that Rickard had a very powerful background, so he could only bite the bullet and go all out. ¡°A few years ago, Ms. Duval bribed my brother and me into drugging Ms. Rivera, hoping that we would tarnish her chastity so that she would be driven away from the Duvals. But we didn¡¯t seed, as someone managed to save Ms. Rivera.¡± ¡°However, Ms. Rivera found me today and said that it¡¯s time for me to pay the price. But I only did it because Ms. Duval instigated it. That¡¯s why I¡¯vee here-to discuss countermeasures with Ms. Duval.¡± Rickard was astonished by the bted truth. ¡°I see¡­¡± After calming down, he instantly remembered what Hesper said to him back then. ¡®She told me that someone must be framing her. She even begged me to help her investigate the incident. But I chose to listen to Sophial and med her for everything that happened to her.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Rickard muttered to himself, and his chest was instantly filled with guilt. The man did not know what was wrong with Rickard. He only wanted him to save himself, so he begged, ¡°Mr. Duval, I¡¯m begging you. I know that what happened back then was my fault; I even went to jail for it. So even if Ms. Rivera wants to get revenge, she should go to the mastermind of the whole incident, not me!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Only then did Rickard realize, and his eyes narrowed instantly. ¡°What do you mean? Hesper found and met you?¡± ¡°Yeah, she came to me earlier today. She went directly to my house with a few men, seemingly her bodyguards¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure that it was her?¡± Rickard was shocked. He had been going around searching for her whereabouts for so long, but he had yet to hear of any news of Hesper. ¡®That woman seemed to have disappeared,pletely receding from my life, and she just reappears out of nowhere without any warning.¡¯ For a moment, Rickard doubted whether it was true. The man¡¯s words brought him back to reality. ¡°I can swear to God, Mr. Duval, every word I said is true, Ms. Rivera also said that she¡¯ll make those who hurt her before pay the price!¡± ¡°Dick, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense!¡± Sophia could not sit back any longer and rushed forward to interrupt the conversation between the two men. ¡°Hesper already left the country for so long, so why would shee back suudenly? And she now has bodyguards working for her? This is impossible as long as we think about it!¡± Rickard looked away, and just when he struggled to make up his mind, a soft voice suddenly sounded Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. behind them. ¡°Is the person you¡¯re talking about my mommy?¡± Rickard turned around, looked up, and saw Renfrew standing behind him quietly. A trace of anticipation could be seen on his tiny face. Rickard felt a jolt in his chest cavity. Regardless of whether it was true or not, now that he had obtained news about her, he must search for her in order to be at ease. ¡°Benji.¡± Rickard summoned Benji and ordered, ¡°Send someone out now to look for Hesper¡¯s whereabouts, and report it back to me as soon as there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Dick!¡± Sophia stomped her feet angrily. ¡°Can you stop being so dumb?! Are you telling me that you truly believe in what this lunatic says? Why would you bring all this hassle onto yourself? Plus, Juni has been waiting for you for three years. If she were to know that you¡¯re looking for Hesper at this time, can you imagine just how sad she would be?¡± ¡°You shut your mouth up.¡± Rickard red at her with an annoyed look. ¡°I haven¡¯t even started teaching you a lesson about the drug incident. Now that there¡¯s a witness, you¡¯d better watch out once I prove that what he just said is true.¡± ¡°Dick¡­¡± Sophia panicked, but Rickard did not even give her a chance to speak again. He ordered someone to bring the man into his study for a proper interrogation. An hourter, Rickard came out of the study and could not help but go to the bedroom where Hesper used to live. Not many changes had happened here. All the arrangement of her furniture and decorations had been perfectly preserved. Rickard rarely came here in the past three years, but after learning about the truth of the past, he could not help but feel guilty and regretful at this moment. ¡®She tried exining to me, but I didn¡¯t listen. I even deliberately ignored her call when she was experiencing the incident.¡¯ Thinking of Hesper¡¯s look when she asked him whether he did not answer her phone call on purpose, Rickard felt a sense of ache in his throbing heart.. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m truly an *sshole.¡¯ At this time, Sophia panicked and went to Madam Duval immediately. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m doomed. Dick already knows about the thing that I did back then! He¡¯ll definitely not let this slip!¡± ¡°What are you panicking about?¡± Madam Duval was wearing a morous gress while she was working on her bonsai in the garden. However, her calm expression did not even change at all after hearing Sophia¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s just Hesper. We were able to deal with her with ease in the past, so what¡¯s the problem now? Even if she¡¯s returned here for real, so what?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°But Dick¡­¡± The person that worried Sophia the most was Rickard. ¡®Ever since Hesper left, although Rickard hasn¡¯t been bringing the matter up too frequently, he¡¯s been rather depressed all the time. Apart from that, he¡¯s also been ignoring Juniper¡¯s courtship all these years. ¡®Judging from all these signs, it¡¯s really difficult for me to not suspect that Dick has actually fallen for that b*tch, Hesper!¡¯ At a nce, Madam Duval instantly knew what she was thinking. She then picked up a pair of scissors, trimmed off one of the branches menacingly, and said angrily, ¡°What are you afraid of? You and Rickard are brother and sister, and you¡¯re the daughter of the Duvals.. I¡¯ll see to it personally if anyone dares toy a finger on you!¡± Having heard Madam Duval¡¯s guarantee, Sophia felt slightly relieved. The two went on talking about possible countermeasures, and she gradually forgot about the threat that Hesper might pose. ¡°Daddy, can Ie in?¡± Renfrew¡¯s voice came from the bedroom door. Rickard turned around and saw a tiny kid standing at the door; he did not know how long he had been there. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rickard waved at him, motioning him toe nearer. The boy scurried over with his short legs, but his usually lively face now looked a little empty and lost. ¡°Daddy, were you guys talking about mommy just now?¡± Rickard remained quiet for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I heard that uncle saying that mommy has gone to meet him. Does that mean that mommy hase back here? Can I see her soon?¡± Rickard¡¯s heart ached. ¡®I rarely talked about Hesper with him these few years, and this little. rascal has always acted so unconcernedly all this while. This is my first time discovering that he¡¯s always been thinking about his biological mother.¡¯ ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll find Mommy as soon as possible so that you and Mommy can meet each other and be together.¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy¡­¡± The little fe nodded sullenly and wrapped his arms around that of his daddy. In this silent bedroom, the father and son leaned against each other, thinking about the same person. At this time, Hesper was on the phone with Julian. ¡°Hesper, why did you go back to Genecity without even giving me a call beforehand? Have you forgotten how Rickard tortured you back then? If he were to find out that you¡¯ve gone back, perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m no longer the old me. I won¡¯t let others walk all over me anymore.¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze looked calm, and she was even giving off an abstruse smirk. ¡°What¡¯s more, I came back for revenge this time around. Even if he doesn¡¯te looking for me, I¡¯ll go looking for him too. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll eventually bump into each other.¡± ¡°Hesper, you¡­¡± Julian sighed, he sounded obviously very disapproving, and finally said helplessly, ¡°I know you just can¡¯t get over what happened back then, but even if you want revenge, you should¡¯ve called me to go back with you. You¡¯re going to face those bastards from the Duvals alone. How do you expect me to be at ease?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to follow Professor Miles abroad to study in a medical institution? This is a great opportunity for you, so I can¡¯t pull you back with my n.¡± ¡°No matter how good the opportunity is, it¡¯s not as important as your safety!¡± Hesper felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Throughout these three years, Julian and Matthew took meticulous care of her as if they were her elder brothers; that was how she made her way through those difficult days and nights. Now that she had grown stronger, it was time for her to give back to them. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. n, you¡¯re Professor Miles¡¯s best student. So many people have tried to get their hands on this opportunity, but Professor Miles values you more than all those people and picked you to go with him. If you were to reject his invitation at this juncture, he¡¯d be very disappointed.¡± Thinking of his professor who had devoted his whole life to medical research, Julian¡¯s attitude softened a little. ¡°You¡¯re right. But please remember that you muste back safely.¡± ¡°Alright. I promise.¡± Hesper chuckled. However, after hanging up the phone call, the hrity in her eyes faded little by little. ¡®Not only will I return safely, but I also want those people to pay for what they did to me in a hundred folds.¡¯ Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Hesper took a glimpse of the time. ¡®It¡¯s almost time. My second gift should¡¯ve already been delivered to that person.¡¯ ¡°Juniper Wight, what will your reaction be? This is so exciting¡­¡± At Leneriv Apartment. When Juniper, who had just gone through a celebratory banquet, came back to her ce, the guard of the apartment told her, ¡°Ms. Wight, there¡¯s a parcel for you.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± She had drunk some wine, so she did not look as sober as she usually was, and her steps were a little wobbly. Seeing how she looked, the guard suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe down and retrieve it tomorrow?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Juniper waved her hand, thinking that the special gown she bought had arrived. ¡®In the past three years, I¡¯ve shown my affection toward Rickard in every possible way, but he¡¯s been so indifferent in return. I refuse to believe that he has no feelings for me.¡¯ ¡®All men can¡¯t stand temptation, so I specially ordered this online. I n to find a chance to wear it when I see him privately.¡¯ Thinking of this, Juniper could not help but feel a little excited. Her cheeks blushed and she quickly left the guard house with the parcel. When she got home, she could not wait to open the box. She was still imagining Rickard¡¯s appearance when he saw her in this gown, and she had already thought about what kind of expression that she would put on and what she should say when the time came. However, when the box was opened, the only item sitting inside it was a barbie doll covered in blood, lying in a strange and distorted posture, its eyes wide open. The whole package looked extremely terrifying. ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Juniper screamed in fright and quickly threw the box aside, but she seemed to have switched Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. something on, as a mean voice came out of the Barbie doll/ ¡°She? She¡¯s nothing more than just a whore, a b* tch who dares to confront me, I¡¯ll surely make her life a living hell!¡± ¡°Who?! Who¡¯s talking?¡± Juniper looked left and right in fear, but she was the only one in the luxurious apartment, and she did not see anything suspicious. It was at this time that Juniper realized something btedly. ¡®This voice¡­ It sounds like mine!¡¯ Something shed through her mind quickly. Juniper swallowed her saliva and cautiously approached the horrifying Barbie doll. The voice was still looping, and the tone of voice had not changed, but it felt that with each sentence, the tone just got meaner and meaner. Juniper mustered some courage and picked the Barbie doll up, only to see that there was a cardying under it. She picked it up and looked closer at it, and a sentence that made her heart skip a beat appeared right in front of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Juniper. Do you still remember me?¡± Below the sentence, there was a signature, and it was the capital letter ¡°H¡±. ¡°H? H¡­? Hesper! ¡°It¡¯s her, it¡¯s Hesper!¡± She remembered everything. ¡®I did say that to Sophia in private three years ago. Hesper had not left Genecity yet at that time, but how did she get her hands on a recording of what I said?¡¯ Juniper was confused, so she quickly took a picture of the scary doll, sent it to Rickard, and then called him, ¡°Rickard, someone wants to harm me!¡± Rickard was dealing with some official businesses in the study when he received a photo. He zoomed in on the photo and did not give off any expression through his stern face. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s your ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± Juniper¡¯s voice was trembling and it sounded as if she. was about to weep. ¡°Look at the card; it¡¯s signed by Hesper. Apart from her, no one else would talk to me like that! Rickard, please Hearing Hesper¡¯s name, Rickard put more attention to the card. He knew Hesper¡¯s handwriting, and that was indeed hers. But he knew that Hesper would not do something like this if it would not do her any good. ¡®First, the man was left in front of the house, then Juniper received a package that threatens her. She¡¯s clearly nned all this out.¡¯ Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Rickard¡¯s expression became serious immediately. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what actually happened between you? Why would she say this to you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Juniper felt guilty for a few seconds but then chose to conceal her guilt with tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯d doing it either. She used to target me in every possible way when she was still living here, and she always felt that I wanted to harm her. So perhaps she thinks that I¡¯m the one who caused her to leave your side.¡± This reason seemed reasonable. If this was her exnation back then, Rickard would have surely believed it. However, he just learned the truth about some things earlier, so he could not help but hesitate and think more about what Juniper just said. ¡®If Hesper didn¡¯t lie about that man, then her usations toward Juniper from three years ago might be true too.¡¯ He squinted his eyes, his deep ck eyes looking calm and slightly murderous. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Juniper was still trying to put up a show, but Rickard had already noticed something. He hung up the call without saying another word, and his face was reflected on the dim screen, looking extremely indifferent. ¡®Just¡­ Just how much me have I ced on her shoulders back then?¡¯ Rickard felt extremely regretful. At this moment, Juniper¡¯s phone calls came through persistently, but Rickard did not even bother to take another nce at it. He realized that he seemed to have made a wrong decision back then. ¡®If Hesper has always been innocent from the very beginning, haven¡¯t I been wronging her all along?¡¯ ¡®And those punishments that she had to take on even though she was in poor health¡­¡¯ ¡°Damn it!¡± Rickard had never felt this stupid for a moment. Regretful and guilty were nowhere near enough to describe how Rickard felt at this moment, but the only thing that he could do now was put more effort into the process of locating Hesper. However, the men who got sent out made it seem like they had disappeared as they had not reported back after such a long time. Rickard did not sleep all night. When Benji came to pick him up the next day, he was taken aback by the ck circles below his eyes. ¡°Mr. Duval, did you¡­¡± ¡°Is there any news?¡± Rickard¡¯s voice sounded hoarse, and he looked a little tired. Benji knew what he was asking about and shook his head. ¡°No, but we¡¯ve obtained the surveince footage around the man¡¯s house. A group of people went to his house yesterday. I¡¯ve made a copy of the video. Would you like to take a look at it?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Rickard nodded, and the footage was ced in front of him. He stared at the footage without blinking and soon saw a red Maserati parked on the side of the road. A woman in a windbreaker was seen walking down with a group of bodyguards surrounding her. ¡°Pause.¡± Rickard then zoomed in on the paused image. The woman looked very fashionable; every single piece of clothing or fashion essory Rickard¡¯s expression became serious immediately. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what actually happened between you? Why would she say this to you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Juniper felt guilty for a few seconds but then chose to conceal her guilt with tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯d doing it either. She used to target me in every possible way when she was still living here, and she always felt that I wanted to harm her. So perhaps she thinks that I¡¯m the one who caused her to leave your side.¡± This reason seemed reasonable. If this was her exnation back then, Rickard would have surely N?velDrama.Org is the owner. believed it. However, he just learned the truth about some things earlier, so he could not help but hesitate and think more about what Juniper just said. ¡®If Hesper didn¡¯t lie about that man, then her usations toward Juniper from three years ago might be true too.¡¯ He squinted his eyes, his deep ck eyes looking calm and slightly murderous. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Juniper was still trying to put up a show, but Rickard had already noticed something. He hung up the call without saying another word, and his face was reflected on the dim screen, looking extremely indifferent. ¡®Just¡­ Just how much me have I ced on her shoulders back then?¡¯ Rickard felt extremely regretful. At this moment, Juniper¡¯s phone calls came through persistently, but Rickard did not even bother to take another nce at it. He realized that he seemed to have made a wrong decision back then. ¡®If Hesper has always been innocent from the very beginning, haven¡¯t I been wronging her all along?¡¯ ¡®And those punishments that she had to take on even though she was in poor health¡­¡¯ ¡°Damn it!¡± Rickard had never felt this stupid for a moment. Regretful and guilty were nowhere near enough to describe how Rickard felt at this moment, but the only thing that he could do now was put more effort into the process of locating Hesper. However, the men who got sent out made it seem like they had disappeared as they had not reported back after such a long time. Rickard did not sleep all night. When Benji came to pick him up the next day, he was taken aback by the ck circles below his eyes. ¡°Mr. Duval, did you¡­¡± ¡°Is there any news?¡± Rickard¡¯s voice sounded hoarse, and he looked a little tired. Benji knew what he was asking about and shook his head. ¡°No, but we¡¯ve obtained the surveince footage around the man¡¯s house. A group of people went to his house yesterday. I¡¯ve made a copy of the video. Would you like to take a look at it?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Rickard nodded, and the footage was ced in front of him. He stared at the footage without blinking and soon saw a red Maserati parked on the side of the road. A woman in a windbreaker was seen walking down with a group of bodyguards surrounding her. ¡°Pause.¡± Rickard then zoomed in on the paused image. The woman looked very fashionable; every single piece of clothing or fashion essory that she had on looked exceptionally exquisite and morous. Sophistication was something that Hesper did not possess in the past. Apart from that, the woman was also wearing a pair of oversized sunsses, covering most of her palm-sized face. Seeing that he could not be sure, Benji had no choice but to say, ¡°Mr. Duval, I¡¯ll increase the intensity of our efforts in finding the youngdy, but it¡¯s time for us to depart to meet with the person in charge of Lane Holdings. Shall we¡­¡± ¡°Got it, let¡¯s go.¡± Rickard pinched the center of his brows, and the moment he put on his coat, he turned back into the decisive and indisputable president of the Duval Group. Benji was more careful this time around. When they came to the venue, he asked the receptionist standing outside the private room. ¡± Has anyone arrived?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Someone has arrived before you.¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Benji and Rickard exchanged gazes, and the former immediately opened the door. Rickard strode forward, only to find that there were already four bodyguards standing in the private room, and the person sitting in the power yer seat was sipping tea leisurely with her back facing him. The anger of being yed thest two times erupted at this moment, and Rickard¡¯s tone sounded sarcastic. ¡°d to meet you, Ms. Lane. I thought you weren¡¯t nning to show up again today, but you actually arrived earlier than me.¡± ¡°Are you mad, Mr. Duval?¡± A woman¡¯s teasing voice sounded from behind the seat, and Rickard, who was just about to sit down, was shocked. ¡®This voice¡­ It sounds so familiar!¡¯ ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We haven¡¯t met each other only for a few years, and you already don¡¯t recognize me?¡± Hesper turned around all of a sudden, and the first few things that caught Rickard¡¯s attention were her scarlet lips, dark ck hair, full- blown makeup, and her imposing demeanor, which by itself would already be enough to make others not dare to underestimate her. Rickard seemed to hear his heart skip a beat. He stared nkly at the person in front of him, and it took him quite some time to even react to what he saw. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Is it so surprising to you, Mr. Duval? Or do you think that I¡¯m someone who only deserves to be trampled by you people and would never get an opportunity to turn my life around?¡± Rickard ignored her sarcasm, stepped forward, and grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Since you¡¯vee back, why didn¡¯t you tell me? You even tried to y tricks on me? What¡¯s with the man from yesterday? And how did you be the new person in charge of Lane Holdings?¡± ¡°Mr. Duval, that¡¯s a lot of questions to ask someone at once. Which one do you want me to answer first?¡± Hesper curled her lips upward, gave off a smirk, and pushed him away while he was still in a daze, just like how he treated her in the past. She then continued with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Mr. Duval, this is a negotiation and I represent Lane Holdings in this meeting, so please show me your professionalism. Otherwise, I¡¯ll really start to wonder whether the famous Duval Group is just all talk.¡± Rickard had experienced countless weird and difficult situations, so he managed to calm himself down soon after the initial shock. He sat down across from Hesper without uttering any other nonsense, but his gaze was still locked on her. ¡°Alright, Ms. Lane, since you want to talk about business first, let¡¯s start.¡± Hesper pretended not to see his gaze, opened the proposal that Duval Group had submitted to them earlier, tapped on one of the lines with her fountain pen, and pointed out the problem concisely. ¡°This quotation is too high and the materials that you n to use are so cheap, it won¡¯t reflect the grandiose design that a president¡¯s office should have, and it won¡¯t match the overall style of the whole building too. ¡°And below this floor, the creativity that your party showcases here is fine, but the design is quite ¡°And this¡­¡± She pointed out several problems in one go, all of which were well- founded and not random and aimless. Rickard stared at this scene quietly; it was difficult for him to imagine that the submissive woman in the past whose only objective was to please him would have such a resolute and stern side. If he had not known about her past, Rickard would have thought that she was a professional elite of Lane Holdings. ¡°Mr. Duval.¡± Seeing that he had been staring at her for a long time, Hesper could not help but stop speaking, and a faint hint of impatience could be seen through her indifferent gaze. ¡°I think what I said just minutes ago should be clear enough for you. I need to see the professionalism of yourpany. If you continue to be this distracted, I can¡¯t guarantee that we can take the coboration between ourpanies another step forward.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± the man replied calmly. Hesper gave off an irritated scoff, leaned back in the chairnguidly, and folded her arms. ¡°Since you understand it, you must¡¯vee up. with a solution already? Why not present them to me now?¡± She purposely waited to see him embarrass himself here. ¡®It¡¯s next to impossible for him toe up with a more well-rounded n by himself in such a short time, not to mention that he clearly wasn¡¯t paying attention just now.¡¯ But who knew, Rickard did not look like he was troubled at all. He then calmly ced another proposal on the desktop and pushed it to the opposite end of the desk. ¡°The solutions you¡¯re looking for are all listed in this proposal.¡± Hesper skimmed through the proposal suspiciously, and the expression on her face, which looked unconcerned at first, became serious gradually. All the new designs were actually aiming at resolving the questions she just raised. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Let me guess, do you wish to know how I¡¯d know what to do?¡± Hesper did not say anything and only gazed at the man sitting across from her with her cold eyes. ¡®Even after three years, he still thinks so highly of himself. Seeing him again really upsets me!¡¯ Rickard lifted the corners of his lips and let off a smirk. ¡°Before I departed here to meet you, I had already reviewed our proposal and tried to perfect it. And it¡¯s always advisable to prepare ourselves for everything in the business field, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hesper understood. ¡®He¡¯s saying that he already suspected that we from Lane Holdings would make his life difficult on purpose, so he prepared himself for this oue in advance.¡¯ Rickard looked at her displeased look, and a faint hint of hrity shed across his eyes. ¡°Ms. Lane, you¡¯re still young. You still have a lot to learn.¡± Benji, who was standing at the side, wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡®Mr. Duval, you spent so much time looking for her all over the world throughout the past three years. Now that she¡¯s standing right in front of you, why are you acting so arrogantly? Is this really the right. thing to do?¡¯ Hesper snorted lightly as if she did not care much about it. ¡°In that case, please start to arrange for the project to start as soon as possible. The official opening of the branch is just around the corner, and N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. there¡¯s not much time left for your party toplete the project.¡± After saying so, she got up and was about to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Rickard pulled her back. Before Hesper could make any move, the bodyguards who came with her immediately stepped forward, looking extremely deterrent. Benji hurried forward and tried to smooth things over. ¡°Guys, please don¡¯t get his action wrong. Mr. Duval and Ms. Lane are old friends; they¡¯re just catching up.¡± Rickard walked up to Hesper and stared at her silently. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± Hesper rejected him directly. However, in the next second, Rickard grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room. ¡°Ms. Lane!¡± The bodyguards dashed forward and were about to follow them out of the room. But Benji stood in their way deliberately and tried to stop them. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. There are too many people here; they¡¯ll just talk alone.¡± ¡°Get out of our way!¡± The leader of the group of bodyguards, Isaac Lennon, red at him exasperatedly and was about to make a move 1. However, Benji signaled the bodyguards behind him with his gaze, and those men strode forward immediately to help him out. The room fell into pure chaos almost instantly. Benji took advantage of the mayhem to leave the scene and stopped outside the door to catch his breath. ¡°Mr. Duval, I¡¯ve tried my best to dy those men for you. It¡¯s all up to you now¡­¡± ¡°Where are you taking me to!¡± In the hallway, Hesper struggled with every single fiber of her being. But the man¡¯s grip on her arm got tighter and tighter, and she was starting to feel a dull pain in her wrist. Out of the blue, Rickard stopped abruptly, and before Hesper had time to react to that, he grasped her hand, raised it above her head, and pinned it against the wall. ¡°Now tell me, where have you been these few years? How did you be the person in charge of Lane Holdings?¡± He lowered his head, and his warm breath brushed against Hesper¡¯s neck, creating a somewhat charming aura for no reason. Hesper became annoyed from the embarrassment and uttered the most hurtful things that she had on top of her mind. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re already divorced, and you have nothing to do with me. Where I go and what happened to me all this while are all my personal affairs.¡± ¡°Hesper Rivera!¡± Rickard said in a low voice, ¡°When I ask you a question, just give me the truth directly. Don¡¯t ever challenge my patience.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± She gave off a disdainful smirk. ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed at all, Mr. Duval, you¡¯re still as arrogant as you were three years ago. If you think you¡¯re capable of holding me here, I dare you to continue to pester me. My bodyguards will catch up to us any moment now. So be my guest if you¡¯re not afraid of being embarrassed in front of more people!¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Rickard wanted to say something, but amotion could already be hearding from behind him. Hesper stared at him indifferently. ¡°Do you still want to subdue me here?¡± Rickard did not budge at all, and during this short period of hesitation, Isaac had already caught up to them with the other bodyguards and shielded Hesper behind him immediately. ¡°Ms. Lane, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hesper shook her head. She then turned toward Rickard and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll make myself clear now once and for all. I don¡¯t wish to see what happened today happen ever again. So, Mr. Duval, please pay more attention to your future actions!¡± She turned around with the men, ready to leave with them. Rickard was still not reconciled, so he gnashed his teeth and asked, ¡± Even if you have nothing to say to me, what about our son? You¡¯ve been away for three years. Don¡¯t you n to meet him again?¡± Hesper stopped for a split second. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡®Why would I not want to see him? I¡¯m the one who gave birth to him. I¡¯ve never stopped thinking about my baby every second of those three years.¡¯ But she did not look back and straightened her posture. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business too, so stop intervening in my affairs.¡± After saying so, the group of people strode away. At this time, Benji caught up to Rickard. Seeing him standing alone in the corridor, he asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Duval, the youngdy¡­¡± Rickard remained silent. The man who had always been aloof could not help but feel an indescribable loneliness at that moment. Benji thought for a bit andforted him. ¡°The youngdy has changed a lot in the past few years. Perhaps she still hasn¡¯t let go of the past, and that¡¯s why she still has a very repulsive attitude towards you. I think it¡¯ll improve as time goes by.¡± Thinking of the changes that had happened to her, countless doubts appeared at the top of Rickard¡¯s mind. ¡°Go and find out how she became the director of Lane Holdings. And who are those bodyguards who were addressing her as Ms. Lane just now? It¡¯s best to get to the bottom of what she¡¯s done in the past three years.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on it.¡± Benji agreed immediately. ¡®We couldn¡¯t find anything before this, but now that the youngdy has resurfaced, it¡¯ll be much easier to investigate from now on. But¡­¡¯ He suddenly remembered something and handed a document to Rickard. ¡°Mr. Duval, we¡¯ve got our hands on more information about the person who hired those men to drug the youngdy back then. Ms. Duval was indeed the one who did it. And Madam Duval¡­ She probably knows about it too.¡± Because they had found arge amount of money being transferred to that man through Sophia¡¯s bank ount, and the amount was sorge that it was not a number that Sophia could pay out of her own pocket at the time, that could only mean one thing. There must be someone lending her a helping hand from behind the curtains. Thinking of his mother and sister doing such a thing without telling him, Rickard shivered for a split second. ¡®Hesper was still my wife back, and grandfather even showed his full support toward our marriage, yet they still had the guts to do something like this to her. So what would they do to her if she had no one supporting her?¡¯ Just thinking about it, Rickard could not help but feel infuriated. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading back home.¡± Sophia had be more obedient in the past two days, as she was afraid that she would do something to provoke Rickard. She even treated Renfrew a lot better than she used to. At the moment, she was watching a drama with Madam Duval in the living room, and she was not in the mood to care about Renfrew, who was ying with Wanda at the side. If nothing had happened in the past few days, she would have driven them out of the living room. ¡°Ma¡¯am, miss, Mr. Duval hase back¡­¡± A servant came in and reported Rickard¡¯s arrival, but before she could finish the second half of her sentence, Rickard had already stepped into the vi. When Sophia caught a glimpse of his expression, she subconsciously wanted to get out of the living room but was halted by Rickard.¡± Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¡°I¡­ I need to make a call. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Sophia forced a smile but couldn¡¯t really smile when facing Rickard¡¯s cold expression. She looked as if she was going to cry and it looked ¡°Rickard, what¡¯s going on?¡± Julie unhappily said, feeling bad for her daughter. ¡°Why the long face? Who made you angry?¡± Rickard kept this cold expression. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask the two of you. Wanda, can you please take Renfrew to y?¡¯ Wanda was startled when she was suddenly spoken to but quickly took Renfrew away. Julie noticed that something was wrong and frowned. ¡°Just say what you want to say. Why do you need to take the kid away?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Rickard said, taking a deep breath, trying really hard to control his anger. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that what I¡¯m going to say would traumatize him.¡± Rickard threw a folder at Sophia and coldly said, ¡°Look at what you did.¡± Sophia just took a nce and her expression immediately changed.¡± Rickard, this¡­ Someone is trying to frame me. I didn¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still trying to lie?¡± Rickard was infuriated. ¡°I personally looked into this. To avoid wrongfully ming you for something, I even triple- checked it! Three times! They all still pointed to you!¡± He had known that Sophia was spoiled, but he thought that it was alright because she was a girl. He never thought that she would think of hurting people! ¡°Rickard, please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sophia almost burst out in tears. Knowing well that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hide this any longer, Julie spoke up. ¡°Rickard, calm down. Your sister was young and naive at that time and made a mistake. That woman ended up fine anyway, so it was just a scare.¡± ¡°Young and naive? Just a scare?¡± Rickard repeated as heughed ironically. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the records. There was no way Sophia had that much money, so someone had to be funding her.¡± The man¡¯s eyes turned red as he red at them. ¡°Sophia, if you don¡¯t want to make me angry, you bettere clean. Who gave you the money?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Sophia was frantic as tears ran down her face, not out of guilt, but out of fear. ¡°Mom, please say something!¡± ¡°What do you want me to say!¡± Julie frowned. Even though Rickard didn¡¯t say it out loud, she knew her son well enough to know that he was suspecting that she gave the money. ¡°Rickard, this is all in the past. Hesper already split up with you and has her own life now. What¡¯s the point of going through all this trouble? Why are you tearing the family apart because of an outsider?¡± ¡°Who says that she¡¯s an outsider?¡± Rickard¡¯s anger was at its peak. No matter how long has passed, Herper will always be the mother of my son. She was wrongly used when she was with me. Shouldn¡¯t I find out the truth?¡± ¡°What do you want to do then? Kill your sister?¡± Seeing how she couldn¡¯t convince him, Julie started to throw a tantrum. ¡°All you want is to find justice for Hesper that you don¡¯t care how you¡¯re putting your sister in a tough spot for her. You might as well kill her in Hesper¡¯s name!.But listen, Sophia is my only daughter, so if anything happens to her, I don¡¯t want to live either!¡± Rickard was disappointed. He understood that his mother said all that because this was linked to her. On one hand, it was his family, and on the other, it was Hesper. How would he choose? Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°What was all this for?¡± Rickard couldn¡¯t understand. When he thought about the past, he didn¡¯t want to marry Hesper, but after they were married, they respected each other. Hesper dealt with the troubles they gave her at home and did her part well as the daughter-inw. He thought that even if his own mother and sister looked down on her, the worse they would do was mock her, but to be so cruel? Julie breathed heavily as she said in an indifferent tone. ¡°You should remember that she left with another man. They might already be sleeping together and her heart doesn¡¯t belong to you anymore. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s funny to put us on the spot for her now?¡± Seeing how he was silent, she pretended to be cynical. ¡°I know that your divorce was rushed and you feel like you¡¯ve wronged her, but it¡¯s been so many years. You should start a new life now. We should stop mentioning her, alright?¡± Rickard kept his eyes on them for a few seconds, then left without saying anything more. ¡°Mom, what is he trying to do? Do you think he¡¯ll bring this up again?¡± Sophia was still afraid. Julie squinted. ¡°This woman still haunts us so many years after she left. I think we need to make him marry Juniper so he settles down.¡± When Sophia remembered how he lost his temper for Hesper, she wasn¡¯t so sure if he would marry Juniper. In the chaotic living room, no one noticed a little shadow in the corner. Renfrew, having heard their conversation, could guess what happened. His face shone with determination. His mother wasn¡¯t a bad person. They didn¡¯t want his mother toe back, but he did! He wanted to see his mother! The little boy made a call with his Protege Smart Watch and spoke to the person on the other side with a serious look. ¡°Ms. Myriade, could you help me please?¡± ¡°Isaac, what¡¯s the update?¡± In the presidential suite of the seven-star hotel of Genecity, Hesper, who had just had a shower,zed on the chair. Her dark curly hair was slightly wet. Her skin was very soft, which made Isaac lower his head after taking a nce. ¡°We¡¯ve done what you asked and given a lot of incriminating information to the station that Ms. Wight is working at. I¡¯m sure something wille up soon.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She picked up her wine ss with content and took a sip of the red wine. Isaac couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, if you want revenge, you could just tell Mr. Lane and he would have a million ways of taking care of this. Why do you want to do it yourself?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± Hersper smiled. ¡°What they gave me wasn¡¯t just physical turmoil. Before they lose everything, I¡¯m going to let them feel what it¡¯s like to have their reputation utterly ruined.¡± These women were pretentious and arrogant. It would please her so much to drag their names through the mud and watch as they struggle, drown, and turn into the mud that they looked down upon! She tilted her head backward and took another sip of wine. When Isaac saw that she was trying to drink her problems away, he said, ¡± Please stop drinking. You haven¡¯t had dinner. Would you like me to order some of your favorite food from the room service?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go out.¡± She was a little agitated and felt like taking a walk. She put on her beige coat and before she left, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many people to follow me around. Go have dinner too.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After they replied, only Isaac was left to protect her. Hesper didn¡¯t say more. Matthew trusted Isaac with his life and he was stubborn. He would always put her safety first. When they got to the restaurant, Hesper was excited to see the menu, as she hadn¡¯t had food from Genecity in a long time. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Suddenly, a little hand suddenly started tugging at her coat. Hesper looked down and it was a three-year-old child, beaming with. his big brown eyes staring at her. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Hesper was surprised. Isaac walked over and wanted to shoo him away, but she stopped him. The child¡¯s voice was soft and made her heart melt. ¡°Yes, baby?¡± Renfrew kept his eyes on her as if this was his mother. She looked exactly like the pictures. His face lit up and blushed after finally meeting his mother, but he tried to cover up. He blinked his big beautiful eyes and said in an innocent voice, ¡°My family went out and I¡¯m very hungry. Can you get me some food please?¡± Hesper¡¯s natural instinct made her think that the child was suspicious, but when she saw him smile, her heart melted, so she couldn¡¯t say no to him. ¡°Sure, what do you feel like having? I¡¯ll pay for you.¡± The child¡¯s eyes shone. His mother wasn¡¯t unfriendly. Why did she leave him then? He grabbed her hand and ordered the more expensive options. Not only was she not angry, she even smiled and asked if that was all he wanted. The child was squealing in his heart, as he knew that his mother was a nice person. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± Isaac couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The seven-star hotel had tight security and it wasn¡¯t a ce where anyone could juste and go as they pleased. The child appeared out of nowhere and looked as if he was very familiar with the expensive food, showing that he wasn¡¯t just any child. ¡°You should be more careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Hesper waved her hand, understanding his concern. She watched the little boy eating some fish fillet and casually asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me your name. Who are your parents?¡± Here ites. His mother was interrogating him! Renfrew was very excited as he looked at her with anticipation. ¡°My name is Renfrew Duval, though my family calls me Ren. You can call me Ren too.¡± ¡°Ren?¡± Hesper was stunned. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Memories shed before her eyes. The child was named Ren with thest name Duval and he suddenly showed up and spoke to her. She knew the answer in her heart. It was hard to cover her excitement. ¡°What about your mother? What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Rivera, her family name is Rivera,¡± the child emphasized the name. Her name is Hesper Rivera. Do you know her?¡± Hesper was so shocked, she couldn¡¯t speak. Seeing how she wasn¡¯t talking, Renfrew thought that she wasn¡¯t going to admit that she was his mother, so the shine in his eyes dimmed. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡­¡± Before he could finish, he was pulled into a warm embrace. Hesper hugged him tight in her arms. Even Isaac, who was sitting next to them, was stunned. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t realize what was happening until Hesper pinched his soft cheeks. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± she said. ¡°You knew that I¡¯m your mother, didn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°How¡­ how did you know?¡± Ren started stuttering out of nervousness. He thought that he was doing a good job pretending, but he was immediately called out. Hesper smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°It was so obvious, it would be hard for me not to realize.¡± Feeling the bundle in her arms made Hesper¡¯s heart whole. Renfrew went all out. With shiny eyes, he looked up. ¡°Mommy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Tears rolled down the corner of Hesper¡¯s eyes, as that was the first time she heard her son call her mommy. She had been waiting for that for so long that it made her nose tingle. Hesper didn¡¯t want to scare him, so she asked in a gentle tone. ¡°Are you full? If you are, I¡¯ll bring you to my room, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The little boy obediently followed her into the elevator. Isaac didn¡¯t realize what happened until that moment. The mother and son had reunited and the child was the one who found her. Why did it feel unreal? In the presidential suite, Hesper and Ren sat on the couch. She touched his hair gently. It was a gentleness that Isaac had never seen before. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, so can you tell me how you know that I¡¯m her?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Her whereabouts weren¡¯t a secret, but how could a three-year-old child find her? His eyes darted around because he was worried that he might identally talk about Ms. Myriade, so he made a white lie. ¡°I heard Uncle Benji telling daddy that and wrote it down. I took the only picture of you at home and came over.¡± Hesper felt sorry. ¡°My sweet child. You shouldn¡¯t do something so dangerous. You¡¯re so young. What if you bumped into a bad person?¡± ¡°But¡­ I really missed you.¡± He felt small, and his eyes turned red. Hesper felt her heart ache and hugged him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was going to see you in the next few days. Please don¡¯t cry, Ren.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t cry. I¡¯m really d that I get to see you.¡± He was mature beyond his age and that made Hesper feel terrible. ¡°Tell me how grandma and Aunt Sophia are treating you. Are you happy?¡± Ren shook his head. ¡°No, great-grandpa and daddy love me, but great- grandpa is not healthy and daddy is too busy working. Grandma and Aunt Sophia hate me.¡± Hesper could imagine how his life had been, knowing the mother and daughter¡¯s personalities, and her anger rose. She thought they only hated her, but she never imagined that they would do that to a child. too. Renfrew was a Duval, yet he still had to face their disgust! ¡°Mommy.¡± Ren suddenly held her hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry. Great grandpa and daddy are around, so I¡¯m not doing too bad.¡± ¡°Ren¡­¡± Hesper was dispaired. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I came back to teach them a lesson and take you away with me. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you any longer.¡± He paused. ¡°But¡­ grandma and Aunt Sophia are daddy¡¯s family. If they¡¯re punished, wouldn¡¯t daddy be sad?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry about how they treat you?¡± Uncle Benji telling daddy that and wrote it down. I took the only picture of you at home and came over.¡± Hesper felt sorry. ¡°My sweet child. You shouldn¡¯t do something so dangerous. You¡¯re so young. What if you bumped into a bad person?¡± ¡°But¡­ I really missed you.¡± He felt small, and his eyes turned red. Hesper felt her heart ache and hugged him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was going to see you in the next few days. Please don¡¯t cry, Ren.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t cry. I¡¯m really d that I get to see you.¡± He was mature beyond his age and that made Hesper feel terrible. ¡°Tell me how grandma and Aunt Sophia are treating you. Are you happy?¡± Ren shook his head. ¡°No, great-grandpa and daddy love me, but great- grandpa is not healthy and daddy is too busy working. Grandma and Aunt Sophia hate me.¡± Hesper could imagine how his life had been, knowing the mother and daughter¡¯s personalities, and her anger rose. She thought they only hated her, but she never imagined that they would do that to a child. too. Renfrew was a Duval, yet he still had to face their disgust! ¡°Mommy.¡± Ren suddenly held her hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry. Great grandpa and daddy are around, so I¡¯m not doing too bad.¡± ¡°Ren¡­¡± Hesper was dispaired. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I came back to teach them a lesson and take you away with me. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you any longer.¡± He paused. ¡°But¡­ grandma and Aunt Sophia are daddy¡¯s family. If they¡¯re punished, wouldn¡¯t daddy be sad?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry about how they treat you?¡± Renfrew smiled as if he was an adult. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold them ountable for daddy¡¯s sake, but¡­¡± He stopped, his cute little face looking intense. ¡°I just realize that they used to bully you too. I can disregard what they did, but you have to take revenge!¡± Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 It wasn¡¯t until that night that Hesper learned that even though Ren was a child, he was sensitive, just like Rickard. It was probably because they were father and son. ¡°Would you stay here and spend time with me tonight?¡± She acted cute and the little man patted her hand like an adult. ¡°Of course. I want to sleep here with you.¡± That night, Hesper gave Renfrew a bath and blow dried his hair, then yed with him for a while before tucking him in. Watching him quietly sleeping, her heart melted while at the same time being angry. It was past midnight yet no one in the Duval household realized that Renfrew wasn¡¯t home. It was enough to prove that they didn¡¯t care about him! She would never let them off the hook for this reason alone. The next morning, Wanda¡¯s voice was heard throughout the vi. ¡°Oh no, young master is missing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this yelling so early in the morning?¡± Julie had been worried about Sophia recently and didn¡¯t sleep well. Now that she was woken up by Wanda¡¯s scream, she was furious. Wanda didn¡¯t have time to feel afraid and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, young master is missing! His room wasn¡¯t used and his bed is cold!¡± ¡°What? Have you looked everywhere? Did he go somewhere to y?¡± Julie started feeling nervous, for he was the heir to the family. If anything happened to him, she would be sad. ¡°I did, I looked everywhere. He isn¡¯t where he usually is!¡± Julie started panicking. She saw Rickard walking out and immediately grabbed him and asked him to call the police. ¡°Dick, Ren is missing and he hasn¡¯t been back sincest night! We need to call the police. immediately!¡± Rickard knew what happened. He looked toward the room that Hesper used to sleep in and said in an enigmatic tone. ¡°I think¡­ I know where he is.¡± While waiting for the call to connect, Rickard started feeling nervous. He hadn¡¯t called Hesper in such a long time, he even had to get her number from Renee. The call was not answered. Rickard was patient and dialed again and again until Hesper lost it. ¡°Are you crazy? Do you know what time it is?¡± ¡°Is Ren with you?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Hesper scoffed. ¡°Mr. Duval is finally awake and realized that his son is missing?¡± She mocked him while also answering his question. Rickard gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Put him on the phone.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not awake yet.¡± Rickard paused. ¡°I¡¯ll go pick him up. Hesper scoffed again as she looked vicious. ¡°Rickard Duval, your son had been missing all night and you just found out. Do you think you¡¯re a good dad? He¡¯s staying with me from now on. I won¡¯t let him go home.¡± ¡°Hesper!¡± The man lowered his voice but Hesper was relentless. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Duval, threatening and yelling will no longer work on me. Once I¡¯ve made up my mind, no one will be able to change it.¡± She hung up. Rickard¡¯s chest heaved. Julie didn¡¯t know what happened, so she asked, ¡°Is Ren really with her? This woman took him without even telling us. What was she thinking!¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¡°She¡¯s the child¡¯s biological mother. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Rickard frowned, not liking how she was specting. However, Julie said, ¡°People are unpredictable. She left him without a word after giving birth. Who knows if she holds a grudge still and will take it out on the child? And even if she doesn¡¯t, she just took the child away without saying a thing. What if she fights for custody?¡± Rickard¡¯s head started to hurt because of her shouting. ¡°It won¡¯t be toote to say that when she actually does it. Aren¡¯t you tired of specting when she hasn¡¯t done anything yet?¡± He finally understood how stressful it was for Hesper to live with them. She must have felt exhausted Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. after things stacked up. ¡°The child will be safe with her. I¡¯ll send someone to keep an eye on them.¡± Seeing how he was looking impatient, Julie stopped speaking and yelled at him as he turned around. ¡°Come back early then. Let¡¯s have dinner together as a family.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Rickard walked away. When he got to the office, there were folders upon folders of documents for him to go through. By the time he snapped out of work mode, it was almost noon. Rickard took a look at the time and called Hesper. She picked up quickly this time and sounded confrontational. ¡°Mr. Duval, I don¡¯t think our rtionship is close enough that you could casually call me up. If it¡¯s work- rted, please contact my assistant. If it¡¯s personal, I¡¯m sorry but there¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± ¡°Hesper.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose. Before the people he sent out came back with information, hel wouldn¡¯t know what this would turn into, so he had to force himself to get used to it. ¡°We¡¯re all adults. What happened between us means that we¡¯ll never be strangers. Why don¡¯t we sit down and talk things through?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Hesper rejected. ¡°With all that you¡¯ve done to me in the past, I might not be able to control myself and give you a big p.¡± Rickard¡¯s face darkened. No one dared to speak to him like that; Hesper was testing his patience. ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± Remembering something, she reminded him with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯ve sent evidence of Ms. Duval¡¯s criminal actions to you. I¡¯m sure you know what to do. If you don¡¯t have the heart to take action, I¡¯ll dly take over.¡± Rickard held his phone tighter. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± ¡°An eye for an eye.¡± She hung up after that. Renfrew stared at her without blinding at the side and when he saw how she didn¡¯t give in to Rickard, he stuck up his thumb. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so cool.¡± Hesper was amused and patted his head. ¡°Let¡¯s change and we¡¯ll go grab some food.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t want to leave her son after finally seeing him. She brought him his favorite steak and then headed to the mall. The child was young but he knew what he liked. He picked a few sets of clothes and one of them was a matching set with his mother. They enjoyed their time together. ¡°Ren, stay here while I go to the bathroom.¡± Hesper walked away with her bag and turned around to take a look at him. Ren sat in the chair and rested while he kicked his legs around. Isaac said something to him and he made a funny face. Hesper smiled wider and left. At the same time, Juniper was having a meal with her colleagues from the station. The group got to the fourth floor and saw Ren sitting not too far away. She raised her brows. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll catch up.¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 She walked over in her heels and shed a big smile to Ren. ¡°Why are you here alone, Ren?¡± Renfrewzily looked up. He recognized her, the woman who kepting to see his father with a lot of makeup on. ¡°Aunt Juni.¡± He smiled innocently. ¡°Have you been too busy recently and your eyes got too tired? Can¡¯t you see this man standing next to me?¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time Ren disrespected her, but she brushed it aside because she wanted to get close to Rickard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t notice.¡± She smiled and discreetly looked at Isaac. He just looked like a bodyguard. ¡°Did your dad ask someone to bring you out? Where is he?¡± Impatience was seen in Renfrew¡¯s eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Who then?¡± Juniper was curious because she knew how much N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Rickard cared about the child. He would always hug him before he left home, so he wouldn¡¯t let the child out with just a bodyguard. However, she saw this as a good chance to approach Rickard, so she held Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to be here alone. I¡¯ll bring you to your dad.¡± ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. Please let go of him.¡± Isaac frowned and blocked her. Juniper wasn¡¯t interested in speaking to a lowly bodyguard, so she arrogantly said, ¡°How dare you block me! Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Isaac was speechless. He had met a lot of important people, so he couldn¡¯t care less about her. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but you need to let go, or I¡¯ll be forced to put my hands on you.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to put your hands on me? I¡¯m going to put in aint!¡± Juniper wanted to meet Rickard. She had been unlucky recently as if some bad luck fell upon her. The rumors spread at the station were stressing her out. If she got closer to Rickard, it would only improve her life. She didn¡¯t care if someone was blocking her. She would do anything to get to him. However, suddenly, a voice that she would never dream of was heard. ¡°Juniper Wight, where are you taking my son?¡± Juniper snapped her head over. Hesper was dressed in casual clothes and staring at her coldly from a few feet away. Even without doing anything, she had a threatening vibe. ¡°Hesper¡­¡± Juniper¡¯s beautiful eyes grew wide as she immediately remembered the anonymous parcel. ¡°I knew it was you! You¡¯re really back!¡± She rushed over to grab her face, but before she could get close enough, Isaac pushed her away and red at her. ¡°Please stay away from Ms. Lane.¡± Juniper was in heels, so she lost her bnce after being shoved aside. She stumbled backward and finally grabbed onto the railing to support herself. The woman angrily red at the both of them. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you push me!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are, trying to take my son away?¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Hesper¡¯s tone was light but it sounded eerie. Juniper suddenly realized that this was no longer the Hesper she remembered. She used to keep her head low and dressed simply. Now even though she was in casual clothes, she looked ssy. Her makeup was light but beautiful, and her lipstick made her look healthy. The Bulgari ne around her neck and the Chanel ring on her left hand were things that the old Hesper would never even wear! ¡°You¡¯re really different now, Hesper. Your outfit probably costs a lot of money. Where did you get it from?¡± Hesper calmly ignored her mocking, then waved to Renfrew. ¡°Come here, my son.¡± Renfrew immediately hopped over and hugged her, not wanting to let 1. Seeing how close they were, Juniper became jealous. She had put in a lot of effort in the past three years but could never get in his good books, but now that Hesper was back, he was immediately stuck to her. If Rickard found out, he might just stop looking for a stepmother for this rascal! ¡°Ren, what did I say to you? You have to be honest and not be blinded by money. These things that your mother bought for you are bought with money of questionable origin, so we can¡¯t keep them.¡± She walked over and wanted to hand the shopping bags back to Hesper. Hesper stretched out her hand to block her. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ms. Wight?¡± ¡°Hmmph, are you sure you want me to spell everything out?¡± Juniper looked cocky, but Hesper found it N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. funny, so she nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Juniper went on. ¡°All these things you bought are from luxury brands. You wouldn¡¯t be able to get them without a few thousand dors, but you¡¯re a poor orphan. Where did the moneye from? Have you been going around scamming people after your divorce?¡± She hinted that Hesper became a gold digger and that made Isaac¡¯s expression change. ¡°What did you say?¡± Juniper was shocked at his fierceness and took a few steps backward. Hesper smiled a knowing smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I haven¡¯t heard such a funny joke in a while. Let her continue.¡± Seeing how she was seen as a joke, Juniper lost her temper and scoffed. ¡°Stop pretending. We knew each other long enough, and I know you very well. If Rickard finds out that you¡¯re buying things for his son with dirty money, he¡¯s not going to be happy!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Hesper smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you love toin? Go ahead, I¡¯d love to see what he¡¯s going to do to me.¡± ¡°You-¡± Juniper was furious. Hesper had be very eloquent in the years that they didn¡¯t see each other and was easily able to shut her 1. She took another look at Renfrew and angrily said, ¡°Renfrew, I¡¯m going to ask you one more time. I¡¯m going to bring you to your dad. Are youing?¡± ¡°No.¡± Renfrew shook his head and innocently asked, ¡°Aunt Juni, you¡¯re so weird. I¡¯m just spending time with my mom. Why do you want toin about that? Oh, I know. Are you just finding a reason so you can see my dad?¡± The child sounded innocent, but his words were deadly. Hesper saw how Juniper¡¯s face turned red before she turned and left. ¡°Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t you let me take care of her for insulting you?¡± Isaac frowned. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t happy with what happened. Thest person who insulted Hesper was beaten up very badly. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°Isaac, your temper is going to get you in trouble one of these days.¡± Hesper smiled. ¡°Besides, fighting is boring. She¡¯s looking down on me, so it would be sweet if I put her in her ce on her own turf.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes shone because he knew. Duval Group. Juniper rushed over, but since she didn¡¯t have an appointment, the receptionist had to stop her. ¡°Ms. Wight, Mr. Duval is in the middle of something. Why don¡¯t you give him a call instead?¡± ¡°Are you blind? Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Juniper was so angry she almost spit out blood. What was going on in the past few days? Why were people giving her trouble left, right, and center? ¡°Ms. Wight, I¡¯m just doing my job. Please don¡¯t make it tough for me-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Juniper cut him off impatiently. When she saw Benji through the corner of her eye, she immediately called out to him. ¡± Benji!¡± ¡°Ms. Wight?¡± Juniper found someone to back her up, so she pointed at the receptionist. ¡°What¡¯s going on with your receptionist? This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯m here. How could she stop me?¡± Benji smiled politely, unable to tell her that thest time the receptionist let her in without asking, Rickard was furious. ¡°The staff isn¡¯t trained well enough, so please forgive her. Why don¡¯t I bring you up?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Benji pressed the button for the elevator and sent a text to Rickard. When Juniper got to the CEO¡¯s office, Rickard was already outside with a calm expression. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Rickard, I saw Ren at the mall today and he¡¯s with Hesper Rivera! Hesper bought a lot of things for him, but I¡¯m worried that-¡± ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Juniper continued, ¡°I¡¯m worried that she got her money through illegal means and she¡¯ll be a bad influence on him!¡± The air froze for a few seconds after she said that. Benji raised his brows. ¡®Ms. Wight, even if you¡¯re trying to snitch, you need to find out what¡¯s happening. Mrs. Duval is no longer the same person.¡¯ As expected, Rickard coldly replied, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± ¡°No, Rickard, you had to be there!¡± Juniper told him the entire. situation. ¡°Everything that Hesper was wearing costed thousands. I remember that you didn¡¯t pay her any alimony after your divorce, so where did she get the money from?¡± Rickard paused. ¡°Thank you for reminding me that I still owe her a huge sum of alimony.¡± Juniper was shocked. That wasn¡¯t what she meant. She wanted him to be suspicious of Hesper. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. However, Rickard spoke to Benji. ¡± Write a check and send it over to herter.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°No!¡± Juniper panicked. Even though she didn¡¯t need more money, she didn¡¯t want Rickard to give any to Hesper. How could that woman get money for the divorce? ¡°You¡¯ve been divorced for so long and everything is already in the past, so there¡¯s no point giving her the money now.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no point?¡± Rickard turned around. The annoyance in his eyes gave Juniper shivers. ¡°I mean-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long it¡¯s been. She will always be my son¡¯s mother, so I shouldpensate her. I didn¡¯t think about that before this, but now that you¡¯ve reminded me, of course I need to do something about it.¡± Rickard turned and walked into his office without giving her a chance to finish her sentence. Juniper bit her lip and had to agree. ¡°You¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± She followed closely but Rickard stood in front of the ss door and looked at her. ¡°Anything else?¡± Juniper smiled awkwardly. She could feel how cold he was toward her, but the colder he was, the more she wanted to get close to him. ¡°Rickard, why is Ren with Hesper? Do you n to get him back? I bought three tickets to the theme park and was nning to bring him there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hesper will take good care of him.¡± That ended the conversation. Juniper didn¡¯t want to just leave, so she grabbed his arm. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, the show that I¡¯m hosting is working on a finance segment and would like to invite a young and sessful business person to be interviewed. If I can¡¯t find someone suitable, could youe instead?¡± Rickard pulled his arm back and took a good look at her. ¡°Juniper, you know how busy I am. If you came to see me just to talk about such a menial thing, you¡¯re wasting my time.¡± Juniper¡¯s smile froze, but Rickard ignored her. He turned and walked away with Benji. After a few seconds, Juniper snapped back and balled up her fists. Rickard said that this was menial. She was sincerely inviting him, but to him, it wasn¡¯t worth his time. What would be considered important then? Hesper? Jealousy brewed in her heart. She was not done yet, so her expression kept changing. After a while, she seemed to have made up her mind. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She couldn¡¯t let things dy any longer. She had to get him, no matter what it took! The next day, Juniper showed up at the station as usual. She was a very well-known host in the past two years since she was highly educated and was rumored to be in a rtionship with Rickard, a dream. Her colleagues thought of her as a princess. However, the rumors that popped up recently had tainted her dreamy existence. She walked into the station and could feel people watching her after she walked past. The director suddenly called out to her. ¡°Juniper, we¡¯ve found someone for the business segment interview but the person doesn¡¯t have a lot of time. She can only do it today, so the interview will be today. Go get ready.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sudden.¡± She had been a host for a few years, so she was good at improvising. Thus, she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get ready.¡± The business segment would be a live broadcast on the business channel. Juniper sat in front of the mirror and got her makeup done as she read the script. She looked toward the guest room from the corner of her eye but no one seemed to be in there. Who was this person? Juniper walked to the set filled with curiosity. After a brief opening, it was time for the interview. Juniper¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw who showed up. ¡°You?¡± Hesper was dressed in a ck business suit. She looked like an intelligent urban woman in the crisp outfit. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¡°You seem very surprised to see me, don¡¯t you, Ms. Wight?¡± Hesper had already sat down on the guest table with a faint smirk, but Juniper was still standing in a daze, too surprised, almost astonished, and the scene dove into a moment of awkwardness. ¡°Juni, what¡¯s wrong with you? Say something, quickly!¡± Her assistant¡¯s anxious reminder sounded in her earphones, and Juniper finally came back to her senses. As she sat down gracefully, she tried to cover up her embarrassment from just now with a series of young and promising, Ms. Rivera.¡± She ced quite a bit of emphasis on thest few words, giving off a N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. sarcastic tone. Hesper chuckled all of a sudden. ¡°Ms. Wight, didn¡¯t you go through the script before you came into this interview as the host? It¡¯s Ms. Lane, not Ms. Rivera.¡± ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re obviously¡­¡± Halfway through her exmation, Juniper stopped abruptly. She remembered what she saw when she was going through the script backstage. The guest that they had invited today was indeed Ms. Lane. However, she had forgotten about it because Hesper was the one who took the stage. ¡°You¡¯re Ms. Lane?¡± ¡°Other than that, who else would I be?¡± Juniper felt a chill up her spine, then a wave of numbness crept underneath her scalp from the back of her head up to the front. ¡®This woman is obviously Hesper. I¡¯d still recognize her even if she¡¯d been burned down to ashes. How did she be Ms. Lane out of nowhere? ¡°Ms. Wight, shouldn¡¯t we be starting already? At the end of the day, this is still a live broadcast.¡± Hesper let off casual ridicule. Hearing this, Juniper quickly adjusted her state and forced a smile.¡± That was only a joke to lighten the mood of the interview. We¡¯ll officially start the session now.¡± However, anyone with a discerning eye could tell whether it was a joke or not. The director sat silently behind the camera. His expression looked so dissatisfied that no one around him dared to approach him at this moment. He originally chose to entrust this project to Juniper because of her attractive and young appearance, but who knew that she would cause such a huge problem during her first interview? Other colleagues were also whispering to each other. ¡°Juniper doesn¡¯t seem to be prepared for this. How in the world can she make such a rudimentary mistake?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps she thinks she¡¯s a famous celebrity now, so she didn¡¯t take the script seriously.¡± Juniper¡¯s assistant bit her lip as she heard thements, but she dared not say a word. She was just an assistant; what someone like her thought would not matter. Fortunately, the director gave those people a cold re. ¡°Shut up, and go back to your desk and study your script if you have nothing to do. Something like this had better not happen when you¡¯re hosting your own show!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± Those who got reprimanded could only keep their mouths shut. At this time, Juniper had gradually regained her rationale and rhythm. She stared at the woman who was answering her question and smiling at the camera, and a beam of coldness shot out of her eyes as she deliberately asked, ¡°Ms. Lane, you¡¯ve be the president of apany at such a young age. Would you mind sharing your secret with our audience?¡± Hesper nced at her unconcernedly and replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s just a lot of hard work and effort.¡± The answer to this type of question had always been extremely predictable. Most interviewees would only provide the interviewer with a rather superficial and general answer. But Juniper immediately asked to follow up on that response. ¡°What kind of effort would it be, Ms. Lane? Perhaps you can borate more on that?¡± Her tone made the question sound obviously deliberate, and everyone on and off the interview project frowned for a split second. Hesper remained silent for a short while too. Juniper thought she was quiet because she was scared and became more and more aggressive. ¡°Let¡¯s make this the final question before we end this interview. As far as I know, you¡¯re an orphan and grew up in an orphanage. You even filed a divorce from your ex-husband three years ago because of some issues in your marriage. So, how did you change yourst name and be the president of Lanes Holdings? Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¡± Chapter 82 Every single word that came out of Juniper¡¯s mouth was full of aggression, which was extremely off- limits for television interviews. The director¡¯s expression changed instantly, and he immediately contacted Juniper through the earphones. ¡°Juniper, what kind of questions do you think you¡¯re asking?! Look around you and remind yourself of the asion that we¡¯re in! You¡¯d better start to mediate the situation in there!¡± In spite of the director¡¯s warning, Juniper sat there and did not even budge. ¡®I know very well that this is inappropriate, but as long as I can embarrass Hesper on national television and radio, so what if it¡¯s inappropriate?¡¯ ¡°Ms. Lane? Is it inconvenient for you to share that part of your life with us?¡± The atmosphere of the entire video studio remained stagnant for a while. Many spectators who were watching the show felt the delicate situation too. Benji happened to be listening to the simultaneous live broadcast on the radio, and when he found out that the interviewee was Hesper, he immediately brought hisptop to Rickard. ¡°Mr. Duval, you should see this.¡± Under the attention of all the spectators and audience, Hesper¡¯s scarlet lips parted slightly. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m surprised that TV station¡¯s interviewers would actually include questions that pry into their interviewees¡¯ private lives in their interviews nowadays. ¡°Yes, I did file a divorce from my ex-husband three years ago. As for the reason why I filed the divorce, shouldn¡¯t you, Ms. Wight, out of all the people in Genecity, know it best?¡± She sounded neither humble nor overbearing, and she straightened her posture, showing her fair and delicate neck as she continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t n to bring this up at first, but since you want to bring so much aggression into this interview, I might as well share this story with everyone else. I got divorced three years ago because my ex- husband had an ex-lover who stayed in my house more often than her own home. She even maintained an exceptionally close rtionship with my mother-inw and sister- inw at that time. As for who this ex-lover is¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Lane!¡± Juniper interrupted her immediately. ¡®If she were to disclose this in public, that would be the end of my reputation and career.¡¯ However, at this time, the other people in the studio gradually came back to their senses. During these few years, rumors had been circting in Genecity. Some people said that although Juniper and Rickard were childhood sweethearts and each other¡¯s first love, she tore his family apart a few years ago, causing Rickard¡¯s wife at the time to ask for a divorce in grief. Now it seemed that the wife was their guest for today! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Lane, you don¡¯t have to talk about your private life on national television. I believe our spectators are more curious about how you changed yourst name and became one of the Lanes?¡± Juniper cleverly changed the topic. Hesper took a nce at her disdainfully. ¡®She actually has the guts to try to embarrass me on national television? Juniper Wight, you¡¯re no match for me when ites to this.¡¯ But Juniper was right, most people really wanted to know how Hesper Rivera became Hesper Lane, and Rickard was one of them. He sat in front of theputer and squinted his eyes slightly. In the next second, Hesper exined calmly, ¡°Of course, I changed myst name because of my rtionship with the Lanes. Matthew Lane is my elder brother.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Everyone watching the broadcast was surprised, including the people who were working at the scene. This information was not even found and listed in the script. Some spectators were even astounded. ¡®Matthew Lane, the man who¡¯s been dominating the business circle in multiple countries in the past two years. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to im that he¡¯s the man who was capable of turning the entire Emperion City upside down. He turned out to be Hesper Lane¡¯s elder brother?¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t that make her¡­¡¯ Juniper was astonished, and her eyes widened. ¡°Impossible¡­ How could you be Matthew Lane¡¯s sister?¡± Seeing that the show was about toe to an end, Hesper could not bother to beat around the bush anymore, and her expression turned cold in an instant. ¡°Ms. Wight, your question sounds so strange. Why can¡¯t I be Matthew Lane¡¯s sister? Ever since I took the stage, you¡¯ve been targeting me intentionally. Why so? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll expose you as the homewrecker who seduced my ex-husband? Or is this how your TV station treats all its guests?¡± The amount of information that Hesper let out through thest few sentences was too much for anyone to handle, and the scene got out of control for a while. The director had no choice but to urgently order for the broadcast to be temporarily suspended andmercials to be inserted. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 He then hurried forward with a frown. ¡°Juniper Wight, what¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Hesper was a quest that they had invited to the television station for an interview, and she did not do anything excessive during the session, so he could not me her and could only cast all his grievances on Juniper. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the grievances that exist between the two of you. but this is a live interview! And please don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a host! If you can¡¯t even deliver what you¡¯re being asked to, what makes you think you¡¯re worthy of the support that our viewers and fans show you?¡± His reprimand reminded Juniper that she had ced everything into this career of hers, and she must not fall short at this moment. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry. This is on me¡­¡° The director let out a long sigh, took a deep breath, and gave off a polite smile as he apologized and exined the situation to Hesper.¡± I¡¯m really sorry, Ms. Lane. I didn¡¯t know Ms. Wight would be so confused that she would go out of control today. I¡¯ve just taught her a lesson, so please show our station some leniency and don¡¯t take today¡¯s incident to heart.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s interview was about toe to an end too. How about we proceed with the interview? You can then give our viewers a few pieces of financial advice before we end the session smoothly.¡± Hesper nced at him with a faint smirk. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Ms. Wight brought up so many matters and used them to nder me during the interview It¡¯s obvious that she doesn¡¯t care about Lane Holdings¡¯ reputation at all! And here you are, asking me to get back into the interview with her?¡± ¡°Then what do you¡­¡± The director was a smart and tactful person too; he immediately knew that Hesper had something in her mind. She gazed at Juniper coldly as all the humiliation that she had experienced in the past shed across her mind over and over again. ¡°Get her to apologize to me until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± ¡°Hesper Rivera! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Juniper had never been humiliated like this before. She raised her eyebrows, about to lose her head. However, before she could utter another word, the director who was standing next to her red ferociously at her. ¡°Can you not add more fuel to the mes? This whole incident is clearly your fault, so it¡¯s totally understandable for someone as important as Ms. Lane to demand a formal apology. Even if you¡¯re not willing to do so, you have to think about the reputation of the entire television station and the countless staff members who have poured tons of effort into this project!¡± Juniper understood his hint instantly! ¡®If things don¡¯t end well today, it¡¯ll be difficult for our department to exin to those higher-ups, and if that were to happen, I¡¯ll be med for all the mistakes. It¡¯ll be even more difficult for me to survive in this television station.¡¯ Gnashing her teeth firmly, Juniper bowed her noble head for the first time in all her life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought up all that nonsense.¡± ¡°Ms. Wight, can this even be counted as an apology?¡± Hesper folded her arms and asked expressionlessly. The director had no choice but to urge her, ¡°Show more sincerity.¡± Juniper bit her lower lip to the point of almost piercing the flesh. ¡®This b*tch is doing this on purpose just to embarrass me.¡¯ ¡°All this is my fault, please forgive me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so soft-spoken, I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s all my fault, so please forgive me!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hear any sincerity at all, so I won¡¯t let this slide.¡± Hesper continued to make things difficult for Juniper Juniper could not take it anymore. The wrath within her surged and overwhelmed her rationale. She roared angrily, ¡°Hesper Rivera, what more do you want?! I¡¯ve already apologized, so don¡¯t push your luck too much!¡± ¡°Do you call this pushing my luck?¡± Hesper chuckled but still did not buy Juniper¡¯s apology. Juniper became even angrier and said to the director, ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve seen it yourself. She¡¯s doing this on purpose! No matter how many times I try to apologize, she¡¯ll never forgive me! Let alone work together with me!¡± ¡°Yes, it seems that you¡¯re finally learning.¡± The person who spoke was Hesper She nced at her disdainfully as if she was looking at a piece of trash. ¡°Why should I help you deal with the aftermath of the mess that you created? Do you really think you¡¯ve done nothing wrong by seducing my ex-husband and plotting against me back then? Juniper Wight, all this time, I¡¯m only been waiting for the day when you fall.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 She left immediately after saying so. The director wanted to stop her but was stopped by Isaac who came out of nowhere. ¡°If you want to me someone for this incident, me it on your own employee. Who told her to bring up all that nonsense? Your host has angered ourdy and won¡¯t stay here anymore, not even for another second.¡± At first nce, the director instantly knew that he was a man of extraordinary status and ability. He sighed helplessly and hurriedly arranged for someone from the next show to take over. However, when such an incident happened, it was natural for everyone to know that something had urred during the live broadcast, and it must be something major and extremely serious. The television station¡¯s official social media tforms were flooded almost instantly as countless peoplemented on their page. ¡°What just happened? How can a financial interview be so exciting?¡± ¡°By the way, has Juniper left her pea brain at home? Can the host of a TV program even talk like that?¡± ¡°She deserves it. I already thought she was only putting on a show before this, but I didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d be someone who loves to seduce someone else¡¯s husband and even bully her guests on her show!¡± ¡°By the way, the guest, Ms. Lane, she¡¯s so cool. She made the whole program sound like a proper plot of a modern novel in which the female lead hase back in search of revenge¡­¡± The number ofments reached more than 1,000 in no time at all, most of which were using Juniper of her actions. The atmosphere in the television station was not looking too good either. Juniper stood in the corridor as the director rebuked her. ¡°Juniper, I¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯re a brilliant person, so why are you so senseless today?! Even if you hold a huge grudge against our guest, you can¡¯t bring it with you into the studio! We were facing so many audience members during the broadcast. How do you expect me to exin the whole situation to them now? Did you even think about your reputation and image when you said those things?¡± Juniper also knew that she had caused a catastrophe, but she really could not help it and blurted out those words without even thinking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. Do you think your apology is worth anything now?¡± The director looked at her exasperatedly. ¡°Recently, gossip and rumors about you have been going around in the industry, and now this. For now, I think you should just stay at home and take it as a short break to grab some needed rest. We¡¯ll talk as soon as you¡¯ve gone back to your peak.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to take a break.¡± Juniper panicked. She had seen too many hosts and celebrities who were asked to take a break and stay at home due to broadcast incidents. All of them would be shelved at the end of the break in most cases, and with that, they would lose all opportunity at aeback. ¡°I can do it, sir. What happened earlier was only an ident. I¡¯ll post an apology on my Twitterter, so please give me another chance.¡± ¡°All opportunities must be fought and won. I¡¯m really disappointed with our behavior during the interview. With the damage that you¡¯ve just done to your own reputation, if I were to still allow you to stay here in the department without any caveat, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll do after this. So, you going on a holiday would only do both parties good.¡±1 After saying so, the director turned around and left. Juniper froze in ce, and as her colleagues walked by her asionally, all of them stared at her with condemning gazes. Many of them could not even stop picking up phone calls from viewers who wanted tounch of the aftermath of today¡¯s incident. She stared nkly at the scene and suddenly realized that this was Hesper¡¯s most ruthless revenge. Outside the television station. After Hesper came out of the building, she got into Isaac¡¯s car, and the little boy pounced into her arms from the rear seat. ¡°Mommy, I heard your interview just now. Aunt Juni sounded so dumb during the show. And yeah, she always wants to seduce daddy.¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze dimmed for a moment, but it was not because of jealousy. ¡®Even Renfrew can see her filthy actions so clearly. This only goes to show that they don¡¯t even shy away from it at all. Aren¡¯t they afraid that they¡¯ll raise a bad kid?!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. I¡¯ve already taught her a lesson.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so awesome!¡± Isaac watched as the mother and sonughed and roughhoused, but still asked, ¡°Ms. Lane, will you let Ms. Wight go after this? In my opinion, the higher-ups of this television station treat her very well, so if the aftermath of this matter were to be reduced to an eptable level, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of your time?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 ¡°The television station can¡¯t and won¡¯t tolerate such a mistake, whether it wasmitted by a host or an artist. Juniper has made such a joke out of herself and the station, so even if the director of the department wants to protect her, everything he does will be in vain. They won¡¯t be able to keep her; that interview has marked the end of her career.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable too.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head home already.¡± Hesper gave off a faint smile, and the group of three disappeared from the entrance of the television station. And at the same time. Rickard just finished watching the entire interview too, but when he heard that Matthew Lane was Hesper¡¯s elder brother, his pupils constricted instantly. ¡°So, she¡¯s been with him all this time?¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t know him when I met him at the hospital back then and I only learned about him by ident ¡°Mr. Duval, the youngdy imed that Matthew Lane is her brother. Did she mean it literally, or did she be one of the Lanes for real?¡± Rickard pondered for a moment. ¡°Where are we at with the matter that I asked you to investigate?¡± ¡°Our men arrived in Emperion a while back. I think we¡¯ll get news really soon.¡± Rickard nodded, and his gaze looked dim. Back in the television station. Juniper was packing her belongings at her workstation. She had always been the center of everyone¡¯s attention and admiration in the department, so how could she bear such grievances? The more she thought about it, the more infuriated and glum she became, and her eyes turned bloodshot. The colleagues sitting around her saw that she was crying and said sarcastically, ¡°Someone¡¯s made such a huge mess but is shameless enough to sob around here. I really can¡¯t understand what she¡¯s thinking. She¡¯s always been so arrogant and boastful about her achievement, so why would she need Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. us to deal with the aftermath of her stupidity?¡± Juniper¡¯s career path had been very smooth sailing in the past few years, and she had often stepped on others in order to climb to where she was today, so all the grudges that her colleagues had been holding in exploded at once, turning Juniper into a punching bag that was hung in the middle of the office ¡°Yeah, I told you before that a daughter of a filthy rich family like her. would not put much effort into her work. And whenever shemits a grave mistake, she¡¯ll just quit her job, go back home, and inherit the family¡¯s property, so why would she care about our life and death?¡± ¡°Thank God that someone¡¯s finally leaving now. We can finally get some peace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Juniper yelled sternly. But those people had been holding deep grudges against her for a very long time, and now that she was leaving, they did not have to care about her feelings anymore. ¡°So what if we still haven¡¯t gotten enough of it? We¡¯re not as bold as you; we don¡¯t have the guts to do something like that. Plus, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s caused this mayhem. What makes you think you¡¯re in the position to stop us from talking about it?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Angry, Juniper grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it at the colleague. ¡®I¡¯ll take it from anyone in this office other than this slut. Who does she think she is? She¡¯s just an ordinary, insignificant employee? What right does she have to talk to me like that?¡¯ However, the woman was not someone to be trifled with. She threw the pillow back at Juniper, not willing to show any trace of weakness. Juniper was not paying attention for a split second and got smacked in the face. While she got hit, her long eyshes poked into her eyes, and she gasped in pain. ¡°B*tch, you actually dare to hit back at me?¡± Juniper was furious and rushed forward, wanting to strike the woman. At this moment, the director let out an enraged roar. ¡°Hey, enough is enough! Don¡¯t you two think we¡¯re in quite enough of a mess now? And Juniper, I told you to go home, didn¡¯t I? So why are you still here?¡± Juniper bit her lips tightly. If she did not know that the director had. very important people supporting him from behind, she might even have scolded him too. She grabbed her handbag, left everything else behind, turned around, and left. After leaving the television station, Juniper stood in front of the building for a while and then gave Sophia a call. ¡°Hey, where are you¡­?¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Things had not been going too well for Sophia recently too. Ever since the fact that she had hired someone to drug and harm Hesper back then was exposed, Rickard punished her to stay at home, and she was not allowed to go anywhere. Juniper deliberately defended Sophia when she saw her. ¡°Isn¡¯t Hesper too much? That incident was from so long ago, and she waited this long toe back to settle the old score with you? As for Rickard, how could he treat you like this?¡± Sophia held back her anger and gritted her teeth as she said, ¡°That b* tch turns out to be a scheming one. She¡¯s able to bewitch Dick into obsession with just a few words! He¡¯s even ignored his biological sister for that whore!¡± 2 She was never an obedientdy, so she immediately resisted when she heard that she was going to be grounded. She even dragged Madam Duval along to intercede for her. But Rickard only provided her with two options. ¡°You either choose to be grounded or go abroad.¡± Of course, Sophia did not want to go abroad. Living abroad meant having to encounter plenty of unfamiliarities, so how could it be asfortable and happy as her life here? So she could only choose to stay at home reluctantly. When Juniper heard that it had something to do with Hesper again, a trace of impatience shed across her eyes. ¡°Sophia, speaking of which, I nned to ask you when I see you, but what happened between Renfrew and Hesper? Is Rickard the one who allowed them to be together? Apart from that, what kind of rtionship does Hesper have with Rickard now?¡± Sophia knew what she cared about and gave off a mocking smirk. Don¡¯t worry too much. Dick will never get together with that b*tch. It¡¯s just that the b*tch didn¡¯te back here with good intentions this time around and took Renfrew away while we weren¡¯t paying attention.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± After saying so, Sophia stared at Juniper with a dissatisfied gaze.¡± However, if this goes on, who knows if Dick will get back together with her. Speaking of which, you two have been going back and forth for so long already. Why haven¡¯t you knocked Hesper out of the park with your rtionship with Dick?¡± Juniper felt anxious about the matter, and she had to pretend to be aggrieved. ¡°You should know Rickard¡¯s temperament better than I do. Back then, after the divorce, he told me that he wanted to ce more focus on Renfrew and had no time for a new rtionship, so I thought that he would be mine sooner orter even if I had to wait for him. But now, that slut has approached me and bullied me!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Sophia had never been interested in finance, so she had no idea of what happened earlier today. Juniper recounted what happened that day with bloodshot eyes, and Sophia responded angrily in an instant. ¡°What?! Howe I didn¡¯t know that she could be such a scheming b*tch?¡± Seeing that Sophia¡¯s emotion was almost at its peak, Juniper pretended to mention the consequences unintentionally. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t mind her bullying me, but judging from her current capability and background, if we were to let her get back together with Rickard again, she¡¯ll definitely go back to investigating the incident where Renfrew fell off the building. By that time, I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t let any of us get away unscathed.¡± Sophia imagined a scene where her world would be turned upside down if Hesper were to get to the bottom of the incident, and she could not help but frown. Juniper then put on an aggrieved expression as she begged, ¡°So, Soph, we must stop them from investigating the matter, for both our wellbeing. Will you help me with this?¡± ¡°But how can I help?¡± ¡®Judging from Dick¡¯s current attitude toward me, why would he listen to me?¡¯ But Juniper added cryptically, ¡°He might not take us seriously, but don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s one of the most filial people in the world. As long as you can get Madam Duval to talk to him¡­¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°I see!¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately went to talk to Madam Duval. Not long after, Rickard received a call from Madam Duval, asking him toe home for dinner tonight no matter what. A trace of exhaustion shed across Rickard¡¯s eyes, but he still went back to the Duvals¡¯ residence obediently. ¡°Rickard¡¯s back.¡± As soon as his car stopped at the gate of the courtyard, Madam Duval walked out with a smile. ¡°Mom.¡± Rickard greeted her and saw Juniper standing behind her. His long and narrow brows raised slightly in an instant. ¡°Juniper heard that I¡¯m feeling a little unwell, so she brought some supplements here to visit me. I¡¯m the one who asked her to stay back for dinner.¡± Madam Duval exined immediately while holding Juniper¡¯s arm and looking delighted. As soon as he heard this, Rickard did not utter another word, nodded, and strode forward. ¡°The meal is ready, let¡¯s grab a seat in the dining hall.¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Madam Duval followed everyone into the dining hall and motioned for Juniper to sit beside Rickard at the same time. ¡°Juniper, don¡¯t you like to eat fish? Eat some of this. It¡¯s boneless, so it should be convenient for you to eat.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Juniper let off a bashful smile, took a nce at the man sitting beside her, and asked, ¡°Rickard, would you like some soup? I¡¯ll fetch you some.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Rickard interrupted her, and his stern expression gave off an intense sense of alienation. ¡°Dick, how can you speak so rudely to Juniper?¡± Madam Duval frowned instantly. ¡°Juniper came to our ce because she cares about my health, not to mention that you two have known each other for so many years. No matter what, you should always treat her kindly.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Rickard looked at her. He could exin himself by saying that he did not understand what was going on before this, but he now had a general picture of what had happened back then. He then said calmly and slowly, ¡°As you said, we¡¯ve known each other for many years, so I¡¯ll naturally treat her well in certain aspects. But other than that, I don¡¯t want to create any misunderstandings.¡± Upon hearing this, Juniper¡¯s cheeks paled, and her eyes teared up immediately. ¡°Rickard, what happened? Are you saying that you hate me now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rickard shook his head, giving off a hint of exhaustion.* He did not hate. Juniper, but he did not want to get too close to her either. Ever since Hesper came back to Genecity, some of the hidden truths had been uncovered gradually, and those suspicions caused him to feel that he did not seem to know this woman all that well. ¡°But if you don¡¯t hate me, why would you keep me at such a distance all this while? You know very well that I¡¯ve always loved you after all these years!¡± ¡°Boom¨C¡°The moment these words escaped Juniper¡¯s mouth, a huge noise came from the living room. After a few seconds, Hesper suddenly appeared at the entryway of the vi with Renfrew, but she did not expect to hear such an intense confession live. Everyone in the dining hall looked back at the same time, and Rickard stood up subconsciously. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hesper had regained her calm demeanor at this moment and gazed at him with a faint smirk. ¡°Renfrew said that he hasn¡¯t seen his father for a few days and he misses him a lot. However, it seems that I¡¯ve ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re interrupting our meal!¡± Just as Rickard was about to exin, someone grabbed his arm abruptly. Juniper wrapped her 3 arms around him tightly as if she was showcasing her sovereignty in this household. ¡°Since you¡¯ve fetched the kid here, it¡¯s time for you to leave if there¡¯s nothing else that you wish to say or do. And don¡¯t mind us for not seeing you off!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Madam Duval and Sophia had already walked up to Hesper from the dining table. ¡°Hesper Rivera? Who gave you permission toe here? You¡¯re not wee at my house. Now get lost!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re a vicious woman who only knows how to provoke dissension in our family as soon as you return here. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been grounded by Dick!¡± Every single word and sentence that came out of their mouths was full of ridicule and humiliation. Hesper listened to what they had to say indifferently, then tilted her head and smirked at Rickard. ¡°Did you see that? This was how my everyday life looked like when I was living with you.¡± After saying so, she nced across the hall coldly. ¡°Just shut your traps. This ce is so full of filth, do you really think I¡¯d like toe Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¡°If you don¡¯t like it here, you can always avoiding here. No one begged you toe, right?¡± Madam Duval snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡®After three whole years, this woman is still so presumptuous. Does she really think that I¡¯m non- existent?¡¯ ¡°Hesper Rivera, you took Renfrew away without any permission, and I haven¡¯t even pressed the case yet. Know your ce and stop swinging by, or I¡¯ll make sure that you suffer!¡± ¡°Heh, Madam Duval, you really haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Hesper scoffed. She did not want to argue with them when Renfrew was around, so she wished her good health with a rather sarcastic tone.¡± If this is the case, you should really take good care of your health so that both of us could have long lives ahead.¡± ¡°Do you think that I wouldn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say?!¡± ¡°Did you just manage to catch the point that I¡¯m trying to make? Then it seems that you¡¯re not as dumb as I think you are.¡± Hesper let off an enchanting smirk. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all from me for now. Bye, guys. I wish you all sweet dreams tonight.¡± After saying so, she turned around immediately, ready to leave. Rickard frowned and stepped forward without any hesitation. Hesper.¡± ¡°Mr. Duval, is there anything else that you wish to bring up?¡± ¡± Staring at her, countless words shed across his mind, but only one sentence escaped his lips in the end. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize on behalf of my mother and the others. They¡¯ve been very rude since you arrived.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± She scoffed and mocked him deliberately. ¡°Mr. Duval, it just so happens that you¡¯re here to witness this scene live tonight. What about all the previous incidents that I suffered in the past? Will you apologize to me on their behalf too?¡± ¡°What else happened back then?¡± Rickard frowned. Looking at his bewildered look, Hesper understood everything almost instantly. ¡°So, you haven¡¯t listened to the recording pen that I ced in your study?¡± ¡°Recording pen? When did that happen?¡± For a few seconds, Hesper gave him a profound stare, and then curled her thin lips upward, giving off a smirk. ¡°So you really have no idea of what happened back then? It seems that God deliberately made things really difficult for me three years ago. Even though I ced the evidence right under your nose, you still missed it.¡± She chuckled at her own fate. ¡°Forget it, since I never expected you to stand by my side anyway.¡± ¡°Just speak up already! What the hell went on back then?¡± Seeing that she was still about to leave, Rickard grabbed her by the wrist. Hesper¡¯s expression turned as cold as frost in an instant. ¡°You¡¯d better let go of me. Don¡¯t make me embarrass you in front of your son!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Rickard turned his head and saw Renfrew standing in the direction of the entrance. The little fe was staring fixedly at both of them. Rickard still had some scruples, so he slowly let go of his hand. ¡°I already told you that if there¡¯s anything that you wish to bring up and talk about, we can always find a ce, sit down, and talk about it calmly. Why won¡¯t you agree to this suggestion?¡± She sneered. ¡°When you get to the bottom of the whole matter and know what I had to suffer back then, you¡¯ll understand why I reject you now.¡± After saying so, Hesper did not utter another word, and her slender figure quickly disappeared into the dark courtyard. Rickard trudged back into the living room, while Juniper, Madam Duval, and Sophia were still talking about something indignantly, none of them taking care of Renfrew. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Rickard let off a roar, and hints of anger could be seen surging from the bottom of his eyes. He then stepped forward and red at Juniper. ¡°Who told you to speak up just now? Do you know what rtionship we share? And you dare wrap your arms around me?¡± Juniper was taken aback, and her voice subconsciously softened.¡± Rickard¡­ Please don¡¯t be mad at me. I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk to her, which is why I stepped forward to help you chase her away. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°Alright, Juniper only did so out of kindness. Why must you talk to her so fiercely?¡± Madam Duval wanted to protect Juniper but was red at by Rickard as soon as she opened her mouth. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡°Mom, what makes you think you can talk to her like that just now? Has Hesper done something outrageous before this? Why do you all look like you were meeting your archenemy when she was here just now?¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you ming me for what happened?!¡± Madam Duval felt extremely wronged. She sat down on the couch and startedining. ¡°What have I done to deserve this? I got myself such a former daughter-inw and you¡¯re telling me that I can¡¯t get physical with her, nor can I raise my voice against her? If you think she¡¯d make a great wife, then go to her and ask for her hand again. While you¡¯re at it, you can disown me as your mother!¡± Rickard was so exasperated that the veins on his forehead bulged one after another. He was not in the mood to argue, so he turned around and went upstairs without saying another word. Sophia and Juniper wanted to catch up to him, but he stopped them harshly, ¡°Stop right there, you two. I don¡¯t want to talk to anybody!¡± Sophia curled her lips, feeling very unreconciled to this oue. Seeing that the situation did not look too in her favor, Juniper whispered to Madam Duval, ¡°Rickard seems to be genuinely infuriated about what just happened, so I guess I¡¯ll take my leave first for tonight. I¡¯lle and visit you some other day.¡± ¡°That sounds like a n.¡± Madam Duval stopped making a fuss and patted the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m still here, there¡¯s absolutely no way that I¡¯m letting the two of them reconcile.¡± The sky was already dark at that moment. Juniper shivered when a gust of cold wind brushed against her body as she stepped out of the Duvals¡¯ residence. She quickly got into her car and settled down, but as soon as she turned the headlights on, she instantly screamed in horror, ¡°Ah!!!¡± In front of the headlights, Hesper stared at her contemptuously, and there was a dimly lit ember at the Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. tips of her fingers. Like an eerie fairy in the night, she looked captivating but murderous at the same time. ¡°You¡­ Didn¡¯t you leave?¡± Hesper flicked the cigarette and hooked her index finger. ¡°Do you want to get out of your car?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t get out.¡± For some reason, Juniper felt a burst of fear deep down. It felt like if she were to get out of the car, Hesper would certainly make a move on her. Hesper saw through her fear and chuckled disdainfully. ¡°Is this it? Ist this all you¡¯re capable of? So where did you muster the courage to persecute me back then?¡± She lost her patience, and a hint of aggressiveness could be seen between her brows. ¡°You can either Juniper did not want to choose either of the options and wanted to drive away to escape, only to find that there was already a person standing outside her car next to the driver seat; it was the bodyguard she had met in the mall. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you still insist on staying in the car, I¡¯ll get him to guide you out.¡± Hesper started counting down, but in only a split second, Juniper had already opened the car door and got out hastily. ¡°What on earth do you want to do? I¡¯m warning you, the Duvals¡¯ residence is only yards away behind us. If you dare toy a finger on me, Madam Duval and Sophia will definitely not let you get away with this!¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Not caring, Hesper dashed up to her, pressed her knee against Juniper¡¯s lower abdomen, and exerted a huge amount of strength on 1. ¡°Aaah! Have you lost your mind?¡± Juniper yelled at her angrily, and the next second, Hesper shoved something in her palm into her mouth. Juniper¡¯s eyes widened, and before she could spit it out, Hesper had already made her swallow it. Juniper then roared in panic, ¡°What did you just make me eat? Are you trying to harm me? Let me tell you, if something happens to me, you¡¯re going down with me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, killing you isn¡¯t a profitable thing to do. I won¡¯t sacrifice my whole life just to take away your cheap life!¡± Hesper pped her hands with a malicious smirk. ¡°However, that was a pill, and it was my friend¡¯stest invention. I heard that it canpletely disfigure someone if identally ingested. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true, so I¡¯ve chosen to test it on behalf of that friend of mine.¡± ¡°You!¡± As soon as she heard that she would be disfigured, Juniper felt even more anxious. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Rickard about this. I¡¯ll make sure that he sees just how vicious your true color is!¡± She ran back to the Duvals¡¯ residence while threatening Hesper. Hesper did not stop her. However, out of nowhere, a cold voice shed through the silent night. ¡°Are you 100% sure that he¡¯ll help you?¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Juniper stopped running and froze in ce. ¡®That¡¯s right, Rickard might not believe in what I say, let alone stand up for me.¡¯ ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I only want to return all the pain that you inflicted on me back then to you.¡± Hesper responded lightly, then continued. ¡°Oh yeah, by the way, I might¡¯ve forgotten to mention this to you. I made two copies of the recording from back then, one of which is already in Rickard¡¯s possession, and I guess he¡¯ll find out about it soon. So please enlighten me, will he still think that you¡¯re his perfect damsel?¡± She gave off a smirk and then left. Juniper¡¯s expression was on the verge of distorting. But after listening to all that exnation, she did not dare to go to Rickard to exin herself. ¡®If he hasn¡¯t found out the truth behind the incident at all, wouldn¡¯t I be calling myself out?¡¯ Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Back in the study. Rickard ordered everyone not toe in. ¡®Hesper imed that she had left a recording device here three years ago, so why didn¡¯t I see it all this while?¡¯ He searched all the well-hidden corners but did not find anything unusual, at least not until his gaze Rickard¡¯s gaze was fixed on the pen. In the next second, he picked it up. Pinching the body of the pen tightly, he immediately felt that the weight of the pen was a little off. Sure enough, a voice recording device was found under the pen¡¯s cap. Rickard pressed the y button, and the long-lost conversation echoed in his ears. Sophia¡¯s foretelling of the examination results, Juniper¡¯s various insinuations about Hesper, and his mother yelling at her for being a whore¡­ The more Rickard heard, the more gloomy his expression became, until finally, he clenched his hands and mmed them heavily on the desk. ¡®I didn¡¯t tell anyone about Hesper¡¯s examination results at the hospital back then, but they were able to know the result in advance?¡¯ Rickard, who had already gotten used to seeing and experiencing countless conspiracies and tricks before this, instantly understood what that meant, and his expression became extremely furious. ¡®Could it be that I really wronged her back then? Now that I think about it, the person who saved Hesper was Matthew. With his identity, it¡¯d be impossible for him to take advantage of the life- threatening situation that others are in. Then what about the results of the physical examination? Is the so-called foreign fluid an unfounded lie, or was the doctor in it too? And I actually made her kneel in the rain for one whole day! I can¡¯t imagine what she was thinking at that time, and how much she hated me back then.¡¯ Rickard suddenly understood what she meant when she said he would understand why she had rejected him as soon as he got to the bottom of the whole matter and realized just how much she had to suffer back then. ¡®If I was the one who got punished and tortured for no obvious reason, I¡¯d never let the other party get away with it, not even if I needed to turn the whole world upside down in order to achieve that. However, Hesper endured everything in silence; her exnations, her resentful exmations, and her grievances were all ignored¡­¡± Rickard had never felt so tired before. ¡®How could I manage to ignore all of them for three whole years? It¡¯s me¡­ I¡¯m at fault here. I¡¯m the person who¡¯s wronged her.¡¯ Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Benji rushed in and reported, ¡°Mr. Duval, we¡¯ve gotten to the bottom of the youngdy¡¯s past.¡± ¡°Bring it to me.¡± A few secondster, Benji handed a stack of documents to Rickard and said in a distressed tone, ¡°Mr. Duval, the youngdy did leave the city with Matthew Lane back then, and Matthew then announced to the public that the youngdy is the Lanes¡¯ long-lost daughter.¡± ¡°After the youngdy got into the Lanes, many of the younger family members in the Lanes didn¡¯t want to recognize her. The youngdy had a very difficult life during her first year living with the Lanes.¡± In the document, several major events were listed out and described in detail. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 For example, the first year that Hesper went to live with the Lanes, her identity was scrutinized. The cousin even swore by her life that she would one day kick her out of the family. The threat was averted only because Matthew handled it. Hesper was locked in the walk-in freezer for three hours and almost froze to death. When she was let out, she was freezing from head to toe and she had lost sensation in her extremities. She fell very sick and was admitted to the hospital for two months before she recovered. Arthur Lane flew into a furious rage and punished a lot of people, and that was how Hesper started having a ce there. Everything that happened after that was all because of how hard she studied the information that was provided to her. ¡°Mr. Duval¡­ Mrs. Duval had it tough in the past few years.¡± Rickard curled his fingers hard around the documents. He could imagine what happened based on what was written. All of this happened because she was kicked out of the Duval family. Thinking of how much she had suffered, Rickard¡¯s heart felt weary. ¡°Ask Sophia toe to see me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Benji didn¡¯t know what happened, but he followed his orders and went to get Sophia. Sophia knew very well that her brother wouldn¡¯t see her without a good reason, but when he did, it was never about anything good. ¡°Mom, what should I do?¡± She was afraid and held Julie¡¯s hand tight. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that Rickard would do anything ridiculous if she was there. ¡°You asked to see me, Rickard?¡± Sophia walked into the study with Julie. She carefully read his face, but it was cold as usual, so she couldn¡¯t tell. Seeing how she looked more rxed, he grabbed the recording pen and threw it at her. ¡°Tell me how you knew about the test results from the hospital? What else are you and Juniper hiding from me?¡± Sophia jumped. She clicked on the pen and listened for a few seconds, then her face turned pale. ¡°I¡­ I just guessed it!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Rickard¡¯s gaze was razor sharp. ¡°How could you get it right if you were only guessing? You said the exact same thing as the doctor. Sophia, not everyone is as dumb as you!¡± ¡°Rickard, how could you speak to your sister like that?¡± Julie frowned. Rickard immediately turned his attention to her. ¡°I haven¡¯t started with you yet. Why don¡¯t you tell me why you loathed Hesper so much three years Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ago? You kept insulting her. What did she do to you?¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± Julie wanted to deny it, but the recording continued ying and her scream was heard throughout the study. It was all the insults she hurled at Hesper. Her face twitched as she thought of killing the b*tch. Why was there a recording? ¡°Dick, she talked back and I got angry and said all the nasty things. Are you going to hold me ountable for it?¡± Rickard took a good look at her. How could they still try to push the responsibility away at that point? He coldly said, ¡°I won¡¯t hold you responsible, but I¡¯m afraid of how you insulted and tortured her when I wasn¡¯t around.¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 The answer was no longer important because he was not going to listen to their excuses. Rickard said with a stoic expression, ¡°If you continue to bully her, I¡¯m not going to let you off just because you¡¯re my family.¡± ¡°How could you say that to me? Have you forgotten that I¡¯m your mother?¡± Julie was frustrated. Rickard had always been a good son to her, but after what he said, she was unhappy and afraid at the same time. Rickard looked at her, his calm eyes sending chills down their spines. ¡°If you weren¡¯t my mother, this would end very differently. Enough, Mom.¡± Julie wanted to say more, but Rickard gave his order. ¡°As for Juniper, we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She should visit us less often because I don¡¯t want any more trouble. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He walked away in silence. His heart was in a knot and he had to do something to release the stress. In the presidential suite. Hesper was in a milk bath. She had had a good life in the past two years because Matthew treated her very well and would give her anything she asked for. That made her overall well-being improve, and her skin got better too. Her fair skin was bare as she closed her eyes and rested. Under the dense vapor, her face was so pretty. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Hesper frowned and quickly W up in a bathrobe. Went to ¡°You?¡± She raised her brow when she saw who was there then was about to close the door. ¡°Wait,¡± Rickard stretched out his hand to block her, his dark brown eyes looking guilty, which was theplete opposite of what he usually was like. ¡°I need to speak to you.¡± Hesper stared at him for a few seconds then let him in. ¡°Make it quick, then leave.¡± Rickard stood behind her. The usually decisive man started hesitating, but when he saw how impatient she looked, he spoke. ¡°I heard the recording. I¡¯m sorry for finding out sote.¡± He kept thinking that if he found out about the situation that she was in earlier, it might not hurt her that much. ¡°So? You came all the way to say that?¡± Hesper was apathetic as if she didn¡¯t care. After staying quiet for a few seconds, Rickard pulled out a check from his front pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t change the past. I know that we¡¯ve treated you horrendously. Please take this money; it¡¯spensation for you.¡± Her eyes fell on the thin piece of check and it was double the amount from the one that Benji brought over. It seemed as though he felt even more guilty after hearing the recording. Hesper didn¡¯t take it but instead scoffed. ¡°Do you think money can make me forget the hurt I went through? Or do you think I need this money?¡± Rickard knew it wasn¡¯t thetter. With the Lanes supporting her, she was now livingfortably. Why would she care about this?¡± ¡°But this is how I¡¯m making amends.¡± His voice trailed off because even he thought that it was pathetic. Hesperughed ¡°Rickard, who do you think I am? I never asked for money from you when I was suffering in the past, yet now you¡¯re offering it to me? Are you trying to insult me?¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He panicked. He wanted to exin himself but he didn¡¯t know what to say. Hesper scoffed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not trying to. All you¡¯re doing is making yourself feel less guilty by spending money because you know that you¡¯ve wrongly used me in the past. You knew they bullied me, so this is your way to feel better about yourself.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was doing.¡± Rickard¡¯s brows were in a knot.. Hesper didn¡¯t give him a chance to exin. ¡°Stop denying it. If you really feel sorry, let me ask you this, after exposing what Sophia and Juniper did, what did you do? I want you to punish them, but did you?¡± Rickard spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve given Sophia a stern warning so she will not do anything anymore. I grounded her too. As for Juniper, I¡¯ve given an order that she can no longer visit our home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Hesper wasn¡¯t satisfied. She stood up and walked over to him. Her white bathrobe wasn¡¯t covering her fair and tender skin well enough, so it peeked through as she walked. Rickard was shocked to find that he was very nervous, but being someone with status, he didn¡¯t let it show. He sat there, unmoving; his eyes were like a hawk, locked on her body. ¡°Rickard, you¡¯re a powerful man. Is that all you can do when ites to punishing someone? You weren¡¯t so nice to me.¡± She grabbed his hand and ced it on her left cheek then smiled a joyless smile. ¡°This was where you pped me. Have you forgotten?¡± Rickard froze, the memories reying in his mind. He was very brutal toward her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. If you need to let out your anger, you can direct it at me, but¡­¡± He paused. He still had to care for his family. ¡°Sophia is my sister and Juniper did all that because of me. You can do anything you want to me, but I hope you can let them off the hook.¡± 1 Hesperughed. See, he hadpassion. However, thispassion wasn¡¯t shown to her. ¡°What if I say no? Are you going to hurt me again?¡± Rickard quietly observed the woman before him. She had changed so much. The old Hesper wouldn¡¯t speak to him nor look at him that way, but now she was an elf of the night, fatal. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but I can¡¯t let you do whatever you want. We should keep what happened to us between us, alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± She smiled. Rickard immediately knew that something was wrong. ¡°What do you mean? What did you do?¡± Hesper elegantly looked at her fingers and smiled eerily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon. Isaac, walk Mr. Duval out.¡± With that order, Isaac, who was hiding in the shadows, appeared. ¡°This way, sir.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Before he was thrown out, Rickard heard Hesper pick up her phone and said, ¡°Nate, you finally called me back¡­¡± The man¡¯s iris shrank. Nate? So she had men other than Matthew? A curious feeling rushed toward Rickard¡¯s chest. It was a mixture of helplessness and jealousy. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Hesper didn¡¯t overthink it. When she suddenly got a call from Nathaniel, she was genuinely happy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to Centrelest for training? I thought you¡¯d be gone for a long time.¡± Nathaniel¡¯sughter could be heard from the other end. ¡°Yes, I thought it would be long before I contacted you again, but I heard your brother say that you were on your way to take revenge by yourself. How¡¯s the progress?¡± Nathaniel was Matthew¡¯s best friend, heir to the Tucker family, one of the four most affluent families in Emperion. He was an arrogant man but became friends with Hesper after an ident. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everything is as nned for now.¡± Nathaniel asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help? Why do you need to go through so much h*ssle?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t.¡± Hesper smiled. ¡°Revenge is sweeter when I do it myself. Seeing them getting destroyed, isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± ¡°You¡¯re full of ideas.¡± Nathaniel smiled and didn¡¯t say more. With them around, if anyone dared hurt Hesper, he wouldn¡¯t let them get away with anything. ¡°When will I get to see your son then? I keep hearing about him, but I haven¡¯t met him yet. I¡¯m very curious.¡± ¡°Soon, I guess.¡± Her eyes turned gentle when Ren was brought up. Her arrangements were correct. Rickard would be in trouble soon, so he wouldn¡¯t have time to care for the child. She would have the chance to bring Renfrew home and show him off. After chatting for a few more minutes, Nathaniel advised her, ¡°Hesper, do whatever you want and just take care of yourself, alright?¡± ¡°Alright, you too. The situation in Cetrelest seems to beplicated, so be careful.¡± After hanging up, Hesper nced at the time and it was twelve, midnight. Someone would be losing their mind in a few hours. When she realized that, she knew she would be having a good night¡¯s sleep. The next day. Juniper woke up at eight in the morning as usual. She would be getting ready to go to the station, but Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. now that she was suspended, her habit still remained. She yawned and saw the cleaner who was polite. ¡°Good morning Ms. Wight- Ah! What happened to your face?¡± The second half of the sentence turned into a scream. Juniper¡¯s expression changed as she felt around her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± She didn¡¯t feel anything odd because it still felt smooth like a freshly peeled egg, but the cleaner¡¯s eyes were wide open. Juniper immediately ran back to her room and looked into the mirror, then almost fainted. Her features were still the same, but her skin had turned as ck as coal. It wasn¡¯t tanned, it was ck, like something that wasn¡¯t properly washed. ¡°How did this happen!¡± Juniper couldn¡¯t take the shock and fainted but was saved by a helper who rushed over. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. The doctors might know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes, to the hospital. Get the driver!¡± On the way there, Juniper remembered what Hesper gave her yesterday. She said it would make her ugly, and it really did! Thinking of Hesper, Juniper started grinding her teeth and immediately called Sophia. ¡°Soph, help me. I was tricked by Hesperst night. Please get to the hospital immediately!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Rickard was very angry, so Sohpia didn¡¯t dare do anything. ¡°My brother heard the recordings she left and found out about everything. He lost his temper yesterday and ordered us to stop speaking to you. Juni, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re on your own.¡± ¡°What? Hello? Hello?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Before Juniper finished, the line was cut. It wasn¡¯t time to think about that. She rushed to the emergency ward, and after checking, the doctor gave her opinion. ¡°Did you eat something unusual yesterday? You don¡¯t seem to be poisoned or have any unusual signs. Did you take some pills to get a tan?¡± ¡°Why would I take that?¡± Juniper liked her fair skin and worked really hard to keep it that way so she would never tan. She told the doctor everything that Hesper said, and after she heard that, she frowned. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we should get you blood test.¡± Juniper was afraid of needles, but for her beauty, she had to do The test results came out, but the doctor still couldn¡¯t find the source of the issue. Juniper threw a tantrum. ¡°Are you really a doctor? I did everything you asked but you can¡¯t find the reason? I¡¯m a Wight, so if you can¡¯t get rid of this, you¡¯re going to lose your job.¡± ¡°Alright, please calm down.¡± The doctor was stumped. She had nevere across this, so she gave her a suggestion. ¡°Since only your face is dark, why not try aesthetic treatment to see if it helps?¡± Juniper wasn¡¯t new to aesthetic treatments, so she immediately nodded and agreed. ¡°Alright, arrange for that immediately. I want the best and most expensive treatment!¡± At the hotel. Hesperzily ate her breakfast. There was a tablet on the table while she spoke to the boy on a video call. ¡°Mommy, would Aunt Juni find out that she¡¯s ugly already?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Hesper took a few sips of milk and was amused at her son¡¯s excitement. She didn¡¯t want the child to know about that, but Renfrew¡¯s maturity exceeded expectations. She thought about it, and since he would need to learn to protect himself one day, she didn¡¯t hide it from him. ¡°But there are a lot of ways to ovee turning ck. She¡¯ll soon be fine.¡± Ren tilted his head sideways because he didn¡¯t understand. Hesper patiently exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the pill that Unclen develop wouldn¡¯t be cured with the usual ways. If Juniper found a random way to cure it, it would get worse.¡± ¡°Wow, Unclen is so smart!¡± Renfrew¡¯s eyes shone and started feeling curious about the legendary Unclen.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hesper spoiled him unconditionally. She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let you meet him when he has time.¡± ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best!¡± Ren cheered but suddenly, there were footsteps outside the door. He quickly held out a chubby finger to his lips, a gesture of silence. ¡°Mommy, someone ising. We need to hang up.¡± He was worried that it was his aunt or grandma, so he quickly paused the video, but when the door opened, it was Rickard. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± ¡°No one, I was alone.¡± Rickard looked at him curiously. He was getting ready for work and heard him cheering excitedly when he walked past Renfrew¡¯s room, but when he came in, nothing was going on. It was too curious. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 ¡°Ren, children shouldn¡¯t lie. Who were you speaking to?¡± Rickard put on a stern face. Renfrew was still afraid of him, so he came clean. ¡°Mommy. I was on a call with mommy.¡± When he heard that it was Hesper, his face looked confused. He looked at the child. Renfrew was active but he didn¡¯t smile a lot. Ever since Hesper¡¯s return, he seemed to be a lot happier. ¡°Ren, tell me, do you love mommy?¡± Rickard got to his height and started caring about him. Renfrew nodded. ¡°Mommy is so cool and she treats me very well. Of course, I love her.¡± ¡°Do you want to live with her then?¡± Rickard asked. He nodded but then shook his head. Rickard didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Do you want to or not?¡± Renfrew replied, ¡°I want to, but that¡¯s pointless. Mommy was bullied by grandma and Aunt Sophia, so she would never forgive them, so she wouldn¡¯te back to us either.¡± This little child was able to understand suchplex emotions. He sadly lowered his head and suddenly looked at his dad with puppy eyes. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you try to ask mommy toe home? Then we¡¯ll be able to live together as a family!¡± Rickard¡¯s heart s*ipped a beat, as he realized that he didn¡¯t mind that at all, but he didn¡¯t agree. Instead, he calmly asked, ¡°What do you think I should say to her?¡± Renfrew thought about it, then replied, ¡°You should protect her, of course. Punish the people who hurt her and give her justice! She¡¯ll see how much we care for her then!¡± Yes, take revenge, give her the justice she deserved. Even a child could see that, but he couldn¡¯t do it. Rickard¡¯s face dropped and he patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t watch so much television. Why do you need to know so much, nosy?¡± Renfrew felt as if he was underestimated, as he didn¡¯t learn all that from television. Ms. Myriade told him that, but since she said that he had to keep her a secret, he couldn¡¯t let anyone know for now. Rickard felt uneasy even when he was at the office after hearing what Renfrew said. Benji noticed that he was s*acing out. ¡°Did something happen, Mr. Duval?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so Benji didn¡¯t push and continued updating him about the day¡¯s agenda. ¡°There¡¯s a meeting at 2pm with the director of Drogon Tech and a private party at 5pm with William Gerault. After 8pm, you¡¯ll have time for yourself.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rickard was bored because it was mundane: Suddenly, his phone rang and he saw that it was Juniper. Rickard ignored it. However, she called Benji instead. ¡°Sir, she¡­¡± Seeing how he wasn¡¯t saying anything, Benji tried to cover up for him. In a formal tone, he said, ¡°Ms. Wight, I¡¯m a little busy right now. Could you please-¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re with Rickard. Put him on the phone!¡± Juniper sounded rude and Benji was shocked. Juniper yelled into the phone. ¡°Hesper is ruining my life! If he has a bit of kindness in him, get him on the phone!¡± She was so loud that Rickard could hear her even when he was sitting next to Benji. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Rickard finally reacted when he heard Hesper¡¯s name. He stretched out his hand, and Benji gave him the phone. ¡°Speak. What¡¯s going on?¡± Juniper was upset. ¡°Rickard, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years. Do I have to mention Hesper for you to want to speak to me?¡± ¡°I have limited time. I¡¯m going to hang up if you don¡¯t get to the point.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t-!¡± Juniper bit her lips and told him the hospital¡¯s location. ¡°Hesper is more ruthless than you imagined. You¡¯ll find out what she did when you get here.¡± ¡°Stop being dramatic.¡± He impatiently pinched the bridge of his phone andzily leaned back on his chair. This had something to do with Hesper, so it piqued his curiosity. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Benji saw how his emotion changed and couldn¡¯t help but ask, Mr. Duval, you miss Mrs. Duval, don¡¯t you? You get uneasy every time her name is mentioned.¡± ¡°Mind your own business.¡± They both went to the hospital and soon found Juniper¡¯s room. What they saw was a face that was red, ck, and swollen. ¡°Are we¡­ in the wrong room?¡± Benji looked at the room number. It was the right one. Juniper angrily red at them. ¡°It¡¯s the right room. It¡¯s me!¡± Rickard and Benji froze when they heard her voice. Luckily, Rickard had a strong heart, so he calmly asked, ¡°What happened? What does Hesper have to do with this?¡± ¡°Hesper! She¡¯s the only thing on your mind!¡± Juniper hated her to the bones as she clenched her jaw. ¡°She¡¯s the reason I look like this! We grew up together, but instead of asking if I¡¯m alright, all you could think about is that b*tch!¡± He frowned. ¡°Watch yournguage.¡± That made Juniper even more furious. ¡°She¡¯s a b*tch. I wouldn¡¯t -look like this if it weren¡¯t for her!¡± ¡°Tell me exactly what happened.¡± ¡°After I left your homest night, she cornered me and made her bodyguard feed me something. She said I¡¯m going to turn ugly. This was what I looked like when I woke up!¡± Her ck face turned red and her skin started king after the aesthetic session. She thought that it was the products involved and forced the doctor to do it again, but the doctor said that people would look younger. She was the only one who looked uglier! She suspected it was that thing! ¡°Rickard, I don¡¯t want to turn ugly. Can you please help?¡± Juniper was tearing up in fear. How could she walk around with this face? Rickard frowned but didn¡¯t immediately believe her. ¡°That¡¯s what you say. How do I know that you aren¡¯t lying?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Juniper almost lost her breath. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! If I lie, I¡¯ll get hit by a bus. How about that?¡± Rickard was still hesitant, but if she would curse herself, she was probably desperate. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, ¡°How do you want me to help?¡± ¡°Ask her for an antidote and give it to me! I can¡¯t wait anymore!¡± ¡°She might not listen to me.¡± Rickard was being honest. From what happenedst night, it was obvious that Hesper hated him, so why would she listen? Juniper cried and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Figure something out. If I don¡¯t recover, I might as well die! I¡¯m the only descendant of the Wight family. The worst thing that could happen is that my family ends with me.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Rickard knew she said that intentionally. Mrs. Wight helped him once and he had always remembered that. Even if he didn¡¯t care about Juniper¡¯s life, he would still be concerned about Mrs. Wight. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ impossible.¡± Juniper knew that her n worked because he no longer ignored her plea. Her eyes were red when she said, ¡°Don¡¯t me me, I didn¡¯t have a choice. Hesper wasing after me like a mad woman and put me on the spot even during the interview.¡± Rickard watched that interview, so he knew who was in the wrong and wouldn¡¯t be tricked by her words. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out for the antidote, but I can¡¯t promise. anything.¡± The man looked tired. When she saw that he was leaving, she tugged at his sleeve with a sad look. Rickard frowned impatiently. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was so shaken by this and haven¡¯t had any food all day. Could you stay and dine with me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rickard immediately rejected her and didn¡¯t give her a chance to dy him, then turned and left with Benji. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. When they got into the car, he asked, ¡°Have you heard of a pill that could turn someone ugly?¡± ¡°No.¡± Benji shook his head. When he heard that just now, he thought Juniper came up with that, but when he thought about it, she was a vain person and would never use her face as a joke. ¡°Mr. Duval, Ms. Wight might not be lying this time. We should ask Mrs. Duval about it.¡± ¡°We should.¡± He squinted, then took out his phone and made a call. ¡°Hello? Where are you?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Hesper¡¯s impatience could be heard through the phone. There was a conversation between some construction workers in the background too. Rickard raised his brows. ¡°Are you at the site? I¡¯ming over.¡± After hanging up, he told the driver where to go. Benji said in surprise, ¡°But Mr. Duval, we have a meeting at 2pm. We won¡¯t make it.¡± Rickard frowned but quickly made a decision. ¡°Get in touch with them and tell them that I have an emergency, then reschedule it for another day.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®but¡¯? Just do as I say!¡± Benji was cut off and had to do as he was told, but he was worried. The director of Drogon Tech was a weird man and hated it when people weren¡¯t punctual. It took them a long time to get this. meeting, so if they rescheduled it, they would probably never get another chance. However, since Rickard already made his decision, there was no point saying more. He asked the driver to start driving. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the branch office of Lane Holdings.¡± The car soon parked in front of the building. This was the central business district, and Lane Holdings¡¯ building was a skyscraper. The towering height was exactly the same as the main Lane Holdings building, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine the storm it would bring when thepany was officially established in Genecity. ¡°Mr. Duval.¡± Benji¡¯s voice brought him back to reality. He looked down slightly and walked inside Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 The structure of the building waspleted and the interior was under renovation. Workers anddders could be seen everywhere and everyone was busy with their own tasks. ¡°This spot, the paint is uneven. Please go over it again.¡± When Rickard walked over, he saw Hesper in a red dress pointing around adder. The bright color made her look so stunning, her dark hair fell behind her shoulders and she was even prettier than before. Suddenly, the man who was on thedder identally kicked a can of paint over, and the white paint spilled downward- ¡°Watch out!¡± Rickard yelled out and rushed over to grab her, using his back to block the paint from her. Hesper immediately shoved him away after he hugged her. ¡°Who says you can hug me!¡± Rickard didn¡¯t expect that, so he stumbled backward. That was when Hesper saw what was on his back and was stunned. ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Duval?¡± Benji rushed over and when he saw what Hesper did, he said, ¡± Mrs. Duval, Mr. Duval was just trying to save you. If he didn¡¯t shield you, you would have been drenched.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to jump in.¡± Rickard frowned. It was by instinct that he saved her, so there was no need to ask for her gratitude.¡± I came here because I need to speak to you. Can I have a word with you?¡± If all that didn¡¯t happen, Hesper would have rejected him, but seeing how his back was soaked by paint, she nodded. They both went into the CEO¡¯s office, which was already into. While waiting, Hesper thought that it was funny that the room that she would be using in the future was already used by Rickard first. Was it fate? ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± The man¡¯s voice was heard from behind her. Hesper turned around and saw that he was already in a fresh white shirt. All he needed was to clean up and he already looked like a rich man. Rickard had always worn dark colors and rarely wore anything so pale. He looked so different with what he was wearing now. However, Hesper wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate any of that, so she calmly raised her chin. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Did you do something to Juniper¡¯s face?¡± Even though she guessed why he was there, she still thought that it was funny when she heard it from him. ¡°Did you put yourself in danger toe to see me about that?¡± Rickard ignored her tone and said in a serious tone: ¡°What did you give to her? Is there an antidote?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just want her to look ugly. She won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°What about an antidote?¡± ¡°There is no antidote.¡± Hesper was honest. That pill was N?velDrama.Org is the owner. developed by Julian and Professor Miles. It was a prank, but it turned out to be effective. She went to theirb and got a few before she came back, just in case she needed them. Rickard thought she was lying, so he frowned. ¡°Enough. Juniper is the only descendant of the Wight family, so they wouldn¡¯t just let her be hurt without doing anything. If the Wights start attacking you, you-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡± Hesper cut him off. ¡°Do you really care about me, or are you worried about Mrs. Wight¡¯s daughter? I think you know the answer.¡± Rickard looked surprised. Hesper thought it was funny because she did so much to make him happy in the past, and that included finding out more about his past. She knew about the help that Mrs. Wight gave to him. ¡°If you already know that, then you know that I have to get the antidote no matter what.¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 The man¡¯s voice sounded threatening, but Hesper couldn¡¯t care less. She turned around, her dress swirling in the cold office. It was beautiful. ¡°I don¡¯t have an antidote, but seeing how you shielded me just now, I could help her.¡± ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t look very happy because he realized that he no longer knew her. Hesper¡¯s smile was still cunning like a fox. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll only be good news.¡± They looked at each other for two seconds, but Rickard knew that she already made up her mind. He turned to leave, but Hesper stopped him. ¡°Hold on.¡± Rickard stopped walking and thought that she had more to say to him, but shezily said, ¡°How has Ren been? I want to spend a few days with him.¡± Rickard took a deep breath and was going to say that she couldn¡¯t just do whatever she wanted but changed his mind and after a few seconds of silence. He calmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll send him to the hotel.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After they said what they wanted to say, Hesper walked away in her high heels. Rickard¡¯s eyes were on her four-inch heels. Wearing heels that high to a construction area was the equivalent of having a death wish. Before leaving, he said, ¡°Get a pair offortable ts and give it to her assistant.¡± Benji was used to that. ¡°Mr. Duval, if you care so much for her, why don¡¯t you get it yourself?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± Rickard smiled sadly. If he was the one who bought them, she probably wouldn¡¯t even look at them. And the truth was just as he imagined. When Renee walked over with some sandals, Hesper was really happy. ¡°Good job. You¡¯re pretty observant now and brought shoes for me to change into.¡± Her feet were hurting, so she changed into them without a second thought, then asked, ¡°But I didn¡¯t see any ce that was selling sandals nearby. Where did you get them?¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to hide it from her, so she stuttered. ¡°It¡­ it was Mr. Lynch who gave them to me and asked me to give them to you.¡± Benji? Benji wouldn¡¯t do that. It must be Rickard¡¯s idea then. Hesper¡¯s expression turned cold, and she kicked the sandals away. ¡°You should have said that earlier.¡± She would have bad luck for the rest of her life if she wore shoes given by useless men. Renee touched her nose. Ms. Lane was a great person, but no one could ever mention Mr. Duval in front of her, or she would be a loose cannon. Meanwhile, at the hospital. Juniper sat in front of the mirror and looked at her red, swollen skin that started sprouting e. e! She hadn¡¯t had e since she became an adult! But now, her forehead, cheeks, and nose had a few big red ones! They were big and ugly! ¡°Where¡¯s the antidote? Why isn¡¯t it here yet!¡± Juniper yelled furiously, her eyes welling up. She grabbed her phone and called Rickard, but he didn¡¯t pick up. HN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Juniper, who could not wait anymore, called Hesper directly and could not hide her hatred as soon as the call went through. ¡°You b*tch! Rickard should¡¯ve contacted you, right? Where¡¯s the antidote?¡± ¡°What antidote are you talking about?¡± Hesper blinked in confusion on purpose. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s not my face that¡¯s going to get disfigured, so I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s in a hurry.¡¯ ¡°Stop pretending already! Rickard already knows what you¡¯ve done to me. He¡¯ll definitely obtain the antidote for me!¡± ¡°Really? I must say, you¡¯re really a confident one.¡± Hesper was in a rush to pick Renfrew up, so she was toozy to go back and forth with her. She only gave off a chuckle and left Juniper a short message before hanging up the phone. ¡°But I do have a gift for you. Just allow me to make up for what I¡¯ve done to hurt you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ll be this kind!¡± Juniper shrieked and rejected her gift, but it was already toote as Hesper had already hung up the phone. Not long after, a familiar voice sounded in the corridor of the hospital. ¡°May I know which ward is Juniper Wight staying in?¡± ¡®It¡¯s Director Tailor!¡¯ Excited, Juniper¡¯s eyes widened. She was about to rush over and open the door but suddenly thought of her face. ¡®My hideous appearance will only frighten them and damage my image as a star in the past.¡¯ However, the people in the corridor were still looking for her, and their voices were getting closer. ¡°It seems to be this floor. It¡¯s either ward 2104 or 2105.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯te in!¡± Juniper bit her lip in horror and tried to find a ce to hide in the ward, but it was already toote, as the door of the ward was pushed open, and arge group of colleagues from the television station swarmed in. ¡°Mr. Tailor¡­ What brought you guys here?¡± Seeing that she could no longer hide, Juniper had no choice but to pretend nothing had happened. But her appearance still surprised everyone, and some of them even frowned the moment they saw her face. Juniper¡¯s self-esteem was hurt, and sheined dissatisfiedly, ¡°Why are you guys looking at me like this? I¡¯m currently sick. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve always looked like this. You guys should know how I look before this, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± These words dragged everyone back to their senses, and all of them realized that they were rather rude and startedforting her instantly. Hearing their response, Juniper finally felt better and turned to the director. ¡°Mr. Tailor, you¡¯vee all the way here in person. There should be something else that you want to talk to me about, right?¡± ¡°About this¡­¡± The director was about to speak, but he could not help but hesitate when he saw her swollen face. However, he had always been someone who took his reputation very seriously, so he could only move on to exin it to Juniper,¡± Ever since you got suspended, your fans have been very upset. They even went to the television station, demanding for you to continue hosting. Many sponsors have also been asking for you to take on the programs that they¡¯re going to sponsor. So, after someprehensive consideration, our management felt the punishment that they imposed on you was a little too harsh, Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. and they¡¯ve decided to bring you back. And with that new arrangement, you¡¯ll regain your original position and receive two additional prime-time programs.¡± ¡°What?¡± This news felt like a blessing from heaven. Hearing this, Juniper was so exhrated that she grinned ear-to-ear. However, the sudden movement on her face identally jerked a certain facial muscle tissue, and her facial features twitched almost instantly, making her look very frightening. ¡°Juniper! What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± The director, who was standing closest to her, was taken aback. The other colleagues that came to visit also felt that they had just seen something strange, and whispers started to emerge among the group of people in the ward. ¡°Is that a certain sequ of excessive stic surgery? Otherwise, why would her face twitch all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It does look like it. Her face didn¡¯t look very natural before this. So, it turns out that she¡¯s undergone certain procedures to attain her beauty.¡± ¡°Then how can she host a show when she looks like this? Shouldn¡¯t she be afraid of scaring the audience?¡± The director heard thements and had already made a decision when he spoke again. ¡°Juniper, considering that you haven¡¯t recovered, don¡¯t worry about the projects that I mentioned just now. I¡¯ll get others to take over first. You should focus on taking good care of yourself for now.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that, Mr. Tailor. I can do it!¡± The director did not say anything and exited the ward whileforting her casually. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you should recover first. Focus on your recovery.¡± ¡°Mr. Tailor, I can do it for real! What happened to my face is just a minor issue, and I¡¯ll recover very soon.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 But why would the television station want to put a host whose reputation had been severely damaged out there? The director escaped from the ward immediately. Even though Juniper yelled so loud that her voice turned hoarse, he would not stop and return to the ward. ¡°I really can do it!¡± she screamed, unwilling. The attitude of her former colleagues all changed as soon as they left the ward. They rushed away from the ward one after another as if they were afraid that they would be kept there in the ward by Juniper if they were to leave a secondter. ¡°This is my opportunity. How can you guys do this to me¡­?¡± Juniper was devastated. The great joy only went on for a few minutes, and it was immediately followed by sorrow and grievance. ¡®I¡¯ve already won so many awards, and I¡¯m only a few awards away from earning myself a grand m and bing a well- known goddess-like public figure. But now, I can¡¯t even grasp the opportunity that was ced right in front of me! Damn! Damn it!¡¯ Juniper bit her lip ruthlessly, and she would not stop even when her teeth had pierced through her lip and caused it to bleed. At this moment, she received an anonymous text message on her cell phone. ¡°How¡¯s the gift? Do you like it?¡± ¡®It¡¯s her, Hesper Rivera!¡¯ At this moment, all Juniper wanted to do was ughter someone. ¡®If Hesper were standing right in front of me right now, I¡¯d cut her face and make her experience what it¡¯s like to be regarded as an ugly monster!¡¯ After sending the text message, Hesper¡¯s attention was no longer on the matter anymore. She waited at the entrance of the hotel for some time before she saw Benji fetching Renfrew to the hotel. ¡°Mommy!¡± The little fe was extremely clingy whenever he was around her, and he would always give her a passionate and tight hug every time they met. As the mother and son cuddled together, Hesper could not help. but think. ¡®If it was a daughter, she¡¯d be even clingier.¡¯ ¡°Good boy, do you miss me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The mother and son were enjoying each other¡¯spany when Benji¡¯s voice broke the harmonious scene. ¡°Mrs. Duval, Mr. Duval has agendas to attend to tonight, so he can¡¯t fetch the young master here himself, which is why I¡¯ve been assigned with this task.¡± ¡°Stop right there.¡± Hesper waved her hand. ¡°Benji, we¡¯ve known each other for many years and you once helped me before, so I don¡¯t want to make your life miserable now. Stop calling me Mrs. Duval. Mrs. Duyal died long ago.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Catching a glimpse of her sharp gaze, Benji¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®Nowadays, the youngdy¡¯s aura isn¡¯t inferior to that of Mr. Duval, which makes her equally frightening.¡± But as Rickard¡¯s most capable assistant, Benji felt the need to help Rickard out. ¡°Mrs. Du¡­ Ms. Lane, if you don¡¯t like it, I can stop calling you that. But Mr. Duval actually misses you very much, so I sincerely hope that you can give him a chance. There¡¯s really no need for you to cut off all possibilities so early on. It¡¯s always wise to leave some room for possibilities.¡± ¡°He misses me?¡± She scoffed. ¡°If I remember correctly, you told me something rather simr three years ago too. You said he cared for me, but as soon as something happened, the first thing he did Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. was abandon me and shield the killer who wanted to murder me. He even hit me. You witnessed all this with your own eyes, so how can you ask me to give him a chance?¡± ¡°Ms. Lane¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to try to justify his actions. For our sake, I¡¯ll pretend that I didn¡¯t hear those words, and you don¡¯t have to bring them up ever again in the future.¡± Hesper held Renfrew¡¯s hand, turned around, and left coldly. Frozen in ce, Benji stared at her resolute figure and let off a long sigh. ¡®After so many years of umtion, the grievances that the youngdy kept within herself isn¡¯t something that can be easily removed¡­ ¡°Mommy.¡± Hesper had not spoken ever since she left the lobby with Renfrew. Seeing her uneasy look, Renfrew gently squeezed her palm. ¡°Yes, Ren? What is it?¡± She lowered her head instantly. ¡°Did daddy really treat you so badly back then?¡± He had only heard about what his grandma and aunty did to his mommy, but he did not know that his daddy was as cruel as them too. 000 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Hesper did not want him to know more about her past, so she gave off a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all over now.¡± ¡°But, Mommy, you must have been very sad because everyone around you targeted you and embarrassed you.¡± Because of his words, Hesper¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°You brat, who taught you to say all that? Just how gutsy are you?¡± She pinched his cheeks, trying to get away with it. The little boy stared at her without blinking his eyes and abruptly wrapped his arms around her neck, saying in the softest voice,¡± Mommy, I¡¯ll protect you in the future, and I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you ever again.¡± And this promise was perfectly kept by Renfrew for many years toe; no one could ever break it. ¡°Alright, mommy believes in you.¡± Hesper smiled and brought him to the restaurant for a meal. Considering that Renfrew was still growing up, she asked the chef to cook some nutritionally bnced dishes, and Ren ate everything except green peppers. Hesper did not force the issue, as green peppers were just garnishes. When he was almost done eating, she handed a tablet to him. ¡°Huh? Mommy, are you going to buy a house here?¡± The little rascal¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the information about houses for sale on the screen. ¡®Mommy is going to buy a house here, which means she¡¯ll be staying here for a long time.¡¯ Hesper nodded. ¡°I still have things to deal with here in Genecity, and I can¡¯t stay in a hotel all the time. So, you can choose the one you like, and we¡¯ll live together in the future.¡± The little guy got excited when he heard this and picked the tablet up with a solemn look, with his short legs crossed. After a while, he pointed to one of the $50,000 apartments and said to her, ¡°Mommy, this looks good.¡± ¡°Okay, consider it done.¡± Hesper immediately contacted the agency and notified Renee to handle the rest. The little boy sat obediently on the couch. As long as he could be with his mommy, staring at her was already sufficient to make him a very content child. At this moment, the red dot on the smartwatch on his wrist shed twice, and Renfrew¡¯s eyes widened subconsciously. ¡®Ms. Myriade is looking for me.¡¯ Seeing that Hesper was not paying much attention to him, Renfrew quickly escaped to the restroom and answered the call, ¡°Hello? Ms. Myriade.¡± ¡°Little brat, do you still want to learn skills that you said you want to learn?¡± ¡°Yes, but now might not be convenient on my part, as I¡¯m with my mommy now.¡± The young girl who was speaking on the other end of the phone call was seven or eight years old, and when she heard that Renfrew was with his mother, she was happy for him too. ¡°Nice, it seems that you and your mommy are getting along well. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you a break today. Just contact me when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At the end of the call, Renfrew still did not know that what he was learning now was one of the world¡¯s most advanced hacking techniques, and once he had mastered it, he would be a super powerful existence. ¡°Ren, what are you doing in there?¡± After cascading the information to Renee, Hesper vaguely heard someone talking in the restroom, so she came over and knocked on the door. The next second, the door opened, and Renfrew let off a pure and innocent smile. ¡°Mommy, my stomach hurts.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, did you eat something unhygienic? Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± Hesper N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. became extremely nervous immediately. Renfrew could not bear to cause his mommy to be anxious, so he rubbed his head against her. ¡°I¡¯m all right. It won¡¯t hurt. anymore when I get to sleep with you tonight. You always smell very nice and I like it very much.¡± ¡°What a sweet talker you are. If this is what you¡¯re capable of at such an age, just how potent will you be when you grow up?¡± Hesper did not know how to react to Renfrew¡¯s praise and carried him into the living area to y. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 On the other side of the city, Juniper¡¯s face was still not recovering after such a long time, and the Original from N?velDrama.Org. elders of the Wights were all very anxious about her condition. In the ward of the hospital, seeing that the face of her beautiful daughter had swollen so much, to the extent that she was on the verge of not being able to recognize her own daughter, Ariana¡¯s heart hurt from the wrath within. ¡°Damn that b*tch! How can she be this cruel? Ady¡¯s face is her most important asset. She¡¯s just trying to ruin Juniper at this point!¡± Ariana hammered her chest in frustration and alluded intentionally to Julie, who was sitting on the other side of the room, ¡°Madam Duval, the incident happened right in front of your house, and Rickard¡¯s ex-wife is the one who did this. How do you n to deal with this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too fired up, Madam Wight.¡± Julie forced a smile. She was called here by Ariana, and the two families had a great rtionship, so it was only sensible for her toe and pay Juniper a visit. However, Juniper¡¯s condition was indeed worse than she expected. Julie could note up with a solution at the moment. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s future that we¡¯re talking about now. How can I not be pissed?¡± Listening to her evasive words, Ariana refuted her directly with a cold face.¡± Madam Duval, forgive me if I sound rather offensive at this moment, but our families have been friends for so many years, so if our rtionship were to be ruined by this matter, you should do the math to see whether it¡¯s worth it or not. What¡¯s more, this incident was caused because of Rickard at the end of the day. That b*tch must be jealous of my daughter because she¡¯s gotten too close to Rickard, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s done something so ruthless.¡± ¡°I know, you¡¯re right.¡± Julie reluctantly agreed but could not help but sneer deep down. ¡®Are you saying that Dick is the one who caused this? Are you even listening to yourself saying this? If it wasn¡¯t because of Juniper¡¯s obsession over Rickard, would she even end up here in a hospital?¡¯ But she could not utter this in front of the Wights, so she could only sigh and pretended tofort Juniper. ¡°Juni, you poor girl, I¡¯m sorry that you have to suffer because of this incident. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find the best doctors in the country for you so that we can heal your face.¡± Ariana did not buy into Julie¡¯s offer. ¡°Madam Duval, we¡¯ve already contacted many doctors, but the key to the cure still lies with that b*tch. At the end of the day, we still need to start with her.¡± ¡°Then this is going to be difficult.¡± Julie did not want to be a part of this hot potato, so she immediately tried toe up with excuses. ¡°Both of you should know that b*tch¡¯s temperament as well as I do, shouldn¡¯t you? So how do you expect me to talk her into handing us the cure? I¡¯m afraid that the longer it takes, the more we¡¯ll dy the treatment for Juni¡¯s facial crisis.¡± ¡°Madam Duval!¡± Juniper was furious. How could she not understand Julie¡¯s cop-out and prevarication? She then questioned her with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Are you saying that your won¡¯t help me with this matter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, Juni¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ariana, unable to stand it anymore, interrupted her coldly. She took a deep breath and said meaningfully, ¡± Madam Duval, you and Juniper have always been close, so of course, we know that you won¡¯t do nothing about this matter. It¡¯s just that it can¡¯t be dyed any longer. After all, Juniper wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to get that b*tch killed back then. If Rickard were to know about it, I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± Julie¡¯s expression changed in an instant, knowing that she was being threatened. Although she was Rickard¡¯s biological mother and he would not do anything ruthless to her, the power of the Duvals was currently all in Rickard¡¯s hands, so if she were to fall out with her son¡­ ¡°I understand, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll approach that b*tch right now, and get her to hand over the cure no matter what.¡± Julie agreed to help without any hesitation. Ariana smiled but there was not even a trace of hrity in her eyes. ¡®This old hag only wants to stay out of the matter after taking advantage of Juniper. Sorry, but there is no free lunch in my book! Julie left the hospital, and although she was not very happy about the oue, she could only put her promise into action. as soon as possible. She called Benji and asked him as soon as the call went through, ¡°Where is Hesper Rivera living now?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, why are you asking this?¡± Julie lied with an unchanged expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t Ren go to her ce? The weather is changing soon and I¡¯m worried about Ren¡¯s well-being, so I want to send something to her ce.¡± Benji frowned. ¡®Madam Duval has always been rather unconcerned when ites to anything rted to the young master, so why would she be so kind to him all of a sudden?¡¯ While he was still hesitating, Julie had already gotten impatient and urged him for an answer, ¡°Benji, you should know your ce better. I¡¯m asking you for an address. How dare you push back. my request?¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am, that¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯ll send the address to your phone right now.¡± Benji quickly apologized. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 When Julie got the information that she wanted, she did not bother to go back and forth anymore, so she snorted and hung up the phone. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to go meet that b*tch.¡± But at the same time, Benji became more and more worried. Fearing that something would happen, he found Rickard. ¡°Mr. Duval.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The man was going through the documents in his hand and did not raise his head. Things had been rather difficult for thepany ever since they terminated their contract with Drogon Enterprise. The other party had made it clear that they were making things difficult for Duval Group on purpose. Seeing that he was so busy, Benji did not know whether he should bring the matter up or not. ¡°Since when have you be so indecisive? Just shoot if you have something to say!¡± Rickard frowned impatiently. Benji gulped his saliva and said outright, ¡°Madam Duval just called and asked me to send her Ms. Lane¡¯s address and phone number just minutes ago, saying that she wants to send something there for the young master, but I¡¯m worried that Madam Duval is heading there for Ms. Lane instead.¡± Within a split second, Rickard raised his head abruptly, and a hint of dissatisfaction surged from the bottom of his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier?¡± He stood up, grabbed his car keys, and left. His footsteps were as fast as a whirlwind, and Benji could not even catch up to him even if he wanted to. On the other side of the city. ¡°Bang bang bang!¡± A series of vigorous knocks could be hearding from the door of the hotel room, and Hesper, who was drawing with Renfrew, frowned displeasedly. Looking out through the peephole, it could be seen that the person who was standing on the other side of the door was Julie. ¡°Hesper Rivera, I know that you¡¯re in there, I¡¯m here to visit my grandson, so open the door this instant.¡± She imed that she was there to see the child, but she was apanied by two robust women. Hesper squinted her eyes, and Renfrew¡¯s voice sounded from behind at this moment. ¡°Mommy, is it grandma? How did she manage to find us?¡± He came to the door because he heard the yelling too. He was still holding a small paintbrush in his hand, and there was oil paint on his chubby and tender cheeks, but that was still not enough to conceal his concern for his mommy. ¡°Mommy, grandma is here to find fault in you, isn¡¯t she? Let¡¯s not let her in.¡± ¡®But we can¡¯t avoid her forever. Plus, hiding has never been my style.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s okay, she won¡¯t dare to do anything to me in broad daylight.¡± But as soon as the door was unlocked, the two women rushed in with brute force. Hesper could not dodge in time and got knocked back by the two of them, her shoulder ramming into the wooden wall cab. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even open the door for me and left me shouting outside for so long?¡± As soon as she got in, Julie questioned her for her attitude, trying to gain dominance and an upper hand. However, Hesper did not show her any respect at all. She rubbed her shoulder expressionlessly, and her tone sounded gentle but ruthless.¡± It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who invited you here. You can leave if you think it took too long.¡± ¡°You!¡± Julie snorted angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve even be more eloquent now. Do you really think that I can¡¯t do Original from N?velDrama.Org. anything to you just because you¡¯ve learned to speak up in thest three years?¡± As she said so, she looked at the two women and motioned them to take action. The strong women strode forward and toward Hesper mercilessly, regardless of Renfrew¡¯s presence. Julie sneered. ¡°Hesper Rivera, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you as long as you hand over the antidote. How about it?¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 The two women put on ferocious grins. Hesper remembered them. ¡®They¡¯re the women who pinned me down and poured scalding fish soup into my mouth after I gave birth to Ren back then. Who would¡¯ve thought that after so many years, they¡¯d still be working for this woman? They¡¯re really loyal!¡¯ ¡°No, I don¡¯t have an antidote for little Juniper. Her face is already an unsalvageable case.¡± Hesper¡¯s tone sounded cold. Julie¡¯s expression changed instantly. She rushed forward and pointed at her viciously. ¡°Are you refusing to cooperate on purpose? Do you miss the taste of what it¡¯s like to be beaten up by these two?¡± ¡°Heh, would you dare to do so here?¡± Hesper did not show any vulnerability. ¡®Because we¡¯re staying in the hotel, I thought nothing special would happen and arranged for Isaac to attend to other affairs. Unexpectedly, this has given Julie a chance to act all presumptuously and boldly.¡¯ Julie was furious. ¡°B*tch, I think it¡¯s time to teach you a lesson and remind you of who¡¯s in charge here!¡± She raised her hand to p her. ¡°Don¡¯t hit my mother!¡± Renfrew rushed forward quickly and pushed Julie. Julie was in pain for a split second, and she staggered two steps backward. When she came back to her senses, her mean face turned vicious instantly. ¡°You little bastard, now that you¡¯ve found your mother, you¡¯ve forgotten about your grandma, haven¡¯t you? Have you forgotten how she abandoned you in the first ce? You¡¯re just a piece of trash that 2/3 she discarded heartlessly, and you¡¯re actually here protecting her now? You heartless bastard, I really have loved you for so many years in vain!¡± Hearing that he was abandoned back then, Renfrew¡¯s eyes dimmed. He had always cared a lot about this matter, but he believed that his mother only left him because she was facing a lot of difficulties, so he kept on putting up a strong facade. But when his most vulnerable past got uncovered, he would still feel extremely aggrieved. His ck eyes teared up as if he could start crying at any time, but he continued to stand in front of Hesper to protect her. ¡°Grandma, you mustn¡¯t hit mommy. Mommy hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. It was Aunt Juni who started it first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a kid, so what do you know? Your mother has done a lot. of shameless things in the past. I¡¯ll tell you each and every one of themter!¡± Hesper red at her exasperatedly and lost her cool for a second. ¡± That¡¯s enough!¡± She was afraid that Renfrew would be identally injured by his grandmother and the two women, so she pulled him behind her and stared at Julie with an indifferent gaze as if she was looking at a dead body. ¡°How could you utter suchplete nonsense in the presence of a child? I¡¯ve truly thought too highly of your upbringing and decency. Oh, I¡¯ve forgotten, you¡¯re someone who only thought about breaking up your son¡¯s marriage and killing your daughter-inw. So there shouldn¡¯t be any decency left in you at all!¡± ¡°How dare you reprimand me?¡± Julie, unable to bear this grievance, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to hit her. However, Hesper was not someone to be trifled with either. She grabbed her wrist and flung it aside forcefully. ¡°Madam Duval! I¡¯m only addressing you as such for Ren¡¯s sake. But if you keep messing around here, don¡¯t me me for anything thates your way!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯d like to see what¡¯sing my way too!¡± Julie waspletely irritated and signaled the two women to make a move. But they forgot that Hesper was no longer the pushover that they could easily overwhelm in the past. In the past few years, she had been learning self-defense from Matthew, and what she had learned was more than enough to defeat the two of them. Soon, the two women were kicked to the ground. Julie was shocked and piqued. ¡°A shrew, what a shrew! You even turn to violence! Thank God I made Rickard divorce you. Otherwise, how could the Duvals take someone as violent as you in as ourdy?!¡± ¡°Do you really think that I care?¡± The old and new grudges that she had been holding against Julie emerged, and Hesper approached This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Julie with a sullen expression. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m Ren¡¯s grandmother. Do you still think you¡¯re in the position to hit me?¡± ¡°Heh, so you suddenly remember that you¡¯re Ren¡¯s grandmother, huh?¡± She let off a mocking chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s toote now!¡± ¡°Ah! Someone! Please help me! Someone¡¯s trying to kill me! Someone wants to kill me!¡± Julie was frightened and ran away, and while doing so, she identally kicked Renfrew¡¯s easel. It fell to the ground and left paint stains on her face, which made her look extremely ridiculous, making her feel embarrassed. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 ¡°Mom!¡± This was what Rickard saw when he arrived at the scene, and he rushed over anxiously to help Julie up. Hesper raised her eyebrows when she saw the scene. ¡®What a coincidence. It seems that God really wants us to quarrel.¡¯ Sure enough, as soon as Julie saw her son, she immediately began to make up stories. ¡°Dick, you¡¯ve finallye. Look at me; I came here to visit Ren, but look at what this shrew did to me! She even injured the women that came here with me! You must do something about it!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Rickard¡¯s gazended on Hesper, but he could not tell what kind of expression she was giving off. ¡°That¡¯s not it. Grandma¡­¡± Renfrew wanted to exin to his daddy anxiously. But Hesper interrupted him indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the one who did it. What of it? Are you nning to avenge your mother?¡± Rickard¡¯s expression dimmed, but he did not say anything. The veins. on his forehead bulged and twitched. It was obvious that he was trying his best to suppress his anger. But he was not a fool either. ¡®If mom were so wless, it¡¯s impossible that Hesper would make a fuss out of this matter. Apart from that, Ren obviously has something to say.¡¯ After a long time, he managed to say, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this matter happen ever again. After all, she is Ren¡¯s grandma and my mother!¡± ¡°What? Dick, is that all you have to say?¡± Julie was still unreconciled. ¡®Since Rickard hase over, I have to teach this b*tch a lesson.¡¯ ¡°Mom, have you forgotten what I told you?¡± He slightly tightened his grip that was holding Julie, and she remembered instantly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He told her that he did not want them to embarrass or bully her again, and he really was a man of his word! ¡°The car is already waiting downstairs. Let¡¯s go.¡± Rickard supported Julie as they walked out of the hotel, while Hesper was watched coldly. Although she was surprised that the man did not lose his temper, his expression still did not look too friendly either. However, when he walked past her, Rickard reminded her softly, ¡°My mother wouldn¡¯te all the way here just to embarrass you for no reason, so this must be rted to Juniper¡¯s affairs. If you only want. to teach her a lesson, then I think she¡¯s suffered enough throughout the past few days, and I advise you to hand over the antidote as soon as possible before the situation gets any more serious.¡± ¡°I already told everyone that the pill that Juniper ate doesn¡¯t have a cure, but you people just refuse to believe me. Now leave, and let me apologize for not sending you off.¡± Seeing her disy such a cold attitude, Rickard stopped talking. He took a nce at Ren before striding away. Back in the car, Rickard¡¯s gaze turned icy cold. ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t stay back at the scene and get to the bottom of the whole incident only because I was trying to protect your image in front of Ren. Now tell me, who asked you toe here?¡± ¡°¡­ I only came here to see the child. She¡¯s the one who started to make things difficult for me first.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say such things to defend yourself. To me, it¡¯s totally ridiculous.¡± Rickard waited for a few more seconds, but Julie still chose to remain silent, which made him feel rather disappointed. He did not say another word, and the car arrowed off into the distance. Isaac had already rushed back to the hotel at this time, and after being told what had happened, he wanted to go after Julie and teach her a lesson. Hesper stopped him instantly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. After all, I didn¡¯t suffer much.¡± She then nced at Renfrew, who was silently sitting on the couch, and a hint of distress surged from the bottom of her eyes. When Julie uttered those words just before, she could see that the little boy felt very sad. ¡®Perhaps, I still owe him an exnation.¡¯ Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 ¡°Ren,e to mommy.¡± Hesper smiled and waved at Renfrew, and the little boy slipped into her arms. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Smelling the milky scent on her son¡¯s body, she organized her words and decided to start from the very beginning. ¡°I think you should have the right to know why I left you in Genencity in the first ce.¡± So, she briefly described to Renfrew how she and Rickard got married, how they got divorced, and what the Duvals did to bully her, skipping all the bloody and violent scenes. However, with the kid¡¯s IQ, she believed that he would understand the dilemma that she had to face back then. ¡°In short, back then, under the circumstances, the Duvals would never agree to let me take you away, so I could only leave this ce by myself and thene back to pick you up.¡± She rubbed her son¡¯s head and sincerely apologized to him. ¡°But no matter what my reasons are and how many of them I have, choosing to leave you here will always be a taint in my life. But at the end of the day, I hope that you can let go of that past and not let this matter affect how you see life in the future. I¡¯m sorry, Ren.¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± He wrapped his arms around her neck, feeling a little sad but also a little delighted. Everything turned out just like he thought. His mother left him back then only because she was facing certain difficulties. And she was worried that he would feel ufortable, which was why she took the initiative to apologize to him. Thinking of this, the little boy stroked her hair in a decent manner and then gave her a kiss on her cheek. ¡°Since you¡¯ve apologized to me, then I think I should sincerely tell you that it doesn¡¯t matter. I understand your difficulties, so I¡¯d never hold grudges against you.¡± Hesper knew this very clearly. If Renfrew were to hate her, it would be impossible for him to ept her so quickly. But who knew that what Ren said next would take her by surprise? ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t me you. My grievancese only from the fact that I didn¡¯t find you sooner. So don¡¯t me yourself, Mommy. I know that you¡¯ve tried your best to give me the best, so no matter what happens in the future, you¡¯ll still be the best mommy ever.¡± ¡°You rascal¡­¡± Hesper was so moved that she teared up. She had also found out that she was easily touched by him from time to time. ¡®Sure enough, children are the most therapeutic angels in the world. They¡¯ll trust and love you unconditionally, and you¡¯ll always be the center of their small world.¡¯ However,ter that night, after taking a peep at his mommy, who was soundly asleep, Ren quietly got up from the bed and came to the study where Hesper usually handled work. ¡®Grandma was so fierce during the day, and she¡¯d definitely distort the truth again after leaving the room with daddy. Daddy mustn¡¯t misunderstand what happened here in the room, so I have to personally send a piece of evidence to him.¡± ¡®As for where I can get my hands on the evidence¡­¡¯ Renfrew gave off a malicious smirk, making him look a little like Rickard. ¡®Mommy told me that she¡¯s installed surveince cameras in every corner of the room except for the bedroom and bathroom, so as long as I can get hold of the surveince footage, Mommy¡¯s innocence will be proven naturally.¡¯ ¡°Little Rascal, can you do it?¡± Myriade¡¯s suspicious voice originated from the watch. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning from you for so long, so it¡¯ll definitely be fine,¡± Renfrew said to encourage himself. As a result, Myriade unceremoniously debunked his theory in the next. second. ¡°Come on, if you¡¯re really so confident, you wouldn¡¯t have called me and asked me to supervise you as you operate the system.¡± Renfrew was ashamed and a little annoyed when his excuse got exposed, but he had been receiving an excellent education since he was a child, so even if he was angry, he would not swear but Hearing his childish voice that was being embellished with a solemn tone, Myriade could not help but burst outughing. Theughter sounded crisp and hearty. It felt as if a gust of refreshing mountain breeze had shed through in the silent night. Renfrew¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Shh, don¡¯tugh. You¡¯ll wake my mommy. up!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, then I won¡¯tugh.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Myriade tried her best to stay serious, and the rest was up to Renfrew¡¯s skills. His fingers tap-danced over the keypad of theptop. The process was so smooth and unimpeded that it felt like he had stepped into no man¡¯snd. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In the end, the moment the video was sessfully sent to Rickard¡¯s mailbox through an anonymous email address. Even Myriade stared at him with admiration. ¡°Nice one. You actuallypleted the whole thing in one go on your first attempt. You have a bright future ahead of you. You¡¯re already doing much better than many others in our league.¡± ¡°Then how about you?¡± Renfrew asked. The young girl sitting on the other end of the phone call red at Renfrew¡¯s profile picture and jumped down from a 5-foot-6-high hill in one go. She flicked her ponytail chicly, looking all sweet and cool. ¡°Of course, you still have a long way to go whenpared to me. I am, at the end of the day, still your master!¡± Renfrew pouted. Suddenly, a beam of light shed across the room, and Myriade hurriedly said to her watch,¡± Something just came up over here. I have to hang up already.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Before Renfrew had the time to say goodbye, the call had already ended. At this point, a man wearing a mask walked up to Myriade and nced indifferently at the index number on her chest. ¡°0337, the biannual elimination test is about to start. What are you doing here?¡± Staring at the person who was approaching her, Myriade was a little nervous. She sped her palms before replying calmly, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m under too much psychological stress, so I¡¯vee out here to y a ring game to take the edge off!¡± The man stared suspiciously at her slightly sweaty face and then chose to believe in her words. However, his tone still sounded very serious. ¡°Don¡¯t stay outside for too long. Report back to your team now!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Myriade immediately performed a standard alliance salute, but after the man turned around, a trace of fear shed across her flushed and egg-shaped face. ¡®Another elimination test¡­ I wonder if I can survive it this time around.¡¯ On the other end of the phone call, Renfrew could not fall asleep either. He was recalling all the codes that he had just used, and while he was thinking about it, he thought of Myriade. ¡®Ms. Myriade and I met each other half a year ago because of an ident. I actually managed to save her from dying by chance, and we¡¯ve been contacting each other in secret ever since.¡¯ ¡®The weird thing is that I still don¡¯t know who she is and what her identity is, but Ms. Myriade once told me that once her identity is revealed, I¡¯ll never see her again. But I don¡¯t want to lose her, so her existence has since be a secret that only I know about.¡± The next day, Hesper woke up and saw that Renfrew was still sleeping. She chuckled and shook her head. ¡°How can one be thiszy? He¡¯s still sleeping at this time.¡± She did not know that her son worked until almost dawnst night only because he wanted to help her vent her anger. As if he was awakened by her, the tiny man turned overnguidly, then closed his eyes and went back to sleep again. The smile on Hesper¡¯s face became even wider, and she got up to get herself ready for the day alone. After washing up and eating her breakfast, she came to the study, and that was when she froze in ce and her expression stiffened. ¡®Someone tampered with myptop.¡¯ ¡®Although it¡¯s only a less-than-an-inch difference whenpared to where I left it yesterday, a slight discrepancy is still a discrepancy.''¡± ¡®What happened? Could it be Isaac?¡¯ But this idea was quickly dispelled by her. Without my order, Isaac would never touch my belongings so casually. So¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s Ren? Maybe he was running around the room and bumped into it by ident¡­¡¯ As soon as this thought clicked in her mind, the feeling of uneasiness disappeared instantly, and she turned theptop on and proceeded to work on things. The Chief Executive Officer of Drogon Tech had agreed to meet with her, and there was a high. possibility that a cooperative rtionship would be formed. Thinking of Rickard¡¯s expression when he found out that his project had been preempted by her, Hesper could not help but feel that the sun was brighter that day. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Back in the Duvals¡¯ residence. When Rickard came down the stairs, he immediately saw Julie and Sophia having breakfast in the dining hall. Julie was still brooding about what had happened the day before. She startedining as soon as she saw himing down. ¡°It¡¯s said that raising a kid is like investing in an insurance package that would safeguard one¡¯s old age, but I disagree. Some sons are just not as good as daughters. At least my daughter knows that I¡¯ve been bullied by an outsider and knows how to cheer me up early in the morning. Unlike my son, who actually saw the whole incident with his own eyes but pretended to not have seen anything!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, stop it already.¡± Sophia¡¯s expression looked extremely embarrassed. ¡®I don¡¯t mind taking such credits when things are more easygoing, but Rickard has been very displeased with me recently. Mom can, of course, mock him as much as she wants, but what if he chooses to vent his anger out on me again? But Julie did not take her daughter¡¯s warning seriously and snorted heavily. ¡°What? This is my house. Can¡¯t I even say anything that I want to say here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡®What have I done to deserve all this bullsh*t?¡¯ Sophia was infuriated, so she got up to leave, but Julie pressed her down. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? I haven¡¯t even finished yet! Hesper Rivera, that woman actually dared to talk back to me yesterday. Let¡¯s go to her ce together today and bring Renfrew back!¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not a very good idea, is it?¡± Sophia was already on the brink of cursing at her mother. She took a peek at Rickard¡¯s expression. ¡®He looks fine, not too gloomy just yet.¡± But she did not want to get involved in this matter, so she found an excuse. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t your remember that Dick demanded that I stay at home to reflect on myself? I can¡¯t step out of the house casually.¡± ¡°Then do you mean that what I say is now worthless here?¡± Julie raised her brows and gave off an aggressive re. Sophia was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡®I shouldn¡¯t havee downstairs to eat breakfast today. Dude, even if you¡¯re upset with life, there¡¯s no need to drag me through piles of sh*t so early in the morning!¡¯ Fortunately, Rickard spoke up and interrupted their conversation at this moment. ¡°Was yesterday¡¯s lesson not quite enough to make you stay put for just one day? Do you n to go out there and provoke her again?¡± ¡°Rickard Duval, what are you talking about?¡± Julie lost her patience instantly and smacked her silverware against the tabletop. ¡°I¡¯m your mother. I got bullied by an outsider and you won¡¯t help me? Fine! But you¡¯re nning to limit my freedom now by asking me to not provoke that woman? If that¡¯s the case, are you asking me to take a detour whenever I run into her in the future?¡± ¡®What makes Hesper Rivera think that she¡¯s worth my time and effort?¡± ¡°But is the truth that you¡¯ve been depicting since yesterday really the truth?¡± Rickard¡¯s voice sounded indifferent. He sat down in his seat, took a sip of warm milk, and continued as if he was only talking about something casual. Hearing this, Julie screamed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see everything yesterday? The wounds found on the two women are the best evidence. Rickard Duval, just how heartless can you be for you to say this to your biological mother!¡± Feeling extremely wronged, she wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, as if she was crying from anger and grievances. Rickard quietly watched her performance, feeling extremely disappointed once again. ¡°I might not bring something up only because I care about your reputation. But since you insist on creating a scene, then allow me to help you out.¡± With that being said, he tapped on the video on his phone and ced it in front of her. In the video, it was clearly recorded just how domineering and aggressive Julie and the other two women were ever since they arrived at Hesper¡¯s doorstep. It also showed that Julie was the one who made the first move. All Hesper did from the beginning to the end was defend herself. ¡°I already knew that there was more to the incident than meets the eyes when I arrived at the scene yesterday, and this footage that I have in my hands further proves that my guess was right.¡± Rickard gazed at his mother without blinking. ¡°So, Mom, what else do you have to say?¡± Julie¡¯s face flushed and paled. She did not expect that her son would possess evidence that could smack her in the face so soon. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Seeing how she was not going to win, she used her age. ¡°At the end of the day, you¡¯re just covering up for that b*tch! It¡¯s obvious how maniptive she is if she even had footage of this! I¡¯m her elder, so how could she do this to me?¡± ¡°She¡¯s no longer part of the Duval family.¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes were cold. He reminded her and himself.¡± She no longer needs to care about being nice to you. She has nothing to do with our family anymore.¡± ¡°But-¡± Julie wanted to continue. So what if they were discovered? They bullied her in the past, but she wouldn¡¯t get a chance to take revenge! This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. However, Rickard calmly said, ¡°Grandpa is almost home. If you continue with this, I won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡± Julie froze, still worried. Mr. Duval Sr. had almost fully recovered back then, but when he came back and found out that they were divorced, he furiously left after giving them a piece of his mind. He most probably wasing back now because he heard that Hesper returned. After Rickard left, Julieined to Sophia. ¡°We¡¯re not done with Hesper yet and grandpa ising back to add fuel to the fire. It¡¯s going to be tougher.¡± ¡°Sigh, I hope that after all these years, Grandpa¡¯s fondness for her has diminished.¡± The two sighed, then Sophia suddenly asked, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you go see Juniper? How is she?¡± Julie was upset. ¡°The Wights are idiots. How dare they threaten me when she was the one who kept thirsting for your brother? I wouldn¡¯t have gotten trouble from Hesper if it weren¡¯t for that.¡± She told her everything, and when Sophia heard what happened to Juniper¡¯s face, her heart dropped. ¡°Mom, did you notice that Hesper is very different? Someone must be backing her up if she has so many cunning ns.¡± Julie noticed too, so she was agitated. ¡°It must be the Lanes. I sent someone to look into it. Matthew Lane treats her like a princess! She¡¯s only so arrogant because the Lanes are backing her up!¡± However, Hesper lost both her parents when she was a kid and grew up in an orphanage. How could she suddenly be Ms. Lane? ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s an imposter? If we can prove that she was lying, the Lanes. will handle her!¡± Sophia¡¯s eye¡¯s shone as her mother praised her. ¡°You¡¯re right. My daughter is so clever. How could I not have thought of that? Hold on, I¡¯ll get someone to look into it! I¡¯m sure I can get under her skin!¡± Julie reminded her before leaving, ¡°But before that, we should be very careful around her so she won¡¯t use the same tactic she used on Juniper on us. Since your grandpa ising back, we need to put our best foot forward.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When she remembered how Juniper looked now, Sophia was secretly d that Hesper only called her out about her getting someone to drug her. Being grounded was nothingpared to turning ugly since she would be free soon. Meanwhile, Juniper was trying to figure something out because she was tired of waiting for her antidote. The Wights put out a reward and invited doctors from around the world to help her. A lot of people were attracted by the high reward and made an attempt, but most of them were just pretending to know something and few actually knew anything. Juniper couldn¡¯t stand the turmoil, but she had to try anything to get her beauty back. ¡°Hesper, you wait. One day, I¡¯ll tear your skin off your bones and have my revenge!¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 And what was Hesper doing? ¡°Ren, does this look pretty?¡± Hesper was picking something to wear in front of the closet. She had something in mind already, but she asked Renfrew because she wanted to have more interaction with him. ¡°I think you look pretty in everything.¡± Renfrew gassed her up. Hesper smiled and went to change. Outside the door, Renfrew¡¯s curious voice could be heard. ¡°Mommy, are you going on a date?¡± He thought, if Mommy was going on a date, what about Dad? Would they never get back together? Hesper didn¡¯t know what to say. After she was done changing, she gently knocked on his head.¡± What¡¯s going on in that little mind of yours? I¡¯m going to meet a client tonight, so I have to look more presentable. By the way, you¡¯ll be spending time watching television with Uncle Isaac at home tonight, alright?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± Isaac frowned. He was worried because Hesper was leaving home without him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± She smiled. ¡°Let the otherse with me. You spend time with him.¡± She couldn¡¯t just bring Isaac everywhere she went and the ce that she was going to wasn¡¯t a dangerous ce. Meanwhile, Duval Group. ¡°Mr. Duval, the owner of Drogon Tech is still giving excuses and refusing to meet us.¡± Benji was out of ideas. After they rescheduled the previous time, he had made a few more arrangements, but they were indifferent about it. Sometimes, even after they had made an appointment, they would makest-minute changes to the time, as if they were intentionally doing that. Rickard couldn¡¯t be upset because he changed their ns first. Since Drogon Tech¡¯s partnership was N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. very important, he had to put in more effort. ¡°Go find out where he¡¯s going. If he won¡¯te and see me, I¡¯ll go to him.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Benji was efficient. Soon after that, he had gotten a reply. ¡°Mr. Duval, I heard that he¡¯ll be having dinner at Nyx Club tonight and it seems to be about this project too¡­¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°We¡¯ll join them then.¡± 8 pm, Nyx Club. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t go in there. It¡¯s upied.¡± Rickard was blocked by the security guard outside the room in the club. His gaze was sharp. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± The guard was shocked by his stature and gulped in fear. The people inside had told him not to let anyone interrupt them, so he had to step up. Sir, you can¡¯t go in without permission.¡± Rickard couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak and instead used his eyes to send a hint. The bodyguards Immediately dragged the guard aside. Benji opened the door, then Rickard walked in. The light shone on his meticulously neat hair. Under the dim light, Rickard froze when he saw who was inside. ¡°You.¡± ¡°We meet again, Mr. Duval.¡± Hesper smiled, but her eyes were cold. Her makeup made her look icy and elegant. She was so beautiful that it was hard not to look at her. Rickard took a few seconds to look at her but didn¡¯t forget why he was there. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who¡¯s talking about this project with him.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 ¡°Yes, do you have a problem with that?¡± Hesper looked down and smiled, her hair dropping onto her This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. corbones, beautiful and alluring. ¡°Haha, you know each other. But Mr. Duval, you¡¯re a little toote. We¡¯ve signed the agreement.¡± The director of Drogon Tech pointed at the agreement on the table. He was a smart man. They just signed it and hadn¡¯t even put it away yet. Rickard¡¯s eyes turned dark as he balled up his fists. ¡°Well, if you¡¯vee to an agreement, I¡¯ll be the first to wish you a smooth partnership. Mr. Tyler, I¡¯d like to speak to Ms. Lane in private. Could you excuse us please?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be on my way then. Take your time.¡± Joseph Tyler chuckled and walked out. When he walked past them, he even whistled. Benji felt like he wanted to yell at someone. Joseph knew how important the project was to them, but he toyed with them then signed with someone else. That was just rude! ¡°You need to go out too,¡± Rickard said. Benji was stunned, but when he realized that he was talking to him, he left. The doors of the room closed. Hesperzily sat back on the couch and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Mr. Duval? Are you angry?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t reply but instead asked, ¡°You did this internationally?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Rickard thought that she needed to be taught a lesson. He loosened his tie and walked closer to her then finally pulled her into his arms while she looked shocked. ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder, Hesper. The old you would never do something so arrogant.¡± Under the dim light, his breath was on her ear. Hesper turned her face slightly and looked straight into his deep eyes. They were like a whirlpool. Once you took a look, you¡¯d be sucked in. ¡°So what?¡± She quickly looked away, but Rickard wasn¡¯t going to let her off easily. He raised her chin with his finger and looked at her carefully. ¡°I thought you came back to take revenge, but I guess I was part of the reason for your return?¡± ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t want to admit that. She just didn¡¯t want to get the short straw. Rickard, however, smiled and caressed her face. He wanted to teach her a lesson, but now he realized that he missed how it felt to touch her. He calmly said, ¡°Afraid? I¡¯m interested to see what you¡¯re going to do to me.¡± He then let go and said, ¡°Joseph Tyler is an old fox. You need to keep two eyes out if you¡¯re working with him. My advice is to be very careful.¡± Watching him walk away, Hesper squinted. That was all he had. He sounded tough, but his eyes betrayed him. The look that screamed Intimacy was hard to hide. As for what he said, Hesper wasn¡¯t dumb. She knew that she would be able to take full advantage of Joseph when she nned to work with him. The night grew dark. A Maserati was parked by the road for a long time, Benji curiously took a look at the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Sir, are we not leaving?¡± ¡°Just a little longer.¡± The woman took the efford to dress up for an asion like this. He wouldn¡¯t be able to rx if he didn¡¯t see her leave safely. Hesper walked out nked by her bodyguards soon after. She had a ck suit jacket around her shoulder and her beautiful, long legs were showing under her skirt. Even though he would never admit it, he couldn¡¯t deny that she was a lot more attractive than she was before. The sensualness she exuded from inside out was like an addictive drug. Even he wasn¡¯t able to get away from this poisonous drug. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rickard closed his eyes and started calming down. So what if he couldn¡¯t get out of this? They were no longer a couple. In the next few days, Hesper was busy with moving. Renee prepared everything for her purchase of a house, then she and Renfrew moved in. ¡°Yay, we finally have a new home!¡± On the first day of moving in, Renfrew ran straight for the twenty feet long couch. There were steps in the living room and a conversation pit was in the middle, so it wasfortable, no matter how you sat. ¡°Do you like it? I¡¯ve decorated your yroom too.¡± Hesper smiled and brought Renfrew over. She couldn¡¯t afford this in the past, but now she could, so she would give him everything in the world. They walked around, and after dinner, Matthew called on the video call. ¡°Hello, Matthew,¡± Hesper said after picking up the call. The man¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Hesper, how have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m great.¡± After having spent a lot of time together, they developed a bond. She turned the phone to Renfrew and introduced them. ¡°Matthew, this is my son. Ren, this is Uncle Matt.¡± ¡°Hello, Uncle Matt!¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t shy away. Mommy¡¯s brother must be a good person. The little boy quickly sang his uncle¡¯s praises. ¡°Wow, Uncle Matt, you¡¯re so handsome. Even more handsome than my dad! There aren¡¯t a lot of people who are better looking than my dad!¡± Matthew didn¡¯t know how to react. Was he supposed to be happy? Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Hesperughed. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s a sweet boy but he loves to tter.¡± Seeing how happy she was, Matthew¡¯s frown turned around. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re doing quite well in Genecity. I can stop worrying now.¡± ¡°By the way, do you want to talk to me about something?¡± She knew Matthew. He would rarely call unless there was something important. Matthew said, ¡°Yes, I heard that a lot of doctors went to Genecity to help treat a weird disease that turned someone ugly. I immediately guessed that you must be behind it.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s her fault for bullying me.¡± Hesper smiled. She had never realized how cheerful she was around Matthew. ¡°Tsk.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t know what to do, so he just shook his head. ¡°I want to tell you that Professor Miles andn found a cure. I¡¯ll get someone to send it over if you need it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes shone. She didn¡¯t want to calm the Wights down with the antidote, but she heard that Juniper was offering a huge reward to cure her face. The person who did that would receive $1.5 million dors. $1.5 million dors! There was no reason to turn away that money. She would have other ways to deal with her. The next day, Hesper received some items sent over by Matthew. A light yellow antidote and a whole set of Legos. Renfrew¡¯s yroom was filled to the brim. ¡°Wow, mommy. Uncle Matt gave us this?¡± Renfrew was overjoyed and rolled around in his toys. That was how it felt like to have a mommy and an uncle. It was perfect! ¡°Mommy, say thanks to Uncle Matt for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Hesper spent a little more time with him and then went over to the Wight Residence. She told them that she had a way to cure her, but she would need to take an upfront payment of $ 30,000. ¡°Are you a scammer?¡± Mrs. Wight was worried. They had met too many doctors recently. Before still the same. She had lost hope many times. Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> Gob Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡°I don¡¯t care. Is my face not worth more than $30,000?¡± Juniper panicked. She would take any chance that could save her. The other girls from affluent familiesughed at her behind her back after her incident. The men that were pursuing her avoided her like the gue She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and didn¡¯t want to deal with it any longer, so she asked her mother to hand over the person¡¯s contact information. Hesper smiled an evil smile when she saw that they were so eager, so she went over in disguise in the afternoon of the same day. ¡°You¡¯re the miracle doctor on the phone?¡± Mrs. Wight opened the door and saw her in a hat with her entire body covered from head to toe, except for her fingers. She became suspicious. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Dressed up like that, I hope you¡¯re not a scammer.¡± Hesper lowered her tone and spoke in a raspy voice. ¡°My family lives solitary in the woods. I came out N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. to make some money, so when I found out about Ms. Wight¡¯s predicaments, I came to give it a try because I have the antidote.¡± ¡°Come in then. Mom, talk less talking!¡± Juniper was extremely agitated and showed her her face. Hesper pretended to inspect it, shocked at how well the pill worked. She couldn¡¯t even recognize Juniper. ¡°What do you think? Can you help?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She took out a green pill bottle and poured out a ck pill. ¡°You¡¯re badly poisoned. You need to consume this for seven days, then take this yellow pill to get. the poison out, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±1 Mrs. Wight asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t she just take the yellow pill then?¡± ¡°As I said, Ms. Wight is badly poisoned. The ck pill is to get rid of the poison that¡¯s still in her body. Just taking the yellow pill wouldn¡¯t do much ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Juniper took the bottle, poured out two, and ate them. ¡°Juniper!¡± Mrs. Wight didn¡¯t manage to stop her, but she was lucky that nothing happened after she took them. Juniper just sulked because it tasted bitter. ¡°What is this? Why is it so bitter!¡± Hesper smirked. Of course it was bitter. ¡®Why else would we give it to you?¡¯ ¡°Oh, all the good medicine tastes bitter. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°Alright, once my face is restored in seven days, I¡¯ll pay you the rest.¡± ¡°Alright, I trust you. I¡¯ll be on my way then. Remember to take your pills.¡± After leaving the hospital, Hesper discarded her disguise and looked at the hospital with a smirk. She was going to have fun for the next seven days. The ck pill wouldn¡¯t harm her, but it was made with the most bitter ingredients ever known to men. It even contained somexatives. Juniper would probably be spending a lot of time on the toilet seat. Hesper was gleeful as she started up her car to drive home when her phone rang. It was an unknown number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hesper, it¡¯s me.¡± A familiar voice that she hadn¡¯t heard in a while came from the other end. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 ¡°Grandpa?¡± The voice was too familiar. It was the voice that protected her so many times in the past, so how could she forget? ¡°I guess you still remember me.¡± Mr. Duval Sr. was touched; which could be heard through his voice. She couldn¡¯t stand hearing Earnest sound sad. ¡°Grandpa, what do you mean? You treated me like your own granddaughter, so how could I forget who you are?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet up then.¡± Ernest invited her, and she wasn¡¯t going to reject it. She drove to the rendezvous point, which was the hotel where she and Rickard held their wedding. Since Rickard didn¡¯t like her, and they had never rekindled, now seeing this ce after all these years, it still looked the same. Hesper felt sad but she quickly snapped out of it. She opened the door to the room when Ernest smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re here, kiddo.¡± The friendly smile warmed her heart. Hesper walked over and sat across him. ¡°How have you been, Grandpa?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m old and frail. I might die soon.¡± Ernest epted his situation but felt sad for her. What about you? You must have suffered.¡± Hesper was going to say that she didn¡¯t, but Ernest could see through her. All her pretense and strength melted away under his concerned gaze, and finally, she said through sobs, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. I¡¯m doing well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still trying to pretend that you¡¯re strong after all these years. I¡¯ve heard of what the Duvals did to you. We¡¯ve wronged you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Hesper wouldn¡¯t put someone else¡¯s me on him. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me but instead took good care of me. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have safely given birth to Renfrew. I¡¯ll remember this forever.¡± ¡°Silly kiddo.¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re my family. The mother and daughter bullied you, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to detach myself from the situation either. I didn¡¯t bring them up well enough, and that is why they are how they are.¡± Hesper sniffled. The Duvals, including Rickard, would never think that they had done anything wrong. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Only Grandpa would be concerned about her and wouldn¡¯t let her get hurt. ¡°Well we¡¯ve finally met up, so there¡¯s no point talking about the past.¡± She smiled and changed the topic. ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t think you know that I¡¯m doing very well now. I have a brother who loves me a lot and friends who care for me. I¡¯m the person in charge of the branch of Lane Holdings here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ernest smiled proudly. How could he not know about all that? But if she really was happy, why did her eyes look so tired? That was a sadness one would get after going through serious trauma. The kiddo was just worried that he would worry, and he knew that. ¡°My Hesper is so outstanding now. Perform well and don¡¯t let people down. I¡¯m waiting for you to travel with me when you make enough money.¡± ¡°Alright, of course, I¡¯ll go with you. We¡¯ll bring Renfrew too. The three of us on a family trip.¡± Like a family, they happily chatted without suspicion, reminiscing about the past when they had fewer problems. An hourter, the old man lovingly patted her head. ¡°Okay, kiddo, it¡¯s time for me to go back. You have to remember what I told you and to take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± Hesper walked him to the car as her eyes welled up Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 The moment she waved goodbye, her heart ached and she became confused. Grandpa really just wanted to see her. She thought that he would put in a word for his family. However, his honorable attitude made her feel even worse because the more she wanted revenge on the Duvals, the more it would hurt him. How would she find the bnce between Ernest and the rest of the Duvals? Meanwhile, Julie and Sophia were enjoying a spa that was brought to them at home. Sophia had always loved to indulge. Rickard forbade her from leaving but she was still able to spend The duoy on thefortable couch and had golden masks on while enjoying the massage from two masseuses. ¡°Oh, this is sofortable.¡± Julie gave a satisfied sigh and asked the masseuse to put more pressure. ¡°Lower, lower, do it properly.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Julie took a sip of her fresh juice and asked her mother, ¡°Mom, when is grandpaing back? I thought it was soon. Why haven¡¯t we heard anything yet?¡± Julie scoffed. ¡°Are you looking forward to his return? When he¡¯s really back, do you think we¡¯ll still get to do this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Remembering how stern her grandpa was, Sophia pressed her lips together then continued her rxation. When Ernest walked in and saw themying there, his aged face looked unhappy. He walked over without speaking. When the masseuses saw him, they turned pale and immediately walked to the side. ¡°Hmm? Why did you stop? I¡¯m not satisfied yet!¡± Julie unhappily removed her mask and stared straight into the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah!¡± She screamed and lost herposure. ¡°Dad¡­ Dad, when did you get back?¡± ¡°Hmmph!¡± Ernest didn¡¯t want outsiders to see this and waved his hand. ¡°You can leave now and you¡¯re not allowed toe back here.¡± The masseuses weren¡¯t going to oppose that, so they quickly packed up and left. Sophia realized that her grandpa was back and stood up next to her mother, like children who were going to be punished. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us beforeing back? I could have sent someone to pick you up,¡± Julie quickly said to soften the mood, but Ernest wasn¡¯t taking any of it. ¡°What? This is my home. Do I need your approval beforeing back?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what Mom meant. She just wanted to make some preparations to wee you home.¡± Sophia smiled and went over to hold his arm, but he avoided it. He angrily red at them. ¡°More like trying to cover up before I get home? If I didn¡¯te back. earlier, I wouldn¡¯t know that this was thevish life that you¡¯re living!¡± ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration.¡± Julie had been getting everything she wanted, so she couldn¡¯t listen to the harsh truth. She had to object. ¡°The Duvals are a sessful family and Rickard is very capable. How are Sophia and I beingvish if we want to put some effort into self-care?¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Ernest lived a simple life. He founded Duval Group and couldn¡¯t stand seeing them think that they were better than other people. He said in an annoyed tone. ¡°You know that Rickard is the capable one, so he doesn¡¯t need you. All you have is that sharp tongue?¡± ¡°No!¡± Julie thought that she was misunderstood and felt even more annoyed by Ernest. She knew that nothing good woulde out of the old man¡¯s return! But Ernest wasn¡¯t done yet. He sat down on the chair, his eyes fearsome. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling my best and didn¡¯t pay too much attention to the family, but now that I¡¯m back, I won¡¯t let you do whatever you want anymore. Do you understand?¡± Julie paused. ¡°Dad¡­ Are you going to run the household?¡± ¡°If you continue running it, I don¡¯t know what more will happen. Do you have anything to say about me taking over?¡± Of course she had something to say. She had been in charge of the household for so long and was Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. very used to barking out orders at the helpers. Now that he was taking over, she would have to follow what he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. You¡¯re not in your best health. What if you get too tired=¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. I have a good mind. Ernest didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak and started setting new rules with the old helper who was standing by his side. Julie bit her lip but didn¡¯t dare defy him, so all she could do was wait for Rickard toe home. However, when he came back, he didn¡¯t hesitate to say, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s decision is great. Just do as he says.¡± ¡°Rickard! How could you go against me too?¡± Julle¡¯s eyes turned red and she started throwing a tantrum. ¡°I brought you up and went through so much hardship. Now I can finally manage the household, yet you¡¯re going to let grandpa strip that away? People are going to make a joke out of me!¡± Rickard didn¡¯t hesitate to call her out. ¡°Grandpa was the one who brought me up and educated me. You said you went through a lot, but everything was done by the helpers. If you think that that was tough, then you should rest well after this.¡± He turned and left without looking back, no matter how much Julie called out to him. ¡°There he goes. No one is respecting me anymore!¡± Julie angrily threw a ss to the floor. Smash! The sound of ss breaking was crisp. ¡°Mom, keep it down or else Grandpa is going to be angry!¡± Sophia quickly stopped her, but Julie¡¯s chest was still heaving. ¡°Let hime, then! I don¡¯t even have freedom in my own home?¡± She was just saying that, but if Ernest was toe over, she would shrink to one side. However, Ernest didn¡¯t have time to care about her. In the study, he stood tall with his back facing Rickard. Incense burned at the corner of the desk. ¡°Kneel!¡± Rickard didn¡¯t hesitate and got on his knees immediately after Ernest¡¯s order. Ernest¡¯s face started to soften. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m asking you to kneel?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rickard¡¯s back was straight. Even when kneeling, he was still proud. ¡°You¡¯re an elder, so if you ask me to kneel, I¡¯ll get on my knees without question.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°You¡­¡± Ernest sighed. ¡°If you really are that obedient, then when didn¡¯t you treat Hesper well when I asked you to?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Rickard¡¯s throat was a little dry because he didn¡¯t know what to say or where to start. In the end, all he said was, ¡°I¡¯ve done her wrong.¡±- ¡°You know your mistake?¡± There was hope in Ernest¡¯s old eyes as he helped Rickard up. ¡°Well, what do you n to do then?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Ernest didn¡¯t want to drag it on. ¡°To be honest, I met Hesper beforeing home. The child didn¡¯t. ¡°She¡­ doesn¡¯t need me anymore.¡± Rickard pressed his lips together. They all witnessed how much she had changed. She used to be sincere, that was true, but now she was a phoenix reborn and had probably forgotten about him. ¡°No, I know the kiddo well enough. She was sincere and honest. You were someone she loved with all her heart, so she couldn¡¯t have just let you go. You hurt her too much in the past, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s so cold toward you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rickard was curious. ¡°Now, find out what you really want and if you have feelings for her still,¡± Ernest said. ¡°If you do, then you should do all you can to get her back. But if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll treat her like my granddaughter, and you¡¯ll go your separate ways from now on.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rickard couldn¡¯t give a good answer, but when he heard that they would go their separate ways, he felt something in his heart. Ernest reminded him, ¡°Do you really not know? Or have you just not thought about this enough? I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve never felt anything for her. Otherwise, why haven¡¯t you dated anyone ever since she left?¡± Rickard looked distraught. Ernest patted his shoulder. ¡°Think about that. Think well and make sure you know how you feel. It¡¯s never toote for our family heir to change his ways.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Rickard left the study and went back to his own room. All he could think about was Hesper. She was on her knees begging him three years ago, but now she looked happy. Let go? He probably could, but why did he feel unhappy when he realized they would be going their separate ways? He received a notification for a post. He set it up just for her. Rickard tapped in and saw that it was Renfrew happilyughing among a pile of legos. Hesper had him in her arms and they were having a fun time. He started smiling without even realizing it. Hesper didn¡¯t go anywhere for the next few days. The building for the Lane Holdings branch office was decorated and theunch would be in three days. When that happened, her identity as the president would be known to the public. When that day came along, she got another call from Juniper. ¡°Hello doctor. I¡¯m having terrible diarrhoea. Do you have any other antidotes? I think I might die if this continues.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 If she didn¡¯t call, Hesper would have forgotten about this. She stifled herugh and said in a raspy voice. ¡°No, if you want to recover, you need to go through this.¡± Juniper was speechless. Her orifice was swollen, and she only called because she could no longer stand it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hang in there since tomorrow is thest day.¡± ¡°Okay, remember to pay me the rest of the money then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wights wouldn¡¯t try to get out of a bill.¡± The next day, Juniper¡¯s face was restored. She touched her bright skin and started crying tears of joy. ¡°Finally, I¡¯m normal! I¡¯ll see who will stillugh behind my back!¡± ¡°Yes, my daughter is finally alright.¡± Mrs. Wight couldn¡¯t stop smiling. When her daughter turned ugly, she was very disturbed. She could finally rx how that she was fine. However, Juniper suddenly said, ¡°Mom, a lot of people know what happened to me, even the people at the station. Now that I¡¯ve recovered, why not throw a party and show everyone that I¡¯m back to being the beauty that I was? That¡¯ll stop people from talking behind my back!¡± Mrs. Wight was thinking the same thing and immediately agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get it nned.¡± Soon after that, the news that the Wights were having a party spread. Juniper¡¯s issue blew out of proportion, and now that she was alright, people just wanted to pry. There were even people who wanted to be acquainted with Juniper¡¯s miracle doctor because everyone was afraid that something might happen to them too. The Wights were clever and got in touch with Hesper, hoping that she could attend. ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m not going without a fee.¡± Mrs. Wight¡¯s face froze. ¡°You want to charge a fee for making an appearance?¡± She wasn¡¯t some famous celebrity and should consider herself lucky for even getting invited. How dare she ask for payment. However, since a lot of people were curious, so Mr. Wight asked, ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°$700,000 will do.¡± ¡°$700,000? Are you crazy?¡± Mrs. Wight yelled. ¡°You¡¯re just a doctor. Why do you deserve $ 700,000? You¡¯re asking for so much just to show up? Why don¡¯t you go rob someone?¡° Hesper knew that would be her reaction, so she pressed on. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not every day that I meet suckers like you. I¡¯m doing exactly that. I¡¯m robbing you.¡± ¡°You-¡± Mrs. Wight was so angry she almost hung up, but Juniper stopped her. ¡°Mom! If you make her Original from N?velDrama.Org. angry, what are we going to do if the same thing happens again?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s outrageous!¡± Juniper took the phone and said to the person on the line, ¡°$700,000 it is, but you need to promise that you¡¯ll have to cure me no matter what happenster on.¡± ¡°Alright, deal.¡± After hanging up, Hesper happily waited to be paid. Soon after that, she received a notification that she had received the money. She shed a big smile. Renfrew had seen what happened. ¡°Mommy, do you need money?¡± Why else would she keep asking for money? Isaac helped him clean up the Lego and said, ¡°Of course she needs money. When she got to Lane manor, all she had-¡± im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 ¡°Isaac, why would you tell that to a kid?¡± Although Hesper interrupted him, she was still smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not short of money, Ren. However, I can¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t just say no when the Wights are offering to pay me money, right?¡± Renfrew nodded with just a hazy notion. The only thing that was upying his mind was what Isaac did not get to say. Hence, when Hesper went to the study, he took advantage of the situation and scurried up to Isaac. ¡°Uncle Isaac, what were you going to say about Mommy before?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Isaac was stunned, knowing that Hesper did not like him talking about her past too much. He continued to say unconcernedly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, young master. Ms. Lane is doing well now, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The little fe misunderstood, thinking that the adults just did not want him to worry. He clenched his little fair hands and swore deep down. ¡®Since Daddy has a lot of money, I¡¯ll take some from him and give it to Mommy! Apart from that, I have a piggy bank too. It contains all the money that others have given me over the years, all of which can be given to Mommy!¡¯ Seeing that Renfrew seemed to have made some decisions inwardly, Isaac looked confused. ¡®Did I say something wrong? But I couldn¡¯t have, right? When thedy first went to Lanes, no one in the Original from N?velDrama.Org. family trusted her and she was left in a very difficult situation. She also had a very strong self- esteem and refused to ept Matthew¡¯s help, so it was indeed a very difficult time. Thank God that the young ¡°Mommy.¡± The little rascal poked his head out of the door frame of the study. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hesper smiled. ¡°Come here.¡± Renfrew felt very distressed. ¡®Mommy is so poor, she¡¯s working very hard.¡¯ He could not wait to bring his little piggy bank over. Pretending as if nothing had happened, he said, ¡°Mammy, didn¡¯t you say that Great-grandpa is back? I want to go back to see him ande back tomorrow night. Is that okay?¡± Hesper gave it a thought. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll be attending the Wights¡¯ banquet tomorrow anyway, and Ernest probably misses Renfrew very much too.¡¯ She nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get Isaac to send you there. ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± The little rascal hugged her, kissed her, and then went back with Isaac. Soon, Ernest saw his great-grandson whom he had not seen in a long time, and his wrinkled face immediately lit up. ¡°Renfrew,e here. Give Great-grandpa a hug. And it seems like you¡¯ve grown a lot taller.¡± The tiny fe ran over obediently and blinked his big innocent eyes. ¡°Great-grandpa, did you bring me any present when you came back?¡± Ernest was taken aback. ¡®Although I always bring something back every time Ie back to visit, Renfrew has always been very polite and never asked for it. What happened today?¡± ¡°Renfrew, what¡¯s the matter with you? Has something happened?¡± With that being asked, the innocent kid conjectured about his mommy¡¯s difficult situation and fiddled with his fingers innocently. ¡°Great-grandpa, want to give Mommy everything that I have in my piggy bank. Is that okay?¡± Looking at the little guy¡¯s cautious expression, Ernest was so distressed that he immediately found Rickard, kicked him in the butt, and reprimanded him. ¡°Just look at the good deeds you¡¯ve done. You don¡¯t even know that your wife and child are suffering out there. Get a hold of $3 million and send it all to Hesper, now!¡± Rickard was caught off guard by the request. ¡°Grandpa, what are you talking about?¡± Ernest thought he was unwilling to do as he ordered, so he kicked Rickard again. ¡°I told you to pay Hesper. You heard me, right? She¡¯s so destitute that she needs to live on Renfrew¡¯s money, yet this is all you do in response?¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Rickard looked extremely confused. ¡®Hesper is destitute? From where did he get this hearsay?¡¯ Seeing that Ernest¡¯s expression did not look good, Rickard quickly exined himself before a third kick coulde. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give her anything. I did try to give her money twice before, but she refused to ept it.¡± ¡°Huh? What about¡­¡± Ernest¡¯s expression turned a little more lenient. He turned around and asked his great-grandson, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Renfrew continued toment innocently. ¡°Mommy has a very strong personality. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t want Daddy to look down on her.¡± ¡°Hmm. That makes sense!¡± Ernest thought so too. He waved his hand, forcing Rickard to sign a check that was worth $3 million, and shoved it into Renfrew¡¯s little golden piggy bank¡­. The next day, Hesper went to the Wight Manor to attend the banquet. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Juniper was waiting for her by the door. Seeing that her honored guest was finally more formally dressed, barring the veil that continued to cover her face, Juniper did not say much and pulled her in immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll say this, there are several famous socialites who want to get to know you. You should exaggerate your value and not make a fool out of me. Got it?¡± Hesper, finding the situation funny, didn¡¯t say a word. After entering the banquet hall, she saw several familiar faces, including Julie and Sophia¡¯s. Seeing this, Hesper realized that it was impossible for Rickard to ground Sophia for the rest of her life. It was reasonable for them to be here when the Wights were holding a banquet. ¡°Juni, is this the miraculous doctor who cured you? Why is she wearing a veil?¡± Julie¡¯s gazended on Hesper. Lacking the arrogance and sarcasm that Hesper usually received when facing her, Julie looked and behaved very much like the matriarch of a wealthy family. From the side, Juniper said, ¡°Madam Duval, you might not know about this, but since she¡¯s a medical genius, it¡¯s only natural for her to not want to reveal her true appearance so easily. Based solely on her ability to cure diseases and save lives, she¡¯s far superior to the group of doctors. from the hospitals who only care about fame.¡± Julie had seen how Juniper¡¯s face looked with her own eyes, so she could not help but admire this doctor¡¯s medical skills too and said very kindly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I wonder what other kinds of disease she could treat. Doctor, could you maybe give me a quick checkupter?¡± ¡°Madam Duval, let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± Juniper did not know what else she knew, so she immediately interrupted the conversation for fear of revealing her secrets. ¡°Oh yeah, why didn¡¯t Rickarde? I invited him too, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°He¡­ A pregnant awkwardness shed across Julie¡¯s face. They had pulled every trick avable at their disposal to try to convince him to apany them when they were departing from the residence, but Rickard had refused toe. In the end, they ran out of things to say, so Julie had to bring just Sophia to the banquet. Wanting to maintain the Duvals¡¯ rtionship with the Wights, Julie decided she could not tell the truth and instead came up with a random excuse. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that b*tch, Hesper. She used Renfrew as an excuse to force Rickard to go to her ce to see her and his son again!¡± ¡°What? He went to see Hesper?¡± Juniper bit her lips. The new and old grudges that she held against Hesper surged from the bottom of her heart and intertwined, and a ferocious expression appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s that b*tch again? I knew she would only turn to such wicked means to seduce Rickard! Wait until I¡¯ve fully recovered, then we¡¯ll see how I deal with her once I have some time on my hands!¡± Hearing this, Hesper stopped pretending and took off the veil to reveal her true identity. ¡°Are you talking about me, Ms. Wight?¡± ¡°You-What are you doing here?¡± Juniper¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®I don¡¯t remember inviting Hesper, so how could she be here?¡¯ ¡°Ms. Wight, have you forgotten? You¡¯re the one who paid me $700,000 and asked me to show up at this banquet. How could you forget already?¡± Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Go Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Juniper¡¯s pupils constricted, and she finally came to her senses. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re that medical genius?!¡± ¡°How about it? Since you¡¯ve recovered, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m good?¡± Hesper had a smirk on her face that could provoke anyone. Juniper was so exasperated that her expression changed drastically. ¡®I never would have guessed that the doctor who treated me was that b*tch, Hesper Rivera! And I actually paid her such a high reward!¡¯ After realizing that she had been tricked, Juniper said angrily, ¡°It turns out that you¡¯ve been ying tricks on me from the very beginning. Did you force me to take those ck pills on purpose?!¡± ¡°It seems that you¡¯re not as dumb as you look. You¡¯ve got it all figured out.¡± Hesper sneered, not hiding her mockery in the slightest. Juniper, already having lost her cool, was about to hit Hesper. ¡°You b*tch! We¡¯ll see if I¡¯ll beat you to death right here, right now!¡± ¡°Ms. Wight, are you sure you want to make a move on me right here and now?¡± Hesper did not even try to dodge or evade her strike, showing no signs of fear, sneering instead. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t do this at the banquet I¡¯m hosting. Aren¡¯t you afraid of bing theughingstock of the people of Genecity? Plus, since I¡¯m here, don¡¯t you want to know where exactly Rickard is right now?¡± Juniper stopped moving instantly. ¡®That¡¯s right. If Hesper is here, then where is Rickard? Didn¡¯t Madam Duval say that he was called away by Hesper?¡¯ ¡°Madam Duval, don¡¯t you think you have some exining to do?¡± ¡°Geez, Juni, don¡¯t listen to this b*tch. Why would I lie to you?¡± Julie quickly exined. ¡°Rickard really was called away by her early in the morning, he imed that he was heading to her ce because Renfrew wasn¡¯t feeling well. Otherwise, why would Rickard not want toe and see you?¡± After being fooled left and right, Juniper had also be suspicious. ¡°Is that so?¡± Hesper tilted her head and scoffed mockingly. ¡°Madam Duval, if I were in your shoes, I would have thoroughly done my research first beforeing up with a lie. Are you sure that I called Rickard away?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing that she sounded so firm when she made the statement, Julie dared not speak up. ¡®If she were to somehow prove her statement, wouldn¡¯t my reply turn into another smack in the face Now that she knew everyone was taking her for a fool, Juniper could not take it anymore. ¡°Madam Duval, where exactly is Rickard?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡­ I know where he is¡­.¡± Julie had no choice but to tell the truth. Juniper was furious. She gnashed her teeth and red at the mother and daughter. ¡°You keep telling me that you¡¯ll find a way to make a match out of the two of us. Is this your way of making things work?¡± Frightened by her rage, Julie subconsciously took two steps backward. Sophia, unable to stand it anymore, stepped forward to defend themselves. ¡°Juni, how can you be so rude to my mother? She had good intention, didn¡¯t she? If my brother doesn¡¯t want toe, we can¡¯t just tie him up and force him toe. She only lied to you because she didn¡¯t want to hurt. your feelings.¡± ¡°Good intentions? Do you really think I¡¯m dumb?¡± Juniper had had enough. ¡®When I was hurt and disfigured, the two of them only came by once, and now they¡¯re trying to deceive me? They¡¯ve never thought of me as family!¡¯ Seeing that the atmosphere was bing more and more stalemate, Hesper, who had been watching Original from N?velDrama.Org. from the sidelines all along, shouted out of the blue, ¡°Oh my God, no, the youngdy of the Duvals and Ms. Wight are fighting each other! Madam Duval even got beaten too!¡± With this sudden wail, all the people at the banquet were startled and rushed over in unison. Hesper took the opportunity to leave the scene, letting them go at each other! Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 ¡°No, there¡¯s no need toe over! They¡¯re not fighting. Why would they fight each other?¡± Madam Duval did not want to lose face in front of all the attendees, so she tried to maintain order. But everyone present was no fool. Judging from Juniper and Sophia¡¯s expressions, one could tell from a nce that something unusual had happened. Even if they did not fight each other, there must have been a fierce argument. Otherwise, the two of them would not put on such expressions that looked as if they were about to tear each other into pieces. Soon, the matter spread as a rumor throughout the city. Juniper, Julie, and Sophia all became jokes that the citizens talked about. The Wights¡¯ desire to spread the word did not show any positive effect but actually made Juniper¡¯s reputation even worse. The Wights were not reconciled with the oue of the matter, so after the incident, they summoned Rickard to the Wight Manor. ¡°Rickard, look what happened. Do you realize how much Juniper has suffered because of you? And do you still n to ignore it?¡± Facing the Wights couple, Rickard¡¯s attitude was quite warm. ¡°I asked my mother and Sophia about it and they imed that it was just a misunderstanding. Anyway, they shouldn¡¯t have caused trouble during the banquet. I¡¯ll apologize to you, the Wights, on their behalf.¡± ¡°Just an apology? That¡¯s it?¡± Mister and Madam Wight had always highly regarded Rickard, as he was extremelypetent in running a business empire at such a young age, making him a rare talent. That was why both of them approved of Juniper wanting to be with him. However, seeing that the rtionship between the two was worsening by the day, Madam Wight pointed things out directly. ¡°Rickard, you¡¯re a smart man. The best way topletely put an end to such a rumor is for both our families to join hands through marriage. You should know best how Juniper feels about you. You won¡¯t lose anything by marrying her.¡± Juniper, who was standing at the side, blushed. She could not help but quietly observe his reaction, wanting to see what his response to the matter would be. Rickard¡¯s gaze dimmed, and after a few seconds, he politely rejected the suggestion. ¡°Madam Wight, marriage isn¡¯t a business deal. Juniper and indeed used to be together, but that period of time has passed and the conditions aren¡¯t optimum now. Juniper is the one who will have tons to lose if we were to get married now.¡± ¡°No!¡± Juniper interrupted immediately. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up everything as long as I can marry you!¡± ¡°Juniper, you¡¯re ady. What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Madam Wight¡¯s expression was extremely gloomy. Her daughter might not catch the underlying message in Rickard¡¯s response, but she understood it in an instant. ¡®Although Rickard¡¯s reply sounds extremely polite, he¡¯s made it clear that he won¡¯t marry Juniper. If she goes all out in her sincerity like this, won¡¯t others take her for a joke?¡¯ Madam Wight took a deep breath and tried to put on a calm face. ¡°Rickard, I understand that marriage Original from N?velDrama.Org. isn¡¯t a trivial matter and you¡¯ll need time to think about it. Why don¡¯t you go back and mull it over? There¡¯s no need to give us a reply now ¡°There is no need for that.¡± Rickard did not hesitate at all, repeating himself a second time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam Wight. I won¡¯t marry Juniper.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Juniper was greatly astounded. She took two steps back, unable to believe her ears. Her slender waist rammed into the corner of the table beside her, causing her to frown in pain. But from the beginning to the end, Rickard¡¯s gaze did not change at all. Thinking that he would approach her and care about her was only wishful thinking. ¡®It turns out, he¡¯s long already lost all his feelings for me. I¡¯m the one who continues to stubbornly hold onto him and pester him¡­¡¯ ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you like me anymore?¡± Juniper burst into tears, but all she got was an apology. ¡®I don¡¯t want an apology! All I want is him!¡¯ ¡°Is it because of Hesper Rivera? I knew it! Ever since she returned, your mind haspletely changed! You¡­ You¡¯re not the Rickard I knew three years ago! It¡¯s all because of that b*tch. She¡¯s bewitched you!¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 very Rickard¡¯s indifferent gaze finally changed after hearing her insults. He frowned and sounded displeased. ¡°This is between you and me, and I¡¯ve never promised you anything, so don¡¯t take your anger out on other people.¡± ¡°Okay, alright.¡± Madam Wight knew exactly what was going on from experience. She could tell with a nce that Rickard was defending his ex-wife. She sneered and pulled Juniper to her side. ¡°Just look carefully, Juni. This is the man whom you¡¯ve loved for so many years. Deep down, he¡¯s only thinking about his ex-wife. From today onward, you¡¯re not allowed to associate with him. anymore! The Wights don¡¯t need such a son-inw! The whole sentence that escaped her mouth was filled with hints and threats. Hearing what she said, Rickard did not care. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± He nodded slightly to Madam Wight then turned around and strode away ¡°Rickard¡­¡± Juniper wanted to chase after him but was pped by Madam Wight. ¡°Wake up already, Juni! What good would it do to you to keep a man who doesn¡¯t love you at all?¡± Madam Wight was infuriated. Juniper felt an unbearable pain deep down. ¡°But I only love him! I¡¯ve loved him for so many years. How do you expect me to let go of him?!¡± ¡°Love him? Have you forgotten why you even left him? And now you¡¯re telling me that you love. him?¡± Madam Wight¡¯s words calmed Juniper instantly. As past events that she found unbearable to recall This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. slowly surfaced from the bottom of her heart, her cheeks flushed. ¡°Forget about it already. Since you¡¯ve worked hard for him for so long yet he won¡¯t even look back at you, you two are just not meant to be. The past is the past; I¡¯ll definitely find a better man for you.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Juniper cried and wept even more sorrowfully, while Madam Wight felt for her too. The mother and daughter embraced each other tightly. On the other side of the city. ¡°Hey,e and give me a hug!¡± Renfrew finally came back to Hesper, and they hugged each other too when they met. ¡°Mommy, look.¡± Renfrew held up a big golden piggy bank abruptly as if he was offering his mommy a treasure. The shy color of the piggy bank flickered and caused Hesper to blink. ¡°This is¡­ Isn¡¯t this your legendary piggy bank?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re so smart!¡± Renfrew gave her an approving look. Hesper did not know how to react to that. ¡°Why did you bring it here with you?¡± ¡®Even if Madam Duval and Sophia are unreliable, they wouldn¡¯t put their hands on Renfrew¡¯s belongings, would they? What¡¯s more, his great-grandpa hase back, so they should be restraining themselves to the max now, right?¡¯ Renfrew pulled her around the house mysteriously until they found a small hammer. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯ll know why as soon as you hammer it open.¡± ¡®Huh? This¡­¡± Hesper, who was still hesitating, was defeated by Renfrew¡¯s begging gaze. ¡°Okay, okay, then you should step further back so that I won¡¯t hit you.¡± The golden piggy bank was smashed open, and the crowded hundred-dor bills scattered around like a waterfall. ¡°Wow!¡± Hesper was really surprised. When she nced around, she even saw several bank cards and pure gold coins. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m giving all these to you. Do you like them?¡± ¡°Renfrew¡­¡± Hesper was a little moved and bewildered. ¡°Why would you give me all this money?¡± At this time, Isaac, who already had a premonition that something was going wrong, turned around silently and wanted to leave, but was pointed at by the little rascal before he could do so. Uncle Isaac said that you¡¯re very poor, so I brought my little piggy bank here. Mommy, you can spend it however you like!¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 ¡°Isaac, would you like to exin what¡¯s going on?¡± Hesper gritted her teeth. ¡®Aren¡¯t these two living right under my nose? What kind of misunderstanding could there be?¡± ¡°Ms. Lane, please listen to me¡­¡± Isaac restated the whole story in embarrassment. Hesper was even more moved after hearing this. She pinched Renfrew¡¯s nose andforted him, ¡°You silly boy, Mommy isn¡¯t poor. Otherwise, how could I afford such a big house?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The little guy thought for a while. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because Mommy has spent all her money on the house. I¡¯ve heard people say that it¡¯s very difficult to purchase a house. Mommy is alone, so it must be even more difficult.¡± ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to reject the money. What¡¯s mine is yours!¡± Renfrew said while piling up the money in front of her. When he saw the check buried in the banknotes, his eyes lit up. ¡°And I have another surprise for you too. Taadaa¡­!¡± Unfolding it, Hesper saw that it was a check and it came from the Duval Group. She frowned. ¡°Did you ask your dad for this?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me but great-grandpa,¡± the boy responded. Hesper simply did not know what to say. ¡®Mr. Duval Sr. hasn¡¯t changed at all. He thinks I¡¯m working very hard and is paying me such arge sum of money just because he wants to.¡¯ Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ren.¡± Hesper returned the check to him and said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯ll make this clear to you now once and for all. Mommy is not short of money, so Mommy does not want to ept this check.¡± ¡°Why? Even if you¡¯re not short of money, you can still keep it, right?¡± ¡°You might not understand this,¡± Hesper exined, ¡°But your great-grandpa gave Mommy this. money because he feels bad for me. So since Mommy is doing well, I can¡¯t take the money, can I? Otherwise, it¡¯ll look as if Mommy is taking advantage of Great-grandpa¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The little guy nodded and put the check away obediently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll put it away. Anyway, if you need help, Great-grandpa and Daddy definitely won¡¯t refuse to help you.¡± The kid might not mean it, but the mother understood the innocent expectation instantly. Hesper paused for a split second but said nothing. That night, after a whole day¡¯s worth of work, Hesper came to the yard alone. She nced at the moonlight, feeling ufortable, as something that Renfrew had said earlier was stuck in her chest. ¡®Firstly, I don¡¯t want Grandpa to spend so much on me, and secondly, I don¡¯t want to take Rickard¡¯s money. Especially when this matter is a blunder caused by Ren. Grandpa wouldn¡¯t know about my financial condition, but Rickard has to. Yet he still give the money to Ren¡­ Coupled with what Renfrew said earlier, Hesper felt indescribably awkward, Thinking of this, Hesper decided to send him a text message. ¡°I¡¯m not short of money, so don¡¯t give me any more in the future,¡± In the Duval¡¯ residence. Rickard was dealing with his family matters when his phone rang out of the blue. Seeing the message as soon as he tapped on it, he pursed his lips calmly. Madam Duvalined with extreme dissatisfaction, ¡°Rickard, did you hear what I just said? Why are you still looking at your phone?¡± ¡°I heard you. You were iming that Hesper intentionally went to Wight Manor, caused a scene, and embarrassed you two, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes! If it weren¡¯t for that b*tch, how would Sophia and I embarrass ourselves to this extent?¡± Everyone in Genecity was saying that she was an old hag capitalizing on her seniority and using it as an excuse to treat others disrespectfully, even teaming up with her daughter to bully others. That was how her reputation was ruined. Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> Go Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Rickard sneered. ¡°Then do enlighten me, how did Sophia get to the banquet when I clearly grounded her? And you actually used me as an excuse and lied to the Wights?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Madam Duval was at a loss for words. ¡®Sophia¡¯s restraint order has indeed not been lifted just yet, but I only took the opportunity to take her out to the banquet because I couldn¡¯t bear to see her stay at home and die of boredom every day, but who would¡¯ve known that something like that would happen?¡¯ ¡°I only made up an excuse casually because everything came in one go and I didn¡¯t have the time to react. Who knew that Hesper would be there to expose me?¡± She was very dissatisfied. ¡®If Hesper wasn¡¯t present today, no one would¡¯ve known about my lies, and things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.¡± Seeing that she did not realize that she was the cause of all these problems at all, Rickard lost all his patience. ¡°I told you that I didn¡¯t want to go; that means that I didn¡¯t want to go. Why must you involve Hesper in this matter? Juniper has never liked her, so don¡¯t you know that saying that in front of her is no different from adding fuel to fire?¡± ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Julie immediately put on an aggrieved look. ¡°No matter what happened, I¡¯m still your mother, and you¡¯re questioning me for such a trivial matter? Rickard, is this what I¡¯ve taught you?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± A domineering voice sounded from the living room. Ernest came striding toward them. Both Julie and Sophia subconsciously backed away a little. They were afraid that Ernest would make This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. their lives even harder if he were to find out about what they had done, but they still alerted him in the end. ¡°You¡¯re at such an age already and yet you still don¡¯t know what decency is? And you want Rickard to take care of the aftermath for you after you¡¯vemitted such a disgraceful act? Does the dignified president of the Duval Group exist only to deal with such trivial matters for you?¡± ¡°Rickard is my son, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me toe to him for help, right?¡± Julie was dissatisfied with his usation. Ernest did not n to let her have it her way. ¡°I dare you to go out there and find me a nobledy in Genecity who acts just like you! You¡¯re already in your fifties and all you know is how to cause trouble. Rickard found himself a family back then and you¡¯re the one who single-handedly tore it apart, and yet you still don¡¯t know how to restrain yourself! Having ady like you is truly the Duvals misfortune!¡± ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re going too far!¡± Sophia felt sorry for her mother, but her refutation would actually bring fire onto herself. ¡°How dare you talk back to me? I haven¡¯t even gotten started with you yet. Since Rickard grounded you, why did you leave home and go out to attend the banquet? And now that you got yourself into trouble, all you know is to hide at home. Is this the backbone that one should have?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The mother and daughter were reprimanded ruthlessly, but Rickard did not even utter a single word. It was not that he did not feel sorry for them, but that they were indeed too much. In the end, Ernest made a final decision. ¡°In short, this matter ends here. If the Wights end up holding a grudge against us, then the rtionship between our families ends here. The Duvals are no worse than their family, so why must we do things ording to how they feel?¡± Hearing this, Julie and Sophia exchanged gazes; they both saw a trace of worry in each other¡¯s eyes. Breaking up with the Wights was nothing to them, but more importantly, what would they do about those secrets that they shared with Juniper? In the past, they had always relied on the fact that Juniper would marry into the Duvals to maintain the current state of affairs. Now that the prospective marriage was ruined, none of them knew if Juniper would lose her mind and do something crazy. After everyone left the scene, Sophia opened her mouth and said with an anxious expression hanging on her face. ¡°Mom, judging from the current situation, Juniper¡­¡± After living for so long and going through so much, Julie had already grown morepetent when it came to dealing with such a situation. She thought about it for a while and said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Even though we¡¯ve fallen out with each other Juniper is still living in Genecity. So if she dares to expose all those deeds that we¡¯ve done, she¡¯ll ruin her own reputation too. And when that happens, marriage aside, stepping out of her house would be a problem for her too! She¡¯s the one who should be worried now!¡± The oue was exactly as they thought. Juniper did not do anything in the next few days, and the Wights went on living their lives as usual. Things could not get any more peaceful. Until¨C On the day of Lane Holdings¡¯ branch office¡¯s opening ceremony, in order to gain a firm foothold in Genecity as soon as possible, Hesper sent invitations to countless people from all walks of life and asked them toe and support thepany And the Wights were among those who got invited. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 At that time, Hesper was walking among the crowd in a neat formal suit, and no matter where she went, everyone around her would congratte her. ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Lane.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She thanked everyone politely and was about to leave the scene to cascade orders to her employees, but just as she was turning around, Juniper rushed up to her and stood in front of her with intense resentment shing across her pretty face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to really be the person in charge of the Lane Holdings¡¯ branch office. Tsk tsk tsk, it¡¯s really hard for us ordinary people to not admire your connection.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t any of your business, is it?¡± Hesper did not want to talk to her and wanted to leave, but Juniper clung to her tightly. ¡°What? Are you scared? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll speak up in front of everyone present just like what you did the other day?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything shady, so what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± She unted patiently, and her gaze turned cold. If it was not for the fact that she was worried that it would ruin the opening ceremony, she would have summoned the guards to chase her away. However, Juniper pushed forward. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, why leave in such a hurry? Why won¡¯t you¡¯ have a good chat with me?¡± ¡°Do I look like I have the time to talk to you?¡± People around were already looking in their direction, so Hesper covertly exerted force, trying to break free, but Juniper¡¯s grip became even tighter. At this moment, a tall figure approached both of them, and Rickard separated Hesper from Juniper calmly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The words were directed at Hesper, and Juniper¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot instantly. But before she had the time to feel sad, Rickard¡¯s warning had already escaped his mouth. ¡°Ms. Wight, this isn¡¯t an asion where you can mess around. I hope you know your ce and behave.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything to her. Is there really a need for you to protect her to this extent?!¡± His reproachful tone hurt Juniper deep down. ¡®Is it not enough for him to reject me? Why must he show his affection for another woman in front of me? Has he ever taken my feelings into consideration?¡¯ ¡°Hesper, I¡¯m still waiting for that moment toe. I¡¯ll be there to witness if you can be the person in charge of this ce securely for long!¡± She left a harsh message, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd. For some reason, Hesper felt uneasy when she saw her turning away as if something was bound to happen today. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rickard¡¯s voice sounded right next to her. Hesper came back to her senses. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± After a brief pause, she reluctantly said, ¡°Thank you for what you just did.¡± Rickard raised his eyebrows unexpectedly. ¡°I thought all you feel toward me is resentment.¡± ¡°This is different. The grievances that exist between us will never be offset, but if you didn¡¯t show up in time just now, I¡¯m not sure how much longer until she stopped pestering me, so I should still thank you.¡± Hesper did not want to continue speaking to him, so she told him to help himself to the banquet before she left to attend to her own affairs. In the center of the crowd, Rickard was still staring at her quietly as emotions that were iprehensible to others flickered in his eyes. Soon, the ribbon-cutting ceremony ended smoothly Hesper¡¯s uneasy heart rxed a little, and the press conference session started as the following program. At the entrance of Lanes¡¯ Tower, she looked around with a cunning smile. All the reporters had been arranged to be here in advance. They were only there for show and would write something good about Lanes Holdingster. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly¨C ¡°Ms. Lane, you said that you¡¯re the youngest daughter of the Lanes, but ording to reliable sources, some people say that you¡¯re the ex-wife of Mr. Rickard Duval, the president of the Duval Group. Is this rumor true?¡± im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 In the crowd, Rickard, who had been silent all this time, frowned when he heard the question. Hesper¡¯s smile remained wide and polite, but her gaze turned colder when she nced over toward the source of the voice. ¡°It¡¯s true. After all, everyone has a past. But I don¡¯t think marital status will affect Lane Holdings¡¯ future development in Genecity. Am I right?¡± my ¡°But an insider revealed to me that during your marriage with Mr. Duval, you were tortured to the point of death, and Mr. Duval didn¡¯t have any feelings for you. It was you who kept pushing for a happy marriage. So, now that you¡¯re back, won¡¯t you think about taking revenge?¡± As soon as this statement came out, the surrounding atmosphere fluctuated all of a sudden. Original from N?velDrama.Org. People like to gossip, and even though the other reporters had been briefed in advance, when such an astounding piece of news was put out there, it still attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention and interest. Seeing that the situation was about to turn bad, Rickard¡¯s expression dimmed. He raised his hand, and Benji, who hade to the ceremony with him, immediately stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Duval.¡± ¡°Go and find out who¡¯s behind this.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hesper did not just stand there and act like a sitting duck though. Isaac saw that something had gone wrong and was also looking for the person behind the scheme. But that person was hiding among the reporters, and the questions that he asked became more and more incisive. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t figured out how to answer my question, but it¡¯s okay. You can think about it slowly. I still have onest question, and I hope you can answer it for me too.¡± ¡°Do tell.¡± Hesper was already upset, but she still kept a faint smile on her face. With so many people present, any changes in expression that she made would be over- interpreted. That would cause her enraged responses at the opening ceremony to be reported and published as the headline of all the newsworks tomorrow. ¡°Ms. Lane, we looked into this matter and found out that Mr. Duval¡¯s ex-wife¡¯sst name is Rivera. She had a miserable life, no parents, and was someone deeply rooted in Genecity. So, I wonder how you got involved with the Lanes that were based far away from here in Emperion? You even became the daughter of the Lanes?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve always been curious too. How can a person change so suddenly, and how can the difference between before and after be so huge?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s really the daughter of the Lanes, how could she have been living in an orphanage for more than 20 years?¡± ¡°Who knows, maybe she got lost when she was only a child?¡± The people in the audience were discussing a lot. Seeing that Hesper¡¯s brows were getting more tightly creased, Rickard clenched his fists and was about to get up to help her, but that was when the sound of a sports car that originated from behind him shed through the hubbub in the hall, Everyone looked back, and Rickard was no exception. Two luxury sedans cleared the way before the sports cars arrived at the entrance of the building, and ten bodyguards then lined up on both sides of the door. This level of grandeur could be considered as the one and only in Genecity. A wide grin instantly bloomed on the corners of Helper¡¯s lips. Sure enough, the car door was opened in the next second, and Matthew, who was wearing a high-end custom suit, walked through the crowd toward Hesper. ¡°Matthew!¡± Hesper could not conceal her excitement and trotted up to him. The coldness in the eyes of the man who originally felt like an iceberg softened instantly, and he patted her head affectionately. ¡°Slow down, Hesper¡± He then took her by the arm, led her back onto the stage step by step, and stared down at everyone sitting below the tform. ¡°Does anyone here have any more questions?¡± The sentence sounded unconcerned, but its impact felt heavy. And the fact that Matthew made it to the ceremony scotched all the questions and arguments that the crowd had. ¡®That¡¯s Matthew Lane, and judging by the way he gets along with Hesper, only idiots who are out of their minds would continue to doubt her identity. Matthew said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin my family affairs to anyone here. Hesper is my younger sister, so to anyone who bullies her, take this as a warning that you¡¯ll be challenging my patience. Do you get me?¡± The whole event went silent. ¡®This is the opening ceremony of a branch office. Is it really okay for him to be so protective of his younger sister?¡¯ Matthew did not care so much, and the cold aura that enveloped his body could not be suppressed. And standing right next to him, Hesper could not do anything about him and could only look over at Isaac with a pregnant gaze. Isaac understood her intention and immediately started calming the atmosphere of the event. After a few more lines on the tform, the interview session came to an end. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 When the crowd dispersed, Hesper turned around. ¡°Matthew, why did youe here all of a sudden? And you didn¡¯t inform me in advance either.¡± Tanner was the one who answered her question. ¡°Mr. Lane was afraid that you might not be able to handle today¡¯s situation alone, so he shifted his schedule and deliberately rushed here to see you.¡± Hesper could not be more moved. Matthew had always been really kind to her, so kind that sometimes she felt that she was being treated like his biological sister. ¡°Thanks, Matthew.¡± Seeing that she was once again lost in her imagination and conjecture, Matthew flicked her forehead with his fingers. ¡°You should know by now who you are to me, and yet you¡¯re still thanking me for such N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. a trivial matter. ¡°Hey, it hurts!¡± Hesper rubbed her forehead with a smile, and the two entered the Lanes¡¯ Tower, chuckling all the way in. Seeing the two talking andughing, Rickard¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡®It turns out that she¡¯s also capable of possessing such a lively and yful side. I thought she only knew how to be indifferent and sarcastic.¡¯ It was a pity that all that tenderness would only be showcased to another man! ¡°Mr. Duval, we¡¯ve found the person. Do you want to deal with it yourself, or¡­?¡± ¡°Just leave it to her.¡± Although he did not make it clear who the ¡°her¡± was, Benji understood tactfully, though he was also a little puzzled at the same time. ¡®Everything was still fine just minutes ago. Why is he so upset now?¡¯ However, he did not dare to ask questions and got into the car after dealing with the matter. Rickard was feigning sleep with his eyes closed, but he was obviously absent-minded, and there was a faint restlessness in the air. Benji froze for a moment and asked tentatively, ¡°Mr. Duval, are you angry about what happened just now? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve handed the reporter over to Ms. Lane. She¡¯ll definitely teach him a lesson.¡± Rickard suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°Since when did you change the way you address her?¡± Rickard¡¯s direct re awakened the hesitation in Benji¡¯s heart. He understood what he was asking almost instantly and responded truthfully. ¡°About that¡­ Ms. Lane said that she doesn¡¯t want me to call her the youngdy anymore.¡± Noticing that the man¡¯s expression was not looking too happy, he immediately changed his tone. I can still address her as the youngdy in front of you if you want. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± ¡®Since she doesn¡¯t even want to be called that, why would I care about it?¡¯ ¡°Move, we¡¯re going back to thepany now.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± After the car¡¯s engine was ignited, someone¡¯s expression remained tense. There was a corner in Rickard¡¯s heart that had been choked. ¡®Others might not know this, but does she really think that I can¡¯t see through it? It¡¯s impossible for Hesper to be rted to the Lanes. Matthew only took her away back then as an act of kindness. But seeing that they¡¯re acting so close in the name of brother and sister, it¡¯s¡­ This is really frustrating.¡¯ At the same time, back in Lane Holdings. ¡°Your office doesn¡¯t look bad at all.¡± Matthew sat down on the couch. Therge couch was several feet wide, but it only made his body look even taller. Just as Hesper was about to speak, Isaac brought a man into the office. She did not even bother to lift her gaze and said calmly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve found the person, you can decide how you want to interrogate him.¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± Isaac hesitated to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ms. Lane, Mr. Rickard Duval is the one who sent this man to us.¡± The atmosphere in the room seemed to remain stagnant for a moment. Hesper returned to normal only after a few seconds. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine, you can leave now.¡± As soon as Isaac left with the man, Hesper encountered Matthew¡¯splicated gaze. ¡°He¡¯s treating you much better than before.¡± ¡°What¡¯ll that do now?¡± Hesper sneered. ¡®All the suffering that I went through won¡¯t be erased just because of this tiny favor.¡¯ Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> Go Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Furthermore, if he really was sincere, why didn¡¯t he help her when they were questioning her? If it was just to find someone, Isaac could do that without his help. If she were to feel touched by that, it Original from N?velDrama.Org. would be too cheap. ¡°How long will you stay here?¡± ¡°Two days.¡± ¡°Stay with me tonight then, since Ren is here too. You bought so many Legos bricks that he keeps saying that he wants to meet you.¡± The mood lightened when the child was mentioned. ¡°Sure, I want to meet him too.¡± They soon got to the apartment. Since Hesper was going to be busy with theunch she couldn¡¯t bring Renfrew along and left two bodyguards with him. When Hesper went in, she saw the bodyguards pretending to be monsters and lying on the floor as Renfrew pretended to be a superhero and fought them. ¡°Renfrew Duval!¡± ¡°Mommy is back!¡± Renfrew immediately stood up as if he hadn¡¯t done anything. Hesper pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Have you been watching some weird shows again?¡± She realized that Renfrew was learning quickly, immediately putting what he learned from television to use. She guessed that the bodyguards weren¡¯t able to keep him under control when she wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Mommy. I just watched it for a little while.¡± Renfrew used his fingers to gesture. The child was quirky; she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright if kids are a little active.¡± Matthew loved it. He walked over and waved. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t blink. Even though Matthew had a poker face, Renfrew felt his kindness and tilted his head. ¡°Uncle Matt?¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes grew wide. She remembered that Renfrew had never met Matthew before, not even on video, so how did he know? ? Renfrew exined. ¡°I heard his voice before, so I remembered.¡± Hesper was astonished. They only had a short conversation, but he was able to recognize his voice. ¡°Very clever.¡± Matthew praised him and was immediately guided toward what he built with his Lego bricks. Within a few days, he managed to build something with his wits. His speed and mental capacity were probably better than some adults. That night, after Renfrew fell asleep, Matthew found Hesper and spoke to her. ¡°Hesper, I think should bring the child for an IQ test.¡± Hesper quickly reacted. ¡°Do you think that he has a high IQ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a child his age who is that smart.¡± Hesper understood. you The Lanes were a huge family and Matthew had many nephews and nieces. There were geniuses among them, yet he said he had never seen a child as smart as Renfrew. That was enough to prove that Renfrew had a very high IQ. She made a mental note of that. ¡°Alright, I will.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew said. ¡°It would be a waste if we didn¡¯t train his talent.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t speak because she knew that having aplete family was important to a child¡¯s development too. Her rocky rtionship with Rickard could be a disadvantage for the child. If they were together, Renfrew would have a better life and it would help with his training. Too bad life wasn¡¯t all sunshine and butterflies. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 The next day, Matthew rejected Hesper¡¯s request for him to visit the office with her. ¡°Since you¡¯re the person in charge, it¡¯s up to you to decide on everything. If I show up, it will affect your persuasiveness.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know what to say but her appreciation for him increased. Matthew had other ns anyway.. Ventoso was the most popr restaurant in Genecity. It was decorated with vintage decor and even the chef was from the state dinner. After it went viral, its poprity skyrocketed. Reservations had to be made one to two months in advance. At that moment, Matthew and Rickard were sitting across from each other. They were both stone- faced, and no one spoke. The atmosphere was cold. Benji and Tanner looked at each other then looked away. ¡°Did you invite me here without even knowing what you want to talk about?¡± Matthew picked up his teacup and took a sip elegantly. Rickard had to admit that it was his mistake for not realizing who he was in the first ce. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, so I¡¯m going to get straight to the point. I have a question. How did Hesper Rivera be Hesper Lane?¡± ¡°What does this have anything to do with you?¡± Matthew wouldn¡¯t attack with his words, but he would make people feel threatened by his demeanor. Rickard chuckled and ran his finger over his ck ring. ¡°Hesper is the mother of my child, so I can¡¯t be oblivious to her.¡± ¡°Using a child as an excuse is so out of character.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t n to tell me?¡± Just a few short sentences but the air was tense. Tanner and Benji were ready to run. Rickard suddenly got up and fixed his sleeves, his expression cold but regal. ¡°If you won¡¯t tell, I¡¯ll just have to look into it myself. You better bury your secrets deep. It would be disappointing if I dug them out so easily.¡± He then turned and left with Benji. Tanner wasn¡¯t happy about that. ¡°He¡¯s so arrogant. Who does he think he is? Does he expect us to tell him just because he asked?¡± Matthew calmly lowered his gaze. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that he was just testing me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He used Hesper¡¯s past as an excuse to see my attitude toward Hesper. If I told him, he would save the time. It would benefit him either way.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°That man is too cunning!¡± Tanner grumbled. ¡°That was why Ms. Lane was bullied to such a degree in the past. No one would be able to stand this.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not mention this to her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Meanwhile, Benji, who had seen through what Rickard did, said, ¡°Would you like for me to look into the time when Mrs. Duval was in the orphanage and see if I can find her biological family?¡± ¡°Do you think that Matthew wouldn¡¯t wipe the records clean?¡± ¡°What should we do then?¡± Rickard paused and squinted. ¡°It¡¯s easier to investigate the present than the past. Go.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Rickard¡¯s phone started ringing. That number had called him countless times that day, and it seemed as though it would keep calling until he answered. ¡°Are you not done yet, Juniper? Just tell me if you want me to block you. I¡¯ll dly do it.¡± Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> Gob Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Juniper was on the verge of tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bug you. It¡¯s just that¡­that¡­¡± She hesitated for a long time but couldn¡¯t form aplete sentence. Rickard scoffed. ¡°Is this about Hesper?¡± Juniper was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°You know what you did. If you didn¡¯t nder her during her opening ceremony, why would she try to get you?¡± Rickard said with a cold tone before hanging up. Juniper sent a few messages to ask for his help but he ignored all of them. Juniper was going crazy. Her face had just recovered not too long ago, but now big pimples were starting to sprout again, which looked disgusting. More importantly, after her previous recovery, she finally got back into the station with some connections and got herself a few sponsors to get a show. She was trying to get back to bing the top host. Now right before the shooting began, her face was acting up again. If she couldn¡¯t get better, not only would her face be forever ruined, her career and her connections would be ruined in a single day! ¡°Hesper, show yourself!¡± At Lane Tower, Juniper, who was out of ideas, rushed in with her bodyguards. The receptionist informed the assistant. Once Hesper found out, she said, ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°But¡­ what if she loses her mind and hurts you?¡± Renee was very worried. Hesper calmly waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. She won¡¯t be able to hurt me.¡± Juniper was soon in the room with her men. She had a mask on but the e on her face was still visible. ¡°Tsk, that looks terrible.¡± She didn¡¯t try to hide her mocking tone as she leaned back into the chair. Her Original from N?velDrama.Org. eyes were judging Juniper. Juniper told herself that she shouldn¡¯t be impulsive, so she removed her mask and said, ¡°Look at my face. Didn¡¯t you cure it? Why does it look like this now?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Hesper chuckled. ¡°I did, but I never promised that it would stay that way. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t understand? I did that intentionally. Get it now?¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re outrageous!¡± Juniper¡¯s face twisted in anger, and with the little e, it looked horrifying. Hesper waved her hand in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯te so close. You¡¯re polluting the air.¡± After being insulted continuously, Juniper couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and started yelling. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You took so much money from me, so you need to fix my face! If you ignore me, I¡¯ll tell everyone how you poisoned me!¡± Hesper smiled and imitated her shameless attitude from the past. ¡°If you have proof, go ahead. Otherwise, it¡¯s none of my business even if your face falls off.¡± Juniper shook her head in fear. ¡°You¡¯re terrifying. You¡¯re going to let my face fall off? How could a woman as cruel as you exist in this world?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be the worst when you exist.¡± She smiled and slowly approached Juniper, her voice gentle like a ghost. ¡°Didn¡¯t you use Ren to make me jump off a building? Don¡¯t you remember how much blood there was? I almost died because of you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. You¡¯re lying!¡± Juniper lost her bnce and fell to the ground. Hesper coldly red at her as if she was staring at a corpse. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to make amends.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you, stay away from me! I¡¯m a Wight. If you hurt me, my family won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not worth dirtying my hands let you live so you can feel tortured and see yourself turn ugly and rot, then eventually die like the pile of mud you are!¡± Juniper had never felt so terrified. She could see her life ending with just the simple description Hesper gave Fear and instinct prompted her to grab onto something, and before she realized it, she was grabbing onto Hesper¡¯s pant leg, ¡°Please help me! I¡¯m begging you. I can¡¯t let my face rot!¡± ¡°Get away Don¡¯t get my clothes dirty!¡± Hesper looked disgusted, but Juniper wouldn¡¯t let go. Seeing how it was almost time, Hesper suddenly smiled. ¡°I can help you, but you have to agree to one thing.¡± ¡°Tell me. I won¡¯t say no as long as it¡¯s something I can do!¡± Hesper smiled and whispered in her ear. Juniper¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°Afraid? If I were afraid, I wouldn¡¯t have returned. In my heart, I¡¯ve died once. If you agree, I¡¯ll provide you with a consistent supply of medication so no one will be able to tell that something is wrong.¡± Juniper was still hesitant. She didn¡¯t want to help her, but her problems needed urgent solving, so she had to agree. ¡°Alright, please give me the antidote.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how deals are done. Why would I pay you before seeing your effort?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After saying what needed to be said, Hesper¡¯s patience ran out. ¡°Get out, and remember to not disappoint me.¡± Juniper clenched her jaw and could only swallow her anger and leave. Nothing happened after a few days. Sophia performed well and was done with her grounding. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out and hang out with a group of friends. When she got there, she suddenly got a call from Juniper. ¡°Sophia, I want to see you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡­ My brother won¡¯t allow you toe over to our home.¡± Sophia was in a tough spot but Juniper threatened her. ¡°It¡¯s about what happened in the past. Don¡¯t you want to listen to what i have to say?¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Sophia helplessly gave her location When Juniper got there, Sophia was already drinking with a group of good-for-nothing friends and it was a lively scene. She quietly stood at one side and looked around then pulled Sophia out from the dance floor. You¡¯re getting so high, right after getting out of house arrest? Aren¡¯t you worried that your brother is going to find out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult now. He can¡¯t control me.¡± Sophia scoffed. So what if she drank and danced with a few hot men? She was wilder in school. Someone with money and looks was always popr. ¡°Enough about me,¡± Sophia said. ¡°What did you need to see me so urgently for?¡± ¡°Oh, I just wanted to ask¡­ Can you be my wingman to get close to your brother? You know how sincere I am about this. After so many years, I just can¡¯t let him go.¡± She had prepared what she was going to say beforeing over, so it sounded convincing. Sophia looked disgusted. Nobody liked women who threw themselves onto men, especially her brother. But seeing how she still looked at her with puppy eyes, she said, ¡°Juni, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but that I¡¯m in no ce to get involved in my brother¡¯s life. I couldn¡¯t help even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it myself then.¡± im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Juniper was surprisingly easy to speak to today, but Sophia didn¡¯t think much about it since she was her friend. She changed the topic. ¡°By the way, about what you mentioned in the call, it¡¯s all in the past, so we shouldn¡¯t bring it up anymore, okay?¡±¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Juniper agreed. When she pretended to flick her hair, she dropped a pill into the ss of alcohol in front of her. ¡°Have fun then. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Sophia waved her hand and picked up the alcohol without suspecting a thing then took a sip and quickly went back to the dance floor. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Sophia,¡± Juniper whispered. ¡°It¡¯s your own fault¡­¡± Juniper turned and left. Once she was out of the bar, she gave Hesper a call. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked. Where¡¯s my antidote?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve sent it over. If I¡¯m correct, it should be at your home by now.¡± ¡°You better not be lying to me.¡± Juniper happily rushed home but not before giving her some advice. ¡°Here¡¯s a tip, Hesper. Although it may seem as though Rickard doesn¡¯t care much about Sophia, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt her. I hope you know what you¡¯re getting into after what we did today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You, on the other hand, should take the antidote sooner rather thanter and do some skin care. Your station has enough pretty and talented interns. Whenparing your age with theirs, you¡¯re a lot older.¡± She smirked and hung up, ignoring the anger from the other end. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for us to show up.¡± At the bar. Sophia felt that something was wrong because her entire body was burning and she had to have some sort of release. Trying very hard to control herself, she wanted to call Rickard for help, but when the phone connected, a frat boy hugged her waist while shing a cheeky smile. He had a light minty scent as if there was a drug in there. There was a snap, and Sophia¡¯s mind. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. stopped thinking. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Rickard frowned as he looked at his phone, but just when he was about to hang up, Sophia¡¯s pants could be heard. His iris shrank and he immediately got up. ¡°Something has happened to Sophia.¡± Benji quickly got information about where she was, and when he came to report, his expression looked strange. ¡°Mr. Duval, I found out that¡­ Ms. Duval has booked a suite at the Grand Hotel.¡± At that moment, Hesper showed up with Isaac. ¡°Do you need me to wake her up?¡± Sophia was half-conscious as she mumbled something with her eyes closed. Hesper looked at the red mark on her neck and squinted. ¡°Did you do something to her?¡± ¡°No.¡± The fratboy was part of Hesper¡¯s n. He was a handsome man who would be very popr in school. ¡°She kept rubbing against my face, and that sultriness¡­ Mm. She¡¯s lucky that I have good self- control. If it were any other man, something might have happened.¡± ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t say that.¡± Isaac was shocked, as that wasn¡¯t something that should be said out loud. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡°I¡¯m just worried that thedy will misunderstand¡­¡± The frat boy winked. His flirtiness gave the man goosebumps. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s just how Sean is. The two of you aren¡¯t strangers to one another, so you how how he is.¡± Hesper stifled augh and pointed toward Sophia with her chin. ¡°Go wake her up.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Isaac walked over with a ss of water and threw it on her face. ¡°Who?¡± Sophia jumped and slowly opened her eyes. She immediately saw a handsome frat boy smiling at her. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Sophia, still mesmerized by his looks, tried to speak in a higher pitch. Her phoney femininity made Hesper chuckle. When Sophia looked toward the noise and saw her sitting on the couch, she frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so fierce.¡± The frat boy sniggered then walked over to Hesper and tilted his head. ¡°This is my boss, pretty girl.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sophia finally realized that she had been framed. Her face filled with horror. ¡°You work for her? But we¡­ we¡­¡± She anxiously examined her clothes. They were messy and there was evidence of a scuffle as if they had¡­ Sophia was going mad. She was fine with sleeping around, but not if Hesper was the one who nned it. ¡°What do you want?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Sean continued to smile despite being questioned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you throwing yourself at me before? I was just following your lead.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Why would I¡­¡± But before she could finish her sentence, Hesper threw a stack of photos on her legs. They were pictures of her making out with Sean. Even though there weren¡¯t any n*des, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what followed the photo session. ¡°What do you think would happen to your reputation if I showed these to the world?¡± Hesper¡¯s casual threat made Sophia¡¯s face turn red. Suddenly realizing that Sean¡¯s clothes were still in ce, she squinted. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t do anything. I don¡¯t remember anything and he¡¯s still fully dressed. We don¡¯t look like we did anything!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Hesper was calm; all she wanted were racy pictures. ¡°Do you think people would believe you? Everyone will only believe what they see before them and start thinking that Sophia Duval is a slutty woman. No one would believe otherwise!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Hesper ignored her and pretended to send the pictures to reporters. Sophia immediately panicked. Once that got out, her reputation would be ruined and no one would want to marry her. ¡°Don¡¯t send them!¡± She leaped over to snatch the phone away, but Hesper moved aside. Sophia fell hard on the ground. Hesper looked down at her arrogantly, just as Sophia had done to her all those years ago. im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Now you¡¯re worried? I bet you never thought that this day woulde when you were bullying me and didn¡¯t give me a chance to defend myself.¡± Finally understanding that Hesper was taking revenge, Sophia bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, so there¡¯s no point talking about it now. No matter what, I¡¯m Rickard¡¯s sister and Grandpa¡¯s granddaughter. Even if you don¡¯t care about me, you shouldn¡¯t do anything for Grandpa¡¯s sake!¡± Hesper was silent. Before Grandpa came back, she wanted to run Sophia to the ground as revenge, but Grandpa still treated her well even after so many years, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to disappoint him. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you off for his sake.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Before Sophia could get too happy, she coldly said, ¡°But you should still get the punishment your deserve. I want you to apologize to me ten thousand times for how you treated me.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡± Sophia was confused. Hesper continued. ¡°From now on, no matter where I am, you should avoid me. Because whenever you see me, you¡¯ll have to say that you¡¯re sorry. Do this until you¡¯ve done it ten thousand times, then I¡¯ll let you off.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± Sophia was frustrated. She would rather pay her arge sum of money than do something so humiliating. Seeing how Hesper wasn¡¯t open to negotiating, she clenched her jaw and agreed. ¡°Alright. Now delete those pictures.¡± ¡°Apologize.¡± The air froze. Sophia¡¯s expression was funny, but she was unable ovee her fear, so eventually, after some stuttering, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Not bad. Remember to do it more eloquently next time, or people might think that a mute offended me.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re a horrible person!¡± At that moment, footsteps came from the other side of the door. Rickard had found them. Once the door was kicked open, he saw Hesper and looked shocked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Hesperzily replied, ¡°I was the one who took your sister. What do you think I¡¯m doing here?¡± Rickard¡¯s eyes shifted to Sean. His outstanding looks were very much Sophia¡¯s type, but it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that Hesper¡¯s men bumped into her. Seeing suspicion in his eyes, Hesper¡¯s eyes turned dark. ¡°What, you think that I made someone take advantage of your sister?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hah, then what was that look for?¡± With a scoff, Hesper got up and coldly said, ¡°No matter how much I despise you, for Grandpa¡¯s sake, I wouldn¡¯t take it too far. But let me tell you, if you¡¯re going to suspect me regardless of what I do, I might not be so nice next time.¡± Rickard wanted to go after her but couldn¡¯t leave Sophia alone, so he calmed down and said, ¡± What happened? Did he touch you?¡± ¡°No, we just had too much to drink. Hesper got here in time, so nothing happened.¡± Had he actually wrongly use her? Rickard was troubled. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t think of her as such a terrible person. Sophia wasn¡¯t happy about it. If she weren¡¯t worried about Rickard lecturing her, she would have med everything on Hesper. Not only did she have to be careful of what she said, but she also had to clear Hesper¡¯s name. It was infuriating! Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 After getting out of the hotel, Rickard stopped in his tracks. Benji, who was behind him, followed his line of sight and saw that not too far away, the frat boy was holding Hesper¡¯s hand and flirting with her. Hesper not only didn¡¯t reject him but gently tapped his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Rickard didn¡¯t take another look. Noticing him, Hesper helplessly said, ¡°Sean, they¡¯ve left. Do you still want to flirt? If Isaac starts hitting you, I won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The man immediately let go and smiled. But Hesper, Rickard is such a nuissance. He¡¯s got nothing on me. Why don¡¯t you think about going out with me? I¡¯ll make you happy.¡± ¡°¡­No thank you.¡± Starting to get goosebumps, she retreated into the car. The frat boy was going to say more but was warned off by Isaac¡¯s re. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m going to stab you with a fork!¡± After sending Sean away, Isaac said unhappily, ¡°Mm, please don¡¯t listen to him. There¡¯s nothing great with that young boy. He isn¡¯t for you.¡± Hesper¡¯s interest was piqued at the usually serious Isaac¡¯s statement. ¡°Oh? Then who would you say is for me?¡± ¡°Mr. Tucker, of course!¡± Nate? He really was a good man, but more importantly, when Rachael was a child, the Lanes had arranged for her to marry Nate. Now that Hesper was Ms. Lane, she would be the one getting married. Her head started hurting when recalling the marriage arrangement. It was lucky that Nathaniel never This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. brought it up and the pair had a good rtionship. Seeing that her expression was odd, Isaac shuddered. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I hope you¡¯re not really interested in that kid.¡± ¡°What? Do I look such a person?¡± Hesper looked back and asked him to drive. On the way back, the scenery outside flew past as her thoughts were let loose. She never thought about remarrying one day or imagined what it would be like if she did. Marriage seemed to be something distant; all she wanted was to take good care of the people she loved for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Rickard was getting angrier the more he thought about it. Sophia, who sat in the same car, could feel how dense the air was. She made herself smaller. Rickard suddenly blurted out, ¡°Is that the kind of man that women want?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything with him, Rickard. We just had too much to drink and he brought me to the room to rest.¡± After getting out of the hotel, Rickard stopped in his tracks. Benji, who was behind him, followed his line of sight and saw that not too far away, the frat boy was holding Hesper¡¯s hand and flirting with her. Hesper not only didn¡¯t reject him but gently tapped his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Rickard didn¡¯t take another look. Noticing him, Hesper helplessly said, ¡°Sean, they¡¯ve left. Do you still want to flirt? If Isaac starts hitting you, I won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The man immediately let go and smiled. ¡°But Hesper, Rickard is such a nuissance. He¡¯s got nothing on me. Why don¡¯t you think about going out with me? I¡¯ll make you happy.¡± ¡°¡­No thank you.¡± Starting to get goosebumps, she retreated into the car. The frat boy was going to say more but was warned off by Isaac¡¯s re. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m going to stab you with a fork!¡± After sending Sean away, Isaac said unhappily, ¡°Majam, please don¡¯t listen to him. There¡¯s nothing great with that young boy. He isn¡¯t for you.¡± Hesper¡¯s interest was piqued at the usually serious Isaac¡¯s statement. ¡°Oh? Then who would you say is for me?¡± ¡°Mr. Tucker, of course!¡± Nate? He really was a good man, but more importantly, when Rachael was a child, the Lanes had arranged for her to marry Nate. Now that Hesper was Ms. Lane, she would be the one getting. married. Her head started hurting when recalling the marriage arrangement. It was lucky that Nathaniel. never brought it up and the pair had a good rtionship. Seeing that her expression was odd, Isaac shuddered. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I hope you¡¯re not really interested in that kid.¡± ¡°What? Do I look such a person?¡± Hesper looked back and asked him to drive. On the way back, the scenery outside flew past as her thoughts were let loose. She never thought about remarrying one day or imagined what it would be like if she did. Marriage seemed to be something distant; all she wanted was to take good care of the people. she loved for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Rickard was getting angrier the more he thought about it. Sophia, who sat in the same car, could feel how dense the air was. She made herself smaller. Rickard suddenly blurted out, ¡°Is that the kind of man that women want?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything with him, Rickard. We just had too much to drink and he brought me to the room to rest.¡± Sophia was on the brink of tears. She had thought that was the end of it, so why was he still pursing it? ¡°Just answer my question.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be honest then. He¡¯s young, good looking, and very good at flirting. It¡¯s hard for any girl to resist. Why else would richdies like younger men? Because they¡¯re fun to be around!¡± Rickard thought about it. Hesper was a rich woman now, so did that mean she was interested in younger men too? Enjoy Ad-Free Reading>> 4 Go Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Benji, who had sharp eyes, noticed that something was off with him. He cleared his throat. ¡°Ms. Duval, you said you were drunk, but we checked the surveince and your condition didn¡¯t seem very natural.¡± Remembering that she was feeling hot all over, Sophia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you saying someone drugged me?¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to put the me on Hesper, so she blurted, ¡°Was it the man who was with me? Why else could he have been there?¡± ¡°No, not him.¡± Benji shook his head and exined ¡°We checked the footage and that man only showed up after you were out. He didn¡¯t get close to your alcohol, and-¡± ¡°And what? Tell me.¡± She was on the edge of her seat. Why did he stop at such an important part? Benji looked at her with a strange expression. ¡°And it looked like you were taking the lead, and you ¡­ led him to the hotel.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Sophia just wanted to hide in a hole, but it was toote. Rickard heard their conversation and suddenly snorted. ¡°Look at you. That¡¯s not how a girl from a good family is supposed to act. If you continue to ignore my warnings, I won¡¯t mind marrying you off soon.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sophia, who was afraid, became obedient. Once they got home, Rickard immediately handed her to Julie so she could discipline her. When he came back out, Benji was still there. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Mr. Duval, we¡¯ve gotten information from the person who was investigating Mrs. Duval and the Lanes.¡± Rickard paused. ¡°Let¡¯s speak in the study.¡± They both soon sat down in the study and Benji started reporting. ¡°Last time, our men just tried to verify her identity but didn¡¯t look intoyers andyers of information. This time, they found something. Matthew does love Mrs. Duval like his sister, and he has a fianc¨¦ who he will marry next year.¡± Rickard unconsciously rxed when he heard that. However, Benji continued. ¡°But the Lanes arranged a marriage for Mrs. Duval too, and the man is a family friend, a Tucker. Nathaniel Tucker.¡± ¡°Nathaniel Tucker?¡± He repeated the name, as it sounded familiar; someone must have mentioned it to him before. The fact that Hesper had a fianc¨¦ shocked him and made him ball up his fists. She must not marry anyone else. The next day. Hesper went to the office as usual. After some discussion with Drogon Tech, they sessfully got on the right track. On top of that, since Matthew showed up during theunch, a lot of people who were This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. interested in working with the Lanes came to meet her. It was, however, the first time Rickard showed up there. ¡°Ms. Lane, someone from the front desk said that Mr. Duval of Duval Group is here to see you,¡± Renee reported. Hesper frowned. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± ¡°Do you want me to turn him away?¡± ¡°No, let him in.¡± Soon after that, Rickard walked in wearing a suit. Their eyes met and they both had a serious tone that was only found in a work environment. Hence why Hesper thought he was there for business. ¡°How can I help you, Mr. Duval?¡± Rickard didn¡¯t speak. There used to be a time when he could see her whenever he wanted, but now, he had to go through a few people and even make an appointment just to meet her. His change into a stranger made him¡­ excited. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize to you about what happened yesterday,¡± Rickard took some time to say. Something seemed to be hiding behind his dark eyes. They were married for a while, so Hesper was able to tell. ¡°That isn¡¯t worth youing all the way here. What else?¡± ¡°Ren¡¯s birthday will be in a few days. Do you have any ns?¡± Hesper remembered, as she had to go through a lot for that birth. He had been arranging the parties in the past, so it was understandable that he asked her. After thinking about it, Hesper slowly said, ¡°I just returned, so let¡¯s celebrate at my ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Rickard calmly said, ¡°Grandpa wants to throw him a party and will be inviting some people over.¡± Hesper frowned but didn¡¯t reject him. ¡°Alright.¡± The second she said that, she noticed the man smiling. Seeing that he was still sitting there, Hesper tried to hint at him to leave. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll show myself out then.¡± Hesper was baffled as she watched him walk away but then shifted her focus back to work. Rickard took a detour and contacted Renfrew. ¡°Where are you?¡± Renfrew was reading at home. ¡°At Mommy¡¯s ce. ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯lle and get you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The innocent child, not realizing that his father was using him, sent his location. Rickard got there soon. Saying he wanted to eat some fruits, Renfrew sent away the bodyguards Hesper had left to guard him, then let his father in. ¡°Why are you here, Dad?¡± Rickard looked around the ce, admiring her taste. It was simple, clean, and cozy. He went straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you and ask if you want Mommy and I to show up together on your birthday.¡± Renfrew nodded hard. ¡°Of course, I do!¡± He went to other kids¡¯ birthday parties, and they had both parents present. As for him, there was only ever Dad. Even though he never said it, having both parents was something he yearned for. Rickard, feeling sorry when he saw his son like that, patted his head. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll have to ¡°But¡­ Mommy probably wouldn¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t say no if you asked.¡± Renfrew beamed before suddenly realizing how cunning his dad was. However, his desire to see both his parents at his birthday party was very strong, so he nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± That night, when she got home, Hesper realized that something was off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unhappy?¡± ¡°Mommy, my birthday ising soon.¡± The little boy blinked his big dark eyes that could melt anyone¡¯s heart. Her heart did melt and she pulled him into her arms. ¡°I know. I was nning to bring you to the aquarium, but your Great grandpa already nned a party. I have to drive you there.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Renfrew was anxious. His eyes turned red at her silence. ¡°Mommy, I really want you to be there with me. You weren¡¯t around in the past, but now that you¡¯re back, you¡¯re the one I look forward to spending time with the most. Pleasee with me.¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 ¡°But¡­¡± Hesper really did not want to step into the Duvals residence again, because there were too many bad memories that she could not get off her mind Just being too close to it would put her in a bad mood. But Renfrew was looking forward to it so much that a sense of longing was overflowing out of his eyes, so all the thoughts of rejecting him turned into Hesper¡¯s maternal love for her son in the end. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together. I¡¯ll then take you to the aquarium after the banquet.¡± ¡°Yes, perfect!¡± The little boy turned around happily and secretly informed Rickard of the good news. Before going to bed that night, Hesper said, ¡°Ren, do you have any friends that you want to invite to your party? You can invite them over too; the more the merrier.¡± ¡°Friends¡­?¡± Renfrew immediately thought of Myriade. ¡°There¡¯s one, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯d be convenient for her toe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hesper felt a little strange but did not think too much about it. She then smiled and said, ¡± Then you should ask her toe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The little kid responded. He then returned to his room and immediately contacted Myriade with his watch. The call rang for a long time but no one answered. Renfrew could not help but feel a little anxious. ¡°Please answer the call¡­¡± Just when he was about to give up, the call finally went through. ¡°What¡¯s with the non-stop calls? Are you dying already?¡± Hearing her voice, Renfrew instantly realized that something was wrong. ¡°Ms. Myriade, did something happen to you? Why does your voice sound so weak?¡± Myriade¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this kid to be this sharp. I tried my best to conceal it, but he still heard it.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just a little cold.¡± Renfrew frowned. ¡®I¡¯ve had first-hand experiences on just how strong Ms. Myriade has been all this while. So how could a little cold make her sound so under the weather?¡¯ Myriade could not disclose more, so she changed the subject immediately. ¡°You¡¯re anxiously looking for me out of the blue. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. My birthday is only a few days away and I want to invite you to the party. But you¡­¡± I see, but I may not be able to make it there. I¡¯ll send you a gift though.¡± Knowing that she was not feeling well, Renfrew did not force the issue. ¡°Then you should grab more rest, Ms. Myriade, so that you cane over and y during my next birthday.¡± After hanging up the phone, Myriade stared into the darkness above her bed in a daze. ¡®He¡¯s going to get a birthday celebration. How great does that sound? I¡¯ve survived through so many years now and I haven¡¯t even celebrated my birthday before this, not even one. ¡®And perhaps I¡¯ll have perished by his next birthday. But what does that matter? No one cares anyway.¡¯ Soon, Renfrew¡¯s birthday party arrived. Early in the morning, Hesper dressed him up in a miniature tuxedo with a bow, making him look like a prince. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Coupled with Renfrew¡¯s outstanding appearance, he attracted everyone¡¯s attention as soon as he appeared at the celebration. ¡°The older the young master of the Duvals gets, the better-looking he bes. He¡¯s growing into a mini version of his father now.¡± ¡°Yes, if my son turns to be as good-looking as him, I¡¯ll truly consider giving birth to a few more of them.¡± ¡°Keep dreaming, how many more do you n to have? Dude, take a look at the gene that your family possesses first before bbering about this While everyone was joking, someone recognized Hesper among the crowd. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the former Mrs. Duval? Why is she here?¡± ¡°Could it be that the parents are nning to get back together? I heard that Mr. Duval is very fond of her. Mr. Duval hasn¡¯t had anyone by his side these few years, and she¡¯s attending such a party in the Duvals¡¯ residence so aboveboard, so perhaps.. Hesper frowned and was about to exin when a warm voice sounded from the side. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Rickard was dressed in a formal suit and his hair was meticulously styled, emitting the aura of the president of a global enterprise. Hesper frowned subconsciously. ¡®Our clothes¡­ They¡¯re not only of the same color but also look very simr in style.¡¯ Sure enough, someone standing next to them joked, ¡°Mr. Duval, you¡¯re so romantic. You actually wore a couple¡¯s outfit with President Lane?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Rickard exined in a low voice indifferently, but his expression looked extremely rxed. Any observant person naturally knew that he did not mind thement deep down, so one of the attendees continued to praise the family again. ¡°Mr. Duval, there¡¯s no need for you to be this modest. I mean, just look at the three of you, just how well-suited you look when you¡¯re standing together as a family. You two are simply a match made in heaven.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, looking at all the couples in the whole of Genecity, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to find a couple who are more handsome than you.¡± The group of people went on chatting, calling Rickard and Hesper the most unique couple in the whole world, andpletely forgot just how unimpressed they were when Hesper became the youngdy of the Duvals back then. The attendees were still the same group of people, but the rtionship between the two of them. had long since changed. Hesper forced a smile and interrupted them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve really misunderstood. I¡¯m only here to attend Renfrew¡¯s birthday party. As for our attire, it¡¯s just a coincidence. And about our rtionship¡­ Mr. Duval and I filed for a divorce years ago, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± The other attendees did not expect her to speak up so directly, so the smiles on their faces stiffened in an instant, and the atmosphere in the hall turned awkward. Hesper looked calm. ¡°Why not you continue with the conversation while I bring Renfrew to meet his great-grandfather?¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± The others agreed to Hesper¡¯s suggestion, but Rickard left the group of people to go after Hesper. When they arrived at a corner of the house where there was no one, he grabbed her by the wrist.¡± Are you angry?¡± Not wanting to quarrel in front of the child, Hesper stared straight at him and said coldly, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. And let go of me. I¡¯m going to see Grandfather.¡± Rickard did not let go. ¡°But I feel like you¡¯re angry.¡± Hesper took a deep breath and flung her arm to break free from his grasp. ¡°Rickard Duval, whether I¡¯m angry or not has nothing to do with you. You get me?¡± After saying so, she took Renfrew, turned around, and left. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Looking at her tense expression, Renfrew was a little confused. ¡°Mommy, are you upset?¡± Hesper looked down at him and asked directly, ¡°What¡¯s with your daddy¡¯s attire? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Although Renfrew was smart, he was never good at lying, and before he coulde up with an excuse, Hesper had already reprimanded him in a low voice, ¡°I want the truth.¡± The little rascal had never seen her be so strict before, so he panicked immediately, and quickly grabbed her hand with his little hands. ¡°Mommy, please don¡¯t be mad, but I¡­ I took a picture of the dress that you¡¯re going to wear and sent it to Daddy earlier today.¡± Hesper had already guessed it. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence? However, thinking that her son only wanted to see them get along well, Hesper could not bear to me him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not mad at you. You should go and greet your great-grandpa first. I¡¯lle to you Renfrew nodded obediently. Hesper immediately contacted Isaac to bring her something to change into. And when she reappeared at the party, the ck dress that she wore to the party had been changed into a champagne suspender dress. Her hair was slightly rolled up to reveal a smooth and slender neck, and she was giving off a gentle and intellectual aura. She even changed her makeup a little and that added a little bit of charm to her overall look. Rickard¡¯s gaze was so fixed on her that it was on the brink of getting glued onto her, and a strange emotion flickered in his dimmed eyes. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, your ex-wife has changed a lot,¡± a mocking voice sounded in his ears, and Rickard recognized who it was without having to turn his head. It was the young master of the Gunthers, Zikmund Gunther. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°Have you ever seen how you stare at her? Are you telling me that you want her back now that she¡¯s be a woman that all men seek?¡± Rickard nced at him quietly but did not utter a single word. Zikmund had always been easily triggered by how Rickard kept everything to only himself, and deliberately joked, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to answer my questions, then I¡¯ll take it as if you don¡¯t care about N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. her anymore. And if that¡¯s the case, she¡¯s too gorgeous to be attending such a banquet alone. Why don¡¯t I go and talk to her?¡± He was about to leave, but a warning came from behind him as expected. ¡°You can approach her if you have a death wish.¡± ¡°I know that you only look firm and heartless on the outside.¡± Zikmund stood up with a smile.¡± However, let me remind you that Hesper isn¡¯t who she used to be. Her status alone is enough to attract the attention of many young and sessful men in the city. If you don¡¯t take more initiative, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be married to someone else before you even realize it.¡± The two of them nced in Hesper¡¯s direction together and saw that several men had surrounded her without anyone noticing. As they were chatting with her, their eyes were all fixed on her body. There were even a few who already looked eagerly attentive as they did not even n to hide their true intention at all. As for Hesper, it was effortless for her to interact with those men throughout the whole process; it looked as if she could already handle such situations with ease. Rickard picked up his wine ss, took a sip, and was about to walk up to her, but Hesper was abruptly jerked out of his sight by someone else. When he tried looking for her again, she had already disappeared from the crowd. ¡°Hesper, you actually have the guts toe here?!¡± Sophia red at her angrily. She was so exasperated that her expression was distorted. After the incident at the hotel, she got rebuked by Ernest and had even more restrictions; the list was so long that she was on the verge of losing her mind. Hesper gazed at her amusedly. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I have the guts toe here? Besides, why can¡¯t I attend my son¡¯s birthday party?¡± ¡°But you know that my mother and I don¡¯t wee you here. Don¡¯t you know that you disgust us?¡± ¡°Oh, then you should get one or two sick bags on standby.¡± Hesper gave off an indifferent smirk. Anyway, I¡¯m not the one who suffers, so why would take so many factors into consideration?¡± ¡°You, you won¡¯t get the upper hand all the time. My mother will definitely deal with you when she sees you!¡± ¡°Then you should direct her here. We¡¯ll decide on who will have the upper hand as soon as shees up to me.¡± Hesper was not in the mood to catch up with her, but before leaving her, she did not forget to tease her deliberately. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the thing that you promised to do whenever we meet the other day in the hotel room?¡± Sophia¡¯s face turned pale, recalling all the apologies that she would have to say to Hesper. She was speechless for a while. Hesper put pressure on her with a re. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you nning to go back on your word?¡± All the photos were in her possession, so Sophia would need to have the guts of a whale to do so. Sophia gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Happy now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry is more than enough. There¡¯s no need for you to worry if I¡¯m happy with it or not.¡± She then lifted her chinnguidly and looked down at her triumphantly. ¡°That¡¯s about it for today. Don¡¯t Looking at her as she left the scene, Sophia clenched her fists unwillingly. ¡®Who wants to be controlled by others all the time? I must find a way to get all the photos back.¡± As soon as Hesper came out of the vi, she saw Ernest and Renfrew chatting andughing by the fountain, and that warm sight instantly healed her. ¡°Grandfather.¡± ¡°Hesper, you¡¯re here.¡± Ernest waved at her amiably ¡°Are you satisfied with today¡¯s arrangement?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, but as long as Renfrew likes it.¡± Hesper smiled. She was not someone who cared too much about such things, but the party was indeed very grand. One whole room was piled up with birthday presents alone, and all kinds of celebrities and socialites could be seen attending this event. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 It had to be said that although there were two existences that worried Hesper in the Duvals, she had nothing bad to say about how Rickard and Ernest treated her son. These were the things that she could not provide Renfrew with in the past. Soon, it was time to cut the birthday cake. Just as Hesper walked over with Renfrew, she heard someone saying, ¡°It happens that both of Original from N?velDrama.Org. Renfrew¡¯s parents are here today. Why don¡¯t theye forward and cut the cake with our birthday boy?¡± Hesper¡¯s smile stiffened, and before she could refuse, Renfrew was already staring at her expectantly and blinking his big eyes. ¡°Mommy, is that okay?¡± ¡®Of course not. What¡¯s the matter with these people wanting to push Rickard and me closer to each other?¡± But it was Renfrew¡¯s birthday, and she could not bear to shatter his expectation, so she nced at Rickard, hoping that the man would be more self-conscious. However, the corners of Rickard¡¯s lips curled upward as he gave off a faint smile. It looked as if he agreed with the crowd¡¯s chants. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Let¡¯s not keep the guests waiting.¡± Hesper took a nce around her. Many children were already waiting around the 8-feet-high cake, and Renfrew squeezed her palm again. ¡°Mommy, please.¡± ¡°¡­All right.¡± Hesper stepped forward helplessly, originally wanting to only put on a show, but the man standing next to her grabbed her hand all of a sudden. Hesper turned her head to the side in shock, only to hear Rickard¡¯s melodious and deep voice ringing in her ears. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re only here to cut the cake. ¡®I¡¯m not nervous at all, but you could¡¯ve just cut the cake. What¡¯s with holding my hand?¡¯ She immediately withdrew her hand calmly, instantly taking the initiative to distance herself from him, and said to Renfrew, ¡°Ren, since the cake has been cut, why don¡¯t you share it with the children?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little fe was very excited. He walked up to his mother enthusiastically and distributed cakes to everyone under Hesper¡¯s guidance. Rickard knew that she left him behind on purpose, but he did not feel annoyed and defeated. He then walked up to Zikmund and stretched out his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± Zikmund wanted to y dumb but Rickard warned him with an indifferent gaze. ¡°You just secretly took a picture of me and her.¡± ¡°You actually saw that? Okay, you win.¡± He could not help but admit it. ¡°I¡¯ll send the photo to you through WhatsApp.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Rickard nodded solemnly, and his cell phone vibrated not long after. In the photo, he and Hesper were holding hands, looking extremely intimate. Seeing the photo, a faint hint of happiness could be seen escaping through the corners of his lips and eyes. Zikmund shook his head speechlessly, ¡°If you had known that it¡¯de to this, why didn¡¯t you act differently?¡± Rickard¡¯s gaze dimmed instantly.. ¡®If I could go back in time and relive the whole thing, I would definitely try to trust her more and not let her feel so aggrieved. However, I can¡¯t go back in time. All I can do now is grasp onto the present.¡¯ Julie, who was standing at the side, saw that Hesper was being treated like a hostess of the house. She was so enraged that she felt shortness of breath and a sense of tightness in her chest. But Ernest had told her not to cause any more trouble before this; otherwise, she would not be allowed to take another step into this house. She snorted coldly, turned around, and went upstairs to rest. ¡®What I don¡¯t see won¡¯t hurt my feelings.¡¯ By the time the banquet was finally over, it was already in the evening, so the n to visit the aquarium naturally fell through. Knowing that, Hesper said to Renfrew, ¡°It¡¯s getting toote already. Shall we go to the aquarium tomorrow?¡± Renfrew nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Rickard, who had just entered through the door, heard this, froze for a split second, and then walked in with a calm expression. ¡°Renfrew, are you going back with Mommy today?¡± After hesitating for a bit, Renfrew said, ¡°Mommy, I want to stay here today.¡± Hesper raised her eyebrows in awe, and Renfrew quickly exined, ¡°I want to stay here to open all the presents. There are so many of them that are left unopened.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Hesper agreed to the request. ¡°Fine by me. Then I¡¯lle over and pick you up tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll drop him off there,¡± Rickard opened his mouth and suggested it all of a sudden. Hesper did not notice anything wrong, so she nodded and left after grabbing her handbag. Renfrew quickly came to the room where the presents were stored, jumped in, and started searching. ¡®Ms. Myriade said that she¡¯d send me a present. I wonder what she¡¯ll give me?¡¯ If he had not been too curious, he would never have left his mommy alone. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Rickard¡¯s voice came from behind, and Renfrew shook his head immediately. ¡°No, I¡¯m just taking a look. I¡¯ve received so many presents this year, I wonder if there¡¯s anything that I like.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Rickard remained skeptical. ¡®Judging from how he¡¯s acting, he¡¯s clearly looking for something.¡± But since the little rascal did not want to disclose his reasoning, Rickard did not ask any more questions, and reminded him, ¡°Go to bed earlier. Don¡¯t forget that you have a date with your mommy tomorrow.¡± The next day, when Rickard appeared by the car fully dressed, Renfrew finally noticed something unusual. ¡°Daddy, are you¡­ Are youing with us?¡± Rickard replied indifferently, ¡°There are so many people in the aquarium. I could protect both of you if I tag along.¡± Renfrew was speechless. ¡°¡­Do you really think I¡¯m as gullible as a three-year-old? You want toe along only because of mommy, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you indeed three years old?¡± Rickard gave him a condescending look. Renfrew was so infuriated that he could feel his gum vibrating. However, he was a little depressed and had no intention of talking back to him at all, as he had searched for a long timest night but did not find Myriade¡¯s gift. At this moment, Rickard mentioned out of the blue, ¡°When we see your mommyter, if she won¡¯t let me tag along, just tell her that this is what you want.¡± ¡°¡­Daddy, you¡¯re so annoying.¡± When they got to Hesper¡¯s apartment, as expected, Hesper took Renfrew to her side and was about to leave as soon as they met. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m going too.¡± ¡°Just what do you think you can do at the aquarium?¡± The corners of Hesper¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®The second I saw what he was wearing today, I already knew that he came prepared.¡¯ Rickard repeated what he had just exined to Renfrew earlier. ¡°There are a lot of people at the aquarium, so it¡¯s safer If I were toe along.¡± ¡°Thank you, but you¡¯re not needed.¡± Hesper heartlessly rejected him. Rickard frowned and responded hastily, ¡°But Renfrew is the one who asked me to go with you.¡± Renfrew was dumbfounded as he felt an arrow of betrayal pierce through his heart. ¡®While other kids sell their father out to save themselves from a beating, how is it the other way around when ites to me?¡¯ But as soon as he encountered Hesper¡¯s suspicious gaze, Renfrew could only bite the bullet and nod. ¡°Yes, Mommy, why don¡¯t you let Daddye with us? He can help us with the bags.¡± Rickard took over the conversation instantly. ¡°Renfrew said that he¡¯s never been to the aquarium with both his parents, so I deliberately set work and tasks aside toe with him. Can you let go of your prejudice against me and focus on fulfilling his wish first? Will this work for you?¡± Now that he was using Renfrew as the reason why he wanted to tag along, it would be inappropriate for her to reject him over and over again. Hesper put on a long face. ¡°Okay, you cane, but you¡¯re to keep a distance of nine feet away from us. You¡¯re not allowed to get any nearer than nine feet.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Rickard had always been an adaptable man; he resolutely agreed to the terms. When the three of them arrived at the aquarium, Renfrew was quickly attracted by all the marine life, and Hesper patiently exined all the creatures to him all the way. While they were there, Renfrew bought a lot of dolphin and penguin merchandise, all of which were held by Rickard. The mother and son walked in the front, leading the way, while the father walked behind them, but their super attractive appearance created an undoubtedly beautiful scenery. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 In the beginning, Renfrew was still thinking about Rickard who was following them from behind, but as the journey went on, he enjoyed himself so much that he gradually forgot about his poor daddy who was not far behind and only cared about dragging his mommy around. Rickard rarely had the opportunity to carry out an activity without any business purpose, and he had also never experienced carrying things and visiting an aquarium amidst so many people. Looking at Hesper and Renfrew who were holding hands, talking, andughing in front of him, Rickard gradually felt a little rxed deep down. This feeling might be unfamiliar to him, but it was a little addicting at the same time too. If only he could stop time¡­. Rickard took his phone out and secretly took a picture of Hesper holding Renfrew as the little rascal was staring at the jellyfish. In the photo, Hesper lowered her head and let off a faint smile, and her eyes, which were always filled with defense when she was looking at him, now looked harmless and clear; they were as beautiful as the calm ocean. They were indeed gorgeous. Hesper knew that Rickard was following them from behind, so she turned her head and subconsciously searched for him in the crowd, but the only thing that she saw was Rickard looking down at his cell phone. ¡°He must be busy with his work again.¡± It was not surprising to her. After all, Rickard had always been like this; work had always been more Original from N?velDrama.Org. important than everything else. However, Hesper could feel a strange sensation deep within her chest, as if her heart was being choked. ¡®He¡¯s obviously the one who shamelessly insisted on tagging along, but all he¡¯s done so far is stare at his phone absent-mindedly.¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­ Excuse me¡­¡± Rickard was staring at Hesper¡¯s side profile in the photo when a young female voice interrupted him. ¡°Go girl, don¡¯t be shy!¡± Rickard turned his head and saw a few youngdies pushing anotherdy toward him. The cheeks of the woman who was being pushed forward were as red as tomatoes, and when she exchanged gazes with Rickard, even the tips of her ears flushed. ¡°Uh¡­ Can I have your contact number!¡± The girl lifted her cell phone, which had the number pad opened on the screen, and she only dared to look at him nervously with one eye closed. As soon as she got closer to Rickard and had a closer look at him, the man looked even more charming. The regality that exuded from his core was iparable. Under Rickard¡¯s unwavering gaze, the girl was so nervous that she was about to escape from the scene. But at this moment, Rickard responded, ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡± ¡°How is that possible? We¡¯ve been observing you for a long time, and there hasn¡¯t been anyone around you.¡± Another woman eximed boldly, ¡°Dude, at least give her a chance!¡± Rickard did not say much. He took a few strides forward, walked up to Hesper¡¯s side, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Hesper had heard themotion that was taking ce over there ever since the whole conversation started but she deliberately restrained herself from looking directly over, but she never thought that Rickard woulde over and pull her into his arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Hesper whispered to Rickard¡¯s ear. However, Renfrew, who had his eyes fixed on the jellyfish, still noticed Rickard¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°Daddy?¡± Renfrew¡¯s voice was soft, but at such a close distance, it was more than enough to be heard by the Unexpectedly, although Rickard looked young, he was indeed married and even had a cute child. The woman who was encouraged to step forward and ask for his contact number blushed, pulled her friends away, and left the scene in embarrassment. ¡°Rickard Duval, do I look like a wall that you can hide behind?¡± Hesper broke free from Rickard¡¯s arm, took a nce at Renfrew, who had just shifted his gaze back onto the jellyfish tank, and said coldly, ¡°What kind of tricks are you trying to y now, Rickard Duval? We¡¯re already divorced.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re still a genuine family.¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 At this moment, Rickard¡¯s tone seemed to be mixed with emotions that Hesper could not That¡¯s just pure sophistry.¡± Rickard lowered his gaze, met Hesper¡¯s keen eyes, remained silent for a moment, and said, ¡°Give me a chance.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rickard¡¯s question came so suddenly that Hesper thought that she had heard it wrongly and froze for a moment. But after giving it a good thought, she still could not understand what Rickard was trying to say, and then saw the seriousness in Rickard¡¯s profound gaze. ¡°Hesper, give me another chance to make it up to you.¡± Rickard did not beat around the bush this time around. Hesper did not expect him to say such a thing at all, so she was astonished for quite some time. In fact, the man that was standing in front of her at this moment was already making her feel very strange. In her impression, her ex-husband had never been such a vivid person. He was more like a machine, and all he saw through those calm eyes were profits and opportunities. Suppressing the messy emotions that were surging in her chest, Hesper lowered her head and sneered. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Hesper could not care less about her messy past, so much so that she actually hated her past self for the weakness that she showed back then. She did not need Rickard¡¯spensation, just like how he did not need her a few years ago. On the other side of the city, Juniper locked herself in the room, and her eyes were fixed on the photo disyed on her cell phone¡¯s screen. ¡®It¡¯s Rickard.¡¯ Anyone with a certain status and background would definitely recognize the man at first nce even if he was standing in the crowd. In the photo, Rickard was hugging Hesper in his arms. No one knew who captured the photo and uploaded it onto their Instagram feed, but it was then sent to Juniper through direct message by a random person. Even though they were in the middle of a crowd, they still looked like a match made in heaven when the two of them stood next to each other. ¡°Hesper. Rivera!¡± Juniper was about to lose her mind because of jealousy, but she was at her mercy, so she could not do anything to her! Angrily, she swept everything off the table, panting heavily, and threw her phone aside. Footsteps could be hearding from outside the door; it was Ariana who had heard the Looking at her heartbroken daughter, Ariana walked up to her in distress, and then patted her on the back. ¡°Juni, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already found a doctor, and he ims that he can cure the poison in your body.¡± ¡°Is that true?!¡± Hearing what Ariana said, Juniper sat up straight in an instant. ¡°Can he really get rid of the poison?¡± Seeing her daughter¡¯s unstable appearance, Ariana felt even more tormented. She nodded and asserted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after taking a look at you, this doctor is sure that you can be cured. There won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± After getting an affirmative answer, Juniperughed, and thecency in her eyes was on the brink of overflowing. ¡°Finally, I don¡¯t have to live under that b*tch¡¯s control anymore, and I don¡¯t have to treat her like a goddess anymore!¡± Thinking of the humiliation that she had been receiving all this while, Juniper gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Juniper turned her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Ever since she got poisoned by Hesper, she had never dared to look in the mirror, but since she would soon regain her previous look, she felt infinitely exhrated deep down. ¡°Hesper Rivera¡­ What should I give you in return for all the anguish that you¡¯ve put me through all N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. this while?¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 At this time, Juniper, who was still immersed in her personal fantasy of revenge, did not know that the so-called ¡°doctor¡± who was once again giving her hope was still Hesper. ¡°Ms. Lane, why would you give her the genuine antidote this time around?¡± Isaac contacted the Wights ording to Hesper¡¯s instructions and sold the genuine antidote to Julie at a high price, but he was still rather bewildered. ¡®In the information that I have, the two things that Juniper Wight cares about the most in her life. are her looks and her reputation. All we need to do now is just let her face degenerate gradually and get uglier and uglier, so she won¡¯t be able to appear in front of the youngdy and affect her mood ever again.¡± Hesper had a dinner party to attend tonight, so she was choosing a ne to wear to the party. while listening to Isaac¡¯s report. The owner of Drogon Enterprise had introduced her to a marvelous designer before this, and the dress that Hesper was about to wear tonight was made by her. The white mermaid dress fit her graceful body. The only body part that was exposed on the front was her well-defined corbones, and it had a deep V-shaped design on the back, which showcased her fair and beautiful shoulder des, entuating her petite and exquisite figure. She looked just like a beautiful and enchanting mermaid in it. ¡°Turning her ugly is an easy way out for her.¡± Hesper took off the pearl ne and picked a special-shaped shell that had a rose-shaped ruby embedded in it out of the jewelry box. She then stood up, turned her head, and looked at Isaac, who had a trace of surprise shing across his eyes. ¡°Although Juniper is a proud woman more than anything else, her reputation has never been her priority when ites to getting what she wants the most.¡± Hesper had never thought that Juniper was an arrogant woman. After all, no proud person would ever pester someone else¡¯s husband endlessly, and she wouldn¡¯t have stayed by Rickard¡¯s side for so many years without demanding an official title or status. At the end of the day, she was just a woman who loved topare herself with others. She had never loved anyone, and the only person that she loved was herself. ¡°Making her look ugly won¡¯t crush her. It will only make her lower her dignity step by step, which is rather meaningless.¡± Hesper stared at herself in the mirror. ¡®What a beautiful and elegant woman. This woman is someone that I didn¡¯t even dare to think about bing three years ago¨C Back then, I was only an orphan who no one cared about. I was also Rickard¡¯s dispensable wife who was nothing more than an inferior existence in the Duvals¡¯s residence.¡± The expression that Juniper had on her face when she arrived in the crimson sports car was engraved in her mind, so perhaps she would feel ashamed when the time came. Isaac seemed to have understood the whole scenario partially, but he knew for sure that Hesper had suffered a lot. She had to work very hard and w her way to her current position step by step. That was why he admired his youngdy from the bottom of his heart. On the other side of the city, Juniper took the antidote, and the e on her face disappeared almost overnight; herplexion returned to normal gradually. She did not expect the effect of the medicine to take ce so quickly. However, after learning her lesson earlier on, Juniper had learned to be a little more cautious. She stayed at home for a few more days, making sure that her skin condition would not rpse this time around before she could breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Hah, Hesper Rivera, I bet this is way out of your n too, isn¡¯t it?¡± Juniper caressed her smooth and tender skin. Thinking that Hesper might still be celebrating ¡°I just refuse to believe that I won¡¯t be able to win Rickard¡¯s heart back now that I¡¯ve regained my looks.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Thinking of how intimate Hesper and Rickard were, mes of revenge ignited from the bottom of Juniper¡¯s eyes. She grabbed her cell phone and called Rickard. ¡°Rickard, it¡¯s me.¡± Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Rickard received a call from Juniper out of the blue. Remembering what she had done to Hesper back then, he could not figure out what she wanted, so he remained silent, wanting to hear what she had to say. Sensing Rickard¡¯s silence, Juniper did not care and continued. ¡°After being homebound for some time, I¡¯ve already realized my mistakes. I heard that Sophia encountered an ident some time ago, and I¡¯ve always had a close rtionship with her. So can I go to your ce to visit her?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me about such agendas of yours.¡± Rickard¡¯s voice was tinged with slight indifference. ¡°Didn¡¯t you two discuss plenty of things in private quite frequently in the past? So why learn how to behave now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before Juniper could speak, Rickard hung up the phone, not giving her an opportunity to exin This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. herself. Rickard¡¯s attitude sounded even more indifferent than ever before, and Juniper knew how much Hesper yed in this without even having to think about it. ¡®I think Rickard really likes Hesper now!¡¯ Realizing this, Juniper gritted her mrs so vigorously that they were about to crush each other. ¡®Rickard must not be allowed to fall in love with Hesper! Her current identity is already different from before. If Rickard were to fall in love with her and look into all the incidents that happened back then, that might be it for me!¡¯ Juniper took her phone out, hesitated for a while, and finally visited a website that had been bookmarked for a long time, though she had never visited it before. Memory: I need someone to kill a person in Genecity. DM me for the details. Hesper¡¯s work in Genecity had gradually been implemented, phase after phase. She had also participated in many banquets organized by the upper ss recently. Probably because everyone knew about her embarrassing rtionship with Rickard, those people who wanted to curry favor with the Lanes were wise enough to not invite Rickard. Overall, all the banquets could be considered pleasant. 4 Some of the Lanes were still waiting to see Hesper embarrass herself. After all, finding a foothold and securing a market for the branch office in Genecity were not easy tasks. But Hesper managed to aplish them so quickly that it was unbelievable. When Wilfred made the suggestion back then, he originally wanted to only make things difficult. for Hesper, but he never thought that such a young woman would do a good job. With this, Arthur now valued Hesper even more, and all of Genecity¡¯s projects had already been assigned to Hesper. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Hesper rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. Several hours of continuous work and video conferencing had overloaded her body. ¡°Do you guys still have anything else to say? If not, we¡¯ll dismiss the room here.¡± Naturally, Wilfred would not let go of this opportunity, and said, ¡°I have something to say.¡± Hesper was not surprised. This uncle of the Lanes had not shown her any mercy ever since she became part of the family, so she knew he must be up to something. ¡°Do speak up.¡± Wilfred knew that Hesper would surely let him talk, so he stood up in front of everyone and asked,¡± Everyone should know about the earthquake that took ce in Salt City yesterday, right?¡± Salt City was a small county located not far away from Genecity. Hesper did read the news about the earthquake, but she could not think of what Wilfred was going to say in just a second. ¡°Lane Holdings has just settled down here in Genecity, so the people of Genecity and the surrounding counties still don¡¯t have much faith in us. So, if ourpany can lend the local government a helping hand this time around, then our reputation in this area will definitely rise rapidly.¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 ¡°President Lane, don¡¯t you think so too?¡± Wilfred¡¯s tone sounded somewhat aggressive, but Hesper¡¯s expression remained calm, and she politely responded, ¡°Uncle Wilfred, there¡¯s no need for you to address me with honorifics. At the end of the day, you¡¯re still my uncle.¡± Seeing that Hesper did not fall into the trap, Wilfred frowned, and then continued, ¡°I think this contribution is very necessary, Hesper¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hesper had already guessed what Wilfred was going to say and preemptively said, ¡°You want me to personally bring supplies to the city in order to set an example, correct?¡± Standing behind Hesper, Isaac nced at Wilfred who was on the video call after hearing his suggestion, and his expression looked extremely hostile. ¡®This city just experienced an earthquake yesterday Going there now to boost thepany¡¯s CSR number is undoubtedly a huge risk. Ms. Lane is the youngdy of the Lanes, so her presence at the scene can naturally earn thepany a lot of favorability, but such benefits are simply too insignificant Everyone below looked at Hesper, thinking that it was impossible for Hesper to agree to this proposal. ¡­After all, she was just a delicate and noble youngdy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go there myself.¡± Hesper did not leave too much time for people to react and started giving the order immediately. ¡°Get the list of supplies and means of transportation ready. I want to arrive in Salt City with the supplies by tomorrow noon at thetest.¡± When Rickard received the news, Hesper was already in the car. ¡°Is she crazy? Does she know just how dangerous Salt City is now? And does she know how many people would kill just to get out of that ce now, yet she¡¯s going to travel there?¡± Rickard called Hesper over and over again, but no one answered. Looking at Rickard¡¯s anxious look on the side, Benji knew that his boss had already fallen for Hesper without knowing it. ¡°The telmunicating signal in Salt City might not be very good now, Mr. Duval, so Ms. Lane might not be able to receive your calls.¡± Hearing this, Rickard hung up the phone irritably, and then called Duval Group¡¯s headquarters. ¡°Prepare medical equipment and first aid supplies, and send all of them to Salt City.¡± W J ¡°If you were to run into Lane Holdings¡¯ convoy, look after each other.¡± Seeing that Rickard had made all the arrangements, Benji said again, ¡°Mr. Duval, you asked me to keep an eye on Ms. Wight earlier on, and I found out that Ms. Wight has been very quiet recently. She hasn¡¯t gone anywhere special and has only invited Ms. Duval out to go shopping asionally. Our men have been monitoring her throughout the whole process and haven¡¯t heard her making any remarks against Ms. Lane.¡± This really surprised Rickard, but it would be best if Juniper could really learn to behave. ¡®If she and Sophia were to dare toy a finger on Hesper again, I might not be able to protect her anymore!¡¯ On the way to Salt City, Hesper had received all the calls that came from Rickard, but she did not pick up any of them and muted her phone instead. ¡°There¡¯s debris blocking the road ahead, and our men have already gone down to clean it up,¡± Isaac said while getting into the car swiftly. Seeing Hesper¡¯s frowning expression, he could not help but say, ¡°This trip is going to be very risky. Aftershocks might even happen at any time. So why would you agree toe with the convoy?¡± Hesper was indeed a little tired; she kept thinking about why Rickard called and she could only breathe a sigh of relief at this moment. ¡°If I were to reject the proposal, the prestige that I¡¯ve been establishing these days would crumble in an instant. Those people in thepany will only remember that I¡¯m someone who¡¯s afraid of dying and has no guts toe to Salt City,¡± Hesper exined, then sneered. ¡°My uncle is indeed quite smart.¡± Isaac nodded and sighed. ¡°Ms. Lane, it seems that your life in Genecity is just full of challenges and grievances.¡± Hearing this, Hesper smiled and shook her head How can this be considered a grievance? If I want to repay Matthew¡¯s kindness and gain more through my own efforts, this is the only path that I must step N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. onto.¡± ¡®I, Hesper Rivera, don¡¯t want to be a canary that stares into the bright sky from its cage. I¡¯m not going to be a pet bird that stays by a man¡¯s side and treats him as if he¡¯s my whole life anymore.¡¯ Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 She wanted to be a tree so that everyone would look up to her and not bully her. That was how she would be able to protect Renfrew, the person she loved. There was suddenly amotion outside, so Hesper lowered her window, then saw a convoy behind theirs. The leader walked out and started talking to the ones in front of them. ¡°Who woulde to Salt City at a time like this?¡± Hesper frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡± Isaac followed Hesper out of the car and walked over to the people talking. ¡°Ms. Lane!¡± Hesper nodded and looked toward the stranger, only to realize that he was looking at her. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Hesper had a good memory so she knew she never met this man in front of her. The man quickly looked down and said, ¡°I¡¯m from Duval Group. Mr. Duval said that if we meet the Original from N?velDrama.Org. convoy from Lane Holdings, we need to have each others¡¯ backs! This city is still in turmoil now.¡± Rickard? Hesper frowned. Rickard called her a madwoman because he knew that she was at the disaster area. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a disaster relief n, but Mr. Duval made. arrangements.¡± The man peeked a look at Hesper, who was the ex- Mrs. Duval and the current Ms. Lane. She was such a beautiful woman, it was easy to see why Mr. Duval was so nervous. Hesper understood the hidden meaning but didn¡¯t show any emotions except nodding to show that she understood, then turned and left. Ma¡¯am?¡± Isaac¡¯s voice came from behind her, which made her pause. He then said, ¡°I¡¯m not easily persuaded. I can see when people are being phony or sincere.¡± Maybe it was because of the pain in the past, but Hesper could clearly see that Rickard was treating her differently now, just a little different. What would this meek disy of care mean? ¡°If he really was worried, he would havee here personally to make sure that I¡¯m safe, no?¡± Hesper said with a calm tone. ¡°All he did was make a few calls and spend some money so that some people were touched and thought that was true love. There¡¯s too much of a show going on. ¡°I just¡­ think that this is funny. He used to be my everything. I did all I could and begged for it, but he wouldn¡¯t even give me a smidge of trust and love. He decided to pounce only when I push him away.¡± There was a hint of self-deprecation. Isaac could tell that she wasn¡¯t as carefree, but she had to stay vignt because she was hurt too badly. He had never loved anyone, so he wouldn¡¯t know how much it stung. ¡°The gravels are all cleared. Move out!¡± An ordere from the front and Hesper immediately snapped out of it, then returned to looking unbothered. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 The rest of the journey was smooth and the group soon got to Salt City. There was heavy rain on top of the earthquake. Salt City was a worrying sight. Hesper handed the supplies to the association that was helping. The person in charge at Salt City was already having a tough time because there was no way to prevent natural disasters, but since Salt City wasn¡¯t a big city, they didn¡¯t know how many people were disced and it was difficult to ensure that there were enough basic necessities to go around. Hesper¡¯s batch of supplies was a huge help. ¡± ¡± * ¡°Ms. Lane, since you got here safely, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± 4 The people from Duval Group spoke to Hesper before leaving because Rickard¡¯s attitude toward her was unique. They might be a family soon! 4 . ¨C * ? AN Hesper was friendlier because they need to work together in the future so there was no point making their rtionship sour. ¡°This batch of supplies means so much to us. We¡¯ll always remember Lane Holdings and Duval Group for your assistance.¡± The person in charge heard about the newly appointed Ms. Lane, and when he saw that she came alone, he didn¡¯t want to put her on the spot, but he still looked troubled. Hesper noticed that he seem to have more to say, so she asked, ¡°Do you need more help?¡± ¡°Sigh-¡± The man sighed and said, ¡°The truth is, we¡¯ve lost contact with the outer district. There are hills there and I¡¯m guessing that the heavy rainfall caused andslide. Our cars couldn¡¯t reach them and we didn¡¯t hear from them¡­¡± The entire district losing contact was a huge problem and they couldn¡¯t just let it be! Hesper frowned. This was an issue and she could tell. If they couldn¡¯t contact the outside world, it was obvious how much a trouble the outer district was in. An aftershock could happen at any moment, so if they went over, they would be unprepared to handle anything that happened there. ¡°Ms. Lane¡­¡± # AN Hesper was silent for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go over with some men.¡± The man didn¡¯t expect her to agree to that so easily, but he had to solve this big issue urgently. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this forever! I¡¯ll be there if you need me in the future!¡± Hesper didn¡¯t do this to get anything in return. She did it because she felt sorry for them. She didn¡¯t agree toe here just because of what Wilfred said. Even though she was a businesswoman, she didn¡¯t want to turn into a cold business machine. If she had the chance to help, she wouldn¡¯t just stand and watch. Meanwhile, Benji looked toward Rickard who was subconsciously frowning, so he quickly walked over and said, ¡°The person who was in charge of delivering the supplies are back. He saw Ms. Lane there, and the two convoys came back together.¡± Rickard was still troubled, and when thunder struck, he suddenly panicked. ¡°Are you sure that Hesper is back in Genecity?¡± Benji didn¡¯t speak because he didn¡¯t know for sure. Benji got up and looked out the window. All he saw were dark clouds that were flying low, hinting at a heavy rain soon. Benji¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He looked at Rickard, then walked to the side to answer it. His expression suddenly changed and he said loudly, ¡°What? Ms. Lane went to the outer district with the supplies?¡± The thunder struck again and Rickard¡¯s face dropped. ¡°She¡¯s crazy.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Benji was still on the phone when he saw Rickard grabbing his coat off the rack and walking over. ¡°Get the car ready. We¡¯re going to Salt City.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Benji hung up and was hesitant. ¡°Salt City is in shambles and an aftershock could happen at any time. It¡¯s very dangerous for you to go there now.¡± ¡°Get the car ready.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t want to waste any time. Benji knew. that he wouldn¡¯t be able to change his mind but was still shocked by his decision. im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 He was an outsider observing Rickard and Hesper¡¯s rtionship. The Hesper who was meek and pitiful would probably never have thought that this day woulde. Suddenly, someone came into the office. ¡°No, I won¡¯t agree to it!¡± Julie walked in and grabbed Rickard¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± When he remembered what Julie did to Hesper, his expression turned cold. They all kept saying that it was ¡®for his own good¡¯ when they got involved in his marriage and bullied his wife. The truth is, they never respected him. Julie red at him but was still fearful of Rickard¡¯s cold expression, so she let him go and pretended to cry. ¡°You remember that I¡¯m your mom? Hesper¡¯s life is important but my son¡¯s isn¡¯t?¡± Julie wiped away her nonexistent tears and continued. ¡°How could you go to such a dangerous ce because of a woman? Have you thought about your grandpa?¡± Rickard¡¯s expression softened when his grandpa was mentioned but he didn¡¯t cancel his n to go to Salt City. ¡°Grandpa loves Hesper, so if I can¡¯t bring her back safely, Grandpa wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡± Rickard looked at his mother who he never understood and continued. ¡°I remember how you treated Hesper. I will never believe you.¡± Hesper was halfway to the outer district with some supplies when it started raining cats and dogs. ¡°The rain is getting heavier. I¡¯m afraid we might not get there.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Isaac worriedly looked out the window. When Hesper departed, she already knew that there could be a chance for an ident to happen but still went anyway! ¡°We¡¯vee all this way, so there¡¯s no point saying that.¡± Isaac noticed Hesper staring at one spot and asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Hesepr looked back and calmly nodded. ¡°That car behind us seems to be following us.¡± Hesper noticed that car once they left Salt City. There shouldn¡¯t be cars on the road given the weather and condition. It would be too big of a coincidence if a car just happened to be going in the same direction as they were. Hesper leaned against her door. Her wine-red cropped top made her pale skin stand out more like she was a butterfly in the night. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone who would follow me around when there¡¯s the threat of an aftershock lingering.¡± The car was following from a distance. Hesper knocked her knuckles silently while trying to figure out who would want to attack her at this time. Wilfred who made here to Salt City? He had to watch out for Matthew and Grandpa and would be the biggest suspect, so he wouldn¡¯t be so dumb to attack now. Then could it be the Duval women¡­ or Juniper? Juniper must be very cocky after getting her antidote, so it would be logical if she would want to hurt her. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in about half an hour and the road in front of us seems to be better. We¡¯ll probably get there safely.¡± The thunder outside went on and on, and the sky looked darker. ¡°I hope so.¡± Hesper sighed, then closed her eyes. im Bonus For Free Every Day>> im Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 The car that was following them really was sent by Juniper. She was in Genecity and already received the text from the assassin. ¡°Hesper went to Salt City at a time like this? Even the heavens are on my side.¡± Juniper put her phone away and admired herself in the mirror. When she imagined how shocked the head of the station and her colleagues would look, she couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. All the work that she had to let go of would naturally return to her. There was no way she could get happier. ¡°Salt City is in chaos, so even if Hesper dies here, no one would find out the truth¡­¡± Once Hesper died and disappeared from Rickard¡¯s world just like how she did in the past, Juniper would have all the time in the world to win him back. The assassin that she hired from the dark web was scary because he was able to track Hesper down so quickly. Juniper was a little regretful- If she posted this there previously, even Rickard wouldn¡¯t be able to find any traces. It wasn¡¯t toote! ¡°As long as she disappears¡­ as soon as she disappears!¡± Lightning that struck outside distorted Juniper¡¯s face. She had lost her mind and didn¡¯t realize that she wasn¡¯t able to take Hesper¡¯s ce in the three years when she disappeared and be Mrs. Duval. Rickard had clearly rejected her and all of this was just in her head. She was just indulging in her own. thoughts. When the sun almost set, Hesper and her crew finally reached the outer district. After getting into the town area, the car behind her disappeared, but Hesper would never let her guard down just because of that. That wasn¡¯t a coincidence, and disappearing was just to give them a fake sense of safety so they would let their guards down. The town was even more backward than Hesper imagined. A lot of the roads were still dirt roads and her phone¡¯s signal wasn¡¯t stable at first andpletely stopped working after that. Isaac followed her closely, so Hesper wasn¡¯t too worried. He had been by her side for years, so she knew how tough he was. If anything happened, he would be able to handle it. ¡°The road in front is blocked. The old town¡¯s renovation wasn¡¯t done yet and the construction site has fallen over.¡± The rain continued falling. Hesper started feeling uneasy, so she picked up the umbre. ¡°I¡¯ll go walk around to take a look.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± Isaac said, but Hesper shook her head. ¡°If that person wants to attack me, he would find a chance no matter if I¡¯m sitting in the car or outside.¡± The fear of the unknown was scarier than when something really happened. Hesper got out of the car and looked at the abandoned construction site which was almost washed clean by the rain. She Original from N?velDrama.Org. realized that they probably wouldn¡¯t get to leave. ¡°There, the scaffolding in front is going to copse!¡± Someone shouted out loud and everyone frantically ran. Hesper walked backward when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her. Hesper fell forward and the scaffolding fell right on top of her head. ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Isaac¡¯s voice came from her side but the scaffolding fell quickly. Hesper closed her eyes, but a hand pulled her aside. There was a loud noise and the floor shook. A corner of the building roof that was standing dangerously finally copsed. ¡°It¡¯s the aftershock! Move away quickly!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Isaac wanted to rush over but the people next to him pulled him back as he watched her be engulfed by the falling building. ¡°Ma¡¯am-¡± The scaffolding fell on her back, but thanks to that hand that pulled her away, she wasn¡¯t hit in the important parts. She couldn¡¯t speak because of the pain in her back. Isaac¡¯s voice got dimmer and dimmer outside of the fallen building. ¡°Are¡­ are you alright? Are you alright?¡± The corner of the roof that fell blocked the area in front of Hesper. She raised her head up despite the pain and realized she was trapped in a tight space that looked like a house. However, only a small triangr space was left after it caved in. There was a source of heat close to her that was shaking more than she was and there was a hand that was touching her. Hesper turned around and saw that it was a woman whose face was covered in dust who saved her. The woman seemed to be around her age, but her eyes were filled with panic, her eyes darting around. She was¡­ mentally disabled? ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper¡¯s back was hurting terribly, but seeing how anxious the woman was, she forced herself to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It looks like it won¡¯t copse.¡± Maybe it was Hesper¡¯s words or maybe because she noticed that the ce was stable, but the woman calmed down, then leaned on Hesper¡¯s side and started sobbing. After inhaling a lot of dust, Hesper held back the urge to cough because she was afraid that it would hurt her back more. If it this woman hadn¡¯t pulled her away, she might have died. The woman looked like a small animal, so Hesper held out her hand to hold hers. ¡°Thanks for helping me. If we do get out, I¡¯ll repay you. The woman kept her eyes on Hesper, then shook her head. Tears started streaming down her face as she said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re so pretty. I saved you. It¡¯s fine.¡± Hesper nodded and closed her eyes and found somewhere to lean against so the muscles on her back weren¡¯t strained. However, she could feel blooding out from the wound on her back as if the life force in her body slowly drained away. ¡°Someone wille. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. When the girl sat down, Hesper sighed and closed her eyes. Hesper was confident that Isaac would bring someone over once the aftershock passed. The problem was she wasn¡¯t sure if she would survive until then. The moment she closed her eyes, memories shed past her eyes. The way Juniper bossed her around, Julie¡¯s troubles, and Sophia¡¯s mocking. All that happened yed back to her like a movie. Hesper chuckled. Hesper, oh Hesper, you¡¯ve suffered so much injustice and mistreatment but all the begging that you did and tears that you shed haven¡¯t been repaid. You¡¯ve learned so much yet now you. will silently wilt away. How pathetic. Then, Rickard popped up in her mind. The man she loved the most, and also the one who hurt her the deepest. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Hesper already decided to give up on this man when her heart went cold in the past, but she didn¡¯t know why the moment pained hit her. Her mind kept going back to him. She remembered how he changed his arrogant gaze at the aquarium like he was looking at her as an equal and was gentle as if protecting a flower in the wind. ¡°Hesper, give me another chance to make it up to you. Hesper¡¯s tears started falling like pearls from a ne that snapped. The woman next to her frantically wiped her tears away. The noises outside faded away and Hesper cried there in silence. Hesper didn¡¯t have a lot of time left to go down memoryne. She couldn¡¯t repay Matthew for what he did for her, so she tried her best to quickly get into her role as Ms. Lane and start helping with managing thepany. All these memories that she had suppressed came back out. The first time she saw Rickard was when Hesper was brought out from the orphanage by Ernest. The government-run orphanage wasn¡¯t a great ce but it wasn¡¯t terrible either. Hesper never tried to N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. fight for anything, so she didn¡¯t stand out. What did Rickard look like then? All his peers would probably take second nces at him, in a white shirt and standing straight in front of grandpa as his eyes fell on her. How he looked at her was like a dream, making her fall for him for the next ten years. ¡°Hesper¡­ Hesper?¡± ¡°Wake up, Hesper!¡± Hesper frowned when she heard a familiar voice, then slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Hesper?¡± The dust danced around behind the person and Hesper felt as if someone was holding her back with an arm behind her neck. Her eyes were still adjusting as she saw a pair of dreamy eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep. Look at me, Hesper.¡± Hesper put in more effort to open her eyes after hearing the familiar voice, but the pain behind her back. had lessened. ¡­I don¡¯t want to listen to you. You¡¯re a bad person.. Rickard looked at Hesper who had her eyes closed. The scene from three years ago suddenly popped up in his mind. Hesper had her eyes closed just like this and was covered in blood. That was when he suddenly realized that the pity he gave her was more like charity and emotions that he didn¡¯t make clear. It must have been painful and torturous for Hesper. When her life was in danger, she still protected the people who hurt her. Even when a story that was filled with holes was presented to him, he still refused to believe her. The woman that was always behind him was dead. How could he possibly ask her for another chance? The woman in his arms opened her eyes and her tears soaked up the front of his shirt. However, there was no time to think. Rickard supported her with his knee as he carefully hugged her. The aftershock wasn¡¯tpletely over yet, but he found her. It didn¡¯t mean they were out of the woods yet. ¡°No, don¡¯t move her!¡± The woman who was next to her saw that Rickard was trying to carry her. She didn¡¯t dare speak and was hiding in the corner at first, but she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore so she came over and shoved him. The push made the man stagger and grab harder onto Hesper¡¯s hand. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 ¡°I came to bring you out. If you want to die here, just sit there.¡± He ignored everyone and carried Hesper in his arms. The pain in the back of his head reminded her that if they couldn¡¯t go back the way he came in, he would probably be trapped there with Hesper. He rushed into this ce that had copsed. Before the aftershock ended, the emergency response team wouldn¡¯t be able toe in. Only Isaac, his team, and Rickard came in. After digging through the rubble, the roof was loosened and might copse further, and a piece of the copsed wall hit the back of his head. The cut behind Hesper¡¯s back was still bleeding and it didn¡¯t look promising. She had to be sent to the hospital to stop it as soon as possible. Rickard¡¯s tone scared the woman who didn¡¯t dare speak up again. He didn¡¯t seem to want to hurt This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Hesper, so she just quietly followed him. The sky was turning brighter and the way out wasn¡¯t blocked. Rickard managed to bring her out from the rubble. ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Isaac and the team walked out of the rubble without finding anything and saw Rickard with Hesper in his arms. ¡°Mr. Duval¡­¡± Benji rushed over when he saw Rickard. He was relieved when he saw the two teams and immediately fell to the floor. Hesper felt that she had been sleeping for a long time. There were a few times when she felt that she was in the hospital, but she just couldn¡¯t muster enough strength to open her eyes. ¡°The doctor said that she¡¯s not in critical condition, but she lost a lot of blood. Her wound was exposed to too much dust and got infected,¡± Isaac reported into the phone and Hesper realized that it was to Matthew. ¡°You¡¯reing over now?¡± Hesper smiled sadly¡­ She had to trouble him. This time she lost the need to fall back asleep. She slowly opened her eyes, and the light made her squint, then she opened them wide. ¡°¡­Isaac.¡± Isaac hung up and immediately heard her voice, so he walked over to her bed. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake! You¡¯ve been sleeping for three days. Mr. Lane was going to lose his mind if you didn¡¯t wake up!¡± Isaac exaggerated and Hesper was dazed. She didn¡¯t realize that she had been sleeping for that long. When she remembered that she saw Rickard before losing consciousness, she gurgled her words. ¡°Rickard¡­¡± Hesper wanted to ask how he was, but Isaac¡¯s expression turned awkward and started stuttering. She guessed that it wasn¡¯t an illusion and Rickard was actually there. ¡°You just woke up so don¡¯t strain your mind. I¡¯ll go get the doctor.¡± Isaac turned and walked out. Hesper had been sleeping for so long, so the pain was no longer there. She propped herself up and grabbed the phone on the table next to her. She didn¡¯t have a good signal when she was in Salt City and her phone was on silent. She didn¡¯t hear the phone calls and messages from Rickard, so there were hundreds of notifications. ¡°That¡¯s so stupid. He was willing to sacrifice his life to prove himself?¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Her eyes went to thest message which made Hesper feel like something in her heart broke. She ced her phone back on the table and closed her eyes, trying to delete everything from her mind. The pain was seared into her memories, but what was a few messages and phone callspared to that? She must not repeat her mistakes. The doctors gave her a full checkup. It had been three days and her body had mostly recovered. As long as she didn¡¯t do anything too drastic, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. Hesper listened to Matthew chew her ears off. She wasn¡¯t very responsible for going to Salt City just because Wilfred provoked her. ¡°As long as Wilfred is still at Emperion, I¡¯ll keep pressuring him, so it¡¯s not something you need to worry about, and it shouldn¡¯t be an excuse for you to make such a decision like that.¡± When Matthew found out she was hurt and went into aa, he hadn¡¯t rested well for a few days and his voice was hoarse. ¡°If you do this again, at least tell me first before you do anything.¡± No like this time¡­ Just disappearing without a word. He had already lost a sister. ¡°I¡¯m your brother, you can count on me.¡± After hearing Matthew¡¯s words, Hesper¡¯s heart felt warm and she agreed. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I know, Matt, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Hesper felt love from a family when she was around Matthew and oftentimes wished that she was actually his sister. However, she would also feel guilty. The real Ms. Lane was still somewhere in the world, yet she took her identity and enjoyed the love of her brother and family. ¡°I¡¯ll go spend time with you once I get my work done.¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t good at expressing his love, so he always sounded apathetic. ¡°It should be by noon tomorrow. Rest well. I haven¡¯t told grandpa that you were injured. He prepared a lot of great food when he found out that I¡¯ll be going over, so I¡¯ll be bringing those over too.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± No matter what happened, Hesper dealt with what happened in Salt City very well and the share prices rose by a few points. Wilfred couldn¡¯t say anything, so he fell quiet and pretended to be dead. The doctor didn¡¯t let Hesper work too much, so most of the documents were still untouched. Hesper realized that her life was her biggest asset, so if she lost it, there was no way she could turn her dream into reality. She was putting too much stress on herself. She intentionally ignored Rickard and finished up her work in the afternoon. When she looked up again, it was already evening. ¡°Are you hungry? The doctor said you can have some liquid food.¡± Hesper shook her head and hesitated, then asked, ¡°How¡¯s Rickard?¡± Isaac thought that she didn¡¯t really care about him because she only mentioned him when she woke up and didn¡¯t bring him up after that. He didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly remember. ¡°As your subordinate, I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but I think I should.¡± He went back three days ago. When Rickard fell to the ground with Hesper still in his arms, everyone rushed over and saw that he was still protecting her. Even when he fell, Hesper was not hurt. $ Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 ¡°Mr. Duval¡­ you can hand her over to us.¡± Isaac stood behind Rickard and said, ¡°The ambnce is here and the Lanes will take good care of her. You¡¯re overstepping.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t want to let go after hearing that, but he looked like he was struggling. ¡°I said that I would repay her.¡± Rickard brushed the dust off her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that I found her when she wakes up. I want to repay her, so she doesn¡¯t have to know.¡± Hesper listened as Isaac told her what happened and didn¡¯t know how to react. Isaac could tell that she was feelingplicated. He had never heard anyone who had lived avish life. say something like that. Hesper¡¯s past was just words printed on a document. He couldn¡¯t resonate with her, but she could tell that she was a strong woman by the way she handled work. ¡°Thank you. So is he still in aa?¡± Hesper¡¯s tone was calm and there were no extra emotions behind it, so Isaac told her, ¡°Mr. Duval was hurt in the head, so he hasn¡¯t woken up yet. However, the doctors said that he¡¯s not in critical condition.¡± Hesper closed her tired eyes and didn¡¯t say more. After a long pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s continue tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After Isaac left, Hesper sighed and watched the blood-red sunset outside her window, until it could no longer be seen. ¡°Forget it. This is not the time to think about any of this.¡± There were more important things she had to deal with. Hesper remembered how she was shoved into the rubble by a man. That was not some random person, and would surely not be linked back to Juniper so easily. A person like that quietly observing her was pretty much a ticking time bomb that might go off any second. She didn¡¯t have proof that Juniper sent him, but her instincts told her that it had to be Juniper. She knew Juniper well enough to know that her patience must be at her limit for waiting so long before doing anything to her. ¡°Who could it be?¡± It happened so quickly. The man suddenly appeared behind her. She didn¡¯t even see his fingers, let alone his face. But wait¡­ Hesper suddenly remembered the woman who was trapped with her. If she managed to save her, she might have seen the person who pushed her! She might remember some unique features of the man¡­ or even his face! This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hesper asked about the woman when she first woke up. The woman was in shock and malnourished. Isaac didn¡¯t know what to do, so he let her stay in the room next to Hesper. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 The woman didn¡¯t have a name and everyone who knew her called her Twiggy because she was found under a tree by a homeless man. She was just a child then and was mentally disabled. If it wasn¡¯t for the homeless man, she would have been dead. Twiggy didn¡¯t speak in the foreign environment until she suddenly saw Hesper at the door, her support system. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re awake!¡± Hesper nodded, then walked slowly over to her bed and sat down. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She overestimated her own condition. Her back didn¡¯t hurt when she was just lying in bed because her wound wasn¡¯t moved. However, just walking that short distance gave her immense pain. Twiggy was supposed to be around Hesper¡¯s age, but her IQ was of a child. Hesper took some time to rest, so her wound stopped hurting. After consoling Twiggy, she started getting to the point and asked, ¡°On the day that you saved me, did you see someone push me?¡± Twiggy blinked a few times, as if she was thinking, then nodded very hard. ¡°That man was young, skinny, tall.¡± It was difficult for Twiggy to describe someone. ¡°He wore a mask, was a man, couldn¡¯t see the face but he had a mole.¡± dja ¡°A mole? Where?¡± That was a key feature. Twiggy raised her hand and tapped under Hesper¡¯s right eye. ¡°Here.¡± Meanwhile, Juniper got the news that Hesper woke up and grabbed tightly onto her sheets. How could she be so lucky? She logged onto the dark web and opened the ck chatbox as her face twisted in anger. Memory: What the hell did you do? Hesper, someone so weak, managed to survive. What did I pay you for? The reply usually took a long time, but this time, Juniper got an immediate reply. 013: I can give you a refund. The calm reply mocked Juniper for her anger. Memory: That¡¯s how you speak to a client? I¡¯m going to lodge aint against you. This time the person didn¡¯t reply as quickly, but instead took some time. 013: Do you think this is an online shopping tform? That woke Juniper up. She stared at her phone and started being careful. Yes, this was the dark web and she was dealing with an assassin! 013: It was my fault for failing the mission, but you didn¡¯t say that this involved the Lanes. 013: That¡¯s a problem. When 013 asked Juniper about Hesper, she remembered telling him that Hesper was the ex-wife of Rickard, an orphan. She forgot that Hesper was now Ms. Lane! Memory: You dare offend the Duvals but not the Lanes? 013 stopped replying. Juniper couldn¡¯t rush him even when she was anxious. These people ran a business that revolved around taking lives. Even though she was hiring them, she wouldn¡¯t dare anger these bunch of crazies. 013: It¡¯s just troublesome, but I¡¯ll still do it. Just wait for it. Memory: Alright, I¡¯m looking forward to your update. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 There was a knock on the door, and Juniper was so frightened that she almost jumped out of her bed. She then asked angrily, ¡°Who is it?¡± The person outside the door did not speak, and it took a while for Ariana to open the door and walk in, looking a little worried. ¡°Juni.¡±¡° Seeing that it was her mother, Juniper took a deep breath, suppressed the uneasiness and displeasure in her heart, and said in a soft voice, ¡°Mom, is there anything urgent? I have some work to do right now. If there¡¯s nothing too urgent, let me get my work done first.¡± Ariana walked up to Juniper and took her hand. ¡°Juni, be honest with me. Hesper Rivera just ran into an ident in Salt City. Do you have anything to do with it?¡± Juniper did not expect her mother to be so perceptive. Since she was a child, she had always been a well- behaved and obedient child in everyone¡¯s mind, and she was the center of envy of all girls of the same. age, so she would never admit tomitting such a murderous act. ¡°Mom! How could you think of me as such a person?!¡± Juniper turned her head away. ¡°I might love. Rickard, but I¡¯m not insane.¡± Ariana cast a profound gaze at her daughter and then sighed. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll just pretend that you¡¯re not the one behind this incident. But, Juniper, will you look back and see what you¡¯ve done so far? Can you tell me where the daughter that I¡¯ve always been very proud of has gone? And all of this just for a man?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Juniper flung Ariana¡¯s hand off her arm and said impatiently, ¡°If you still suspect me, then I have. nothing else to say to you. Rickard was my lover in the first ce. Hesper is the one who used disgraceful means to marry Rickard and be his wifeter on. And they¡¯re currently divorced, so it¡¯s only normal. for me and Rickard to reconcile. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve lost my pride. If you have nothing else to say, you can leave already, I¡¯m working here.¡± The two did not end the conversation on good terms: Ariana looked at the closed door and shook her head. ¡°I just hope that Juniper won¡¯t sink deeper and deeper. The morning passed extremely quickly when she had to deal with work all day. Hesper then gave This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. herself a well-deserved break in the early evening, lying on the hospital bed and watching short videos while waiting for Matthew to arrive. The door of the ward was pushed open at that moment. However, Hesper was not facing the entrance of the ward and had to turn over. It was not easy for her to turn over with the wound on her back, so she could only try to turn herself over very slowly. ¡°You arrived quite soon. I thought it¡¯d at least take you half an hour to get here.¡± ¡°I arrived quite soon?¡± An unexpected and familiar voice sounded from behind her, and Hesper¡¯s eyes instantly widened. ¡°Isaac? Isaac!¡± ¡°You b*tch, my son is still lying on the hospital bed and has yet to regain consciousness, yet you¡¯re here, lying in bed and ying with your phone with peace of mind?¡± Julie stepped forward and grabbed Hesper by her shoulder des. Hesper yelled out in pain. Isaac rushed in as soon as he heard Hesper¡¯s voice. Seeing the scene in front of him, he immediately. stepped forward and pulled Julie off Hesper¡¯s body, subduing the middle-aged woman on the ground. ¡°Ms. Lane! Are you okay?!¡± Madam Duval had pressed down onto Hesper¡¯s wound, who could feel the scabbed wound opening again, and the pain was excruciating. ¡°Dislocate her arm¡­¡± When Julie heard Hesper¡¯s words, she was about to yell, but then she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.¡± Crack¨C!¡± ¡®The b*tch¡¯s man actually twisted my right arm out!¡¯ ¡°Ah! Hesper¡­ Hesper Rivera, have you lost your mind?! Do you know who I am?¡± Hesper gritted her teeth, enduring the severe paining from the wound, as she supported herself to sit up and red down at Julie. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s lost your mind. Do you really think I¡¯m still the Hesper Rivera who you could deal with however you like?¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze was filled with resentment, and her face was extremely pale due to the severe pain. Julie was taken aback by her murderous look, and the agonizing pain in her arm served as a great reminder to her that Hesper was no longer the pushover she used to be! ¡°Rickard is still lying on the hospital bed and hasn¡¯t woken up yet. How dare you treat me like this, you b* tch? Do you even have a heart?!¡± Julie cursed. Hesper listened in silence for a while and then sneered ¡°Did Rickard bleed a lot? And is his injury serious?¡± Julie was frightened by Hesper¡¯s sneer and dared not speak out, for fear that Isaac would dislocate her other arm. She then heard from Hesper. ¡°No matter how serious his injury is, will it be as severe as what I experienced in the past when you disguised the doll as Renfrew and threw it off the building, baiting me to jump down after it?¡± Isaac had never heard Hesper talk about these past events in person, but with only one sentence, he could already imagine the scene where Hesper jumped down from a tall building in order to protect her child. ¡°Did he bleed as much as I did on that day?¡± Hesper could still feel pain up till today, and it would get even more unbearable on cloudy and rainy days, to the extent that she could not walk properly as every step would feel like she was walking on the tip of a knife. These were all thanks to the Duvals and Juniper, which made Hesper dream about torturing them countless times. Julie could forget about what they had done to her in the past, and Sophia would do so too. Anyone could forget about those actions and schemes! But she, Hesper Rivera, would never forget. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone after you ever since I came back only because it wasn¡¯t your turn just yet.¡± Hesper stared into Julie¡¯s guilty eyes with her dimmed gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely give you a taste of your own medicine. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll be ten times or even a hundred times worse.¡± ¡°Okay, now throw her out. Matthew ising soon and I don¡¯t want him to worry.¡± Once Hesper gave the order, Isaac carried Julie, who was too frightened to speak, out of the ward, and then took a left turn in the corridor, but that was when he ran into Matthew, who had been standing at the door for who knows how long. ¡°Mr. Lane.¡± Isaac pushed Julie forward, and she immediately ran away holding her dislocated arm. Matthew¡¯s gaze looked calm and he opened his mouth after a short while. ¡°I¡¯ll go inter¡­ Summon the doctor here to attend to Hesper¡¯s wound.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Isaac turned around and went to look for the doctor, knowing that Matthew had heard everything that Hesper said. Everyone who worked for the Lanes could see how much Matthew loved Hesper. They also knew that she had suffered a lot and even almost died in the past, so they understood that it must not have felt good back then. Matthew indeed did not find this matter recorded anywhere in the system. After all, a woman jumping off a building was not a trivial matter. So, all news about this matter must have been deliberately suppressed and removed, and it was obvious that Rickard must have something to do with that process. ¡®Rickard Duval¡­¡± Matthew clenched his fists, and after a while, when he got his emotions and expression under control, he opened the door, and walked into the ward. He knew that Hesper had her own pride, so even he would not be allowed to interfere in her path of This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. taking revenge. ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re here!¡± Hesper guessed that Matthew would be here soon, but she did not expect him to arrive so soon. ¡®Thank God Isaac already drove Julie away earlier. Otherwise, Matthew would have to witness the whole farce from beginning to the end.¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Matthew responded with a hum and walked forward. Seeing Hesper¡¯s paleplexion, he forcibly suppressed his rage. ¡°Grandpa cooked some soup for you himself and kept telling me to watch you finish it before leaving you to yourself.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes widened, and she bargained, ¡°The thermos is so huge. Just how much soup did he cook? I¡¯ll turn into a ball after finishing it!¡± Looking at Hesper¡¯s coquettish smiling face, Matthew sighed, stretched out his hand, and rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Then you¡¯re to give Grandpa a call and tell him that you¡¯re not going to finish the soup. Anyway, this is the task he assigned to me; if I were to fail to aplish it, he¡¯ll definitely nag me over the years toe.¡± Hesperughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Grandpa that you speak ill of him behind his back.¡± The two chatted for a while before Hesper remembered that there was something more important that they should talk about. ¡°The person staying in the next ward saved my life. She¡¯s also an orphan, and she struggles a little in the intelligence department. The person who raised her¡­¡± Hesper lowered her gaze, feeling a little unbearable to continue. ¡°That person died in the earthquake. She really has no one to rely on now. Could you help me find a reliable doctor for her to see if her disease can be cured? As for the payment, just deduct it from my ie over the years.¡± ¡®No matter what, Twiggy will always be the person who saved my life. I can¡¯t just leave her out there to die. If she can recover from whatever illness that¡¯s bothering her and regain a normal IQ, she would at least be able to survive in the future. ¡°Okay.¡± Matthew agreed, and then suggested all of a sudden, ¡°But I think you should entrust this matter to another person. He has more connection in this field than I do.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Hesper did not even realize it for a split second, and when she thought of Nathaniel, her expression turned a little helpless. ¡°Matthew, stop trying to make a match out of the two of us. Others might not know about our rtionship, but you should know best!¡±. ¡°Nathaniel is indeed an excellent man. I regard you as my younger sister; that makes you the young Matthew mentioned Nathaniel out of the blue only because he wanted to test Hesper¡¯s reaction. After all, Hesper had taken a liking to Rickard for so many years, and he realized that Rickard¡¯s attitude towards her had changed so much over the years. That man even saved Hesper¡¯s life in Salt City without hesitating or worrying that he himself would actually get hurt in the process. It was hard to guarantee that Hesper would not be moved by him again. Hesper scratched her forehead in distress, and then said, ¡°Nathaniel is indeed a very good friend, but we¡¯re just friends. I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for him.¡± ¡°As for how Nathaniel treats me¡­ He treats everyone the same way, so I¡¯m sure that he doesn¡¯t like me.¡± Seeing that Hesper was simply worried about him bringing the engagement up and not because she was falling for Rickard again, Matthew changed the subject without a trace and did not mention Nathaniel again. ¡°Uncle Wilfred has been grounded by Grandpa. It was not reasonable for him to suggest that you risk your life by traveling to the area stricken by the earthquake. Even the directors back in Emperion can¡¯t say anything about the decision.¡± Matthew imed. ¡°I still stand by what I said earlier. Never put yourself at risk.¡± Hearing the seriousness in Matthew¡¯s tone, Hesper nodded solemnly. ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve already gone back and forth through the gate of hell twice in my life. The first trip taught me to let go of a certain someone, and the second trip taught me to take care of myself.¡± Listening to what Hesper had to say, Matthew was slightly stunned. He then saw Hespery back down in pain. ¡°My wound hurts so bad. If I knew that you heard everything, I wouldn¡¯t have put on a show!¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Matthew was a little helpless Hesper replied, ¡°The moment you came in, your gaze already looked weird. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t want to expose you before.¡± 7 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Hesper really did not want Matthew to know about those embarrassing past events. After all, the past had already passed, and one had to look forward in order to move forward in life. But it would not matter too even if Matthew were to find out about it. Every person would go through ups and downs in life, and Matthew was the person who reached out to her and lent her a helping hand when she was at her worst. Looking at Hesper, who seemed extremely carefree, Matthew could only rub her head. ¡°Get Isaac to stay in front of your door at all times so that no random sh*tsack can hurt you again. And where¡¯s Renee? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her ever since you got hurt this time around, not even once.¡± Regarding her suspicion that Juniper had hired someone to push her into her demise in Salt City, Hesper had not mentioned it to anyone yet. She even hesitated and avoided answering Isaac¡¯s questions when he asked her about the incident, and she had not brought the incident up again. It was not that Hesper did not trust other people to look into the matter; it was just that the more people. who knew about the incident, the easier it was to alert the culprit, so Hesper only told Renee to investigate young men that had a mole right under their right eye. ¡°There are other tasks that are keeping her busy. Besides, the number of people who are here taking care of me won¡¯t elerate my recovery.¡± Matthew would always lose his rationality when it came to issues that were rted to Hesper. Finding it a little amusing, she said, ¡°After this incident, things should remain rather peaceful for a while more This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. back in Emperion. I know you also took on some of the pressure on my behalf, so you should take this short. break to rx a little.¡± The two chatted about work for a while until the doctor came in, wanting to change Hesper¡¯s bandage. That was when Isaac had no choice but to lead Matthew out. After changing the bandages, Matthew was already long gone, without even bidding his sister goodbye. ¡°He just leaves as soon as he finds the chance. That¡¯s just how busy he is.¡± Staring at the soup on the table, Hesper shook her head helplessly, then took a photo and sent it to her grandfather. ¡°Matthew has brought me the soup. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely grab a good rest these few days!¡± Ernest was not someone who had these electronic devices on him all the time, so he did not reply to her text message immediately. Hesper had already gotten used to that, so she put her phone aside and continued to go through the reports. ¡°Ms. Lane¡­¡± Isaac hurried in from the corridor. ¡°Young Master Renfrew has gone missing!¡± ¡°What?¡± Myriade: Where are you going? Turn on your GPS. The phone that your dad gave you has been locked, so I can¡¯t connect it myself. Carrying his small backpack, Renfrew stood on the side of the road and waited for the traffic light to turn. green with other adults. After seeing the news, he frowned, immediately turned on his phone¡¯s GPS, and came out searching for his mommy. Renfrew: I¡¯ve asked, and my mommy is staying in a hospital in the city. I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m heading in the right direction. Myriade: But why do I feel that you¡¯re going in the opposite direction? Renfrew stood among the adults, and attracted the attention of severaldies nearby¨C Who would not fall for this fair, slightly chubby, and adorable child who was wearing a tiny suit? Seeing Myriade¡¯s words, Renfrew lifted his head, took a nce at the road sign, turned his head to the side, and saw thedies who were observing him secretly. He then walked over generously. ¡°Hello, Ms. Strangers, do you know where is Genecity¡¯s General Hospital located? I need to get there to find my mother.¡± Renfrew opened hisrge eyes and looked up at the women. The people standing next to them melted from his cuteness, not to mention thedies who were already observing him secretly before that. ¡°You have to take a bus from the station over there. It won¡¯t be near if you choose to walk there!¡± One of the women squatted down so that Renfrew could look at her horizontally. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you to walk there by yourself. Where¡¯s your daddy?¡± Hearing Rickard being mentioned, Renfrew gave off a hint of dissatisfaction through his expression, and he responded, ¡°He¡¯s been hospitalized too, and he hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Renfrew¡¯s tone made it sound like he did not like his father, but everyone automatically thought that Renfrew was a poor child whose parents had run into an ident and had no one to take care of them. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 ¡°Hello, hello? Can you hear me?¡± The Bluetooth earphone that Renfrew had on suddenly sounded, and the voice that came through belonged to the worried Myriade who had not received a reply to her message, but it was only a mechanical voice. ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much to strangers. There are a lot of children who are getting kidnapped and sold to foreign countries now, and don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re Rickard Duval¡¯s son, so you¡¯re worth a fortune.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you, youngdy. I know how to get there now.¡± Renfrew thanked thedies, picked up his small backpack, and walked away along the roadside under the shade of trees. Myriade: Wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient for you to take a taxi than to ask around for directions? Just give me the license te number when you get in the taxi. Renfrew: Okay, Ms. Myriade! On the other side, Hesper was already on the brink of losing her mind, while bodyguards of the Duvals had already been searching for Renfrew in the areas around the Duvals¡¯ residence. However, there was no sign of the kid at all. Hesper¡¯s wound had just opened today, so she could not get out of the hospital bed at all; she could only sit on the bed and wait for updates. Looking at how anxious Hesper looked, Isaacforted her. ¡°Ms. Lane, don¡¯t worry too much. Our men are already searching everywhere. Young Master Renfrew will be safe and sound.¡± Hesper rubbed her temples. This feeling ofplete powerlessness was not something that she would encounter often. ¡°I just contacted Benji and the assistant working for Mr. Duval too.¡± This was something Hesper did not ask of him, so Isaac felt a little guilty when he disclosed the information. But seeing that Hesper did not seem to me him, he continued. ¡°He pulled all the surveince footage. recorded by the cameras in Duvals¡¯ residence and realized that those surveince cameras were all hacked for a split second, so there was no footage that shows Young Master Renfrew leaving the vi.¡± ¡°They¡¯d been hacked?¡± Hesper frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t they try to recover them?¡± Of course, Benji was the one who knew about Renfrew¡¯s disappearance earlier than the others; however, since Rickard had not woken up yet, Julie was still in the hospital, and Sophia was not decisive enough to make any decisions, he could only take matters into his own hands. ¡°When he found out that the young master had disappeared, he immediately handed it over to the technicians of the Duvals, but they still couldn¡¯t recover the video.¡± ¡®So the other party¡¯s ability isn¡¯t something to be trifled with, and they seem rather well-prepared for this whole situation. Hesper¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡®If someone really took Renfrew away, all we can do now is to look for him around the city. However, this would feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, and it would definitely not yield any.results.¡± Rickard was in aa at this moment, so nobody knew what they should do and where they should go. ¡°Send me the surveince footage. I¡¯ll send it to Nathaniel.¡± The hackers working under Nathaniel were all well-known in the world. Before Hesper returned to Genecity, he had repeatedly told her that if she were to encounter any problems that could not be solved, she must take the initiative to contact him. Originally, Hesper did not want to trouble Nathaniel. After all, they were just friends, but they also shared an engagement bond, which made things even more awkward. In addition to that, although they had been getting along well, she still did not think that she should be troubling him with such a trivial matter. However, Renfrew had always been the most important person to her. ¡°In addition, we found out that Young Master Renfrew has been wanting to visit you recently, but Madam Duval and Ms. Duval grounded him.¡± ¡°Grounded?¡± Just as Hesper sent the footage to Nathaniel, there was already a hint of hatred on her face. ¡®Renfrew is my son and Rickard¡¯s. No matter what, they¡¯re not in a position to manipte him. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Sophia was lying on the king-sized bed in her room and scrolling through her cell phone uneasily. ¡®Renfrew¡¯s disappearance isn¡¯t a trivial matter. When Benji came over to pull the surveince footage just now, he got to see how mother and I have been treating the kid these few days, and his gaze changed almost instantly. It¡¯s impossible for Benji not to tell Rickard about this kind of thing. That is to say, Rickard might be in aa now, but when he wakes up and hears about how we¡¯ve been treating Renfrew, he¡¯ll surely give us hell.¡± What happened before this had not even passed yet, and regrets were already umting in Sophia¡¯s chest. ¡®What good has it done me by managing to make that little brat feel upset?¡± Sophia was still caught in her thoughts when she suddenly heard a noiseing from outside the door. She shouted annoyedly, ¡°What¡¯s up with the noise? Do you people need to be reminded of the rules? Sawyer, Sawyer?¡± As soon as Sophia stopped shouting for the butler, a group of people broke into her room from outside. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Renee took a nce at Sophia and raised her hand expressionlessly. The people behind her walked up to Sophia and picked her up. ¡°Who are you? Are you crazy!¡± Sophia struggled desperately, but she was no match for the bodyguards at all, so she could only scream like a pig that was about to be dragged into a butchery. ¡°Put me down now! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Rickard Duval¡¯s sister! And this is my home!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renee gazed at Sophia, who did not even forget to boss her around while she was cursing everyone. present, and a trace of disgust shed across her eyes that were sitting under the sses. ¡°Take her away.¡± The servants of the Duvals¡¯ residence stood obediently at the edge of the corridor and watched as Sophia was being taken away, not daring to utter a single word. Because Benji had already called here just now, saying that these people worked for the former Mrs. Duval, they were not allowed to get into any form of conflict with those visitors. All of them saw how Sophia had been treating Renfrew these days, and it was impossible for them to still not understand why that was happening to her. Sophia was driven to a ce with her head covered. She was crying and screaming throughout the whole journey before they finally arrived at the ce. ¡°Soph, is that you Sophia?¡± Hearing Julie¡¯s voice, Sophia¡¯s mental defense shatteredpletely, and she shouted, ¡°Mom! Are you there? These people are crazy! Please save me, please get Rickard toe and save me!¡± Julie was abducted when she was in the hospital, waiting to get her arm popped back into her shoulder, so she naturally knew that these men worked for Hesper. They were left in a small detached house, which was located very far away from the urban area. If one did not have a car, they would not be able to go elsewhere. Julie originally did not understand what Hesper wanted from her this time, but she understood immediately after she saw Sophia. ¡®Hesper has found out that we¡¯ve been grounding that little brat!¡± ¡°Does the disappearance of Young Master Renfrew have anything to do with you?¡± The hood on Sophia¡¯s head was taken off, and she was thrown onto the couch with Julie. She could only stare at Renee and the bodyguards standing behind her ¡°Renfrew has disappeared?¡± Julie¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she looked at her daughter. ¡°Is Renfrew missing?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sophia nodded and murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either¡­ He just disappeared from the house by himself. He was already gone when the servant opened the door to his room to bring him food.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just me this on us. We only locked him up. We didn¡¯t beat or scold him, and we even offered him food and drink. So what does it have to do with us now that he¡¯s disappeared?¡± Sophia tried to quibble, but Renee sneered. ¡°You two are just beyond salvageable.¡± Julie¡¯s expression dimmed. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t like Hesper or Renfrew, he¡¯s still Rickard¡¯s son, the young master of the Duvals. If something were to happen to Renfrew when we were being left in charge of the house¡­ Let¡¯s forget about Rickard first. I don¡¯t think we could even get through father¡¯s side unscathed! Seeing that the two of them probably did not know about this matter, Renee turned around, went outside, and called Hesper to report her findings. ¡°You¡¯d better hope that nothing happens to the young master.¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 The bodyguards on the side picked the two of them up and threw them to the ground. ¡°You two should kneel while you wait. This would make you look more sincere, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Julie and Sophia hugged each other, knelt on the ground, and trembled. Everything seemed to have gone back to three years ago. It was just that the people who were kneeling on the ground had changed. Hesper did not have the time and energy to waste on the two of them, so she only taught them a small lesson. Apart from that, Renfrew had not been found yet, so she was not in the mood for doing anything. Sure enough, Nathaniel found something really soon and called Hesper. ¡°What? Renfrew went out by himself?¡± Hesper did not expect it to be like that, but Nathaniel sent a video to her almost instantly. As soon as she tapped on it, she saw that Renfrew was packing his backpack and had even changed into a decent suit and bow. Nathaniel chuckled softly on the phone. ¡°He looks like a little gentleman, and he looks a lot like you.¡± Before Hesper could even react to the video, someone knocked on the door of her ward. ¡°Excuse me. Mommy, are you in there?¡± ¡®It¡¯s my boy, it¡¯s Ren!¡± Hesper ignored the wound on her back, got out of bed and opened the door. ¡°Ren!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Seeing that the little boy in the video was now standing in front of her, Hesper was extremely anxious and exasperated. She immediately reached out to pinch Renfrew¡¯s little cheek. ¡°Do you know how worried I was? How could you sneak out of the house by yourself? Do you know how dangerous the outside world can be?¡± Renfrew was taken aback by Hesper¡¯s words and did not know how to react for a split second, but Hesper hugged him tightly in the next second. ¡°¡­Mommy?¡± Hesper¡¯s hands were shaking, and Renfrew felt the fear that his mommy was feeling. Although he did not understand the reason behind her emotions, he stretched out his little hand and rubbed Hesper¡¯s head as if he wasforting her. ¡®Mommy¡¯s wound is on her back, so she can¡¯t be hugged or patted on the back.¡± Renfrew pursed his lips and said softly, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll definitely not do this again in the future! I just missed you, but they won¡¯t let me visit you¡­¡± Hesper¡¯s racing heart finally returned to normal, and she also realized that she seemed to sound too aggressive just now, so she lifted her head guiltily and rubbed Renfrew¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mommy sounded so fierce just now.¡± Renfrew shook his head solemnly. ¡°I know that it¡¯s my fault, Mommy, so you don¡¯t have to say sorry.¡± Since he was a toddler, his daddy had always taught him how to be a man, and his great-grandpa had ways spoiled him. So this boy, who had been perfectly protected in afortable environment, had per caused someone to worry about him and experienced the feeling of being med. ¡®So this must be the feeling of having a mommy!¡¯ Hesper then called Benji and told him that Renfrew had been found. Benji breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the news, but he could not help but give off a wry smile. ¡®Among all the Duvals, who would really worry about the young master apart from Mr. Duval Sr. and Mr. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Duval?¡¯ Now that Rickard was in aa, he did not dare to tell Ernest about the young master¡¯s disappearance. So, Benji was the only person who was really relieved after all that hard work. ¡®If something were to really happen to the young master, I¡¯d be the first person to die after Mr. Duval wakes up.¡¯ Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 After five days of being in aa, Rickard finally woke up. All inspections showed that Rickard¡¯s condition was very stable. Benji could finally sit down and catch a breather. While Rickard was unconscious, he had to continue to run thepany. Otherwise, if the news were to spread through the entire city or even the whole country, thepany would crumble into pure chaos. ¡°How is Hesper doing? Has she woken up?¡± The first thing that he did after opening his eyes was to ask about Hesper¡¯s condition, which was within. Benji¡¯s expectations. So, he reported everything that had happened to Hesper over the past few days to Rickard. Knowing that Julie went to Hesper and made a huge fuss again, Rickard rubbed his eyebrows wearily and asked, ¡°Where is she now?¡± Benji cleared his throat and remained silent. ¡°What happened?¡± Facing Rickard¡¯s suspicious gaze, Benji lowered his head and said truthfully, ¡°Ms. Lane abducted Madam Duval from the hospital and sent someone to the Duvals¡¯ residence to capture Ms. Duval too. I didn¡¯t dare to send anyone out to stop them, and I still haven¡¯t found their location over the past few days. So¡­ I don¡¯t really know where they are now.¡± This oue was something that Rickard had not thought about, but after spending some time with her, he started to understand Hesper¡¯s personality bit by bit. Although it was difficult for her to let go of the grievances that she was holding against his family, Hesper had never been the kind of person who would go around, looking to cause some trouble. ¡°What did my mother do again?¡± ¡®That incident is something that can¡¯t stay hidden forever.¡± Benji felt his head aching. He sighed and thought about when he could apply for a few days¡¯ worth of annual leave and temporarily get himself out of this kind of work environment where he had to worry about everything, inside out. ¡®Ever since Ms. Lane came back to Genecity, Mr. Duval¡¯s personality has changed as if he¡¯s a different man. Back then, he was only a little elusive, but he¡¯s how not only an elusive but also a capricious man.. Whenever ites to anything that rtes to Ms. Lane, he could be a man of no principles at all.¡± After reporting all the things that took ce around the family in the past few days, Benji escaped from the ward wearily. ¡°Benji?¡± Isaac was walking towards him. Although Rickard and Hesper¡¯s rtionship was ratherplicated and knotty, their work contacts and other personal affairs could not bepletely separated, so Isaac and Benji had since be a little acquainted. Benji walked over and said, ¡°Mr. Duval has woken up.¡± That was not surprising to Issac. If Rickard were to remain unconscious for a few more days, many things would be even more difficult to deal with. Looking at the disheveled and exhausted look on Benji¡¯s face, Isaac felt a little sympathetic toward him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and report this to Ms. Lane. You 1 This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. should get back to what you were going to do now.¡± The news of Rickard regaining consciousness left no effect on Hesper. At least when Isaac told Hesper the news, he did not see any fluctuations in her mood. ¡°Nice, right on time. Now that he¡¯s awake, Renfrew won¡¯t be mistreated by the Duvals anymore.¡± Renfrew had been staying with Hesper these few days. However, the hospital was not a good ce for kids to stay over a long period of time. Aside from that, Hesper could not take care of Renfrew in her current state too, so keeping the little kid here with her was never a long term solution. Speaking of the Duvals, Hesper recalled that Julie and Sophia were still locked up in the detached house. Renee had not sent her any message¡¯s so far, so she had also forgotten about the matter. ¡°Release them and send them back to the Duvals. If Grandpa were to find out about this, he¡¯ll definitely be worried.¡± Ernest had always been the person that Hesper could noty her finger on the most in the entire family. Ernest was the person who treated her best before she met Matthew and Arthur; he was also the rtive who had raised her for more than a decade. ¡®If I could¡¯ve waited until Grandpa returned to the Duvals¡¯ residence back then¡­ I¡¯d never have ended up in such a miserable situation. It was only a few days away.¡¯ Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 ¡®However, it¡¯s useless to hold onto the past.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hesper¡¯s wound would not scab and recover. The doctor was so infuriated with her that he ignored her identity and almost pointed to her nose and started reprimanding her. In order to help maintain the doctor¡¯s blood pressure, Hesper decided to take good care of her injuries. and promised that she would not move around again. During this period, Isaac saw Rickard standing at the door of Hesper¡¯s ward several times. He did not know what he was thinking about, but he did not open the door and enter. Naturally, Isaac would not hide such matters from Hesper. After all, he had already told her what Rickard asked him not to say the other day, let alone such a trivial matter. ¡°¡­Just let him be.¡± Hesper had been wondering. ¡®He was so proactive before the ident took ce, so why didn¡¯ he show up after he woke up from hisa? It turns out that he snuck over to my ward from time to time just to have a look, but he doesn¡¯t have the guts to show up.¡¯ Of course, Rickard was not afraid of appearing in front of her but hesitant. Recently, he had been thinking of Hesper when she was chasing after him back then. In fact, Hesper was not as annoying as he thought at that time. And since Ernest told him to look after her, it was only natural for him to treat Hesper a little differently now. ¡®Hesper has always been a very introverted and quiet person. She¡¯s like a sharp stone whose edges and corners have been sanded and smoothed, and one can only know how stubborn she can be by spending time and getting along with her. It¡¯s because of various reasons that she has to conceal her true self and try to portray herself as a peaceful and quietdy. ¡®If she hadn¡¯t gotten into my bed, slept with me, and coerced me into marrying her and making her Mrs. Duval back then, I would probably have taken her in as my younger sister and taken care of her up till today. ¡®Thinking about it now, apart from this wrongdoing, everything else that I thought she did was deliberately staged by others to frame her. My prejudice is the sole reason why she is who she is today.¡¯ ¡°Rickard Duval.¡± Hesper opened the door of the ward and looked at the man in front of her expressionlessly. ¡°How much longer do you n to stand there? You might not feel ashamed, but I do.¡± That was when Rickard returned to his senses and realized that he had gone to Hesper¡¯s ward again. I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Before Rickard could finish speaking, Hesper had already dragged him into the ward. The interior design of the wards was the same; there was a small couch to sit on. Hesper still had a few stacks of documents that she needed to go through, so she did not talk to Rickard but went back to bed and continued working. In order to ensure that the wound would not open again, Hesper moved very slowly. Rickard wanted to stride forward to help her out, but she avoided him. Hesper did not say anything, and Rickard did not speak either. The two each upied one corner in the ward. Hesper was dealing with work while Rickard was watching her. Mommy¡­ Daddy?¡± In the evening, Isaac brought Renfrew over to visit his mommy, but the first thing that caught his eyes as soon as he entered the door was his daddy and mommy sharing the same space. Hesper raised her head when she heard his voice and realized that time just flew by when she saw Renfrew. She could not help but feel a little surprised. It had been so quiet all this while, so quiet that Hesper thought she was the only person in the room, and she did not expect that so long had passed.- Rickard was also pondering about things deep down, and Renfrew¡¯s voice was the rm that pulled him back to reality. He never thought that he and Hesper could spend so long together without disturbing each other; it felt amazing. Seeing this scene, the happiest person was Renfrew After all, every time his mommy and daddy came. together, they had always been at each other¡¯s throats. And although he was only a child, he could still see that they were only ying pretend to coax him. But both his daddy and his mommy were great parents, so he did not want them to quarrel. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Before Zikmund came to the hospital with the documents that Rickard wanted, he still could not help butugh at Rickard on the phone. ¡°Bro, when was thest time you put yourself in such a messy situation?¡± Zikmund only dared to do so because of Rickard¡¯s physical condition and the fact that they were only talking to each other over the phone; there was no way that he could do anything to him. That was why This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. he was leaning against the couch andughing his heart out at this very moment. ¡°Bro, look at you. When Hesper was your wife, all you did was ignore her. Now that she no longer wants anything to do with you, you in turn want to court her instead. Or should I say that you¡¯re a true man? You only want a woman who doesn¡¯t want to be with you.¡± Rickard listened to Zikmund¡¯s ridicule with an expressionless face and then replied indifferently, ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s dismissed the idea.¡± ¡°Rickard Duval! You can¡¯t even take mockery heads on now, can you?¡± Rickard turned over a page and stated, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind it, I can help you persuade your grandfather into sending you to an army base to earn some life experience right now.¡± Since he was a young boy, Rickard had always been the child that all parents wished their own children could be. Many childhood friends of his were rebuked very often when they were kids because of Rickard¡¯s existence, and Zikmund was no exception. Zikmund¡¯s grandfather liked Rickard very much too. But little did he know that Rickard was actually a very ruthless and evil-minded boy. ¡°I lose, and you win, you bastard.¡± Zikmund chuckled. ¡°So what¡¯s the situation now? Has Ms. Rivera really rejected you?¡± Speaking of Hesper, Rickard stopped working for a while before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m not courting her.¡± ¡°What? Why would you dy it for so long?¡± Rickard was speechless for a split second. ¡°Zikmund, as for your grandfa¡­¡± ¡°Okay, my bad, my bad, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Zikmund originally thought it was fun to watch Rickard struggle a little in his private life, but at the end of the day, they were still very close friends, so making fun of him was one thing, but helping him secure his ex-wife was another thing; it was not something that he would joke about. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go visit youter, so you can tell me more about you two, and I¡¯ll help youe up with ways to court her.¡± ¡°I might not excel in any other abilities whenpared to you, but I¡¯m rtively confident in my courtship skills.¡± Hearing this, Rickard picked up the handset and asked, ¡®When will you arrive?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zikmund was caught off guard for a second. ¡°Firstly, you need to spend more time with her. Although you two have been couples for ages, you only upheld a basic marriage rtionship back then. You never got along normally, did you?¡±¡± Zikmund smacked the desk. ¡°You have to find a way to get Hesper to spend more time with you. Why don¡¯t you take full advantage of your son? He¡¯s a total head start that nature has provided you with.¡± Hesper took a closer look at the neatly dressed boy in front of her, then saw Rickard, who was standing behind the little rascal with an inexplicably awkward expression, and could not help but frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that Renfrew is still young? His body immunity system is still not fully developed, so he can¡¯te to the hospital all the time. So can you tell me why you keep bringing him here?¡± Before Rickard could speak, Renfrew had already stepped forward and held Hesper¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t scold Daddy. I¡¯m the one who wanted to see you.¡± Renfrew patted the muscles on his arm that were non-existent. ¡°I¡¯m very healthy, so I won¡¯t fall sick!¡± Rickard yed along with Renfrew¡¯s excuse. ¡°Renfrew insisted oning. I couldn¡¯t stop him.¡± Renfrew heard his daddy¡¯s betrayal once again, and while Hesper was not looking, he cast a contemptuous gaze at his own daddy. ¡®You¡¯re the one who obviously wanted to see Mommy, so why would you put the me on me?!¡¯ 9 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m notfortable with letting Ren stay with the Duvals.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel worried when she thought about Julie and Sophia. ¡°I should let Ren stay at my ce. At least he wouldn¡¯t get bullied.¡± ¡°No.¡± Rickard immediately rejected the idea and looked at Hesper curiously. He hadn¡¯t thought of what to say, so he just tilted his head. ¡°But¡­ mom, I¡¯d be bored at home alone. Just let mee here. I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Ren tugged at Hesper¡¯s wrist as he hinted at Rickard. That was when Rickard noticed that Renfrew had the ability to change the tides. Hesper only cared about Renfrew¡¯s safety, but it was logical. Renfrew could think for himself, so it would be boring for him to be alone. She was just a vague concept to Renfrew in the past, a mother who didn¡¯t take care of her own child. How could she me Renfrew for missing her? This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hesper started feeling guilty when she thought of that ¡°Alright then, but you need to be vignt and remember to disinfect when you get home, alright?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Watching Renfrew and Hesper get so close gave Rickard emotions he never felt. Renfrew was the heir of the Duval Group. Even though Rickard loved him, he wouldn¡¯t let him act like a child. Renfrew was a child¡­ Was he too harsh on him in the past? ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Hesper¡¯s voice brought him back to reality, and he saw her staring at him suspiciously. Rickard never zoned out before this because he was always focused, but in the past few days, Hesper noticed that he kept doing that and was curious about what was on his mind. From the moment she opened her eyes, she noticed that Rickard changed. She used to love him and hate him so deeply, but now everything seemed to have passed. She didn¡¯t hate him as much anymore, but she no longer had feelings either. Rickard saved her but almost turned into an aplice to the person who almost killed her. A life for a life, but feelings can¡¯t be traded like that. Hesper didn¡¯t have the time and energy for a rtionship, especially not with a man who hurt her so badly in the past. ¡°I¡¯ll work in your room from tomorrow and take care of Ren.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t hear any signs of a quid pro quo there, but since Rickard offered, she wasn¡¯t going to reject him. Renfrew needed to grow up in a normal environment. She was his mother and Rickard was his father. They should all be together. After Rickard went home, he told Zikmund about Hesper¡¯s reaction. Zikmund felt that something was off, but still, Hesper had agreed to his suggestion. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Zikmund was a little annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re such a manly man. How do you flirt? You turn into a kitten, a tiger, or a wet puppy?¡± ¡°?¡± Rickard was silent for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve watched too much Animal World.¡± Zikmund thought that he was beyond saving. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Hesper was recovering and could now get off the bed and walk around. The doctors said that she had a strong body but didn¡¯t know that Hesper was just used to getting treatment because her body had gone through a lot. When she left the Duval Family, she was hurt from head to toe and there were multiple seque. Women¡¯s bodies were at their weakest after giving birth, but Hesper was tortured continuously, and there were the side effects of jumping off a building. Even when Matthew asked famous doctors from all over the world for help, her body was never fully healed. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a full body checkup and realized that there¡¯s a metal te on your knee. Even though you¡¯ve recovered quite well, it must hurt when it rains or when it¡¯s cold.¡± The doctor looked at the report and didn¡¯t expect her to have so many injuries at her age. ¡°What is more deadly is that this isn¡¯t a long-term solution. When your knee cap gives way to the friction, you might not be able to stand anymore.¡± Hesper heard that multiple times and no longer had hope. ¡°That¡¯s seque from an ident. Thank you, but I understand,¡± Hesper said politely. ¡°How long until I can be discharged?¡± Rickard stood outside the room as Renfrew held his hand, not understanding why his father wouldn¡¯t go in. ¡°Why? Is Mommy busy?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Rickard lowered his eyes. J No one knew better than he did about how Hesper was injured. Once the discussion in the room ended, the doctor got up. ¡°If you keep recovering at the current rate, you¡¯ll be out in no time. I¡¯ll be excusing myself, Ms. Lane.¡± Rickard took a few steps back as the doctor opened the door. The doctor wanted to say something, but Rickard gestured for him to stay quiet. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Is there anything else, doctor?¡± Hesper got up and walked over to the door but heard the door closing. The doctor looked at this man standing in front of him and didn¡¯t really understand what was happening. When Mrs. Duval gave birth, the news about Mr. Duval wanting to ¡®save the child¡¯ instead of the mother spread. It was strictly forbidden for the doctors to ask if they should save the mother or the child, but it was the Duvals, so the doctor had to follow his orders and focus on saving the baby even if it meant sacrificing the mother. Ms. Lane¡¯s survival impressed a lot of people, but the people who knew what happened knew that it wasn¡¯t easy for Hesper to get so far. ¡°Is there no way¡­ to save her leg?¡± The doctor was honest. ¡°The local doctors wouldn¡¯t be able to, but the top surgeons might be able to help.¡± Rickard nodded, then let the doctor be on his way. ¡°Does mommy¡¯s leg hurt?¡± Renfrew looked up at his father¡¯s stoic expression. To him, death and sickness was a foreign concept, so he didn¡¯t understand what the doctor said. Rickard rubbed his head but didn¡¯t speak. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 When the doctor told him that Hesper¡¯s leg wouldn¡¯t fully recover, he didn¡¯t feel anything except a little guilt. He never sought help from the best doctor for her. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to help her.¡± Life at the hospital was just sleeping, working, and watching something to pass the time. Ever since Hesper became part of the Lane family, she didn¡¯t have much leisure time, so she was getting bored of this. Rickard took half of her room, which made the already small room more ustrophobic. She turned and saw Renfrew ying with his phone, so she turned around and unlocked her phone. Hesper took a design course in college and it was the major she chose because she was interested in it. However, because she was pregnant with Renfrew and subsequently married Rickard, she didn¡¯t manage to graduate and had to drop out. Later when Matthew arranged for her to go study abroad at an Ivy League College, she mentioned her previous education. She did quite well in school. Firstly because she had a tough life and had to learn more with the resources that she had after facing the kindness shown by Ernest. Secondly¡­ Rickard was always the top student, and to follow in his footsteps and be in the same ss with him, she forced herself to attend school, even though sometimes all she wanted to do was cry under her nket. She thought for a while and sent a message to Matthew. Hesper: Matt, do I have a spot at Genecity University? Matthew: Yes, why? Hesper sat up and typed quickly. Hesper: What do you think if I went back to school? I¡¯ll finish the work and won¡¯t let school get in the way. of it. Matthew stared at the message that Hesper sent over and sat there in silence. Hesper never asked for anything from him and had always been responsible. She probably thought of him as her brother because of the help he gave her, but he always felt that he still wasn¡¯t doing enough. Matthew: I¡¯ll support you if that¡¯s what you want. I¡¯ve given a copy of your documents to Renee, so you can ask her to settle everything. Hesper: Thanks, Matt! Hesper didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately asked Renee to start with the process. Renee didn¡¯t expect her to want to go back to school, so she hadn¡¯t looked into the process yet and had to ask Hesper to wait for two days before she could restore her status as a student. It wasn¡¯t urgent because Hesper wasn¡¯t able to attend sses just yet. However, just thinking about it excited Hesper. Rickard noticed that her emotions were different when he was working. She looked¡­ happy? He then looked aside and saw Renfrew using his phone while looking very serious, as though he was trying to figure out a difficult question. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Rickard was confused. Why did he have a feeling that something was off? Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Renfrew was trying to finish the homework that Ms. Myde left for him. She gave him a lot this time and it was a lot harder than the ones before. He was able to finish the previous ones easily, but this time, he was stuck. Ms. Myriade: The footage that I hacked previously was recovered. If someone remembers this, they¡¯ll investigate it. Ms. Myriade: My identity can¡¯t be exposed, but your parents aren¡¯t people that you can just lie to. I¡¯ll have. to let you learn some simple functions so you can hack into surveince. Someone found out what they did? Renfrew¡¯s chubby face looked so serious. Ms. Myriad helped him a lot, so he can¡¯t let her identity be exposed, or he might not be able to meet her in the future! Ren: I¡¯ll do my best! The three spend the time in silence together. Renee took Renfrew home at night but didn¡¯t look at Rickard in a friendly way. ¡°Safe journey,¡± Hesper said as she tidied up Renfrew¡¯s cor. ¡°Listen to Aunt Renee and no ice cream tonight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Renfrew nodded and held Renee¡¯s hand and waved goodbye. ¡°Bye Mommy, bye Daddy.¡± After they left, Rickard had no reason to stay, so he grabbed hisptop and documents and was ready to leave when Hesper suddenly called out to him. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Rickard.¡± Rickard froze and turned around unnaturally. ¡°Yes?¡± Hesper looked at him calmly, then said, ¡°I want to speak to you about Ren.¡± The soft lighting of the room made Hesper¡¯s face look even softer. Thest time she looked at him like that seemed to be a lifetime away. Rickard nodded his head without saying a word. ¡°I think your parenting method is problematic. Renfrew is three and almost four. Other kids would be enrolled in nursery school by now, but Renfrew rarely spends time with outsiders.¡± Hesper was worried.¡± He wouldn¡¯t feel lonely if it wasn¡¯t because of this. I was missing from his life, and he didn¡¯t have friends either, only seeing Sophia and Julie all the time. What could he learn from that?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t hide her feelings toward Julie and Sophia ¡± She would never believe that the pair would sincerely take care of Renfrew, even if he was the only descendant of the family. Just as they said, Rickard was still young, so even if there wasn¡¯t Renfrew, he would have other options. They looked down on her and wouldn¡¯t treat him nicely either. Rickard had never attended nursery school because he followed his father to work since he was a child. All the education he had after that was business oriented. Renfrew was his only child, so he was very strict with him. If he wasn¡¯t able to blend into society, he would be ostracized. That was how cruel the world was. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think, but I want my child to grow up in a normal environment and not just an unhappy robot after he grows up.¡± Hesper was frowning. Rickard looked at him, but didn¡¯t say if he agreed or not. After a long pause, he finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t frown.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise when he said that. Rickard didn¡¯t realize that he had said that, but now that it was out, he held out his hand and tried to rub her brows apart, but Hesper avoided it. ¡°Stop that¡­¡± Even though they weren¡¯t unhappy together recently, Hesper had no intention of getting back with him. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 He had crossed the line. Rickard¡¯s hand froze in mid-air, then he took it back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t speak, so Rickard continued. ¡°I¡¯m fine with sending him to school, but we need to ask Ren if he¡¯s fine with it.¡± It was fine to ask Ren¡¯s opinion because Hesper respected his opinion. Whether he went or not would be up to him. She wouldn¡¯t make the decision for him even though she was his mother. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll speak to him tomorrow.¡± Hesper looked tired, so Rickard didn¡¯t say more. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, rest well.¡± The next day when Renfrew got there, Hesper and Rickard brought up the topic. ¡°Do you not want me around anymore?¡± Renfrew thought that Hesper wanted to send him to boarding school, so he gave her puppy eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be good. I ate half a scoop of ice creamst night but I won¡¯t do it again. Please don¡¯t send me away!¡± Hesper was surprised at the confession. She told him to not have more ice cream because the season was changing and he might just catch a cold, or something worse. The child nodded with teary eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t send me away!¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as she exined what a nursery was. They weren¡¯t sending. him away. They would send him over tomorrow morning and bring him back in the evening. ¡°The teachers will teach you something and you get to y with other children.¡± Hesper patiently hugged Renfrew. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not mandatory, children should still have friends of their age. Don¡¯t you want friends?¡± Friends like Ms. Myriade? Renfrew¡¯s eyes shone. Before he met Ms. Myriade, he didn¡¯t know what friends were, but he was always happy when he spent time with her. It was different from when he spent time with Daddy and Mommy! ¡°I want to go.¡± Hesper looked at his shiny eyes and couldn¡¯t help but pinch his soft cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy.¡± 1 This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Rickard watched the mother and son¡¯s loving interaction. Even though Renfrew grew up by his side, they were never so close. Mothers could never be reced. ¡°Can you go to the nursery with me?¡± Renfrew looked from one parent to the other. ¡°Would the other kids. go with their parents too?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know the answer to that. It was true, but her rtionship with Rickard¡­ Sitting together with Rickard talking so calmly was her limit. However, when she saw the anticipation in his eyes, Hesper couldn¡¯t reject him, so she looked over to Reickard and hoped that he coulde up with something. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Rickard thought she was asking if it was alright. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go together then.¡± Hesper was silent, but seeing how happy Renfrew was and how Rickard already agreed, Renfrew would be devastated if she rejected, so she agreed too. ¡°Alright, but if Mommy or¡­ or Daddy is busy, then we wouldn¡¯t be able to go together.¡± Renfrew nodded. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the best! Daddy too, but you¡¯re a little behind.¡± Hesperughed and her thin shoulder des trembled like a butterfly that was ready to take flight. Hesper and Rickard were almost fully recovered. Hesper was very wary of her health, so she would only go home once the doctor said it was fine for her to, but Rickard stayed because he wanted to spend time with her. Benji would tease him every time he sent documents over because when he was more badly injured than this, he didn¡¯t take as much time off. Even when Juniper was with Rickard, his judgment would never be swayed because of rtionships, especially when it came to working. Hesper was fully recovered and there wasn¡¯t even a scar on her back. She was very happy about that because she needed to be in evening dresses, so her choices would be limited if there was a scar. It was thanks to the medication that Julian sent to her. Even the doctor said that it would be impossible to recover so well if it wasn¡¯t because of it. Ever since Julian started learning from his professor, he rarely kept in touch with Hesper and would only show up whenever she needed something. He would prepare it and send it over to her. That happened three years ago. After Hesper left the Duvals, Julian would be targeted if he continued staying at the hospital, so Hesper asked Matthew to give him another chance too. She knew that Julian was a capable man. He would be able to find a new job because of his qualifications and not because of her words. One day, Julian suddenly told her that he found a chance to get into medicine and would be working under a professor. However, the only condition to heal Hesper¡¯s leg was if Julian could cope with his antics. That was when Julian cut down onmunications with her. Hesper was really touched by that, but she no longer wished for too much knowing the situation of her knee. Julian was doing what he loved, learning from the renowned doctor, so as a friend, she felt happy for him. After Hesper was discharged, the first thing she did was enroll Renfrew into a nursery. Hesper didn¡¯t know Genecity as well as Rickard, so the responsibility fell on Rickard. Renfrew told Ms. Myriade that he was going to school soon. She didn¡¯t sound very happy about it because she thought that with his brains, the nursery would be a waste of time and talent. Renfrew was already a protege in hacking, so learning vocabry wouldn¡¯t be a problem. What would he learn at the nursery? Counting with his fingers? However, Renfrew exined to her that Hesper wanted him to be like normal children, socializing and learning about life, so he could have many friends. Ms. Myriade was quiet for the longest time before replying. Ms. Myriade: I envy you sometimes, Ren. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Ms. Myriade: You can be a normal child¡­ That¡¯s so nice Renfrew didn¡¯t understand theplicated emotions, but Ms. Myriade seemed to think that going to a nursery was a good idea. ¡°Ren, time to sleep. You¡¯ll be going to the nursery tomorrow.¡± Hesper finished showering and saw Renfrew¡¯s blushed cheeks. She couldn¡¯t help but give it a kiss, then patted his head while smiling. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy!¡± Renfrew blushed more and said goodnight to Ms. Myriade, then ce his phone down. ¡°Goodnight Mommy!¡± The next day, Rickard waited outside Hesper¡¯s home on time. He wasn¡¯t in a business suit but rather in sportswear. It looked casual and didn¡¯t seem as though he already had a child as old as Renfrew. Hesper got into the car with the child and saw Rickard in sportswear. She never saw him wearing that before because he was always in a suit that looked so expensive that people just felt distant from him. ¡°You look so young today, Daddy!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Hesper was wearing sportswear too because they were going to school with Renfrew, so there wasn¡¯t a need to dress too formally. She wore an off-white outfit that matched Rickard¡¯s grey outfit. Hesper yed with Renfrew¡¯s hair. Someone was giving out information the previous time, but this time it was a coincidence. Rickard noticed that and decided to give Benji three months of bonus in his mind. He was going to wear his usual outfits before leaving. It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to pick one that was more casual among all his suits, but when Benji came to get him, he said he should change. Rickard wasn¡¯t very informed about this, so Benji gave him an idea, which made him hesitate, but he ended up changing into sportswear. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hesper ignored Rickard¡¯s gaze and rubbed Renfrew¡¯s hand. Rickard didn¡¯t think anything of it. The idea that they matched took over Rickard¡¯s mind. At that moment, he suddenly thought that sending their child to school like a normal couple¡­ was quite nice. Renfrew wouldn¡¯t be like the other kids, crying on the first day of school and asking for their parents, hoping that they could go home. Instead, he held his teacher¡¯s hand while carrying his backpack and said goodbye to his parents. The teacher thought that it was absolutely adorable. Hesper was worried about him getting used to the environment, but in the end, she was the one who felt longing when she saw Renfrew walking in with the teacher. ¡°I¡¯ll go pick you upter and we¡¯lle over together.¡± Rickard walked out of the nursery sadly with Hesper. When he turned around, he saw that something was off with Hesper, so he hesitated, then asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy about this?¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t exin how she was feeling to him, because he probably wouldn¡¯t understand even after she told him. Then she heard Rickard, as if testing the water, say, ¡°Renfrew would have candy when he¡¯s unhappy. Do you want to get some too?¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Hesper didn¡¯t know to cry or tough. She looked at this man in front of him and felt that she didn¡¯t know him anymore. In his mind, Rickard was a calm and strong man who would be able to solve any problem. He was the symbol of the rise of a business empire because the Duvals peaked under his leadership. However, the man in front of her now was looking at her with childlike eyes, saying something that This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. even. high-schoolers wouldn¡¯t say. He didn¡¯t even know what love was, so how could the older Hesper beg for him to stay? ¡°No, I¡¯m not unhappy.¡± Renee¡¯s car drove over at that moment, so Hesper nodded to him. ¡°You don¡¯t need toe to get me Before Rickard could say anything, she was already in the car. Renee drove away quickly and pretty much didn¡¯t stop longer than needed, as if Rickard was a virus and all she wanted was to get Hesper away as soon as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Hesper thought that Renee was funny. Why was everyone acting funny? Renee knew Hesper¡¯s past, so she hated the Duvals. Hesper saved her life, so anyone who harmed her would be a viin to her. ¡°Your enrollment is done, so you¡¯ll be able to start attending lectures from today onward,¡± Renee said. ¡°I¡¯II send the schedule to youter.¡± This was the best thing to have happened recently. Hesper called Renee the night before and was so excited she couldn¡¯t sleep. When she found out that the lecturer for her main subject was her previous lecturer, her emotions were at their peak. However, she felt guilty because the lecturer was ready to sign her up for apetition, but when Hesper realized that she was pregnant, she immediately gave up on the chance of a lifetime. The lecturer must have been very disappointed¡­ Hesper lowered her head and looked at her hands. These hands once made a design that surprised the lecturer. Maybe she used to have a talent for it, but now¡­ After going through so much, would she still be able to create a good design? Her enrollment was sessful because her file was still in their records, but it showed that she dropped out. All she needed to do was sign up again. The other reason was because of the Lane family name. It was a big name, and Hesper was no longer who she was in the past. ¡°Professor Jenkins always mentioned you and said that you¡¯re one of the most talented students we¡¯ve ever had.¡± The counselor was a young new lecturer who looked slightly older than Hesper, so he had never met her before. It was the first time he saw a woman as pretty as her, so he was a little stunned. Remembering that she dropped out three years ago, the counselor asked, ¡°Why did you drop out with so much talent? Did something happen at home?¡± Hesper told Renee not to let anyone know that she was part of the Lane family or there would be unnecessary problems. That was why even the counselor didn¡¯t know who she was. ¡°Yes, I became pregnant,¡± Hesper said, casually dropping a bomb as they walked over to the lecture halls. ¡°I know this ce. I used to attend lectures here.¡± The counselor snapped back to reality when he heard her voice. ¡°Oh, this is still the art faculty, and lectures are ongoing now.¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡°The building has been refurbished, so it might be different from what you remembered.¡± The facilities at Genecity University weren¡¯t too bad because they would get new supplies every year, but she never saw them fully refurbish a building. Hesper realized how much the ¡®refurbishment¡¯ was when she walked into the building. It was as though everything except the frame of the building was new. Outsiders would think that it was ¨¤ different school. ¡°I remembered that the Duval Group sponsored to refurbish the art faculty. Other than this building, that one had a facelift too.¡± Hesper froze in her steps. ¡°Duval Group?¡± Seeing her reaction, the counselor exined. ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot of details because this doesn¡¯t concern me¡­ But I heard people saying that one of the Duvals studied here.¡± There wasn¡¯t anyone from the family who studied here. Emotions rose in Hesper¡¯s heart. Did Ernest refurbish the ce while she was pregnant so she could be surprised when she resumed her studies? But¡­ she didn¡¯t stay there for long and didn¡¯t get to spend time with Ernest. She didn¡¯t see all this. Ever since her return to Genecity, Hesper hadn¡¯t met Ernest. She didn¡¯t want to talk about what happened in the past, nor did she want to make Ernest feel guilty because of her. However, walking around campus made Hesper feel sad. ¡°Hesper?¡± A familiar voice came from behind her. Hesper turned around and saw a woman holding a box of paint and looking at her with a shocked expression. ¡°It¡¯s really you, Hesper!¡± Her memories came back. The excited woman before her matched someone from her memory. The woman pushed the box into the counselor¡¯s arms and rushed over to give Hesper a big hug. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. I thought I would never see you again!¡± Hesper stretched out her hands and awkwardly patted the girl¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m back, Jess.¡± This bubbly woman was Hesper¡¯s best friend and roommate, Jessie Jenkins, daughter of Professor Jenkins. Ever since Hesper got married and moved out of their dorm, she attended fewer and fewer sses and spent less time with Jessie. Remembering how they would wake up early just to get food from the cafeteria, they seemed to have gone back to four years ago and Hesper¡¯s eyes turned red. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Jessie let go of Hesper and looked at her from head to toe, then pouted and said, ¡°Do you know my dad almost cursed you to death? I didn¡¯t dare bring you up in front of him these past few years.¡± Jessie didn¡¯t ask her anything, but that made Hesper feel even guiltier. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The time that was supposed to be for her to get to know the campus turned into a time for Jessie to bring Hesper around while the counselor walked behind them with a box. ¡°Isn¡¯t the paint needed now?¡± Hesper was used to Jessie¡¯s enthusiasm, but now it was a little too much. for her. ¡°Why are you here? To see Professor Jenkins?¡± Jessie waved her hand. ¡°I stayed to work as a tutor after graduation because my dad says my art is questionable, so I shouldn¡¯t show it to the public.¡± Hesper was amused. Jessie didn¡¯t want to get into art at first, but Professor Jenkins wanted someone to follow in his footsteps, so he trained her since she was a child to make sure that she did. Maybe because he was too stubborn in the past, but now he could tell that Jessie really wasn¡¯t interested in designing. Even though she had immacte skills, she had no inspiration. After all, artistic creation requires enthusiasm, and Jessie wasn¡¯t cut out for this, as she herself admitted. The counselor knew how she was, so he just followed them around. Hesper felt sorry for him because he was her counselor, but she was helpless. ¡°You can give those to me, and Jess can show me around campus. I¡¯m sure you have work to do.¡± The counselor gave her a grateful look. ¡°Yes, I do. Thanks for the help, Ms. Jenkins!¡± Hesper took the box from him and the counselor quickly escaped. Jessie crossed her arms and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re still so kind.¡± Hesper was surprised as she hugged the box because the smell of paint gave her a sense of reality. ¡°Everything has changed¡­¡± Hesper looked at Jessie and chuckled, but it sounded like a sigh. She was no longer the same as she was four years ago Professor Jenkins was teaching courses at another university, so after Hesper was done with her enrollment process, she still hadn¡¯t met him. The first day was a bit of a rush, and since she wasn¡¯t ready to meet him, she was relieved. ¡°I¡¯ve sent you my address so you cane to see me when you have time.¡± Jessie waved her phone. What I regret most in the past was not telling you where I lived. When I first lost contact with you, I thought I would never see you again.¡± Hesper felt a little guilty, but there was no point in bringing up the past. Jessie had a natural instinct when it came to this and never once asked her about it since they reunited. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go see you.¡± Hesper smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve sent my address to you too. I¡¯ll make some nice food when youe over.¡± Renee¡¯s car was parked outside the campus. Jessie looked at the Lincoln and raised her brows at Hesper. Hesper nodded because she didn¡¯t want to hide it from her. ¡°I¡¯ll visit the professor and you. Let¡¯s meet more often, my little Professor Jenkins.¡± Hesper looked down as Renee drove away. There was some paint on the corner of her shirt and it felt as though she was in a different world. ¡°You look really happy.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t deny it and smiled. ¡°I just suddenly feel as I¡¯ve been reborn. I¡¯ve lived for over twenty years, and today, I finally realize that there is a meaning to life!¡± She had friends, a passion, and something to chase after. Renee could understand that feeling. Before she met Hesper, life was meaningless, but now, seeing Hesper safe and sessful was her meaning in life. When they arrived at the nursery, Rickard¡¯s car was there and he was waiting outside. He was still in sportswear, but since Hesper¡¯s clothes had paint on them, she changed into a different outfit so they wouldn¡¯t match anymore. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± The teacher had to talk to the parents on the first day of kindergarten; both of them knew this. ¡°Yeah.¡± Hesper nodded and asked Renee to go back by herself first, as she wanted to go to the mall to buy some delicious food with Renfrew after fetching him from school, only then would they go home. Rickard observed Hesper secretly from the side- Her hair was tied up, which was rare to see. It made her look very simr to the version of herself from way back, when she was in her student days and only dared to follow him around quietly, and it looked just like a tiny ponytail. Hesper seemed very happy that day; her brows and eyes looked unusually rxed. She might not have even realized that, when the two of them were walking side by side, even the corners of her lips curled slightly upward. ¡°Go left.¡± Hesper looked at Rickard, who was walking straight forward, and called out to him. ¡°Rickard? What¡¯s upying that brain of yours?¡± ¡®You.¡± Rickard came back to his senses and did not say anything, just shook his head. ve Zikmund taught me this. Whenever I don¡¯t know what to say or how to prevaricate any of the situations that I¡¯m in, I¡¯ve been taught to not speak at all.¡¯ ¡°Pfft, you don¡¯t usually talk much anyway.¡± Hesper did not feel that something was wrong. She only thought that Rickard was thinking about work. She nodded. ¡°Just go straight and the ssroom will be upfront.¡± The two found Renfrew¡¯s ssroom. The other children had already been picked up by their parents, so Renfrew was the only one that was still obediently sitting on his little chair, concentrating on building with the blocks in front of him. ¡°Are you Renfrew¡¯s parents?¡± The teacher came over from the front door. When she saw Hesper and Rickard¡¯s faces, she could not help but freeze for a split second. ¡®No wonder Renfrew looks so delicate and handsome at such a young age. It turns out to be his genes.¡¯ ¡°Hi, Ms. Zeelen, how did Renfrew do today? Was he obedient?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Hesper had not been a parent before, so she did not know what question to ask, but after giving it some thought, the questions that she could ask would only surround a few certain topics. Although, she was confident that Renfrew would not be mischievous. Sure enough, Ms. Zeelen shook her head and said, ¡°Renfrew¡¯s very obedient. I¡¯ve been in the education industry for so many years and I¡¯ve never seen a child who¡¯s as obedient as him. Let¡¯s not forget that he¡¯s the youngest in the ss.¡± Hearing what Ms. Zeelen had to say, Hesper felt rather proud. ¡®I knew it. Renfrew would surely be very obedient in ss!¡¯ Rickard was listening quietly from the side. Ms. Zeelen could not ignore him. After all, his presence was so imposing, but he was ying the role of a listener so willingly¡­ ¡®He must be a great husband and father. However¡­¡¯ ¡°But Renfrew faces a few serious challenges too. That¡¯s what I want to talk to you two about today.¡± Renfrew was still constructing the building blocks with a serious expression. Those small wooden blocks seemed to move very smoothly in his hands under his maneuver. In a short period of time, a very tall tower had been constructed, and it looked very stable, not shaking at all. ¡°As you can see, Renfrew is a very smart child. Or, in other words, his level of maturity is beyond his peers.¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 ¡°So, it might be difficult for him to integrate into the group because his mindset is not on the same level as the other children. I¡¯m not saying that I think Renfrew doesn¡¯t fit well with the ss but that he looks. very lonely, which is definitely detrimental to the growth of a child. I had imagined many possibilities. before you came. After all, most of the children in our schoole from rtively wealthy families. Renfrew¡¯s personality most probablyes from his family, and judging from your interactions, I¡¯m guessing that you seem to be at odds¡­¡± Hesper walked out of the kindergarten holding Renfrew¡¯s hand. Seeing that the little fe was holding her hand and following her obediently, Hesper suddenly fell a little sad. Ms. Zeelen¡¯s words continued to linger in her mind. Hesper knew that the superficial rtionship that she had with Rickard might seem reliable and would make others envious; that was why they had agreed toe today. After all, no one would want their child to look like they came from an iplete or abnormal family. However, the damage had already been done. The smarter Renfrew was, the more aware he was of how bad the rtionship between his parents was, and the more he felt aggrieved for Hesper, the more lonely he would be. Deep down, he would think that the rtionships between people were untrustworthy. ¡°Mommy, are you unhappy?¡± Renfrew shook Hesper¡¯s hand, then took out a packet of biscuits from his small backpack. It had blue packaging, and it looked like it was milk vored. ¡°This was given to us by Ms. Zeelen this afternoon as a snack, and I¡¯ve saved it for you. Even Daddy This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. doesn¡¯t have it.¡± Hesper tried her best to pull out a smile, squatted down, and rubbed Renfrew¡¯s head. ¡°I know. But I¡¯m not unhappy. I was just thinking about where I should bring you to eatter.¡± Renfrew was quite sensitive when it came to capturing emotions, but since Hesper said so, Renfrew nodded in response. ¡°Then can I have ice cream today? One scoop will do!¡± A hint of earnestness could be seen shing. across Renfrew¡¯s chubby face. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Mommy¡­!¡± Hesper chuckled for real this time, nodded, and promised him. ¡°Ms. Zeelen praised you for being a good boy earlier today. As a reward, you can order two scoops.¡± The two of them bought a lot of snacks after eating outside. Renfrew could not eat too many snacks at his age; after all, these things were not beneficial for a kid. But Hesper only wanted to buy everything that other children possessed for her son. As long as Renfrew did not say that he hated something, she would buy it for him. It was alreadyte evening when they got home. Renfrew had always gone to bed early, and coupled with the fact that he had attended sses in kindergarten during the day, his eyes were on the brink of closing when Hesper carried him back home. Hesper gave Renfrew a simple bath. She had never done such a thing before, so she could only follow the instructions given in a video that she found online and gently rub Renfrew¡¯s fragile arms and legs. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± After carrying Renfrew to the bed, Hesper was already exhausted. When she heard Renfrew calling her, she sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Renfrew opened his big round eyes and stared at Hesper in a daze as if he was making sure that the woman in front of him was his real mother. He then gave off a satisfied smile. ¡°I love you¡­ Mommy. I was really, really happy today. Going to kindergarten is very fun too. A hint of soreness surged within Hesper¡¯s nasal cavity in an instant. Trying to suppress her tear nds, she stretched out her hand and gently patted Renfrew¡¯s body. ¡°I love you too¡­ I love you the most in the whole world.¡± ** A Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 After listening to Hesper¡¯s words, Renfrew fell asleep in satisfaction. Hesper then turned off themp and walked out of the room, unable to hold her tears back anymore. Rickard did note the next day. Some urgent matters came up all of a sudden, and he had to deal with them. Even though he thought abouting over again, he could not just leave thepany to fend for itself. ¡°Did Hesper and Renfrew arrive at the kindergarten safely?¡± Benji gave him an affirmative answer and started to read through today¡¯s itinerary. He then saw Rickard frown and stopped. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sir? Is there anything wrong with today¡¯s schedule?¡± Rickard remained silent for a while and then voiced out, ¡°It¡¯s toopact.¡± ¡°What?¡± Benji thought he had heard wrongly for a moment. ¡®What the heck?! What did my workaholic boss just say? Did I just hear himin about his schedule being toopact?¡± ¡°Sir, are you sick?¡± Benji looked at Rickard worriedly, but Rickard looked healthy and fine. Thinking of this, Benji remembered that Rickard had to fetch Hesper too now. Original from N?velDrama.Org. When Rickard did not say anything, Benji suggested. ¡°If you want to pick Ms. Rivera up from school, we can move this afternoon¡¯s video conference to the evening. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°School?¡± Rickard frowned. ¡°What school? Is she studying in some school now?¡± This time it was Benji¡¯s turn to stay silent. ¡®I got to know about this matter from the people studying at Genecity University. I assumed that Mr. Duval would know about it too. After all, before Ms. Lane gave birth to Young Master Renfrew, Mr. Duval invested in renovating the entire art academy of Genecity University. On the surface, he imed that it was the grandeur that the missus of the Duvals deserves, but in fact, all he wanted was to give her a surprise. ¡®However, Mr. Duval actually had no idea about Ms. Lane¡¯s decision to return to school?¡¯ After listening to the whole story, Rickard was a little surprised too. ¡®Hesper¡¯s current educational background shows that she¡¯s an alumnus of Evergreen College, which isn¡¯t something that can be used as a weak point to sabotage her when she¡¯s announced as the director of apany. I remember that she studied fashion design in college, so what she learned back then shouldn¡¯t be of too much help to her in managing Lane Holdings.¡± ¡°Is it possible that Ms. Lane likes that major?¡± Benji tentatively brought up. Rickard subconsciously wanted to refute him, but he shut up all of a sudden and did not utter a single word after that. ¡®I don¡¯t know what Hesper likes, or should I say, in the past, she never gave any hints on what she loved to do. She always acted like a puppet back then. All she did was tackle everything that came into her life submissively, and that was it. ¡®So does Hesper really like fashion design?¡± ¡°I recall that one of our subsidiarypanies will be organizing apetition soon, and it¡¯s about costume design.¡± Duval Group had been dabbling in the fashion field, but it was not the main source of thepany¡¯s profit, so Benji usually wouldn¡¯t report such matters to Rickard. Since it was rted to Hesper, however, he thought it was something worth mentioning. ¡°We¡¯ve reserved two spots for students of Genecity University, and a professor named Xavier Jenkins is in charge of the allocations. I heard that Ms. Lane was once one of Professor Jenkins¡¯ favorite students, so she might participate in thispetition.¡± Rickard had not paid any attention to the mentionedpetition, but when he heard that Hesper might. participate in it, he froze for a split second. ¡°If your information is urate, reserve a seat for me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At that moment, Hesper, whom Benji entrusted with great hope, was being scolded in Xavier¡¯s office with her head bowed. ¡°I thought your wings had grown full-fledged back then, but you actually came back here to study.¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Hesper was aware of Professor Jenkins¡¯s entric behaviors, but she still could not bear being hit by his wrath. ¡°Uh, looks like it¡¯s already time for me to get to one of my sses. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Jessie gave Hesper a ¡®good luck¡¯ expression then quickly escaped the room. ¡®Is she kidding me?! Doesn¡¯t she know about my father when ites to giving someone a good talking. to? I was only standing by the side back there and it felt like I was the one who was being scolded, not to mention that he hasn¡¯t even gone off the charts just yet. If Dad loses his chill and starts to rain fire and brimstone, I might not even be able to leave his office!¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Please ept my apologies, Professor Jenkins.¡± Xavier sneered, lowered his head, and took a sip of tea. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be surrounded by my children and grandchildren the next time I got to see you.¡± Before Xavier came to Genecity and became a professor, he had been living in Emperion. He was a local that spoke with an Emperionian ent, which made him sound more entric. Hesper lowered her head. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m the one who was at fault in the matter that happened back then. I also now know how hard-won the spot in thepetition that I gave up was. Professor Jenkins must¡¯ve put a lot of thought and effort into securing that spot for me, and he was counting on me toe back with a championship title in order to make him look good. ¡®However, the matter between Rickard and me happened so suddenly back then, and the Duvals didn¡¯t really give me any other choice. They immediately removed me from the college without asking for my input. They didn¡¯t even give me a chance to exin the whole thing to Professor Jenkins before dragging. me back.¡¯ ¡°I have only one question for you. Having decided toe back and study again, is it because you really want to learn something, some new skills, and want to pave a career path for yourself in this field? Or did you just happen to remember that there were a few subjects that you didn¡¯t get to finish back then, and. now you came back here to dawdle?¡± Xavier stared deeply at this prot¨¦g¨¦ that he was most proud of back then. ¡®If I were to say that I wasn¡¯t disappointed in her back then, that would be a lie. After she left, I really wished I could go after her and ask her for the reason personally.¡± However, even if there was a sense of disappointment, it had all disappeared the moment he saw Hesper standing in front of him with a deeply troubled look. Hearing this, Hesper lifted her head. In her eyes, there were a lot of things that she did not have four years ago; confidence, rity, and determination were among those things that were now present. ¡°Yes, I really want to learn, Professor Jenkins. I really love designing.¡± The firmness in Hesper¡¯s eyes did not lie. She had been looking through her previous designs, which were already a little hazy in her memory, but she still remembered how she had spent countless sleepless nights for any one of those drafts. Her efforts were not fake; she truly liked it. That was why she would go to that extent. Xavier looked at her for a while, then nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll regard what you said as true. Just make sure that you put in the effort and learn as much as you can in the future. As long as you still have the ability and the edge, I, Xavier Jenkins, will bring you to any suitable asion that I can bring you to so that you¡¯ll get the exposure and, eventually, the fame.¡± After passing Professor Jenkins¡¯s test, Hesper walked out of his office, only to find that her palms were already soaked. But it was not because of nervousness but excitement. Looking at the familiar campus outside the window and the lush avenues that were reflecting the sunlight, Hesper took a deep breath. She had not thought she could still pursue her dreams at such an age. As soon as she saw Hespering out, Jessie immediately ran over. She tried to hear what her father said in the room through the cracks in the door, but the soundproofing of the office was really top- notch. She tried standing there and listening for a long time, but not a word was heard. ¡°So, how did it go? Father didn¡¯t say anything to humiliate you, did he?¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Hesper shook her head. In fact, she understood the underlying message in Xavier¡¯s tone. Mostly, he just sounded like he was exasperated because she had failed to meet his expectations; other than that, he did not intend to me her. He might be strict, but he had always been an excellent teacher. Jessie clicked her tongue and shook her head lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that my father can spit anything positive out of his mouth. If all you do is show him respect, then he¡¯ll only think that you¡¯re a pushover,¡± ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Hesper looked at the man who opened his office door silently and tried her best to wink at Jessie, warning her about her father¡¯s presence. However, Jessie had started badmouthing her father and she felt unstoppable, so she did not even pay attention to Hesper¡¯s expression for a while. ¡°Jessie Jenkins, I never knew that you have so many things to say, huh?¡± As soon as Xavier spoke, Hesper could not help but burst intoughter. Jessie¡¯s face turned pale instantly. ¡°¡­Dad?¡± Xavier leaned against the door frame with a smile and said indifferently, ¡°Yo, did you hear what you just said? How could I be worthy of being called your dad?¡± ¡°My ss is about to start, so I¡¯ll take my leave, Professor Jenkins!¡± Hesper suppressed augh, gave Jessie a ¡®good luck¡¯ look with a smirk, then disappeared from the corridor in an instant with her schoolbag in her arms. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Hesper had almost forgotten the theories that she had learned while she was studying in college, but fortunately, she had not forgotten the knowledge that she picked up back then. It was just that the written theories were no longer something that she could reiterate off the top of her head. After all, so many years had passed, so Hesper was also prepared for the fact that she might not be able to keep up in ss at first. However, because she received a lot of education when she was living with. the Lanes in the past few years, her sensitivity toward fashion was levels above any of the other students in the course. After all, one could only umte social experience through exposure and time. It was not something that could be understood through verbalmunication. Many people in the ss began to inquire about the background of this transfer student who had suddenly joined their ss halfway through the semester, but in the end, all they could find out was that she was a senior who had dropped out of school. The students who knew Hesper back then had long graduated and Hesper lived off campus, so even after a week of school, she was still very unfamiliar with the students in her ss. ¡°You might not know this, but several young boys from other departments havee over and inquired about you.¡± Jessie cracked her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s do some math. You¡¯re four years older than them, aren¡¯t you? Tsk tsk tsk, sure enough, looks are the most important aspect in courtship. The age difference is nothing whenpared to how someone looks.¡± Hesper felt that the gossip that Jessie was bbering about was very interesting, but there was still no sense of reality. ¡®I used to be someone invisible when I was studying in this college. Now, in order to study with peace of mind, I don¡¯t n to take any limelight. But how did I be the ¡°ygirl who flirts with all men¡± that Jessie just mentioned?¡¯ ¡°I can see that you have no idea that so many people are talking about you on campus. Some of them Original from N?velDrama.Org. even im that you look very simr to the newly appointed president of Lane Holdings¡¯ branch office in Genecity.¡± It did not seem too far-fetched for someone to recognize her, but this statement made Hesper think about how she presented herself. ¡®In order to avoid creating a scene, should I start wearing a mask to ss in the future?¡± Jessie, not noticing Hesper¡¯s strange expression, went on talking about the next topic. ¡°Although Dad hasn¡¯t told me this, I know all about the resources that he has in his possession.¡± Jessie bumped Hesper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you know that Duval Group has reserved two participation spots in the ¡°Do you want to fight for one of the spots? It¡¯s the Duval Group that we¡¯re talking about. Thepany¡¯s name in itself is already an extremely valuable asset!¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 ¡°Mommy, something seems to be bothering you today!¡± Seeing Renfrew running out of the kindergarten with a small backpack, Hesper wanted to restrain her troubled expression, but Renfrew still noticed it keenly. ¡°Mommy¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just something from work.¡± On her way there, Hesper could not take her mind off thepetition that Jessie had brought up. ¡®It¡¯s clear that Duval Group¡¯s influence in Genecity is still greater in all aspects. Especially when it society. every year, this designpetition that Duval Group and Genecity University co-organized initially has gradually be more and more authoritative in the industry. ¡®However, with the delicate rtionship that I have with Rickard in the way, it¡¯ll be extremely awkward if I used thispetition as a springboard to get myself into the public¡¯s sight.¡± On the way, Hesper also searched for more authoritative and well-knownpetitions that had risen to fame in the industry in recent years, only to find that they were allpetitions held by foreign. organizers. But domestic aesthetics had always received discrimination from other races at the international level; being looked down upon was no longer news to local designers. ¡®So thepetition that Duval Group is organizing is the opportunity closest to me.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± Renfrew suddenly called out. Hesper lifted her head and instantly saw Rickard walking toward them from across the road. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Rickard had not been able toe and pick Renfrew up recently, so Hesper thought that he had only. promised Renfrew toe for a day and he would not appear again after that. She did not expect to see Rickard now. After a few days of not seeing each other, Rickard seemed to have lost a little weight. And before Hesper could take a closer look, Rickard had already strode up to her. A fragrant whirl wafted from the hem of his coat and toward Hesper. It was difficult for her to describe the smell, as it did not smell like any other men¡¯s cologne. ¡°Daddy, you haven¡¯te to see Renfrew recently. I¡¯m so sad.¡± Renfrew rushed over and tugged at the corner of Rickard¡¯s shirt. Rickard was rather at a loss. In the end, he could only stretch out his hand and rub Renfrew¡¯s head as Hesper did before. Renfrew had never treated him so intimately before. Hesper did not say much. She drove there to pick Renfrew up by herself that day, and it seemed that Rickard had not driven there. So, she politely asked, ¡°Do you need a ride?¡± Rickard was a little surprised by her question. Then, he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Rickard¡¯s body looked a little dusty. Hesper subconsciously felt that something was wrong, but since he did not utter a single word, she did not take the initiative to start a conversation. After all, their rtionship had not reached the point where they needed to greet each other. Rickard rubbed his brows wearily. He originally thought that he and Hesper would be taking care of Renfrew during this period, but his grandfather¡¯s sudden illness casually took up all his time. And Ernest¡¯s condition was very severe too¡­ ¡°Daddy, are you worried about something too?¡± Renfrew saw that something was off with Rickard, so he sniffed him carefully with his tiny nose and pinched Rickard¡¯s cor in a worried manner. ¡°Daddy, are you sick? I smell disinfectant.¡± Rickard did not intend to say anything about Ernest¡¯s condition at first, but he did not expect Renfrew¡¯s sense of smell to be that sharp. Seeing that Rickard did not deny or admit it, Hesper frowned. Although Rickard did not look quite right, he did not look sick either. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, who¡¯s fallen ill? Julie, or Sophia? But if that were the case, there would be no need for Rickard to hide anything from me.¡¯ Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 ¡°Is Grandpa sick?¡± Rickard remained silent and did not deny it, which, in Hesper¡¯s eyes, was equivalent to him admitting it. Hesper pulled the car over and parked in a parking space on the side of the road, then turned around and looked at Rickard with a worried expression. ¡°How did Grandpa fall ill all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t his condition stabilize after he went abroad and received treatment?¡± When Renfrew heard that his great-grandfather was sick, he immediately looked at Rickard. ¡®Among the Duvais, other than Daddy, Great-grandpa is the only person who treats me well!¡¯ The reason why Rickard did not want to mention it was of course, that he did not want Hesper to get distracted by worrying about this matter. But the main reason was that Ernest now knew what happened before Hesper left. He had locked the recording pen that Hesper left behind back then in his study, but when Ernest came to find a document the other day, he identally found the recording pen that had been locked away in the drawer. Original from N?velDrama.Org. After listening to the recording, Ernest was exasperated. He then sent someone to investigate all the events that took ce back then. And because of that, his heart disease, which had stabilized after the treatments, rpsed abruptly. He had not made aplete recovery since then. ¡°How¡­?¡± Hesper felt extreme remorse at that moment. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t left the recorder behind, Grandpa¡¯s illness wouldn¡¯t have rpsed¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Grandfather¡­ He¡¯s made them kneel in the courtyard for three days. But such a penalty is still too lenient for them.¡± ¡®Regardless of whether Hesper is someone that Grandpa loves, Mother and Sophia definitely didn¡¯t bully. Hesper just for fun. They wanted to actually kill her back then! Grandpa won¡¯t allow someone who doesn¡¯t take human lives seriously to stay in the Duvals!¡± Even so, Hesper still felt very guilty. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me, Grandpa wouldn¡¯t have fallen ill. He¡¯s already so old. He¡¯s taken so many medicines and undergone so many diagnoses and treatments to finally get his condition under control. Any stimuli might overload his body, let alone such an urgent rpse.¡¯ ¡°Would you like to pay Grandpa a visit?¡± Rickard asked suddenly. ¡°He¡¯s always missing you, but because we¡¯re¡­ divorced¡­ Coupled with the fact that you¡¯ve found your family, he didn¡¯t want to have to disturb you.¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯s the person who raised me.¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and she felt even more guilty.¡± I should¡¯ve visited him as soon as I came back. It¡¯s just that I was so selfish and only thought about myself. What does any of this have to do with Grandpa.?¡± 1 ¡°He¡¯s obviously one of the people who love me the most in the world.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s visit him tomorrow.¡± The next day happened to be a public holiday, so Hesper nodded immediately. ¡°Renfrew, you should ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go too!¡± Rickard gazed at the two of them and then nodded in agreement. ¡°Grandpa will be exhrated to see you.¡± att Hesper could hardly sleep that night. All she could think about was how Ernest protected her in the past. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for him, Julian and I might have had to grow up in the orphanage. I might not have had the opportunity to attend college, and Julian wouldn¡¯t have been able to be a doctor.¡¯ ¡®¡­Oh yeah!¡¯ Hesper sat up, grabbed her phone, and hesitated for a bit. ¡®Speaking of doctors, Julian¡¯s master¡­ Since he was even able to cure my legs, perhaps he could do something about grandpa¡¯s illness!¡± She took a glimpse at the time; it was already midnight. She fidgeted with her phone in her hands before hesitantly sending a text message. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 The next day, Hesper and Rickard got ready very early in the morning and went to the Duvals¡¯ ancestral mansion to visit Ernest together. Originally, with his current health condition, Ernest should have been hospitalized for close observation, but he imed that he had been staying in the hospital for too long, and he was about to forget what the outside world looked like, so he insisted on staying away from the hospital. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Apart from that, Ernest¡¯s doctor was not someone from the hospital, and the treatments that he had received when he was abroad were levels apart from the current medical standards in the country. It was just that it was more convenient to run full body checkups and tests while he lived in the hospital. Rickard could not argue with his grandfather, not to mention that he did not dare to anger him at this time. After all, Ernest had already rejected his request to visit him several times because he had been deceived into wronging Hesper back then. ¡°Has Grandpa woken up?¡± Ernest usually upheld a very regr schedule, but Hesper took a glimpse at her phone and saw that it was only five o¡¯clock in the morning. Even Ernest would never get up so early in the past. ¡­Grandpa is waking up earlier and earlier as the days go by,¡± Rickard exined while picking up the drowsy boy who was sitting in the child stroller and could not open his eyes. At this time of the morning, the air around the mansion was extraordinarily fresh. It was already autumn; and the wind was a little chilly. Hesper also knew that it was not a good sign for the elderly to wake up so early. It only went to show that the quality of Ernest¡¯s sleep was getting worse and worse. ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± As soon as Hesper appeared in front of him that morning, the first thing that caught Rickard¡¯s attention, was the dark circles under Hesper¡¯s eyes. Although it had been covered with ayer of light makeup, Rickard still felt Hesper¡¯s fatigue sensitively. Hesper did not sleep well, but she did not want to talk about it. She then thought of something and skimmed through the notification bar on her phone. ¡®Julian hasn¡¯t replied to my messages yet.¡± She had forgotten about the time difference when she was sending the messagest night. ¡®Logically speaking, it should be daytime abroad at that time. So why hasn¡¯t Julian replied to me?¡¯ Hesper took a deep breath, shook her head, and looked at Rickard. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that and visit grandpa first.¡± The Duvals¡¯ ancestral mansion was nned and built by Ernest himself. Every detail had to be reviewed by Ernest before it could be implemented back then. Hence, once he passed down his position as the Duvals¡¯ patriarch, as long as he was in Genecity, he would return there and enjoy his stay in his personal paradise. ¡°Mr. Duval, Mrs. Duval, and Young Master Duval.¡± After ringing the doorbell, Aunt Curie came out through the well-wrought iron gate. Wendy Curie was Ernest¡¯s housekeeper, and she was the only person who had been working by his side for decades, so the Duvals long regarded her as one of the family members. Hesper had not seen Aunt Curie for a long time, but time had hardly left any traces on her. Perhaps she was undefeated even when she was going against time; in short, Aunt Curie still looked very elegant and pretty. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the youngdy of the Duvals, so there¡¯s no need for you to address me so politely. Just call me Hesper, just like how you did it when I was a girl.¡± Wendy nodded, graciously agreeing instead of arguing about Hesper¡¯s title. ¡°Mr. Duval Sr. has been waiting for you in the yard. He woke up even earlier than usual after he heard that you wereing.¡± The three of them followed Wendy into the courtyard. Wendy said, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some snacks. You must not have eaten yet.¡± Hesper had not had time to eat, and before leaving, she only gave Renfrew some biscuits and milk. The main reason was that the appointment was fixed at a time that was indeed too early. If Renfrew ate too much, it would be bad for his stomach. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Curie.¡± Wendy gave her a look of reproach. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It¡¯s been quite some time since we > im Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As noon approached, Ernest invited the three to stay back for lunch. Wendy imed that Hesper must give her current cooking skills a try, as they had not seen each other in ages. If they were to leave without eating a meal, Wendy would take it as tant disrespect. Hesper could not argue with them and thus, agreed with the suggestion, as there was no urgent matter. that she had to attend to. However, her phone vibrated twice suddenly. Hesper frowned, lowered her head, and nced at the notification that appeared on the screen. As expected it was a message from Julian, who had gone off the grid for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hesper. I didn¡¯t see your message because some things came up. Professor Miles thinks that I should go and take a look at Mr. Duval Sr. first, but because of these incidents¡­ I can¡¯t show up now. I¡¯ll exin this matter to youter. Is Mr. Duval Sr.¡¯s condition very serious now? But I won¡¯t be able to travel back for at least another two weeks.¡± ¡°Hesper?¡± Hesper kept her head down, staring at her phone. Rickard felt a little dissatisfied toward a piece of gadget for no reason, but he did not express it. He just walked up to Hesper and grabbed her arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. It¡¯s windy out here.¡± The weather was getting windy, and Hesper only wore a knitted skirt for the sake of looking fashionable and beautiful. It was indeed rather cold when the wind gusted through her. ¡°Okay.¡± Hesper got into the mansion while typing, asking Julian to not worry too much as Ernest¡¯s condition was rtively stable now. ¡®Julian rarely hides anything from me. After all, we¡¯ve depended on each other so much since we were kids. However, this time, he can¡¯t even reveal the true message that lies underneath his words¡­ But that¡¯s normal, as Julian isn¡¯t good at lying. Some kind of trouble must¡¯vee up. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have. said that.¡¯ Julian sent another message to Hesper. She was about to tap on it when Rickard jerked her sleeve.¡± Grandpa is talking to you.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something important. Wendy is just asking if there¡¯s anything you really want to eat. She says that she¡¯ll make whatever you want,¡± Ernest replied, disdaining Rickard¡¯s petty tricks. Although Rickard was his grandson, he was also one of the people who did Hesper wrong back then. ¡®It would be a big mistake if this brat was only doing all this on a whim, without knowing the difference between an infatuation and love, only to hurt Hesper again right under my nose.¡± Hesper also felt a little embarrassed. At the end of the day, Wendy was her elder, and she felt sorry for letting her cook for her, so she took the initiative to say, ¡°I¡¯ve also learned to cook a few dishes in the past few years, Aunt Curie. Let me help you out in the kitchen. We could even catch-up a little while cooking together.¡± *** Rickard originally wanted to go into the kitchen with her, but he did not know a thing about cooking. The only thing that he would be able to do is cause trouble. Thinking of this, he could only stop moving forward. ¡°Dick.¡± Rickard was a little surprised when Ernest called him all of a sudden. After all, he had not even taken a nce at him ever since he entered through the gates. And Rickard knew his grandfather well enough to know that he must me him deep down for what happened three years ago. Ernest gazed at Rickard, who was standing in front of him. This grandson had once made him feel really proud, and Rickard was indeed worthy of his pride. He had always been at the top of his ss when he was studying in school, and ever since he took over Duval Group, he acted decisively and vigorously at work without making any major mistakes. ¡°Do you know what I want to talk to you about?¡± Rickard knew that it must be rted to Hesper; he hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°You want to talk about what happened to Hesper three years ago.¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 He knew that he made a huge mistake in the past and wanted to make amends with Hesper. Even though she refused to ept it, he would still use his means to secretly do it as an apology for the hurt that he caused. Ernest shook his head. ¡°What I want to tell you about is rted to that kiddo, but not entirely.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. At his age, if there were things that he couldn¡¯t figure out before, he would have by then. ¡°Your marriage to Hesper was my fault. You didn¡¯t trust her when you married her. Had I put more thought into it, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let you two get married.¡± Ernest sighed. Trust is something every couple should have toward each other. How could I expect you to support each other and spend the rest of your lives peacefully if you don¡¯t have that?¡± Rickard frowned. He made a lot of mistakes, but he didn¡¯t trust Hesper in the beginning because¡­ Rickard suddenly remembered what she had said. Hesper defended herself countless times. She said she didn¡¯t drug anyone and she didn¡¯t know what happened, but he never believed her. He thought that she did something so terrible out of love for him. ¡°I guess you know what I mean.¡± Ernest sighed. ¡°Think harder. Think about who Hesper was those years. ago and ask yourself if she was really capable of such a thing.¡± Something in Rickard¡¯s heart suddenly copsed. Because he didn¡¯t believe in Hesper, she had to go through such turmoil and was framed for countless things. She finally cleared her name after three years. Could everything that had happened¡­ be just as Hesper said three years ago? Maybe she really didn¡¯t know what happened and she didn¡¯t y any mind games in order to marry him! All those years of mistreatment¡­. Hesper brought out a tter of peaches and smiled. ¡°Have some peaches, Grandpa! I took one just now. They¡¯re so sweet!¡± Rickard lowered his head, suddenly afraid to look her in the eyes. Hesper¡­ How much pain did I cause you? After the three left, Rickard immediately asked Benji to investigate what happened all those years ago. He needed to get to the bottom of it, no matter what it took. Benji was shocked but immediately started. Seeing Hesper¡¯s perseverance, he had always believed that there was a misunderstanding between the two of them. However, never did he imagine that Hesper might have been framed for the very first incident! Four years had already passed, so it would be hard to investigate, but there must be some clues. If they had enough time, every minute detail could be dug up and the truth would be out. Meanwhile, Hesper felt fulfilled after meeting Ernest. She thought there was no one she would miss even after living in Genecity for years, but Ernest changed. her mind about that. Hesper was missed and loved. ¡°You seem to love Great-grandpa. I love Great-grandpa because he¡¯s very nice to you.¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Children might actually be very sensitive to some emotions. Hesper nodded. ¡°Great-grandpa is nice. I love him.¡± Remembering that she forgot to read the message from Julian, Hesper took out her phone but realized that he hadn¡¯t sent anything and she was thest to reply. But she remembered that there was an unread message. Hesper checked and saw that no one else had sent her a message either. ¡°¡­maybe I remembered it wrong.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t think too much about it because no one would touch her phone. Even though Rickard was next to her phone, he had no reason to touch it. After a long day, Hesper still hadn¡¯t started on her assignment. She could dy work till the next day, but if she didn¡¯t start that assignment right then, she would bete. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. Her child was old enough to attend school yet she was still worried about university assignments. Renfrew was tired after being out for the entire day. Hesper gave him a cup of warm milk and went back. to her study to start work. In the meantime, on the other side of the ocean, Julian was shoved into an unfamiliar ce with a blindfold on. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the student of that old thing? Looks young.¡± It was a noisy ce and the person speaking had a strong ent. Julian¡¯s eyes were blindfolded, so his other senses were amplified. ¡°Really?¡± Another young person¡¯s voice was heard. He sounded like a teen, somewhere between teenage and young adult, but he sounded cold. The first voice chuckled, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not good enough because you¡¯re young, but how many others are as good as you?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Julian was forced to sit. There was the smell of metal in the air and he guessed that he was in a factory. ¡°Alright, the boss says that Dr. Zink should stay here for a while.¡± Suddenly, a female voice was heard. ¡°Dr. Zink is a VIP, so you better watch your mouth. Also, Trez, Julian wasn¡¯tpletely ignorant of his predicament The ¡®trouble¡¯ he mentioned to Hesper previously was the person the woman called boss. One week ago, a group of people suddenly showed up at his door and asked him to get in touch with his professor because some bigshot needed surgery. He knew his professor well enough. If it was someone that he wanted to help, he would help them. without them needing to seek him out. However, if it was someone that he didn¡¯t want to help, no one would be able to persuade him to do it. There were a lot of people who tried to reach him through Julian, but most of them eventually turned around because they knew it was impossible, except for this group. They followed him around and stalked him like a bunch of bandits. He thought that was the worst they could do, but then they kidnapped him. At the final moment, he managed to send half a text to Hesper but he didn¡¯t know if Hesper could tell that something was wrong. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that his messaging app was hacked, so his message didn¡¯t manage to get sent out. Monday soon came. Hesper stayed upte for two nights and finally finished her assignments for both work and school. She wished she could split into a few to finish the tasks. When she remembered how she had confidently told Matthew that she would be able to take care of both. sides and not dy any work, Hesper felt overwhelmed Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 ¡°No way, your dark circles are terrible.¡± Jessie was shocked at how tired Hesper looked. ¡°Did my dad give too many assignments? Is this school violent?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know what to say. Jessie quickly skipped to the next topic. Hesper realized that if she didn¡¯t pay absolute attention, she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with her. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. She wondered why Jessie¡¯s weird ideas didn¡¯t end up on the design board. If they did, Professor Jenkins. wouldn¡¯t be so troubled. At the university, Hesper felt more rxed. She attended sses during the daytime and worked during the night. She would bring Renfrew around for all kinds of delicious food, so life was quitefortable. Lane Holdings¡¯ growth was better than expected. Rickard would sometimes visit Renfrew, but he didn¡¯t stay long. He would bring some of Renfrew¡¯s belongings over and never mentioned that he wanted to bring him home. That was great because Hesper didn¡¯t want Renfrew out of her sight, not even for a day. Jessie wasn¡¯t shy around Hesper. Ever since Hesper gave her her address, she visited very frequently. Hesper remembered the first time Jessie saw Renfrew. Her chin almost hit the floor, as if she saw a monster instead of a child. ¡°You¡¯re kid is that big now? I thought¡­¡± Jessie swallowed the rest of her words, but Hesper could guess what she was going to say. She had thought that Hesper aborted it instead of getting married. ¡°Hello, are you Mommy¡¯s friend?¡± Renfrew had always been friendly and adorable. He immediately stole Jessie¡¯s heart. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jessie, you can call me Aunt Jess. You¡¯re so adorable!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°¡­¡± Hesper felt helpless as she looked at Renfrew, who immediately warmed up to Jessie. She thought the reason she couldn¡¯t catch up with Jessie was that she didn¡¯t speak enough. However, after Jessie left, Renfrew held onto Hesper andined. ¡°Aunt Jess talks so much.¡± Hesper stifled augh. She felt sorry for Jessie, who was wrapped around Renfrew¡¯s finger. Moments like these seemed to fly by and Hesper lost track of time as she juggled studying, work, and Renfrew. Her life was very happy and fulfilling. That was until Nathaniel called. ¡°What? What did you say happened ton?¡± It seemed to be windy there, so Nathaniel¡¯s voice was choppy. ¡°He¡¯s currently in shock, but his professor showed up and said that there¡¯s a chance of recovery. They¡¯re currently in surgery.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t very clear, so Hesper was confused. ¡°Did you get the message he sent to you before he disappeared?¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Rickard looked at the files in front of him and started questioning himself for the first time in his life. Benjipiled the truth of what happened those years ago and ced it in a folder on his desk. The past. would be opened along with the folder, and the truth woulde out. Rickard was suddenly afraid to look at it, fearing that the ending would be as he imagined, but he also feared that it might turn out otherwise. However, regardless¡­ It was time to face the truth. When Hesper walked into the Duval Tower, she didn¡¯t know if she was angry or disappointed. It was a bright sunny day outside, but she felt cold. It was time for ss. Hesper remembered that she had forgotten to tell Professor Jenkins that she would be absent because of her hurry to get there. She took out her phone and texted him. Maybe because she didn¡¯t look well, he was fine with it. Since she had gone to Duval Tower a few times before because of their partnership, the receptionist remembered her and came over to wee her. ¡°Ms. Lane, do you have an appointment? What time is it? I¡¯ll inform Mr. Lynch.¡± Hesper looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appointment. I called Rickard and said I wanted to see him.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The receptionist remembered Ms. Lane¡¯s rtionship with her boss, so she didn¡¯t say anything and gave Benji a call. Benji was mostly friendly. Sometimes, the receptionists would annoy the guests and they would ask him for help. Benji was surprised when he picked up, his expression turning awkward. After investigating the past, he felt sorry for Hesper¡­ But it hadn¡¯t even been ten minutes since he left the folder on Rickard¡¯s desk. How was she already there? The receptionist said that something looked off about Hesper, who didn¡¯t even realize that there was paint on her shirt. That didn¡¯t sound like Hesper. Even though Benji was confused, Hesper was already there, and he couldn¡¯t stop her. He asked them to send her up as he went to inform Rickard. As Rickard read through the information, he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. All that scheming he despised, including what happened that night¡­ And Hesper turned out to be a victim all along. Juniper had been working on a project that needed to start immediately, but since the projects of the Wights were saturated, all the funds were tied up. Wanting to borrow some money from Rickard, Juniper tried to hint at this to him, but he rejected. Firstly, he had just taken over Duval Group and what Juniper asked for wasn¡¯t small at all. Secondly, he didn¡¯t think that project had good prospects and believed that it wasn¡¯t worth Juniper putting her time. and money into it. Juniper understood and never brought it up after that, so Rickard thought that she was understanding, unlike others who would do whatever it took to get what they wanted. But the truth? While Juniper said it was fine, she actually schemed with her friends to try to make Rickard change his mind so she could get the money! The n was to make Rickard sleep with her. Knowing him, when he realized what happened the next day, he would find a way to make amends because he was a conservative man who respected her. That was when Juniper spiked Rickard¡¯s drink so she could ¡®have¡¯ him. What they didn¡¯t n on was Hesper drinking the spiked drink instead and Rickard coincidentally bringing her to his room. Juniper started worrying when she saw what happened. To try to destroy the evidence, she and her friends went to ¡®catch them red handed¡¯. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 In the end, Juniper got the money because Rickard felt guilty. He gave it to her after he was forced to marry Hesper. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. So that was what Juniper meant when she talked about love. It was ironic. Rickard ced the folder down and balled up his fists, his eyes turning red. The truth was too heavy to bear. He remembered how devastated Hesper appeared as she stood in front of him and Juniper, covered in wounds. He also remembered Juniper holding his hand and saying that Hesper would never be good enough for him. ¡­But what good was he? ¡°Mr. Duval, Ms. Lane is here.¡± Out of anxiousness, Benji forgot to knock and immediately walked into the office. When he saw Rickard, he realized that Rickard had found out the truth. ¡°Hesper¡­ Why is she here?¡± Rickard frowned. He wasn¡¯t ready to face her, as he was caught off guard for the first time in his life. However, a momentter, Hesper walked in with no expression and looked at him coldly, standing a few feet away. No matter what cruel things he said to her in the past, Hesper had never looked at him that way. With disdain. Benji noticed that the atmosphere was tense, so he excused himself and left the room to them, closing the door so others wouldn¡¯t be able to peek. ¡°Hesper, I¡­¡± Hesper¡¯s gaze was a little different. Rickard got up and wanted to take her hand, but she avoided him. The disgust and cynicism in her eyes grew as she looked at the man before her looking helpless as if he was the one who should be upset. Why hadn¡¯t she known that Rickard was so good at pretending? ¡°Don¡¯t say my name.¡± Hesper frowned and held back her tears thenughed at herself. ¡°Rickard, how could I be so stupid? I really thought that you¡¯d changed because of me.¡± Hesper took a deep breath and continued to calm herself down. ¡°Don¡¯t try to impress me anymore. Do you think that I can¡¯t see through your ns? Whether it was saving me, sending Renfrew to school because of my request, or sitting in the same office with me¡­ All I feel now is just disdain and disgust.¡± At first, Rickard didn¡¯t know how he should face Hesper, but as the words piled up against him, he frowned due to his principles of the past twenty-odd years. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hesper?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Hesper closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Ricakrd, do you know what affection is? You don¡¯t know what love is, and you probably don¡¯t know what respect is either. Honestly, I¡¯m tired of your acts. Please get out of my life.¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Hesper walked out of the building and finally closed her eyes, thinking back to what happened ten minutes ago. The moment she turned to leave, Rickard stretched out his hand to grab her. This time, he wasn¡¯t going to ept rejection. She tried to pull her away a few times but failed. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take any of that seriously, Hesper. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Rickard frowned and calmly said, ¡°You can¡¯t just pin the me on me without clearing things up.¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t put into words how much she wanted tough, but everything Rickard said disgusted her, so she just stared at him coldly. That coldness made Rickard let go. ¡°Mr. Duval, Lane Holdings is going to take drastic measures, so you best be prepared.¡± Hesper looked at him, her pretty hazel eyes frigid. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯repetitors. Since you did save me in Salt City, I¡¯ll be merciful. Don¡¯t try to challenge my patience. I¡¯ll let what happened three years ago slide, not because I forgive you, but because I respect Grandpa, so I¡¯m not going to take action. I won¡¯t do that again.¡± Rickard shook his head while looking into her eyes. The elegant and cool person finally showed how messed up she was. ¡°You¡¯re lying. We¡¯ve been¡­¡± There was reciprocation¡­ wasn¡¯t there? Hesper raised her brows, the light of the room shining on hershes and casting a shadow. ¡°It¡¯s all fake. We¡¯ve just been lying to each other. Mr. Duval, the next time we meet, it will be at the bidding. I hope that Duval Group is ready.¡± Hesper sat on the bed and woke Renfrew up, then opened the window halfway and called Nathaniel. ¡°How¡¯sn?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice was gentle and calm as ever. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s in stable condition. You didn¡¯t pick up when I called you this afternoon. I thought something happened.¡± Hesper was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Ifn wakes up, please tell him I¡¯m sorry¡­ If I had seen hist message that day, he wouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Nathaniel said, cutting Hesper off. ¡°Is this all rted to Mr. Duval?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t speak, so he gave her some time to think. After a long pause, he finally heard Hesper¡¯s voice. It sounded cold. ¡°Was I too naive, Nate?¡± If it wasn¡¯t because of her naivety and sympathy, she wouldn¡¯t have believed in Rickard¡¯s lies, and Julian wouldn¡¯t be hurt. She thought that Rickard wouldn¡¯t touch her phone and wouldn¡¯t hurt the people around her for something as pointless as possessiveness. The truth was she was wrong, terribly wrong. Rickard was This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. still the same cold, selfish man, except he was better at pretending. Nathaniel chuckled. It was very light and sounded very near as if he was next to her ear, weirdly calming her down. ¡°Naivete and having a soft heart are both good qualities. I should praise you because, after all that you¡¯ve been through, you¡¯re still a good woman. This isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Hesper lowered her head, her eyes feeling warm. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°But this is a lesson that you needed to learn. Not everyone gets a good oue from being too sympathetic. Think about the past, about how disappointed you were.¡± Nathaneil¡¯s voice was calm.¡± Disappointment doesn¡¯t just happen. I won¡¯t dig into your past, but Matthew told me that you¡¯ve been through a lot. You shouldn¡¯t be sympathetic to someone who did you wrong. It doesn¡¯t matter if he was the culprit or an essory; he still hurt you. He doesn¡¯t deserve your trust.¡± Hesper closed her eyes, then when she opened them again, her tiredness turned into fierceness. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thanks, Nate.¡± Hesper cracked her knuckles, not knowing how to approach the next topic. After much hesitation, she finally said, ¡°I¡¯ve always avoided talking about our marriage arrangement. You know my situation. You¡¯re a gentleman, and I don¡¯t want to-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Nathaniel cut her off again. ¡°Our marriage was arranged by our elders, and there isn¡¯t any benefit to it. Grandpa Arthur isn¡¯t an unreasonable man, As for my family¡­ I¡¯m the only one left. So, if you don¡¯t want this arrangement anymore, we can just do away with it.¡± Hesper always feltplicated when it came to Nathaniel, but no matter which angle she looked at it from, she knew she didn¡¯t love him and the rtionship was a burden to her. What Nathaniel said relieved her, but she still felt guilty ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when we¡¯re back in Emperion. By the way, I forgot to ask, why did you suddenly go. abroad? Do you have work?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Nathaniel paused and said that it was because he wanted to surprise her, then decided to end it there. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. You probably haven¡¯t rested well, with so many things going on.¡± The moon was high in the sky. Hesper didn¡¯t notice it, but she was relieved, and her eyelids were suddenly really heavy. Her mind was more exhausted than her body. She tucked away what Nathaniel said about the surprise and said good night, then was soon unconscious. In the night breeze, the screen lit up. ¡°Good night, Hesper.¡± The next day, Hesper packed up Renfrew¡¯s things and sent him back to the Duvals. She hesitated about it but finally decided that if she wanted to take the Duvals down, she would have to be very careful every day from now on. Renfrew wasn¡¯t a burden, but she had very limited time. She couldn¡¯t be sure that she would be able to take good care of him. ¡°Mom, are you leaving me¡­?¡± Renfrew¡¯s eyes were filled with hurt. ¡°Please don¡¯t send me away. I¡¯ll be good. Did Daddy make you angry? I don¡¯t want to be away from you. I don¡¯t want to be a kid without a mom.¡± Hesper shook her head as she pulled Renfrew into her arms and promised. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you. Not only that, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll officially live with me. I promise I won¡¯t let you wait for too long.¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t understand what that meant, but Hesper looked very serious, so he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, but if you leave me, I¡¯ll be very sad.¡± Hesper nodded. ¡°Soon. Trust me, Ren.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 When Renfrew was back at the Duvals, Rickard finally realized that Hesper didn¡¯t just say all that because she was angry. She was really going to start attacking him and his family, though he didn¡¯t even know the reason behind 1. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen eye to eye in a long time,¡± After a few days of behaving, Sophia couldn¡¯t help but say that after seeing how sombre he looked. Dick, do you really think what we did in the past had nothing to do with you? I don¡¯t think Hesper even likes you now.¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± Julie grabbed her and looked at Rickard warily. She could see more. She was afraid that her son was bewitched by Hesper the fox and would do anything that went against his principles. She and Sophia used to treat Hesper so terribly. Even if they were Rickard¡¯s family, she couldn¡¯t be sure that Rickard wouldn¡¯t pin all the me on them for what happened in the past. Love blinds people. Rickard didn¡¯t have the energy to bother with his mother and sister. What he had to do was face the obstacles Hesper directed at him. If this had happened a few months ago, he would have retaliated without hesitation and let her and the rest of Genecity know that he wasn¡¯t someone people could simply pick on. But now, he hesitated. How could he position Hesper so that neither of them would get hurt? He had to find out why Hesper¡¯s attitude toward him changed. He wouldn¡¯t believe a word that Hesper said in his office. He would only believe what he saw. ¡°Benji, check who Hesper spoke to beforeing over yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± However, Hesper moved a lot faster than he imagined. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Duval, but you¡¯re a businessman, sa you should understand that profit is more. important than anything. We could still work together when given the chance in the future.¡± The factory worked with Duval Group on their biggest project. If they suddenly halted work, it would bring the project to a stop, and the profit that was previously made would not be distributed to them. Stopping production would hurt both parties, but the factory agreed to the conditions brought up by the Lanes, so one could imagine the offer Hesper gave. Even if that was the case, was she adamant about hurting the Duval Group even though she would take a huge loss too? ¡°Alright, but I hope that you understand I will not tolerate betrayal.¡± Rickard¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°Once bitten twice shy.¡± ¡°But Mr. Duva-¡± Rickard didn¡¯t bother, hanging up before the man could finish. Since he called, he probably weighed the pros and cons and decided that there was no point in Rickard wasting time. A few otherpanies that were working with them called and requested to cancel their contracts, saying they would pay the fines. Even though these didn¡¯t affect Duval Group as much as the first factory, it meant that Hesper was dering war. She really wasn¡¯t joking around. Hesper was set on running Duval Group to the ground. Rickard pinched the bridge of his nose. He paid another factory an unusually high price to have them This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. start working, then contacted Benji to arrange for an emergency board meeting. While the Duval Group slowly fell into turmoil under Hesper¡¯s actions, she didn¡¯t feel anything in her heart. Instead, she calmly started contacting the other factories so Rickard wouldn¡¯t be able to catch a break. When Matthew noticed what happened in Genecity, he was shocked by Hesper¡¯s sudden change. However, that was what Hesper had gone to Genecity for, to take Genecity out of the Duvals¡¯ hands. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Hesper was doing well. ¡°Don¡¯t push too hard. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be too tired, and you don¡¯t know what people will do when they¡¯re forced into a corner. Besides, Rickard is a wolf.¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t make out Hesper¡¯s emotions through the phone, but he knew that Hesper¡¯s change. wasn¡¯t out of nowhere. Anything rted to Rickard would affect her emotions tremendously. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just more aware than I used to be.¡± Hesper removed her sses. Between thepany and school, she was busy and life was never more fulfilling. Matthew hadn¡¯t been in contact with her in a while, so it was understandable that he was worried. ¡°The next time youe over, I might already have tamed the wolf. All the things that I¡¯ve learned were to prepare me for this.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Rickard was really quick in handling the attacks sheunched. There was a back and forth, but Hesper would always end up with the upper ground. All the Duval Group could do was protect their own profits to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t suffer too big of a loss. Matthew knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to change Hesper¡¯s mind, so all he could do was remind her to rest and not overwork herself. Herpany was doing well, but something happened with Professor Jenkins. When Jessie heard that her father was going to lecture Hesper, she put everything that she was doing aside and went over. When she got to the office, she saw Hesper standing next to Xavier with her head hanging low. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how important this Duval Grouppetition is?¡± Hesper kept her head low. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡± Seeing that her father was going to start cursing soon, Jessie rushed in to diffuse the situation. ¡°What this is?¡± Jessie rubbed her father¡¯s shoulders and looked at Hesper, who was silent, then signaled at her. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just talk things through calmly?¡± Hesper frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. When Xavier saw that, he became even angrier. ¡°This genius isn¡¯t taking the Duval Grouppetition seriously. I had to shamelessly ask for a spot, yet she doesn¡¯t even want it.¡± Jessie continued rubbing her dad¡¯s shoulders but still didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so she looked toward Hesper. Even she, someone who didn¡¯t care aboutpetitions, knew how important it was. Many had tried but failed to even get a spot. Hesper was someone who would take every opportunity, yet she turned it down? ¡°What happened?¡± Jessie whispered to Hesper. Hesper hesitated, then spoke. ¡°Renfrew is Rickard Duval¡¯s son.¡± That shocked Jessie and Xavier. Hesper lowered her head and said, ¡°There are a lot of problems between Rickard and me. I don¡¯t want to talk about what happened in the past. I kept this from you because I don¡¯t want to be reminded of the past.¡± ¡°¡­F*ck.¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 After Hesper spilled the beans, Xavier fell quiet. Hesper wasn¡¯t a shy person. If it wasn¡¯t something that she absolutely couldn¡¯t talk about, she wouldn¡¯t have hidden it. They were just normal people, different from the Duvals, who were important. In Xavier remembered that Hesper didn¡¯te from the best background, so she must have gone through ¨¤ lot living with the Duvals. ¡°This is a really rare chance.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After a long pause, Xavier finally sighed and waved his hand to let Hesper leave. Hesper walked out of the office and looked at the campus grounds, then sighed too. She knew how rare the opportunity was, but after having an intense struggle with herself, she chose to give it up. She was too naive in the past. Now that she hade so far, there was no point chasing. dreams and hobbies. Where would she find the time and energy for those things? The right opportunity hade at the wrong time. Life wasn¡¯t perfect; that was reality. It waste autumn and the leaves had fallen. Stepping on them made a crunching sound. Hesper walked for a long time with her head hung low before suddenly seeing a pair of feet in front of her. ¡°Hesper.¡± Hesper looked up and was surprised to see Nathaniel smiling at her. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Nathaniel looked at Hesper, who was before him. She seemed to have lost weight but was as mesmerizing as ever. She looked like a work of art under the evening sun, a painting worth millions. Nathaniel had not mentioned that he wasing back, just like how he never mentioned that he was going abroad, so Hesper was shocked by his sudden appearance. The two friends were reunited. ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we walk. We can get some local food,¡± Nathaniel raised his hand and Hesper saw that he was holding a paper bag, though she didn¡¯t know what was inside. ¡°Here¡¯s a present from Julian to you. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside it.¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t guess what he might give her. She teased Nathaniel, saying, n gave me a present, but you came empty-handed?¡± Nathaniel shook his head. ¡°I did. But do you remember that I mentioned a surprise? I came here for that.¡± They both got into the car. Nathaniel never liked people following him around, so he always drove. Hesper got into the passenger¡¯s seat and opened the heavy paper bag. She was utterly surprised by its content. It was a box of medication. Hesper opened it, and there was a note in Julian¡¯s handwriting. Julian: This is for Mr. Duval Sr. I remembered this. However, the follow-up treatments will take some time because I¡­ How have you been? I miss you. Hesper put away the note because it turned mushy, then looked toward Nathaniel and said, ¡°Why did you. suddenly want to go for local food? I haven¡¯t had the chance to have a proper meal yet.¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t eat properly. I¡¯m going toin to your brother when I¡¯m back in Emperion.¡± Nathaniel seemed to imagine what would happen, and he smiled. ¡°I lived here for a while and never had the chance to return. It feels like a lifetime ago since I had the food here.¡± They talked on the road and soon came to a little restaurant. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 ¡°You should go first. I¡¯ll go and get the car parked, and you can order anything you want.¡± Nathaniel pulled over in front of the restaurant. ¡°Their food is rather spicy, so if you can¡¯t handle the spice, you could just This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. tell the owner.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t really like spicy food, so she nodded and walked into the inconspicuous, tiny restaurant. Hesper truly had no idea how Nathaniel got to know about this restaurant. She looked around the area while they were on the way here, and there was not even a single means of transportation within a few. miles from the ce, let alone any passerby. The small shop was hidden behind a grove. It already looked very inconspicuous during autumn, so the whole restaurant might bepletely concealed behind the trees when all the leaves grew back during summer. A small string of wind chimes made out of shells was hung on the door frame of the entrance. When Nathaniel walked into the premises, it gave off a crisp chime. ¡°Hello?¡± Once inside, no one could be seen. Hesper poked her head in, took a look at the interior of the restaurant, and found that there was no one there. The small shop lot looked clean and beautiful, and the log decorations seemed to be in line with the design of a cabin in the forest. The beams of the house were covered with unknown greeneries, looking very engaging. ¡­But there was nobody there! ¡°Are we having guests?¡± A person suddenly appeared behind her. Hesper was taken aback. She then saw a teen boy in an aprone out of nowhere, looking at her while rubbing his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re Nathaniel¡¯s friend, aren¡¯t you? You can sit by the window. And if there¡¯s anything that you want to eat, you can scan the QR code for the menu.¡± The boy did not give Hesper much of a chance to speak, answering everything that Hesper wanted to ask in one go. ¡®He¡¯s never met me before, so how does he know that I¡¯m Nathaniel¡¯s friend?¡¯ Hesper was a little puzzled, but she walked to the seat by the window without any hesitation. She then found that there was a book on the table with a line of unfamiliar words written on the cover. After reading it for a while, Hesper felt like it was written in one of the westernnguages; however, just when she was about to take a picture to look up the meaning of some of the words, the teenager appeared behind her again. ¡°This is Nathaniel¡¯s book. It¡¯s beenying around here since he came herest time. I forgot to put it away.¡± The teenager closed the book and tapped on the QR code on the corner of the table. ¡°This is the menu. Do you eat spicy food?¡± Hesper shook her head. The boy nodded, yawned, and left. ¡®He¡¯s quite a weirdo, huh¡­? This teenager looks extremely young, but everything he does makes him look frustrated, and he¡¯s very elusive too¡­¡± Hesper scanned the QR code, skimmed through the menu, and ordered two traditional Genecity dishes, thinking that there would be no going wrong with them, then waited for Nathaniel to park the car and When Nathaniel walked into the restaurant, Hesper was staring at the nts in the room with her head lifted, revealing her fair neckline. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Hesper noticed Nathaniel¡¯s arrival and waved to him. ¡°I only ordered two dishes. You should take a look at the menu and see what you want to eat. It just so happens that there isn¡¯t anything in particr that I want to eat.¡± Nathaniel nodded and sat in front of Hesper. ¡°Mr. Seth Tucker knows what I want to eat. Isn¡¯t the environment here great?¡± The environment was really nice, and though it was obviously a restaurant, there was no one else in the building except them, not to mention how silent and still the atmosphere was. ¡°His name is Seth Tucker¡­ Is he a rtive of yours?¡± Hesper vaguely remembered that Nathaniel did not have any siblings. 4 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Seth came out with the dishes and chuckled when he heard Hesper¡¯s spection. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something wrong?¡± Nathaniel shook his head as Seth served the dishes and left. Hesper looked a little bewildered, so Nathaniel helplessly exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. That¡¯s how he treats everyone. Seth is indeed my younger brother, but he likes to cook and he¡¯s rather introverted, which is why you haven¡¯t heard much of him.¡± Hesper nodded with a hazy notion. Nathaniel pushed the dishes she ordered closer toward her while she was still a little confused and said, ¡°Try them. His cooking isparable to a professional chef¡¯s.¡± After the two of them had dinner, Nathaniel sent Hesper back home. As dusk fell, Hesper could not help but sigh as she stared at the breathtaking but fleeting scenery outside the window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you tired?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice came from the left. Hesper shook her head slowly and said after a short pause, ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about pursuing something that I like. Isn¡¯t that a little too extravagant for someone of my age?¡± ¡°How so?¡± Nathaniel asked in a rxed tone, then borated. ¡°You¡¯re already doing a lot better than most people, so of course you have the right to do whatever you like.¡± ¡°By the way, this is the surprise I wanted to give you. I didn¡¯t have a chance to bring it up till now.¡± Taking advantage of the traffic, Nathaniel took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Hesper. This is Roberto Sanchez¡¯s contact information. He¡¯ll exin the details to you.¡± ¡®Roberto Sanchez?¡¯ Hesper lowered her head in disbelief. ¡®Isn¡¯t that the most famous designer in Montequinto?! I only mentioned that I love Roberto¡¯s design once before this. I didn¡¯t expect him to remember it!¡¯ ¡°I originally wanted to get him to design and customize a dress for you. I remember you saying that you love his design very much,¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°It was onlyter that I learned that you actually studied. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. fashion design, so I thought I should just pass you his contact information directly.¡± ¡®With my current ability, it¡¯s impossible for me to get in touch with a big-name designer like Roberto. Designers like him are very arrogant, and to them, money has never been something to be put into. consideration when picking jobs, so to be able to get such an opportunity¡­¡¯ Hesper had not even dared to think about it before. ¡°You¡¯ve earned this opportunity yourself. I showed him some of your previous designs, and Mr. Sanchez. imed that you¡¯re very talented and wanted to know you too.¡± The car slowly drove toward Hesper¡¯s house. When they arrived at the destination, Nathaniel turned his head toward the front passenger seat. His facial outline was a little blurred under the dim street lights. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time, Hesper.¡± Hesper had not even recovered from the shock, but when she heard his voice, she felt that she owed Nathaniel too much. ¡°Thank you for what you¡¯ve done. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner next time.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s eyes beamed with delight. ¡°Okay. I look forward to it.¡± Rickard stood in the night as the evening breeze brushed against him. Who knew how long had passed before the lights in Hesper¡¯s room went dark. He subconsciously grabbed a cigarette and fumbled for the lighter in his pocket, only to realize that his hands were shaking. ¡°Mr. Duval, that person was Nathaniel Tucker. He¡¯s in a marriage agreement with Ms. Lane.¡± Benji¡¯s phone call hade through. While talking, he tried to hear if there were any unusual emotions ¡®An hour ago, Mr. Rickard suddenly said that he wanted to talk to Ms. Lane, but then just ten minutes ago, he called asking for me to look into someone¡¯s background.¡¯ Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 ¡°And the things that I managed to gather almost scared the crap out of me. I¡¯m guessing that not only did Mr. Duval not get to see Ms. Lane, but he actually got to meet his love rival instead? Maybe Ms. Lane was even getting a little steamy with Nathaniel there. After all, they¡¯re actually in a proper engagement agreement, so they could do whatever they want¡­¡± Thinking of this, Benji could not help but inwardly say a prayer for his boss. Rickard stood under the tree for a long time after that. The cigarette hanging between his lips was not lit, and he himself did not even know what he was thinking about. In the end, Benji felt that something was not right, so he called Zikmund and asked him to drive over to Hesper¡¯s ce to pick Rickard up. ¡°Does she really not like me anymore?¡± Rickard asked Zikmund directly. Looking at his haggard friend, Zikmund could not help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the recent incidents. To be honest, Hesper¡¯s attacks are freaking ruthless; that means that she obviously wants to corner both you and Duval Group.¡± Seeing Rickard¡¯s appearance, Zikmund felt a little irritated by how his friend was not living up to his full capacity. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so long, so how could I not know you well enough to know what you¡¯ve been up to? Although Lane Holdings and Hesper do have the capital and capability tounch those attacks, those moves are definitely not merciless enough to push you to where you are now.¡± Rickard lowered his head, and Zikmund let out a long, heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to reproach you for your actions, but judging from where you two are right now, I think it¡¯s impossible for you guys to go back to how you were before. And if you think I sound too sure of myself, exin this to me. Whether it¡¯s your mother or your sister, which one of them didn¡¯t try their absolute best to force Hesper into a corner back. then? And have you resolved the issues that Juniper started? Apart from that, have you let go of your pride and made it clear to Hesper that you still love her?¡± Zikmund sounded extremely reasonable, not supporting his best friend only to make him feel better. These days, after learning about the incidents that had happened between Rickard and Hesper before this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that Rickard was a dumb and confused bastard. Recently, Rickard had been carefully going through the room where Hesper stayed with him, only to realize that he could not find any trace of her having lived there before. Hesper had always been extremely cautious and did not buy many personal belongings. So in addition to cooking at home, she also cleaned the rooms. Sometimes, she would even wipe a small item several times before putting it back in its original ce. Rickard used to always find Hesper annoying, but now, he had lost her forever. ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re a man that takes ountability seriously, think about the situation that you¡¯re in now. You should at least step up for those people who work for yourpany. They¡¯re other people¡¯s lovers, parents, and children too. If the Duval Group were to copse now, what would happen to them?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Although Zikmund was usually a little bit of a jerk, when needed, he could look at major issues from an objective point of view. In his eyes, it was impossible for Rickard and Hesper to get back together ever again. Instead, in the future, they would be rivals. And although Rickard might not understand this truth just yet, he would have to, sooner orter. When they arrived at the Duvals¡¯ residence, Zikmund patted Rickard on the shoulder. ¡°For real, think about it.¡± Rickard suddenly lifted his gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already figured it out.¡± Zikmund was speechless as he stared into Rickard¡¯s eyes, feeling that what the man understood was definitely not what he wanted to express. ¡®I¡¯ll tackle the issues that Juniper created and not defend the Duvals anymore. I¡¯ll hold Hesper¡¯s hand and risk all I have, even my life, to make her see that I really do love her.¡± Rickard ced his palm on his chest pocket, where a photo of Hespery inside¡­ It was a possession that had a ridiculous backstory-he got his hands on it by cutting it out of their divorce certificate, which was the only item that Hesper had left behind. Zikmund had no idea of just how many crazy things Rickard would do over a long time in the future only because of the words that came out of his mouth that night. He only knew that Rickard started to fight back from that day onwards and had since gone into a business war with Hesper. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Ever since Rickard started to fight back, Hesper instantly realized that Rickard had been giving in deliberately before. But why would that matter? The use of others¡¯ feelings for her was also a means of business. It was not that she could not use it, it was just that she could not be bothered to use it. Nathaniel came to Genecity only to deliver things to Hesper. Since he had done everything that he wanted to do, and Hesper was busy with work every day and did not have time to entertain him, he returned to Emperion. ¡°There will be a charity auction tomorrow night. I¡¯ve rejected a few events of such nature on your behalf before this because thepany hasn¡¯t officially stabilized and gone on track.¡± Renee updated Hesper on an invitation. ¡°But this is different. The organizer specially sent an invitation letter here, so do you want to attend the event?¡± When she was in Emperion, Hesper often followed Matthew to various auctions, which were always great opportunities forpanies to socialize with each other. After all, she only knew a handful of entrepreneurs in Genecity, so this would be an excellent chance for her to get to know more. ¡°Okay, make it happen. I remember that there¡¯s a meeting tomorrow night. Bring it forward to tonight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After Renee left, Hesper leaned back in her chair and rolled her dry eyes wearily. Long hours of high-load work was starting to make her feel a little powerless. After all, she was only human, not a machine that was in perpetual motion, working non-stop as long as there was still fuel. Looking back at her recent lifestyle, thest time she felt rxed during this period of time was when she went out to dinner with Nathaniel. Speaking of that diner¨C Hesper sat up straight, opened her eyes, and took out two business cards from her drawer. One of them belonged to Roberto, and the other was stuffed into her hand by Seth when Nathaniel left earlier to pick. up his car the other day. Seth looked very strange as a person. Rather than being introverted, Hesper keep on feeling that he was trying to hide something from others on purpose. Even though that was her first time meeting him, Seth somehow felt very familiar to her¡­ Hesper was sure that she had never met this person for as long as she was old enough to remember. But the sense of familiarity was inexplicable. After giving it some thought, Hesper dialed the phone number and called Seth. ¡°Beep¨C¡± After only a single beep, the other party picked up the call. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Hearing the steady breathing that wasing from the other end of the call, Hesper could not help but speak first to confirm. ¡°Is this Seth?¡± The other side was silent for a while, then a strange yet familiar voice sounded. ¡°Are you looking for Seth? That¡¯s a pity. He hasn¡¯t woken up today.¡± The voice from the other end of the call sounded very vague as if it was answering the call at a ce with strong wind. Hesper took a nce at the time. It¡¯s already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, yet Seth still hasn¡¯t woken up? What¡¯s more, even if they¡¯re very close to each other, why would Seth hand his phone to another person for safekeeping?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Hesper frowned. A strong gust of wind could be hearding from the other end. She could still hear the other party breathing before, but now she could not hear anything except for the wind, and that hindered her from catching hold of the other party¡¯s emotions. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. The important thing here is Seth¡­ You know him by this name, don¡¯t you? Anyway, he can¡¯t answer your question today, and I won¡¯t disclose anything to you.¡± The man¡¯s voice went farther and farther away until it waspletely inaudible. ¡°Hello? What do you mean by that?¡± The other side became silent for a long time, and Hesper felt inexplicably uneasy. She could not help but feel that something had happened on the other side, where she could not see. ¡°It¡¯s nothing interesting, but it¡¯s not the time for you to know more about him just yet.¡± The voice sounded again on the other end. ¡°We¡¯ve already met, and I believe we¡¯ll meet again, so don¡¯t worry too much, Ms. Lane.¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Before Hesper had the time to say anything, beeping sounds started to ring in her ear, signaling the end of the call. ¡®If Seth slipped his business card to me secretly, it means that he doesn¡¯t want Nathaniel to know about this.¡¯ Hesper was forced to listen to those iprehensible words and felt that the matter was getting more This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. and more dubious. Nathaniel was most likely to know something about this, but Hesper had an inexplicable intuition deep down. ¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t ask Nathaniel about this matter first, at least not now.¡¯ Letting go of her doubts for the time, Hesper reminded herself not to think about thoseplicated matters. ¡®The most urgent task on my hands at the moment is to make it impossible for Duval Group to recover, and then get Renfrew¡¯s custody back, andstly, make sure that Lane Holdings settles down in Genecity smoothly. There are still too many things to focus on, so I have no time to think about all these illusory affairs.¡¯ Hesper put her phone down, and her fingertipnded on the news that she had just gone through. Juniper¡¯s name was impressively edited in the title of the news, so Hesper tapped on it. Juniper, whose face had fully recovered, was wearing a slim-fit suit and smiling brilliantly in front of the camera. ¡®Juniper Wight¡­ It seems that she hasn¡¯t appeared in front of the public for a long time.¡¯ It was not hard to see that ever since Juniper made full recovery, she had gone back to her previous job again, and she looked so proud of herself that it seemed she had almost forgotten about Hesper¡¯s existence. But Hesper still remembered the time when someone tried to harm her in Salt City. Later on, Renee sent many men out there to investigate the young man who had a mole under his right eye, but they had found nothing so far. Salt City was covered in chaos during that time, so it was impossible to find witnesses who saw what happened, Moreover, all the surveince facilities in Salt City had also been destroyed at that time, so it was not difficult for the killer to deliberately avoid the cameras. In addition to that, the other party was also very experienced in this matter and did not leave any traces behind. At the end of the day, the characteristic of having a mole was still too indistinct, so trying to find the murderer based solely on this characteristic was tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack. However, even though the killer had not been caught, Hesper still had a feeling that this person must have been hired by Juniper. ¡°Juniper Wight¡­¡± Hesper tapped on Juniper¡¯s smiling face on the phone, and a trace of disgust shed across her eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you were behind it or not. The most important thing is that I¡¯m not feeling too happy recently. So why not take some time to polish up my skills with you?¡± Juniper was looking at her new evening gown in the mirror. ¡®Ever since I was poisoned by Hesper, I haven¡¯t attended any banquet ever. It¡¯s been too long. And let¡¯s not forget how that b*tch Hesper caused me to lose face thest time I had a chance to go to a banquet. That¡¯s why I have to stand out among all the female guests this time around. I have to show off my beauty so that I can impress Rickard and make him change his mind.¡± Ariana looked at Juniper from the doorway and sighed faintly. * In the past, my Juniper was proud and beautiful, and even though she could be a little arrogant at times, she was kind deep down. I don¡¯t know when it started, but I feel like I don¡¯t know my daughter so well anymore.¡¯ Juniper had already seen Ariana in the mirror. Recalling all the previous shes that she had had with Hesper before this, Juniper felt rather aggrieved. ¡®Hesper is the one who stole the man who originally belonged to me, so why would my own mother talk to me like how she did the other day?¡¯ Thinking of this, Juniper turned around and coquettishly sashayed up to Ariana¡¯s side. ¡°Mom, do I look good in this?¡± Juniper¡¯s dress was specially designed by a famous designer. Its sole purpose was to impress and stun anyone that saw her in it. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Juniper was born with a delicate and captivating look, so as long as her beholder did not deliberately try to find fault in her appearance, she might even look a little innocent and artless. ¡°You look nice.¡± Ariana nodded. ¡°However, I¡¯m here to tell you to not go to the charity g tonight.¡± Ariana¡¯s gaze and expression still looked gentle and amiable, but what she said did not seem to leave Juniper with any choices. Juniper¡¯s expression turned cold instantly, and she stared at Ariana in confusion. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve been preparing for this event for a long time, and I only want to be there to¡­¡± Juniper¡¯s eyes wandered out of focus for a split second, and she eximed with a frown, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I must attend the function tonight. If you don¡¯t want me to go, shouldn¡¯t you at least give me a valid reason?¡± Ariana nodded. ¡°Rickard and Hesper will be attending the banquet tonight too, so I don¡¯t want you to go. This is the reason.¡± ¡®Nowadays, there¡¯s been so much ruckus going on between the Duvals and the Lanes, putting aside our family andpany, even smallerpanies are able to feel the tit-for-tat momentum between the two huge families. Themotion is showing a trend of bing more and more intense recently. ¡®Speaking of which, Hesper is also no longer someone Juniper can easily frame and overpower only out of jealousy of her. She¡¯s now someone who stands on the same level as Rickard and can even go against him by attacking hispany. She and Juniper no longer belong in the same ss anymore. So why can¡¯t Juniper understand that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely attend the g today, Mom¡­ So don¡¯t try to talk me out of it anymore.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Juniper let go of Ariana¡¯s arm, turned around, and was about to leave, but Ariana stretched out her hand and grabbed her, not wanting her to leave and go out there to do something stupid like pestering Rickard again. ¡°Juni¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡± As soon as Juniper exerted force and jerked her arm backward, Ariana was pulled forward and lost her bnce, her forehead hitting the corner of the cab as she fell. ¡°¡­Mom, mom!¡± Blood gushed out of Ariana¡¯s forehead in an instant, while Juniper stood beside her, covering her mouth. It took a while before she recovered from the trance, knelt down, and helped Ariana up. ¡°Mom!¡± Ariana hadpletely lost consciousness. Juniper, at a loss, finally remembered to yell to summon a servant after some time. ¡°I¡¯ve called an ambnce and it should arrive soon, so don¡¯t worry, Ms. Wight.¡± Juniper looked at Ariana, whose eyes were tightly closed, and bit her lower lip as if she had made up her mind in that instant. She then turned her head and said to the servant, ¡°You must watch over my mother until she wakes up. I have something to do, and I have to go now. Call me if she wakes up!¡± ¡°Ms. Wight?¡± The servant was a little shocked. However, after saying so, Juniper let go of Ariana¡¯s hand, turned around, and went downstairs with her clutch purse in her hand. At the entrance of the banquet, Rickard sat in his car watching Hesper get out of her car in a bright red gown. Because she did note with a malepanion nor did she need thepanionship of a female, Hesper came to the g alone that day. However, she did not look very lonely, because as soon as she got out of the car, many people who had been waiting for an opportunity to approach her immediately walked up to her and surrounded her. With Hesper¡¯s current status and capital, it was expected that many young masters in Genecity would flock to her. Sitting in the car, Rickard saw Hesper being surrounded to the extent where shepletely disappeared from sight. He then opened the car window to let the smoke out. ¡°Damn, holy sh*t, bro. Exactly how much have you smoked?¡± Zikmund suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stretched out his hand, and fanned the smog in front of his face. ¡°I wonder how you¡¯ve been so quiet all this while. I thought you¡¯d taken Hesper off your mind. Dude, why are you smoking so much?¡± Zikmund would never skip such events, but on the other hand, Rickard seldom showed up. He would at most have Benji deliver something to the venue on his behalf. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 When Zikmund heard that Rickard was attending the event this time around, he guessed that he must havee to see Hesper. After all, the organizer had already announced Hesper¡¯s attendance, so many people who wanted to get to know Hesper decided to attend too. ¡®Is Rickard worried that Hesper will gain more connections in the business circle, or is he afraid that Hesper will fall for someone else? Zikmund pulled Rickard out of the car, only to choke on the smell of the smoke inside and begin sneezing. In the past, Rickard would only light a cigarette when life was not going his way, but something like this had never happened before. Zikmund sighed. ¡°What else can I do? He¡¯s still my best friend, my brother. I can only help him out.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve arranged something for today,¡± Rickard said indifferently.. Zikmund was a little confused. ¡®What arrangement is he talking about?¡±, Without any further exnation, Rickard walked straight into the venue. Zikmund was still bewildered, so he strode forward and caught up with Rickard. ¡°What¡¯s the arrangement that you¡¯re talking about? What¡¯s the big n here? Fill me in, man¡­¡± Hesper walked to a corner of the banquet hall with a smile on her face, hoping that when those people who only wanted to chat with her saw her stance, they would know that she did not want to be disturbed by too many people. In fact, Hesper came here this time around only to meet new people and form connections, but those who took the initiative to walk up to her were not the people that she wanted. The nature of this charity g was different. Everyone who came had to bring a small item to contribute to the auction. The money earned from the auction would be used for charity, and the organizer would only collect a small share to pay for the tax. After thinking about it for a long time, Hesper did not contribute anything too expensive. She only brought an authentic painting by a famous artist that she got her hands on earlier. Its market value was not low, but it was not the highest either. After all, Hesper did not need to steal the limelight as a neer. However, Hesper only stood in the corner, and her gaze moved casually from corner to corner, surveying her surroundings. By doing so, she still managed to catch the attention of many people. There were manydies present, including some well-known celebrities, socialites, and famous online influencers, but Hesper¡¯s appearance still surpassed everyone else¡¯s. In fact, Hesper did not even try to dress up for the asion. She simply matched all her essories to her gown, but her self-confidence and elegance were something that no one else could imitate even if they tried. Thest person who made people feel this way seemed to be Rickard¡­. When everyone present thought of this in unison, Rickard pierced through the silence and stepped into the hall. ¡®Rickard Duval?¡¯ Hesper was swirling the juice in her ss out of boredom but instantly stopped the moment she saw Rickard. ¡®Why would he appear at such an asion?¡¯ Rickard¡¯s eyes leaped over the crowd andnded on Hesper with precision. At that moment, the two of them exchanged gazes. And as soon as a beam of emotion flickered in Rickard¡¯s eyes, Hesper shifted her gaze away indifferently. It was as if the momentary eye contact was just an unhappy coincidence. ¡°Stop staring already. Your eyes are on the brink of sticking onto her body.¡± Zikmund¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°And you haven¡¯t told me yet. What¡¯s about to happen tonight? From whom did you learn to talk and act so mysteriously?¡± Rickard did not say a word but only turned his head slightly. Zikmund followed his gaze, nced in the direction where Rickard was looking, and saw Juniper, who was ring at Hesper enviously in another corner. ¡°Why is she here?¡± After Zikmund found out about what had happened in the past, the filter that he once had for Juniper shattered all over. They were childhood friends who grew up together, but still, he hated most the kind of people who N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. yed dirty behind others¡¯ backs. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 What was more, Rickard treated Juniper so well back then, but Juniper only wanted to take advantage of him, then pinned the me on Hesper when things went south. If it was not for Rickard¡¯s blind trust in Juniper, perhaps these things would havee to light since the very beginning. Taking advantage of this situation, Juniper should have left immediately, but she was shameless enough to stay and pester Rickard further for so many years. The former rtionship between Rickard and Hesper was no longer a secret because of the bbermouth, Juniper. So when some attendees who knew about the rtionship between Rickard and Juniper saw the posture of the three of them, they could instantly imagine a huge, dramatic scene in their mind. However, the auction began officially, not giving the imagination more time to develop. The auction waspletely transparent. Everyone sat in the auditorium and would raise their cards to bid for any item that they wanted. Hesper had seen a lot of exquisite antiques and items in the past three years. So generally, she was not interested in watching such auctions, but she could not just return home empty-handedly. Hence, Hesper paid partial attention to the items being presented on stage and tried to bid for a few small items from time to time. ¡°The next item up for auction is a piece of jewelry from the royal family of Yosnd. So,dies, it¡¯s time to divert your attention here.¡± Hesper lifted her head. The item on the auction tform was a thin bracelet, iid with several gemstones of different shades of blue, making it look like a sparkling wave, radiating under the chandeliers. It was indeed a pretty bracelet. This could be regarded as one of the most famous items up for auction tonight. Regardless of the material of the bracelet and the type of gemstone used, the royal family¡¯s name was already enough to put the jewelry a level above the other items. Hesper did notck good-looking essories, so although this bracelet looked very beautiful, she did not have the habit of collecting vintage essories and clothes. She would only buy them for the sake of viewing them at home. With the host¡¯s hyped introduction, thedies in the audience would surely want to participate in the. auction. Hesper did not want to join in on the fun. Sure enough, as soon as the auction started, the bid for the bracelet skyrocketed instantly. It had No matter what, it was only a tiny ornament, and the upbringing that Hesper had received since she was a child had taught her to not go all out for something that was not worth it just for the sake of her pride, even if she was rich now. There was no need for that. But soon, a familiar voice came from within the crowd. ¡°$10,000.¡± Hesper turned her head and saw Juniper raise her chin as she put down the card in her hand. And as soon as they exchanged gazes, Juniper snorted proudly then looked away immediately. Hesper was speechless. ¡®Just how childish can she be?¡¯ Hesper turned her head, leaned back into the couch, and continued to witness the bidding process. Juniper seemed to be ready to show off in the limelight this time around, which was not beyond Hesper¡¯s expectations. After all, Juniper had not appeared in front of the public for a long time, so with the gigantic vanity that she had, it was absolutely impossible for her to stop if she did not get her hands on this bracelet today. ¡°20,000.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. In an instant, the price of the bracelet increased by a fold. Everyone in the audience looked in the direction of the voice and saw Rickard put down the card in his hand expressionlessly as if he was not the one who made the bidding seconds ago. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect President Duval to join the auction out of the blue,¡± the host eximed immediately, but he wasughing out loud inwardly. ¡®This bracelet being sold at $10,000 was already something that even my words couldn¡¯t preach. However, Mr. Rickard Duval actually just came out of nowhere and doubled the price?¡± ¡°$22,500.¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Juniper did not expect that Rickard would intervene in the bidding out of the blue and raise the bid to such a high price in one go. She only had $25,000 in her possession, which she had managed to scrape together with great difficulty. She had not been working and getting paid for several months and she had never had the habit of saving money, so she was about to spend all the money that she had earned before this. Ariana was also afraid that she would use the money tomit crimes, so she stopped giving her a Juniper prayed deep down that Rickard would stop bidding. $22,500 might be nothing to Rickard, but it was basically all she had at the moment. At this moment, her heart was bleeding deep down, but she still had to maintain her proud smile on the This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. surface. However, the $24,000 that Rickard followed up with in the next second broke her fantasypletely. Juniper could not help but look at Rickard, who was sitting in front of her, but she could only see the back of his head. ¡°Mr. Duval, can you perhaps consider stopping there? It¡¯s not like the bracelet will serve you any good after you bring it back. I really like it though. So why don¡¯t you¡­ Just give it up for me?¡± Juniper bit her lower lip and gave off a charming expression. Her pitiful appearance made the men around her pity her, but Rickard did not even turn his head backward, nor did he n to give in. ¡°Mr. Duval¡­¡± Hesper leaned backward, waiting to witness the drama live, and wondering what kind of show these two fully grown adults wanted to put on. Rickard did not utter a single word. Seeing this situation, the host did not know whether to move on with the bidding or not, at least not until Rickard asked, ¡°Is that it? Shouldn¡¯t you be doing something? I¡¯ve already ced my bid.¡± What that meant was he should move on with the bidding process. The host got the hint and yelled with confidence, ¡°$24,000 once-¡± Juniper did not expect that Rickard would still refuse to give in even after what she said. ¡®How is this possible? Even if Rickard didn¡¯t want to marry me before this, he would never make things. difficult for me like how he¡¯s doing now!¡¯ ¡®Could it be that Hesper told him something again?¡¯ # Juniper red at Hesper, who was staring back at her, and she was at a loss for words for a split second. ¡®Geez, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who¡¯speting against her, so why the re?¡¯ ¡°$24,000 for the second time-¡± Just as the gavel was about to drop, Juniper gnashed her teeth. ¡°25,000! I¡¯ll pay $25,000!¡± Rickard stopped bidding. The attendees of the auction were not dumb; it was obvious that Rickard only raised the price to upset Juniper. Although they could not figure out the reason why, they still loved the drama. Since others could see it, Juniper could too. The host dropped the gavel and eximed with a wide grin on his face, ¡°Congrattions on finally winning this lot, Ms. Wight!¡± There was also sparse apuseing from the audience. Blood was gushing out of Juniper¡¯s heart, but she could only maintain the generous smile that she had on. ¡°Holy sh*t. Well done, bro. I literally just saw Juniper breathe a sigh of relief. $25,000 must be the highest bid that she could afford.¡± Zikmund bumped Rickard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But how did you know that Juniper was going to fight for this bracelet?¡± ¡°I had no idea.¡± At first, Rickard only thought this bracelet would look good on Hesper and wanted to buy it as a gift for her. But seeing that Hesper did not intend to participate in the auction, he had guessed that she might not like it and that was why she must not have raised a bid. Later on, he only did what he did purely to annoy Juniper. Zikmund was a little puzzled. ¡®I thought that was the n that Rickard brought up but had been keeping to himself mysteriously since he arrived. But it turns out that what just happened is only a tiny prelude?¡¯ ¡®So what exactly does this bastard want to do?¡± Seeing that the auction was alreadying to an end, Rickard turned his head backward and peeped at Hesper secretly a few times. He saw that she was about to fall asleep, so perhaps she would leave before the dinner party was over. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Hesper was indeed thinking about leaving early. Although there was a dinner party after the auction, she had already gotten the business cards of the people that she wanted to know. She even got to witness Rickard and Juniper¡¯s epic fight scene live. ¡®There¡¯s nothing better than getting to go back and rest early.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Hesper yawned, and through her teary eyes, she saw Rickard looking back at her. His gaze was filled withplex emotions that could not be easily ignored. However, she did not want to see his gaze, and she did not want to understand his emotions either. Rickard looked away and then said, ¡°What¡¯s going to happen tonight has nothing to do with her, so it¡¯s better for her to leave early.¡± Zikmund curled his lips, wondering when exactly Rickard started to possess the ability to rise above his old self and the characteristic of self-sacrifice. ¡®Love does make someone go blind.¡± Sitting at the back, Juniper could clearly see all the tiny movements between the two. When she thought about Rickard¡¯s actions from just now, she could not help but feel aggrieved and furious. As if sensing Juniper¡¯s emotions, her cell phone vibrated all of a sudden. Juniper lowered her head and took a nce at the notification. It was from one of the servants at home, saying that Madam Wight had woken up with a slight concussion. Believing that she was the one at fault for causing her mother¡¯s injury, Juniper felt a little guilty, but she really had toe today. ¡®I¡¯m right here, and both of them are still flirting with each other. Just imagine what would have happened if I was not here at all!¡¯ In fact, Juniper seemed to be thinking way too highly of herself, as no one actually cared about her at all, but tonight¡¯s main character would indeed be her. Her phone vibrated again, and Juniper lowered her head irritably, only to see a ck text message bubble. Startled, she looked around subconsciously and then lowered her head again. Quietly opening the dark web, Juniper saw the message that 013 sent her. She did not know whether she should tap on it or not. Since theirst chat, 013 had not sent any messages to Juniper. She wanted to urge him for an update. and follow-up, but thinking of who those people were, she did not have the guts to push him. Apart from that, she also recalled that she had only paid him the deposit, and the full payment had not been made, so she temporarily put the matter aside. ¡®It¡¯s just a small amount of money. It¡¯s not worth dying for. But 013 actually just took the initiative to contact me¡­? Will it offend him if I don¡¯t read his message?¡¯ Juniper struggled for a while before finally tapping on the notification bubble. 013: You¡¯ve truly surprised me, Ms. Wight. You actually left your injured biological mother behind just so you could show off at an event. 013: And don¡¯t pretend that you didn¡¯t see my messages. You¡¯re not blind and I¡¯m not dumb. Reading these two texts, Juniper¡¯s heart skipped a beat ¡®Not only does this person know who I am, but he even knows what I¡¯ve gone through today.¡¯ Juniper raised her head subconsciously, wanting to see if there was any strange person watching her, but looking around, she did not see any suspicious person. Memory: How do you know who I am and what I¡¯m doing? In a corner where Juniper could not see, a teenager yed with his bangs and walked past the banquet hall. No one noticed that a person suddenly walked past. The young man raised his head and took a nce at Hesper¡¯s seat. Under the dim lights, the small mole under his right eye was clearly visible. 013: I advise you to leave the hall now. Rickard has prepared a few surprises for you tonight. Juniper quickly asked, and the teenager frowned impatiently. ¡®Talking to idiots is really a pain in the *ss.¡± 013: If not for the fact that you¡¯re still useful to me, I wouldn¡¯t even disclose this piece of information to you. 013: Believe it or not, Rickard already knows about what happened back then. Hesper was staring at the empty seat in front of her in a daze but suddenly felt a jolt of chill shoot up her spine as if someone was watching her from behind. There are so many guests sitting behind me, but this feeling¡­¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 There was a foreign yet familiar feeling. Hesper turned around. 013 was still looking at her. He hadn¡¯t expected Hesper to suddenly turn around, so their eyes immediately met. 013 looked down and tugged on the mask he was wearing, then left the ce through the back door. Hesper was stunned for a moment, then remembered the ck mole under his eyes. He was the man. who pushed her in Salt City! Isaac and Renee were with her, so even if she knew that the assassin was there, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. That person obviously noticed her gaze and that¡¯s why he left. Hesper sat there for a while, thinking, then slowly got up. A lot of eyes were on her, and when she stood up, they all looked toward her. However, Hesper didn¡¯t have time to care about that. Before the assassin showed up, she could still lie to herself about having more time and that the man might have been arrested, but now, it seemed that the person had been observing her and was ready to pounce when she wasn¡¯t careful! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zikmund and Rickard looked at each other, as Hesper wasn¡¯t acting normal. At least it didn¡¯t look like she wanted to leave. Did something happen when they weren¡¯t paying attention? Rickard got up and Zikmund followed along. Half the people there had their eyes on Hesper when she left, now the other half were looking at Rickard. The auctioneer was introducing the final item on stage but could only smile sadly in his heart. The two heavy-weights had left, which meant that the auction was unofficially over. Hesper ran after 013 and noticed that her heart was racing. Logic told her that running after the man alone was very risky, but she didn¡¯t want him to get away. Her instinct told her that this wouldn¡¯t be thest time she saw him. Since she was a littlete when she started running, all the rooms before her looked identical. Hesper took a deep breath because she was probably going to go back empty-handed. She tried to remember those dark eyes but her focus kept going back to the mole. Twiggy was right, that mole was easy to recognize. ¡°Hesper!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Rickard came running and immediately grabbed her hand. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± Zikrnund caught up quickly and was panting very hard as he said, ¡°What¡­ What happened? Why are we running?¡± ¡°¡­Let go of me.¡± Hesper struggled but didn¡¯t manage to get out of his grip, so she looked at Rickard. ¡°Please respect boundaries, Mr. Duval.¡± Hearing that, Rickard looked at Hesper from head to toe to confirm that she was fine and then let go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you suddenly left. I thought-¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of pretending?¡± Hesper cut him off and took one step back to put some distance between them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say between us and you don¡¯t have to exin. Bye.¡± Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Hesper turned and left, not giving Rickard a chance to stop her, but he was sure that there must be a reason she suddenly ran out. He asked Zikmund to go back while he quietly followed her. Hesper saw the person who attacked her and knew that it wasn¡¯t safe, so she called Isaac as she walked to ask him toe get her. The wind was very cold at this time of the year and Hesper was only wearing a thin gown. The wind would definitely get to her if she stood outside even just for a while. Fortunately, Isaac was worried that something would happen, so he was waiting at a gas station nearby and was able to get there very soon. After watching Hesper safely leave with Isaac, Rickard was still notpletely relieved and drove after them, but kept his distance. After they all left, 013 finally came out from a corner. He had never left but instead changed into a waiter¡¯s uniform and hid among the crowd, watching her. ¡°So sensitive.¡± 013 lowered his head. ¡°I guess I need to be a lot more cautious.¡± After Zikmund went back, he had a feeling that something could have happened, but since Hesper and Rickard both left, there was no reason for him to stay. When he got back, the auction already ended. Juniper was the highest bidder for the most valuable item there, so she was showing off. Zikmund was utterly disgusted by her behavior because he would never expect her to be so cruel. He used to think that Hesper wasn¡¯t good enough for Rickard and that only a girl like Juniper was good enough. Juniper put in a lot of effort for the day, so she naturally stayed. Since Hesper and Rickard were no This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. longer there, all eyes were on her. ¡°Ms. Wight, you¡¯re someone all the socialites should look up to. It¡¯s good to finally meet you.¡± The man kept getting closer to Juniper. She realized that the man kept looking at her body and definitely had some inappropriate thoughts, so she took a few stops back. The man didn¡¯t seem to notice how awkward she was feeling and continued walking forward. When he got closer, he saw that Juniper had a small face and her skin was supple and fair. It was much better than the C-list celebrities. ¡°Sir, please control yourself.¡± Juniper frowned and wanted the man to get further away from her, but he shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m the deputy director of Apple Station. I remember that you have a program with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Juniper wouldn¡¯t have imagined that this man was someone important. He was right, her most popr program was shown on Apple Station. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything. I just want to have a drink with you. Are you not going to humor me?¡± Juniper hesitated, then nodded. ¡°If you told me earlier, wouldn¡¯t have rejected you. My show would need your full support. Cheers¡­¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The man nodded and just drank, nothing else. ¡°Are you sure you just want to have a drink?¡± Juniper looked at the man who remained unmoving and suddenly felt upset. The man looked at her, surprised, then shook his head, finished his drink, and left. After walking out of the venue, the man took out his recording device and looked around for Rickard. However, he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where did he go? I almost had to lose my dignity to get this recording.¡± The man sighed and gave Rickard a call, but no one picked up. He thought about it, then put the recording away. He would just speak to Rickard the next time they met. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 When he first followed Rickard¡¯s instructions and tried to find a way to get the recording, he felt guilty because what was said would be enough to destroy a woman¡¯s future. However, Juniper actually seemed to ask for something more. Young women had their minds filled with filthy thoughts. Did she really think that she would get help just by having a few drinks and letting people hold her hand? The world was a lot moreplicated than that! Rickard did forget what he was supposed to do that night and instead started investigating the reason. Hesper left early. Benji, who was awakened in the middle of the night by his boss, maintained his professionalism and stood in front of Rickard after ten minutes, even though he was ready to go to bed a minute before that. ¡°Hesper seemed to be looking for someone just now. I can¡¯t figure out who she was looking for or hiding from.¡± Rickard couldn¡¯t be sure, but since Hesper didn¡¯t like to bother anyone, she would have gone home by herself after the party. However, she had asked Isaac to fetch her instead. That meant that there was some sort of danger and Hesper was being cautious. Benji didn¡¯t have to guess to know that this was about Ms. Lane, so he pushed his sses higher onto his nose. ¡°Do you want me to ask Isaac?¡± Even though Isaac was a good fighter, there was something missing from his brain, so it was easier to get information out of him. Rickard paused and didn¡¯t speak for a long time, but Benji understood. Find a chance to try to get information from Isaac. ¡°I¡¯m thinking it might be rted to what happened in Salty City because that was the only ident Ms. Lane was involved in since her arrival at Genecity. I heard they were looking for a man with a mole N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. under his eye.¡± Benji analyzed the situation, then hesitantly pointed at Rickard¡¯s phone. ¡°Sir, your phone vibrated.¡± Rickard suddenly remembered that he had set up a trap for Juniper but didn¡¯t expect the n to go so well. He didn¡¯t manage to see what happened there and even pushed it to the back of his mind. Derek: I¡¯ve gotten the recording you asked for. Derek: Mr. Duval? Rickard replied to the message and got the recording, then tossed his phone aside. Inparison, Hesper¡¯s safety was more important. As for the n for Juniper¡­ it was fine to move it. aside. ¡°On top of that, Mrs. Wight was admitted to the hospital today. Mr. Duval Sr. is really worried and keeps saying that he wants to go visit her.¡± Benji read the message and sighed, then told Rickard about how Mrs. Wight was injured. Why didn¡¯t they realize that Juniper was a cruel woman? She was willing to hurt her own mother to get some attention, and instead of taking care of her, she attended an auction. They were too oblivious! Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 After Hesper arrived home, she told everything that happened to Isaac and Renee. ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t try again after failing the first time.¡± Isaac was a simple man. He thought that the man gave up after so long. ¡°Keep an eye on Juniper. I think this has something to do with her.¡± Hesper rubbed her temples when she thought about Juniper. Renee said, ¡°Juniper pushed her mother when she left home today, giving Mrs. Wights a concussion. She has been admitted to the hospital.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Hesper chuckled because she wasn¡¯t surprised. Juniper was someone who would do that; she knew better than anyone else. ¡°Let the media talk about this. I can¡¯t be bothered about her recently, but I also can¡¯t stand seeing her prancing around.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After what happened that night, Hesper was tired. She didn¡¯t know why but she remembered her phone call with Seth Tucker. The man said that they¡¯d met before and would meet again. What did that mean? Hesper fell asleep. Meanwhile, Juniper picked up her clothes in her room, not knowing how she ended up like this. ¡°Juni¡­¡± The familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind her. She remembered what happened in that room a while ago and was disgusted. After the man who said he was the deputy director of Apple Station left, Juniper felt unwell, so she wanted to leave but was surrounded by a group of men. She made a ssh that night. Juniper had always been in the limelight in Genecity, but she was protected by Rickard in the past. Even if she said something that offended someone or attracted people¡¯s attention because she was too shy, people wouldn¡¯t do anything to her out of respect for Rickard. It was different now. Rickard had severed ties with her during the auction. Juniper tried to run away. Mrs. Wight wasn¡¯t there, so no one could help her! However, how could she outrun a group of people? She was soon caught, and as looked at Carter Wilson, the leader of the group, she knew that it was going to be the end of her. Ever since their schooling days, Carter had always wanted to pursue her, but it ended when she entered a rtionship with Rickard. However, every time they met, Juniper could feel his eyes on her and she never felt safe. Carter stepped forward, and as he watched her anxiously put on her clothes, he chuckled and grabbed her. ¡°My dear Juni¡­ After being with Rickard for so long, I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± He chuckled drily. ¡°I¡¯m going to treat you right so we won¡¯t get tired of each other so soon.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Juniper was so upset that her body shook. ¡°Rickard isn¡¯t going to let you get away with this!¡± Carterughed out loud after hearing that and touched her face. ¡°Ms. Wight, do you think you still have the same status as before? Everyone could tell that Ms. Lane and Mr. Duval have a thing going on and they might even get remarried. As for you¡­ you¡¯re just someone that he grew tired of.¡± That was a stab in Juniper¡¯s heart. She started fighting back but got a p in return. ¡°You best get used to the new reality. You¡¯ll be fine with me. What am Icking?¡± The Wilsons were one of the most powerful families in Genecity. Even though they were slightly lesser than the Duvals, they weren¡¯t too far behind. However, Carter always lived under Rickard¡¯s shadow and never had his chance to shine. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Having already been pped by him once, Juniper knew that Carter wasn¡¯t a gentleman. Only Rickard would respect her¡­. Realizing that, she suddenly lost her energy and felt guilty, but soon, it turned into anger. Why did Hesper have to show up? If she didn¡¯t, none of this would have happened. She would have married Rickard and had a beautiful child with him. She wouldn¡¯t be the one standing there being humiliated! ¡°Do you get it now?¡± Carter¡¯s voice was at her ear. Juniper lowered her head, then looked up after a long pause into Carter¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you really like me, could you agree to a few conditions? If you can fulfill them, I¡¯ll marry you.¡± The next day, Hesper went to the Duvals. ¡°Hesper?¡± Wendy didn¡¯t know that Hesper would be visiting when she came to get the door. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call? How long were you going to stand here if I didn¡¯t see you?¡± Hesper was hesitant. She knew that Duval Group was founded and built by Ernest and she had been taking down the business as Lane Holding¡¯s rep. ¡°You young people will need to settle it.¡± Wendy seemed to know what was on Hesper¡¯s mind, so she consoled her. ¡°Even though Mr. Duval Sr. built thepany, after handing it over to Rickard, he doesn¡¯t care about it as much anymore. He said that he wouldn¡¯t get involved in this, so you can just do what has to be done.¡± Even if Ernest said that, Hesper still felt guilty. It wasn¡¯t as much about whether Ernest minded. He was still using all kinds of ways to take over the tactics would be the victor. She still felt guilty because Ernest really treated her well. ¡°Alright,e in.¡± Wendy turned around and saw that Hesper was holding a bag, so she took it from her. What¡¯s this? Did youe all the way to drop this off?¡± Hesper came here to drop the medication, so there was no reason to hide it. She nodded. ¡°I asked my friend from overseas to send it over. He said that this could help with Grandpa Ernest¡¯s sickness. It¡¯s definitely more effective than the other medication and has minimal side effects.¡± The box was just a normal box without special designs. Hesper was worried that Wendy wouldn¡¯t C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. believe her, but Wendy smiled after she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s great. He¡¯s getting more stable now but we¡¯re still worried.¡± Wendy took Hesper past the corridor and to Ernes¡¯s room. ¡°He¡¯ll be delighted knowing that you still think of him.¡± Wendy patted Hesper¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go speak to the doctor and see when he can start taking this medication. You guys talk. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 She spent the entire afternoon with Ernest. Hesper didn¡¯t bring up the medication and Ernest didn¡¯t talk about the battle between the two passed. Beforeing over, Hesper had a lot of worries, but now, she was more confident. ¡°Grandpa, I came here to take Renfrew with me.¡± But after thinking about it, she lowered her head and told the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Julie and Sophia treat Renfrew nice. I can¡¯t leave him, and he can¡¯t be away from me. Maybe you¡¯ll think that I¡¯m selfish, but I¡¯m his mother, so I think I have the right to take care of him.¡± That was something that Hesper spent a lot of time mauling over. If Sophia and Julie were willing to throw the baby down the stairs, they would do anything to Renfrew now too. Renfrew was the only family Hesper had, so she didn¡¯t want her child to suffer. She would give him a hundred fold love to rece the father that he wouldn¡¯t have, but even though Rickard treated Renfrew well, Hesper really didn¡¯t want Renfrew to be away from her. She wasn¡¯t willing to leave that to chance. ¡°I know, I know you love Ren too, but Rickard¡¯s still young and could have a new family and more children. But I¡­ I can¡¯t. He can¡­¡± She was messing up her sentences, but before Ernest could speak, the door behind them opened. ¡°Hesper.¡± It was Rickard¡¯s voice. Ernest didn¡¯t speak but Hesper lowered her head and didn¡¯t turn This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. around when she heard him. Her eyes were warm. Rickard was there to see Ernest but unexpectedly heard what she said. Did she bring Ren back the other day just so she could focus on tearing him down, then bring him to court. to fight for custody? That was her n all along? ¡°Hesper, I won¡¯t remarry or have more. children. Renfrew will be my only child.¡± Rickard kneeled on the floor and turned Hesper¡¯s face toward him, forcing her to look into his eyes. ¡°I will not let you take him away.¡± ¡°Dick¡­¡± Ernest wanted to cut Rickard off, but Hesper scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re finally done pretending, Rickard?¡± Hesper¡¯s eyes were icy cold. ¡°I thought you would keep the regretful and loving facade. You¡¯re finally done with it?¡± ¡°Hesper, don¡¯t force my hand.¡± Hesper smirked, then looked at Rickard with sad eyes ¡°How am I forcing you? Did I keep bugging you and forcing you to treat me right? Or did I cry in front of you and ask for you to make amends?¡± Ernest looked at the two people who wouldn¡¯t back down and sighed. ¡°Enough, just talk things out. Do you have to force each other into a corner?¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Rickard lowered his head and pressed his forehead to Hesper¡¯s cheek. ¡°Hesper, what can I do to prove myself? I was so wrong in the past, but you can¡¯t judge me now based on what I did three years ago. I stand before you now. Can¡¯t you see?¡± Rickard¡¯s warm breath blew on Hesper¡¯s neck. She let him finish with no expression, then moved away from his arms. ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep acting, Rickard. How many times do I have to say this? The old Hesper died. I want to take Renfrew away so that the people who hurt me will fall into some nameless abyss. This includes you, Rickard Duval.¡± The two left Ernest¡¯s home dismayed. By the time Wendly found out that Rickard was there, they were gone. ¡°Sir..¡± Ernest seemed to have aged a few years in that short time. He waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no point in us getting involved in the life of the young people. They need to figure things out themselves. Love is a lifelong dilemma¡­¡± To the outside world, Duval Group and Lane Holdings were in a tough battle and seemed to have dragged the smallerpanies into it. It felt as though something terrible was going to happen at Genecity, and Zikmund felt it the most. His best friend seemed to really be triggered. ¡°What? She really ns to fight for Renfrew¡¯s custody?¡± Rickard had been exasperated for the past two days, and when he brought it up again, the veins on his forehead started to pulse. ¡°I thought that it was weird she would willingly send Renfrew back. I guess it¡¯s obvious now why she did that.¡± Zikmund wanted tomend Hesper because the Duvals never talked things through with her and took. Renfrew because they had the power to do so. If it wasn¡¯t because Hesper was as good as she was, she probably would never get to see her son ever again. However, Zikmund still had to support Rickard because he was his best friend. ¡°I don¡¯t think she will stop until she gets her way, and she has the mary support from the Lanes. It isn¡¯t going to be easy for you.¡± Rickard wasn¡¯t worried yet, but he was worried about Hesper. Even though they seemed to be on terrible terms, he could still tell that she didn¡¯t mean everything that she said. Even if she didn¡¯t, the Duvals really did treat her terribly. Other than taking Renfrew away and cutting him off, he would be alright with anything else. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s going to be a plot ofnd up for auction in a few days. It¡¯s a good location.¡± Zikmund changed the subject. ¡°My dad has been eyeing it for a while already and thinks that he can get it. Is the Duval Group not going to do anything?¡± Rickard didn¡¯tment on that but instead turned the attention to him. ¡°Well, now that you mentioned it, our peers have mostly made a name for themselves, but you¡¯re still running after your dad and grandpa. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Zikmund was so used to living life on the wild side, it would be torture if he had to start taking over the ¡°We were talking about you. Why did it switch to me?¡± Zikmund pouted. ¡°Fine, I have nothing more to say to you. I think Hesper is going to get her revenge. I¡¯m rooting for her.¡± Rickard had to get back to work and had no time to bicker with him. Zikmund could tell that he was distressed, so he patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Speak to me if you need help. Even though I don¡¯t think I can do much to help, I¡¯ll do whatever I can. There¡¯s something that you definitely don¡¯t know. Hesper¡¯s favorite designer Roberto Sanchez will being here for a transfer program.¡± Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Roberto¡¯s name cardy in Hesper¡¯s desk drawer in her office, untouched. Even though it was rarely given out and Nathaniel tried very hard to get it, Hesper knew that she wasn¡¯t good enough to attract Roberto. Nathaniel was the only reason she was able to get the name card. After realizing that, Hesper no longer wanted to get in contact with Roberto. Even though she liked his work, contacting him that way would only make him think that she wasn¡¯t resilient enough and would only rely on her family¡¯s influence. That wasn¡¯t how she nned to meet him. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She still appreciated Nathaniel¡¯s effort. Since she turned down the chance to join thepetition held by the Duvals and thepetition was in full swing, Xavier was annoyed to see Hesper and no one dared to talk to him. Jessie quietly pulled Hesper aside. ¡°Do you know why my dad is so angry? Hesper shook her head. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t take the chance? From how Jessie asked, it seemed that there was more to it. Jessie sighed after seeing how clueless Hesper was. ¡°I know you never cared about this¡­ Do you remember Michelle Sullivan? The one who always fought for first ce in ss with you before.¡± Hesper shook her head and looked at Jessie, who was looking tired. She tried to remember who this Michelle¡¯ was, but other than focusing on her studies and chasing after Rickard, only Jessie managed to push her way into her world. She didn¡¯t have a lot of memories of anyone else. Jessie looked at her and knew that she wouldn¡¯t recall, so she sighed and shook her head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you then. Didn¡¯t the ce that my dad get for you go to waste? She went around telling everyone that my dad was biassed and would rather waste the spot than give it to her.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know what happened and she understood. ¡°However, the truth is, she wasn¡¯t good enough to even qualify, so even if the spot wasn¡¯t for you, it wouldn¡¯t be for her either.¡± Jessie pouted. ¡°I heard that she made a name for herself in the past few years. and joined thepetition held by the Duval Group and Genecity, so she¡¯s shading my father in front of the press.¡± Hesper frowned when she heard that. ¡°Professor Jenkins is her teacher. How could she do that?¡± ¡°Do you think everyone respects their teacher?¡± Jessie tapped Hesper¡¯s nose. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not easy being an educator. Even though my dad is very angry, he was still nice to you. He never brought this up, did he?¡± -Hesper nodded as guilt grew in her heart. If it wasn¡¯t for of her, Xavier wouldn¡¯t be dragged into all of this. As for Michelle Sullivan¡­ Hesper put her designs into a binder and tried to search for information about Michelle. All that came out was news about her secretly criticizing Xavier, and there were a lot ofmenters who were talking badly about him. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve noted this, so don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let people drag Professor Jenkin¡¯s name through the mud.¡± Jessie was alert. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ambush her, are you?¡± Hesper was speechless. ! Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just joking.¡± Jessie patted Hesper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this to vindicate my dad. I just want you to be careful not to make my dad angry anymore.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t exin herself and just nodded. After leaving, Hesper tried to get more information about how the Duvalpetition was going on. She had an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude about it, so she didn¡¯t pay attention to thepetition. However, thepetition was a lot more interesting than the previous years because some celebrities joined in and it became more entertaining, so the public was more interested in it. It was obvious that Rickard put effort into it. Hesper looked at some of the work through the night and could see that it wasmercialized and had a lesser focus on authority like the previous years, so it was good that she didn¡¯t take part. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Michelle did stand out in thepetition, but everything revolved around how she ¡®had looks and money ¡®. As for her designs, Hesper could see that it was catered to the public and did not show her personality. She was able to get high scores because she was the most popr contestant. Inparison, a contestant who had gotten an average score had more personality in their work, but because the person didn¡¯t talk a lot and was boring, they were on the verge of getting eliminated. Hesper frowned, especially when Michelle was given a chance to take the materials from that contestant but didn¡¯t even end up using what she took. Michelle pretended that she forgot about those materials during the interview. Hesper just thought that Michelle was a disrespectful person at first, but it was obvious that she was a jealous person too. People wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, but those who were from the industry could see who produced better work. Her phone suddenly vibrated and Hesper moved herptop out of the way, then picked up her phone from the carpet. She saw that Jessie added her to a group called ¡®Friendship Forever¡¯. Three puppies: Is this really Hesper? Jessie, I thought you lost contact with her. Lulu: I heard that someone saw Hesper in Emperion and she was with two men so that person didn¡¯t go and say hi to her. Michelle: When was that? I thought Hesper got married. I miss her! Hesper slowly read all the messages and Jessie tagged her at the bottom, saying that they were going to hold a reunion and that was why she was added. Hesper: Alright. Hello everyone, I¡¯m Hesper. A bunch of messages suddenly flooded in after her message was sent. Hesper didn¡¯t have time to read all of them and was curious. Did she have so many coursemates? From what she remembered, only a few spoke to her. Three Puppies: Did you really get married? What are you doing now?¡± Jessie: Hesper is doing very well. You¡¯ll find out in a few days. Hesper was no longer the quiet person she was, but she was overwhelmed by the sudden care people were showing her. Some of the people seem to be targeting her and mocking her for not finishing school. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Three Puppies: The reunion will be on Wednesday and I¡¯ve pinned the location here. Don¡¯t forget to join. Our celebrity Ms. Sullivan will be buying, so don¡¯t be shy Michelle: Throwing me under the bus! Hesper read a little longer and realized that everyone seemed to be worshiping Michelle. She raised her brows and left the group. Jessie immediately called. ¡°Hesper, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jessie sounded guilty but Hesper was fine with it. Then Jessie said, ¡°I¡¯m so annoyed! Do you know how badly they were talking behind your back? They said someone saw you with two men in Emperion and said you looked promiscuous.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that you and Rickard¡­ They¡¯re just crazy! Don¡¯t they know that their words could ruin someone¡¯s reputation?¡± Hesper said it was fine but knew that they weren¡¯t lying. They were just exaggerating. She often went out with two men in Emperion. It was either with Isaac and Matthew or Nathaniel, or Matthew just had to give her another bodyguard. But being promiscuous¡­ was a lie. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s fine. This has nothing to do with me anyway, but I¡¯ll keep what they said in mind.¡± Hesper sounded calm, and that relieved Jessie. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. They can say whatever they want. It won¡¯t affect my life. I don¡¯t live my life ording to what others think.¡± Jessie hesitated then said, ¡°I never got the chance to ask, but you and¡­ Rickard, after you broke up, where did you go? You¡¯re studying now and caring for Renfrew. It must be¡­ tiring.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t realize that Jessie was worried about that and was touched. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have enough money. Don¡¯t be shocked when you find out.¡± Hesper wasn¡¯t trying to hide anything, but shing her money at school would affect her life and the learning experience of others. Since Lane Holdings was in steeppetition, she didn¡¯t want to add any more drama to it. ¡°So mysterious. Alright then, if you don¡¯t want to tell me I won¡¯t ask.¡± After hanging up, Hesper checked her schedule. She had a dinner appointment on Wednesday, but shutting the old coursemates up was more important. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. After postponing the dinner appointment, she checked the time and it was already two in the morning. It was closer to Wednesday. Ever since Juniper started her rtionship with Carter, she had all the money that she couldn¡¯t have before. She couldn¡¯t help butpare her current situation to when she was with Rickard. Even though everyone was nice to her out of respect for Rickard, she didn¡¯t have anything under her name, or she wouldn¡¯t have had to resort to tactics to get what she wanted in the past. She suddenly realized that being with Carter was beneficial to her. Mrs. Wight was much better after staying in the hospital for a few days and was discharged. Juniper was still feeling guilty because her rnother loved her. Even though they had some disagreements, she shouldn¡¯t have pushed her mother. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Seeing that Juniper was fine, Ariana could finally breathe a sigh of relief, For some reason, she had a premonition that day that once Juniper went to the auction, something bad would happen. Now it seemed that nothing had happened, so perhaps it was only her personal groundless worry. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve already made up my mind. From now onward, I¡¯ll stop running after Rickard aimlessly,¡± Juniperid on Ariana¡¯s thigh. ¡°Instead, I want him to know that I¡¯ll still live a good life without him. My life will be even better than before. I¡¯ll someday make him regret not choosing me over Hesper.¡± Ariana could not help but feel that Juniper¡¯s words meant something else, but her concussion had not fully recovered yet, and the doctor also told her to grab more rest, so Juniper only said this much in front of her before she left. After leaving her house for a while, a friend request notification suddenly popped up on her phone¡¯s screen. Juniper then got into Carter¡¯s car, took a closer look at the applicant¡¯s delicate and charming profile picture, turned to her side, and nced at Carter ¡°Why did someone just send me a friend request out of the blue? Did you point someone in my direction again?¡± Juniper¡¯s coquettish look made Carter¡¯s heart warm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you like the designs that the fashion designer from Duval Group, Michelle Sullivan, came up with thest time you saw them?¡± Carter chuckled. I thought of a way to introduce the both of you to each other, but I didn¡¯t expect her party to act this quickly.¡± ¡°I just know that you¡¯re the best. You remember all these little things!¡± Juniper was on cloud nine as she tapped on the screen to approve the friend request. In fact, she did not like Michelle¡¯s design to that extent as she did not know much about fashion at all. She liked everything as long as they looked good, and she would buy them as long as they were of a designer brand. Recently, Michelle had been in the limelight. Many socialites wanted to ask her for a custom-made piece of clothing, but they did not have the connection and, thus, could not get through to her. Not to mention. that the price of her work had been raised to an outrageous level. Juniper wanted to be taken advantage of the exorbitant price tag too, but the $25,000 bracelet had already emptied her savings ount. She only brought this up to Carter once before this, and she had almost forgotten about it. She did not expect that she would get Michelle¡¯s contact just like that! ¡°Thank you, baby!¡± Before this, she was hesitant to address him so coquettishly. Frankly speaking, deep down, she still did not think that Carter was worth her time, but because of what happened that night¡­ She was forced to ept him. When Carter heard his new nickname, his heart immediately fell into the abyss of love. ¡°This is nothing. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want in the future.¡± As Michelle and Juniper talked about the measurements and personal preferences, Michelle suddenly realized that Juniper¡¯s family seemed to be rich. Michelle originally thought she was only some random sugar baby that Carter had taken a liking to, so This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. she did not take this project to heart. However, she came across Juniper¡¯s bracelet on Twitter one day. Michelle: That bracelet that you shared on your Twitter looks so pretty, where did you get it? After purchasing such an expensive bracelet, Juniper had always been afraid that no one else would know that the bracelet actually cost her $25,000. So now that Michelle had taken the initiative to ask, there was no way that she would respond modestly. She immediately took out the bracelet and showed it off. Michelle took a glimpse at the bracelet in the video. Although she had not had the opportunity to see. many luxury items before this, she knew that the fineness and purity of the gemstones found on the bracelet were not enough to back the cost of the bracelet. Juniper: It¡¯s not the most luxurious essory that money can buy. I only bought it at a charity g a few days ago, thinking that it¡¯s a great omen. After all, it once belonged to the royal family of Yosnd, and I think it looks rather elegant and pretty, so I went for it. This woman can be slightly more subtle when ites to showing off her worthless bracelet.¡¯ Michelle curled her lips on the other end of the phone, but through this, she could also see that Juniper was indeed rich. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Michelle: I still have tasks to attend to. I can see that you¡¯re a woman of great taste. I¡¯ll definitely provide you with a fabulous design. Michelle: Do keep in touch, Ms. Wight! Michelle¡¯spliment appeased Juniper¡¯s vanity perfectly, and just as Juniper ended the chat with Michelle, they arrived at the restaurant. Carter got out of the car and opened the door for her. ¡°Here we are. We¡¯re going to get some Japanese food today.¡± Holding the hem of her dress, Juniper enjoyed the treatment she had never enjoyed before in her entire life and got out of the car like a spoiled princess with a coquettish smile. On the other side of the city, Hesper had just finished her work and was about to attend the ss C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. reunion. Renee was worried about the fact that Hesper was going there by herself in thete evening and insisted on sending Hesper there. Hesper did not agree at first. After all, Renee was ady too. But she could not win the argument and could only ask Isaac toe with the both of them. ¡°Based on what you just said, this isn¡¯t just a reunion but also a trap at the same time.¡± At first, Renee and Isaac felt that the ss reunion that came out of nowhere was a little strange. They had never heard that Hesper had any coursemates who were close to her before this, apart from Ms. Jenkins who woulde over often. It turned out that it was a reunion that had been thrown to embarrass Hesper. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, none of them will be able to take advantage of me.¡± Hesper leaned back in her seat. ¡®I¡¯m attending this reunion only because I don¡¯t want these people to disturb me ever again, or worse, aim their frustrations against me at Jessie and Professor Jenkins.¡± These people were just fresh graduates, and most of them had yet to step into society. On the other hand, Hesper had already been ying with the big boys in the business circle for years, so watching these people trying to make a fool out of her felt like watching kindergarten kids y house. Naturally, Renee was not worried about Hesper. As long as Hesper did not n to take it easy on her coursemates, she shouldn¡¯t be worried about those idiots. ¡°Alright, before I call you here to pick me up, look for some interesting ce to go to nearby. Don¡¯t just sit down at some random corner and wait for time to pass.¡± Hesper stared helplessly at Renee and Isaac. ¡®These two fes seem to have no desires at all, and they don¡¯t do anything except follow me around and protect me.¡¯ Renee and Isaac nodded tacitly. However, as soon as Hesper disappeared from sight, the two of them immediately nestled back into the car and began to deal with their respective work separately. The restaurant that her coursemates reserved was located in a rather famous hotel in Genecity, but Hesper had not been there often. In fact, she would not evene to this kind of ce when she invited other directors or presidents out for a talk about work, It was way too extravagant. wee, miss, do you have a private room reservation?¡± The hostess greeted Hesper the moment she came in. Hesper nodded in return. ¡°It¡¯s a private room that¡¯s reserved by Ms. Sullivan. This is the room number.¡± ¡°Okay, pleasee with me.¡± Hesper followed the waiter all the way to the door of the private room. The waitress then bent down and opened the door. Hesper was not used to such a level of service, so she nodded and asked the waitress to leave first. ¡°Hesper!¡± Jessie did not have many good friends in ss, so she waited in extreme boredom for Hesper toe. Thus, she was the first to see Hespere in and immediately waved at her. Hesper nodded slightly and then walked up to her. Hesper did not arrive too early. At first nce, it was estimated that there were already about thirty people in the private room. There were only fifty students in the course back then, so excluding those who could note due to work or personal matters, it was estimated that almost everyone had arrived. ¡°Is this Hesper?!¡± After enjoying only a split second of silence and peace, a group of people recognized Hesper and started making noise. Hesper frowned slightly, then turned her head, gazed at the crowd, and sighed inwardly. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Lucy stared at Hesper, who lookedpletely different from the youngdy that she remembered, and could not even believe her own eyes, When Jessie imed that Hesper looked gorgeous in the group chat before this, she snorted secretly. The Hesper Rivera that she knew from back then looked just like a bumpkin from the countryside who did not know how to dress up, and all she knew how to do was study. But the woman standing in front of her was well-dressed, her makeup looked delicate, and even the ne that she had on looked low-key but expensive. Lucy had some rtives who were living in Emperion, and she had been exposed to some luxury designer clothing and essories since she was a child, so it was only natural for her to be able to see that Hesper¡¯s attire did not look anywhere near cheap. ¡®How could Hesper have changed so much?!¡¯ ¡°I told you, Hesper is a belle. And all of you actually thought that I was exaggerating before this! You people should apologize to me and Hesper!¡± Seeing Jessie¡¯s smug expression, Hesper could not help but chuckle. She then pulled Jessie back. ¡°Okay, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time, so even I don¡¯t recognize some of them at first nce.¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the host of this reunion arrived yet?¡± Seeing that the limelight was all on Hesper, the people who were closer to Michelle took the opportunity C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. to shift the center of attention back onto Michelle. ¡°Michelle is a very hectic person right now. Maybe something dyed her schedule while she¡¯s on her way here. I¡¯ll give her a call.¡± Lucy stood up and wanted to report the situation to Michelle in advance, but the door was pushed open in the next second. ¡°How is everyone so punctual?¡± Before everyone could see anyone, a bright and cheerful female voice shed through the hubbub in the private room. ¡°Am Ite? I¡¯m so sorry, a client contacted me just before.¡± Hesper raised her head and saw Michelle entering the room coquettishly with a small handbag. The Michelle that Hesper saw in the video looked more morous and delicate than in real life. And Hesper could not help but raise her eyebrows when she saw the designer bag in Michelle¡¯s hand, which was produced by Lane Holdings¡¯ subsidiary fashionpany. ¡®This is a product of the enterprise that¡¯s currently at Duval Group¡¯s throat, and she actually has the guts to carry this bag during such a sensitive period?¡¯ Lucy also realized the same thing, but the other attendees probably did not know about the owner of the designer brand¡¯spany, so she stepped forward and pulled Michelle over. ¡°We were all waiting for you. You¡¯re really busy, huh?¡± Michelle chuckled twice, her clear and captivatingughter quickly attracting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Customers are always right, aren¡¯t they?¡± Hesper and Jessie stood in the corner, and they looked a little out of tune with the people standing at the front of the private room. Naturally, Michelle did not want to make Hesper¡¯s life too easy, so she looked around the room but did not see the nerd that, in her impression, had always had her head bowed, so she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Hesper? Isn¡¯t she here yet?¡± The whole room went silent for a second, and Hesper smiled and walked up to Michelle from the corner. ¡°My God, Ms. Sullivan, you¡¯re so busy that you¡¯re starting to forget things. I thought you said that you missed me while we were chatting in the group, so why aren¡¯t you able to recognize me when I¡¯m literally standing right in front of you?¡± Hesper smirked while saying so, making it difficult for others to see whether she was reallyining or just mocking Michelle. And that was why everyone else did not speak for quite some time. Staring at Hesper, who lookedpletely different from what she had imagined, Michelle was speechless for a moment. ¡°¡­Wow¡­ Hesper, you¡¯ve changed so much that I didn¡¯t even recognize you for a second.¡± Hesper nodded thoughtfully, then chose the seat nearest to her and sat down as if she did not care at all. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s been a long time. But I¡¯m to me too as I¡¯ve never thought about contacting any of you throughout all these years.¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 When everyone heard Hesper¡¯s words, they immediately exined that everyone had been rather upied in the past year, so they had not been in contact with each other too, which meant it was not Hesper¡¯s fault. Jessie stared at everyone in astonishment. ¡®Is this actually the Hesper that I know?! A few days ago, when I talked to her abouting to this reunion organized by Michelle, she acted as if she wasn¡¯t very familiar with her and that she didn¡¯t want to talk to her, so why is she suddenly so eloquent today?!¡¯ Michelle did not expect to be mocked by Hesper as soon as they met. She felt a little resentful, but she could not think of anything to ridicule her for, so she could only ask everyone to sit down. ¡°Speaking of which, except for Michelle, is anyone still pursuing a career in design?¡± The ss representative, Mn Cheshire, was the owner of the nickname ¡®Three Puppies¡¯ in the group chat box. He looked around and said shamefully, ¡°After we graduated, I started developing games with my buddies. I¡¯m now the art director of the team, but it¡¯s nowhere near my original dream job.¡± The same went for a few others, who were doing art-rted work but were no longer engaged in fashion design. ¡°Not many people can be as capable as Michelle, can they? The Duval Group¡¯s fashion design surely be able to pursue a career in design in the future. How great is that?¡± Michelle grinned to the extent where her eyes squinted. She looked very down to earth and unpretentious, and quickly integrated with the men. ¡°How can you people be so sure? Everyone in this room has given me the chance to shine. If all of you were to participate in thepetition too, I might not be able to fight my way through and emerge as the champion!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be humble, you were always the top student in our course back then!¡± Hesper was staring at the mandarin fish on the te while giving it a taste. ¡®It¡¯s undeniable that this restaurant is verypetent at preparing fish. It seems that I can order a few dishes from this ce asionally and take them back home for dinner. There¡¯s a reason why they¡¯re so prominent in the city¡­ Michelle¡¯s gaze naturallynded on Hesper after talking so much about herself, and she took the initiative to talk to Hesper. ¡°If you guys must insist that I was the course¡¯s top student back then, that seems a little unfair to Hesper.¡± Michelle sat very near to Hesper, so she walked up to her with a sk of red wine to pour her some. ¡°I still remember that Hesper often beat me in exams before she left halfway through the course.¡± Hesper rejected the red wine. She still had work tomorrow, so it was her habit not to consume any alcohol the night before. ¡°What are you doing now, Hesper? We haven¡¯t seen in such a long time, so I wonder how you are doing now?¡± Hesper took a nce around the room, and everyone¡¯s expression looked somewhat inquisitive. ¡°Me? I¡¯m running my own little business right now.¡± After hearing Hesper¡¯s response, Michelle¡¯s expression finally loosened. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. Professor Jenkins always praised you in ss and imed that you¡¯re the most talented person he¡¯s ever seen. If he were to know that you¡¯ve given up on designing, he¡¯d be devastated.¡± After listening to Michelle¡¯s scornful words, Jessie could not help but say coldly, ¡°Hesper has gone back to college and resumed school. My father is still very satisfied with her performance.¡± ¡°You went back to college?¡± Michelle was a little surprised. ¡°But aren¡¯t you married? And if you were to go back to school, what would happen to your business?¡± Hesper lifted her gaze when she heard the questions. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± One could bring anything else up except for her marriage, as it would pique her in an instant. In addition to that, everyone who had lovers had brought their significant other to the banquet, and Hesper was the only one who came by herself. That alone should exin a little about her current This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. marital status. I Michelle brought it up on purpose, which was just her asking others to make a fool out of her. Michelle really wanted to embarrass Hesper by poking at her sore spots, but she did not expect that Hesper would retaliate against her so directly. She instantly froze in ce as if she had suffered a great grievance. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend¡­¡± Hesper put down her silverware and looked at Michelle with a half-smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend you either. But I¡¯m curious, what does how I¡¯m doing have anything to do with you? Or could it be that¡­ Would you send me some and if I were to tell you that I¡¯m not doing too well?¡± 15 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 As soon as Hesper said these words, Jessie was the first to burst intoughter. The others who were just watching the drama for fun and did not know that Michelle and Hesper had never once sat well together also startedughing. Michelle felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I only want to know more about you.¡± Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and Michelle turned around quickly, trying to get herself out of this mortifying situation. ¡°Is there someone else who¡¯sing? I¡¯ll open the door!¡± Hesper lowered her head and continued to enjoy the fish, but she then heard a familiar voice. ¡°Excuse me, is Hesper Rivera here?¡± Hesper, at a loss for words, was frozen in her seat. She raised her head in doubt and saw Nathaniel enter the private room. Her gaze was full of doubts and confusion. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Nathaniel walked in with a slight smirk on the corners of his lips. ¡°I just arrived in Genecity today, and I¡¯m working nearby. I happened to see your car downstairs when I was passing by, and Renee told me that you were here, so I came to take a look and say hi.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s sudden appearance hushed the whole private room. Even people who did not know much about any designer brands at all could see that Nathaniel¡¯s outfit was worth a lot of money! Some people won just by exuding their temperament. Michelle came back in behind the man. She was stunned by Nathaniel¡¯s looks at first nce, and her cheeks were still a little flushed at the moment. ¡°Are you¡­ Hesper¡¯s friend?¡± Hesper red at Michelle speechlessly. While Jessie, who was sitting right beside her, was desperately jerking the hem of her clothes. Jessie¡¯s action reminded Hesper of the asion that they were in, and Hesper could only give Michelle a more friendly stare. Nathaniel took a look at Hesper, took off his suit, and ced it on Hesper¡¯sp. Hesper was bewildered by Nathaniel¡¯s action and gazed at him as a bad feeling surged from the bottom of her heart. ¡°I¡¯m Hesper¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± Sure enough, Nathaniel smiled and bent down. ¡°Before I came here, Matthew told. me to tell you that he woulde to visit you in a few days. He also asked you to take good care of yourself and emphasized your preference of running around wearing skirts or dresses even though we¡¯re now in fall.¡± ¡°Nathaniel¡­¡± Before Hesper could warn him, Nathaniel and Jessie had exchanged ces, and he sat down right next to Hesper. The people present did not know that there would be such an interlude, especially Michelle, whose facial expression looked extremely stiff. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Hesper to have such a handsome fianc¨¦. Hesper, I thought you were single, as you¡¯ve never introduced him to us before this.¡± Seeing that Michelle was putting on a fake smile even though she was exasperated deep down, Hesper felt a little happier. Nathaniel then fetched a piece of mandarin fish and ced it on Hesper¡¯s te. ¡°This restaurant is famous for its fish. You¡¯ll surely love it.¡± Jessie covered her mouth and nodded. I did see that Hesper was only eating the fish just now, but I didn¡¯t expect this attractive man who came out of nowhere all of a sudden to really know what Hesper likes to eat!¡¯ The two of them ate together,pletely ignoring Michelle¡¯s words. Michelle could not help but feel humiliated this time around. ¡°My family lives in Emperion, and Hesper came back to Genecity recently because of some work- This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. rted matters, so this ss reunion caught us slightly off guard,¡± Nathaniel exined with a smile. ¡°Next time, if we have a chance to organize another ss reunion, I¡¯ll definitely do a better job and treat everyone to a meal.¡± Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 After the interlude, the meal got carried to the end by Nathaniel¡¯s exquisite social skills. The moment Hesper saw Nathaniel, she knew that she would not have to talk anymore tonight. That was Nathaniel in a nutshell. He might seem to be a soft pushover on the surface, but his ability to look after a family as huge as the Tuckers was absolutely inseparable from his exceptional observation skills and eloquence. The group of people went out, and Jessie could not help but stare at Nathaniel, fangirling over the way he carried himself throughout the whole meal. ¡°Why did youe here out of the blue? And don¡¯t you feel tired after bluffing to so many people?¡± Hesper returned the suit jacket to Nathaniel. ¡°Let me guess, Renee and Isaac must¡¯ve told you something.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± The corners of Nathaniel¡¯s lips curled slightly upward. ¡°But it¡¯s true that I passed by your car downstairs and Matthew did give that reminder, so you should keep this coat for now. You can return it to me when we see each other next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in good health. I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t get sick. But¡­ Alright, alright.¡± ¡°No no no, that¡¯s not alright!¡± Jessie jumped out from the side and wrapped her arms around Hesper¡¯s. ¡± Don¡¯t you think that you have a lot of exining to do?! This, this man, what about him? Is he really your fianc¨¦?¡± Everything that happened tonight was like a dream to Jessie, and every scene during the meal actually went in directions that Jessie did not expect. ¡°Is she your friend? She seems¡­ very lively.¡± Hesper covered her forehead, stood still, and introduced the two of them to each other, ¡°This is Jessie, my best friend in college and the daughter of my mentor. And this is Nathaniel, my friend.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a friend?¡± Jessie was a little disappointed. She genuinely felt that Hesper and Nathaniel seemed to make a good match and that Hesper had found herself a new man to rely on these past few years. Hesper was a little helpless. ¡°Stop worrying about me already. Why can¡¯t I choose to live my life alone?¡± Nathaniel stood on the side. He did not admit nor deny anything that came out of Jessie¡¯s mouth, and as soon as the two of them stopped talking, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve attended my business affair in Genecity, and I¡¯m heading back to Emperion tonight. I¡¯m delighted to have been able to sit down and have a meal with your today. It has been quite some time since Ist felt so rxed.¡± In fact, Hesper felt very rxed whenever she was with Nathaniel too. She just did not have to think about too many things when he was around. ¡°That fast? Why don¡¯t you stay in Genecity for a while longer?¡± Nathaniel shook his head. ¡°I want to too, but sadly, time waits for no one. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± On the other side of the city, Michelle and Lucy went back home in the same car, and their expressions looked rather distorted from anger. ¡°What happened to Hesper thesest few years? Why has she changed so much?¡± Michelle originally wanted to embarrass Hesper during the meal, but Hesper actually stole all the limelight from her in the end. All I got in return throughout the whole dinner party tonight was everyone¡¯s disregard! All the money that I¡¯ve spent has been wasted!¡¯ But Lucy had fallen into deep thought even since Nathaniel appeared. ¡°I just can¡¯t get Nathaniel¡¯s looks. out of my head. I feel that he looks extremely familiar, and I think I¡¯ve seen him somewhere¡­¡± Speaking of Nathaniel, a hint of jealousy shed across Michelle¡¯s eyes. The moment she first saw Nathaniel, she thought she had met her true love. She really did not expect This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. him to be Hesper¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡®Why her?! She got good grades in the past, so she was the professor¡¯s favorite. And now she looks good, and her fianc¨¦ looks perfect and gentle! Why does Hesper always get all the good stuff in life for herself?! Even God shows favoritism!¡¯ Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 ¡°Rumors had it that Hesper quit school to have a baby, right? So what¡¯s up with the fianc¨¦?¡± Lucy did not listen to what Michelle said and was still thinking about where she had seen Nathaniel. That man gave her a very strange feeling. She thought about all the young masters of the local big families, but she still could not figure out Nathaniel¡¯s identity. ¡°Lulu, Lulu?¡± Michelle called Lucy several times in a row after seeing that she was in a daze. Lucy came back to her senses and gave off a rather embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s something that I have to look into. I¡¯ll get off here now.¡± Before Michelle could say anything, Lucy asked the driver to stop, and then got out of the car by herself. Seeing Lucy leave, Michelle rolled her eyes. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for her rich family, I wouldn¡¯t even bother to be around her. Every time she sees me, she just has to persuade me into doing this and not doing that. She really regards herself as someone of great significance!¡¯ Her phone rang at that moment. Michelle took a few deep breaths, took her phone out, and saw that it was Juniper who took the initiative to send her a message. She was saying that she had discovered a bottle of wine tonight and thought it suiteddies very much, so she wanted to share it with her. Michelle did not understand a thing about wine at all, but she could tell by looking at the packaging that the bottle of wine was definitely not cheap. Michelle: Thank you very much, Juni! Juniper instantly replied to Michelle¡¯s appreciation with a cute emoji almost, and Michelle¡¯s expression brightened slightly. ¡®This woman looks a lot richer than Lucy, and she knows that she should get along with me. Not to mention that she¡¯s much more mature too!¡± Putting her grudge against Hesper aside, Michelle decided to get along with Juniper first. ¡®She¡¯ll definitely bring me a lot of benefits in the future! After sending Jessie home, Hesper sat in the rear seat of the car and curled her body up in fatigue. ¡®Although the fish is delicious, such unnecessary social events are simply a huge waste of energy. Speaking of which, I don¡¯t have that much time to waste on those adults who are still mentally immature. It seems that it¡¯d be better for me to keep a low profile in the future.¡± Thinking of this, Hesper gradually closed her eyes under the streetlights that were passing by the car window. ¡°¡­Mr. Duval seems to have his eye fixed on a piece ofnd recently, and the details of the piece of Renee¡¯s voice woke Hesper up. She straightened her posture, only to realize that they were about to get home. ¡°Ms. Lane?¡± Hesper rubbed her temples, and when Renee called her name, she looked at her subconsciously, but it felt like her cheeks were on fire. Renee turned around from the front passenger seat and was shocked when she saw Hesper¡¯s appearance. ¡°Ms. Lane, are you okay? Why are your cheeks so flushed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hesper raised her hand, touched her forehead, and felt a little warm. ¡°I might be having a fever. It¡¯ll be fine as soon as I take some medicine after going home.¡± Looking at Hesper¡¯s flushed cheeks, Renee stretched out her hand directly. The moment she touched Hesper¡¯s forehead, she frowned. ¡°You¡¯re having a fever. This is way too warm. Let¡¯s go to the hospital!¡± Isaac heard that and was about to turn the car around and drive to the hospital, but Hesper grabbed his shoulders in the next second. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just bring me home.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hesper gradually became sober and could feel that she had a high fever. ¡®I literally just told Nathaniel that I¡¯d never fall sick, and here I am, falling ill straight after bragging about my health.¡¯ The weather was indeed very cold at this time, but she could not wear so manyyers of clothes when she came out to socialize. Hence, it was not surprising that she would get sick every now and then. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Going to the hospital was troublesome and it would take a lot of time. Hesper still had a lot of things to do, so she must not waste time on a trip to the hospital. Isaac looked at Hesper¡¯s flushed cheeks from the side and felt that it was not a big deal to do it her way. ¡®Renee always listens to Hesper. And since Hesper said she doesn¡¯t want to go to the hospital, Renee would definitely do as told and bring her home¡­¡¯ ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree.¡± Renee¡¯s expression turned a little cold. ¡°The flu always gets very serious during the change of seasons, so you can¡¯t just go home and take medicine. I¡¯ll find a family doctor for you. If the fever still doesn¡¯t subside by midnight, we¡¯re going to the hospital.¡± ¡°Renee¡­¡± Hesper felt helpless, but when Renee stood firm, she would be a woman that not everybody could easily persuade. Apart from that, Hesper clearly knew that Renee and Isaac were only doing so for her own good, so it would be a little too disrespectful if she were to say something unpleasant in return. Renee turned around to call the doctor, while Isaac helped Hesper out of the car and pressed for the elevator. Before arriving in Genecity, Matthew had already arranged a house for Hesper in Genecity, but in order to stay closer to thepany and take care of Renfrew, Hesper rented the apartment that she currently lived in. This was also the reason why Jessie still had not realized that Hesper was rich aftering over several times. The family doctor arrived very quickly, and Hesper was diagnosed with a fever caused by the recent epidemics. Hesper had many old problems hidden away in her body due to the inhumane postnatal care. that the Duvals provided her with, so her health had always been worse than peers of the same age group. The doctor set up an IV drip. Hesper started to feel a little drowsy. However, because the draft was still unfinished, Hesper asked Renee to move a small table into her bedroom so that she could draw while. letting the IV drip do its job. ¡°Ms. Lane, don¡¯t you think that this is a little too harsh for your body?¡± As soon as Isaac sent the doctor. out, Renee sat down beside Hesper and watched as she drew a vivid and beautiful picture of an evening This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. dress little by little. ¡°Is this too harsh?¡± Hesper was astounded for a moment, but then smiled and shook her head. ¡°Why would I think so? I wasted a lot of time in the past. Now thinking about it, I feel ashamed of my own life. So why would I think that life¡¯s harsh now?¡± Before this, Hesper was worried that something woulde up all of a sudden and dy the done with the IV drip, the design drawing was basicallypleted too. Renee took Hesper¡¯s body temperature and realized that although she still had a mild fever, there was nothing serious about it now. ¡°Okay, I told you, I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper looked at Renee¡¯s dark circles, then asked her to go to the guest room to find herself an unused nket and to spend the night there. The first day passed by smoothly. Hesper thought that it was only the flu and that it would recover very soon, but she did not expect this minor illness to be even more serious. 101.3 degrees¡­¡± Renee wanted to take Hesper¡¯s temperature again as soon as she woke up. This time around, Hesper did not say a word and just let her take it obediently while staying under the quilt. She did not even open her eyes at all. ¡°Ms. Lane?¡± After Renee called her name several times, Hesper still did not respond. Renee frowned and quickly called Isaac, asking him toe pick Hesper up and send her to the hospital. It was already in the evening when Hesper woke up. Because of the continuous high fever, she had not been able to wake up, and Renee was so anxious that she almost called Matthew over. She did not do so in the end only because she thought of Hesper¡¯s order, asking her not to trouble Matthew all the time. Hence, she chose to wait for hours in anxiety. With a severe headache, Hesper looked around the somewhat familiar ward and sighed on the bed. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 ¡°Ms. Lane, you¡¯re awake!¡± Renee was surprised when she came into the ward with warm water. ¡°What time is it?¡± Hesper asked with a hoarse voice. Renee opened the curtains, and the bright gold sunlight instantly poured into the entire ward. ¡°It¡¯s past four already. You¡¯ve been asleep for a long time.¡± Hesper did not expect that she would be unconscious for such a long time, and her dry throat barely felt better after taking a sip of the warm water that Renee handed over to her. ¡°When you were out cold, Mr. Duval already took over thend.¡± Renee lowered her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if they obtained some news and were able to push the bidding time for thend forward while you were unconscious.¡± When Renee brought this piece ofnd up before, Hesper felt that Rickard should have a n for it. Otherwise, he would not have revealed all the news so early on. ¡°There¡¯s more. The doctor exined that you don¡¯t only have a normal flu but that you ate something by mistake. The IV that you gotst night can only suppress the fever, but it can¡¯t cure the disease.¡± Speaking of this, Renee paused for a split second then continued, ¡°We don¡¯t have a doctor that we can trust in Genecity, so I only found one through my local connection. Previous clients all im that the doctor is a reliable one, but when I looked into his background again earlier today, I found out that this person has gone off the grid.¡± Hesper put down the ss in her hands and her eyes dimmed. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to say. You think that someone deliberately wants me to fall sick at this time.¡± Before the two could finish speaking, there was a sudden knock on the door. Renee looked toward the door vigntly. ¡°Who is it?¡± The person outside the door remained silent for a short while. Then Rickard¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± When Renee heard Rickard¡¯s voice, she immediately rolled her eyes. Hesper stopped guessing, returned to her senses, and became a little confused for a split second. ¡®Why would Rickarde over at this time?¡¯ ¡°Open the door,¡± Hesper ordered, sitting upright. As soon as the door was opened, Rickard strode into the ward. + ¡°Mr. Duval, why are you here?¡± Renee could not help but sneer and mock him. Rickard saw Hesper¡¯s pale face and secretly clenched his fists. = ¡°As soon as I realized that you didn¡¯t attend the bidding session, I guessed that something must¡¯ve happened to you, causing your schedule to be dyed, but why would you get sick all of a sudden?¡± Rickard took two steps closer but was then stopped by Renee, so he could only look at Hesper from a few feet away. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why would Ms. Lane fall sick? Do you really not know about the reason behind Ms. Lane¡¯s condition, Mr. Duval?¡± Hesper did not say anything and looked away in exhaustion, while Rickard stared in confusion at Renee, who was extremely hostile to him. ¡°How should I know? What do you mean by this?¡± ¡°What do I mean? You should understand this best, shouldn¡¯t you, Mr. Duval?¡± Hesper sat in the radiance of the evening sun, and the golden orange sunlight shone on her neck, her shoulders, and down to the tip of her hair. She looked as delicate and beautiful as ever, but she refused to even take a nce at Rickard no matter what. The man who had always ced his self-esteem first finally could not help but take a step forward, wanting to turn Hesper¡¯s face and make her look at him. However, as soon as he thought of how things went thest time they met, he could only hold her hand with extreme forbearance. ¡°Hesper, can you just make things clear for me? Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 On the other end of the region, Juniper, who had been living her life to the fullest for a while, was trying on the essories and bags that she had just bought from the boutiques in front of the mirror. Carter was willing to splurge money on her, so she had been going into shops and buying everything that she wanted. All of the gifts would be sent directly to the Wight Manor. Ariana walked into the room, saw her daughter who looked very different from before, and felt even This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. more uneasy deep down. ¡°Juni, why have you been buying so many things recently? I know you don¡¯t have much money in your ounts, so how did you get your hands on all these things?¡± ¡®The first thing she does is question me¡­¡± Juniper was a little impatient, put down the items in her hand, and grabbed Ariana¡¯s hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to give up on Rickard? I listened to your advice. I¡¯ve epted Carter¡¯s pursuit and I¡¯m now his girlfriend. These things are all presents from him.¡± Everybody in Genecity knew Carter¡¯s name. He was a well-known imp in the circle, and he was also known for spending his family¡¯s money recklessly just because he could. When Ariana brought him up to Juniper way back then, she told her that the Wilsons would surely go down in mes someday in the future because of Carter. However, Juniper was now telling her mother that she had escaped a pit, only to fall into a bigger trap. ¡°You must be out of your mind!¡± Ariana was so infuriated that she could not catch her breath, but Juniper did not want to talk to her anymore, so after a few words offort, she instantly helped her out of the door. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already an adult, so I know what I¡¯m doing. You should really stop interfering in my life.¡± Ariana stared at the closed door in front of her and closed her eyes in pain. ¡®My cowardice and soft heart will destroy Juniper someday.¡¯ On the other side of the door, Juniper¡¯s phone beeped as soon as she shut Ariana out. She took a peek at the screen, and her expression changed. She immediately put down the things in her hands, turned on the phone, and saw that the killer from the dark web was contacting her again.. 013: Even though I reminded you, you still jumped into another trap.. 013: How can you be so wrong in all things? Juniper frowned. ¡®What does this person mean? Is he saying that Carter is a trap? Memory: Stop acting so mysterious all day long and stop telling me things that I can¡¯t understand. By the way, I don¡¯t want to kill Hesper Rivera now. I¡¯vee up with my own way to deal with her, so don¡¯t contact me anymore. Juniper sent the message nervously, and the other party finally replied after some time. 013: This is now beyond your control, Ms. Wight. 013: I strongly advise you to y along with me. Otherwise, I might get rid of some troublesome people first before I get to Hesper. That was considered a threat. Juniper had never regretted contacting someone on the dark web as much as she did now. The other party knew everything about her, while she did not even know anything about him! If only she had known¡­ 013: Alright, Ms. Wight, don¡¯t overthink things. All you need to remember is that the people around you won¡¯t be able to help you now, andter, you¡¯ll find out that what I said to you today was really for your own good. Juniper frowned and immediately asked 013 what he meant, but the other party¡¯s profile picture had already been dimmed, and no more new messages came in. Sitting in the middle of a pile of goods, Juniper looked at the brilliant and luxurious things around her in a daze and was a little bewildered for a while. ¡®Why would so many people badmouth Carter right after I made the choice to give up on Rickard? Do I only ever choose to get together with the wrong people? Ridiculous.¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Rickard and Hesper looked at each other in silence, but Hesper won. Rickard couldn¡¯t stand seeing her cold gaze, so he turned and left. ¡°I don¡¯t think Rickard did this.¡± Hesper finally spoke after a long time with an unusual calmness. ¡°I know him. He¡¯s not someone who would stoop so low. Find out if there were other suspicious people.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Renee replied. Hesper turned on herptop and looked at the share prices that had kept stable, then couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡®Renfrew, when can I finally bring you home?¡± Hesper missed her child, and he missed her too. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Renfrew wouldn¡¯t have felt sad if he never experienced the joy of having his mother around. There was a saying, ¡®I could walk through all darkness in life if I never met my mother=¡¯ The poet Renfrew sighed at the setting sun and was ready to go back to his room with homework in hand. The homework that Ms. Myriade gave him recently had gotten more difficult. Julie and Sophia kept bothering him in the room. He couldn¡¯t handle it, so he would just hide in the little garden. The duo wouldn¡¯t be able to find him, so they would just forget about him. Right when he was going back to his room, there was a buzzing noise from in front. He slowed down and hid among the bushes. ¡°Are you crazy? Why did youe here? Didn¡¯t I wire the money to you already?¡± It was¡­ Sophia? Renfrew held his breath and listened, but Sophia and the stranger were very careful. They were whispering even though there was seemingly no one around, so it was difficult to hear. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind. Now you¡¯re asking for $70,000 more?¡± Sophia suddenly spoke out loud and the man immediately said, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to attack Ms. Lane. I won¡¯t be able to stay in both Emperion and Genecity. $70,000 isn¡¯t that much.¡± ¡°You should remember that I have proof of our conversations. If I go to Ms. Lane, you¡¯re going to get in some serious trouble!¡± When Renfrew heard that it was about his mother, he immediately started recording with his phone. Even though he didn¡¯t get the first part, he got the part where the man talked about attacking Hesper. After a few more exchanges, their voice lowered again. Renfrew hid in the corner and only came out when the voices stopped. Sophia was trying to attack his mom again! Renfrew pouted and turned on his signal blocker, then went back to get his bag. He learned how to jam his own location signals, so he could go see his mother even without the help of Ms. Myriade. Renfrew nodded, stuffed all his toys into his bag, and was ready to run away again. But he was caught by Rickard, who came home early. Rickard carried him in one hand and his bag in another then stuffed him into the car. He went through the surveince at home and realized that it was wiped clean. Thest time Renfrew left home and went to the hospital, Rickard was still in aa, so he didn¡¯t have a lot of details. However, he remembered that the surveince was tampered with. If no one was trying to kidnap Renfrew, it must be him who wiped the home surveince footage so he could leave undetected. He hadn¡¯t known what happened before, but now the truth was out. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Renfrew shook his feet as he sat on the bed. Rickard moved a chair over and sat across him. ¡°Alright, tell me. Who helped you?¡± Rickard watched the surveince that was tampered with previously and it was done so well that there were no traces left. The tech team at Duval Group wasn¡¯t a bunch of free-loaders, but they still couldn¡¯t break the code. It wasn¡¯t because they were terrible but the person who did it was very careful. Rickard suddenly realized that he never knew who Renfrew was in touch with. This person who had been helping him must have some ulterior motive¡­ Being questioned was something Renfrew would inevitably face since he was born into the Duval family. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s a secret between us.¡± Renfrew was stubborn. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renfrew was rarely so stubborn and would never hide anything from him. However, Rickard suddenly realized that maybe this person had been in Renfrew¡¯s life for a long time but he just never noticed. It was due to his negligence. Remembering the usations Hesper hurled at him, Rickard zoned out. Seeing that, Renfrew took out his phone from the bag and deleted all the messages between him and Ms. Myriade. He did this so many times before. The first thing that Ms. Myriade taught him was how to remove evidence so well that people wouldn¡¯t be able to recover it. Rickard saw his actions and knew that there must be something he wasn¡¯t supposed to see on the phone. Even though it was a little disrespectful toward Renfrew, he grabbed it out of his hands for Renfrew¡¯s safety. ¡°Hmm¡­ there¡¯s no point,¡± Renfrew mumbled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see.¡± Renfrew¡¯s phone was very simple and didn¡¯t even have a passcode. Rickard checked all the messages and saw that nothing was out of the ordinary and there was no proof of him talking to any stranger. A thought crawled into his mind. ¡°You did something to it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t n to hide this from him and knew that there was nothing he could say to cover up. He was the one who wiped the surveince footage today, and it was nowhere as well done as Ms. Myriade, so it was difficult to hide it. Rickard gave Renfrew his phone back and stopped asking questions. ¡°That person taught you all of this?¡± Renfrew nodded but didn¡¯t dare say another word. Knowing that Renfrew wouldn¡¯t tell him anything about the person, Rickard felt guilty on top of feeling troubled. Hesper was right. He didn¡¯t pay enough attention to Renfrew, so he hadn¡¯t even known that he was talking to a stranger, let alone how talented Renfrew was. Renfrew looked alert. Rickard sighed and patted his head. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t ask you more about your friend.¡± Hearing that, Renfrew was evidently relieved but took a peek at Rickard. ¡°She¡¯s my best friend, so I won¡¯t break my promise to her. I wouldn¡¯t answer even if you or Mommy asked. That was our agreement.¡± Rickard nodded. ¡°Alright, but Renfrew Duval, you need to remember one thing.¡± His dad rarely called him by his full name, so he looked at his father and listened intently. ¡°You¡¯re the only child of our family, so that means that your aren¡¯t like other children.¡± ¡°I can protect you as you grow, but when the timees, you¡¯ll face a society that will bully the weak. There will always be people who pounce at you when they get the chance,¡± Rickard said. ¡°Your current indulgence will hurt you in the future.¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Renfrew nodded. ¡°I know, I need to be stronger to protect Mommy!¡± Rickard paused, then nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how you protect Mommy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why everyone around you treats you nice and helps you, giving you some treats. But all these Renfrew looked at Rickard for a moment, then nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to believe her.¡± In the corner where they couldn¡¯t see, the light of the phone lit up and went out as if it never happened. Hesper soon traced the leads back to Sophia, but since the previous doctor was nowhere to be found, even if all the evidence pointed toward Sophia, they didn¡¯t have enough evidence to prove that Sophia did anything. ¡°Are we just going to let her get away?¡± Renee wasn¡¯t happy about that. Hesper never thought that Sophia, who had been lying low, would suddenly attack her. At the end of the day, what happened didn¡¯t affect her too much. She just randomly fell terribly sick and had to take time off. But that plot ofnd¡­ Hesper wasn¡¯t confident that she could get it anyway. The only downside was that she wrongly used Rickard. Hesper looked down at her design, which was a little off-theme, sighed, then bunched it up and threw it into the trash. She then started another drawing. So what if there was some misunderstanding? It was still done by a Duval and they were family. It wasn¡¯t a wrongful usation. Her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw a number she didn¡¯t recognize; she couldn¡¯t figure out who would be calling her. However, she still took the call. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Rickard¡¯s voice came from the other side. Hespre frowned and was going to hang up but heard him say, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up yet. I need to talk to you about Sophia.¡± Hesper paused. ¡°I guess you know what happened.¡± Her throat was still recovering, so her voice still sounded raspy. ¡°I¡¯ve let her off so many times before this but she doesn¡¯t seem to appreciate the chances given. There¡¯s no point talking about her. I¡¯ll find evidence and let her exin to the police.¡± ¡°But-¡± Hesper wanted to hang up again, but there was a disturbance and Renfrew¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s me, Ren!¡± Hesper¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as she hadn¡¯t heard his voice in a long time. ¡°Mommy- Mommy? Did she hang up? There¡¯s no sound¡­¡± Hesper called out to him when she heard that his voice was trailing off. ¡°Mommy!¡± Hearing his voice made Hesper¡¯s eyes well up. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renfrew gave the phone a few knocks because he couldn¡¯t hear his mother¡¯s voice again. He then looked at Rickard with a confused look. ¡°Is the phone broken? Why isn¡¯t she talking?¡± Rickard guessed that Hesper was probably trying topose herself, so he shook his head and pointed at the phone. Renfrew understood and then nodded. ¡°Mommy, I need to tell you something!¡± Hearing how mature her son sounded, Hesperughed and her tears were gone. ¡°Yes?¡± Renfrew immediately told her what he heard in the garden the other day and about the recording on his phone. When his secret with Ms. Myriade got out, he lost his appetite for a few days until Ms. Myriade reached out to him. Then he suddenly remembered that Sophia was framing his mother! He immediately told his father about 1. Hesper hadn¡¯t expected Rickard to call to provide evidence to her or for Renfrew to y a vital part in it. She didn¡¯t know how to react to that. ¡°You¡¯re my favorite child. Thank you for helping me!¡± Renfrew smiled shily. Hesper imagined her son smiling and realized that controlling her yearning for Renfrew was such a heavy task. She wanted to kiss his little cheeks and see him. As if he could read Hesper¡¯s mind, Rickard took the phone over. ¡°Do you want to see Ren?¡± ¡°¡­Is that a threat?¡± Hesper¡¯s voice turned cold when she heard Rickard¡¯s voice again. ¡°Rickard, if you¡¯re using Renfrew, I¡¯ll despise you. I won¡¯t be thankful just because you gave me the evidence. Sophia did all that to help you. You¡¯re not getting off clean.¡± Rickard knew that there was no way they would be able to talk things through. Seeing how Renfrew was anxiously trying to eavesdrop, he got up and went into the study, then locked the door. ¡°That¡¯s so demeaning, Ms. Rivera,¡± Rickard said. ¡°I¡¯m not using Ren to threaten you. How could you use me like that?¡± Hesper was so annoyed that she clenched her jaw. ¡°He¡¯s your son too!¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s our son. You¡¯re the Mom, I¡¯m the Dad.¡± Something came to his mind, and he smiled, ¡°I know how I¡¯m going to threaten you now. How about this, do you really want to see him?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t reply, but he knew what she was thinking, so he continued. ¡°Ren is at my home and you sent him here, so if you want to see him, I have to agree to it¡± ¡°Just get on with your conditions.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t have time to waste with him and was impatient. However, the desire to see her son covered her diminishing patience. Rickard pressed his lips together and nodded, then smiled. ¡°You can see Ren once a week, but every time you do, you have to sign a partnership agreement with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hesper thought she misheard, but Rickard repeated himself. ¡°I said you need to ept my proposal for a partnership.¡± You¡¯re crazy. Even when he asked her for a project, she wasn¡¯t going to yell at him, but when she called him crazy, he chuckled. Had he really lost his mind? Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Hesper frowned but Rickard continued. ¡°Well, do you ept?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m not the one giving away money, so why wouldn¡¯t I ept?¡± Even though she didn¡¯t know what Rickard was nning, she really missed Renfrew. She was willing to ept any suggestion that Rickard gave, even the unreasonable ones. After hanging up, the more she thought about it, Hesper thought that something was wrong. Suddenly, she received a recording from an unknown number. Her business with Sophia was important, so Hesper smiled. After downloading the file and listening to it, she realized that the recording was much clearer than she imagined. ¡°$70,000 to get a few days off?¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Sophia was crazy. She could go to the same mental hospital as her brother. She sent the recording to Renee, who immediately replied OK and contacted their attorney. Even though Hesper wasn¡¯t terribly sick, with some words from thewyer, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to put Sophia behind bars for intentionally causing harm to her. After that, Hesper was busy for days and managed to clear up her work that piled up over the past few days. She suddenly realize that the weekend had arrived. It was time to see Renfrew. On Sunday morning, Hesper remembered the date and checked her calendar. It really was today. Hesper was a little nervous after not seeing him for so long. She changed between a few outfits and didn¡¯t know what to wear to meet him. In the end, she settled with a soft sweater and went to the amusement park at the time set by Rickard. Before she got there, she had no idea that it was an amusement park. It was owned by the Duvals and was quite popr in Genecity. However, Hesper never went there before. Rickard just gave her an address and never mentioned that it was an amusement park. ¡°¡­What is he trying to do now?¡± The sun was unexpectedly sunny that day. Hesper shaded her eyes from the sun and tried to find Renfrew and Rickard among the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± A familiar voice came from behind her. Hesper immediately put some distance between them and saw Rickard holding Renfrew¡¯s hand. ¡°Hello, Mommy!¡± Renfrew was going to run to Hesper but was held back by Rickard by his cor. He instead handed out This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. a contract to her. ¡°Sign this.¡± Hesper looked down at the agreement and it was the plot ofnd that Rickard managed to bid for. Was he going to give it to her for free? Hesper looked at the terms with suspicion and realized that it was a normal transfer of ownership agreement and none of the terms were asking for anything from her. It was as if Rickard lost his mind and wanted to shove money Into her hands. ¡°Rickard¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to sign it or not?¡± He cut her off with the same tone of voice. Hesper didn¡¯t immediately agree. She looked at Rickard for a long while under the sun. ¡°Pen. Don¡¯t regret it after I sign this.¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 It was crowded at the amusement park during the weekend. Renfrew pulled Hesper around as Rickard followed along not too far behind, not seeming to want to get closer to them. Everything reminded him of the day at the aquarium, but Hesper was different. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was different, but previously, Hesper was fully immersed in the joy of spending time with Renfrew and forgot about Rickard. This time, she kept thinking about what Rickard was doing behind them. Was giving the agreement to her part of the reparations? Hesper feltplicated. She finally got to spend time with Renfrew but couldn¡¯t enjoy the time because of other things. That wasn¡¯t fair to Renfrew. ¡°Mommy, are you afraid of heights?¡± Renfrew suddenly turned around with twinkling eyes. ¡°I want to ride that!¡± Hesper looked in the direction he was pointing at and saw the Drop Tower in front of them, the hottest ride in the park. There was a long queue in front and it looked very popr. Hesper didn¡¯t know what to say, but she realized that her hands were shaking. She didn¡¯t used to be afraid of heights, but now, whenever she got to higher grounds, she would start panicking. It wasn¡¯t the height itself; so many times in her dreams, when she saw Julie and Sophia throwing the doll, it wasn¡¯t a doll but Renfrew instead. In the three years being apart from him, she had this nightmare countless times. ¡°Mommy?¡± Renfrew didn¡¯t know what happened, so he tried to hold his mother¡¯s hand but realized that her hands were sweaty. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of heights!¡± He suddenly realized that. ¡°Let¡¯s not go on that then. I don¡¯t really want to anyway. I just saw that a lot of people are queueing up for it.¡± Hesper¡¯s reaction looked even moreplicated after seeing how well-behaved he was. Renfrew never asked her for anything, so if she didn¡¯t fully pay attention, he would be very sad when he got home. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can ride on that¡­¡± Hesper looked down and was going to ept, but Rickard held her from behind. ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself.¡± Rickard saw her expression and could guess what was on her mind. If it was just a fear of heights, trying it at least once would be fine, but for Hesper, it was more psychological. Hesper took her hand back and red at him. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself.¡± Renfrew saw that his parents were going to start arguing and quickly grabbed both of their hands. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to go on that. Please don¡¯t start arguing.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t know what to do seeing how stubborn Hesper was. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Ren. You wait here.¡± ¡°No.¡± Hesper rejected without thinking, looking very unhappy. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Rickard gave up. Renfrew sighed because he felt that his parents were both a hundred times more stubborn than he was! Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 The three got in line but Renfrew was stopped at the gate. ¡°This child is too small. He can¡¯t ride this.¡± The attendant frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the height limit? Can¡¯t you young parents pay more attention? Don¡¯t you know how to take care of your kid?¡± It was the first time Hesper and Rickard went to an amusement park, so neither of them knew about the height and age limit. They didn¡¯t know what to say when confronted. ¡°We¡¯re not¡­¡± Hesper was afraid that the attendant would think they were a couple, but the attendant didn¡¯t give them time to exin and brought Renfrew to an area next to the ride. He then checked their tickets. ¡°Go on, we¡¯ll look after the child.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°But-¡± Hesper wanted to speak, but the visitors behind them were impatient and shoved them both to the front. Hesper was just ¡®taking the ride with Renfrew¡¯, but ended up taking the ride with Rickard. Hesper was speechless but it was toote to turn back. The entrance was blocked by other park visitors, so they couldn¡¯t go back. ¡°Just stand there and wait if you¡¯re afraid.¡± Rickard saw how uneasy she looked and didn¡¯t know why she was still being stubborn. He frowned. ¡°Ren isn¡¯t here, so who are you pretending for?¡± Hesper retorted. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have to pretend to be a caring man anymore, right?¡± After the attendants checked their seatbelts, Hesper immediately closed her eyes and grabbed onto the hand next to her. Rickard wasn¡¯t afraid of heights, so the Drop Tower wasn¡¯t daunting to him. When Hesper grabbed his hand, he turned around and looked at her face. Hesper had her eyes closed and couldn¡¯t see what was going on, so she didn¡¯t know how gentle Rickard¡¯s eyes were when he looked at her. The machine slowly climbed higher and higher. Hesper kept her eyes shut tightly and only felt a sense of danger, as if the next moment, she would die of fright when the machine dropped. The young woman next to her started screaming and that made her even more nervous. Finally, the moment the drop happened, the machine zoomed downward at high speed. ¡°Aaahhhh-¡°Screams were heard around them and Hesper lost her voice, so she couldn¡¯t react the same way. At that moment, a warm hand grabbed onto hers. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Renfrew hid in a corner and read the messages from Ms. Myriade. When he turned around, he saw Hesper looking white as a ghost and Rickard calmly walking behind her. Hesper awkwardly held Renfrew¡¯s hand. The attendant didn¡¯t mind his own business and had to give them a piece of his mind. ¡°You look really young, so I¡¯m guessing this is your first child. However, you should do more research on what kids can and can¡¯t do.¡± He shook his head. ¡°The dad too. You can¡¯t just focus on your lover. Your child is important too!¡± Hesper wasn¡¯t interested in exining herself, but when she turned around, she saw Rickard nodding with a guilty look. *¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± Maybe because she was so strung up just now, Hesper was finally relieved. What was left was an inexplicable anger. Seeing Rickard acting that way made her want to punch him to the ground. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 After what happened, no matter what Renfrew wanted to do, Hesper would first check the height requirement and wouldn¡¯t let the awkward situation happen again. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Maybe the fear during the Drop Tower overpowered her other emotions, but Hesper forgot about what happened with Rickard and ignored him as she held onto Renfrew¡¯s hand. Rickard didn¡¯t want to get in between them. Whenev¨¦r Renfrew asked for something, he woulde forward and pay for it, but he would just quietly follow behind them the rest of the time. They stayed at the amusement park until closing time and watched the fireworks show that was only shown on Sundays. Renfrew rarely sleptte, so by the time the fireworks ended, Renfrew was resting his head on Hesper¡¯s shoulder, just trying to finish watching the parade. Rickard stood aside and watched them both. Hesper took a deep breath and controlled her anger as she said, ¡°What are you looking at? My arm is going numb. Can¡¯t you take him?¡± Rickard looked at her, seeming amused, then walked over quietly and whispered into her ear, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have to pretend to be a caring man anymore, I¡¯m just enjoying watching you struggle.¡± Hesper never saw this side of him, so she clenched her jaw, smiled, and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ as shameless as a pig.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Even though he said all that, Rickard still took Renfrew from Hesper¡¯s arms. Renfrew felt that he was being taken and was going to open his eyes when he smelled the familiar scent of his dad, so he just adjusted his head and continued sleeping. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for today. See you next week.¡± Rickard handed the agreement to Hesper. ¡°Take care of it. There¡¯s only one copy of that.¡± It waste by the time they were leaving, so Isaac came to get her. Hesper read the agreement in the car. Rickard¡¯s actions were unexpected. She couldn¡¯t understand it. To be exact, the way Rickard acted was new to her, as though the man that she had known for the past decade was a different person. There really was nothing wrong with the agreement and Rickard¡¯s signature was the one she knew, so nothing was off. cing the agreement aside, she rolled down the window slightly and closed her eyes. The wind blew in through the crack and messed up her hair. The soft sweater brushed against the skin on her neck. It was ticklish. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see the young master?¡± Isaac saw how quiet she was and was a little worried. He looked into the rear-view mirror and saw Hesper shaking her head. ¡°No, I was just thinking about something else.¡± Hesper told Isaac about the agreement. He didn¡¯t understand why someone would give away such a valuable thing to her¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but feel that there must be some ulterior motive. The Duval Group and Lane Holdings werepetitors! Especially now, they were both trying very hard to get their hands on each others¡¯ properties. Willing the bid was no easy feat, so giving it away just like that wasn¡¯t his style. It probably wasn¡¯t because of love¡­ Was it? Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Isaac shook his head when that idea crept into his mind. If Rickard was someone so emotional, he wouldn¡¯t have hurt Hesper. Compared to money, rtionships were so unsubstantial. What one could hold was much more realistic. As for love and feelings¡­ they would always grow weaker over time, so it wasn¡¯t considered real. Hesper was a little confused when she woke up. Mondays were always busy. She sleptte that night. No one would be able to deal with that. Jessie looked at the uncharacteristically tired Hesper and said, ¡°Where were youst night? You¡¯re going to outdo pandas with those dark circles.¡± Hesper was a little out of it as she walked to the lecture halls with Jessie. There was a noiseing from the room; they looked at each other and saw the confusion in their eyes. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Everyone would usually act the way Hesper was acting so early in the morning; even if it wasn¡¯t dead silent, it was as if the room was on silent mode. Why was it noisy this morning? They curiously opened the door and realized that someone was on the stage. ¡°Hesper! And Jess?¡± Michelle turned around and she had a surprised smile on her face. ¡°I heard that Hesper was in this ss, so I came to see. Didn¡¯t expect to see Jess here too.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t show any expression but instead walked to a seat in the final row and sat down. Jessie didn¡¯t bother to pretend to be nice to Michelle and just coldly looked at the others who were making noise before cing the teaching materials on the table. ¡°Have you all lost your minds? Professor Jenkins will be here soon and if he hears this noise, with his temper, he¡¯s going to kick you all out.¡± Everyone quieted down after Xavier was mentioned, but Michelle was the top alumni of the faculty and was very popr currently, so there was nothing wrong with them being so excited. Hesper tiredly rested her eyes and was thinking of skipping the morning ss, but there this woman was, in full makeup and dressed up just to show up to annoy her. Hesper, who had such limited time to rest and would do anything to extend it, just couldn¡¯t understand what Michelle was thinking, but she couldn¡¯t care less and justid down on the desk to rest. Michelle did wake up early to dress up and even wore haute couture by the Duval Group. However, it was out of ce in school. Jessie walked to Hesper and sat down next to her, feeling annoyed as she looked at Michelle standing on stage. Her dad wasing soon and he would be angry when he saw her. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back in such a long time, so I came back to remind myself how it felt like¡± Seeing how both Jessie and Hesper were ignoring her, she had to find an excuse. The other students respected her and even let her sit among them. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m just here to listen, so there¡¯s no need to give me your seats¡­¡± Michelle said out loud because she was afraid that Hesper didn¡¯t hear her. She took the seat while holding her little bag that only housed her lipstick. She was so out of ce. ¡°Annoying.¡± Jessie turned around and saw Xavier walking in. ¡°Oh no, my dad is here. This is not going to end well.¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Hesper opened her eyes when she heard what Jessie said and sat up straight as Xavier walked in. Michelle sat smack in the middle, so it was impossible for Xavier not to see her. He wouldn¡¯t be nice to Michelle, as she wasn¡¯t very talented but would always find trouble with others. ¡°Oh, someone is sitting in for free.¡± He ced his thermos cup on the table and didn¡¯t say more, as if Michelle didn¡¯t used to be his student and was just a stranger he didn¡¯t know. He turned around and switched theptop on. Michelle felt humiliated, but when no one noticed it because they were afraid of Xavier, she rxed. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the work from the previous lecture,¡± While waiting for theptop to boot, Xavier waved his hand to ask Jessie to give the work back to everyone. ¡°You seem to be very talented when ites to creating trash.¡± Jessie stifled augh as Hesper pped her forehead. She thought that Xavier wouldn¡¯t humiliate the students because Michelle was there, but he was still sharp-tongued and didn¡¯t give them a chance. The first half of the ss was analyzing the work. Hesper took notes intently. There was a problem with her previous work too, but since she was sick and had to work, she didn¡¯t have time to redo it and just submitted it. She was d she wasn¡¯t yelled at. Xavier focused on his lecture, and even though Michelle was there, he pretended that she was invisible. and managed to finish the lecture he prepared. Everyone was redoing their work. Hesper looked up at Michelle and realized that she was touching up her makeup while using her phone as a mirror. Her already red lips were even redder. She was obviously not listening to the lecture. Hesper sighed and couldn¡¯t figure out the reason Michelle was there. She sat there for half an hour among the students rather than going home to rest. ¡°The person applying makeup in the front row. Please leave if you¡¯re not interested in the lecture.¡± Xavier¡¯s voice came from the stage and everyone looked up. Michelle¡¯s hand that was still holding the lipstick hadn¡¯t lowered in time, so everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°¡­It¡¯s me, Professor Jenkins.¡± Michelle awkwardly put her lipstick away. ¡°I¡¯m Michelle Sullivan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re Michelle or Micha. Get out if you¡¯re not interested.¡± Everyone burst outughing and Michelle¡¯s face immediately turned red. Ever since she joined the Duvalpetition, everything worked for her and no one would dare shame her that way. ¡®Xavier Jenkins, you never change!¡¯ Michelle turned and wanted to leave, but since she was in the middle of the row, she needed people to move before she could get out. She lowered her head shamefully and didn¡¯t dare look at the way the others were looking at her. All she could do was unlock her phone and check it, feeling ashamed and angry. Juniper sent her a message. There was a spare of the bag she wanted, so Juniper got it for her. She hadn¡¯t known Juniper for long, yet she treated her so nicely. Michelle was feeling humiliated, so when she saw the message, she replied with a sad emoji. Juniper: What¡¯s wrong? Who made our famous designer sad? Michelle: I came back to my old university to visit my lecturer but he turned me into a joke. Michelle: He was always biassed, but now even though I¡¯ve proved myself, he still hates me. 4 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Juniper was applying a facial mask when she saw Michelle¡¯s message. She replied to the text with a hug emoji perfunctorily, but the message she sent seemed extremely considerate. Juniper: It isn¡¯t your problem. But I really admire you; you¡¯ve proven yourself to those people who once looked down on you with your achievements. They must feel so irritated now. Juniper: Perhaps they¡¯re jealous of you deep down now. Seeing the message from Juniper, Michelle instantly felt a lot better and started to feelcent as she thought about it. ¡®Hesper is a nobody now, and Xavier must¡¯ve started to despise me because I¡¯ve negatively affected his reputation!¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s just putting on a calm demeanor!¡± A lecture went by, and Hesper had just finished amending her drafts. She stretched, hearing her spine crack several times. The other students left in pairs or groups while Hesper and Jessie slowly packed their things and walked out of the lecture hall, only to find Michelle still standing by the door, waiting for them. ¡°Why are you still standing here?¡± Jessie said with a cold expression. ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t know would think that you¡¯re being punished by my father.¡± Jessie¡¯s words choked Michelle for a split second, but when she thought of what Juniper had said to her before, a smirk reappeared on her face. ¡°I just feel that I didn¡¯t get to catch up with you two much during the ss reunion. Everything was so rushed. We haven¡¯t seen each other in such a long time, so let¡¯s go. out for a meal now. I¡¯ll buy you both lunches.¡± Hearing Michelle¡¯s invitation, Jessie pouted and Hesper tapped on the drafts in her hand. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hesper nced at her casually, then sighed. ¡°I still have sses to attend.¡± In the end, Michelle could not wait for Hesper to finish attending all her sses, as Hesper¡¯s day was fully packed with lectures, and her sses went on until 6:30 in the evening. After following Hesper into lecture hall after lecture hall for half a day, she could not take it anymore and found an excuse to excuse herself. Seeing Michelle escape from the lecture hall, Jessie was amused. ¡°Isn¡¯t Michelle hrious? She just came to you without asking anyone for a clue or two about your schedule, did she?¡± ¡°I just hope she doesn¡¯te and disturb the ss again.¡± Hesper speechlessly shook her head. Every time a lecturer came into the auditorium, they would spend some time catching up with Michelle since she was there. After all, she was an alumnus of the department, and the other professors were different from Xavier, showing Michelle some respect. These conversations went back and forth throughout the whole day and wasted a lot of time. ¡°You really are¡­¡± Jessie never expected Hesper to focus on this aspect and let off a heavy sigh. ¡°But frankly speaking, I also hope that she won¡¯te back here. I¡¯m afraid that my dad might not be able to hold back the next time he sees her. In that case, he might straight-up make her cry and get himself onto the headline of the news.¡± Hesper took a nce at the time and realized that it was already 6:50, and she had made an appointment with Renee, asking her toe to pick her up at 7:00 for thepany meeting. ¡°I still have some affairs to attend to, so I¡¯ll get going now.¡± Jessie had already gotten used to Hesper leaving her straight after ss, so she nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡­ Oh yeah, do you know that Roberto Sanchez wille to Genecity tomorrow?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hesper was stunned for a moment. ¡°Roberto?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember that he was your favorite designer when you were still studying in college. Didn¡¯t This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. you follow his news?¡± Jessie turned on her phone and put the news article right in front of Hesper¡¯s face. ¡°This article was released one week earlier in the entertainment section, so I thought you were already aware. My dad believes that Roberto must be here because of some big ns, so he asks that you prepare yourself for any possibility.¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Hesper had been very busy these days, so it was only natural that she did not have the time to go through the entertainment section in the news, let alone listen to rumors that had not been officially announced, so she did not know anything about Roberto¡¯s trip to Genecity. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not toote to know.¡± Jessie patted Hesper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It seems that whenever God closes a door, He would open a window for you. After rejecting Rickard, you now have Roberto.¡± That was somewhat unrealistic. Hesper felt that she was unexpectedly calm; she only nodded when she heard what Jessie had to say then left to meet Renee at the campus¡¯s gate. However, she was stunned for a moment when she saw Isaac. ¡°Where¡¯s Renee?¡± Isaac exined, ¡°She¡¯s feeling a little unwell today, so she asked me toe and pick you up. By the way, she also ims that she sent you a text message to ask for a leave, but you didn¡¯t reply to that message.¡± Hesper had been so busy attending lectures and dealing with Michelle, she hadn¡¯t had the time to check her phone at all. Hence, when she tapped into themunicating software on her phone, she found that Renee had sent her a message earlier in the morning and she just had not seen it. ¡°Tonight¡¯s meeting has been arranged. I¡¯ve prepared the following proposal and emailed it to you.¡± Isaac opened the car door for Hesper. ¡°Young Master Lane will also sit in on the meeting in the form of a video call tonight. The headquarters is cing a lot of emphasis on that piece ofnd too.¡± Hesper nodded and got into the car, but in a corner that was out of her sight, someone took a picture of her getting into the car¡­ Thend that Rickard sent over was a region that the senior management of Lane Holdings liked, which meant it would bring unlimited benefits. This could be regarded as thergest project that Hesper had ever received after arriving in Genecity, and that was why Wilfred, who was currently in Emperion, miles away from Genecity, could no longer stay still. While Hesper was busy going back and forth with Matthew in order to deal with Wilfred during the meeting, she skimmed through the proposal in her hand and felt a little inexplicable feeling in her heart. No matter how considerable the benefits were, Hesper felt disgusted when she remembered that the centerpiece of this n was hand-delivered to her by Rickard. Matthew could also see that Hesper had been rather absent-minded all night, so he called Hesper that night and asked her if there was anything that she could not solve recently. ¡°It goes like this¡­¡± Hesper told Matthew all about the promise that Rickard made, as well as how she obtained thend. She then said in confusion at the end of the conversation, ¡°I keep thinking that I should hate him, just like how I did when I first returned to Genecity. But he started treating me so well all of a sudden, making it very difficult to continue to do so. I can¡¯t hate him, but I can¡¯t love him either. Matt¡­ It feels really suffocating.¡± After hearing that, Matthew remained silent for a while, then said, ¡°Actually, before you returned to Genecity, I was worried that you would one day feel this way. But I still remember how much agony you were in when I first picked you up, and I don¡¯t want you to forget that feeling.¡± Hesper drank some wine and sat on the window sill, allowing the cold breeze to brush through her hair. She lowered her head as she listened to Matthew¡¯s words. Anyone who saw Hesper now would be awed by her appearance. Her long ck hair hung softly over her shoulders; she looked like an elf who appeared only during the night, but her enchanting gaze made her look so obedient. ¡°How could I forget¡­?¡± The pain of having your bones crushed to pieces is something no one should ever experience. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll never forget it.¡¯ ¡°If you feel really bad, you could alwayse back to Emperion.¡± Matthew¡¯s voice sounded a little tougher. ¡°No one among the Lanes will leave you out there to get bullied. You have my word, as long as you don¡¯t want to, you¡¯ll never have to see Rickard ever again in the future.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Hesper did not say anything for a while before shaking her head and speaking up childishly. ¡°No. I want to bring Renfrew home. And I¡¯ll make those who bullied me pay the price.¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 ¡°In addition to that, I¡¯ll make Rickard¡­¡± Hesper paused for a split second and then gave off a faint sigh as if a gust of breeze had just brushed across the room behind her. ¡°I want Rickard to fall for me, but he won¡¯t get me. I¡¯ll also make him¡­ He¡¯d have to crush his bones for me at least once.¡± Matthew frowned, but Hesper¡¯s voice had already disappeared on the other end of the phone call. He guessed that she had fallen asleep, so he could only hang up the phone silently. ¡®Has Hesper always had such thoughts?¡± Matthew did not know whether to praise her for being smart and knowing how to inflict equal pain to those whom she had suffered under years ago or to call her stupid for using her feelings as a bargaining chip. He sat back in his seat in the office for a while then contacted his assistant. ¡°Book me a ne ticket to Genecity. The sooner the better.¡± However, his wish was not granted. On the second day, it started raining cats and dogs in Genecity. Almost as soon as Roberto¡¯s private nended in the city, torrential rain started cascading. Heavy rain was not amon phenomenon during this season. It was alreadyte autumn, and the temperature in Genecity was dropping at a perceivable speed daily. It was so cold that even Hesper put on a coat. She had drunk a little too much the night before, and she did not know if she had told Matthew something that she should not have. She only realized that she had fallen asleep on the balcony when she woke up. early that morning. It was fortunate that she did not catch a cold. As the best tertiary education institution in Genecity, Roberto¡¯s first stop fell at Genecity University. When Hesper received the news, she was astounded. She never thought that she would get to meet Roberto so soon. Genecity University¡¯s main auditorium was built with funds raised by outstanding alumni from previous years. It was as luxurious as any other convention center, and it would be used every time the university had events or celebrations to host. It was only natural that Roberto¡¯s visit was no exception. Hesper and Jessie received the news rtively quickly. As soon as they heard that Roberto was Being dragged into her seat by Jessie, Hesper¡¯s palms were sweaty. ¡°Why do you seem a little drowsy today?¡± Jessie pinched Hesper¡¯s cheek. In truth, she had wanted to do this for a long time. Hesper¡¯s skin looked impable, so it seemed like it would feel extremely satisfying to pinch her cheeks. Hesper recalled what happened the prrevioud night after all the wine that she had drunk, but she did not know what she should say to Jessie, so she could only shake her head. The auditorium soon became very lively. Hesper looked around and saw Michelle not far away. ¡°Why is she here?¡± Hearing that, Jessie also found Michelle. But before Hesper had the time to say anything, there was a In fact, on such an asion, Roberto would not speak much, as he did not speak the localnguage very well. While his interpreter spoke on his behalf, Hesper stared at Roberto who was on the stage in a daze. She never thought she could ever be so close to her dream. ¡°Mr. Sanchez said that he appreciates our culture very much. He also ims that he¡¯s been thinking abouting over for exchange and study in the past few years, and it wasn¡¯t until a friend¡¯s words a while ago that hepletely strengthened this idea of his with confidence.¡± ¡°In the next few months, Mr. Sanchez will stay and study in Halwanest. As a close partner of Lane Holdings, he and thepany will join hands in organizing apetition that truly belongs to designers.¡± For a moment, Hesper thought she had misheard, but then Jessie shook her arm vigorously, dragging her soul back to reality. ¡°What did I say, Hesper? What did I say?! You¡¯re so lucky!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. * Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 The university was like a smaller form of real society. The news that Roberto would be working with Lane Holdings spread like wildfire on campus. And just as Hesper stepped out of Genecity University, Isaac¡¯s phone call came through. ¡°Ms. Lane, about the coboration between Mr. Sanchez and the Lanes¡­¡± Hesper watched as Jessie got on the bus, listening to Isaac¡¯s report. ¡°Ms. Lane, thepany¡¯s coboration with Mr. Sanchez has created a lot of noise in the public, but you didn¡¯t seem to tell me about this matter before, and it also wasn¡¯t mentioned in that to-do-list that Renee handed over to me-¡± While Isaac¡¯s voice came from the other end of the call, Hesper¡¯s own voice sounded a little distorted in the storm. She quickly gave out orders and arranged things to be done in thepany then asked Isaac to send someone over to pick her up. Isaac was not the only one who did not know about Roberto and Lane Holdings¡¯ coboration, as even Hesper did not know anything about it. Up until this moment, she still thought that she was dreaming. ¡®Roberto isn¡¯t someone that ourpany can persuade easily. With his current status and reputation, money is just a number to him. The money that he could earn from just one draft might already be enough topete with the amount that he might get through this cross-field coboration.¡¯ Recalling the business card that Nathaniel gave her without exining what the ¡°surprise¡± that he mentioned during the conversation the other day was, Hesper realized that Roberto¡¯s contact information was not Nathaniel¡¯s actual gift. This coboration was the matter that he had been referring to! By the time she looked into all the affairs thepany faced and arranged them in an orderly manner, it was alreadyte at night. The sudden torrential rain made the whole city look inexplicably depressed. Almost everyone in thepany had left. After all, no one liked such high-intensity overtime work. But This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. after seeing the objective revenue that Roberto would bring to thepany in advance, no one could Who would not love to earn more money? Hesper was not stingy with thepensation either. She paid everyone who stayed back triple for their effort. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Ms. Lane. Are you nning to go home at all?¡± After bringing thepiled documents to the department located floors below anding back, Isaac saw Hesper sitting at the desk pondering. about something, so he stepped forward and draped a coat over her shoulders. ¡°Huh¡­? Thanks.¡± Hesper took a glimpse of the time and rubbed her dry eyes. She was so busy just now that she did not even have the time to look at the clock. ¡®It¡¯s already past 2AM. No wonder the lights outside the office have been going off one after another. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t be getting any sleep tonight. I still have some documents to go through.¡± Hesper straightened her posture, rubbed her stiff neck, and nced at the chat box between her and Renee, who had not contacted her since she asked for leave the other day. She could not help but feel a little uneasy. ¡°Did Renee contact you yesterday? What happened to her?¡± Isaac shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t heard from her all day. Hearing what Isaac said, Hesper sighed, lowered her head, and sent Renee a message. Ever since Renee became her assistant, she was like a woman made of steel. She never took any medical leaves or personal leaves, so Hesper was unused to not having her by her side due to the illness. Considering the time, Hesper did not expect Renee to reply to her immediately, but she was a little worried about Renee¡¯s current situation, as no one was around to take care of her, and she did not know what was going on with her. Seeing that Hesper had not rested all this time, Isaac stayed back and helped her from the side. Seeing that it was dawn, the two of them looked at the pile of documents and sighed indistinctly. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for now. We¡¯ll continueter.¡± Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 After packing up her belongings, Hesper applied for a leave of absence with Xavier. ¡®In my current state, even if I were to attend all the lectures, I wouldn¡¯t learn anything, so why not just ask for a one-day leave and get some rest?¡± Xavier did not say anything about her absence. He only asked her how she was feeling and reminded her to prepare herself. Xavier. We still haven¡¯t received any news from Lane Holdings yet. When I get information about the total quotas that we have, you¡¯ll be the first to know. Seeing what Professor Jenkins had to say, Hesper felt warm deep down. But Xavier was not the only one who did not know how Lane Holdings would determine the quota, as even Hesper did not know the details at that moment. But there was no doubt that they wanted to initiate thispetition before the end of thepetition. organized by Duval Group. With the poprity that the Duval Group had created, coupled with Roberto, al more well-known designer, the Duval Group¡¯s tournament would be the springboard that would push theirpetition to new heights. The addition of new media had made thepetition more entertaining, but Hesper did not intend to market thispetition as a highly entertaining but amateur event. If Lane Holdings were to mess this tournament up, it would be a humiliation for Roberto and the whole design industry. ¡®If we¡¯re going to do it, we¡¯ll have to do it the right way. And I must achieve a breakthrough in my design. career through thispetition, relying only on my own ability.¡± Another busy week passed, and it was time to meet Renfrew again. Probably because the coboration between Lane Holdings and Roberto had made a lot of headlines recently, but Duval Group had also been pushed into the limelight. Compared to Lane Holdings¡¯ serious preparations for the tournament, Duval Group¡¯spetition focused more on the entertaining aspect of things, so its reputation gradually dropped. Rickard did note this time around; he only asked Renfrew to put a contract in his backpack and deliver it to his mommy. Hesper scanned through it and found out that it was rted to some equipment that she needed for the If not for the fact that Hesper had not seen Rickard recently, she might have suspected that he was silently observing her from the shadows. Without any hesitation, Hesper went through the contract and signed it. ¡°He¡¯s sending me money, so why not? I could really get used to this.¡± Hesper closed the pen cap, nced at Renfrew who was staring at her solemnly, and felt her heart melt. ¡± Ren, is there anything you want to do today?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Hearing this, Renfrew shook his head sensibly, his dark brown eyes looking exceptionally gorgeous. He looked at Hesper with his radiant gaze. ¡°Mommy, have you been very busy recently? There¡¯s nothing that I want to do today. I only want to stay by your side!¡± Although Hesper¡¯s life was hectic, she still set aside a whole day to spend time with Renfrew. She had been nning for today since the beginning of the week, but Renfrew insisted that there was nowhere he wanted to go and that he only wanted to stay at home, so Hesper had no choice but to submit to her son¡¯s wish. She ordered a small slice of cake and ate it with Renfrew. The two of them spent the afternoon watching cartoons, and Hesper had not felt so rxed in such a long time. However, when she turned her head, she discovered that Renfrew had fallen asleep in the Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Hesper Immediately looked in the direction of the door. ¡®I thought I told everyone that no matter what urgent matter came up today, they could only send me a message, and after reading it, I¡¯d decide whether or not to deal with it immediately. Not many people in Genecity know where I live, and if it¡¯s, Jessie, she would¡¯ve asked me if I¡¯m home beforeing here. ¡®So who could it be?¡¯ * Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Hesper walked up to the door and looked outside through the peephole but saw nothing. Recalling the recent news, which reported that many women living alone had been harassed, Hesper frowned. She wanted to see who it was, but a pair of hands appeared out of nowhere and blocked her view. Hesper was taken aback, but then Renee¡¯s voice sounded from the other side of the door. ¡°Ms. Lane, it¡¯s me.¡± While Hesper found a pair of slippers for Renee, Renfrew was still sleeping on the couch, showing no indication of waking up at all. ¡°Why are you here all of a sudden?¡± Renee¡¯s lips looked a little pale, and it seemed that she had not healed just yet, so Hesper dragged her into the dining room, only to realize that her hands were freezing cold. She instantly turned around and poured her some warm water. ¡°I didn¡¯t send you the messagest night to urge you toe back to work as soon as possible.¡± Hesper handed the warm ss to Renee. ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t have any friends or family to rely on in Genecity, and Isaac and I are your only acquaintances here, so since you were sick, it¡¯s only natural that I would care about how you¡¯re doing.¡± Renee obediently held the ss of warm water. She exerted so much force on the ss that the blood was drained from her knuckles. ¡°Ms. Lane, you¡¯ve always been my only rtive.¡± Hesper was astonished for a moment then sighed. Instead of going on with the topic, she changed the subject. ¡°So why did youe here all of a sudden? can see that you still have not fully recovered, SO you should stay at home and rest. How do you expect your body to recover if you¡¯re running around like this?¡± Renee sat on the chair cautiously, listening to Hesper¡¯s warm reprimand. The temperature of the warm water spread from her fingertips and seemed to gradually seep into her body. A hoarse voice then sounded. ¡°I¡­ I heard from Isaac that thepany has been very busy these two days. I¡¯ve always been the one who sorts out all the materials, so I was worried that it¡¯d be too much for him.¡± Hence, even though she did not have much strength in her body, she still made the effort toe over.¡± ¡°Thepany won¡¯t crumble just because you¡¯re not with us. The most important thing that you need to do now is take good care of your body.¡± Hesper looked at Renee¡¯s desperate face,pletely forgetting how she acted when she decided to travel all the way to Salt City back then, and shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Come back when you feel better. Now go home and enjoy your holiday.¡± Renfrew woke up just then. He then stared drowsily at his mother and Aunt Renee, who were sitting in the dining room a couple of feet away from him. Hints of confusion shed across his eyes. ¡°Mommy¡­ Aunt. Renee?¡± Hesper went up to him and rubbed his head, while Renee silently stood up and took a few steps backward. ¡°I might spread the virus to the young master.¡± Renfrew obediently stood a few steps away while Hesper held his hand and straightened his cor, which became crooked after the nap. Hesper looked at her embarrassed-looking assistant and said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be so anxious about the virus. Renee shook her head. ¡®Ms. Lane most cherishes the young master. If he were to fall sick because of me¡­ I¡¯d kill myself if that were to happen.¡¯ This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Someone knocked on the door again. Hesper nced at the door and felt a little helpless. ¡°Who is it now?¡± No one spoke up, so Hesper and Renee exchanged gazes. Perhaps because there were two adults present now, Hesper strode up to the door and opened it immediately, only to realize that there was no one in the corridor. Only a paper bag was left at her doorstep. ¡°Who is it from?¡± Renee was a little wary, but Hesper frowned and picked up the paper bag. ¡°Ms. Lane, we don¡¯t know who it¡¯s from¡­¡± When she heard her worry, Hesper shook her head and carefully peeked at the contents of the paper bag. ¡°The person who sent this bag is an acquaintance of mine.¡± In the evening, the person who came to pick up Renfrew was someone that Hesper did not expect to see. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Looking at Sophia, who was standing at the door, Hesper¡¯s expression turned cold instantly. Seeing his aunt, Renfrew held onto Hesper¡¯s hand and hid behind her, only showing half of his face from beside his mommy¡¯s thigh as if he did not want to leave her. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that re of yours? Do you really think I wanted toe?¡± ¡®This b*tch sent me to prison a few days ago, and this time around, Dick didn¡¯t even bail me out as he would back then. In the end, it was Mother who spent a fortune to clear my name from the system. If my criminal record were to be kept in the system, any marriage prospects would be thrown out of the window for good! How I wish I could avoid meeting this woman for the rest of my life. She¡¯s like a lunatic now. She just doesn¡¯t care about sh*t. I¡¯ll be ruined as long as she seizes a chance to crucify me.¡¯ Renfrew and Sophia were never close, and Hesper could tell that Sophia really did not want toe to pick him up, so she frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s Rickard? Are you telling me that he doesn¡¯t even have the time toe and pick up his son?¡± Sophia curled her lips. ¡°Dick has gone to Juni¡¯s. I might want toe and meet you, but that doesn¡¯t mean that Dick also wants to, right? Just how ridiculous can you be?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Daddy would never go to another woman¡¯s house behind Mommy¡¯s back!¡± Before Hesper could say anything, Renfrew jumped out from behind her and stared at Sophia like a tiny beast. ¡°You liar, don¡¯t you dare stir up anything between Mommy and Daddy!¡± Sophia had wanted to sow discord, as she could not bear to see how smooth Hesper¡¯s life had be. However, looking at Hesper¡¯s unconcerned expression, she felt that she had not had enough, so she continued. ¡°Your daddy has definitely gone to find Juni. And when he marries Juni, I¡¯ll make sure you get kicked out of the Duvals¡¯ residence. Just wait and see ¡°Have you had enough?!¡± Hesper¡¯s voice turned cold. Even if Rickard goes to a hundred women¡¯s ces, it¡¯s got nothing to do with me. At the end of the day, I won¡¯t let you take Renfrew away.¡± ¡°What right do you have to stop me? Renfrew shares the samest name as me, so that makes him one of the members of the Duvals¡­¡± Before Sophia could even finish speaking, she suddenly felt a chill jolt down her spine. She raised her head, looked up at Hesper, and saw that she was staring at something over her shoulder as if there was someone behind her¡­. ¡°Sophia Duval, what horse crap are you talking about? It was Rickard¡¯s voice! Sophia had not expected Rickard to appear all of a sudden and demolish what she just said. She shrugged like a pheasant, and her neck contracted. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, Dick. I wasn¡¯t talking nonsense. Renfrew is indeed a member of the Duvals, isn¡¯t he?¡± Rickard only arrived a few minuteste, but he did not expect Sophia to be there. Looking at Hesper¡¯s subtly dissatisfied expression, he guessed that Sophia had had nothing good to say and even got him involved. ¡°Renfrew is mine and Hesper¡¯s son, not just any random member of the Duvals.¡± After saying so, Rickard remained silent for a moment and then nced at Hesper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have brought you trouble again.¡± Seeing that Hesper did not n to say anything in response, Sophia hid behind Rickard and breathed a sigh of relief. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, that was when she heard Renfrew¡¯s voice calmly say, ¡°Aunt Sophia told us that you were on a date with another woman. She also said that you¡¯ll abandon me as soon as you have a new baby.¡± Sophia was dumbfounded. ¡®What the f*ck?! Renfrew Duval, you son of a b*tch!¡± ¡°Dick, I¡¯m sorry. I lost control of my mouth for a split second before. I¡¯ll apologize to Hesper¡­¡± Hesper interrupted Sophia¡¯s exnation halfway. ¡°Alright, if you want to put on an act, just go home and do it in front of the mirror.¡± She still had work to attend to, so she did not have time to watch Rickard and Sophia quarrel. With that being said, she handed Renfrew to Rickard. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ see you next week then?¡± Rickard asked tentatively. Hesper¡¯s eyebrows raised as she heard the words but then she waved her hand kindly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see you next week.¡± Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 After a week of nning, the details of the coboration between Lane Holdings and Roberto were finally finalized. Just when Hesper was still rather anxious about what identity she should use when she went to meet Roberto, Matthew stepped in and took the Initiative to solve that doubt of hers. ¡°Matt, why are you here all of a sudden?¡± Seeing that Matthew suddenly appeared at the door of her house, it took Hesper quite some time before she could recover from the trance. She only came back to her senses when Matthew walked into the living room with his luggage and changed into his slippers. ¡°If I continue to let you be, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll lose your mind here in Genecity,¡± Matthew responded a little angrily. ¡°Do you really think that nothing would happen just because you didn¡¯t let anything stupid escape your mouth? If it wasn¡¯t for the storm from a few days ago and the sudden coboration with Mr. Sanchez, which dyed my flight significantly, I would¡¯ve arrived here long ago.¡± Hesper was startled, but what Matthew said was rather funny. ¡°Matt, I think I heard what you just said in some drama a while back.¡± Seeing that Hesper was still in the mood to joke around, Matthew sighed. ¡°You¡­ All you know is to y dumb in front of me. Do you really think you can just get by this matter by fooling around? The trips that you made to the aquarium and the amusement park¡­ Have I reprimanded you unjustly for those two incidents?¡± Those intimate-looking photos actually crossed the ocean and traveled all the way from Genecity to Emperion, ending up in Matthew¡¯s possession at the end of the day. One could imagine how hot the topic had been all this while. Hesper felt a little guilty, while Matthew stood still in the living room, looked around the small apartment, and sighed again. ¡°I bought you a manor here yet you don¡¯t want to stayfortably there. You just had toe out here and live in a small apartment by yourself. Does this mean to remind you of the good old days in which you suffered?¡± ¡°Matt¡­¡± Hesper felt helpless. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you just scolded me.¡± Before Matthew arrived at her ce, Hesper was actually nning to go out for a walk. It was fortunate that the recent weather had changed her and made her obedient. She looked very warm in a knitted sweater and a long woolen skirt. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Her attire looked harmless, and although her thick eyshes originally made her appearance look somewhat offensive, Hesper¡¯s aggrieved expression actually changed the oue. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault-¡± Matthew clearly knew that Hesper was only pretending to be pitiful. He stared at Hesper¡¯s sped hands and was trapped in a daze for a moment, as if she had done this to him a long time ago. Thinking of this, Matthew returned to his senses, and his gaze became a little moreplicated. ¡®Sure enough¡­ They do look extremely simr. Both Hesper and Rach.¡¯ ¡°Matt?¡± Staring at Matthew¡¯s bewildered look, Hesper called him twice before Matthew recovered from the trance. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down to business now. I¡¯ll take over the coborative project and discuss the details with Roberto from now on.¡± Hesper nodded immediately when she heard his suggestion. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so¡­¡± Matthew sighed again. ¡°You do realize that if you hand over the project to me and let me be in charge, the person who¡¯d benefit from this coboration would be me, and this project would no longer have anything to do with you anymore, right?¡± Hesper certainly knew about this, but she nced at Matthew with a weird gaze. ¡°The Lanes¡¯ assets all belong to you while I¡¯m just an outsider. I won¡¯tpete with you for the inheritance. So, why would I put on an exceptional performance?¡± Hesper¡¯s question astonished Matthew for a split second. For a while, the two of them exchanged gazes in silence before bursting intoughter at the same time. ¡®That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no conflict of interest between us, and that means that¡­ We can always trust each other.¡¯ After dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs, Hesper would have to start preparing for thepetition. In order to better understand the outstanding strengths that the contestants of suchpetitions had, Hesper searched through all the videos recorded during previous tournaments organized by Duval Group over the years. She even watched some of that year¡¯s clips. The contestant that Hesper thought highly of was indeed eliminated in thetest episode, but in terms of theme adherence and conception, the costumes she designed looked far better than Michelle¡¯s, who was ranked first in that week¡¯spetition. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 ¡®What a pity.¡¯ Hesper remembered the name of the designer who just got eliminated. ¡®Celine Campbell. No matter how you look at her, she looks very ordinary. However, she has the talent to surpass any other designer.¡± ¡°I wonder if she¡¯ll participate in Lane Holdings¡¯ tournament this time around¡­¡± Hesper hoped that Celine could get over the disappointment of her elimination, but she was also forced to empathize with her at the same time. ¡®Although the production team did not capture it on camera, I can totally imagine just how many grievances Celine suffered during the wholepetition organized by Duval Group. Apart from Michelle sabotaging her both explicitly and covertly, the works that she produced and felt satisfied with were rejected one after another. The production team was just trying to kill her love for design in the crib.¡¯ ¡°Forget it¡­¡± Hesper shook her head, disposing of all these thoughts in her head. ¡®As long as she really likes design, I believe that she¡¯ll definitely participate in ourpetition! The opportunity is rare, and everyone should understand this.¡± Hesper originally thought that Matthew would return to Emperion after securing the contract. However, Matthew still did not show any intention of leaving after the contract had been signed three to four days ago. On the contrary, he mobilized every single man that he could get his hands on and refurbished the whole apartment while she was away at school. Hesper had a weird premonition, and only God knew just how much she wanted to find out what she had said to Matthew when she got drunk the other day. ¡®Why does it feel like Matthew is nning to move and stay here for a long time?!¡¯ ¡°Matt, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± As she saw Isaac move a new bed into the guest bedroom, Hesper tried to protest.¡± I don¡¯t think this is a good idea. Don¡¯t you still have a position to uphold and work to do in Emperion? And what about Grandpa? He¡¯s too old and needs someone to constantly take care of him, doesn¡¯t he? And Isaac Lennon, just who exactly do you work for? Why are you moving the bed for him?!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Hearing Hesper¡¯sint, as soon as Isaac ced the bed in a suitable position, he lifted his head in embarrassment. ¡°About that¡­ Before I started working for you, I was indeed the young master¡¯s bodyguard.¡± ¡°You¡­ Traitor!¡± Matthew measured the space that he had reserved for the bookcase with his naked eyes, jerked the chattering little girl behind him, and pulled her aside. ¡°Don¡¯t dy my schedule here. Go and y somewhere else.¡± Hesper was taken aback by what he had to say. She curled her lips andined with extreme dissatisfaction, ¡°But this is my apartment.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Matthew finally turned around and nced at Hesper. ¡°No way, are you telling me that you¡¯re nning to kick your brother out of your apartment?¡± Of course, Hesper gnashed her teeth and imed that she would not do so, then witnessed from the side as pieces of furniture were moved in one by one. At the end of the day, Matthew¡¯s furniture almost filled up every avable corner of the guest bedroom, which now looked even more exaggerated than her master bedroom. I¡¯ll work here. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fight you for the study,¡± Matthew exined solemnly, but Hesper felt that he was deliberately showing off. It was as if he was provoking her by saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯ve moved in, and what can you do about it?¡± Seeing that Matthew really did not intend to leave any time soon, Hesper could not help but feel a little troubled. ¡®Leaving everything else aside for now, when Matt meets Rickard when hees over this weekend, it¡¯ll instantly be the most difficult and problematic issue that I¡¯ll ever have to tackle in my life. The scene would look no worse than a World War Four battlezone.¡¯ Hesper shook her head. ¡®Crap, I have to find a way to prevent Matthew from knowing that I¡¯m going to meet Rickard on Sunday. There won¡¯t be any problems as long as the two of them don¡¯t see each other!¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you thinking about?¡± . 000 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Matthew¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind, and Hesper was so frightened that she almost screamed. Hesper could not let Matthew know the n that she had mapped out just then, so she responded by shaking her head and trying to hide her thoughts. ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m fine!¡± Seeing the vague hint of guilt that shed across Hesper¡¯s face, Matthew did not dig deeper either. Instead, he took out a paper bag out from behind his back and handed it to Hesper. ¡°This is yours, isn¡¯t it? I found it when they were moving my stuff here.¡± Seeing the paper bag, Hesper froze for a split second then nodded and grabbed it from him. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s mine. I almost forgot about it.¡± There had been too many things distracting her from the paper bag after receiving it the other day, so Hesper ced the bag aside casually and then forgot about itter on. Inside were several boxes of medicines sent to her by Julian. It was said that they were special medicines that had been newly developed for Ernest, which would produce a much better result than the previous ones. There was also a note inside. Julian: ¡°These two boxes of medicine have to be taken in five cycles. I¡¯ve written the detailed consumption method and procedures in the box.¡± ¡°How are you doing? You okay?¡± ¡°It turned out to ben.¡± Hesper did not deliberately avoid the subject. Matthew could also see the handwriting on the note. ¡°Why does he sound so awkward in the message? And since he¡¯s already written the note, why would he write the consumption method on a different piece of paper and insert it into the box?¡± ¡°Thest sentence is even grammatically incorrect.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Julian studied literature in high school, so even if he had been abroad all this time, he should not sound so weird when he¡¯s trying to write or speak. Hesper frowned and took the medicine in the paper bag out. ¡®There are three boxes in total here, but it¡¯s mentioned in the sticky note that there should be two boxes instead. Even if he might make such a simple mistake, it¡¯s still a little far-fetched.¡± After opening one of the boxes, the dosage of the medicine was written on another sticky note, and it was indeed Julian¡¯s handwriting. However, when it came to the number ¡°5¡± which was written down in the note to signify the five cycles, it looked as if it was originally an Arabic number ¡°3¡±, but it seemed that the number ¡°5¡± was forcibly written over it as if it was a clerical error. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± After receiving Julian¡¯s note for the first time the other night, Hesper had actually felt as if something was wrong. ¡®Although Julian and I used to depend on each other a lot, Julian wouldn¡¯t say such sickening things like ¡°I miss you¡±. Recalling the spy game that they asionally yed in the orphanage when they were still kids, Hesper bought a dictionary that was distributed to them by the orphanage¡¯s management when they were staying there and found the words and phrases corresponding to ¡°I miss you¡±. ¡®Be careful.¡¯ Without any hesitation, Hesper returned to her room with the sticky note, took out the dictionary from the shelf, and opened the dictionary to respective pages. ¡®The words that correspond to ¡°you¡± and ¡°okay¡± are- ¡°People around you.¡± When Matthew read the three words, Hesper felt a jolt of chill shoots up her spine. ¡°Who is he referring to? And what does this mean?¡± ¡®The first note might just be a coincidence, but when two coincidences cross paths, it looks less likely to only be a coincidence.¡± Hesper frowned, and Matthew also realized that something was wrong and asked immediately, ¡°Are you two the only two people in this world who know how to crack these codes with this dictionary? Could it be a coincidence or something like that?¡± Hearing his questions, Hesper shook her head and lifted the dictionary in her hand. ¡°This dictionary was given to us when our orphanage received donations back then. And because we didn¡¯t have many ways. to entertain ourselves,n came up with such a way to crack codes between the two of us.¡± ¡°Many people may have this dictionary, but we¡¯re supposed to be the only ones who know how to use it as a codebook like this.¡± Hesper usually did not talk much with Julian, and the recent pleasantries that went back and forth between the two of them felt ordinary too, so she had not felt that something was wrong at first. ¡°His means ofmunication have beenpromised.¡± Hesper was taken aback when she realized this. ¡®So, that¡¯s the reason why I didn¡¯t receive Julian¡¯s distress message when he texted me in the first ce. It might not have been because Rickard deleted the message?¡± . Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Matthew frowned in silence for a short while, then said, ¡°But I just spoke to his professor yesterday. They¡¯re definitely free now.¡± That was the silver lining. Hesper¡¯s instinct was that this wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence. The hidden message on the sticky note was what Julian couldn¡¯t say. That was why he tried to use four words to tell her something? Beware of those around. The people around? Hesper took out her phone and wanted to send a message that she was going to send a while ago just to test it out, but another question popped up in her mind. Why would this bag suddenly show up at her doorstep? Who left it there? When she thought of that, she put her phone away just to be careful. She didn¡¯t want to alert anyone. Thepetition held by the Duvals wasing to an end. Michelle was undeniably the winner. Since the diversion caused by the Lanes Competition and Robert was very obvious, the Duval Competition started out strong but eventually flopped. A lot of people could see that it was rigged, as they weren¡¯t dumb. As a result, Michelle¡¯s reputation dropped. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. On the way back, Michelle kept refreshing her feed and seeing the news about her being the rigged winner. She cursed out loud. Michelle: I really don¡¯t understand what they¡¯re thinking. I get it, people are just jealous. Michelle: (Crying face) After sending out the message to Juniper, she felt calmer. Ever since Juniper¡¯s constion gave her sce, Michelle developed a bad habit of ranting to her. Juniper would alwaysfort her and say that others were always the problem to calm her down. Juniper quickly replied as expected, so Michelle continued. Michelle: Remember that old coursemate that the professor was biased about? She¡¯s going topete in the Lanes Competition to get some fame. Michelle: She¡¯s such a hypocrite. She always pretends that she doesn¡¯t care but she¡¯s actually very vain. She even asked her kind rich boyfriend toe over a littleter just to show him off. Competition held by the Lanes? Wasn¡¯t that Hesper¡¯spany? Juniper was interested. She had been living the best life with Carter recently, traveling around. If Michelle hadn¡¯t mentioned Hesper, she would have forgotten about her. Juniper: What¡¯s her name? Let me dig into her. Michelle: Sure, her name is Hesper Rivera. Juniper was just casually waiting for a reply, but when she saw the name, she sat up straight. What a coincidence that the person Michelle was hating on was Hesper too! She would never imagine that Genecity was such a small ce that two people who met could actually hate the same person. She looked up and read the previous message. Kind rich boyfriend? When did she get a new boyfriend? Was it¡­ Rickard? Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Oblivious to the scheming happening between Juniper and Michelle, Hesper drove over to Emest¡¯s ce to drop some medication off. When she got back, she started paying attention to thepetition Now that Matthew was living in Genecity, she could take a break from thepany. She handed her previous work to Matthew but suddenly realized that he probably insisted on staying in Genecity to help her manage thepany ¡°Don¡¯t get emotional about this ¦§ Seeing how Hesper was looking at him with puppy eyes, he cleared his throat and then looked away. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to die of exhaustion because it would be tough for me to exin to Grandpa¡± She didn¡¯t have to worry about thepany and Professor Jenkins would vouch for her in university, so Hesper could join thepetition without worry ¡°Come back as the winner. I believe in you¡± The day before thepetition began, Jessie had to drag Hesper to get some barbecue to celebrate her win Hesper didn¡¯t know how to react ¡°I still have a long way to go when ites to design, and my future is still unclear However, I do hope that I can get a good cement so I¡¯ll get to team from Roberto.¡± Jessie ordered some beer but Hesper was worried that drinking might affect her performance tomorrow, so she just drank juice They didn¡¯t eat for too long because thepetition was starting the next day, and Jessie knew that she had a lot to prepare. To avoid cheating, the Lane Competition was locked down Hesper suggested it to ensure that it was at fairpetition and everyone agreed Jessie went to thedies¡¯ restroom. Hesper put her empty cup down but saw two familiar faces when she turned around. Hesper thought she must have made a mistake. Zikmund tried to hide behind a pir, but Rickard¡¯s face was still seen. Seeing Hesper standing up from not too far away, Zikmund grabbed Rickard by his shirt. ¡°We¡¯ve been exposed!¡± Rickard looked at him, not knowing what to do. ¡°You¡¯re such a failure.¡± Zikmund didn¡¯t expect Hesper to have sharp senses since she had missed him so many times. They never really talked to each other, so he wouldn¡¯t expect Hesper to recognize him with just one look. The truth was that if Zikmund were there alone, Hesper wouldn¡¯t have recognized him, but she was very familiar with Rickard, so when she connected the suspicious-looking man with him, she knew who she was looking at. ¡°What a coincidence¡­¡± Zikmund stood up nervously. ¡°The food here is great. Do youe here often? Hahaha¡­¡± Rickard and Hesper were speechless. ¡°Alright, stop ying dumb.¡± Rickard pulled him down. Hesper brought a chair over. She was This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. surprisingly calm, probably because of how silly Zikmund was. She just couldn¡¯t get mad. Rickard saw that Hesper seemed to be feeling good, so he poured her some warm tea. It was cold outside and he saw her drinking cold juice a while ago. He was worried that cold drinks would make her too cold, but he thought it would be inappropriate to point it out. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Hesper held the ss of warm tea in her hands and sat there silently. Rickard finally broke the silence.¡± Are you going to join the Lane Competition tomorrow?¡± Hesper wasn¡¯t surprised that he knew, so she nodded. ¡°It willst about a month or even longer. I won¡¯t be able to visit Renfrew during that time. Please tell him I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rickard took a piece of beef tongue and ced it on her te. Zikmund watched their interaction suspiciously. Weren¡¯t they on bad terms? When they went to see Ernest the other day, he heard Rickard and Hesper arguing. He was nning to console his broken-hearted best friend because he thought that their rtionship would end. Seeing what was happening changed his mind. ¡°My brother is in Genecity and will take over Lane Holdings. You¡¯re going to see him a lot.¡± Hesper looked down. ¡°Don¡¯t make him angry.¡± Hesper got up and went back to her seat before Rickard could say anything. Zikmund was confused. ¡°What is happening between the two of you?¡± Rickard shook his head. Seeing how secretive he was, Zikmund remembered that Rickard needed his help two months ago, but now he seemed to be doing well on his own. Jessie sobered up a little after her visit to the restroom. When she saw Hesper walking over from another direction, she was confused. ¡°Where did you go? You were gone when I came back, so I thought something happened.¡± ¡°What could have happened? I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper sat down. ¡°I bumped into Rickard.¡± Jessie¡¯s eyes widened and looked around for Rickard. She never paid a lot of attention to business news and the photo she saw was just blurry. All she could tell was that he was a handsome man. ¡°Why would he be here?¡± Jessie teased. ¡°Even though this isn¡¯t some low-ss restaurant, he doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who woulde here.¡± Hesper nodded because she clearly knew that it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Rickard and Zikmund came This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. here. Jessie started prying. ¡°I never asked you what happened between the two of you. He doesn¡¯t seem to hate you.¡± Doesn¡¯t seem to hate¡­ Hesper mulled over that then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. For now, he just doesn¡¯t seem to hate me.¡± Hesper said it very quietly. Jessie heard but didn¡¯t understand what she meant, so she just brushed it off as her mishearing things. Hesper didn¡¯t like to talk about her private life, so Jessie didn¡¯t want to pry too much. They both left and went home after that. The restaurant wasn¡¯t too far from her apartment and it was a clear night. Two or three stars could be seen, even in Genecity. Hesper enjoyed the free time she had while walking home. Once thepetition would begin, she would be busy again. She wouldn¡¯t get the chance to do that anymore. ¡°Hesper.¡± Hearing Matthew¡¯s voice, she looked up and saw him standing under the light in front of her apartment building. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°Matt?¡± Hesper, not having expected him to show up, tugged at her sleeve that she rolled up before. ¡°Why are you waiting here? I¡¯m not a child anymore. I can find my way home.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Matthew shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s toote. As a woman, it¡¯s unsafe for you to be alone.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hesper walked over to walk next to him. Hesper felt down-to-earth as she walked next to him because there was a sense of familial love that she never felt before this. The feeling Matthew gave was different from what she got from Grandpa Ernest. Maybe because Hesper used to be more egoistic and sensitive, but she was thankful and respected the man who pulled her out of the orphanage. However, Matthew was different. Hesper thought that she was meant to be his sister after meeting him. When they got home, Hesper suddenly remembered that Matthew couldn¡¯t cook, so she was curious if he had eaten. ¡°What did you have for dinner?¡± Matthew was silent for a few minutes. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± As Hesper expected. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I have at home. There are eggs and a b of beef. I think there is some spaghetti too. I can cook that for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Matthew was going to reject her, but Hesper already put her apron on. When she heard what Matthew said, she turned around. ¡°Just sit down and wait for the food. Why? Don¡¯t you trust my cooking skills?¡± Matthew shook his head, but Hesper had already turned around and didn¡¯t see that. ¡°I just think that¡­ you might be too tired.¡± The next day, Hesper hopped onto the bus that was for thepetition with her luggage. Thepetition was going to be grander than the Duvals¡¯. If thepetition held by Lane Holdings and Genecity University was known even in the few cities around them, then Roberto¡¯s name was the best marketing tool. A lot of designers from other countries came over to take part. The time between preliminaries and the closing of registration was very short, but after Hesper got on the bus and saw the contestants, she was still surprised. These were just contestants from one area, and it was enough to show how tight thepetition was going to be. ¡°This one¡¯s empty¡­¡± Hesper was looking for a seat when a woman¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Here!¡± The woman¡¯s voice was a little timid. Hesper looked over and saw someone unexpected. ¡°Celine?¡± Hesper didn¡¯t expect to see Celine Campbell there. She also didn¡¯t expect her to have already recovered from what happened during the Duvalpetition, ready to take part in a new Celine didn¡¯t think that Hesper would recognize her, so she was shocked. However, she still moved aside and let Hesper take her seat, then pointed at herself. ¡°You know who I am?¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Hesper nodded and didn¡¯t hold back with herpliments. ¡°I followed the Duval Competition and I remember you very well. You¡¯re talented and have your own ideas. I was rooting for you.¡± Hearing that, Celine smiled bashfully and showed a deep dimple. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not that good or I wouldn¡¯t have been eliminated so soon.¡± Hesper wanted to say something but there was amotion in front. Hesper and Celine¡¯s conversation was cut short as they looked up and saw Michelle. ¡°Michelle?¡± Hesper wasn¡¯t expecting that at all and couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Inparison, Celine was much calmer as if Michelle hadn¡¯t bullied her. ¡°The Duvalpetition ended, so I guess she has time to join this one.¡± But she already won that one and made a name and brand for herself. Now if she joined this Hesper was like Celine. She didn¡¯t give a huge reaction when Michelle suddenly showed up. She just thought that Michelle shouldn¡¯t have joined because the Lane Competition wouldn¡¯t be as lenient as the Duvals¡¯. Michelle wouldn¡¯t get good results this time. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The front part of the bus was hyped because of her appearance. Hesper and Celine minded their own business and stopped talking. Thepetition venue that Lane Holding chose was a small town between Genecity and Salt City. It had a clean environment and was famous for its livability. It was a tourist city that had green buildings and ancient ones. It was the perfect ce to inspire creativity. ¡°The Lanes really are rich.¡± After everyone got off the bus, they looked at the venue, which took a few days to build, and were astonished. Hesper was part of this project but by the time it came to the details, she was already out of it. Matthew took over the decision-making, so she was surprised too. Inspired by the Duvals, thispetition also had a reality show part to it. Since the hype from the Duval Competition was still ongoing, a lot of people who never knew much about the industry started getting interested. When the Lanes took over, it was great to grab everyone¡¯s attention. Celine¡¯s luggage was slightly bigger than Hesper¡¯s, but since she got on the bus earlier, it was at the bottom of the pile and it took her a long time before getting it. ¡°There¡¯s a shuttle buster. Let¡¯s rest here.¡± Hesper looked at Celine¡¯s petite frame and pulled her over. ¡°The air here is really fresh. Genecity could neverpare.¡± Celine nodded. ¡°My hometown¡¯s air is fresh too. Genecity is too developed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Hesper and Celine talked for a while. Celine was a shy person and Hesper wasn¡¯t talkative, but she couldn¡¯t help but have a full conversations with her. Michelle kept her eyes on them both. She was annoyed to see the two people she hated bonding with each other. ¡°Since when does Hesper know Celine¡­¡± Michelle rolled her eyes when no one was watching, but she didn¡¯t know that the cameras were already rolling. Hesper thought that something was off, so she checked her watch. They had been there for a few minutes but no one was there to get them. Based on the efficiency of thepany, five minutes was too long and this wasn¡¯t something that would happen, especially not at apetition as important as this. So¡­ Was it intentional? Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Realizing that, Hesper looked up sharply and looked around for a camera of sorts, but she wasn¡¯t familiar with the ce, so she couldn¡¯t figure out where the cameras would be hidden. ¡°This contestant is so sharp. Look at number 23!¡± ¡°By the way, why did Michelle Sullivan roll her eyes? What¡¯s on her mind?¡± ¡°Yes, 23 seems to realize that there are cameras, haha.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Everyone¡¯s phone had been taken while they were on the way there, but since Hesper usually wore a watch, she knew the time. When they had been there for seven minutes, Hesper walked back and stood next to Celine. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Celine didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she was observant and could guess that Hesper probably realized something based on her reaction, so she lowered her voice and looked at Hesper with doe eyes. Hesper leaned closer. ¡°The organizers might have something nned. I suspect that there are some hidden cameras around and they must be live streaming.¡± Coincidentally, when she said that, there was a hidden camera next to her that clearly caught their voices. There was excitement on the live chat. ¡°She¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°I knew she would be when she was looking around for the camera.¡± ¡°Hesper Rivera, remember that name. I hope that she¡¯s do well during thepetition. She¡¯s so pretty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably scripted.¡± Among the messages flooding into the live chat, there was one that wasn¡¯t so friendly, but it quickly disappeared after others came in. Juniper was very unhappy when everyone was praising Hesper because she thought that Hesper wouldn¡¯t know how to find the cameras on her own, so there was nothing to be excited about. The viewers were too naive. Carter noticed that Juniper was focused on her phone and wasn¡¯t listening to him, so he moved closer to her screen. ¡°What are you watching, baby?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at my screen-¡± Juniper acted cute. ¡°Give me some space.¡± However, Juniper didn¡¯t try to move away after saying that and instead showed him. ¡°Here, it¡¯s Hesper. You know I hate her. I¡¯m just watching this for fun.¡± Carter watched Hesper on Juniper¡¯s phone. Hesper was in a white dress and golden specks glinted in her eyes under the hot sun. Her beauty shone through the cameras. The live chat was flooded with praises for her beauty. Carter snapped back to reality. ¡°Why are you watching it if you hate her? My baby shouldn¡¯t get angry.¡± Even though he was saying sweet nothings, Juniper thought that something was off and she felt ufortable. ¡°I just want to. You know how I am. I¡¯m just evil. Don¡¯t stop loving me.¡± But Michelle Sullivan joined thispetition too, so it¡¯s going to be interesting.¡± Juniper looked at Hesper on her screen with contempt. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 You better not try to stand out. By the fifteenth minute, everyone was growing tired. Hesper sat on her luggage bag and guessed that by that time, someone would probably be there to get them soon. The second after that thought came to her mind, party poppers went off in the sky. After some cheering, the shuttle buses showed up to get their bags while confetti floated to the ground. Some fell on Hesper¡¯s shoulder and hair. Celine looked at the confetti and her eyes were shining. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. It would be so nice if we could record it.¡± Hesper looked at her, then smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone is recording.¡± The Lanes went all out on the budget. They prepared a luxurious hotel and the producers led them to the concierge for keycard collection. Hesper and Celine were at the back of the group following along at a casual pace. Michelle was walking in front of the crowd, but when she saw the two hanging at the back, she slowed down and fell back. ¡°Hello, Hesper.¡± Michelle greeted her then acted as if she had just seen Celine and beamed at her. ¡°Oh, Celine is here too. I haven¡¯t seen you in so long since the otherpetition.¡± Celine told the truth. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a month. Not that long.¡± Hesper tried not tough, then spoke seriously like Celine. ¡°It¡¯s just been two weeks. Not too long.¡± Michelle felt humiliated because she wasn¡¯t expecting Hesper and Celine to be so blunt and tried to cover for herself. ¡°Well, people say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I¡¯m so d to see you here.¡± Celine nodded but didn¡¯t speak. Hesper walked beside her and Michelle didn¡¯t want to set herself up again, so she walked quickly to the front and blended into the crowd. ¡°Hmm¡­ why do I have a feeling that Michelle Sullivan is a little fake? I don¡¯t think Celine Campbell knew her very well previously.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Michelle knows number 23? Everyone seems to know someone except 23.¡± ¡°Michelle previously framed Celine. Why is she pretending to be her friend? Haha.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all just haters. Michelle was the winner. She doesn¡¯t need to y any games.¡± ¡°Michelle is the best!¡± After everyone got their luggage, the organizer handed out reprogrammed phones. They couldn¡¯t be used for any form ofmunication, but everything else functions as usual. ¡°Can we transfer what we have on these phones to our phones after thepetition?¡± Hesper was curious as to why Celine asked that. Whether or not it was allowed, she had authority to allow it, so she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Celine smiled and looked happy. ¡°I love taking pictures. This is such a beautiful ce. After the Hesper thought she had other ideas, but if it were just pictures, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all, so she nodded and stretched out her hand to pat her head. It was so soft and nice to the touch. Celine¡¯s eyes were really clear and that made Hesper like her more. Let¡¯s go see our rooms.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 The initial room distribution was more humans because the designers were somedat kom tw wasn¡¯t the need to make it into a show, so two people shared a room, and there was a baboony inward room. Hesper and Celine were given the same room Since they were among thest few to get their room cards, the room was in a more seckaded area which they both wanted The more quiet and less disturbance there was the bitter for them Their room was on the second floor with nts on the balcony they could see bess sude thepound Even though it was no longer green at the wind of autumn it was still very ply When the cameraman saw that they were almost done unpacking their bags he went over to remind them. ¡°There¡¯ll be an interview session for each person Since some designers have never been in for This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. cameras, the Lanes have arranged for professional makeup artists on that everyone will have spre simple makeup done¡± of the Hesper had never been on camera before, but she could do her own makeup She had light makeup on since that morning and it still looked fresh Celine had the experience during the Duvelpetition d was fine with it, so she just nodded. The cameraman and producer were slightly nervous at their calm replies because it was a live broadcast The other designers were trying to sound interesting of funny so the audience would pay more to them. The audience wouldn¡¯t be interested if they were so calm ¡°Can you give us some personal space please?¡± Hesper remembered that the cameras were still pointing at them. Even though there wasn¡¯t anything to hide and she knew that the cameras weren¡¯t ever piere she still felt ufortable. Celine looked over when she heard that. The producer was expecting her to say something to change Hesper¡¯s mind because if the cameras were shut off, they would have less screen time However, she nodded too. ¡°So, there really are cameras? Please switch them off.¡± Hesper and Celine had the same idea, so everyone else didn¡¯t have the right to interfere. Since it involve the contestants¡¯ privacy, they would need approval to keep filming Only the two of them asked to stop filming, ignoring how it could help with their poprity After Rickard finished work, he remembered that he hadn¡¯t visited Ernest in a while, so he drove over Ernest didn¡¯t seem to be very weing because of what happened between him and Hesper Rickard knew that his grandpa was unhappy with what he did in the past. Ernest was a stubborn man, so to avoid aggravating his condition, Rickard rarely visited. The helpers opened the door for him without alerting Aunt Curie and Ernest. When he walked into the living room, he saw the two people¡¯s heads close together, watching something. ¡°Why is the screen ck? What do you think about the other girl?¡± Ernest didn¡¯t sound happy. ¡°Why are they showing the ck screen? All the other rooms were fine. Why are they making it difficult for Hesper? ¡°I think Hesper asked to stop filming,¡± Aunt Curie said. ¡°Look, when thepetition starts, the firing wi resume too.¡± Neither of them noticed Rickard. They were sitting on the couch like a pair of normal old people watching a show about their own children. Rickard stood behind them silently for a long time. The room was quiet and the old people¡¯s eyes were glued to the screen, so they never noticed him showing up and leaving. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°You¡¯re leaving already, sir?¡± The helper was going to bring a pot of tea in but saw Rickarding out while carefully closing the door. ¡°Yes.¡± Rickard nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I came here. How is he? The doctor said he¡¯s better, but I¡¯d like to know from you.¡± The helper nodded. ¡°He is a lot better and is very much in stable condition. He doesn¡¯t wake up in the middle of the night anymore all thanks to Mrs. Duval¡¯s medication¡­¡± The helper realized that she had made a mistake when she mentioned Hesper, so she corrected herself.¡± I mean Ms. Rivera.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± Rickard didn¡¯t have more to say, so he said, ¡°Grandpa and Aunt Curie are old, so don¡¯t let them watch live streams toote into the night. There¡¯ll be a rerun after that.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The helper didn¡¯t understand. A live stream? What was he watching? She was still confused as she watched Rickard disappear around the corner. She looked at the pot in her hands then turned to change it to ginger tea to bring over to Ernest and Wendy. When she walked in, the two were watching something on the phone. It was getting dark but the lights. weren¡¯t on, so the light from the screen cast colors on their faces. ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am?¡± The helper called out to them and turned on the lights. Were they like this when Rickard was there? They looked like they were addicted to the inte. They were discussing the show which seemed quite interesting. ¡°Oh, Yann, cover over here.¡± Ernest even put on his reading sses. When he heard Yanis¡¯s voice, he waved his hand at her. ¡°You¡¯re young enough so I¡¯m sure you know more than us. Look, the screen is ck. Does that mean we can¡¯t watch this anymore?¡± Yanis walked over and saw Hesper covering the camera and immediately understood why they were This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. so interested in the stream. Even though she didn¡¯t know what had happened previously, she guessed that Hesper was going to sleep and so she covered the cameras, and that was why the screen went ck. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nothing to see anymore. Ms. Rivera is probably going to sleep.¡± Yanis remembered what Rickard said so she exined. ¡°There¡¯ll be a rerun. The live stream takes a lot of time and Ms. Rivera isn¡¯t always on screen. You can wait till the edited version is out.¡± Ernest nodded and nudged Wendy, who was sitting next to him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to watch. Let¡¯s wait till tomorrow.¡± Yanis ced the teapot down and left feeling different. She worked for affluent families for a long time and there was always family drama, people framing each other. It was rare to see such a wholesome scene among rich families. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 The first day was just for unpacking and getting to know each contestant better. The organizers prepared breakfast and there were snacks in each room, with fresh meat and vegetables In the fridge. Most of the contestants couldn¡¯t cook or didn¡¯t want to cook first thing in the morning, so they all went to the cafeteria for breakfast. Celine woke up to the smell of food. Hesper made breakfast and removed the covering on the camera. Celine got ready and when she walked out, Hesper was sitting at the bar and checking her phone with two sets of breakfast in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you like this, but I figured that since I was cooking anyway, I might as well make two sets.¡± Hesper didn¡¯t really like the food prepared by the organizers. She usually woke up early to watch business news, so after checking out what they had in the fridge, she decided to cook. The food smelled nice. Celine nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± The two sat across each other and finished breakfast. By then it was seven-thirty sharp. Since the organizers didn¡¯t provide a schedule, most of the contestants were still sleeping. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hesper watched the news. There was no way to get in touch with the outside world and she didn¡¯t know what the response was for the first day of thepetition. However, if they live-streamed the entire process, it would attract a lot of viewers and hype it up. It was a good choice. ¡°Number 345 seems to be very disciplined. I would usually wake up early only if I have to attend sses. When I started watching, they were already having breakfast.¡± ¡°Yes, me too! I¡¯m snacking while watching them have breakfast, LOL!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to be in school. I¡¯m already at the office.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know that Hesper could cook. It looks delicious even though it¡¯s just basic bangers and mash. I¡¯m craving!¡± Very few people would start watching the live stream so early in the morning, but students and some office workers were already watching. Since they weren¡¯t getting messages, Hesper and Celine didn¡¯t know that waking up early became a topic of discussion. After she finished watching the news, Hesper remembered that Celine was sitting across from her and wasn¡¯t doing anything. ¡°Did I wake you up from the noise of cooking?¡± Hesper asked. Celine shook her head. ¡°No, I usually wake up around this time. Your food smelled really good.¡± Hesper was d she didn¡¯t wake her new roommate up. She gave a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I wonder what the ns for today are. I think we¡¯re free to do anything at this hour. Do you want to go for a walk?¡± Celine nodded as they both looked out the window. The sun was shining. ¡°Looks like great weather!¡± Michelle put on makeup in her room and went downstairs for breakfast. The Lanes had a generous spread of food. Michelle and the others went to expensive restaurants together before, but other than the nice ting, there was nothing special about the food. They were all shocked when they saw the bili. The pastries that the Lanes provided were as good as the ones found in cafes. When eight-thirty came, everyone was having breakfast. The producer went in and saw Michelle, the fan favorite, walking around the cafeteria, so she went over ¡°Michelle, you¡¯re up early.¡± Michelle was taking a look at all the tasty pastries and jumped when she heard the voice. She almost lost control of her expression in front of the camera. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡°Ah,good morning.¡± Michelle waved toward the camera. She was wearing a fluorescent yellow top with a high ponytail, looking extremely zingy and lively. ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to wake up so early. Do you even sleep?¡± the producer admitted with a grin. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the organizer¡¯s request, I would still be in my bed at this time!¡± Michelle seemed a little embarrassed. ¡°Not really. In fact, I just graduated and I still can¡¯t get rid of my bad habit of sleeping in. It¡¯s just that when I participated in thepetition, I adjusted my biological clock so that I could have more time to think. Now I¡¯ve just gotten used to it.¡± The two talked for a couple of minutes. The producer was too busy chatting with Michelle to look at the livements, while Michelle could not see thement section either, so it was only natural for them to not notice that thements were getting more and more unpleasant and offensive. ¡°Uh, although I haven¡¯t watched this show for quite some time, I remember that Hesper was the first to get up today, wasn¡¯t she? Can waking up at 8:30 still be considered early?¡± ¡°This character setting feels so stiff¡­ Even I feel awkward for the two of them.¡± ¡°The point is, Michelle really seems to think that she¡¯s woken up extremely early¡­¡± On the other side of the hotel, Hesper and Celine just came back from a stroll when they smelled a faint dairy scent on the ground floor. It was a chilly morning in thete autumn, so Hesper pulled Celine aside and asked, ¡°Would you like some warm soy milk or sweetened milk? Your hands feel so cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Celine had no objection but subconsciously felt that Hesper might want to get herself some This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. sweetened milk or soy milk. There was also a hidden camera at the entrance, which happened to manage to record Celine¡¯s somewhat helpless and doting gaze. ¡°Huh? Hesper and Celine have arrived too. Judging from their outfits, did they just go out for a walk in the morning when there were fewer people?¡± ¡°Look at Celine, look at the way she nces at Hesper, that kindness in her eyes¡­¡± ¡°The interaction between the two of them looks rather sweet!¡± As soon as Hesper entered the restaurant, she immediately started searching for the sweetened milk. Although she did not know where it was, she could smell it, so she led Celine in the direction of the sweetened milk until they arrived in front of a drink dispenser. On the opposite side, Michelle and the producer just so happened to be walking toward them together. ¡°Hesper!¡± Michelle obviously did not expect to run into Hesper and Celine at this time, but after being stunned for a split second, she took the initiative to greet her. ¡°It¡¯s so early. Are you here for breakfast?¡± Celine was focused on getting Hesper some milk, and Hesper squinted her eyes and gave off a smile.¡± Yeah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Huh?¡± Michelle, not expecting Hesper to treat her so politely all of a sudden, was not used to it. Hence, the next line that she had prepared got stuck in her throat. ¡°Then I shall not disturb you. See you around.¡± did not ask her to stay, so Michelle escaped the awkward conversation with the producer in mbarrassment. I¡¯mughing to death. Hesper only treated her politely for once, and she instantly became mute.¡± ¡°Am I the only one who thinks that Michelle behaves as if she¡¯s a simp for Hesper? In all fairness, Michelle has always been very polite to Hesper. Why are you people still showing Hesper this much. support when she¡¯s just being a pain in the *ss to Michelle?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t blind, you would be be able to tell that Michelle isn¡¯t doing all this sincerely, right? Wasn¡¯t she the one who kept trying to get close to Hesper? Since the very beginning, Hesper and Celine have already mentioned that they aren¡¯t very close to her.¡± ¡°Why are you guys arguing for so long¡­? Am I here to watch a fashion design or debatepetition?¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Back in Genecity, Rickard was rather anxious. After settling down some time ago, Rickard sent Renfrew back to kindergarten to continue his sses as per what Hesper wanted, but another problem emerged very soon. ¡°Everyone¡¯s parents will be there.¡± After all this while, Renfrew had be more courageous when facing Rickard. He was currently sitting on his little stool andining sternly. ¡°Sports day is going to be held on the weekend, and mommy is participating in thepetition and can¡¯t be there with me. So, if you¡¯re not going to attend the event either, no one will care about me. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be so lonely and so sad, I¡¯ll cry through the whole day and finally die of sadness.¡± Renfrew sighed. The statement indeed consisted of a handful of exaggerations, but Rickard could not help but feel a little helpless. ¡°It actually took a lot of hard work for Renfrew to be able to blend in with the other children in kindergarten like a normal child. Now that there¡¯s such an activity in the kindergarten, it¡¯s an even better opportunity for Renfrew to join the other children in some games too.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle.¡± It was not that Rickard did not want to go to the sports day with Renfrew, but he had never gone through such an event, so he did not know how to tackle these problems with Renfrew. For him, stepping into the unknown was equivalent to making mistakes, but the upbringing that he had received since he was a kid told him that he must never make mistakes. ¡°Then that¡¯s a pinky promise.¡± Renfrew stood up and locked his pinky with Rickard¡¯s. ¡°Thank you, Daddy!¡± Back in thepetition, the preliminary round had an individual assignment. Participants were to Hesper had been tested for her hands-on capability many times back in college, so this task was too simple for her. On the other hand, Celine had also gone through too many tournaments, sopleting a design quickly was as easy as ABC for her. The first round had only managed to eliminate some students who had yet to graduate and had no practical experience. Michelle was also a little surprised when she saw Hesper¡¯s skillful movements- Originally, she thought that Hesper had not been doing anything rted to fashion design for so many years, and she had only been studying the theories and knowledge that they studied back when they were both in college, so her practical skills must be a lot weaker than her theory, but the reality instantly smacked her in the face. Hesper did better than most people. The whole game was broadcasted live, and Ernest and Wendy watched the show with great joy. ¡°I knew it. The clothes that the youngdy sewed when she was still a kid already looked great, so this must be a piece of cake for her.¡± Wendy recalled that when Hesper first arrived at the Duvals¡¯ residence, she was reluctant to throw away her clothes even when they were already extremely old, so she would sew them herself, covering the worn-out spots with a few small flowers. It was obvious that she had not learned how to do it before that, but those patterns still looked true to life. understand that Grandpa did so to show me his support. I also understand that the Duvals don¡¯t care about such a small amount of money. Thus, I¡¯ll ept the tip this time, but I won¡¯t allow it to happen again. The news rted to Hesper naturally made its way into Rickard¡¯s ear. When he saw that Ernest had spent so much money with his credit card, he felt that something had gone wrong, but he did not expect the money to be directed to Heaper. This amount of money was really nothing to him, so Rickard did not n to talk to his grandfather about this matter. After all, he only wanted to show his care and support for Hesper in his own way. After the first round, originally, there wasn¡¯t supposed to be much time for the contestants to rest. However, the live broadcast format received extremely strong and positive responses from the fans, and many audiences and spectators also began to pay attention to the tournament. So after some discussions, thepetition that was originally supposed tost a month was changed into an episode- based match to attract more attention over time. Before leaving the venue, Hesper helped Celine export all the photos on her cell phone onto her personal phone, then bid her goodbye temporarily. At the same time, the contestants¡¯ personal short interviews that had been filmed before the demands. ¨C This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Ernest was also exhrated. ¡°Look at her score; It¡¯s so high. She¡¯s truly amazing.¡± Ernest put on his reading sses, saw the bouquet of flowers and hearts that were shing on the bottom of the screen, and frowned. ¡°What are all these sticker-looking things? Why are they shing all the time?¡± Wendy leaned over. After all, she was a little younger than Ernest. When she saw the words that appeared together with the emojis, everything just connected in her mind. ¡°It should be a tipping system. Viewers can tip this live broadcast with some real cash.¡± As soon as Wendy finished speaking, another firework salute exploded in the middle of the screen, and a written message appeared with it: ¡°Michelle is the best. I¡¯ll always support you, Misha!!!¡± ¡°Is this Michelle, Michelle Sullivan? The girl who¡¯s on bad terms with Hesper?¡± Ernest became upset when he saw so many tips being directed at Michelle. ¡°I think Hesper¡¯s design looks much better than hers. I want to be able to tip too.¡± When Yann was dragged into the room by the two elderly to watch the live broadcast again, she was already feeling a little helpless. Ernest then started very modestly asking her to help him out. ¡°I want to tip Hesper. I want to be able to do ¡­ What is it that you youngsters call it?¡­ Virtual tipping? However, the two of us don¡¯t understand this whole tipping process, so I want you to help me take a look.¡± ¡°Give her presents?¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Yann was astonished for a moment then subconsciously persuaded her master. ¡°Sir, the money that you¡¯ll be spending won¡¯t go into Ms. Hesper¡¯s purse. Part of it will even be taken by the tform, so it isn¡¯t worth it.¡± After saying so, she realized something. ¡®Ms. Hesper is now the president of Lane Holdings, so giving money to an event organized by Lane Holdings is equivalent to giving money to Ms. Hesper¡­ And Mr. Duval Sr. has the wealth to make it happen! To him, the money that he¡¯ll be spending is just a number.¡± Realizing this reality, Yann graciously helped Ernest bind his credit card to his ount and then watched as Ernest spent his money as if he was lighting thern on fire. Seeing Ernest throwing cold hard cash into the tform in the form of virtual currency, Yann only felt that the world of the wealthy was giving her a headache. Although she knew that Ernest was rich, she still could not help but try to stop him. ¡®Jesus Christ! Aren¡¯t the Duvals and the Lanespeting against each other now?¡± ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no point in throwing money into a tform like this. If Ms. Hesper were to find out about this, she definitely reprimand you for spending money thriftily.¡± Before Yann could say anything else, Wendy had already opened her mouth. ¡°Sir, Hesper has just started participating in thepetition. She¡¯ll definitely be criticized by the public if you were to spend too much money on her.¡± Someone watching the live broadcast was already shocked by the sudden reward. The amount of money that Ernest just tipped was in a different leaguepared to everyone else, and his tipping and ¡°OMG, is this how rich people tip others? This sh*t is scary!¡± 7¡¯ll be honest, I might not even be able to make so much money in my whole life. Jesus, help me, Lord.¡± It¡¯s all directed to Hesper. My goodness, this is just the preliminary round. I really don¡¯t understand the world of the rich.¡± With such arge tip amount, the user¡¯s information would naturally be disclosed in the system of the tform. Normally speaking, with Hesper now participating in thepetition, the employees of Lane Holdings should not contact her through any medium, but then they realized that the elder master of the Duvals had tipped so much to Lane Holdings¡¯ tform. No matter how they looked at it, it still felt a little unreasonable, so the staff could only contact Hesper to deal with this matter. Having just passed the first round of thepetition, Hesper was searching for useful ingredients in the small refrigerator, preparing to cook something delicious for the evening, when she received a message from her staff through her cell phone. ¡°Grandpa? Hesper went through the content of the message carefully and could not help but feel a little helpless. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. 1 didn¡¯t expect Grandpa to pay so much attention to thepetition¡¯s games. He even learned how to tip a streamer¡­¡± Hesper shook her head, feeling a little dumbfounded, and replied to the message. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 The first contestant to have her interview aired was Michelle. As the star participant in thispetition, Michelle¡¯s session was inserted in the most significant section of the series in order to gain poprity and attention. Hesper and Matthew had already talked about this very early on, even before the tournament started. Sure enough, the effect was also very significant. When it was Hesper¡¯s turn, although it brought about a lot of discussionspared to other contestants, it was still slightly worse than Michelle¡¯s. That was because Hesper¡¯s interview was a little too dull. She replied to every question perfectly, so after watching the video, the only thing everyone remembered was Hesper¡¯s face, which looked too beautiful to be true. At first, Hesper did not intend to use this interview session to show off. The only thing on her mind after the first round of the contest was that she finally had some time to get back to thepany to discuss. some affairs. However, after two days ofpact work, she got the chance to take a look at her rating, which was rising steadily, and felt a little relieved. This hectic statested until Friday when Rickard knocked on her door with Renfrew. ¡°Who is it?¡± Hesper was busy editing her design draft when she heard someone knocking on the door. She thought it was Matthew who hade back, so she stood up and went to open the door. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring your key? I thought- The second half of her sentence got stuck in her throat. ¡°Mommy!¡± Renfrew threw himself into Hesper¡¯s arms, and she subconsciously caught him. ¡°I missed you so much!¡± The three of them sat on the couch, and Hesper folded her arms as she scanned through the father and son thoroughly. ¡°So, you¡¯re only here because you want to talk about the parent-child sports day?¡± Hesper looked at Rickard. She had not seen him for only a few days, and the man had not changed much, but he seemed a little. embarrassed when talking about the parent-child sports day. Hesper really could not understand it. ¡®This man is already a full-grown adult, yet he¡¯s still using an excuse like not being able to take care of our son by himself just toe over to visit me. Just how ridiculous can he get?¡± ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go together. The other kids will bring both their parents along.¡± Renfrew grabbed Hesper¡¯s hand and said coquettishly, ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t know how to do anything, and when the time through the whole day, finally dying of sadness¡­¡± Rickard was stunned for a short while. ¡°Why does that feel somewhat familiar?¡± Hesper still felt a little angry at first, but when she heard what Renfrew had to say, she could not help butugh out loud and reached out to pinch Renfrew¡¯s chubby cheek. ¡°Okay, okay, I understand, but you¡¯re not allowed to say that you¡¯ll die again. Do you hear me?¡± Renfrew nodded vigorously. ¡°Does that mean that you¡¯ve agreed toe together?¡± Rickard nced at her with a little beam of hope shing from the bottom of his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Hesper nodded. ¡°It¡¯s taking ce this weekend, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll definitely be there¡± On the weekend, the parent-child sports day began. Renfrew put on a new suit that day, and Hesper tied the little bow that he had on while they were on the way. Although she promised Renfrew to take part in the sports day, Hesper still did not want to stand right next to Rickard, so she held Renfrew¡¯s hand on one side while Rickard held the little fe¡¯s hand on the other, and they did not talk to each other at all. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Seeing theparison between his childish mommy and his daddy who had no footing in the family, Renfrew felt a little helpless, but at the same time, his heart was filled with joy. This was his first time participating in a parent-child activity with his parents. Although it seemed that his parents were not on good terms, it did not stop him from feeling exhrated! When the other children saw Renfrew¡¯s family, they were a little envious. After all, they were all kids. Some of them even ran over and told Renfrew that his parents look so beautiful! Hesper bent down and rubbed the heads of the other children. ¡°Are you guys Renfrew¡¯s ssmates? You look very cute too.¡± Renfrew pulled the two of them and introduced Hesper and Rickard to the children in the kindergarten. Then the parents of the other party also greeted Hesper and Rickard with some surprised expressions. In order not to embarrass Renfrew, the two of them did not put on long faces. After all, neither of them were simple-minded people who did not know how to act tactfully, so even when they were not in a good mood, it was not difficult for them to maintain a polite and wide grin. While the event was ongoing, the other children¡¯s parents were not as shallow as their kids and only saw that Renfrew¡¯s parents were very pleasant to the eyes. Looking at Hesper and Rickard¡¯s attire, they instantly knew that they were not ordinary people, so they were very polite when they spoke to Hesper or Rickard. When the teacher arrived at the ss, she saw Renfrew¡¯s parents being surrounded by the crowd as if they were celebrities. The man looked breathtaking and thedy looked gorgeous, while the child holding their hands looked adorable and well-behaved, staring obediently at his parents as they socialized. ¡®Did Ie into the wrong ssroom?¡± Renfrew was the first student to see their teacher, so he cleared his throat and raised his voice. ¡°Ms. Zeelen! You¡¯re here!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Everything would have been fine if Renfrew had not done so, but the little boy¡¯s voice instantly skyrocketed Ms. Zeelen¡¯s presence in the ss. The teacher blinked in slight embarrassment and then began to put everything into ce. ¡°Okay, I must first express my appreciation to all the parents who are here today with us. Thank you for finding the time. in your busy schedule to join our activity. Everyone should take a seat first. Sports day will start shortly It was probably the kindergarten¡¯s aim to promote the intimacy level of the families, as the small stools for each family were arranged very closely to each other. Hesper sat down without a change in her expression, so Rickard also led Renfrew to their seat and sat down beside her. Although it was not their first time meeting each other, Ms. Zeelen just felt that Renfrew¡¯s parents had unreal looks every time she saw them, so when she came closer to hand out the number cards, she could not help but exim inwardly, ¡®This family looks so good!¡¯ Seeing that the teacher had arrived, the parents stopped chatting. Ms. Zeelen first asked the parents to take turns toe see her at her desk to talk about how their child had been doing at kindergarten and in ss. ¡°Renfrew is very obedient and smart,¡± Ms. Zeelen praised with a smile. ¡°I feel that Renfrew has be more gregarious since thest time I talked with you.¡± When Hesper heard Ms. Zeelen¡¯spliment, she felt very proud and the smile on her face widened. ¡°You two are truly a perfect match.¡± Ms. Zeelen could not help but let off ament of admiration. She then returned to the podium, leaving Hesper and Rickard frozen in ce in embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re a good match!¡± Renfrew cheered. Rickard¡¯s gaze was rather gentle, and he turned sideways to rub Renfrew¡¯s head, while Hesper turned her head away and stopped looking at Rickard. ¡°Our sports day officially begins!¡± Ms. Zeelen was used to putting forward her childish personality and coquettish tone when she was interacting with the children, so now that she was facing a group of parents, she could not help but feel a little nervous. ¡°The first round is a three-legged race. Each family has to decide who the team members will be, and then we¡¯ll start thepetition.¡± Renfrew lifted his head and looked at Rickard then Hesper. Seeing that the two of them were not talking to each other and were treating each other like invisible gas, Renfrew sighed inwardly. The grievance that he was suffering waspletely visible on his face. Seeing this, Hesper immediately said, ¡°Ren, why don¡¯t you join the race with me? I haven¡¯t yed any sport -rted games with you before, so why don¡¯t we try it out today?¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 ¡°But Mommy, you¡¯re so tall¡± Renfrew blinked and then looked at Rickard. ¡°If you were to go into the race with me, you¡¯ll probably cause me to fall, won¡¯t you? Then won¡¯t I ruin this suit that Great-grandpa gave me ? Great-grandpa has always liked to see me in this little suit, so if I were to trip and fall¡­¡± ¡°All right, all right.¡± Hesper interrupted him with a smile and nced at Rickard in extreme This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. embarrassment ¡°You little imp, don¡¯t bring Great-grandpa into this.¡± Renfrew was proud of his achievement. Then will you do what Great-grandpa wants?¡± ¡°How would I dare to defy your great-grandpa?¡± Hesper rubbed Renfrew¡¯s head, and then looked at Rickard. The two of them gazed at Rickard together. ¡°I have no problem with what you want, but I don¡¯t know if someone else will say no to that.¡± ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Staring at Hesper¡¯s indifferent gaze, Rickard helplessly took a nce at Renfrew, who had been winking at him, nodded, and agreed. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Hence, the two adults¡¯ legs were tied together with the same rope. Being so closely linked to each other by a rope was something that had never happened before between. the two of them. Unexpectedly, Hesper did not reject this kind of contact very much. In fact, when the two of them started running, they were more in tune than expected. They looked so in sync that it felt like they were one. While the other parents still had not figured out the rhythm to follow, the two of them were already able to run at normal speed on the not-too-long stic runway. It was a rather easy win. Hesper subconsciously looked at Rickard¡¯s side profile. The man seemed to bepletely unaffected by the result of the race as he untied the rope on her leg with his slender fingers. His fingers were acting very cautiously and lightly as if he was afraid that the thin rope would strangle and hurt her ankle. Hesper fell into a trance for a split second, then stood up. ¡°Alright.¡± Perhaps it was because of the design tournament¡¯s hectic schedule and that she had been busy with work in thepany for several days aftering back from the recording, but Hesper had not gotten a good rest. So the moment she stood up, the sight in front of her eyes went dark. Hesper swayed from side to side but was then supported by a hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­? Are you okay?¡± She was feeling absolutely fine before he asked her the question, but as soon as the question escaped Rickard¡¯s mouth, Hesper started feeling a little tired all of a sudden. However, she was only slightly tired, so after resting in Rickard¡¯s arm and under his concerned gaze for quite some time, Hesper opened her mouth and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rickard did not know how to proceed with the conversation, so he could only reply softly, ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The teachers and parents witnessing the race from the side of the arena were a little astounded. In fact, this kind of fun sports day would not ask its participants to perform very difficult sports tasks. After all, it was just a simple activity that aimed to promote familial harmony. But not only were the two of thempletely in sync and did not slow down during the whole race, but they managed to leave the other contestants far behind at the end¡­ It was rather humiliating to the other participants. The two went on to win the next few rounds ofpetition. Renfrew was as happy as ark as he went all out by praising both his parents in front of each other, looking cute and solemn as he acted as the glue. of his parent¡¯s rtionship. Arriving at another round of the parent-child race, Renfrew grabbed Rickard¡¯s hand, went into the arena, and then whispered to him, ¡°Just look at how well I¡¯m doing today Mommy seems to be treating you much better! Although you¡¯re my daddy, if you bully Mommy, she¡¯ll be very sad.¡± Renfrew looked serious. ¡± And if Mommy is sad, I¡¯ll be sad too. However, I¡¯m still a very fragile human being, so if I were to feel very sad, I might die-Ahem, I might¡­ I might not be able to eat any delicious food.¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Recalling what his mommy had told him earlier, Renfrew instantly changed his lines. Besides dying, the scariest thing in the world would be not being able to eat delicious food¡­. Rickard had never been verypetent at coaxing children. He thought that if it was Hesper who ran into this situation, she would probably pat Renfrew on the head and utter the ¡°touch wood¡± phrase, and the issue would end there. However, all he did was stay dumbfounded for a while before rubbing Renfrew¡¯s cor. ¡°Yeah, I understand. I won¡¯t make Mommy sad anymore.¡± ¡®It seems that even a child knows that I caused Hesper a lot of suffering back then.¡± Rickard turned his head and looked at Hesper who was not far away from them. She had her head lowered as she unbuttoned the wrongly buttoned shirt of the kid sitting next to her, giving off a gentle smile. In fact, Hesper had never been someone who was very good at coaxing others either, but she had always been very patient when she was around children. Although she had not been by Renfrew¡¯s side these years, she had learned how to be a qualified This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. mother. ¡°Then you have to do something to coax Mommy. She¡¯s also a very fragile human being.¡± Renfrew widened his eyes and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s win a championship trophy for Mommy. We¡¯re boys, so we have to take the initiative to coax the girls!¡± There was no suspense about the result of the games as Renfrew¡¯s family crushed the other families and won the first kindergarten sports day championship. The prize for the first-ce winner was a small strawberry cake. After thinking about it, Renfrew gave the cake to Rickard. ¡°Daddy, use this cake to coax Mommy. Ms. Zeelen is summoning us!¡± Renfrew put the cake box firmly in Rickard¡¯s palms, turned around, and went off to look for his teacher. ¡°Good luck!¡± Rickard was holding onto the cake, which had been turned into an attractive pink block because of the addition of food coloring, and could not help but feel uneasy, as this was one of the most embarrassing moments that he had ever experienced in the past thirty years. Hesper leaned against the wall not far away and looked at him, watching as he walked up to her, lifted the cake, and held it right in front of her face. ¡°Er¡­ This is the prize.¡± Rickard lowered his head, and his keen gaze slumped downward. He looked like a beast that had retracted its sharpest ws and then showed its soft belly to her without any reservations. Hesper could not help but burst intoughter. When Hesper smiled, deep dimples would appear, one on each cheek and at the corners of her lips. Rickard did not know if he had done something right and had managed to coax her. Anyway, it seemed like he had not seen Hesper smile so heartily in the past several years. ¡®Somehow¡­ this is worth it. Even when she got her wish fulfilled and married me back then, those pretty, bright eyes of hers were filled with uncertainty. Plus, while it might have been her wish to marry me, it was definitely no dreame-true moment.¡¯ Thinking of the past, Rickard frowned while looking at the woman who was smiling right in front of him. All the guilt he had never felt before surged from the bottom of his heart, and he could hardly breathe. Just how devastated she must have felt back then?¡± Hesper nced at Rickard then lowered her head and looked at the strawberry cake in her hand, which did not look expensive at all. For some reason, she remembered the wedding that she and Rickard had had years ago. Under Ernest¡¯s instructions and close inspection, that wedding was not rushed. All the details of the ceremony and banquet were decided by a wedding designer and then executed wlessly. ¡®Perhaps he has long forgotten that the cake that we had at the wedding was strawberry-vored too.¡± She looked at the perfunctory man beside her, and as the mouthful of cake slowly melted in her mouth, all she tasted were hints of bitterness. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Before the two of them had the time to finish their conversation, Renfrew and his ssmates had been disbanded by Ms. Zeelen. All of them went back to their respective parents and went home. Under the vast sunset, three extended shadows ovepped with the shadows of the camphor trees on both sides of the street. Hesper raised her head thoughtfully. Renfrew walked next to her, talking to Rickard about his life at the kindergarten. The warm sunlight shined on her face, and it looked as if it was coated with ayer of gold paint. It felt like everything that happened back then had beenpletely erased by time. When Hesper got home, Matthew was sitting in the living room. When he saw Hesper arriving, he cleared his throat twice lightly. ¡°Matt?¡± Hesper was surprised and took a nce at the time. ¡®At this time, Matt would usually either be in the study or at thepany. Why has he gone out of This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. character and sat here waiting for me today¡­? Please don¡¯t tell me that he¡¯s here because of Rickard again.¡± Sure enough, Matthew lifted his gaze. ¡°Did you go out with Rickard again today?¡± His tone sounded like he knew about the fact that she had gone to the kindergarten with Rickard and Renfrew to take part in the sports day. It also felt like he was waiting for this time toe to question her, and she was stuck in a position where confession would not get her any leniency and resistance would surely get her stricture, so she could only nod helplessly. ¡°Renfrew has learned to be a little more gregarious in kindergarten. I¡¯m his mother, so I think I should at least attend some of the kindergarten¡¯s events when I have the time.¡± ¡°Is it really for Renfrew¡¯s growth?¡± Hesper nodded without hesitation. Matthew stood up and walked over with a different expression than usual, looking a little more solemn. ¡°Hesper, don¡¯t let revenge blind you and cause you to lose your judgment. Your feelings and emotions aren¡¯t something that can be measured. You should understand this best, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Hesper was taken aback. ¡°How do you know¡­¡± Remembering the phone call that she had with Matthew when she was drunk and the reason why Matthew insisted on staying there, Hesper froze for an instant then gave off a wry smile. ¡°So, you already know about it.¡± ¡°Yes, I know the ins and outs of it.¡± Matthew frowned. Hesper remained silent for a while then leaned against the wall and sighed. ¡°This revenge n of mine might sound ridiculous to you, but I only want to ruin him through this means.¡± Recalling Rickard¡¯s rather bashful and cautious expression when he handed her the cake, the only emotion that she felt deep down was a scorching heartache. Matthew shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with your n, but while you¡¯re setting him up to make him fall in love with you, can you really control your own emotions?¡± The night breeze was chilly, and Hesper lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes.¡± Matthew looked at Hesper¡¯s reluctance to listen to what he had to say and was a little anxious. Then what about Renfrew? I think he still values the rtionship between you and his father very highly. So when you were out there carrying out your n without care, did you think about your sont Hesper did not answer any more of Matthew¡¯s questions and changed the subject immediately ¡°There are two more days before I have to go back to thepetition venue. I¡¯m a little tired, and I still have 10 go back and go through my drafts.¡± ¡°Hesper¡­¡± Before Matthew could say anything, Hesper had already gone back to her room and shut the door. Two dayster, the tournament continued. This time around, no transportation was arranged for the contestants, so Hesper had to travel to the hotel with her luggage for thepetition. She checked herself in and waited for Celine to arrive Because Hesper arrived early, only a few cameras were operating at that time. The viewers who followed the live broadcast had already skipped over several scenes out of boredom. Hence, when someone finally appeared in front of the camera, thement section reignited and became much more boisterous again. ¡°Hesper is the first to arrive again. I¡¯vee to realize that she really loves to arrive early to prep herself ¡°Here I thought I had started watching this broadcast early, but Hesper actually arrived earlier than I did Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 ¡°But why is our gorgeousdy always so cold? She didn¡¯t say much at all during the personal interview ¡°Perhaps she pays more attention to her own privacy. I feel that Hesper doesn¡¯t like to reveal her private life very much.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s afraid of killing her own character setting by saying sh*t that she shouldn¡¯t be saying? Peeps, this is all scripted. Please don¡¯t tell me that you really believe in her character setting.¡± Hesper did not know what was being said in thement section. As soon as she returned to room 345, which was rather familiar to her, she put her luggage away and discovered that the small garden. downstairs had been reconstructed at some point. Originally, there was a ss flower shed below and she could see the scenery inside through the ss roof before, but now it was nowpletely covered for some reason, so even if she was living stories. above ground, she could not see the inside of the flower shed. ¡®If nothing else, something must be hidden inside the shed.¡± Regarding the emergence of new buildings and things, Hesper was not curious at all, probably because she had already seen through everything. Celine had gotten onto the bus earlier than herst time, so Hesper thought it would be the same this time around. Hence, she waited in the room for Celine to arrive, but after more than half an hour, there This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. was still no sign of her. The sound instion of the room was above average, but Hesper could still asionally hear the sound of participants dragging their luggage past her room in the corridor as if things were getting livelier on the other side of the door. ¡°What happened¡­¡± Hesper took a glimpse of the time. ¡®Time is almost up, and Celine still hasn¡¯t shown up yet. But she doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would miss thepetition at all.¡¯ Feeling that something was wrong, Hesper stood up and opened the door. ¡°Oh, here you are, Hesper.¡± Michelle, standing in front of her door, greeted her with a smile. ¡°Everyone was saying that they haven¡¯t seen you, so I thought you hadn¡¯te, but I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive earlier. than all of us.¡± Since she was in a rush to look for Celine, Hesper did not have time to stay back and chat with Michelle at the doorsteps, so she said, ¡°Excuse me, I need to go find someone.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hesper turned sideways, wanting to go around her, but Michelle blocked her way with her arm.¡± Who are you looking for? Fill me in. Maybe I can help you find the person too?¡± Hesper lifted her gaze and red at Michelle expressionlessly. ¡°Hmm¡­ Does anyone think that this scene resembles those bullying scenes from high school dramas and movies?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just another sassy bully who loves to make others¡¯ lives difficult and make herself look innocent after getting what she wants.¡± ¡°Hesper seems to want to go find Celine. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s arrived at the venue yet, and the time is almost up. ¡°Can¡¯t you people see that Michelle is just trying to help her and that her intentions are good? Your hearts are so filthy that everyone that appears in front of you must have ulterior motives¡­¡± Just as Hesper was about to speak, she saw the bracelet on Michelle¡¯s wrist in the blink of an eye. This looks so familiar; I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before. Does it belong to Juniper? It¡¯s the bracelet that she bid and purchased at the charity auction.¡± ¡°Do you know Juniper Wight?¡± Hesper frowned. With her sensitivity toward fashion, she could not have mistaken the bracelet. Sure enough, Michelle nced at her suspiciously and then hesitated before saying, ¡°How do you know that?¡± Michelle admitted to knowing Juniper. Hesper retracted her gaze after seeing that her puzzled eyes did not seem to be faked. ¡®If Juniper is paying any form of attention to me, she¡¯d known that Michelle knows me, so she¡¯s given this bracelet to Michelle so that she can wear it in front of me. This poordy doesn¡¯t know anything and has probably been approached by Juniper as a potential weapon that she could use to hurt me. ¡®In the end, she still thinks she¡¯s gaining something from this rtionship of theirs.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Just how wicked and dumb can she be?¡¯ Seeing that the time was almost running out, Hesper did not have the time to catch up much with Michelle. She had to find Celine as soon as possible. Otherwise, she would be disqualified. ¡°Step aside.¡± Michelle did not know why Hesper was so impatient, but the more anxious Hesper looked, the more she did not want to let Hesper have her way. Just as she was about to stop her again, Hesper stared past her and saw someone standing in the corridor behind her. ¡°Celine.¡± Pulling her suitcase, Celine ran over from the corridor. When she saw the scene in front of her, she was confused about what was happening. ¡°Yeah, sorry. I was a littlete today. Something came up all of a sudden when I was leaving my ce¡­¡± Michelle waspletely ignored by Hesper and Celine. Standing there, she could not help but feel a little embarrassed. Not knowing what to say, she could only withdraw her hand and stand aside awkwardly, like a waitress who hade to the room to deliver services. Seeing that Celine had arrived safely, Hesper was relieved and shifted her attention back to Michelle. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely valuable bracelet, so why would Juniper lend it or give it to you so casually?¡± Hesper pulled Celine closer to her, and her gazended on Michelle¡¯s wrist. ¡°Be wary of being used by someone else. Or you might even end up doing something filthy and getting your hands dirty for that person.¡± Hesper and Celine entered the room, leaving only Michelle standing in front of the door of room 345, thinking about what Hesper just said. ¡®Do Hesper and Juniper know each other? But I mentioned Hesper to Juniper before. Why didn¡¯t she tell me about this?¡¯ After giving what Hesper had just said some deeper thought, Michelle lowered her head and stared at the bracelet on her wrist. She had been extremely ecstatic when she received it. After all, it was a royal bracelet and it was bought at such a high price. Everyone would surely feel jealous when they saw it. But after listening to what Hesper said, no matter how she looked at it, it just looked like an eyesore. She took the bracelet off and gnashed her teeth. Because of all the cameras, she could not give off too big of a reaction, so she only stared at the door of room 345 for a while, then turned around and left. ¡°Who¡¯s the person that Michelle and Hesper were talking about? She isn¡¯t one of thepetitors, is she?¡± ¡°I remember the bracelet. My family¡¯s famous enough to attend an auction some time ago. It seems that this bracelet was auctioned off at more than $20,000. I was shocked when I heard about it back then.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, more than $20,000? Doesn¡¯t that mean that Michelle and Hesper¡¯s families are filthy rich?¡± ¡°People who study design usuallye from families that sit higher up in society, don¡¯t they¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, have you forgotten about Celine? Her family background doesn¡¯t look too good at first nce.¡± The second round of thepetition was a round surrounding the concept of teamwork. Contestants who were staying in the same room would be paired up as a group toplete a series of designs. The materials for the design could be found in the ss flower shed downstairs, and the material selection process would be kept a secret. Hesper would be working with Celine, so the two of them were not worried about this round at all. While living together, they would asionally exchange Ideas about design, only to find that their opinions would sometimes be verypatible. In addition to that, because they both had rtively rational personalities, if there were any differences, they would listen to each other¡¯s opinions, and then arrive at the same oue through different routes. 7 don¡¯t even need to look to know that room 345 will win this round.¡± With Michelle¡¯s ability, it was not very difficult for her toplete a good design, but when she was choosing someone to be her roommate, she chose a submissive young girl who would follow her This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. around. Apart from her personality, she was also extremely timid when it came to her design concepts. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Michelle was thinking that it was fine if she didn¡¯t get help from her teammate because she could still advance on her own, but when they were picking the materials in the flower room, the girl started going. against her. 7 think¡­ this flower isn¡¯t great.¡± Michelle was done getting what she needed, but when she turned around, she saw her teammate pushing what she took away. ¡°We can only pick fifteen items. You took too many¡­¡± The girl sounded timid but stubborn. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten what I need.¡± Michelle scoffed. ¡°Just use what I took, okay? What you took doesn¡¯t fit my ideas, so I won¡¯t be able to use them.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Hearing Michelle raise her voice, she sounded scared, but she still insisted. ¡°This is a team They argued for some time and Michelle ended up not convincing the girl. They both took what they needed and picked the material for two different styles. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Poor Michelle. Her teammate is dragging her down. How is she supposed to design with all those?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think her teammate did anything wrong. It¡¯s a teampetition, so why does Michelle get to dictate what they choose?¡± ¡°Alright, stop arguing. Celine and Hesper are going in.¡± Hesper walked into the room with Celine and the smell of flowers flowed toward them. Hesper was surprised to see so many types of flowers that bloomed in summer duringte autumn. It felt as though she traveled through time and was immediately inspired. She described her idea to Celine, who agreed with it. They looked for what they needed in the greenhouse, quickly found everything, then left. ¡°That¡¯s such a huge contrast¡­ From that, I think that Hesper and Celine are already doing better than Michelle.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t we hearing from Michelle¡¯s fans anymore? Didn¡¯t they keep hurling insults before?¡± They had three days toe up with a design, from designing to sewing. Both teammates had to work. together and make something they both loved. Three days wasn¡¯t a long time. Comparing this to the preliminaries, it was like going from cycling to driving a car. Hesper had the idea, so when she got back, she made a draft while Celine categorized the materials. The fresh-cut flowers were kept in a vase. It was a method that she just learned. They had a productive afternoon and their design took shape. ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of the details after this.¡± Hesper remembered that this was a team project. Even though Celine let her be the leader, Hesper couldn¡¯t take all the credit, so she gave her a lot of space to improve it. Celine was a little surprised because there weren¡¯t a lot of chances to show their talent. She didn¡¯t expect Hesper would use this method to give each of them a chance to shine, so her eyes were filled with joy. Thank you.¡± Inparison, the atmosphere in the other rooms wasn¡¯t as positive. There weren¡¯t a lot of chances to shine, so whatever friendship they built disappeared. No one would want to be the one forgotten by the viewers. The same could be said for Michelle¡¯s team. The obedient roommate suddenly turned into apetitor who was trying to outdo her. Michelle thought that it was annoying but kept her smile for the cameras. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Five days flew past. Hesper and Celine made a gown that was Inspired by the irls. The flowers were still beautiful with careful preservation. Hesper used silver thread to sew them onto the dress, which made it look beautiful and refreshing. ¡°That¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Celine was amazed when the flowers that she took care of for the past five days. were used in the finished work. Maybe because Hesper came up with the idea, she felt that this design that they rushed through and worked on overnight looked better than the past work she had done.. Since it had to be worn on the runway, the size was made ording to the size of the model Lane Holdings provided. Once the model showed up, Hesper let her try it on and altered the dress to fit better. The model was from Yosnd and had a pair of beautiful blue eyes that matched the iris. They didn¡¯t have an interpreter, but Hesper traveled for work a lot and was fluent in theirnguage, so she was able tomunicate with the model and their progress went even smoother. Celine was envious of Hesper for being fluent in a foreignnguage, but there was more trust between them because they were able to converse. It was a benefit no matter how she looked at it. ¡°I¡¯d love to wear your designs again in the future!¡± Hesper chuckled because her work was appreciated. ¡°We would be honored.¡± They were the undisputed winners of the teampetition. However, Michelle¡¯s design didn¡¯t fit the theme very well and the judges gave her a badment because they thought she shouldn¡¯t have done it that way. Teamwork was very important. That being said, her design was one of the moreplete ones and they managed to move to the next stage. Michelle immediately sent Juniper a message the moment she got her phone. Michelle: Did you know Hesper Rivera? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Juniper quickly replied. Juniper: Calm down. I was surprised when you mentioned her too, but I¡¯m not on good terms with her, so we¡¯ll just feel miserable if we talked about her, no? Juniper: Never mind, I¡¯m going to tell you. Hesper stole my fiance with dirty tactics in the past, so I hate her. Michelle would never have imagined something like that would happen between the two of them in the past, but she remembered a man picking Hesper up at the university in a luxury car. The man wasn¡¯t the fiance¡¯ who showed up during the reunion. She was shocked, but she managed to capture everything and all the photos were on her phone. Was that man Juniper¡¯s fiance? He looked rich! Michelle: I¡¯m sorry for not trusting you because of what she said. Juniper: It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s how she is. She loves to keep a poker face when she steals someone¡¯s man¡­ C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Juniper¡¯s expression turned hideous as she typed angrily on her phone, but suddenly, a hand came from behind her and took her phone away. Mom?¡± Juniper turned around and saw Ana standing behind her frowning while holding her phone. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 ¡°Mom, give me my phone.¡± Juniper frowned too as she held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore. Are you going to take my phone away? You¡¯re not respecting me.¡± Ariana stared at her, then shook her head. ¡°If I respect you now, I¡¯ll just be ruining you.¡± ¡°Juni, I hope you don¡¯t fall further. Hesper Isn¡¯t someone you should be offending. You¡¯re nning something behind her back and think that you¡¯re doing something, but other than feeling happy for ruining her, you won¡¯t achieve anything else.¡± Ariana was a little disappointed. ¡°Carter came to get you and I¡¯ve thrown him out. I¡¯ve never begged you before, but I¡¯m doing that now. Break up with Carter.¡± Juniper didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why should I? I love him. Why do you want to interfere? Are you my mother or Hesper¡¯s? Why do you care about her more?¡± Juniper went all out because she felt that Ariana did her wrong. ¡°I won¡¯t break up with him. Hesper will pay for taking what was mine. I¡¯ll find a way even if you won¡¯t give me your support.¡± Juniper snatched her phone. ¡°I won¡¯t being back. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She then mmed the door behind her, leaving Ariana sitting on the couch, crying in silence. Hesper got home after thepetition and got a phone call from an unknown number before she stepped into her home. ¡°Hello?¡± The caller didn¡¯t speak. Hesper didn¡¯t know who the caller was, and what they wanted. She was going to hang up because there was nothinging from the other side, but then person spoke. ¡°Ms. Rivera? I¡¯m Juniper¡¯s mother.¡± Hesper frowned and opened the door as she held the phone between her ear and shoulder. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Ariana helped the Duvals in the past, Hesper knew that. She remembered Ariana as a cold but ssy woman, but she didn¡¯t like her because she was Juniper¡¯s mother. ¡°Um¡­ can we meet this weekend?¡± The weekend. Hesper agreed even though she had no idea why she wanted to see her. The Wight¡¯s ce was emptier than the Duval¡¯s. Hesper was led to Ariana¡¯s room. She walked over to her and saw that Ariana was holding a photo of her and Juniper. Juniper was still in school and was smiling next to Ariana. She looked beautiful. ¡°Maybe telling you about Juni would be unfair to you.¡± Ariana ced the photo down but kept her eyes on it. ¡°Look, that was how she was when she was a child.¡± Juniper looked like she was in high school in the picture, so she was no longer a child. It was even possible that it was taken just a few years ago. However, Juniper was not close to being domineering. She was at most a little arrogant and anyone would be able to tell that she grew up in a rich family and that she was well-pampered and cared for. People change. Ariana sighed. ¡°But I can¡¯t believe that this is what Juni has turned into now.¡± Hesper couldn¡¯t tell who she was in the past. She might be a nice person, but the Juniper now caused so much harm to her and still kept testing her. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve said too much.¡± Ariana looked back at Hesper. ¡°1 invited you here to apologize on behalf of Juni. As a bystander, I know that what she did to you caused you a lot of pain.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. No one else should apologize for what she did.¡± Hesper never had much interaction with Ariana in the past, but when someone older apologized to her, Hesper felt uneasy. ¡°What Juniper did won¡¯t be forgiven because of a simple sentence. You¡¯re her mother, and I¡¯m a mother too. I can understand how you feel, but I won¡¯t forgive her. People need to pay for what they did. We¡¯re all adults after all, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ariana knew that begging Hesper wouldn¡¯t work after hearing what she said, but she knew that if Juniper continued doing what she was doing, she would one day make a mistake so big she wouldn¡¯t be able to turn back. ¡°Ms. Rivera¡­ can wee up with an agreement?¡± Hesper was trying to excuse herself, but when she heard that, she decided to listen. ¡°Go on.¡± Ariana sighed, then spoke. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Juniper headed for Carter¡¯s ce after leaving home. Carter was still angry after being kicked out of her home, but Juniper immediately went to see him, so he calmed down. ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t know me at all. She asked me to break up with you and I shut her down.¡± Juniper looked at his expression and could tell that he was calmer, so she was d. Even if the whole world hated her, at least Carter the yboy was still interested in her. Maybe what she did in the past was terrible, but even though Carter was nowhere close to Rickard, he was nice to her. He would give her whatever he wanted, even if she asked for the stars. ¡°My mom was just worried that Hesper would take action against me because that¡¯s just how she is. Hesper even has the Lanes supporting her, and Rickard seemed to be bewitched by her.¡± Juniper looked down and sounded like she was sobbing. ¡°As long as Hesper is still alive, I won¡¯t be able to convince my mom to ept you.¡± She was trying to hint at him to get rid of Hesper. Carter saw that she was pretending to sob, so he rubbed his temples. Juniper started feeling anxious when he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Carter, don¡¯t forget that when I agreed to be with you, you promised me something!¡± Juniper grabbed his arm. ¡°You need to help me kill Hesper and cause the Duvals to file for bankruptcy. Wouldn¡¯t you be happy with the copse of the Duval Group? Why are you hesitating?¡± Carter held her hand and smiled. ¡°It isn¡¯t something that can happen overnight. Give me more time.¡± W Juniper pulled her hand out, but since she was not as strong as him, she just let it be. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll happen.¡± Carter¡¯s voice trailed away. His eyes filled with realization as he lowered his head and kissed Juniper. Tve agreed to your request, but you need to hold your side of the agreement too. Do what you promised.¡± Hesper pressed her lips together. ¡°I hope what you told me is all true.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good person.¡± Ariana felt sorry. ¡°I apologize again. None of this would have happened if I did my part as a mother.¡± Hesper shook her head. ¡°Alright, none of that matters anymore. I need to excuse myself because I have work to do.¡± Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Alright. After saying goodbye, Hesper went to her office and finished her work. On the way up, she bumped into Matthew, who was on the way down with some staff. ¡°Matt?¡± She walked in when the elevator doors opened but didn¡¯t expect to bump into him. Matthew nodded and when the other staff saw them standing together, so they left to continue work. The two bosses were usually friendly, but when it came to working, they never let their rtionship get in the way. They were pretty scary when they were serious. Matthew looked at her and knew that what she went out for probably went well, so he didn¡¯t ask questions. ¡°Have you eaten? I just finished with work and am now heading out for some food.¡± Hesper nodded. ¡°Not yet. Let¡¯s go.¡± The people who were observing the two bosses watched as they walked out of the building and gave a sigh of relief, then started chatting in their groups. Employee A: I think Mr. and Ms. Lane do have a good rtionship. It doesn¡¯t seem like they are at each other¡¯s throats for inheritance. Employee B: I wish I could see Ms. Lane¡¯s beauty every day. Employee C: Hah, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯ve never been yelled at by her. Are you new? Employee B: She looks pretty gentle. Does she yell? Employee D: She would eat you up. Employee A, B, and C: ? Isaac smiled cunningly as he went undercover among the staff. Renee walked over and saw him smiling, so she frowned. ¡°What are you looking at? Why are you smiling here instead of going for lunch?¡± Hearing her voice, Isaac sat up straight and put his phone away. Renee was different from him. She was always very serious like an old schr. If she knew that they had group chats, it would be the end for the staff who were joking in there, and he would have no entertainment left. ¡°Nothing. I heard that Ms. Lane was here?¡± Renee looked at him suspiciously when he put his phone away but didn¡¯t question him. She nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Lane sent a message to say that they went out for lunch together. We can take our time C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. with work and go have lunch too.¡± Isaac nodded and went out. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with him.¡± Renee watched as he sashayed away, then turned around to check some documents. Her sickness dyed a lot of work, so now that she was back, she wished she could clone herself to get the work done. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Hesper was quite familiar with the ces around the office because they would order food delivery when they had to work overtime. She knew which shop Matthew would enjoy, so she brought him there. ¡°Our stats are higher than the Duvals for this season, but I don¡¯t really understand why they¡¯re doing what they¡¯re doing.¡± Matthew was the one managing thepany recently. Hesper looked at the numbers and didn¡¯t really understand the Duvals¡¯ n, so she looked at Matthew intently. ¡°These few days¡­ We should eat well.¡± Matthew flicked her forehead. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in there other than work.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± Hesper rubbed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m working hard for thepany yet you flicked my head. You¡¯re paying for lunch.¡± Matthew chuckled as Hesper looked up, and they both startedughing. ¡°Where did you go this morning? You looked concerned when you got home yesterday. Is it about Rickard?¡± Hesper thought about it, then said, ¡°Somewhat, but not really. Juniper¡¯s mother wanted to see me and asked to work with me.¡± ¡°Work with you?¡± Matthew thought that the name Juniper sounded familiar, then he frowned. ¡°How?¡± ¡°She wants to help me. She¡¯ll tell me as much as possible about whatever Juniper ns in the future.¡± Hesper raised her brows. ¡°But the catch is that if Juniper does something terrible and I get to decide her fate, I¡¯ll have to spare her life. I epted.¡± Matthew nodded. ¡°Can you trust her?¡± Hesper looked down and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never talked to her before this. Maybe first impressions aren¡¯t that urate, but the impression I got from her was that she was a gentle and elegant woman. More importantly, I believe that no mother would want their child to make mistakes that would ruin their life. I¡¯m hoping that she¡¯s a good mother.¡± Before Matthew could speak, their food was served. ¡°Try this. Every time I tried it, I would think about how it¡¯s something you would probably love.¡± ¡°Finish it, then go back to work.¡± Matthew was speechless. Seeing resentment in his eyes, Hesper gave a sneaky smile. ¡°Go on.¡± It was soon the weekend. Hesper would need to go back to thepetition on Monday, so she reserved half a day to see Renfrew. She would be very busy the next week, but Renfrew would probably still look forward to meeting her on Sunday. Hesper wouldn¡¯t want to let him down. It was winter now. Genecity was colder than the past years and it might even snow. Hesper saw snow at Emperion before. It was much heavier than the light snow of Genecity¡¯s that would disappear when it touched the ground. It would snow heavily and the heaviest snowfall could cover the roof. The heavy snow would look like This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. confetti falling. It snowed the next day. Renfrew was wrapped up warmly with a scarp as he stood in front of the car waiting Hesper sew kim when she got to their rendezvous point. He started waving at her as soon as he saw her. ¡°Mommy!¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Hesper quickened her steps to hold his hand. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°Not at alll¡± Renfrew shook his head and was a little excited. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing snow. Even though H¡¯s a bit chilly, it looks so pretty!¡± Hesper never paid attention to Genecity in the past few years. She did a quick calction and realized that it really didn¡¯t snow in the past few years, so it made sense that he hadn¡¯t seen snow before. Rickard just parked the car and saw Hesper holding Renfrew¡¯s hand, hopping around trying to catch the snowkes. ¡°This is a hexagon!¡± Renfrew shouted. Hesper looked over and saw him holding a hexagon-shaped snowke. It was pretty and clear. Unfortunately, the snowke melted in the next second because of their hot breath. ¡°Oh no, it melted.¡± Hesper patted his head. ¡°There¡¯ll be more.¡± Rickard walked over. Hesper didn¡¯t have a hat on and her hair was covered in snow. He walked over and brushed it off. ¡°Daddy!¡± Hesper turned around and saw Rickard with his arm raised. They were standing really close to each other and it felt intimate, but that was just an illusion. Hesper took a step back. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Where are we headed today?¡± Rickard held Renfrew¡¯s hother hand. ¡°The Ferris wheel downtown.¡± After getting three tickets, Hesper saw a stand selling roasted sweet potatoes and went over there to get three. When she was done, the snow seemed to have gotten heavier and the sky was turning dark. The neon lights on the street lit up and it looked like a movie scene with the falling snow. ¡°Ren!¡± Renfrew looked up at the falling snow as Hesper jogged over. He looked very happy. ¡°You bought food!¡± Hesper pinched his nose. ¡°Sharp eyes. I got roasted sweet potatoes. Your uncle used to get them for me all the time when I was at Emperion.¡± Rickard stood there and watched Hesper hand the sweet potato to Renfrew. She then turned around and handed another one to him. ¡°For me?¡± Rickard hesitated, then took it. Hesper nodded then walked to the queue with Renfrew. A lot of couples loved the Ferris wheel, and since it was the first snowfall, couples wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to make memories. ¡°Why here?¡± Hesper got into the cabin with Renfrew. Even though it was the biggest Ferris wheel there, the cabin wasn¡¯t huge Ackard was tall, so when he got in, the space became ustrophobic. Rickard shook his head, so Hesper didn¡¯t press. The wheel moved slowly so they had time to see almost half of Genecity¡¯s view. Renfrew looked C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. outside with curiosity. He had never seen the city from this angle before. It was spectacr, Hesper looked outside and zoned out. This location had that effect on her. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 It happened in winter many years ago. A show from Hollena became the talk of the town and everyone was crazy about it. Part of the plot was about the first snowfall that made couples yearn to experience it together. Rickard and Juniper had been together for half a year at that point and Juniper kept saying that she wished to get on the Ferris wheel during the first snowfall so they could share their first kiss at the top. and they would end up together forever Genecity¡¯s weather was unpredictable. It didn¡¯t snow for a few years. When Hesper heard that, from summer to winter, she hoped that it wouldn¡¯t snow in Genecity that year. s, it snowed. Rickard never s*ipped school, but that day, he s*ipped ss and went to the Ferris wheel downtown with. Zikmund and Juniper to fulfill the promise he made during the summer. Hesper didn¡¯t know what she had been thinking. She had known that it was only a matter of time, but she still s*ipped school with them and went to the Ferris wheel alone. It was a cold day and she sat on the bench of the garden for a long time until the lights of the wheel were switched off. Hesper had leaned back and looked up at the falling snow. She reminded herself that she needed to stop having feelings for Rickard from that day onward. However, one secondter, an umbre had showed up above her, and just like in the shows, Rickard held it above her head and looked down at her. ¡°Time to go home, Hesper.¡± It was a simr scene. Hesper realized that they were almost at the top of the Ferris wheel and forced herself not to think about what happened, but her eyes still welled up. She had wanted to give up on him for the hundredth time, but every time, she was too greedy, until that day when she sat there with hatred. The young man who held the umbre in her memories was dead to her. He was no longer Rickard. ¡°Hesper.¡± She turned around and saw Rickard holding a piece of paper and a pen. Renfrew was still enjoying the view. Hesper frowned and took the agreement from him. She nced at it and it seemed to be another lucrative business n. She signed and when she looked up, they were at the top of the wheel. ¡°Hesper, happy first snowfall.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Renfrew heard that and turned around, then wished his mother too. ¡°Happy first snowfall!¡± Hesper didn¡¯t know how to react to that, so she just patted Renfrew, then saw her reflection in the ss and realized that her eyes were red. ¡°¡­Happy first snowfall.¡± After getting out of the cabin, Renfrew suddenly looked weird. Heaper looked at Renfrew¡¯s unnaturally red face. She didn¡¯t notice it under the light, but now his face emed to be swollen. What¡¯s going on?¡± Hesper started panicking. Rickard squatted down and took a good look at Renfrew¡¯s face, then frowned. It looks like an allergic reaction.¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 ¡°Allergic reaction?¡± Hesper was still panicking. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that he could be allergic to fiweet potatoes?¡± Hesper hugged Renfrew. Rickard asked her to calm down and turned to go get the car. Fortunately, there was a hospital not too far away and the traffic was alright. The three soon got to the This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. hospital¡¯s emergency room. The doctor quickly checked on him. As expected, he did have an allergic reaction, but they were still trying to find out what he was allergic to. I¡¯m a terrible mother¡­¡± Renfrew was getting treated in the room. Hesper and Rickard couldn¡¯t go in yet, so they had to wait outside on the benches. Hesper med herself because how could she not know about his allergies? It was fortunate that he didn¡¯t have a terrible reaction to it, but had it been severe, it could have been toote by the time they got to the hospital, and maybe¡­ She was just d that none of that happened It¡¯s not your fault. I didn¡¯t notice that something was wrong either.¡± Rickard hesitated and finally held Hesper¡¯s hand. ¡°I took him for an allergy test before and sweet potatoes weren¡¯t on the list. He hasn¡¯t had sweet potatoes for a long time, so it¡¯s possible that he developed the allergyter on. We couldn¡¯t have predicted that, could we?¡± Even though it was true, Hesper still felt terrible. When the test results came out and confirmed that he was allergic to sweet potatoes, she med herself even more. ¡°Luckily, he was brought here in time. He¡¯s fine now and the reaction has subsided,¡± the doctor said, ¡°Alright.¡± Rickard let go of Hesper¡¯s hand and quietly said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Hesper walked into the room and saw how frail Renfrew looked as hey in bed. It was so drastically different from how he was in the afternoon when he was hopping around catching snow. Her heart ached. ¡°Ren¡­¡± Renfrew was doing much better. He turned his head when he heard her voice and called her mommy quietly. Hesper walked over and held onto his hand that didn¡¯t have the IV drip in. She felt terrible. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have paid more attention. I¡¯m sorry for giving you something you¡¯re allergic to.¡± ¡°No, the sweet potato¡­ was very sweet.¡± Renfrew shook his head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll remember its taste. Even though I can¡¯t eat it in the future. anymore, I¡¯ll still remember how sweet it was. I¡¯m d.¡± Aftering back, Rickard saw Hesper holding Renfrew¡¯s hand, but they were both fast asleep. He ced the medication on the table and took out the agreement that Hesper signed on the Ferris wheel. He was hoping that she wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to the details. In use neen, it wrote that Ms. Rivera would have to agree to one condition set by Mr. Duval, and that use could not be changed. ¡°Allergic reaction?¡± Hesper was still panicking. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that he could be allergic to. Sweet potatoes?¡± Hesper hugged Renfrew. Rickard asked her to calm down and turned to go get the car. Fortunately, there was a hospital not too far away and the traffic was alright. The three soon got to the hospital¡¯s emergency room. The doctor quickly checked on him. As expected, he did have an allergic reaction, but they were still trying to find out what he was allergic to. ¡°I¡¯m a terrible mother¡­¡± Renfrew was getting treated in the room. Hesper and Rickard couldn¡¯t go in yet, so they had to wait outside on the benches. Hesper med herself because how could she not know about his allergies? It was fortunate that he didn¡¯t have a terrible reaction to it, but had it been severe, it could have been toote by the time they got to the hospital, and maybe¡­ She was just d that none of that happened. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I didn¡¯t notice that something was wrong either.¡± Rickard hesitated and finally held Hesper¡¯s hand. ¡°I took him for an allergy test before and sweet potatoes weren¡¯t on the list. He hasn¡¯t had sweet potatoes for a long time, so it¡¯s possible that he developed the allergyter on. We couldn¡¯t have predicted that, could we?¡± Even though it was true, Hesper still felt terrible. When the test results came out and confirmed that he was allergic to sweet potatoes, she med herself even more. ¡°Luckily, he was brought here in time. He¡¯s fine now and the reaction has subsided,¡± the doctor said, ¡°Alright.¡± Rickard let go of Hesper¡¯s hand and quietly said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Hesper walked into the room and saw how frail Renfrew looked as hey in bed. It was so drastically different from how he was in the afternoon when he was hopping around catching snow. Her heart ached. ¡°Ren¡­¡± Renfrew was doing much better. He turned his head when he heard her voice and called her mommy quietly. Hesper walked over and held onto his hand that didn¡¯t have the IV drip in. She felt terrible. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have paid more attention. I¡¯m sorry for giving you something you¡¯re allergic to.¡± ¡°No, the sweet potato¡­ was very sweet.¡± Renfrew shook his head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll remember its taste. Even though I can¡¯t eat it in the future anymore, I¡¯ll still remember how sweet it was. I¡¯m d.¡± *** Aftering back, Rickard saw Hesper holding Renfrew¡¯s hand, but they were both fast asleep. He ced the medication on the table and took out the agreement that Hesper signed on the Ferris wheel. He was hoping that she wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to the details. In use neen, it wrote that Ms. Rivera would have to agree to one condition set by Mr. Duval, and that use could not be changed. When they were at the peak of the wheel, all he could think about was that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. The third round of thepetition happened when it was coldest. Situated not too far away, the town where thepetition was held had snow too. Hesper could feel the chill the moment she stepped out of the vehicle. The greenhouse was saved. The flowers still bloomed beautifully inside. Just ayer of ss away, the weather outside looked as if it was going to start snowing again soon. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 When Hesper got there, Celine was already there. When she saw the dark circles under Hesper¡¯s eyes, she was shocked. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleepst night?¡± Because of how concerned she sounded, Hesper couldn¡¯t just brush her off. Hesper slept at the hospital because she was worried about Renfrew. She would wake up every time he moved, worried that something might happen again, so she looked very tired after waking up. After hesitating, she nodded. ¡°Something happened yesterday, but it¡¯s fine now.¡± The third stage of thepetition was when things got heated. Everyone was in their best state because no one wanted to be the one eliminated. Celine was worried seeing how tired she was. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Hesper patted her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to bepetitors from today onward, Ms. Campbell.¡± It was true. From the third stage onward, it would be individualpetitions. Celine chuckled. Even though that was true, she wasn¡¯t nervous because she knew that Hesper wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm her. Maybe it was because she had seen how bad things could get during the Duvalpetition, so she was ready. She was happy to be able to advance. ¡°Hesper seems to be doing terribly today¡­ I¡¯m disappointed. Why didn¡¯t she manage her life but instead let things happen before thepetition?¡± ¡°Everyone has their own life. No one expects idents to happen¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t thepetition the most important thing? She¡¯s not some big shot that needs to support everyone. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to make it to the end.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh, are you an oracle?¡± Michelle was shocked to see Hesper. She thought that Hesper would be very serious during the third stage because it was based on individual work. This was the time to shine in front of the judges. Hesper knew what Michelle was thinking just by looking at her. Even though she didn¡¯t rest well, she still managed to finish a design by herself effortlessly. Michelle was going to be disappointed. ¡°Alright, everyone is here. Let¡¯s take a look at the theme.¡± The host stood on stage. Hesper and Celine were at the back of the group and couldn¡¯t really see the words on the sign until the host read it out. ¡°Mother.¡± The host was a little shocked, then said over the chatter, ¡°I guess this is a tough one. Everyone knows that our designers had amazing performance when it came to luxury items, so how would everyone interpret this theme?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± No one expected ¡°Mother¡± to be the theme. bapl¨®t 200 212 When Hesper first heard it, she was surprised because the first thing she thought of was that she was an orphan. She never had a mother figure in the Duval or Lane household. However, she herself was a mother. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 On the side of things, Celine seemed much more rxed. Her only rtive was the mother that she had back at home, so this theme was too simple for her. The difficulty of this round was not the rtionship that the participants had with their mothers; after all, everyone had a mother. The difficulty was in how the designer channeled the emotions that she had into her design without making the design look too clich¨¦d. This was the main challenge. After all, the clothing that everyone could imagine their mothers wearing woulde in darker colors. There would also berge and bright-colored patterns, and they would not look too protruding or beautiful, but they would definitely be very stain-resistant. The contestants had two days toe up with their design, and three more days to produce the clothing, so the time limit was rtively lenient, and they could choose any material from the material library. Hesper and Celine did not waste any time; they immediately went to the material library and picked up a few things that they might need ording to the design that they had in their imagination- Celine did not forget how she was robbed of materials by Michelle back during thepetition organized by Duval Group. Although there was no need to fight over materials this time around, it would still be difficult for someone -as talented as her toe up with something if she did not have the right material to work with, so ensuring that she had something in hand was the top priority. The contestants were not prohibited from interacting with each other during this round. So after returning to their room, Celine wanted to ask Hesper if she had any ideas in mind, but after all, this round was all. about individual design, so she did not know if it would be inappropriate for her to ask her about it so directly. Hesper naturally noticed Celine¡¯s gaze and was a little confused by it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­? Are you hungry?¡± Celine felt a little helpless, and Hesper saw the helplessness in her expression and knew that she might have said something dumb. ¡®I was so focused on thinking about how to start drawing the draft, so I wasn¡¯t putting much thought into the words that I just bbered.¡± Seeing Hesper¡¯s response, Celine¡¯s worries faded away, and she could not help but chuckle. ¡°I only wanted to ask you if you¡¯vee up with some ideas, but I think that might be a little inappropriate.¡± Hesper nodded while replying, ¡°Actually, I still don¡¯t have any good ideas yet, but I guess my concept should be very distinct from yours, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be in a position to exchange ideas with you.¡± As soon as Hesper said so, thementing section had already blown up before Celine could say anything in response. ¡°That¡¯s funny, if you don¡¯t want to share your thoughts, just tell her that you don¡¯t want to share them. Why make excuses to make yourself look good?¡± ¡°Can this be regarded as the start of the end of their sisterhood? Celine, oh Celine, as soon as her interests are dragged into the equation, your sister won¡¯t tell you sh*t anymore.¡± ¡°Celine actually asked the question¡­ This is still apetition, girl~ Do you really think that you can show all the cards in your hands to your opponent just like that? I don¡¯t even know if I should me her for her naivety or me Hesper for being too scheming.¡± Celine did not expect Hesper would reply to her question with such an answer, but she also did not feel that Hesper was deliberately hiding something from her. After getting along with her all this while, she knew that Hesper was not such a person. Hesper did not have anything to hide, so thinking that her avoidance might affect her rtionship with Celine, she exined generously, ¡°I¡¯m an orphan and I¡¯ve never seen my mother. I really don¡¯t know what I can do now toe up with a design.¡± As soon as Hesper exined herself, not only Celine but also thement section became dead silent. instantly. ¡°Nooo, this round isn¡¯t just difficult for Hesper, it¡¯s on an insane level for her¡­¡± ¡°Those *ssholes who just badmouthed Hesper, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for you toe out and Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. apologize?¡± Celine did not intend to poke someone else¡¯s pain point, so she was stunned for a few seconds when she heard Hesper¡¯s exnation, then she felt a little guilty. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know that¡­ Actually, you don¡¯t have to tell me. I know you¡¯re not someone that would hide your ideas out of selfishness.¡± Hesper smiled and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not like I really care about these sort of things at all.¡± Thinking of Matthew, Grandpa Arthur, and Grandpa Ernest, Hesper only felt that she had been shown a lot of support, so she sounded very confident. ¡°I now have family members who genuinely love me.¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Although Hesper said so, everyone in thement section still felt sorry for Hesper. ¡°At first I thought Hesper was the kind ofdy whose family was very rich and had been spolled since she was a kid¡­ It turns out that I¡¯ve been preconceiving, so I don¡¯t mind apologizing to her. I¡¯m sorry, Hesper.¡± ¡°However, Hesper is really optimistic, and she didn¡¯t use this trait of hers to earn poprity. She just wanted to clear things up with Celine. Based on this alone, I think she¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°Uh, not having a mother doesn¡¯t mean that her family is poor, does it? Hesper doesn¡¯t look like a woman that came from a poor family at all. Do you know how much her hoody costs?¡± ¡°Dude, don¡¯t you know thatdies can also earn a lot of money? Why must she rely on her family for money?¡± Although Hesper told her that it was okay, Celine still felt that she had poked Hesper in a ce that hurt the most, so every time she walked out of the cubicle and saw Hesper, she would feel a little awkward C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. and embarrassed. Hesper naturally noticed it, but she really did not care if she had a mother or not. She had once thought about searching for her biological parentster on in life and also naively thought that maybe she got lost or was abducted back then, and her parents were also anxiously looking for her. But when she went back to the orphanage to ask the dean about her parents, the dean told her very clearly that she was left at the entrance of the orphanage years ago. Back then, many parents had done so, because they had given birth to kids and were unable to raise them. They would leave their kids at the gate of the orphanage so that at least the children would survive, and they would not have the pressure of having to raise the children. Hesper was not the first one, nor was she a special one. After knowing this, Hesper did not want to look for her parents anymore. Regardless of whether they were. rted by blood or not, it still meant that the family did not need her anymore, since they had abandoned her back then. Hesper had always been very rational; she did not feel too sad when she found out about the story of her life and just epted the fact agreeably. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel guilty about what happened earlier. I really don¡¯t feel bad about it.¡± When it was time to grab dinner, Hesper finally caught up to Celine who had been avoiding her all this while, dragged her along, and sat her down. ¡°If you keep avoiding me, rumors of us falling out with each other will start to spread.¡± After hearing this, Celine quickly waved her hands, and said to the camera, ¡°Hesper and I are still very close friends.¡± Looking at how Celine reacted, Hesper could not help but burst intoughter, and then said, ¡°I¡¯ve made two simple dishes tonight, so you don¡¯t have to order takeaways. Just go back to work after eating.¡± It was imed that there were two simple dishes, but there was meat, vegetables, and soup, and all of them looked delicious. Celine had tasted Hesper¡¯s cooking early on in thepetition; she could always feel the warmth of home cooked meals whenever she ate them. It also took her a long time before she realized it. ¡°Our chedule te already verypact, so how would you still have the time to cook?¡± The time I use to cook is the time I use to think.¡± Heaper wanted to say that she did not need her brain to be operating while she cooked, but in the end, ahe only scratched her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it didn¡¯t take long either.¡± ¡°My God, what kind of gorgeous simpleton is she?) I really like Hesper a lot!¡± 1 feel that Hesper in obviously a belle, but she¡¯s someone very tacitum and tan¡¯t very domineering at the same time. She won¡¯t ever take the initiative to destroy someone else unless the other party challenges her and steps on her limits first¡± ¡°I love the contrast and cuteness!¡± ¡°She sounds like a pushover¡­ I wonder how this beauty survived to this age and became so talented.¡± Hesper and Celine had a quick meal and continued to work on their own designs after returning to their room. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Five days had passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for the presentation. The model that Hesper got was indeed the same person fromst time. Hesper only found out when she was trying on clothes for her that the models could actually choose the designer that they wished to work with, so the rules for the models were rtively free in this regard. Therefore, this model was still in charge of showcasing the designs produced by team 345 this time around. ¡°You can call me Yelena from now on. It¡¯s my Halwanese name.¡± Yelena did not speak fluent Halwanese, but fortunately, Hesper had no troublemunicating with her so that was one of the reasons why she wanted to work with team 345. It had always taken her a long time just tomunicate with the designers that she had worked with in the past. Although she had been learning Halwanese very seriously all this while, it was not a one-off process after all. Sometimes, it could only be an extremely simple matter, but things could get really troublesome when there were to be any mimunications. Hesper weed all sorts ofments and positive criticisms as she watched Yelena put on her design. Although mannequins and dress forms had always been provided to her and other students when they werepleting projects on campus, they could not bepared with the real deal. Being able to feel the vitality and energy flowing through in her design had always been Hesper¡¯s ultimate pursuit. This dress looks so pretty, but I remember that the theme for this round ofpetition was ¡®Mother¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t such a bright fabric be a little inappropriate?¡± Yelena was a little worried. Although she did not know much about fashion design, she knew that the rose-red color might not fit the role of a mother too. well culturally. Hesper gave it a good, long thought, but still shook her head in the end. ¡°This is what a mother feels like in my imagination.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yelena and Hesper exchanged a few more details, then Yelena went to Celine¡¯s room to try on the other dress Ernest and Wendy were already sitting on the couch. They were already well-prepared for the show to start at this instance. Yann hade in early and projected the phone¡¯s disy onto the television for the two of them. Even though there was a big television at home, the two elderly had been watching the broadcast through a tiny cell phone screen. How sad could that be? Ernest looked at the television screen and was awed by how fast technology had been developing. He was thinking about giving Yann a raise. Yann, who had always been working extremely hard every day to do her job well, and had always been thankful for never being punished, finally felt the loveliness and cuteness of her employer for the first time. It was time for her to do some chores and run errands around the mansion, but she had been specially summoned into the living room to watch a live broadcast with Ernest and Wendy so that if anything were to happen to the equipment or broadcast, she would be there to help fix it at any time. Deep down, I really think Ms. Lane looks breathtakingly beautiful.¡¯ Yann often read the news about Lane Holdings¡¯petition, and every time she saw any update regarding Hesper, thement section below would always be loaded withpliments. ¡°Mr. Duval must have been blinded back then!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s started.¡± Hearing Emest¡¯s voice, Yann came back to her senses and watched the live broadcast on the television- Hesper and Celine were sitting in an inconspicuous corner at the back, and the order of presentation was drawn backstage through a lottery machine. Hesper got the number 17, which was rtivelyte, while Celine would be the fifth candidate to present her dress. Suddenly, there was a faintmotioning from behind the audience and crowd, so Hesper turned her head sensitively and saw Roberto entering the auditorium with the judges from previous episodes. ¡°Mr. Sanchez? I thought Mr. Sanchez wasn¡¯t one of the judges for this round?¡± Hesper was very surprised too. Matthew had not mentioned it to her before she came here, so she had no idea that Roberto would be here today. She lowered her head and took a quick look at her attire. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with it. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. They were all Lane Holdings¡¯test products, so wearing them could be regarded as free publicity for the